Journal: Owls, Foxes, Capybaras, ... and Baby Comes to Church!

Last Monday night, I completed the 18^th and final Irish Chain block for the Sunbonnet Sue quilt.  I finished the laundry and put it away... cleaned the kitchen... and while I was doing that, I got everything – and I do mean everything – on my computer backed up twice.  I have nearly a terabyte of data that I save to two external hard drives often, especially after taking a whole raft of pictures.  I keep the hard drives in separate places.

When all that was done, I was too tired to put the blocks into rows, so I retired to my recliner, tucked a heating pad behind my back, and did a little computer work before I hit the hay.  

I fell asleep to the sound of a Great Horned owl hooting in the nearby trees.  I love the night sounds of birds... insects... animals...  One night recently, I heard baby raccoons chirring and rumpusing about in the back yard somewhere.  Sometimes we hear coyotes... and, less frequently, red foxes.  Funny to hear the pups and kits trying to howl and/or bark.  They sound like teenage boys whose voices haven’t decided whether they are bass or tenor singers.  😃

I had never heard a fox’s cry until we moved out here to the country. The first time we heard it, late at night, I asked, “Who stepped on the aardvark?!”  (Not that I knew what an aardvark sounded like, either.)  I set about finding out what this strange noise was – sort of a cross between a bobcat screaming, a dog barking, and a peacock getting its tail feathers plucked out.  ‘Fox’ was one of the first animal sounds I looked up.  

And that was exactly what it was:  The Cry of a Fox

Tuesday, I trimmed the Sunbonnet Sue blocks to the same size, and cut lining for them.  I was pleased to discover a piece of good-quality muslin amongst some things that were my late sister-in-law’s; that’s what I used for lining, as it matched the muslin on which the Sues were appliquéd.  I had to trim the blocks to 11”, the size of the smallest one.  A couple were 16” square! 

Next, I cut borders for the Sunbonnet Sue blocks, in order to make them 12 ½” square, the size of the Irish Chain blocks.  The finished blocks would all be 12” square.

There were three Sunbonnet Sue blocks where the original stitchers didn’t finish all of the embroidery.  The faint lines they’d drawn in for the embroidery stitches could still be seen.  I debated:  Should I finish the embroidery, or leave it as it was?

I asked opinions from my online quilting friends – and then decided what to do (and did it) before anybody had time to answer. 

I don’t usually dillydally between two ideas for very long.  Don’t want any Elijah asking me, “How long halt ye between two opinions?”

Some people recommend leaving vintage quilt blocks as they are found, in order to ‘maintain the integrity’, or some such high-kaflutin’ loftiness.  Well, if I were to leave them ‘as is’, that would mean not sewing them together into a quilt at all, right?

I finished the embroidery.  It would’ve driven me bonkers and bugged the stuffin’s outa me to have a quilt with unfinished embroidery.  And no quilter, bonkers or not, should ever be without her stuffin’s, don’t you agree?

I must confess...  there were a few of my ancestors who could embroider a whole lot better than I can.  Fortunately, I didn’t have to finish their blocks.  Just look at this one:

Next, I put all the blocks together into their various rows.

The weather was nice that night – 69°, at midnight.  I turned off the air conditioner and opened the windows.  I’d have done it earlier, had I realized it had cooled off so much outside.  It had been in the 90s earlier that afternoon.

Wednesday, I got all the rows sewn together on the Sunbonnet Sue quilt, the four borders and the binding cut, and one border sewn on, complete with cornerstones.  When we got home from our midweek church service, we had supper, and then I trotted up to my quilting studio, cut the second border the right length, sewed the cornerstones onto it – and discovered I was too sleepy to go any farther. 

I have found a problem in EQ8.  It’s a problem of my own making – and now I know that I need to check patch sizes with the fractions not rounded to the nearest ⅛”... but to the nearest 1/16” ---- and then when I wind up with really odd fractions, I should change the block size a bit, until the fractions can be reduced to ⅛” increments, rather than 1/16” increments.

For this particular Irish Chain block, I had originally planned for it to be 13” square, finished.  EQ8 rotary cutting instructions told me the small squares were to be cut at 1 ¾”.

But... when I started putting the blocks together, things didn’t fit.  The four-patches were all too small.  I cut the rest of the block pieces down enough to make everything fit.  The blocks wound up at 12” square.

I went back to EQ8, and looked to see what I’d done wrong.  I looked again at the measurements... knew I’d cut them right, and I’d been precise.  I measured my seam allowance.  A scant ¼”.

I changed the block size in EQ8 to match what I now have – a 12” block – and checked rotary cutting measurements.

Guess what?  It says the small blocks are to be cut at 1 ¾”, same as for the 13” block!

I removed the ‘round to nearest ⅛” ’ instruction and checked rotary measurements again.

In order to get a 13” block, those small squares should’ve been cut – get this – at 1 and 13/16”.  Then the four-patches would’ve been exactly 3 ⅛”.

See, this is why I don’t make all my patterns available to the general public!  Aauugghh, imagine the wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Now, as for me, it’s my own problem...  and I will fix it.  Measuring tape, calculator, and rotary cutter to the rescue.  It was an easy fix, because, as Victoria once said when she was about 4 years old, watching me alter a dress for her, “Don’t make it too little, Mama!  ’Cuz it’s really easy to smaller stuff, but it’s a whole lot harder to bigger them.”

So, for those of you who like to create your own designs in Electric Quilt, I recommend that you check out your cutting measurements without any rounding before you finalize the design.

Somebody hire me an Electric Quilt officer to make sure I practice what I preach.

Thursday, Victoria sent a group of pictures of Carolyn eating cheerios.  I like one with both little fists in the air, as if she’s celebrating that she finally got those little things picked up and crammed into her mouth.  She’s so exuberant. 

Do you ever look at a baby... think she’s getting so grown up... learning and progressing so rapidly...  But look at how hard those little fingers are working to pick up small Cheerios.  Just think of how entirely dependent she still is!  And she’s totally trusting, with no thought in the world but what her parents will completely take care of her.

By that evening, the Sunbonnet Sue flimsy – the quilt top, this is – was done.  It measures 88” x 88”.

You can read about the vintage blocks, made by my ancestors, here:  Vintage Sunbonnet Sue Blocks

Now to quilt it!  But I have a few other things I must do first, including two customer quilts.  Soon, soon.

I learned from my cousin Helen Jean, who was named after one of the young women who made one of the Sunbonnet Sue blocks in this quilt, that the first Helen Jean was wheelchair-bound – ‘but always very cheerful’, according to my cousin’s mother, my Aunt Pauline. Here’s the block she sewed:  Helen Jean Harmon’s block

Several people have asked who this Sunbonnet Sue quilt is for.  It’s for me!  I’m keeping it.  I probably would’ve never made a Sunbonnet Sue quilt myself, but because all these blocks were made by my grandmothers and great-grandmother and aunts and great-aunts and friends and teachers of my mother, it’s special. 

I’ll give it to Hannah one of these days after her kiddos grow up.  I imagine they have a tendency to trip near important things, whilst a-carryin’ grape juice in one hand. 

(“Hi, Hannah!”  <...waving...>)

Remember the time Teddy spilt his milk all over a new little outfit – just cut out – that I was making a friend’s new baby, way back when?  And he was the coordinated kid!  😮😬😲😆

That night, I put a hanging sleeve on Todd and Dorcas’s Baskets of Lilies quilt.  It’s not required for the County Fair, but is necessary for the State Fair.  It took a while, since I had to sew it on by hand, both the top and the bottom of the sleeve, and the quilt is 115” wide.

Friday, I sewed a hanging sleeve on Jeremy’s elk panel quilt, also in preparation for the State Fair.  Now everything is ready to go, August 16^th.  Our State Fair runs from August 24^th to September 3^rd.

As I type, there’s a wee little striped chipmunk dashing about on our front drive, looking for seeds and whatnot – and a tiny wren, dive-bombing him and scolding like anything.  So funny to watch.

I had an embarrassing dilemma:  a few weeks ago, one of my friends asked me if I’d like some fabric with horses, cowboys, etc., printed on it.  I said yes; some of my grandsons would be pleased if I made them something from that. 

Last Sunday, the person left a bag full of all this fabric (there’s a lot) (and it’s nice stuff) at our vehicle.  The problem?  I had acquired Halfzeimer’s since I spoke with whoever this generous person was, and I couldn’t remember who had offered it to me!  (I only have Halfzeimer’s, as opposed to ALLzheimer’s.  I only forget half of everything I need to remember, not ALL of it.)

I have an excuse, though!!! – LOTS of people have recently discussed quilting with me.  So how am I to know who said what??!  (That’s a good excuse, right?) 

I wrote to all of my friends who might have any inkling about the fabric.  Meanwhile, since it had a strong scent to it, I hung it out on the line. 

Letting it blow in the summer breeze in the sunshine did wonders.  By the time I took it in a few hours later, it smelt of sunshine on a summer day, with the faintest hint of dryer sheets.  I like faint hints.  😉

An hour and fifteen minutes after I sent off the inquiry, the mystery was solved:  the fabric had come from Amy’s sister Suzanne.  Reckon this means I should use it to make Teddy and Amy’s kiddos quilts?  😃  (I was planning to, anyway.  Someday.)

Saturday, I abandoned the sewing and got on with the housecleaning, as our oldest son Keith is coming for a visit on Thursday, and will stay overnight.  He lives in Salt Lake City.  I’ve neglected the housecleaning, since the thumb/wrist problem came about.

Larry was outside mowing.  Suddenly there was a most horrendous growling, grating din.  I dashed out to see what in the world he’d run over now.

Seems he thought he’d get rid of some weeds and small tree shoots growing next to the hostas – by driving his tractor right down the front sidewalk between the hostas and the Autumn Joy sedum.  Fortunately, he ran over some plastic edging before he got very far, which alerted me to the event in time to stop it with only one Autumn Joy sedum getting smooshed by the big back wheel of the tractor.  I would’ve been unhappy, had that whole row of flowers gotten slaughtered!  The tractor doesn’t fit on that sidewalk.  No, it DOESN’T.  No, it DOESN’T.

Larry went off a mite sheepishly to wreak havoc elsewhere.  This time, I didn’t mind.  He pulled out a mulberry tree that was growing uninvited by the basement patio doors, threatening damage to the retaining wall.  This was no easy task.  We’d cut that thing down time and again, with the result being nice, big, healthy roots that quickly shot up new shoots.

Once the ground was clear, Larry put down some rubber stuff and laid bricks on it, starting a patio.  I hope we can finish it... put some mosquito screens around... an outdoor grill... and have a pretty place to enjoy the back yard (which means the terraced flower garden needs to be weeded).  He needs more bricks.  And time.  A little more time would be good.

Having saved the lives of the Autumn Joy sedum and the hostas, I went back to the housecleaning.  I got myself a brand-new Swiffer duster with an extendable, heavy-duty handle, and a box of duster refills in lavender-vanilla scent.  Housecleaning is always more fun, with new toys! 

Did you know you can wash those dusters?  They’re supposedly use-and-discard – but they are in fact washable.  They can be washed several times, and even dried in the dryer on low heat, and still retain their trap-and-lock-the-dust quality.

The Swiffer sped up the dusting considerably.  In short work, I had living room, music room, and the library/bedroom upstairs all dusted.  Things might not be as shiny as they would’ve been, had I used a microfiber cloth and dusting spray... but that might be because there were too many layers of dust for the Swiffer to cope with on its first assignment.  😏

Yesterday, Andrew and Hester and Baby Keira all came to church together, for the first time!  Keira is 3 ½ months old now, and doing well.  They still must be careful of germs, of course, and keep her away from anyone who is sick.

Hester just sent a video of a plump little Keira lying in her little basket and looking at her black and white silhouette book, which holds her attention for long spans at a time.  She waves arms, kicks legs, then holds very still and stares at the pictures before going back to waving and kicking.  Her little fingers move quite as if she really would like to reach out and grab that nifty book.  It’s one of those that opens out accordion-style, and is then all in one long zigzag.  Hester curves it around the baby’s head, so that as she turns, she can see all the pictures, except the ones directly at the tiptop of her head.

I think my wrist and thumb are beginning to improve, finally.  I keep my brace on most of the time to avoid turning or twisting my hand the wrong way.  Washing the dishes is the worst, because I have to remove the brace... and I invariably turn my hand in order to grasp a dish, and ..... aaaaiiiiyiiiiiiyiiiiiieeeeeeee!!!!!!!

Larry finished washing a few dishes for me yesterday, after I turned my hand wrong and howled about it.  (I don’t suffer in silence much, though I can, if I must.)

I was recently discussing with a friend her roommate’s aversion to mice.  “Tell her to never move to South America,” I said, “unless she goes to Chile – because she might run into the capybara, the world’s largest rodent!  (They are not found in Chile.)  And cats won’t keep them away, either – just look at this picture!”

But at least we don’t have to cope with the prehistoric Josephoartigasia monesi, which weighed about 2,200 pounds:

Now I’m going to have nightmares.

It seems numbers of people keep capybaras as pets, and think they’re just ducky.  Gargantuey.  Somethingy.  But before you try it, you might want to read this article: 

Capybaras aka Giant Hamsters as Pets – Not for Everyone

After reading that, I think... I’ll stick to cats and dogs, thankee kindly.  Or equip the pet capybara with a set of rubber teeth covers.

!

Do you think I could get a copyright on such a thing as that, and GRQ?!  (Get Rich Quick)

Last night, my nice husband vacuumed the entire basement for me, rafters and all!  When he gets started at a job, he does it up good.  I gotta remember him in my will, for that.

Tonight he got a wall of interlocking knotty pine slats partially put up in the downstairs bathroom.  He installed them horizontally, and it looks so pretty.  That bathroom has been about two-thirds done since we first moved in.  There is a nice shower in the tub – but I can’t use it, because the tub is too high for me to get in and out of.  It’s raised on account of the water pipe location, or some such thing.  (What do I know?  I’m not a plumber.)  Anyway, Larry plans to build a safe step of some sort, to solve the problem.  Showers feel good on sore necks and backs.

‘Safe’ was the key word in the previous paragraph.  I doubt if one can take a decent shower with a parachute strapped on.

It’s thundering outside.  This makes Teensy run in and out of the pet door.  Am I safer indoors?  Outdoors?  Indoors?  Outdoors?  Indoors?  Outdoors?  Indoors?  Outdoors?  Indoors?  Outdoors?  Indoors?  Outdoors?  Indoors?  Outdoors?  Indoors? 

And Tiger, aka FatCat, lays on my feet.  Don’t move, and we’ll be fine.

Cats can be such...  cats.

Time for supper!  I’m fixing chicken tortilla soup – and since the neighbor man brought us a big bag full of zucchini, summer squash, tomatoes, and apples, I’ve sliced a tomato as a side dish, and cut up a summer squash and tossed it into the pot.  Mmmm, yummy.  I just tasted it... and it’s just right.  We’ll have applesauce, too... with chocolate chunk/peanut butter chip cookies and maple nut ice cream for dessert.

,,,>^..^<,,,          Sarah Lynn          ,,,>^..^<,,,