lots of little bits and some quilt blocks

So it's been a while again.

I know.

I've just not felt like being here.  A few weeks ago I experienced a couple of very negative people in the online quilty places I visit.  And it made me angry.  And sad.  And really not interested in sharing because this anger was prompted by sharing.  Innocent sharing.  Attempts at being kind.  I know we're all cooped up at home more than usual.  I know we're being bombarded with a lot of negativity and pessimism about too many things (the virus and politics to name a few!), but I want my quilty world to at least be kind.  You don't have to be happy or even agree, just be nice.  So I took a break.  And focused on other things.  Letting it go.  To a point.  I'm still less than impressed with those who acted in this manner, but this is one situation I can control - and choose to not let them into my life.

Onward!

Something that I've found to do while sewing, instead of listening to music, are podcasts.  I know a lot of you probably already do this, and probably a lot of you choose quilty podcasts, right?  I tried those, but found they just weren't my style.  I think the lack of video (putting a face with the voice) may have been the problem?  But I found some science podcasts and whoa!  The first one is called Science Vs. and they take actual science, but make it very accessible to folks who are not science geeks.  Or even those of us who are science geeks, but don't know all the technical jargon associated with fields we didn't study.  They just started a new season, but their previous season (March thru July of this year), they focused solely on the corona virus.  Each week, they tackled a new topic (masks, transmission, etc) and researched publications, talked to actual experts, and broke things down really well.  Though the information changes on a daily basis (that's science folks - new facts are learned every day by trial and error!), which makes some of the episode info a bit outdated, it was calming to hear people talk rationally, with sources that can be cited beyond the talking head on television, about what is happening.  It wasn't always what I wanted to hear, but it was based on facts, and that is my jam!

The second podcast, which Science Vs. led me to, is called This Week in Virology (or TWIV), and is much more scientific, but also deals a LOT with the corona virus.  The episodes are much longer, but I've enjoyed listening to the interviews with scientists at the forefront of virus research and study.  Again, it's not always the rosy picture I would like to hear, but it is very fact-based and they spend about half of each episode (2 hours - they're long!) answering listener questions.  Which is really awesome, as the listeners are asking for clarification about recent "news" and the four hosts do a really good job of debunking nonsense using actual, proven science.  There is a lot we all don't know, but they do a great job of admitting that, too.

So those have calmed me.  I was getting too wrapped up in the nonsense of non-scientists trying to tell me what was going on that I forgot there is a whole community of nerds like myself that rely on facts.  I'm glad I found these folks again.  I missed them, even if my brain does hurt a little at the end of those 2-hour episodes!

While listening, I've been sewing some.  It started out small (ha ha ha ha) with tiny stars...

This is the first in a batch of three (four?) that I made.  I cut a bunch of background (grey) fabric and paired fabrics as I sewed until I ran out of background and that was how many I made.  I think I made about 75 this way, doing about 25 at a time.

And then I ran out of colored fabric!  So I spent a day with my mom, cutting more!

Finn helped me sew...

When the left side of my sewing table got boring, he moved...

...to the right side of my sewing table.

He also learned to steal my chair from brother Freddie.  Who learned it from Emma.  I've learned too...to take a second chair with me if there isn't already one up there.  I just hope they never team up, or I'll have to go buy another chair!

Speaking of my parents...my dad came home about two weeks ago.  He has a walker on each floor and a cane to help him with stairs.  He is shuffling a long slowly, but with physical therapy and just plain healing, he is doing better each day.  I think he and my mom are both frustrated it is taking so long, but this was a major break and surgery and it all takes a while to heal.  But thanks to you all for your well wishes.  I'm sure every little extra positive thought is helping him.

About the time I ran out of pieces for tiny stars, a quilt along I'd signed up for started.  I signed up, really excited about this quilt, and then the angry happened and I wasn't sure I was going to do it after all.  But I decided to just do it.  Doing things is a good cure for being angry sometimes.  That physical effort takes mental focus, which steals it from being angry or worrying (having a bad day?  go weed your garden! you'll feel better - I was skeptical until I did it and it worked!) and I liked the quilt, so I might as well.

Oh, the quilt is called Nova Star from Then Came June.

I pulled fabrics:

That turquoise floral next to the stripe was my inspiration for color selection, even if it wasn't quite enough for one whole round of cutting (oops!).

I spent a day or two cutting these fabrics, as well as adding and subtracting a few to have enough of everything.

(Well, if that doesn't make you dizzy, I'm not sure what will!  Sorry!)

And then I paired them all up:

And then I started sewing!

Since there are a LOT of pieces in this block, it was hard to know for sure when I was pairing fabrics up if things would look okay.  And since there are 6 fabrics (plus background) in each block and I only had 5 colors, one had to repeat.  (And add in that I had too few dark blues, I have a few that will repeat twice in a block!)

So I sewed the first block, which happened to be one that had no dark blue, and realized I had some re-pairing to do.  But this block will stay as it is.  Partly because I don't want to rip it all out and partly because I think, as a scrappy quilt, this will blend just fine.

I like it, even if it lacks some colors!

So, at this point in the quilt-along, this "test block" and fabric pairing is as far as I need to go.  I have a number of weeks coming where I'm supposed to make a certain number of blocks.  (I'm making my quilt bigger, but I can math and figure that out.)  But what the heck?  Let's keep going!

(More effort needed with those directional fabrics!)

(This one reminds me of a Burger King crown.  I have no idea why!)

(Yikes on that center star and lack of contrast!)

And then there were seven!

Some of them have better contrast than others.  (Some have better points than others, too, but none are so off I'm going to rip them out - those have been corrected already!)  But I have decided to roll with this.  I'm liking most of them, but keep reminding myself it will all be okay in the end.

(And it chewed through a fair amount of scraps, too, so yay!)

And THEN...as if this post isn't long enough...I found this quilt retreat that you do at home!  I found it on the last day for an early registration discount, so my friend Colette and I made a quick decision to jump in.  I asked for the days off work (usually I work at least one weekend day) and am already thinking about what I will sew and if I'm crazy for trying to do this.  If it's awful, I've learned a lesson.  If it goes well, I've learned a different lesson.  (See that?  That is science.  My hypothesis is that a quilt retreat from home will be fun.  If I am right, I proved my hypothesis.  If I am wrong, I disproved my hypothesis.  Either way, I learned something.)

Right now I am only signed up for one "class", but am debating adding a second.  I wasn't sure about the pattern and also figured if my boss refused the time off, at least I wouldn't lose the cost of that class.  But now that I'm not scheduled...hmmm...

So I'll let you know how it goes.  I'm excited.  I've been stuck at home without quilty people too long.  I mean, I have a few friends I communicate with, but something as a group is good, too.

And a few other tidbits...

I got some new shoes:

(Yeah, I took that in the car before we even left the parking lot of the store.)

I took some of the nieces and nephews shoe shopping for school (some are going in person, some are online, some are waiting for their schools to get off the fence...) and there they were.  In the boy's department.  (The girls had some pink ones with narwhals and mermaids, but not in my size.)  So I bought them.  The 15-year-old niece thinks I'm nuts.  My sister-in-law (who went along because there were a lot of kids) thinks I'm crazy, but loves them while admitting she wouldn't have the guts to wear them.  My husband...well...he married me 19 years ago, so he knows better.

And with the reopening of businesses, some more than others, Freddie and Gabby are overdue to see their doctor.  Freddie went in easily.  Gabby...well, we're on week three of fails.  Thankfully veterinarians are much more chill about last-minute cancellations than people docs.

Week one, 30 minutes after failing to stuff Gabby into the carrier, we had this situation:

She wouldn't let me near her for a few more hours, but she was about 4 feet from me, just lounging there.  Acting like all is normal.  (Yes, our house has more cat furniture than people furniture.)

This week, I got even closer, but still failed.  I only have one hole clawed in my arm.  So, while out getting groceries later, I bought her a bribe to not hate me.

Yeah, that's a unicorn stuffed with catnip.

She is less than impressed, but we're friends again.

And we'll try again next week.  Number four.

She IS going to the vet this year.  I still have a few months.

I think that's all the news.  Other than one of my favorite coworkers leaving.  She moved on to better things, but I miss her.  We had a lot of giggles together.  But I wish her well and am happy for her better opportunity.

Bedtime for me.  It's been a long day of random tasks and tomorrow will be much of the same, except I'm meeting a few quilty friends for lunch.  Outdoors.  Socially distanced.  Of course.

Happy quilting!
Katie