Big sewing (And books!), small sewing (And books?)

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Last night's accomplishment. Blue and yellow blocks are to remember Ukraine's struggles.

To my utter JOY (and no small relief) I am FULL of ENTHUSIASM in my return to Jodi Godfrey's medallion designed Alexandria quilt. W-H-E-W! I've been pining over it for months, but couldn't work on it until after my husband's party because it already takes up space and is only going to grow. Two nights ago I brought down the center, stitched nearly two years ago, then rummaged through the living room tote for hexagon blocks. Then I went to the office looking for another Alexandria tote for basted diamonds. Two totes for one quilt? Oh yes!

Meanwhile, I pondered how these medium-to-large EPP projects mirror my medium-to-large book series, lol. Indeed a few parallels going on in my life right now.

So, about this quilt. Currently I have four of twelve outer hexagon blocks attached, and am planning (hoping, praying) to continue adding two per night, which includes sewing the blocks together and adding perimeter diamonds for the next round. I spent much of yesterday afternoon seated on the sofa, sewing and sewing and.... You get the idea. LOTS of hand-stitching in this quilt, including making more hexagon blocks for the subsequent round of EIGHTEEN. Yes, eighteen blocks will surround this group of twelve. Most are ready, some still need to be basted, then sewn. One thing I enjoy with this project is the variable sizing of it; stitching two-inch hexies to stars is a quick fix, pretty too. Sewing those hexagons onto an ever-expanding array of colourful cloth is plenty for my brain to absorb, which recently is a Godsend. 

Yes, I need all the distractions I can get.

While I have much organized, a good chunk remains elusive. Which is FINE (la-la-la). I don't need everything nailed to the floor, or to my hands, or wherever it wants to be. Like Book Five of The Enran Chronicles, AHEM. (Or Books Six, Seven, Eight....) Yet that loosely considered story, firmly in the grasp of Future Me, still wafts through my brain every time I listen to Jars Of Clay's "Work". I hear Bobby and Luiz jamming like father and son, or cousin and cousin. I consider where Noth might be, or what is Tama doing? I ponder a cast that currently resides in two released books, both written in a standalone fashion, with one hell of a cliffhanger attached to each just because that is how I roll, novel-wise, quilt-wise, as though I need an entire field for all my hobbies to play to their creative hearts' contents.

Why craft such intricate quilts, why write such LONG books? Why be creative at all? HAH! Why not, I say, having spent this morning reading over five assorted chapters of The Hawk Book One. Still hoping to release that story next month, need to get a cover sorted for it. I'm grateful to Past Me for having the guts to finish that tale, as well as stitching all those hexagon blocks, then storing them for right NOW. Right now I'm in a kinda complicated sewing mood and God willing I'll soon be in a Book Five mood. Book Five might be a standalone too, or maybe Book Six will be its companion. I don't know, kind of depends on Bobby, Tama, their families and whatever Future Me has cooked up wherever she's hanging out these days. Maybe wrapped up in a completed Alexandria quilt? Or sitting in the Humboldt County sun, thinking about the mid-November week in 2024 when the heavens opened and rain POURED upon California. An atmospheric river is forecast for our region, but I have sewing to pass the time, novel ideas to ponder, pea soup to make. Big sewing (and books), small sewing (and books?) and hopefully the basement won't flood too badly.

Happy Monday everyone. Stay dry, stay involved, stay hopeful. And if you like, keep those hands and minds busy with what brings you joy!

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