This week seemed super busy with various things and a big chunk of a day wasted with a stressful situation that ruined my creative mood. All was solved by the end of the day, but it was just maddening. When these things happen, I just have to slow down, and take a breath with a pretty dawn view, or marvel at the unexpected blooming of a violet in the kitchen. It just finished blooming a couple of weeks ago, and it was a delight to notice one morning that it had three blooms, and more to come.
The birds have passed judgement on the new seed My Sweet Babboo gave them and found it wanting. They do not like a certain orange color seed, and are throwing it out as they pick through.
My Sweet Babboo swept it up into a dust pan from the ground below the feeder, and piled it up next to the driveway. A few days later, the deer found it. But they picked out the corn, and left the orange seeds behind.
These two does are likely a mother daughter pair. The little one has gotten so big that it will be impossible to tell them apart soon.
A red bellied woodpecker grabbed a beak full and took it to the tree to pick through.
One thing we had to do this week is preview a drive route to the Lake House Restaurant in Lake Lure. The business there need tourism to survive, and they lost weeks last year during our peak season. We will be leading a drive there for our MINI club in February to support them. We have to go around to the southern way to get to it because roads and bridges are still out from Hurricane Helene, three months later. Along the way, we saw a lot of trees still leaning onto the freeway and side roads with piles of debris.
So much has been picked up already, tons and tons turned into mulch, and still so much remains.
Over a million cubic yards still remain to be picked up. For comparison, a tractor-trailer 18-wheeler can hold 200 cubic yards. That is 5000 trailer loads yet to be picked up, in our county alone.
Freeways, and the more rural side roads are left. Much of the residential areas and in town areas with county maintained roads have been cleared. But not all of them.
Back home in the sewing room, I was able to find a bit of fabric I needed to complete my challenge project. But, I can’t show it to you yet. You’ve seen the base before, and I’ll show you the whole thing with all the process pics in March after the show.
The only thing I can show now from the sewing room is this page from the book Just Can’t Cut It! by Pamela Mostek. It may have the inspiration for a wall hanging with the Japanese fabrics. But, it is pieced in the blocks and I don’t plan to do that.
I want to use the layer cake pieces as the large pieces. I began auditioning fabrics for the sashing, and nothing works. It needs a true, flat black without any pattern.
Maybe I can find something that will work by the time we get to Virtual Retreat on Friday, February 7. This really is so fun, and I always get so much done! Register HERE, just $5. Join the fun!
Today will be relaxing, watching the divisional final football games, and having some fun snacks. I’ll be working on the applique for my challenge quilt while I watch. Things are happening with the Hurricane Quilt Project as well as Safelight. Updates on both of those soon.
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To the Dakota Star Quilters, I had a fun time with you all on Zoom! Thank you for having me. Do email me if you have questions, I love chatting!
Lesson Book Sale! Saturday, January 18-Monday, January 20: Customers save 20% on all three EQ8 books with code LEARN20 at ElectricQuilt.com.
January deals at Fat Quarter Shop- 20% off the Basic of the Month Spotted by Moda, 30% Off the Notions of the Month from Mettler Threads, 30% off Patterns of the Month from Zen Chic, and see the Book of the Month Simple Reflections Journal by Kim Diehl. Check out Today’s Flash Sale and see the Precuts of the Week, too!
From My Carolina Home 
Good morning, Carole Love your pictures! Our birds don’t like the red seeds either. We switched awhile back and now only use sunflower seeds as they seem to like these best. We have nine quilts collected at St.Margaret’s retreat Center for Hurricane Helene relief and I plan on sending them out to you within the next couple of weeks. Can you post the address again as to where they go? Thanks! Debbie Skinner
My address is on my About Me/Contact page, but here it is. Thank you so much!!
Carole Carter
PO Box 524
Mountain Home, NC 28758
I wonder what the orange seed is. Clearly, it’s not a winner. Lovely, your supporting the restaurant. It takes such a long while, maybe doesn’t even happen, for all the damage to be cleared (at least here, after our tornado). I love your violet. My mom used to have a lot of them and after she died, Dad would buy them for me. I tried hard to keep them going and never really succeeded for any length of time. Maybe I should try again! Enjoy your Sunday. We are in mourning here for the Lions.
Hi Carole! I know what you mean about getting sidetracked! I have been all month so far, with end/beginning of year chores. I am the accountant for my church, so I had end of month/end of quarter/end of year financials to complete, as well as get W2/1099 information together and set up new files. Thankfully, that is all completed, but took about 20 hours out of my crafting time. I then turned my attention to our own home files (I am ashamed to say that I haven’t given these any attention since 2019), cleaned them out and wound up with 4 boxes of papers for recycling! We’ve also donated some larger items to our local thrift store. As far as quilting goes, I’ve done no sewing yet this month. I’ve been planning ahead and have brought in some fabric for future backings and a couple of smaller future projects. I do have a couple of smaller projects ready for sewing that I’ll work on next week. I’ll start the year in the negative for stashbusters, but that’s OK! I am thinking about joining your virtual retreat in Feb…I could use an entire day dedicated to crafting! Although I am from Wisconsin and am a dedicated Packers fan, I was also rooting for the Lions to represent our NFL division. Our division had three teams in the playoffs and not a one is left. Bummer!
Carole, I love the violet. My grandmother grew beautiful ones, but I have never had any success. I love seeing your photos of the birds and wildlife.
Instead of black sashing, have you considered trying solid red or gold….it’s worked for me numerous times. Your blocks have a lot of black…perhaps a contrasting color would allow the design to pop.
I wonder what the seed is that none of them like. So far my greedy birds eat anything put out there. That is sad so much destruction is still there – it just takes a lot of time to clean it up for sure
I’m sorry about the stressful situation – those do sap your time and energy! That’s interesting about the orange bird seed – like other commenters, I’m wondering what it is. We put only peanut butter based suet in our suet feeder – anything else and the birds don’t come! We learned that by trial and error early on. Your yellow challenge project looks lovely – I’m looking forward to seeing more about that one. Enjoy your Sunday, Carole!
Happy Sunday Carole! I always enjoy seeing the animals and birds in your yard. It is amazing how much is still left to pick up after the devastating hurricane, and I know your car club’s support of the restaurant. Enjoy those football games!
Jenna
I’m next door spending lunch time with my daughter’s puppy/dog while the family takes a day trip. Puppy said it’s too cold outside & just kept leading me back to the door!
Stressful situations always come along when you have something fun planned!! Your lovely birds get so well fed that they can afford to be fussy and leave the not-so-nice seed for somebody else. Although it doesn’t seem to please anybody.
You will have the exact right sashing hiding in the back of a cupboard where you haven’t looked yet! It’s just waiting to be found or maybe a trip to the quilt shop would be easier. :))
Good on you for supporting the restaurant that has suffered from the effects of the hurricane. They will appreciate all the hungry drivers from the car club descending on them. Let’s hope everyone eats heartily 😂
Mary :))
Carole, we also,
I looked at their menu and I want to live there!!!!! We have relatives in the area so I sent the link – thanks for the heads up! Reminded me that I have some salmon in the freezer! The wild life looks good and the roads are coming along nicely! We’ve had low temps but sun and low winds so winter has been tolerable for Chicago. My Husky thinks it’s the best! Thanks for all the tips.
Isn’t it interesting that wildlife can also be fussy about their food, too.
It is going to be a long time before all the clean up from the storm is done.
I was just watching a red-bellied woodpecker stake his claim to my suet against a starling. Those starlings are so destructive so the woodpecker win made me happy. Sorry to hear that there is still a ways to go with the hurricane clean-up. I hope you have a relaxing week ahead.