Big changes are coming to my life–in a week. My husband is retiring! He worked a decade after most people hang it up. But he loved his job, until he didn’t. Folks are very gracious and he is feeling the love. But both of us are treading softly, not sure what new patterns will develop. My friends have been issuing warnings and shakes of their heads with eye rolls when I tell them I don’t think it won’t be too different. Of course, there will be changes, but some habits have already be formed.
I liked that his job required a routine. His alarm clock made sure we were up and at it fairly early. (But not as early as a neighbor who runs at 4:30 am..what?). Dinner was soon after he returned home in the evening. Consistency reduces some decision making! He has already lined up two volunteer jobs; one on Monday morning to get the week started.
Each of us prepares our own breakfast and lunch and I only prepare dinner. This was our pattern even on Saturdays and his days off. That will continue.
Each of us are fortunate to have our own space..my sewing room and his office. Both are messy and unorganized to the untrained eye. But it keeps the common spaces neater and we don’t irate each other with our personal valuables!
My husband had the privilege of choosing when he retired. Many people did not have this luxury. Poor health, company downsizing, replacing expensive older employees with new hires, and pandemics have forced many to leave a career they enjoyed and needed. Starting over when one is over fifty is difficult. True, some folks have found a completely new employment path but it is not as common as we would like to believe. I am extremely grateful the decision to retire was his.
What am I looking forward to with this new lifestyle? Breakfast out occasionally instead of dinner. Not ironing so many dress shirts. Small day trips. Not helping with the lawn care. Some home improvement jobs. His helping with the Quilt Etc. Sale set up (he doesn’t know this yet!!!). So yes, I am very much looking forward to his retirement!
Quilters at First hear this clock ticking inside our brains–count down to September’s “First Friday at First” Quilt Exhibit and the Quilt Etc. Sale. We are gathering all our projects together. This week we received a treasure trove.
Folks, it is not that long to Halloween –and it is legal to put up Halloween decor anytime after Labor Day. This little guy amuses me…I feel his vibe.
12″ x 12″. $35. There is a hanging sleeve already sewn on the back.SOLD
New tea towels–pick your season. Each is $9 each
After we take down our Halloween decorations, some of us go directly to the Christmas holidays.
No room for a real or artificial tree in your home? This wall hanging could be your tree. Various shades and prints of green make up the pinwheels that form this one-dimensional tree. It is 28″ x 31″ and also has a hanging sleeve already sewn on the back. It is machine quilted. $50
Technically this table runner isn’t for the holidays–it would look good on your table all winter. In Kansas we really don’t see many snow people until January or February. 18.5″ x 33.5″. $40
“Hark the Herald Angels Sing”–Know someone who loves this Christmas carol? The table runner is machine quilted in a hatch pattern and the binding is hand sewn. 13″ x 42″. $40
I finished the binding just in time to share the finished project this week. I am most please with the binding. The black stripes are the same “faded” black with hints of blue as the pieces in the quilt. It is square 68″ x 68″ , perfect for a single bed or to have one the back of a chair just in case you need to wrap up in a quilt. The backing is a multi rose colored floral. $160
When this quilt was fold up I wasn’t that impressed–but wow–look at it when it is hanging from the stair railing! I love the big bold design..a winning combination of solids and prints. The solid colors are all on the cool side of the color wheel and the prints contains all colors. The machine quilting softens the sharp angles of the pattern.
The fabric on the back has a mid-century feel. Look at those radios from the fifties and sixties!
The quilt is larger than many–68″ x 84″. $200
Janis makes one large appliquéd piece each year for our sale–in addition to the many smaller wall hanging, table runners etc. She finished in time for it to be the centerpiece of our first Art Crawl venture.
Ta Dah! Here it is! The pattern is “Tweets and Twinkles”. She made some adaptations to the pattern. She used bright batiks instead of the prints suggested and a zigzag stitch instead of the blanket stitch to appliqué the birds and florals. It is custom quilted perfectly…so many different machine quilting patterns were used. The feather stitch on the border frames the pieces so well!
Don’t these owls have an attitude?
How does she always choose the perfect fabrics? (see the machine quilting on this square?)
But this little robin is my favorite! The robin’s front is “robin-egg-blue”
The quilt is 50.5″ x 62.5″ . It took over six hours to custom quilt this piece. She can not even to begin to count the hours it took to copy the patterns, select the fabric from her stash and cut out the individual pieces (look the robins beck is a piece that need copied and cut out!) and to appliqué. This is a work of love. $500.
Come to the First Friday Art Crawl on September 5 to see this piece in person!
I drank my coffee from a cup from Urban Abbey; not sure why I have the cup, but the printed saying always reminds me of what is important.
Quilts, Etc. 