Busy Hands and dirty fingers

Please don't misinterpret the title of this post, but I bet it got your attention! It has been a while since I last posted, but I have been sewing away. I finished a Quilt of Valor to give to my brother in law's college friend who came home from the front without part of a leg and an arm. Tragic. I also have been working on some samples for the shoppe, a hand pieced churn dash, that I am making up kits for. It was inspired by the antique top I have that will be in the Signs of their Times exhibits. I will be doing a free demo of how to go about it and they can then purchase the kit with full written instructions if they want to try it out at home. I have also been working on some thirties style butterflies to do something similar with, for when the exhibit covers that time period.

I totally missed the Quilting Arts Reader challenge deadline, not because the quilt wasn't done, but because of a computer issue that made getting the digital submission not possible. But I do like the quilt, and have a larger version on my design wall at home. The Inktense pencils worked just the way I wanted them to. The photo looks a bit washed out on my computer, but I do like the result, and will show you the larger one when I finish it.

Lastly, with the early Spring, I have been doing a bunch of gardening and yard work. I took down two tree that were too big for where they were, and moved a raised bed to a new sunnier spot, and my peas are about a foot tall now. I am so relieved that the cold snap the other night didn't kill them off. I guess they are known as snow peas for a reason.

Screaming Salamander

Snow? Kids home from school? What happened, I thought Spring was on its way. No one around here really knows what to do with this weather. I saw a kids out pushing a snow blower yesterday wearing a t shirt and shorts. No kidding. It's just plain crazy.

I've been struggling with low energy levels for the last couple of days, and maybe it is this weather. It could also be that although I have some good things going, I keep having to put them on hold to sew for customers. Not that I am complaining, I need the income and don't mind doing it, but this piece is screaming at me to get it finished. I am talking about the FIre salamander piece. It only needs to be 8 x 10, and it has been in the works more than a month.

I thought last night I would get some time on it, but while getting the bedroom cleaned I discovered what appeared to be a mouse's stash of seeds and other bits. I am very sensitive to rodent dander and cleaning it up gave me an allergy reaction that took the rest of the evening to get past. I'll try again tonight after work to get going on it. Wish me luck and no more rodents.