Skyward and Inward

Well we had quite an interesting day weather wise today.  I'm sorry I didn't have my camera at the ready to show the different moods of the day but I was bored with cloudy skies, lol

Today started off sunny and bright but by mid-afternoon was extremely cloudy. I'm glad the sky was cloudy as it allowed me to do some work to finish my project (see below). Tonight the sky turned beautiful again and we are expecting a fabulous weekend ahead.  Some of my garden has been fertilized now but the other half still needs to be done. Hopefully that is my weekend project as next week will be busy with other things.

I've been going on about making my niece a quilt for some time. I've never worked with a printed panel before and I thought it would be easy. But this panel was not the typical quilt panel with printed blocks.  It was one long continuous scene from the Wizard of Oz. My niece absolutely loves the Wizard of Oz.

Anyhoo, I wasn't quite sure what to with it. I thought I would simply do some hand stitch quilting around the different characters but nixed that idea. Then I thought I would stitch some lines around lines on the panel, like along the yellow brick road. I nixed that idea also. Then I thought, I will simply hold the quilt together with some old fashioned yarn ties. I did do that but found that the fabric I selected for backing kept puckering up and was very difficult to keep smooth. This proved to be a bit problematic throughout the finishing of the quilt. I think it would be far easier to use adhesive spray for quilting but it is somewhat of a luxury item. I don't buy it because I don't make so many quilts but perhaps in future I will treat myself.  In the end, I decided to do a little stipling along the yellow brick road (top and bottom of the panel only). It is my first attempt and it breaks all the rules, lol. But my niece won't care a bit. All she cares about is Dorothy in her red sparkly shoes, the yellow brick road and the wicked witch.

All the fabrics and batting in the quilt are new.  However I did recycle a chambray denim skirt and used it to make the binding for the quilt. It was a newer skirt I bought in the thrift store but never wore. I'm glad I could put it to good use.  The binding picks up the blue in Dorothy dress quite nicely.

Now that I've figured out how to use my walking foot (the fact that the long piece that has to rest on the top of the bolt that tightens the needle had me confused) and my free motion foot, I can practice on more quilts or sample pieces.

I found I really didn't like working with a quilt panel. I prefer pieced quilts and that is what I will make next like the one I made for mom at Christmas. Ever since then my nephew has been asking for one too so I've been thinking about the fabrics to use.

On a blog related matter, I understand that the Google reader service will soon be discontinued.  I currently follow a lot of blogs using this service and  I hope I can still find them afterward.  But if you don't see me visiting your blog in a long while, please do leave me a comment so I can find you again! I'm not sure whether I will use BlogLovin and/or migrate my blog to another blog platform altogether.  There are pros and cons of migrating. I had been considering the move to Word Press for awhile but someone I follow said she was leaving there over copyright issues concerning her photos. I'm not sure where she has moved to yet and somehow I'm not sure that things will be any different on a different platform.

I'm linking up with Skywatch Friday. Thank you so much for visiting me. Have a wonderful weekend!

Ch-ch-changes

Hello friends and fellow bloggers,

One of my goals this year is to use computer time more efficiently and effectively. Saving time in one area will help me spend more time in bible study, and general reading.  One of the things I've decided, is to reduce the number of blogs I follow, and also the number of blogs I comment on.  I've been subscribed to literally hundreds of blogs at any given time.  In addition, I participate in many weekly memes.

I've made it a practice to read most of the new posts on these blogs and memes.  If I take time to read a post, I also take time to leave a comment.  I've been doing this for years. As you can imagine, it takes a good chunk of time from my week but I do love to read and learn from others, and share a bit of myself.

I have no problem in doing this and for the most part have enjoyed it. However, I've decided it is time to make changes.

So along that vein, and with very few exceptions, I will no longer be commenting on blogs that I used to follow quite closely and blogs on which I used to be a frequenter commenter. I will also experiment with reading posts and not commenting quite as frequently.  This practice seems to be quite common. On my own blog, I no longer reply to every comment left for me. I used to reply as a matter of courtesy. However I'm not sure how many people come back and read the response and I've also heard it said that it annoys some people to no end. I will leave replies from time to time but more as an exception rather than the rule. That will save me time and hopefully annoy fewer people!

I have a blogging philosophy in which I try to "connect" with other bloggers and develop a bit of a relationship with them.  Relationship building requires something from both sides.

After years of visiting some blogs and hearing nothing, I've begun to feel like a voyeur and an intruder in the lives of people I do not know. People who write freely about intimate aspects of their lives or share freely of their knowledge but they never take time to say "hello, welcome to my world" or never come by to see what I'm up to. So I'm moving on.

With a few exceptions, I will be concentrating on following bloggers who take time to connect in some way.  I don't mean we have to become "pals".  I know everyone is busy. I am just saying let's show common courtesy and take time to encourage one another's blogging efforts through showing appreciation of each other's efforts from time to time.

I will continue to participate in weekly memes which I also love. However, I will again be limiting my comments to those bloggers that show reciprocity now and then then.

I do love blogging and reading your blogs. I get inspired, I learn something, I cry with you, pray with you, relate to you through your stories, want to "root for you", laugh with you, etc. I look forward to reading more of your posts and leaving comments or encouragement.   If I haven't visited you in the last few days please know I am a little behind due to family obligations but I will be by very soon.

I'm very thankful for those of you who do take time to come by and read my posts or view my photos.  You encourage me on my blogging journey.

Have a great week!

Spring Greetings

Greetings from Vancouver to you my lovely readers!

 

I want to say thank you to my blogging friends for their faithful support. I also want to especially welcome the new readers. Thank you for following me. In turn, I will be reading the blogs of long-time followers and new followers alike. 

Many of you know how I love to post my comments :-) though with an ever increasing list of blogs I love to follow, I may not comment as often as I would like.  I will not be posting every day as I once did but will likely post 4 times a week on average.  This is so that you busy readers can read in a more leisurely fashion.  I know how hard it is for people to make time to read and comment on blogs as well as write their own blogs, especially when they have busy jobs and families also.   Please feel free to comment on any blog, including those in the archives (see the archives of old posts in the side bar to the right). Whenever someone comments, I am notified.

 This blog is primarily one where I get to share the many photos I snap. But it is also a place to share some of the happenings in my life as well as address some of the issues my readers have asked about. I haven't forgotten ;-), nor have I begun to run out of ideas for blogging.  It is just a question of time before I am able to post on some of the things I've been wanting to share for awhile. I also have items to post from the ideas some readers were kind enough to offer up, not so very long ago.

With that I wish all of you in the Northern Hemisphere a wonderful Spring.  To others from further afield, enjoy the season whatever it is where you are. There is something beautiful to behold in all the seasons and passages of time.  See you again soon :-)