Sewing, quilting and coasting through life

 One of these days I will have to clean house. Not today, though... The woman who cleans for us every other week has broken her leg and is out of action. It's not that I am a snob about cleaning, but with my back pain and un-fixed breaks, I am having trouble vacuuming and getting the bathtub clean. I keep the toilets clean (nobody tolerates a yucky commode) and clean the sinks and counter tops throughout the house. I dust and swiffer, and tidy up when it gets way to cluttered. Maybe Mr Wazoo will come inside and help change the sheets and vacuum...we'll see.

Meanwhile, I have been sewing and quilting in spurts and getting the Texas tops done. I just finished this lap quilt and feel good with how it turned out.

I like this pattern! It is made with a jelly roll, and an enormous amount of background fabric.

The panto is Frolic, with flowers and hearts.

I had this lime green raindrop fabric for the backing, and a lime and green stripe fabric for the binding.

I haven't finished the hand sewing on that yet.

I also worked on the 30s top, and have it all sewn and trimmed. I chickened out on the setting triangles after wasting two fabrics making the triangles and later rejecting them. I am going to finish it like the pattern calls for. I should be able to get it quilted in the next couple of days.

I have spent quite a bit of quality time on the phone with Microsoft and APQS this week, getting the long lag time between screens resolved. Sometimes I want to throw in the towel, but I need the machine and computer to like each other, so I keep trying. I hope it cooperates today.

Quilt top in progress, the last rows sewn on and now it has also been trimmed and stay stitched for quilting.

On Labor Day I ventured over to Meeks Park here in Blairsville for a long hike around the trails. We are so fortunate to have this lovely, and gigantic, property here for the people to enjoy. There are 4.6 miles of trails, both easy and difficult, and I spent the afternoon trying them out. At the midpoint of one trail is an outdoor exercise area where you use your own body weight for resistance to do exercises found in the swankiest of gyms. I tried most of them, giving a pass to the twisting ones for fear I would further injure my back. Actually, it was kind of fun!

There is a beautiful creek running through the lower parts of the trails. The water is shallow enough for this father and daughter to cool off their feet.

A scenic span of rapids flows under a walking bridge that connects two portions of the trail.

Near the creek is a grist mill. I didn't stop to check it out closer.

Here is the exercise area. There was one other lady there with me and we giggled and groaned our way through the different pieces of equipment.

After the stop at the exercise area, I took the upper trail that went into the woods and then along the creek on the other side.

Going uphill was a lung workout, as well as a leg burner!

The trail follows the perimeter of the baseball fields and then turns to parallel the main road, back into the woods. My phone was dying, so I don't have pictures in the dog walking area where there are two trails through the woods where dogs are allowed. The planners thought of everything! There are stations with waste baggies along the way, so people can pick up after their pets. There is also a frisbee golf course! Wow! I am so impressed with the entire place. I'll be walking here a few times a week if all goes well.

Now, back to the studio!

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