In Process

Everything I've touched lately continues to be in process. I'm making headway on each project, albeit slowly. 

The QuiltCon 2022 Artisan Cotton Fabric Challenge (such a long title to remember!) is due October 31, along with all QuiltCon 2022 entries. 

I've been quilting my challenge entry, hopping back and forth between machine walking foot quilting and big stitch quilting with size 8 Wonderfil Eleganza perle cotton.

There's no rhyme or reason to quilting designs. I'm just going with the flow, adding stitches here and there, and using thread colors as the mood strikes me.

With this approach, the quilt may end up looking unplanned, but I'm having fun with it. Each evening, I look forward to sitting in my comfy aqua chair, under my Slimline 2 floor lamp for hand stitching time. 

Participating in the Finger Paints Quilt Along, I made blocks 1 and 2 this week. They're each about 22" square. I've been surprised to look at my finished blocks and believe I improv cut these pieces - I didn't use a ruler. 

Guess my 40-plus years of making quilts has given me a "good eye," though I wish that wasn't the case! Still, I know I'm going to like this quilt.

Though this quilt top is done, I'm not yet sharing a picture of it - my Central Florida MQG Chips and Charms Challenge quilt - because I submitted my design for publication. If it doesn't happen, I'll share later.

Good Eggs by Rebecca Hardiman was a happy read, after my disappointment with the last book (Malibu Rising).

Good Eggs is a charming, family story that takes place in Ireland. A family of five is struggling through careers, keeping up with kids, and dealing with a somewhat eccentric grandmother, Millie. Kevin, the dad, is at the heart of the story, trying to navigate his own unemployment and his middle-aged attraction to another woman, while handling Millie's quirkiness, and a rivalry between his teenaged twin daughters. Sixteen year-old Aideen is so recalcitrant that boarding school seems the only option. Not surprisingly, Millie and Aideen understand one another, so running away from home together doesn't seem like a bad idea.  

I really enjoyed the audiobook narrative, listening to well-acted Irish and American accents. Not to give too much away, but when part of the story happens in Florida, I felt a real affinity for the character's impressions of the state.

Linda's score: 4.2/5.0

This morning, while golf carting to 7:30 am line dancing, I paused to appreciate God's beautiful creation. The sky was stunning. In one direction, sunshine glowed on fluffy white clouds, and in the other direction this double rainbow appeared in a gray sky. 

Later, alongside the golf cart path were three sandhill cranes. I love seeing them! They're distinctive and very majestic-looking. Since they're a protected species in Florida, everyone stops - golf carts and automobiles alike - when they wander across roadways. 

To keep them in perspective, they're about four feet tall.

While I had a lovely cart drive to line dancing, and this was the sky on my way into the rec center...

...my drive back home at 9:30 was rainy. Tropical storm Mindy is making her presence known. Linda