When Internet Fails - Quilting Ramps Up!

For the second time in a week - our internet has gone out at the Quiltville Inn & QPO studio property.

It wouldn't be such a big deal if I didn't need the internet to even give me a cell signal via my booster - but it is what it is, and when the internet goes out we find other things to do.

I can only hope that these two big outages have been due to IMPROVEMENTS with CenturyFink, not more duct tape fixes on an already antiquated and less than modern system.

We are just one notch above dial up after all, it's all we can get out here.  

I told myself that it was time for a break anyway - I had been at my big computer screen designing and writing for the past 2 solid days or more - and too much screen time for drawing graphics and writing text is hard on the eyes, and the brain power.

It's much better to plug in an audio book and press and cut, press and cut!

I'm listening to The Great Alone by Kristen Hannah.

Description:

Ernt Allbright, a former POW, comes home from the Vietnam war a changed and volatile man. When he loses yet another job, he makes an impulsive decision: he will move his family north, to Alaska, where they will live off the grid in America’s last true frontier.

Thirteen-year-old Leni, a girl coming of age in a tumultuous time, caught in the riptide of her parents’ passionate, stormy relationship, dares to hope that a new land will lead to a better future for her family. She is desperate for a place to belong. Her mother, Cora, will do anything and go anywhere for the man she loves, even if means following him into the unknown.

At first, Alaska seems to be the answer to their prayers. In a wild, remote corner of the state, they find a fiercely independent community of strong men and even stronger women. The long, sunlit days and the generosity of the locals make up for the Allbrights’ lack of preparation and dwindling resources.

But as winter approaches and darkness descends on Alaska, Ernt’s fragile mental state deteriorates and the family begins to fracture. Soon the perils outside pale in comparison to threats from within. In their small cabin, covered in snow, blanketed in eighteen hours of night, Leni and her mother learn the terrible truth: they are on their own. In the wild, there is no one to save them but themselves.

In this unforgettable portrait of human frailty and resilience, Kristin Hannah reveals the indomitable character of the modern American pioneer and the spirit of a vanishing Alaska―a place of incomparable beauty and danger. The Great Alone is a daring, beautiful, stay-up-all-night story about love and loss, the fight for survival, and the wildness that lives in both man and nature.

***Trigger warning:***  I'm only part way into this book, and there is some pretty horrible spousal/child abuse and violence.  I'm not sure I'm going to finish it but we shall see.

In the mean time, while listening:

I was able to subcut some neutral strips into the bagillion rectangles I need to sash my 25-Patch quilt! And yes, I threw in some of that funny TP paper because - well, because.

After work painting time!

The big job of painting the wrap around porch at Quiltville Inn has begun. 

And yes, there are some places where the grey paint got on the white - but there is white paint to come to fix those couple of splotches.

It's a huge job!

But it looks so good!

We will also be repainting the porch rails - and as long as September weather holds out, we have the perfect opportunity to get it done because I am not in Poland, or Vietnam, or anywhere else in the world right now.  

The new oven/stove is on its way and these things seem to be falling into place the way they should.

How far did I get on the pattern writing front before the internet went out?

Up to the photography finishes for September Sky!

The plan is to release this one at the same time as Spider & The Fly next week, but I need internet to finish it all - and I need my big monitor to do the design and layout work, not the laptop I write from while at the cabin (where I am now connected with cell data) so fingers are crossed it will return today.

According to the website, they are still out this morning.

So since it is Friday, and I feel the need for a quilty pick me up - let's do this:

I have marked my Appalachian Autumn PDF pattern at25% off through September!

No coupon code required!

It's time to start in on the fall projects - to pull out those oranges, golds and browns and dig in to some comfort sewing with the upcoming change of seasons!

The sale price will remain through September 30th, and revert to full on October 1st, 2021.  Don't miss out!

And I'll do my best to get those new two ready as soon as the internet is back!

In the mean time - there will be more porch painting in progress through the weekend.

Quiltville Quote of the Day -

Jingle Bell Square quilt from my book Addicted to Scraps available at deep discount in the Quiltville Store.

Gratitude helps keep things in perspective and there is so much to be grateful for.  

(Internet or not!)

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Happy Friday, everyone! 
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