Second Finish and a Surprise

The plan was to post this finish a few days ago--when I really did finish it. But Lynnie has had one full seizure and the precursor symptoms for the past two days. Lynnie trumps the blog. It was January 17, 2010, when she had the only other seizure. At the first symptom I shut off all the lights and anything that makes noise. Except for the first one this time, it has been working. Knock on wood. The vet said we may have to put her on anti-seizure meds if this continues.

Have I said lately how much I hate winter weather? Not so much the weather as trying to determine if classes should run based on a weather forecast. Trying to decide at 10 AM if we can all get home safely at 10 PM is tough. My psychic weather forecasting powers apparently have become dormant. Today, based on the dire predictions of at least five more inches of snow and the possibility of sleet, I postponed my evening class. Only to have, at least at my house, absolutely nothing. For those of you reading the blog and wondering about First Tuesday, it will be on Wednesday, February 9, still 6-9. (If you didn't understand that, don't worry--you probably live too far away to be affected.)

Okay, on to funner stuff! My second finish is All Points. Hand appliqued and set in 2008, basted in 2009. Hand quilted and bound in 2011. My original papercut design. And, no, the inner border points do not touch the binding. I wanted it that way so that the entire design floats. The spaces are, I assure you, very evenly away from the binding.

A detail of a corner. You can see a bit of the quilting design.

And the center. The backing is the same pink batik as the background. Hand quilted with 30 wt. Sulky variegated thread.

Is "unexpected surprise" an oxymoron? If not, it should be! Yesterday when I got home I found a package on my porch. When I opened it I found:

The Sara Gruen books are among my favorites and I was recently thinking about reading them again. I had been getting them from the library--now I don't have to! And quilting and knitting magazines to boot! Thank you, my friend, for your thoughtfulness. I miss you lots.

Janet asked about a marker for light fabrics: I use the Prismacolor Verithin pencil in #753 Metallic Silver. Used with a light hand and a sharp point, the marks are usually gone as you quilt over them. I've been using them since the 1980s! You can find them at some quilt shops or at art supply places. Just be sure they say Verithin on them. The other Prismacolor pencils have too much oil to come out easily (in my opinion).

That's all the news that's fit to print for now.

Hugs,
Sharon

P.S. I am listening to Lying with Strangers by James Grippando and just finished My Third Husband Will Be a Dog by Lisa Scottoline (non-fiction!). I'm reading a Monty Roberts horse book.