What I've Been Up To

Every day last week I meant to write a blog post, but it's not unusual these days to be so busy with extra-curricular activities and interests at home that I don't take time to post. Last week was especially so.

Of course, there was the usual line dancing, quilting groups (read about our Central Florida MQG meeting here), ukulele players club, and Bible study. But add a few other activities like the Ukulele Performance Group's visit to a nursing home, Iowa friends for dinner, an afternoon at Lakeridge Winery with my friend Karen, a second Bible study group, and whoops... there's a busy week!

Early last week I spent three days making sourdough bread. I don't know if you've ever tried to make the real thing, but sourdough bread-making is quite a complicated process. While I'm definitely pleased with the results - it was as crusty and tasty as it looks - the starter-making, leavening, waiting, proofing, refrigerating, resting and baking in dutch ovens at varying temperatures made for lots of work. Now that I've done it once, I'm happy to pay whatever a bakery charges!

Both of the Bible studies I'm participating in are offered through The Villages recreation department, and are just two of the offerings among the 2,700 different clubs and activity groups available here!

I am gleaning so much from each study. Our Nehemiah study is on Friday morning, and it's especially meaningful. Years ago, an Iowa friend and I together did a self-directed study of Nehemiah, and though I think we flushed it out pretty well on our own, we wished for a directed study. Kelly Minter's study definitely fills the bill.

"Entrusted" is a Beth Moore study I've done before, though my first go-'round didn't include group discussion. This time, on Monday mornings, I'm sharing it with a small group of eight women, and that makes it more enlightening. This is a study that's definitely meant for seasoned believers though.

Also, the Olympic winter games have captured my attention. When I want to watch in my sewing room and FMQ, I do so through my computer because NBCSN isn't available through my TV's cable box. I'll be sharing this quilt finish in another few weeks.

We've been recording and watching all the mixed doubles curling. I'm completely smitten with curling!  It's disappointing that our American brother-sister team, the Hamiltons, didn't make it to the finals but it was a pleasure to watch. I think I'd like to try curling, though finding a curling facility here in Florida isn't very likely... nor can I ever imagine me being able to hunker down so low to the ice to release the rock! Well, I might make it down, but getting up...  oof. I'll just keep watching.

Sewing-wise... I completed the 60" X 72" "Slopes" quilt top. My version is different from the one in Amanda Jean's book No Scrap Left Behind, and I love it! It's all about color!

I inserted teeny contrasting strips in three places. Amanda Jean used one strip in her version.

Still sticking to my 2018 plan to use only stashed fabric, this is the backing I pieced.

I'm pleased I could use up the rest of that multi-swirly print as well as make use of the pieced triangle blocks I first tried to use on the quilt front. No waste here!

I'm so proud of me to have arrived at February 12 without a fabric purchase. 😇

My friend Karen has suggested that some of my quilt-y friends might be placing bets to see how long I can hold out! 😄 Linda