Clean one mess, make one mess.

This weekend, I wanted to spend a good bit of time quilting and sewing.  And, I did.  I'm about half done with the wedding gift quilt.  I spent about four hours on it Saturday and I think I'm half done.  It's so hard to estimate when it's puddled up under the machine.  I think I thought I was a lot further along last week than I turned out to be.  But, that's okay.  It's a very special couple.  And, not being able to estimate how far along I am means I'll get a big surprise when, one day, it's suddenly done.   

 

And, I finished more arc blocks.  I found myself yesterday powering through four blocks so I could take a picture.  Sometimes, it's the little things that motivate me. 

 

Twelve blocks.  Halfway there!  But, then there's a border that's just as intense.  You can imagine that it takes a lot of scraps.  And, next step is more cutting.  All my color stacks are missing steps in the gradations that are becoming obvious.  The scraps have to be tone on tone and I make two stacks when I cut; one for 2"x6" bricks and one for smaller pieces.  The ends of the arcs take smaller pieces, so it's important there are lights and darks, not so much mediums.  But, I have plenty of scraps and if it I run out, I can cut from stash just as easy.  I might have to do that with my purples.  Tip:  Making these blocks is messy.  It leaves threads and scraps and tiny pieces all over.  When I'm done, I run a lint brush over the carpet before the vacuum. 

My cleaning project was the grill.  I spent several hours cleaning and repairing the grill.  Our grill wasn't very old, but it had gotten messy...so messy that I didn't want to cook on it.  I dreaded lifting the lid.  I used most of a bottle of degreaser and a roll of paper towels and a steel wool pad.  But, it was worth it.  It's all sparkly clean and I can't wait to take a steak out there and make a mess on it.  The only thing I couldn't get to work was the replacement spark lighter.  Oh, well.  That's what matches are for, right?

I also rewired a vintage floor lamp.  It was my Grandmother's lamp and I had rewired it many years ago, but it was never "right".  It reflected what I knew about electrical wiring and repair at the time, but I know more now.  It's been in Syd's room for years and I had kind of forgotten about it.  I don't think she ever used it.  I put some new fixtures on it and an extension to raise one of the fixtures and put it all back together.  I only had a vague idea of the improvements I wanted to make and it took me a few tries to raise that fixture and get it the way I wanted it, but it's all done now and the lamp looks better and works better. 

 

So, that's what my weekend was like.  Remember when I used to quilt the whole weekend and could show you a completed top on Monday?  I do.  And, I miss part of that.  But, I'm also enjoying more variety in my projects.  Variety is a good thing and I'm glad to be coming out of the studio and experiencing other things.  Even if the other things are cleaning and repairing. 

 

Everybody have a great week!  It's been very busy at my desk, but this is last week of the month, so it should be slower.  I hope. 

 

Lane