This and That

Last week I needed some slow, portable hand stitching that didn't require much thinking.  I pulled out several of these little plaid baskets with zinnias and stitched while I listened to and watched a conference online.
I finished these two, above and below.  They are crooked because of the angle of the camera--they really do have perpendicular edges with square corners.

Below is one that's still in progress.  The colors of all these baskets are much more vibrant in person.

I think I still have half as many basket blocks to finish as are finished but I'm beginning to think of how to set them.  Maybe several scrappy borders around them, but no decisions yet.  There's still plenty of time.

My favorite iron that I've ever owned is this Hamilton Beach with auto shut-off, Model 1421OR.

It heated in less than a minute, stayed on an hour before shutting off (auto shut-off required for me because I forget to turn off my iron), and had a button to push to wind the cord into a storage spot at the bottom (something new to me).  I don't use the steam feature.  I've had a lot of different irons in my lifetime, including a Rowenta (that sparked).  Sadly, I set this one too close to the edge of the ironing board one day and it fell.  I almost caught it.  When it landed on the floor the light stayed on and I thought it was still working, but then the light went out and it was dead.  I was so sad.  I bought another Hamilton Beach with similar features.  I hope it turns out to be as good.

Fruit trees are in bloom all around us, but we lost two of our three cherry trees last year to disease.  The third and remaining tree has a few blossoms.  In past years they looked bounteous. 

Did you watch the eclipse last Monday, the 8th?  We were a few miles outside the path of totality so drove about 30 or 45 minutes to a nearby small town to see it and sat in the parking lot of thrift store we often visit. 

Totality lasted only two minutes, and it was amazing.  The sky did not get as black as in some of the photos I've seen online.  Instead, it was like sunset in all directions toward the horizon--at 2:00 in the afternoon.  I doubt I'll be alive in 2045 to see the next one so I'm glad to have seen this one.

Bramble Blooms is on hold at the moment while I try to imagine possibilities.  I'm actually considering redoing the first border.  I'm really such a slow thinker when it comes to creating quilts....

I'm making slow progress on Everyday Patchwork.  I'm beginning to wonder if I really like hand quilting as much as I thought I did.  But if not hand quilted, what?  Not machine quilted, but maybe big stitch or tied quilts?  Or maybe make the tops, enjoy the process, then pass them on to an organization that has people who will quilt and bind them or turn them into comforters.  I have such a stack of quilts to be quilted!

I hope things are great for you!

--Nancy.