Pulling, Cutting, And Tossing

That pretty much describes last week at our little hacienda. We pulled weeds, and in this heat I'm wondering why we still live on five acres. We cut back shrubs and tree limbs that have been growing like crazy. And of course, we mowed grass. A condo started to sound pretty good once the heat index crept up to 108.

I'm just thankful that out in the country no one cares if your yard isn't perfectly landscaped. I was reminded why we enjoy living here when I saw a little fawn walking down our driveway. What a cutie, or at least I thought so until he made a beeline for his lunch buffet...my morning glories!

A rainy day was spent clearing out two hall closets and bathroom cabinets, tossing stuff that we don't need anymore. I've learned that simpler is better, so I was ruthless in my purging. I tossed a big bag of trash, and have a nice load ready to take for donation.

City Blocks

After all that manual labor, I took a day off to design and sew a quilted tote. I started with a pack of five inch dotted squares and cut borders and lining from a multicolored striped material.  The result is City Blocks, a 17” x 15” bag perfect for a laptop, groceries, or library books. 

Several more designs are in my mind for this week. I've got to use up more of my stash before the next fabric sale begins.

“Tossing clutter is like pulling weeds.

You have to make space

for beautiful things to flourish.”

~Katie Scarlett

Break Some Rules

Life is short. Too short to follow every rule or trend that comes along. 

Sometimes the rules just aren't right and the trends are idiotic.

Who makes all these rules anyhow? 

And why are we compelled to follow them?

I didn't break the rules

The rules were already broken

when I got here. 

"They're more what you'd call 
guidelines than actual rules."

 - Jack Sparrow

“I try not to break the rules but merely

to test their elasticity.”

- Bill Veeck

Let's do some 
“We shouldn't be doing this”

things!

Hot Summer Day

I can't think of a better place to be on a hot summer day than in my air conditioned sewing room. With outside temps in the high nineties and a heat index over 105 degrees, there's no relief in sight.

Yesterday's quilt project is appropriately named Hot Summer Day. I pulled out bright fabrics in orange, watermelon, and gourd yellow, then balanced them with medium turquoise batiks. After a few minutes with EQ7 quilting software, I had the design layout finalized.  

Hot Summer Day

A few rotary cuts, a snip here and there, zoomed along on my trusty Singer, and the blocks were done in no time. This week I'll add lightweight batting, backing and binding for a finished 38” square quilt.

Stay cool everyone, and make time for doing what you love!

“Happiness is air conditioning on a hot summer day.” 

“Yes, of course I remember when we didn't have air conditioning here in the South. Not in our car or in our house. We rode around with all the windows down and sat in front of a fan at home. Thanks so much for pointing out how old I am.” --Anonymous

Communication Breakdown

The world would be a better place if all of us could improve our communication skills. It's not really that difficult: just say what you mean and mean what you say. Simply and tactfully, of course. Then, listen.

Communication shouldn't be a one-sided activity. The goal should be to share information and convey ideas. Assuming that “everyone knows” something or dropping vague hints instead of directly addressing an issue only causes confusion.

Lack of communication can cause simple situations to explode into major difficulties. In this information age, we have more ways than ever to talk, text, and get in touch with others. So let's do that!

I hope these quotes make you laugh and inspire you to consider how you interact with others.

“If you expect me to read your mind,

you're going to have to think more clearly.”

--Spuds Crawford

“The single biggest problem in communication

is the illusion that it has taken place.”

--George Bernard Shaw

“I sort of kind of said something

a little like that but maybe not

clearly enough to sound like that...

But it's what I meant.”

--Mary Eva Swatek