On a Roll with Circles

Now that I have gotten over the fear of doing the small circles, I looked through the rest of the Beyond the Cherry Trees blocks and prepped several more blocks with circles. I had help choosing that soft yellow for the basket or bowl. Then I had to be very careful to place it and start with the bottom of the 3rd stem in the middle of the bowl since I had not left quite enough length.  But as I have said before, these blocks are so forgiving in the placement of the different elements.

BTCT Block # 7

This will be a bowl with fruit in it. It may be the closest thing to doing a Baltimore block that I will get to for a while. I only basted on half the grapes since they are so close together. I love having several blocks prepped and ready to pick up anytime. I try to stitch a bit every night as I listen to some worship music before going to bed. Some nights that can be between 1-2 in the morning.

BTCT Block # 21

 I am being careful  to glue baste so I will not be taking any tiny applique pins with me to visit my daughter and dropping them on the floor for the 9 month old grandson to pick up and eat. I thought I had been careful at my son's house in picking up all the pins that fell until I was told that the cat found one I had missed. Not sure how that could happen with 3/4 inch pins with white or black heads falling onto a white porcelain floor with black grouting.

Round Blessings,
Chris

Music in the Quiltroom

I have been sick this week with a virus that's going around again and am finding it difficult to focus on any hard tasks. The simple solution? Do some applique. However, I am at the point where I need to prep some blocks. I had prepped several Ben Biggs blocks last week and then appliqued them by machine because that was easy as I sat hovering near my daughter working on her quilt. I posted the other 2 last week but forgot to photograph this one. I also got 2 more CCCQ blocks ready.

Ben Biggs Block  # 12

I learned how to rip music off CDs and save them to my laptop. I never knew that was possible. All I had wanted (for the past 2 years) was to learn how to load music into my MP3 player and now I know how to do both. So, today I have been ripping music onto my computer.

I have this big 5 CD player in the quilt room that is integral to the Quilting at the Farm experience. I have hundreds of CDs on my shelves and play specific music for specific occasions.

Let me explain.

If I am playing computer solitaire or spider solitaire, (which can go on for hours if I am determined to complete a game) then I let the music rip with Jesus Culture  and Hillsong, volume up.

But if I am trying to read or do some sewing, then I play instrumental worship music without words. It sets a gentle atmosphere and occupies my subconscious with praising God. This is the music I usually have playing when quilters come to the Farm. I am often told how that ministers to their stress. The volume has to be set just right in order to hear the music but not interfere with conversation.

When I listen to school lectures (pen in hand), a book on CD ( A Path Appears by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn), listening to Polish language lessons or Bible on tape, I pick up my applique and keep my hands busy while my mine is being educated.

And, when I sit down to do some machine quilting on my domestic Brother sewing machine, that is still away for repairs, then the music has to be gentle, relaxing, instrumental and contain no words that I know. This is where Pachelbel,   Dan Gibson's Solitudes  and this come in. For me, machine quilting is a very intense activity where I need to focus on the spot where the needle will land on its next stitch as well as the design I am working on. If I know the words, then I am distracted or do not even hear them.

The problem is, that the CD player has quit working. I cannot imagine why. It was a $79 purchase about 8 years ago and played in here on a loop. All day. Every day.

Now to figure out how to create a playlist.

Musical  blessings,
Chris