Nearing a Finish

Good morning, my friends. It's still dark outside as I write this, and so I can't tell what the weather is going to be like today. The forecast calls for rain, but the weatherman continues to insist that we'll get three warmer drier days starting tomorrow. Fingers crossed because I really want to get outside and do some weeding.

After writing yesterday's post, I stitched the Tiny Heart for Day 20 of our stitch-along. This one has chain stitch, straight stitch, and cross stitch.

The bird feeders were empty and so I went outside with the kitties to fill them up. While I was out, I noticed this green shoot on the Edda clematis. I was most worried about this one during the ice storm. It's the smallest and most exposed of our clematis. It looks as if it has lived to bloom another year.

When it blooms, it looks like this:

Also, the fifth peony has shown itself. This is the one we planted to replace the cruel never-blooming peony.

I've yet to see it blooming in our own garden, but here's what it should look like when the time comes.

(Image credit: Origami, CC BY-SA 3.0 <http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/>, via Wikimedia Commons)

Mike picked up the mail while I was out filling the birdfeeders. This fun box arrived from my quilting fairy godmother, Ila. She sent me some pretty fabrics and more variegated thread. I love these threads from Coats & Clark.

And just when I was feeling sad about using up my feather fabric, Ila thought to include some in this box. Thank you, Ila.

It was mid-afternoon before I was able to spend any time in the sewing room. There, I squared up the Dot-to-Dot panel. Smitty helped hold the ruler steady. (This is his best way of helping in the sewing room.)

As I was finishing off the two ends of the binding, Sadie used the opportunity to subject it to the crucial snuggleability test.

Thankfully, it passed with flying colors. 

It is purrfect. You may purrceed.

And let me just say I think that was the perfect fabric for the binding.

By the time I needed to stop for dinner, I'd turned two corners, and I was approaching the third.

I should have no problem finishing this off today.

Today was supposed to include a visit to my orthotist. They called yesterday to say she was ill, and my appointment was rescheduled to Monday. I have custom orthotics in dire need of refurbishing. Generally, she can do it while I wait, and so I hope that's the case this time. We're down to the last minute before our trip, which always makes me nervous. 

It's getting to the time before a trip where I have to start getting serious about packing. I've made quite a long list for myself of things I want to prepare ahead. That means its time to get busy in the kitchen, but I'll need to do some grocery shopping first. It can all feel a little overwhelming, and so I'll just focus on one thing at a time, and it will all get done by the time we're ready to leave. It makes me think of our wedding rehearsal. The church where we married supplied a rather officious wedding helper/assistant who was directing things at the rehearsal. She emphatically informed us that "the wedding WILL start on time." My brother helpfully responded that "It won't start without the bride and groom." And that sums up my philosophy about travel: The trip can't start without the driver and the passenger.

Today's focus will be on slow-stitching. There will be a Tiny Heart to stitch every morning during the month of February, and so I'll keep going to the end. I'm very close to finishing off the Joyful Journey block. That could happen today if I'm feeling very energetic. And, of course, there's the quilt binding to finish. For sure and certain that will get finished today unless the wild horses show up. And I'm going to go out on a limb and say that even wild horses can't drag me away from my quilt binding. Also, I think I'll head back to the Bow-Flex today and see how my wrist tolerates it. 

And so I'm off. A busy day awaits.