Flimsy

 Before quilts become quilts, they are just quilt tops which are also called "flimsies." This flimsy is made of improv stars using bits of leftover fabric that I've used in other projects. I sent it off last week to be quilted and bound professionally, the first quilt that I've ever had professionally quilted. (It's relatively expensive and I'm relatively cheap.) I expect to see it again, finished, in three to five weeks. 

I've been sewing a lot these days. I have a number of quilts in various stages of completion. The once closest to being done needs to be spray basted (using a kind of fabric safe, washable, spray adhesive, which is commonly used but which I've never used before) and quilted, sashed and bound. I also have the blocks completed for an additional four quilts and am working on the blocks for two more. Those will all be quilted by me, unless I turn out something that seems like I want to spend the money on.

What else has been going on? Some doctor and dentist visits. Sigh. More to come, too, unfortunately. Bigger sigh.

I've also been reading a lot. I've finished nine books this month and over 30 since the year started. I'm still buying most of them used, online, but I also contributed and took from a relatively large "little library" that Dave and I drove past. (I keep the books I've read and don't care about keeping in boxes in the car so that when Dave and I drive by a little library, we can stop and contribute.  

Last night I finished a Judy Blume novel I had never read before (I was not a Judy Blume fan as a kid) called Starring Sally J. Freedman As Herself. I'm also on a Raymond Chandler kick at the moment and this month (re)read The Long Goodbye and The Big Sleep. Today's mail brought a new-to-me novel by him, The High Window. I also bought two more novels from a quilting-related series by Jennifer Chiaverini, The Runaway Quilt and The Quilter's Legacy. They're ridiculous the way that romances or westerns are ridiculous, hyper-focused on quilting to the extent that you have to roll your eyes at some of the descriptions ("...the landscape looked like a patchwork of green calico prints sewn into rows like a muslin-backed strip quilt block..."), but they are easy and engaging. Perfect for pandemic reading. I also kindled a copy of The Count of Monte Cristo day before yesterday and read the first couple of chapters. I think I'll enjoy it when I do finally focus on it. I haven't read any Alexandre Dumas before--or have I? I can't recall any offhand.

As far as the outside world is concerned, what do I know? 

One of the local quilt shops sent out an email that they were fundraising for a Ukrainian fiber artist who has become a war refugee. She, the artist, had been selling her work and patterns and supplies online but when she had to leave her home, she left it all behind. She did have PDF patterns for crewel embroidery that she had access to, so the shop sent out a notice that they were selling them on her behalf and sending her 100% of the money, so I bought the pattern (despite not doing crewel work). They've sold a few hundred copies of the pattern and raised several thousands of dollars to help her and her husband.

Otherwise, I am completely unable to read the news. It's too much. 

So I will talk about the weather:

Three days ago we had snow and today it's 71F. Of course, it drops almost 40 degrees at night, down into the 30s. It's spring. The snow killed the pollen in the air for about 24 hours, but today it is back with a vengeance and I feel like my nose is packed with concrete. 

That's fun.