Checking in on the Challenge Are you doing the 31 Day Blog Writing Challenge? How's it going for you so far? One thing I've noticed is that if I work on a post late at night, say between 10:00 and midnight, I tend to get a second wind.
Great for writing. Bad for sleeping.
Once I get that second wind, I am wired and then have trouble downshifting and relaxing my mind into sleep mode. Many years ago, I got an entire family history book written that way, taking full advantage of my second wind and working well into the wee hours. I was a lot younger then. Looking back, I've probably created the majority of blog posts during the late night. It's quiet and there are no distractions, the work day is (usually) done, and I feel like I have time to bring together a post. But I'm not someone who can bang something up in 15 minutes. I've got to think about it and play with it a while. Time passes...one hour...90 minutes... For about the past year, though, my late night routine has changed to involve winding down with yoga, stretching and breathing and laughing along to a few minutes of late night TV. It's a nice stress reliever at the end of the day, and I look forward to it.
So, that said, I've got to figure something else out there. I value and enjoy my bedtime routine and a good night's sleep, especially at this point in life when it seems many things are vying for the chance to interfere with it. On Loan I visited my sister today and helped her with getting her Christmas tree up. It still needs lights and ornaments, but it is up. We got sidetracked several times during the process, in a good way.
She had asked if I'd bring her some mini-quilts or wall hangings to display at her house.
She recently moved and is decorating her walls, as well as her halls.
So I brought her a few to choose from, namely those you see here. Some older, some newer.
I thought she'd pick one or two, but she wants to put them all up. I am honored.
It's been better than three weeks since I last posted, so some of this will be a bit of a catch-up. I've let my blogging muscles go a little slack of late, so this challenge will be good practice in at least showing up and making a consistent effort again. And hopefully we'll discover some new friends, get reacquainted with others, and have some fun along the way! Now you may have noticed I've gotten a late start, since the challenge officially began on December 1. But I just stumbled upon the link late last night, so for me to be here ready to go within 12 hours of that time seems "close enough for rock and roll" to me. So what's new? Well, this is one of three little projects I've got going on in the sewing room at the moment. A couple of them are gifts, so I can't show those just yet.
A little string star table topper made with part of a charm pack of Blitzen that I've had for a couple years. Love those aquas and grays together!
I didn't set out to make the star from strings, but I just couldn't seem to get the right combination of squares to work, so I just sliced them into strips and re-made 5-inch squares from the assortment, and then made the half-square triangles from there. I also finished quilting and binding this wall hanging recently.
It's kind of hard to see the quilting in the green parts—it's holly leaves.
You can see them better from the back, maybe.
I hit the mother lode of Christmas fabric at a thrift store a couple weeks ago. Most of those bundles was at least a yard. Total price for this entire lot was about $12.00!
"Sleigh Ride" is one of my favorite Christmas songs (the Harry Connick, Jr. version being my all-time favorite), but I hadn't seen this version in 7/8 time until a couple days ago. Pretty cool!
