A Busy Day

The Spring Equinox happened at 5:37 (our time) this morning.  So I can wish you a

Happy Spring!

Today is also International Quilting Day!   We quilters don't really need a special day.  Quilting Day is every day for us.  I am trying my best to do a bit of sewing each day.  Some days nothing is happening.  But I have been adding a few more blocks to my multicoloured scrap quilt.  I don't know what this pattern is called.  It's pretty old.  If you have any ideas, please let me know.  I have made many of these quilts, in several colours, using this pattern.  My DS was here and he volunteered to hold it up for me.

This quilt uses up a lot of scraps.  

In other hobbies, I have finished another pair of socks for William.  He loves the first pair I knit for him.  They are a perfect fit.  He has been busy polishing the foyer floor at his house.  I hope these will fit him as well.  I used a different yarn.  

I have to take a little knitting break now.  

My wrists are getting painful.  

I think it's a carpel tunnel condition. 

Have a great day!

  

Happy Pi Day

 

It's the 14th of March.  3.14   Today is Pi Day.   Having a son who is a bit of a math nerd is not easy.  I am always aware of math related stuff.  I used to bake a pie on Pi Day.  His favourite was lemon meringue.  But my baking days are over.  It's enough to have to put cereal into a bowl each morning and add milk.  I'm not up for anything more.

So whatever you're up to today.  Whether it's setting the time ahead an hour or eating some delicious apples baked into a tantalizing crust or trying to remember the infinitive Pi calculation, I hope you have a good one.   

3.141592653589......  Okay.  That's enough.

Oh, NO!  I think I'm becoming a nerd.

Socks Rock

I have been knitting socks for William.  He asked for them expressly.  They are not to keep his feet warm.  Or dry.   He wants to use them like a pair of skates.  Yes.  You heard that right!  My DS taught him how to 'skate' in the front foyer of his house, wearing a pair of knitted socks.   

I  really like knitting socks.  It is very calming.  Kind of like meditating - something I need to do a lot of lately to keep me sane.  Just concentrating on the stitches.  Listening to the clicking of the needles.  The repetitive motions.  And better for my eyesight.  It is easier to see the knitting yarn than sewing a quarter inch seam allowance.   I had to use a light colour, but not too light, and not too dark either.  Dark colours are difficult to see.  I used some left over green yarn.  Still I had problems if I made a mistake or had to count rows.  I used stitch markers and a magnifying glass to read the instructions.  The socks were a success!  He loves them and spent the major part of his evening 'skating' on the hardwood floor.

So now that William needs more socks,  I have something to keep me busy.  I have a purpose!  I am a knitting Nana.  How cool is that?  Here is what they look like.

I have no idea how many pairs I will make.  I guess it all depends on how many good movies are on television.  These socks will also be fantastic to wear inside his spring Wellies.   He is fed up with his winter boots.  Yeah, can you tell?  He is six years old.

Signs of Spring

 A crocus was blooming in front of my house.  Today was a warm day.  The first of this season.  This Covid thing has taken its toll on me.  I need more spring stuff to keep me going.  I just sat in the sun and admired the pretty yellow colour.  There are many more crocuses showing their green shoots.  I can hardly wait for more blooms to appear soon.  

I made this little journal quilt a couple of years ago.  It measures 8.5 by 11 inches.  

There were also some snowdrops blooming in the backyard, under the apple tree.  Yesterday they were covered in snow and today they are blooming.  So pretty.

It's supposed to get cold again.  But at least this is a start.

How to Make an American Quilt

In 1995, the movie 'How to Make an American Quilt' came out.   Of course, anything to do with quilting is high on my list.  I had to see the film as soon as I heard about it.  It starred Maya Angelou.  I love her poems.  Her role in the film was great too.  

In real life, Maya had been raped at the age of seven.  It traumatized her so much that she didn't speak for 5 years.  She was encouraged to write to get her feelings out.  As a result she wrote many poems.  Several dealt with her frustrations around systemic racism.  In the poem, 'Caged Bird', (one of my favourites) she describes the freedom of the birds in the sky.  Their thoughts only of the wind and having all their needs met.  She continues her poem with a caged bird, who's wings are clipped and feet are tied.  A captive bird who can only sing of freedom.  Much like slaves who sang of freedom and who's owners thought they were happy because they were singing.  In an interview with Oprah Winfrey Maya expresses her own experiences and frustrations and likens herself to the caged bird.  I found the interview very moving.

In the American Quilt film she is the leader of a quilting group who are making a quilt for a girl who is getting married.  She encourages the others to continue and finish the quilt.  She plays the role of Anna Neale, the mother of another young quilter, Marianna Neale, who is pregnant.  This role is played by Alfre Woodard.

Marianne is very depressed because of her condition and works on a dark and brooding quilt of her own.  I don't think it is shown more than once or twice in the film, but I fell in love with it.  It looked like a wonderful quilt that I would love to make.  I was fairly new to quilting at that time, but I bought the book that was based on the film and made the quilt.  My fabric stash was limited, but I think it still came out okay.  I gave it to my DD to hang in her quest room.

This morning I asked her to take a photo of it so I could show it to you..  She did and here it is.

Thanks for listening and letting me share.

Some Quilting

My doctor phoned me last week.  She asked if I had been able to do any sewing lately.  I said I hadn't, but when I checked the blocks beside my machine I discovered that there were a few.  

I have been trying to do a bit of sewing each day.  Some days I have been able to sew for about 15 minutes.  Some days I have only been able to sew for a couple of minutes.  And some days there has been absolutely no sewing at all.  This is mostly due to my poor eyesight.  So it amazes me that I have actually made 18 blocks.  They are very easy and use a lot of white which is easier to see.  Here are the blocks I have made so far.

I also found a few UFO blocks.  I hope to make a few more and create a donation quilt.  This is what is done so far.

Another donation quilt that is now complete is this one.  It measures about 36in by 42in.  I think that is big enough.  But I still have a few more blocks so I think I will start another charity quilt.  I just love making these rail fence blocks.  Each measures 3in square (finished).  I have lots of scraps so this is a good way to use them up.  

That's it for today.  Not only is sewing hard on my eyes, but screen time is too.