Bright breezy night after a cool still night.

After puttering around for awhile this morning, I decided that I just didn’t feel like driving to Altamont by myself to be at the Scottish Games. Although I would have enjoyed the music, I would not like the reminder that I was there by myself. Shortly after making this decision Ron left for who knows where. I went for a walk and he still isn’t back.

There are too many things I enjoy doing in my own company to have to deal with doing things by myself that I have enjoyed or enjoy more doing with others. and I don’t need to travel that far to listen to music.

So that’s it for now. I have totally run out of reasons not to finish the winter quilt’s quilting, so I guess I’ll make some coffee and get to work.

Yeah. I sewed 22 pairs of 3 strips together… For those not really into quilting enough to understand that, I sewed for instance: green/blue/green + blue/green/blue That’s a pair. Each set of three strips will give me three units of that color combo. Swap the two sets in the pair and you get the units you need for a nine patch block:

Here’s the units

which become:

Long story short: I made enough to make 44 of the 200 nine patch blocks I need.

Tonight my sewing machine seemed loud to me. I was worried. I decided I’d take a break from quilting for a bit before starting the dreaded background bits of the pieced border (man that’s starting to sound like something on the order of a Russian novel). Anyway. I cut up a lot of the strips I’d cut right after the Vermont show.. Then I thought – hmmmmmm even though I just cleaned my machine maybe I should look and see if there is a bunch of thread down there or something.

Yikes – it was full of lint! duh.

Cleaned and oiled that sucker and sounds much better. The only thing I can think is that it was the switch to cotton and a hand-dyed cotton thread. I didn’t really have any problems with the hand dyed stuff in terms of breakage but it feels, even to my fingers, very uneven. Anyway. I’ve been using poly in the bobbin and I guess I’d forgotten about the lint.

Seriously though – I cleaned it last night!

Wow.

Anyway. I have about 30 sets of strips sewn together. That’s a pittance. I think I figured I needed about 200 nine patches. It’s a good diversion. Maybe I can do it next time I need a break. I’m a long way from having 200 nine patch blocks. A long way.

Words of wisdom for today. A little politeness and civility goes a LONG way. Yes they do. Way beyond good intentions.

Tonight’s dinner menu – baked split chicken breast with fine herbs, rice pilaf and fresh corn on the cob. Belly up to the table folks!

Cool clear day today with brisk winds. what’s not to like about that, after that oppressive heat and humidity last night?

Ooops – there’s the timer for the corn. See ya around the butter dish!