Thursday, April 16, 2020

To do Tuesday and I Like/Love Thursday #39

Busy quilting up a storm (lol, didn't see this until I typed 'storm') on Storm at Sea quilt yesterday so I didn't get my Tuesday post written. How did I do last week? I had just three items and I'm happy to report all are complete!
1. Complete the Storm at Sea flimsy✅


2. Write up the tutorial for Smooches, which was my guest blogger appearance on Confessions of a Fabric Addict on Sunday, April 12.✅

3. Decide on fabric for my second version of Centred, which I am making along with everyone in this year's QAL.✅
I'm planning that the floating full log cabin will be the warm colours. These are 5" Stash Builder Strips from Island Batik. I can get two 2 1/2" strips or three 1 1/2" strips from each 5" strip.



For this next week:
1. Get all the pieces cut for Centred.

2. Finish Storm at Sea and write up the post.

3. Finalize the plan for April's challenge with Island Batik and begin piecing the top.

Linking up with Roseanne and Sue at Home Sewn By Us

I Like Thursday

It's mid-month and I have so many things on my Grateful List, I am going to share a few today and link up with LeeAnna at Not Afraid of Color.

1. I am grateful for LeeAnna and her continuing linkups, and that you don't have to link up each week. I usually do once a month. I had the pleasure of popping in for the final 10 minutes on Zoom on Sunday and got to meet Sally, Shannon and LeeAnna! So nice to see and hear people I've met through blogging. Previous to the Zoom chat, I'd had a lovely FaceTime chat with my dear friend Linda that went overtime. Is there even such a thing with good friends? I think not.

2. I am grateful for our online community, the normalcy we have here in Quilting Blog Land, the regularity of activities and events.

3. I am grateful that I am an Island Batik Ambassador, and as such, there is regularity, stability and continuity in my homework for them. I love the challenges we get as they push me outside of my comfort zone, make me use my creative brain, as well as my problem-solving brain! This month I'm percolating ideas for creative uses of borders...

4. I am so grateful for nurses. I hear a little bit firsthand from Danielle, my dear friend, sister yogi and quilter. She works in Windsor, Ontario, and her son works as a nurse in Detroit, Michigan, where things are pretty bad. My boss's daughter works at another hospital in Detroit, and I hear the same, "like a war zone" comment from her through him. The state of Michigan has the same number of cases as in ALL of Canada, about 28 000, so, contrary to what the US admin is saying, that they are considering opening the border soon, Canada is saying, uh, no; we are going to extend the border closing that we, not the US initiated. Someone felt the need to tweet it out two minutes before the official announcement by our Prime Minister, just, as always, to make it seem like he was the one who closed it, but reputable sources and reports indicate it was Canada who first initiated it and worked on details with the US. We are good neighbours, as Deputy PM Chrystia Freeland said again today, and we protect each other, so we are going to extend the border closure past the end of April. I am grateful to have calm leaders, and my heart goes out to so many of my dear American friends who do not have this, especially at this worrying time. However, I am glad and grateful to hear that there are many sound, calm leaders in states (like Governor Cuomo).

5. I am so very grateful for doctors. For epidemiologists. For sound, calm, methodical approaches to science and medicine to do proper testing. As for those leaders, one in my own country, in my former 'home' province, who ridicule Chief Medical Officers, far more intelligent than they, in the rush to find a drug to 'cure' this virus, I ask that they offer themselves as a guinea pig to test the drug. We'll see how fast they backtrack then.

6. I am grateful to all those who look for new ways to adapt, to bring the normalcy to us in some way. CBC has changed their programming a bit so that hosts can broadcast from their homes. I loved hearing Rich Terfry say please forgive him if we hear his cat make a sound or knock over a bottle while he's doing his show! Tom Allen just said he's broadcasting from his basement. I can relate to the cat concern... LOL Bella makes regular appearances in my Yin Yoga videos. I love the new feature on CBC Radio 2: #quarantunes which started on Instagram with musicians singing a tune live from their homes. Now, three times each day they play a quarantune from a Canadian musician. They've gone 100% Canadian 24/7 in order to help support our Canadian musicians, as they paid by SOCAN each time a tune of theirs is played. So no, Bach isn't Canadian, but Angela Cheng is, and hearing her play one of his fugues means Angela gets a few more pennies in her bank account.

7. I love this quarantune from YouTube, put together by a clever videographer. In one of his daily talks, PM Trudeau was discussing the thoughts behind wearing a homemade mask, that, at first, were not recommended by our Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Theresa Tam. She said, like some of my nurse friends said, that they tend to give a false sense of security since they do not protect you against getting the virus. However, she later decided, after more input from other researchers and health professionals, that they could, in fact, help those who are asymptomatic from spreading the virus when they talk or cough, or as our PM Justin Trudeau, said, "those who speak moistly," and then immediately said, "What a terrible image," and shook his head, as he knew right away that was not so good.... Well, enjoy this, now with over 2.5 million views!!




8. I am so grateful for grocery store workers, for pharmacists who are doing much more than they normally do these days since people are afraid to go to the hospital emergency or a medicentre now. I am grateful to drugstore workers as well, for being among the public every day, increasing their own risk so that we can get needed supplies. I am so glad for those companies who have increased their workers' pay to reflect our appreciation.

9. I am grateful to live in a place where I can walk outside every day, that it isn't in a crowded city where I'd have to worry about keeping two metres apart. I am grateful to have neighbours who respect this physical distancing, and just smile and wave, say hi and maybe a quick, "How's it going" all as we each stay on our respective sides of the road.

10. I am grateful to have animals who help to calm things in general. Yes we have Rufus, who, from the time he gets up until just after supper is pretty UN-calm, lol, but he does provide entertainment, a diversion that gets us out of our heads.

And with that, it's time to go for a walk! Hopefully after that, I will put the finishing stitches on quilting the Storm at Sea quilt, bind it, photograph it on this beautiful sunny (but cold!) day, and write it up for a finish on Friday.

8 comments:

  1. Normal, we have forgotten what that is like down here, and have been told even if our lockdown is lifted to a lesser restriction, those of us over 70 are advised to STILL stay home!!! My hair might be down to my shoulders or longer, but like you, I am so thankful for our pharmacy, the helpful supermarket staff, our friends, family who phone in so often, skype or Facetime ( Both grandies helped me with that on my new Macbook), news, and blog friends all over the world. Fabric on hand, and threads, they come a little further down the list, free patterns online, including fabric masks. Free concerts, free yoga, gym classes, and more, and although I have blues for the " Centered" might just see what else is hidden away in the batik stash. Love those fabric colours you have, I think almost any batik goes with any other.

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  2. I so enjoyed that post & it took me away from some of our worries & made me smile. My fabric is sitting ready for Centred & with a brand bew iron waiting (yes, my old one had enough & threw water eveywhere from the bottom & shorted the power board), so I'm sure looking forward to that. I made DD a Storm
    at Sea quilt as a housewrming gift a long time ago. It's already Friday here, so I'll be ready tomorrow for cutting. Take care, stay safe and huggles.

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  3. I'm very grateful for our governor of Colorado, and so many of the other state governors who have shown real leadership, and have relied on the health and science experts, unlike the current occupant of the White House! Meanwhile your Storm at Sea quilt is just so beautiful - makes me smile every time I see it.

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  4. Will we know what normal was when this is over? I am grateful like you for living in small town Ontario where a walk is calming and distancing is easily kept. I am also grateful for the great leadership we have!

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  5. I love the surprise heart in your Storm At Sea flimsy.

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  6. Hi Sandra! Thank you for the shout out but I don't think you actually linked up. Not that it matters!! Great job on last week's list. All done - and not just easy, slouch things like I've been listing either. HAHA! I just saw the cutting instructions for Centred so we will work on that this week, too. Wonderful full list of likes for half of the month. I am grateful for everything you've listed as well. Off to read about cutting . . . ~smile~ Roseanne

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  7. What a wonderful list of gratitudes, Sandra! I'm grateful to be in an area where I can walk outside with my family, though I wish I had governmental leadership from pretty much anywhere else in the world. So many are doing a great job of leading their countries.

    Looking forward to seeing your second version of Centered! I've decided to play along but I'm going to do my center square in a different color palette than the "background" squares. It sounds like you might be too? If that's the case, are there cutting differences? If this is something you haven't worked out, I will just wait as steps come out and adjust accordingly rather than cutting all at once.

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  8. Wonderful blog entry...so many things to be grateful for - health, those who work to save or serve others, the animals that bring regularity and hilarity to life, and beautiful places to walk. Namaste.

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