Dan's Ramblings

Dan here ~

Thursday evening, in the studio. It is a tad too chilly for a fire. It’s a good evening to cuddle up under a few quilts. 

Today I spent some time and cut up more of a blowdown that blew a large oak tree into the Mud Pond. I got what I could last winter off the ice. With the water level low now I put my new waders on yesterday and removed a bunch more from the pond. Today I worked on the 12’ or so that was on the land. After managing to cut it up I had to split it once with a maul and splitting wedge so this old man could even lift it. It is all up by the shed and split and stacked. A nice little round wood pile, all hard wood. 

Show Quilts Part 6

Carol here ~

I have been spending quite a bit of time at my sewing machine the last couple of weeks working on some smallish Christmas gifts.  I have a regular office chair that my lower back does not like at all.  Even though I had surgery and radiation for my compression fracture on L4 I still have pain at a level 2-3 most of the time.  I can only sit in that chair for about twenty minutes before the pain level starts to escalate.  

I found a chair at Staples with good lumbar support but the chair is too big for my little corner.  I have ordered this ~

Dan's Ramblings

Dan here ~

Thursday evening, I think I need to finally admit winter is coming. That thought was driven home quite solidly with each snowflake that fell down my neck.

I think the bulk of the leaves is behind me for 2025 though. The total tractor bucket load count was 89. I believe that is quite a bit lower than last year. The wheelbarrow may be the removal method for any more. That is OK by me. We’ll see.

Show Quilts Part 5

Carol here ~

Well, it is pretty.

I don't know about you but I am not ready for it.

Dan's Ramblings

Dan here ~

In the studio where I can hear the wind but do not need to feel its wrath. Yesterday was nice, the day before not so nice and today was much like that was. This is what I saw when I went to investigate the sound Carol heard on the roof. She said it sounded like ripping or dragging on the roof. 

 

Dan's Ramblings: Show Quilts Part 4

Dan here ~

Thursday again. I heard an interesting thought on that whole time moving faster as we get older thing. His idea is that as a child we encounter a wide variety of new experiences often multiple times a day. Hence the day is new and refreshing. As we age we get into routines and usually very little new happens in our lives. I know this makes sense to me as pretty much every day is about the same as the day before. Except for meals. I try to have a few days between the different meal ideas. Those ideas are very different than my quilting ideas, there is a lot of repetition. Maybe I need to take up skydiving or something for a new and exciting thing to do. I have a good idea that my immediate new experience will be how well this years snow removal goes.

Show Quilts ~ Part 3

Carol here ~

Continuing on with our show quilts, the next three are mine.

SHOW ME THE WAY HOME ~ designed, pieced and quilted by me. This one received a Purple Ribbon (excellence) and Best of Show at Maine Quilts, was displayed at Innovations and Machine Quilter's Expo.

The Mariner's Compass blocks were constructed with Brenda Henning's paper piecing technique.  I then surrounded it with flying geese heading north, south, east and west, set on point.  I added the partial compass blocks and bordered the quilt with a favorite block, Rangeley Stars.  The quilting is all freehand using a variegated thread.  (what was I thinking?)