Outside
It is time to go outside. Such a simple statement, yet something that doesn’t come naturally to me. There always seems to be just one more task, or want, I would like to get accomplished. Yet, I know it is good for me to head outside, breathe fresh air and stretch my legs.
So, this past weekend, I figuratively pushed myself out the front door. It did help that I am taking a class on creativity and our assignment included taking pictures of pattern and color. The walk I typically go on is actually down a main road near my home in the Boston suburbs. This road eventually ends at the Atlantic Ocean. Along the way are multiple vistas of marsh and estuaries on either side of the road.
Secret Mission
The primary project which has kept me from outdoor activities is my attempt to finish Secret Mission before the event when it will be gifted. Fingers crossed, it should be done in time. This week I finished quilting it. Then the SEDOSO (Senior Executive Director of Studio Operations) and I squared it up.
Binding a Quilt
Now it is on to binding the quilt. My preference is to make my own bias binding. I use, what I think of, as the Möbius strip method. OK, technically it isn’t twisted the way a Möbius strip is, but it starts with a loop of fabric and when cut forms one long length of bias binding. If you have never done this before, and think it is something you might want to do, here is a link to simple directions.
I rarely pin my binding to the quilt as I stitch it to the front edge. However, with Secret Mission I felt the need. This is because I must cover some unevenness in the piecing. In other words there are some areas of batting showing pre-binding, but discreetly hidden under the binding. If I hadn’t shared, you wouldn’t know, right?
Keeping It Reel
Vicki in MN posed a great question after viewing last week’s reel. “Where do you hide all your fabric?” Actually, it is quite visible, just not in my studio. Behind the studio is my office. The original owners designed the office to be a bedroom and my studio to be a family room. Because the original purpose was a bedroom it came with a closet and some open shelving. There are no windows in the closet/shelving area so it is perfect for storing fabric. Check it out for yourself, by viewing the reel on either Instagram or Facebook
SEDOSO
One thing that has kept me from going outside is the SEDOSO isn’t ready for our weekend walks together. He is making major strides, but still has a long way to go before he can cover a few miles in under an hour. So, walking will be a solo activity for me for a while.
Question of the Week
Do you prefer to experience the outside with someone else or by yourself and why?
I’m linking up to the following posts:
I can’t wait to see the whole finished project, Gwyned! So close! I definitely prefer walking with someone else, which is a bit of a problem for me now. I hope and pray your DH continues recovery and is walking with you soon.
…And I can’t wait for Secret Mission to be finished. Fingers crossed that will happen next week.
Like you, I prefer to walk with someone else. I tend to be a solitary person. However, I find walks are perfect for those long, rambling conversations.
I live in a rural hamlet — 500 people on a good day — and have a large yard, part of which consists of two unserviced lots on which there are trees, 2 raised beds for veggies, a few shrubs, and dandelions, clover, and other wild flowers in season. Most of the streets are gravel and there’s a farmer’s field just a block away. I love to walk a circuit around the community, alone in the quiet, under the wide prairie sky.
I knew you lived a rural existence, but I hadn’t realized there were just 500 in your hamlet. I thought we lived in a small town the first time we bought a house. Our town had just over 4,500 residence. Small enough to know many but not all. We also walk a circuit around our community. It is about 4 miles. Amazing what changes week to week.
Wow, you are already at the binding stage, well done with this large quilt! I hope your husband gets well soon so he can go for walks with you. Mine has sore feet, so we go for bike rides together. When it comes to walking, I do it on my own, usually to go into town and with a specific destination in mind.
Thank you for sharing your projects and fabric storage, and linking up!
It’s true, I’m at the binding stage. Thought I would be here much sooner. Admittedly, if any one can add more work to a project, it’s me. The embroidery being this particular quilt’s “great idea” that took several weeks to stitch out.
Bike rides are a great idea if walking is difficult. The French countryside is perfect for biking. When we were younger we went on several biking vacations and one was in Provence during peak sunflower season. Gorgeous.
Hooray for sewing the binding on the secret mission quilt! That’s a great milestone to reach. We are all looking forward to seeing the whole quilt soon! I love to walk – both by myself and with my husband or friends. Sometimes it’s about the place, and sometimes it’s about the conversation. How lovely to be able to walk down to see the ocean from your home! We had some time to walk by the ocean in S. Carolina this past week, and it was wonderful!
There were several setbacks with Secret Mission. First SEDOSO accident at the end of February and then the necessary thread taking a tour around the country. So, stitching down the binding does feel like quite an accomplishment.
Neither SEDOSO or I grew up next to the ocean, though we were close enough to drive there. It is quite the treat to be able to walk there. It is one mile away as the crow flies, but two miles by road. How nice that you were able to get an ocean walk in, too.
Hi Gwyned, good luck with finishing your secret mission on time. I love marshes and swamps – when I was young, we spent our summers at our cottage which was next to a swamp. I love swamps!!!! They are always so full of life 🙂 Thanks for linking up to I Quilted This!
Thanks for the well wishes, Andrée. I agree about the ability to explore swamps, or in my case a very small pond behind my childhood pond. I can still see the tadpoles morphing into bullfrogs over the course of the summer and the insects skating on the pond surface.