One Dark Night

Last night after my husband went to bed I let the dog out for one last time. I was checking my computer and she started barking and jumping at the fence. I do not like checking out scary things but my husband had to get up early so I did not want to disturb him. I went out to investigate. Missy kept jumping at the fence and frantically barking, she would not stop no matter what I did and I did not want to get too close because I did not know what the problem was.

I stepped as close as I dared and realized that there was a big possum on the top of the fence. It wasn't moving just balanced there. I thought there must be something wrong with it since it didn't just jump down the other side but then I realized it was doing what it does best - playing possum.

Now I had to figure out how to get the dog to stop barking and come in the house. I thought of spraying a hose at both of them but I couldn't get one easily. I got the broom to try and push the dog towards the house but I did not want to get too close to the fence so that didn't work. I finally thought of the camera. Our dog hates the camera and she will leave the room whenever we get one out so I left the door open a little bit and took a picture and she put her tail between her legs and ran into the house - problem solved!

A goal completed

Last week I decided I wanted to get the 24 curved blocks done by the weekend and on Saturday night I finished the last one.Then I counted them and there were 23 -what! I know I had 24 arcs and I didn't have any unfinished arcs, did I count wrong? Now you have to know I always count more than once I am a bit obsessive that way. I looked on the floor below the design wall, no block, then I started to be annoyed because I had been on a roll with the blocks and to just do one would take a long time so I looked around some more and I found it tucked in a pile I had removed from the ironing board to make space a few days ago. So there are 24 blocks each now needing 5 little pinwheels (that's 120 by the way)- probably won't happen this week.

Warning - Curves Ahead

I have been sewing curved patchwork seams a lot this week. My Christmas Pickle quilt is coming along nicely. Each block has 5 curved seam and I had never done one until the class I took 2 weeks ago.

All of the teachers I have ever seen on TV and in books and magazines rave about how easy the curves are and that they can do them with 3 pins or 1 pin or no pins. In class we were taught the 3 pin method and I did that for my first few curves but then I decided to try more pins and you know what? I like pinning - there I admitted it in public - I am using lots of pins.

At first I thought there was something wrong with me but then I realized that I was much faster with the pins than without and I decided that if I was okay with pins then there was nothing wrong with me. I am a pinner - I like my pins so I will continue to use them and it is okay if you use them too.

My blocks are coming out well, so far 4 are completely done but many others are very close to the finish line. I am trying to finish the blocks this week before I have to move on to some other time sensitive projects.