Saturday, January 23, 2016

I absolutely love primitive country stores.  The first one I ever remember going to was in Mt. Pleasant many many years ago.  It was called the Dondero House.  I have searched online for a picture of it, but can't find a thing.  What struck me about my first visit was the scent of the place.  A mixture of spices, of old things and new things.  I have always collected candles to remind me of places I visit.  Nothing brings back the past like our sense of smell.  Yesterday I decided I wanted to recreate that lovely aroma so I blended some scents.  The base was Apple Jack and Peel, but I wanted a little more tartness to the mix so I added cloves, cinnamon, and some others.   Not exactly it, but close - very close.

I found the panel that Claire had chosen for her quilt and began working on that.  The pinwheel that I posted in my last blog post is going to be part of a border on the sides of the quilt.  The panel that she chose is quite a bit longer than it is wide so the top and bottom borders will just be sawtooth borders.  I spent the day making pinwheels.  I think I may be obsessed with them.

I did some more work on the bed quilt I am making for the guestroom.  It is quite a challenge to maneuver a large quilt on my quilt machine, but I am learning a lot by making this quilt.  I also broke down and actually marked the quilt with frixion pens.  The lines from these pens disappear when steam is applied.  This made everything so much easier!

When I was still working at the school, I dreamed of saving for a longarm machine.  I tried one at a quilt show and while I realize there is a learning curve, I really like my Lena and will most likely stay with her. 

   

Today I divided up my laundry room into areas or zones.  I challenged myself to clear out area one.  I had planned to do it all today, but soon realized that if I was going to put in the time, I may as well do it right.  So out came the vacuum, the duster, and a pail of hot soapy water.  Below is the "before" picture.  Don't judge.  :)  I will post the "after" reveal when I finish it.

Harold and I went out to dinner tonight.  I had a chicken caesar salad and stayed within my carb and calorie count.  Sundays I get to ease up a bit which made staying on track easier tonight.