Today was nice outside, lots of sunshine and some warm air! When I asked Betty if she is ready for Spring and to make soup on the back porch in her kitchen, it was a very loud 'YES.'
I love winter, I love hibernating in my house knitting and sewing, but we are feeling pent up with the little ones. I remember these feeling when my children were young, thinking, 'will Spring never arrive?' Kids like to be outside in the fresh air and sun, I like to have the kids outside in fresh air and sunshine. But this year has been cold and dreary. With the flu raging in our county and the little ones having had one bad episode with the flu and RSV, (the baby spending a week in the hospital in December), I am not comfortable taking the kids out in public yet. That means no library, no downtown for fun at a great toy store and lunch out or fun gym time. We do bundle up for walks around the nieghborhood almost daily, though Betty is getting stir crazy. She was all smiles today stomping in puddles, picking up rocks, pointing at the big fluffy white clouds. I tell her soon, very soon we will be outside all the time.
I have been sewing! Made cute pants for the kids, my 10th pair! Love this pattern, QUICK CHANGE TROUSERS-so easy!
Also finished the top of a quilt. Now comes the machine quilting, which I love but this one is slow going, I have time! My least favorite part-sandwiching the quilt for the actual quilting. I use an ancient folding table with clamps, then safety pinning the entire quilt. I machine quilt using a Juki machine, it's wide throat makes the maneuvering all that fabric, batting and backing fairly easy.
Machine quilting definitely has a steep learning curve, but it all comes down to practice, practice, then more practice. I can do feathering (my favorite quilting pattern) now with good results.
Just keep practicing.....
Here's to Spring, just around the corner!
