It's finally Friday

It's finally Friday---though that used to mean a whole lot more when I was working and had the weekend off.  So it has snuck into March I would say as a lamb more than a lion, not counting the weather threats again this week.  Yes, it was raining---I dumped about a half inch from the gauge at one point---but our temps stayed above the freezing mark just enough.  I know other parts of the state were not so lucky.  There was a 14 car/semi pileup at 1-20 and !-459 in Birmingham and ice plated car pictures all over the news coverage yesterday.  Here,  school was cancelled on Thursday probably as a course of least regret and delayed two hours this morning.   I've barely been out of the house so the only icy spot I saw was that area on the carport that pools a bit of water  (by the car and garbage can).  It would have been worse had I not swept it out towards the yard.

I've got all the blocks quilted on my challenge piece as I was able to go in and do the last 10 of the 35 done yesterday.  That just leaves the binding application but I still need to press the joined strips for this quilt and the Fiddlesticks top.  (I hate to iron!)  We have been told to finish the binding by machine as it is going to Children's Hospital.  UGH-- frankly, I am not fond of the look of it or more precisely of the look of it when I do it.  Let's just say it is not my forte or my choice.  My binding is black, the backing that pale blue animal print I picked up at the Ashville Quilt shop.  I'm thinking about applying it to the back and pulling it to the front as I don't make a mess on the light background border.  I think it will work anyway, she says with shaky confidence.  (You can see the quilt under the needle in the previous post.)  Mostly I just want the think done at this point.

Next up: I've got that top to assemble with the "100 pieces of cloth" next.  I've got some ideas but have not organized the fabrics yet though I have a working idea.  Some can be cut and some need to remain intact.  EQ will come in handy to work out a design.  That and putting the vinyl table cloth up in the master bedroom as my make shift design wall.  I promised the grandmother who asked me to do this that it will be ready in time for the granddaughter's 10th bday in mid April.   Should not take long to sew the top once I arrive at the design.

As I write this, Oscar is stuck like Velcro to me taking his morning snooze here on the couch.  Skyler is off in the master window perch.  All is quiet, for now anyway.  Skyler was being a holy terror yesterday chasing the dog and worse, sneaking up to the couch and poking Oscar in the face with his paw as he was under the coveted wool throw.  Oscar was not retaliating and actually flinches when Skyler is batting at his nose.  He will give chase is Skyler runs though.  Oscar was not entirely behaving though either.  I was in the kitchen making chicken salad and trying out the grinder attachment to my KitchenAid mixer, Oscar near my feet looking for a chicken hand out.  I needed something from under the sink, what does not matter, and the door was open.  Next thing I know he is crawling IN the cupboard.  There is not enough room in there for him and the things stored there.   See the picture below for an idea of what I'm talking about.   He would NOT get out either.  I don't know if he got stuck back there and couldn't turn around but he was under the plumbing pipe behind the tan basket.   After I removed the things on the right hand side, I could reach him and get him out of there.

I should also tell you at the same time the smoke alarm was beeping and why I didn't know as I had not turned on the stove or the stove top.  It sounded like the wired in one.  Come to find out, the carbon monoxide/radon(?) whatever that thing is in the hallway is had somehow become unplugged and it was lying on the floor intermittently beeping.   Did Skyler knock it off the receptacle???  I didn't though I have gotten the vacuum cord caught up in it before and accidentally unplugged it.   Boy, do I need out of the house and away from those two for a hour or so!  Give myself a chance to miss them.  Sheesh.

Day is half over and I still have not made any plans for the day.  Guess I'll go walk the dog and think about what I might do for lunch.   Chicken salad anyone?  The sun is out and it might be 35 or so, depending on what source you want to use, LOL.

Till next time--------