Orange for Thanksgiving

 I switched over to this project for a change of pace. 

Of course, the audit took longer than the block construction.

And apparently one is supposed to go outside occaisionally and look around.

And finally, if you prefer your turkey as a balloon animal...please enjoy:  https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2022/11/masayoshi-matsumoto-balloon-animals/

The End of Matchmaking

The smallish spools are taking up most of my sewing time. The bottom box shows all of the pairs except for a pile next to the sewing machine (that I was too lazy to include in this photo). In the box at the top are the four patches. I find it interesting that single spools are unwieldy, and the pairs are barely manageable. But the four patches, with their spun seams on the back, lay nice on flat. And I should note that I ironed the single spools, but won't iron them again until they are 16-patches.

Meanwhile, if you are missing an orange cat, it may be over here. The day I moved in (over 5 years ago) there was an evil mostly black cat that insisted this was his territory. Recently when I was out working in the garden, he stared at me and sprayed the shed, making the same point. (Now we know why he is outside all the time.) And then there is the pitiful white cat that was hanging out under the front window...unable to stir my cats from their heated beds. And finally the newest cat...an orange fellow...marched along the fence and glared at me.

On the Light Side

Here are some more light spools I made to match up with more spools of medium value. Okay, a few dark value spools too.

Meanwhile, I have been spending time cleaning up the backyard garden. I admit to neglecting it when it transitioned from a shade garden to a very sunny and sometimes overly hot garden. And with a strong nod toward metaphor, most of the plants/weeds that I am trying to clear out are loaded with thorns: blackberries, holly, thistle and a couple out of control roses. To prove the point, there was a baby thorned honey locust...that I had to look up because I have never seen a sapling with such evil intent. When I went inside to tell my cats, they just chewed on their claws with their fangs.

Not so Tiny After All Spools

 Yes, this photo has a yellow cast...and I either have to set up better lighting or sew earlier in the day to take photos during the day. In any case, while I was busy fussing with pairing off the last piles of single spools, the four patches got together to form eight patches.

And I have to apologize because I have been referring to these as microspools when they are a whopping 1.5 inches finished. Definitely not worthy of the term micro. In his book The Anthropocene Reviewed, John Green begins his chapter on Viral Meningitis:  "I find it difficult to grasp the size of viruses. As individuals, they are tiny. A red blood cell is about a thousand times bigger than a Sars COV-2 virus. But as a group, viruses are unfathomably numerous, There are about ten million viruses in a single drop of sea water."

If you would like to see some real micro quilting, please enjoy Alex Anderson's interview with Amy Pabst on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FM-KATsG22g

Frames

In November 2020, Lynn Dykstra started a calendar quilt where she framed a fabric for each day...and you can read about it here: https://kleinmeisjequilts.blogspot.com/2021/11/62-to-63-calendar-quilt-in-time-of.html

I was inspired by hers and started mine...and while she had 365 blocks one year later, I had two. I decided to add to mine today and I was so productive I had an eight fold increase in blocks. 

These are made with a 2.5 inch square surrounded by 1.25 inch strips.

Spools Anonymous

 I can stop making spools anytime. It's no big deal. Just thought it would be nice to have some more spools to pair with some of the spools I had already made that needed pairs...dark ones to pair with light medium ones and light ones to pair with dark medium ones. And besides, I already have a lot of 1 inch by 2 inch background rectangles cut and I wouldn't want to waste those. Although maybe I should cut some more because variety is nice. Plus I know I don't have a serious problem because at no time have I snuck up behind someone and snipped a 2 inch by 3 inch rectangle out of their clothing. Case closed.

Diversion

 My cats are spending more time in their heated beds...which gives me some time to divert my attention to more hard working cats. First diversion is to see Jeremy Mayer's sculptures made from typewriter parts...my favorites are the birds...which I discovered on This Is Colossal Art blog.

When I moved to Mastodon this week, I found This is Colossal there and they linked me to @jeremymayer@mastodon.art. And if you would like to see a hard working cat, here you go:  https://mastodon.art/@jeremymayer/109325920702829818

And here's the link to his website: https://jeremymayer.com/Artist.asp?ArtistID=18688&Akey=23SVCF6T&ajx=1