While having morning coffee on Saturday, I bumped a plant floor stand, which knocked into another stand, sending both plants onto the floor. Dry dirt flew everywhere and vines broke as well. Once I started cleaning up that mess, I simply cleaned the entire great room in my house. There are two hanging stands, one holding three pots and the other one holding four. After the floors were swept and mopped, I watered the plants. As I watered one on the -4-stand, the hanger broke...and yes, you got it...dry dirt and vines, so the process of sweeping and mopping started all over again.
The hanger was one of those old macrame types, so instead of trying to fix it, I trundled off to Home Depot and bought four new wrought iron hangers. I just finished putting everything back together this morning...once again sweeping up the dried petals that like to drop one or two at a time.
These plants hang in front of 6 long windows in the front of my home. Windows are the kind you cannot see into during the day from the street. Its a gated community here so there is almost no night traffic. I don't hang curtains, so plants serve as a barrier for the 'looki-loos' who might want to peek in. I enjoy the plants and believe they clean up the air inside as well.
The most recent candle mats are done now. I'm still learning the binding / mitered corner system too. These practice pieces give me experience, and while I like how they look, I know more practice is needed.
Monday's mail will bring RexieR's block for August and I can hardly wait. I will post pictures for the one I sent her as well as the one I received. My September block is finished, and so now there is time for me to concentrate on the larger quilts I am making. We agreed to ship the calendar blocks out on the same day so we could get them on the same days. I don't think she started her September one yet.
I added a progress list to the sidebar, not so much for anyone reading my blog (do people still read these things?) as much as for me to stay with my own plan.
Also, I met a man in town who is wheelchair bound and asked him about the Vets in town. My plan had been to make smaller quilts for folks who might benefit from having a leg warmer quilt. He said there were a number of Vets here locally, but they didn't go out much, AND he said that usually their relatives made sure they had enough afghans and blankets. He, himself, has a closet full of them that he never uses because he runs hot all the time.
This has given me pause for thought about my gifting of quilts. It asks the question: Do people want them? Do they see any value in something hand made vs. a cheap item they can buy at Walmart? Are they more critical of how a thing is hand made because they have become used to buying machine-factory made items that they can return if they see a flaw?
It takes me back to a place where I first started and says that I quilt because I like this as an art form.
The block exchange with CrowCallingWoman (RexieR) has been incredibly fulfilling because we both want this, and seem equally engaged in the giving and receiving as two people can be.
If every stitch is a prayer, am I praying for myself?
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