Duty Calls

Before I go on (and I do "go on" sometimes), I want to thank those of you who have visited my Blogiversary Celebration and Giveaway. You've left the sweetest comments. It's been wonderful hearing from some of you that read but don't often comment too. Blogging is important to me. I've said, jokingly, but also in all seriousness, that my brain gets full of words that must be written down; and so blogging keeps me sane...although sanity (especially mine) is always up to interpretation. And I bring this up because I would blog even if no one read; but man, knowing you're out there makes it so much more fun. Each one of you is a valued friend, and so it's always good to pause at least once per year and really connect to tell you how much I appreciate you.

I spent the day serving on a jury yesterday. At each break I was checking in to see who was at the party. I'll admit that some of your comments made me tear up a little. So thank you...really. And if you haven't been to the party, there's still time to get in on the giveaway. Just click on that link I've given you back there.

(image source: By M.O. Stevens - Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8660330)

So yes...jury duty. I got on a jury at the very first opportunity. We listened all day, then deliberated for an hour or more and found the guy guilty of possession of methamphetamine. It was my first time serving on a jury, and I loved the experience. My county makes it a painless process, and for July, it's a one trial-one month special offer. That means that if a juror serves on one trial, that juror (in this case...me) is finished for the month. So, yay! I was able to fulfill my life-long ambition to serve on a jury and complete my obligation in just one day's time. Now, the summer is mine, all mine.

As for the usual Three Cats Ranch business, I need to back way up to Wednesday and tell you about the Wheel Estate quilt. I'm quilting it fairly simply. Originally, I was thinking this would be a wall-hanging, but Mike and I both decided against hanging it in the new camper. Instead, it'll be living in there as a snuggle quilt, and so I want it to stay fairly soft. I'm keeping the quilting open and loose. With those appliques, it's probably stiff enough as it is. Hopefully a good run through the washing machine will soften it a little. With that in mind, I've stabilized the quilt by stitching in the ditch on all the vertical and horizontal seams. Lori Kennedy at The Inbox Jaunt suggested that step. I don't know that I would do it on every quilt, but I did it on this one. With that finished, I outlined around the appliques and quilted clouds in the sky.

Now here's something maddening. Does this ever happen to you? I've learned to be careful about trimming the threads on the back, but sometimes I miss a few. Then I get something like this:

Enter the Soft Touch Thread Pic.

Someone else wrote about this on her blog. It's been a while, and I can't remember who it was. If it was you, then thank you. Here's how it works: It has the tiniest little hook at the end...practically microscopic. I have it there next to my little scissors, hoping to give you some scale. Take my word for it. You'll want to look through your bifocal to see it.

This next step is a little tricky because you poke it through your fabric and maneuver it around until you can get a hold of that thread. It's tricky because you need to be very careful not to get hold of the weave of your fabric. With persistence and patience, you can pull that sucker to the top.

From there, I like to use my tweezers to pull it the rest of the way. For one thing, it's just easier to do with tweezers, but also, it helps me to make sure I'm pulling just at the thread and not at the fabric.

And then...like a cat with a mouse...you are mine you little b@stard. I can't even begin to describe the gratification I get from snipping off the offending f*cker.

Ahhhhhhhhhh...just watching myself do it gives me a feeling of complete serenity. Sometimes I get lost in reverie just imagining it. When I was a teenager I'd get the same joy from looking at my face in the mirror and popping the biggest...oh, that's probably TMI. (Ahem.) We'll just leave it right there, okay?

So, anyway...where was I? Oh yes, I was showing you how it's looking from the front. These aren't very good pictures, but you'll get the idea.

Here's how it's looking from the back.

Smitty had an oppurrtunity to inspect, but he was more interested in the barking squirrel outside the window.

I tried to get him to turn around and show us his handsome face, but I think he's still made at me about that party hat yesterday.

A few kitty treats and an open door should help with that.

So, this morning I'm walking with Sue. Later on, I need to go with Mike to deliver our old truck to have its bedliner re-done. That'll be the last step we need to take before we're able to sell the old truck. It'll be good to get that pig out of the driveway...although it is a very nice truck. Hopefully someone will snap it up quickly. Then I'll get back to my quilting. (I can do that before we sell the truck...just to be clear.) Next up, I'll be quilting in the grass.

And now...breakfast.