Oh, Paris Review Daily, right quote right time yesterday:
“Writing or making anything—a poem, a bird feeder, a chocolate cake—has self-respect in it. You’re working. You’re trying. You’re not lying down on the ground, having given up.” — Sharon Olds
Yesterday I struggled mightily to sew this.
Three piddly Sparkle Punch blocks from Elizabeth Hartman’s early 2012 (it’s still that year! I’m not SO behind!) Sparkle Punch QAL. This one’s for my momma. And do you see the FMF on the top of that right hand stack? And the Pearl Bracelets? That’s because my momma is awesome. She taught me to love fabric, so only fabrics I love get to be here.
Anyhow, it took me an hour and a half to sew these three blocks. After I spent an hour knitting half a round or so of this:
My Honey Cowl, which is really a quick, easy knit, but. But. has been sloggy and desperate and with weird stitch-count problems. Did I drop a stitch? Did I make another one, or just find it later? Beginner knitting.
So, I’m not making any progress on Project Handmade Christmas. And, get this 19th-century problem: the baby was up with the croup last night! I think she’s fine (she’s still sleeping it off, though I have a mother’s fear that SHE’S NOT SLEEPING SHE’S COMATOSE–no, really, it’s hard-won sleep and we’re all okay). But today is probably shot. And I need to make rolls and piecrust for Thursday, which I am desultorily hosting.
To help my plight, this morning I officially back-burnered these two barely-begun projects:
Citron-berry-and-coal AMH Feather Bed block. Meant to be a quilted pillow for SIL. I love this block so much it and some of its friends are going to be our queen-sized bedspread, replacing our pitiful much-washed-and-be-holed PB duvet cover.
A crappy, doesn’t-do-it-justice picture of my fall-colors Bargain Basement blocks. I love them, love them (may also do a queen-sized of this, as it seems to grow fast) but, as they’re for me, have got to shelve it.
So today! Before Thanksgiving! While we are sick and overwhelmed by Christmas already! I will make something, or sew a stitch, or knit a round, and I will not lie down on the ground, having given up!
Happy Thanksgivings, all. 🙂
little and lots 
All of your projects are looking really good! I especially like the bargain basement blocks. Once the Holiday madness passes we can all get back on track! I’ve got family coming in tonight and my house will be like a rotating door until early January. Family in and out nonstop.
I can’t decide which is worse, having to go do the visiting or being the visit-ee. (At least when I go visiting I don’t have to do the cleaning.) Either way, yeah. Not much real sewing will go on. It’s maddening, because I have so much fun stuff half-started!
I love your feather block. I really need to try doing one at the correct size–it might actually work and look good!
You should try again! One of the women at my quilt guild had made a throw size of the feathers, and I think she reduced the size just a little bit. I didn’t believe her when she said it was an easy block, but she was right. I’m looking forward to making all the blocks for a queen size.
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