3/17/16

Dazzling Day

After spending most of the afternoon in the sewing room, I came upstairs to a sunny day. Hooray!!!


After close to two weeks of dark and rainy days, it was a sight for sore eyes and cold bodies. It still wasn't particularly warm, but Smitty and I sat outside and drank our cup of espresso. Smitty isn't fond of espresso, but he indulges me.

This morning, the skies are bright. While I sat doing my embroidery project this morning, I looked out to see quite a few pink jet trails across the sunrise sky.


What was I doing in the sewing room all afternoon? Well, I was piecing together the Written in Thread quilt top so that I could continue on with the embroidery. First, I needed to make another couple of miles of pieced border.


And then, I was ready to add borders to the embroidery pieces already stitched.






Now for that dastardly piece that kept me awake on Tuesday night. Some of you noted that I could have done this with a vertical seam, and that's true. On so little sleep, I wasn't up for independent thinking and so I did it the unimaginative way. First, I needed to add borders to three of the sides. 


The upper piece is designated as #8, while the lower, wider piece is designated as #8a. I left piece #8a intentionally long. Since I haven't done the embroidery for piece #9 yet, I decided to wait to piece the lower regions of the top until that was finished. You can see #9 at the bottom of this image from the pattern cover.


It's easier to stitch in small pieces. When I'm ready to add piece #9, I'll trim the bottom and then add the rest of the green border. That also meant leaving the side border pieces just as long, and they'll get trimmed off with one swipe of my rotary cutter.


Then, I pieced together the top half...


and then sewed top to bottom.


Now I'm ready to trace in the embroidery design, and I can get on with it. First, I'll finish up the little piece I'm currently stitching for the Live, Love, Teach quilt.

While I was in the sewing room, Smitty and Maggie were spending time negotiating for the top cat position.


They're doing better every day. They're still a little shy and wary around one another, but we hear less hissing and snarling, and see more games of chase.

Yesterday morning, I had planned to get out for a walk because the weather was dry, even if not yet sunny. Then I went out and fed the birds, and decided against it. It was burr-ass cold, the wind was blowing, and it was so foggy I would have needed windshield wipers for my glasses. (Why has no one invented them yet?) So...I was dissuaded from that endeavor. Not so this morning. After I finish up here, I'm going to suit up and go walking at the bottom of the hill. I am so ready to get some outdoors time.

And that seems like a good place to stop. There's no time like the present, right?

10 comments:

Vroomans' Quilts said...

This is such a lovely piece of stitchery and patchwork. My furkids have just come in for a comfy nap as a storm is rolling in - think we might get a little thunder as it is black! Might just power down a few things.

WoolenSails said...

What a beautiful day, we are enjoying sun but a storm coming in later.
Love your stitcheries and how you bordered each one, that came out beautifully.

Debbie

Quilting Babcia said...

We have big splats of snow hitting the windows at the moment, though it's 47 degrees. Go figure. Enjoy your beautiful day!

Dana Gaffney said...

Wow, that sky is beautiful, I hope it stays that way for awhile. I think I've seen those glasses with the wipers on them, worth it to have them since walking in fog is one of the favorite things, obviously we don't get it too often here.

Adventurous Quilter said...

Like you I'm sooooo ready for some outdoors time. But alas we must endure at least one more snow storm tomorrow here before spring can really settle in. The embroidered quilt top is terrific!

Adventurous Quilter said...

Like you I'm sooooo ready for some outdoors time. But alas we must endure at least one more snow storm tomorrow here before spring can really settle in. The embroidered quilt top is terrific!

Lynn - JnL4God said...

That was funny about the cold. :) Hope you get some sunshine soon.

Kate said...

Written in Thread is coming along nicely. Looks like you have a workable plan for that odd sized embroidery piece. Good luck!

Brown Family said...

That is a cute piece. I am working on one that has a log cabin background and then the design is traced, colored ans stitched. I am not happy with block 1 but block 2 came out OK. Of course i now have block 3 and am behind!

quiltzyx said...

What a gorgeous morning you had for my sister Judy's b'day! I got up & left my house about 4:30am for the 6 hour drive up there. It was nice down here too. Only one snag on my trip - I always stop at Harris Ranch on the way up as they have the BEST restroom, and a wonderful, large gift shop to stretch my legs in. But I was there too early & the shop was still closed! I usually buy something for Judy & something for me, but not this time. Oh well.
Even with little sleep it looks like you got the Written in Thread dilemma worked out. Good on ya!