Saturdays Are For Sewing

Well, it's happened, my friends. Oregon is now under a "stay at home," order, although according to that link, it's something short of an "order." And let me just say that's fine by me. I'm happy to stay home, and happy to have the excuse of saying something akin to, "Oh, well, you know...I couldn't possibly come out today. I have important sewing business at home." So there you have it. Sewing, sewing, sewing...all the time sewing. It's like looking into the abyss and shouting....Par-teeeeeeeeee!

What better day to return to the sewing room than...

What's on your sewing agenda for today? As for me, I finally got everything organized. It was fun unpacking the fabrics I brought home from our trip. It's a little like going shopping in another quilt shop...only it's my own sewing room! And whoever picked these really knew what I like!

Some projects have already spoken for a few of these. Others went into my stash. A few were set aside for a future "Shop Hop" project. I have 12 fabrics collected for that quilt now. I'll probably add more since the blocks I'm planning will be small. Nevertheless, I can get started on them.

Also, you might remember this lamp I bought at the Road to California quilt show back in January.

Finally, it's out of its box and set up at my sewing table. I really like it. It's sleek and slim. Big Bertha is happy about it too...why, she looks ten years younger next to this modern lamp.

There is a bracket on the underside of my sewing table, making its current location the only place I can put it...unless I put it on the other side, but then it's in the way of whatever I'm working on. The real beauty of this lamp is that it's adjustable at two points on the arm,

and the light itself also swivels. You can put the brightness right where you want it. It has four levels of brightness and turns on to the brightest setting first. So, I'm happy with this purchase. I'm looking forward to putting it to work.

So what are you working on today? My first project in line is to quilt and bind this little wall-hanging, finished up while we were traveling. I have a back selected, but I've had second thoughts about it. I might decide on something different. This is the "Farm Fresh Eggs" pattern from Bird Brain Designs.

I'll quilt it fairly lightly since it's a small quilt. It shouldn't take too long.

As I mentioned, the squirrels are very happy to have us back. Now that the birdfeeders are out, they are sitting in Fat City...and I do mean "fat."

When he saw me with the camera, he turned for a more professional portrait. This one will be his Linked In photo.

Also, there are a few more blooming things in the garden. I took this picture of the tulips the other day, but it didn't turn out. Here they are again. The deer forgot to eat these.

Also, the star magnolia is getting ready to bloom. It's interesting to me how things change from year to year. This picture was taken yesterday, March 20th.

This next one was taken March 14th of 2016, and it was fully in bloom then.

I'm really hoping the rain holds off until the flowers open. It's petals are delicate and easily bruised by rain drops. It's a rare season that we get such beautiful unblemished flowers.

Some things never change though. Kitties still love their catio.

Eventually, he moved to the catwalk between his corner station and the ladder...which neither cat has ever climbed, but we keep hoping.

Sadie prefers the station next to the house where the afternoon sun warms the walls and her furry self. I had to go outside and shoot through the fence for her picture.

As you might remember, both kitties became indoor-only kitties last spring. While we were traveling, we wondered why we never took them out for leashed walks at home. No reason...we've just never done it. So yesterday, Mike got Smitty out for a walk on his leash. He thoroughly enjoyed it. We'll try getting Sadie out today. If she slips her harness here at home, it won't be the disaster it was when it happened in North Dakota. We'll give her a chance, but if she's going to slip her harness, we probably won't do it. The decision is all in her paws.

Okay, so back to the sewing grind...let me just dry my tears before I go on. (Sniff.) It's good to be unpacked, and it's good to be home. I told Mike I was going to sew all weekend, and resume usual housekeeping chores and gardening on Monday. And, oh my...what a lot of yard clean-up there is. It'll have to wait though. The next two days are mine.