A Slow Crawl with a Bad Attitude

Here is the next block I'm working on for the Stonefield quilt. I need to cut 14 more circles and 4 leaf forms, appliqué those elements and then embroider stems. Many people follow the instructions for block order when making a Block of the Month Quilt. Those individuals do not find themselves with 14 blocks remaining that all require boat loads of intricate appliqué. Those individuals also don't contemplate substituting easier blocks just to get the quilt done. Nor do they chant to themselves "Process, Not Outcome," "Process, Not Outcome while they wander off to do something else. 

Molly says there are First World problems and then there are problems that are not really problems but just a bit of idiocy leaking out of communication channels. 

Return of Murderbot

Here is a revised rendition of the Murderbot quilt, influenced by a recent series on AppleTV (also a series of books). The series is a comedy where, for the most part, lives are endangered because the "robot" is too engrossed in watching his space soap operas. In the first season, the "robot" has a helmet that has the company logo laid over the face plate. In the first version of this design, I was a bit literal so I cut down that first design and appliquéd it to Karen Nyberg's (astronaut turned quilter) black space fabric. Next come the purple/pink borders representing the favorite soap opera "The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon."

Two More Blocks

 If I remember correctly, these are the last of the pieced blocks that I need to complete for the Stonefield quilt. Fifteen more to go. And the last set of blocks were lacking flash, so the goal today was to put some Tula Pink into one of the blocks. 

I should also mention that Buddy had a rebuttal to my blog post yesterday, but instead of posting his protest, he chose to litter the bedroom floor with mouse toys. He also woke me up in the middle of the night by bringing one into the bed and gnawing on it next to my head. Mysteriously, that mouse toy went flying across the room. And yes, I have had the joy of gifts of real mice, so I am counting myself lucky.

Burgeoning Bureaucracy

 This is my month's progress on the Stonefield quilt by Susan Smith. I chose blocks with lots of circles...which I find the easiest to appliqué (using the Buckley circles, of course). 

My lack of progress is not at all my fault and stems completely from being held down by forces beyond my control. While I have learned to cope with living with Molly as a lap cat, I am now completely overwhelmed by Buddy becoming a lap dog. 

And to make matters worse, while Molly continues as my supervisor, Buddy has anointed himself the inspector. As I sew, Buddy inspects all the items at hand for "toy status." He grabs these items and runs off with them. Favorites are bobbins of appliqué thread, Buckley circles, and paper. He also likes straight pins but they are never left out.

Here is Molly showing me as much sympathy as she can muster. She is also coating fabric in cat hair...in this case Karen Nyberg fabric for the Murderbot quilt.

This is what neglected roses in Portland look like. I didn't cut them back this year so they all tower over me. I did notice these roses as I was picking blackberries, another indomitable force. Apparently thorns attract thorns. (I'm not complaining).