Stitching between the Moments

Between posts written ahead so I could make early morning dentist appointments, and pre-scheduled Mystery Friday releases, I feel like there is so much to catch up on.

And yet there isn’t.  Not really.

Because I’ve been enjoying exactly what I’ve longed for since 2017 spun out of control.  NOTHING on the agenda. Time is finally standing still.  or at least passing at a more leisurely pace, just the way I like the holidays to be.

Thursday morning after I returned from the dentist with flying colors – the crown for my implant is on its way and I should be able to start my 2018 teaching year with a full set of teeth – (HOORAY!) I asked Jason what he’d like to do for the couple of days that he was here.

We made plans to go on a long drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway, traveling a portion of it we hadn’t been on before.  We would wind our way up to Boone, have lunch, toodle around with no real agenda or hard and fast time schedule and just see what unfolded.

We stopped for this photo along the New River just across the North Carolina state line.

Appalachian Traffic Jam!

And toodle we did…behind this guy for miles and miles because there was nowhere to pass, and if you could, you couldn’t because cars were coming the opposite direction in the other lane…We just laughed and enjoyed the view.

“If you counted up all of the rings on each of these trees, how many years are represented in this truck load?”  That question alone got us onto topics of conversation.  The two of us.  Mother and grown son.  In the car, time to talk, time to listen, and thank heavens he had no cell phone service!  I cherish these times.

And it’s a good thing.  Because once we turned on to the Parkway the fog was as thick as the proverbial pea soup.  You really couldn’t see ANYTHING but the line down the center of the road, stretching maybe 6 feet in front of you.  No long-range views at look-outs.  No trail heads for hiking.  So much for that plan!

But the conversations and memories of this day were worth it, regardless.

We wound up at a BBQ place for lunch in Boone and the conversation continued.  I’m so glad he came up for a couple of days since he won’t be able to come up for Christmas on Monday.

My two precious ones!

No matter how tall they grow or how old they get, they will always be my babies.

And yes, that is a quilt, it’s just “backing side up!”.

There has been binding going on!

Moving watching at night -

The only light in the room other than the tiny tree and the glowing fire is my Slimline light by Daylight.  Did you enter to win the Epic Giveaway we’ve got going on?  It all happens tomorrow morning.  Check out all the info ON THAT POST.

Happiness is:  A scrappy red binding you didn’t have to cut strips for!

All done!

It rained last night.  I wanted good photos of the quilt this morning, but everything is too wet.  The only dry part is on the porch, and this is the end above the garage, looking over the top of the laneway.

So happy with this one!

I love anything that gives a circular effect.

This morning’s sunrise.

It’s an absolutely beautiful Saturday up on the mountain.  The sky glowed so vibrantly I stood and watched it for about 5 minutes before all of the pink and orange were gone and the sky was morning blue.

There is more to do, but again, at a very leisurely pace.

I started in on these!

Dakota Farmer blocks from my Addicted to Scraps column with Quiltmaker.

If you watched our most recent Quilt-Cam from Wednesday you will have heard me talk about these.  The black/purple triangles are gifted bonus-triangles sent to me by a reader many years ago.  A whole zip-lock baggie load.  I’ve been trimming them up, just a smidge here and there with the Triangle Booty Ruler.  I love this thing!  I also show you how to use it in our most recent Quilt-Cam.

These triangles have sat for too long.  So I am trimming them in batches, making stars in between, and I have a plan for setting them together with some alternate blocks for a fun finish.

Do you have this black?

Now this is where I’m asking for some assistance.  Since these were gifted triangles, and I don’t have any of this black background in my stash – and there aren’t likely enough triangles to do the job that I want to do with them, does this black fabric look familiar to anyone?  Do any of you have it in your stash? I’d love to have a yard or so.  If we can’t find it, I’ll be on the look-out for something close.

I have no idea the manufacturer, or the age because these triangles don’t have any selvage.  It may even be a 1990s or early 2000s black.  The polka dots are spaced quite a ways apart. They remind me of twinkling stars on a night sky.  I am ever hopeful that someone will recognize it and can bear to part with it! If you have some,  you can email me.

Other things to remember:

I am drawing for our December Quilty Box winners TONIGHT!  Be sure you get your entry in ON THAT POST.

There will be no Mystery Monday Link-Up on Monday due to Christmas Day.  It will happen on Tuesday instead.

Quiltville Quote of the Day!

Very thought-provoking. Even when unhappy things happen we can still remain whole.

Have a lovely, peaceful Saturday, everyone!