Out Of The Time Out Box!

How long have these been in hiding?

I've searched - I know I was stitching them while on a trip to San Antonio, and staying with my friend Irene when she lived there.

I thought it was about the same time that I went there for my episode recording with The Quilt Show, which I believe was 2014?  

I tried searching the archives for that trip to San Antonio, or anything after - got sucked down the memory hole, and nearly lost myself in reading old posts and revisiting days gone by that all at once feel SO long ago, and just like yesterday.

What is it that put these little cuties on the back burner?

And not just back burner - but the way way back and nearly forgotten time out?

As in - Oh!  I vaguely remember you, not sure what I was going to do with you, not sure that I like you kind of time out.

I know there was a reason for using "that" green.  I remember being inspired by an antique scrap quilt that had a very similar green - and it was STUNNING.

But a search through the archives didn't unearth anything, not in the 2013 to 2014 range of blog posts.

And since I'm pretty much living my life as if it is a repeat of April 2020 with Omicron sweeping the nation and breaking through vaccinated barriers - I'm pulling this out and giving them new purpose.

Juniper Green

In my belief - there is nothing wrong or ugly with ANY color, it's just a matter of what you pair it with, and how much of it you include.

Nature gives us ALL colors in all shades - and colors that we tend to like or are gravitating to are manipulated by the fashion/home dec industry, always having some colors and combinations become "outdated" and pushing us ever on toward the "new" colors.  

You've seen it happen gradually if you are paying attention.  Greens have gone in the past 30 years or so from deep blue greens to greyish sea foam greens to lime green and yellow green.  What we see in the stores changes a bit every year.

Note - there are NO NEW COLORS.  It's all a ploy to keep us buying what we don't currently have (because we got rid of it 20 years ago!)

So my job has been over the past couple of weeks to find just what I want to do with these little bear paw units, and what to pair them with that will allow them to be the best they can be.

Color wheels can help!

While Red, Yellow and Blue are primary colors, each of these primary colors can blend with each other to give us secondary colors as in red+blue = purple. red +yellow = orange, or blue + yellow = green, etc.

I didn't want to go red.  I'm tired of red.  As in - knife edge finish hexie death tired of red. So:

Orange is my winner!

Orange will lighten up that green, coax it into submission, and bring everything to light!

Sneak Peek!

I'm including all kinds of oranges from yellow orange to burnt orange and even pushing toward coral.

The way to push back against color boredom for me is to include many shades within that color family.

That's going to dilute the "sameness" of that constant juniper green that is overpowering my scrappy little bear paw toes.

More to come on this project as it comes together.  I'm just making blocks - I don't have an idea how I'm going to set them, I'm just wanting to bring this time out project into the light.

And it's going to be something that I love.  Which is all that matters.

The walkway trench has sand!

While all of this color manipulation was going on, Zoey Jo was helping her dad while soaking up some late December sunshine.

We are nearly ready to start placing the pavers.  

The big job continues, and hopefully the weather will hold out until everything is in place.

Happy Winter Solstice!

Happy December 21st, everyone - For those of us in the northern hemisphere, today is the shortest day and longest night of 2021.

I love and embrace this day - I am NOT a winter lover.  My family calls me "Solar Powered."  And for those of us with Seasonal Affective Disorder the fact that days will get longer from this point on brings a huge amount of relief and hope.

Those with Seasonal Affective Disorder - Our symptoms start in the late fall, exacerbated by the "fall back" time change and continue into the winter months, sapping our energy and making us feel a bit moody. 

Other Signs and symptoms may include:

• Feeling listless, sad or down most of the day, nearly every day
• Losing interest in activities you once enjoyed
• Having low energy and feeling sluggish
• Having problems with sleeping too much
• Experiencing carbohydrate cravings, overeating and weight gain
• Having difficulty concentrating
• Feeling hopeless, worthless or guilty

These symptoms often resolve during the spring and summer months. 

Staying creative and allowing myself the time to be with my fabrics and projects really helps me through this time.  

I burn candles in my space - aroma therapy, but also that little light shines and flickers and makes me smile.

I play music in the background, or listen to podcasts on interesting topics that keep my brain engaged.

I try to enjoy the "Slow Down" that winter provides.

I make plans for spring and summer - not to far off into the future - so I have goals to reach.

And this is another huge reason why I run our Quiltville Mystery during this time. It not only gives those who struggle through the holidays something happy to work on, but it does the same to me to present it to you this time of year.

If you also experience Seasonal Affected Disorder and find yourself in the dumps during winter, please share some of the things that help you cope through until spring.  I think it will help many to know they are not alone.

This has hit me hard this year.  My dad didn't come for Thanksgiving.  And he is not traveling from Arizona to Idaho for Christmas with my brother Scott and his family because of Omicron and his advanced age.

At nearly 82 he feels sad and has mentioned "I don't know how many Christmases I have left..."  It breaks my heart.

So we are planning for spring so we have something happy to look forward to in the near distant future.

And when feelings start to overwhelm that is when I get busy and divert myself away into something positive.

Sorry this is so not my usual post - but I'm also trying to keep things very real here.

Quiltville Quote of the Day -

May this season of giving spill over into the next season and on and on.

And may that also include giving yourself the gift of self-awareness and self care.

⁣

I love this string pieced hexagon circa 1940 shared by Siobhan .

Have a lovely Tuesday, everyone!