Before and After

In a post a few weeks ago I asked appliquers if they thought it would be possible to remove the stitches from around this block and have most of the pieces remain stitched together. 


Most responded with suggestions for getting the blue out of the background fabric (for which I was very grateful!) but few shared thoughts about whether the appliqued pieces would withstand being unstitched and remain together.

There were two reasons why I wanted to unstitch this applique.  The first was the halo of blue around the flower on the left.  When I first made the block I thought I would be able to live with it but three years later, now, I knew I couldn't.  The second was that the background fabric was a little coarse and of lesser quality (and one I shouldn't have used in the first place).  When there's one mistake, I usually just fix it as easily as possible, but when there are two mistakes I go back to where the first mistake began and redo from there.  So I unstitched the outside edges where the applique met the background fabric.  The above right photo is what was left behind the applique.

Sadly, I didn't take a photo of the applique pieces after I removed them.  I don't know why I expected them to be like cardboard but they were limp and floppy, like wilted flowers.  But most of the stitches holding the pieces together remained intact.  Whew!

I prepared new background fabric, made a new blue flower (checking to be sure the fabric wouldn't bleed), changed the center of the little red flower on the right, and then stitched everything back in place.

This is not the best block I've ever made (you know how it is when you go back to things you made years ago!) but I'm okay with it.

I've learned that it's possible to unstitch an applique, how to do it, and what the possible results will be.  But I hope I don't have to do this again!

On to the last Basket of Plenty block.  I'm still playing with flower patterns, colors, and fabrics.  The fun part!

Here's a little humor for you.  I was coming down the stairs the other morning when I was surprised to hear a sweet, little voice join in a conversation between my husband and me.  It seemed to be coming from my phone and I could only guess it was Google.  This is how the conversation went. 

Husband:  I took the car for an oil change this morning.
Me:   Oh, great!  Thank you!
Phone:  I am here to please.  (Nothing like taking the credit for something she didn't do, huh?!)
Me:  Google, what are you doing today?
Google:  I plan on waiting here quietly until someone asks me a question.
Me:  Will you get bored just waiting quietly?
Google:  No boredom here, only helpfulness.  :0  (Google included the big smile.)

Later I repeated the last question and Google's response was, "I can't get bored.  There are too many cats and not enough time."

Who writes these things?!!!  I learned that the voice was Google Assistant.  Honestly, I have no idea how she came to be on my phone and I have no idea how to find her.  I guess I'll have to let her initiate conversations, which means she may not be much of an assistant.

I hope you have a good day today!

--Nancy.
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The Twelve Days After Christmas

I'm so sad that Christmas is over.  There's such a wonderful lead-up to the day -- good cheer, music, a festive atmosphere -- and then on the 26th it's as if Christmas never happened.  My gentle celebrations of the holiday will continue a little longer with carols, lights on the tree, and maybe a Christmas movie.

I heard "The Twelve Days After Christmas" for the very first time a week or so ago.  It seems appropriate to share it now.  (And then I'll go back to some carols.)  Merry Fourth Day of Christmas to you.



--Nancy.
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Work and Lice (& Nothing About Quilting)

I did not have much foresight when I was younger.  As my husband and I were preparing to leave for Peace Corps service, my father said, "What are you two doing?  You should be planning for retirement."  I was 28 at the time and retirement seemed in the long-distant future:  no need to think about it on the verge of a new adventure.  And off we went. 

When we returned home I worked for several organizations, both full-time and part-time for varying lengths of time, but none long enough to obtain enough retirement credits in either the public retirement system or in social security.  I'm now approaching retirement age with the need to earn five quarters (spread over at least two years) to quality for social security, the system with which I have the most amount of time.  Needless to say, I've been seeking employment this year to earn one of those quarters.

While job hunting I've seen some interesting job titles, but the most interesting, or maybe the most unusual or the most surprising, was this:



I did not click the link to learn more about this job.  My imagination went wild and I began scratching my head. 

I'll finish one quarter of work this year and will work next year to earn the other four quarters.  But no matter what other job I have to take, I will not be a head lice removal technician.

--Nancy.
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A New Item for My To-Do List

Put chocolate at the top of your to-do list
so you can check off at least one thing every day.

At least I can cross that off my list today.  Yesterday I cleaned the room I use for all my creative endeavors - sewing, quilting, writing, family history (oh, that's not so creative, is it?).   I cleaned top to bottom because it was really an overwhelming jumble.  I left the fabric and the family history papers for today.

A pile very similar to the one below is still here.  It's for a color block quilt (also known as "High Five" from Sunday Morning Quilts).

I hoped to sort the fabrics by color. It's easier to decide fabrics for blocks when the colors are together.   I choose the fabrics for the outside border, then choose a fabric for the inner square/rectangle.   I hang them on the board (below) and pull them off to sew.  Sometimes I take them off and change the colors.  Other times I stitch away.


As hard as I tried, I didn't get the job done. Sewing the quilt kept pulling me away from sorting and organizing the fabric.  Teddy Roosevelt once said, "I can be president of the United States, or I can control Alice [his spirited, vivacious daughter].  I cannot possibly do both."   I can organize fabric or sew fabric, but I can't possibly do both -- at least not at the same time.

There's always tomorrow.  At least I was able to check off eating chocolate on my to-do list today.

Thanks for stopping by.  I hope you had/are having a good day today.
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"The Audition"

If you need a chuckle or a laugh and you have a few minutes, you might enjoy this little video.