Just WHAT Have I Done?

I'm starting this post off with something quilty - 

Because it has been the weirdest week of not much machine time at all, and just like the screaming 3-year old who needs a nap, I needed to be grounded for some time out in my sewing room just feeding pieces through.

Do you get that way too?

So I'm starting this post off focusing on that, and we'll get to the other stuff later.  I promise.
Do you remember my talking about taking all of those mismatched charm squares that I rarely if ever use, slicing them up and working with them as strips instead?

I needed some simple sewing yesterday, and that is what I tackled.

Strips became pairs while podcasts played.

Piles of pressed pairs.

(Say that three times fast!)

Precuts are just NOT my favorite thing.  Quite a few of these "charm" squares were not exactly charming - very seldom are they SQUARE (they tend to be more trapezoidal or parallelogramish than square.) and quite a few of them were 1/8'' shy of being 5'' in any direction - and then there is that danged pinked edge to deal with.  Get what I mean?

But if I cut them in strips an use them as strip sets - I can set aside all of the  reasons I'm not a fan and focus on what they can become, instead of what they cannot.

Pairs became fours -

And I used my Accuquilt Studio to cross-cut them into something much more useable:

Weee!

The bells and whistles rang as I cranked these through - I love strip sewing with short strip sets as they increase my variety and minimize my repeats of the "same thing" ending up next to that "same other thing."  Just wait until you see what these become!

And I could do all of this while ignoring the slightly sore arm, and the barely there nagging headache due to this:

Yesterday was also 2nd booster day.

It's a weird way to celebrate Mother's Day, I know but since there are no retreats happening Mother's Day weekend, what better day is there to do it?

I can lay low today if I need to.  I'll be better by tomorrow for actual Mother's Day (Should we even do anything? We have no plans.) and I'll be back in full form when retreats start back up on Wednesday.

Shots were at 10am, so we are almost 24 hours out and really little side effects other than what I mentioned.  I may need a nap.  I may pop a couple of Excedrin.

The root canal a couple of weeks ago was way worse.

AND - it put us in close proximity of the antique mall to do a second glance at this:

And yes, it came home to reside at the inn!

But as most furniture stories go - the wall where you THINK it will go, turns out not to be the best wall, which means other furniture has to be swapped around and places traded.

The step-back cupboard is now here.

And yes, there was much grumbling from you-know-who about having to empty everything out of the step-back cupboard so that we could move it.

I'll go back over today and put everything back where it goes.

The BEAST (due to the feet and the sheer weight of the thing) now lives HERE.

There will be much use of furniture restorer and wax to happen.  But the storage places for all of the things I need to keep close at hand on the ground floor are WONDERFUL.

When the question came of "Are we done accumulating furniture for this house?" I believe I can honestly say YES.  All bases are covered.

And by afternoon time today I'll be back playing with my strip sets. Just wait until you see what they become!

Book found on Thursday with Martha.

I love the title page of this book! "And those other heroic self-sacrificing souls who, from time immemorial have taken the places and performed the duties of mother."

Mother's Day is for celebrating ALL who have mothered, including those children of others who have benefited from your care.

One doesn't need to give birth to be a wonderful mother. It goes way beyond biology.

As we celebrate Mother's Day this weekend, I hope remembrances of mothers who have passed on are kind to your heart.

If your personal relationship with your mother is/was a tough and complicated one, I hope you also find time to be gentle with yourself and with your feelings.  Mother's Day can be hard for so many.

And for those of us who are mothers in the traditional sense (even if that is a human-made construct) are feeling less than perfect, you are NOT a failure at motherhood. You have done the best you could with what you knew at the time. Enjoy your day of rest and reflection.  You earned it.

Mothering and motherhood is truly the hardest job in all of the world, and you have done it to the best of your ability.

We learn as we go.  We learn as we grow.

Much love to you all!

Did you enter our Mother's Day Week drawing yet?  Those Quiltmaker issues and IronEZ sets are still up for grabs!

Head on over to the Gift-Away post and get your entry in.  We'll be drawing for our 3 winners (USA Addresses only please) on Monday 5/9/2022.

Quiltville Quote of the Day -

Get out of the safety zone!

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Failures are only a sign that we are pushing our boundaries for something much greater.

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Vintage whirligig quilt from my collection.

I'll catch you back here on Monday -