Quilting, reading and other stuff

First up Quilting.

I thought I'd show you my set up for sewing rows without messing up the order of the blocks.

Beginning on the back left.

 The clipboard holds the design.

Each fabric has a number and that number is entered on the design sheet in it's proper place.

I use the pick highlighter to mark off the rows I've finished.

The sheet leaning against the clipboard has samples of each fabric beside it's number (also the number of squares I cut in this color.)

Then there are the five piles of squares waiting for me to lay them out.

To the very far right are strips cut for binding.

 (Forgot to do that for Kolby's Trip! Had to buy fabric.)

In the front are the square sets for the next blocks.

Three are already sewn together.

Just above the first set is a sticky with an arrow on it.

That tells me which way to press the seams so that they "lock" when they are sewn.

That's really important because even though I PIN like a fool they can shift and I want all of those four corners to meet perfectly~ I don't always get perfection but it has to be close.

Also shown are the oh so necessary tools of the craft.

Scissors, seam ripper, thread.  Other tools not shown-sewing machine, OTT light, and iron.

Using all that I get this!

Only seven more strips to attach before heading onto the next row.

See the orange sicky note?

Another reminder of how that row's seams need to be pressed in order to lock.

Tonight this row will be finished, tomorrow it will be on to the next.

I still have to unsew sometimes~ not nearly as much as on Kolby's.

Last night I attached the group I'd finished and found I'd left two strips out!

 Had to fix that.

Most of you have likely noticed that I read a great deal.

That's probably an understatement!

I finished this one a couple of days ago.

It's about the Mann Gulch fire.

 I wrote a bit about it August 27, 2016 (in spite of my best efforts I can't seem to link to that post.)

The Mann Gulch fire was  the greatest single loss of life in Smokejumper history-13.

It's a hard book to read.

Well, the subject makes it hard.

The writing is exquisite.

Lyrical.

Which is totally explained by the fact that the author taught English at the University of Chicago.

Romance poets and Shakespeare to be exact-guess that rubs off on you.

You might recognize the author-Norman MacLean.

He also wrote A River Runs Through It And Other Stories.

Yes, the one the movie was made from.

I've added it to my reading list.

This fire year has been so horrible.

It seems it will never end.

I learn quite a bit about fire behavior from this book.

Things they didn't know at the time of the Mann Gulch fire.

Scary stuff forest fires.

Other things on my "To Do" list-some of which I actually do!

Prepping the trim and walls in my bedroom for paint.

 (a project made more complicated by the fact that the previous owners painted over a wall-paper border. Thank goodness it was only a border!)

Walking most days.

Stretching most days.

Practicing Piano and Guitar.

I'll never be truly capable on either but I am happy with my progress and I love doing it.

Practicing taking pictures.

Much harder on manuel but even if it takes multiple attempts I'm still trying.

Again, I may never be truly capable.

I've even done some cooking.

And managed to keep the kitchen fairly orderly along the way.