Aurifil News, Shoe Box Quilting, Strings, Scandinavian Christmas Finish

Whenever one of us laments the doing of nothing and the passing of a morning with not an iota of work to show for it, the other will remind him/her this is what retirement is about. I didn't know Hubby in his work life, but I can tell he was focused and hard working. He has earned the right to sit back and let time run away some mornings. And he is less than half a year away from 80 which probably earns him extra resting rights. ☺

No Guilt-Just Quilt

Snow and more snow. I'm reading blogs where many of you are talking about snow, namely how much we seem to be getting this year.  Stitchers and snow days seem to go together.  Working on a project is the perfect way to pass a bad weather day.
 I have a mental picture of you swaddled in comfy clothes, in pet chairs, a cup of some hot beverage at hand's reach, stitching away all the while snow flakes are flying past the window.
 Likewise, I imagine my friends in the Southern Hemisphere in light summer clothes, fanning yourself on a veranda, sipping something with ice floating in it. Lucky dogs either way!

A little good news relating to us sewists.
 After much research, the folks at Aurifil have chosen to link with The Plastic Bank, a social action group headquartered in Canada that works at cleaning up the oceans, specifically the removal of plastic.  As a result of their contribution, Aurifil is now a plastic neutral company.  You can read about it here...Aurifil Auribuzz ..  Meanwhile I didn't know Aurifil was producing 6 strand embroidery floss available in all 270 of their colours.


When I looked through my totes last week, I have strings it seems. I guess you needn't be quilting long to build up a pile.  I've filled a number of shoe boxes with various sized remnants. Sorting required!

After sizing them up, I seemed to have a lot in blues, probably thanks to a couple of Hubby's old shirts. I remember sewing a few of these wonky log cabin type blocks back years ago and tucking them away.  A bit of digging unearthed that small pile and also one lap sized quilt already sewn together. Forgotten.

I was giving my small sewing machine a little tuneup and wanted to try it out so I stitched this many blocks in the style of the former blocks on impulse. It's really fun to sew like that...the result is abstract and interesting though out of my comfort zone.  I wonder will I bring this to some kind of finished state this winter.

So Next Christmas It Is Then
I am so glad to have been able to meet my Elm Street Quilts OMG for January. Both of my stated goals are completed.  The OMG deadline got me through this Scandinavian Christmas piece.  After getting sidelined with the blocks above, I made myself switch to stitching the binding on this piece right at the last minute almost. Of course, now I'm jubilant this is finished.  And happy my hand stitching and quilting held up throughout all the mauling.

I am liking a new to me author recommended by a friend.  Rachel Cusk  I'm intrigued by her style of writing and am halfway through reading Outline as an ebook from the library.  It's the most interesting writing I've read in a while.

 I've been shoveling every day keeping pace with the snowfall.  All good; I'm being real careful with how I'm handling it.
Hope you are staying warm and safe or cool and safe where ever you are!
As always linking up with Not Afraid of Color and other folks finding lots of things to like on a Thursday. Joining the linky parties at My Quilt Infatuation, Free Motion By the River, Em's Scrapbag, Quilt Fabrication, and Esther's Quilt Blog.