Goodbye, February

You've been a mixed-up month, February, and I don't mind saying goodbye. While the temperatures you have offered up have been mostly spring-like, the extensive gray, rainy days have far outstayed their welcome. We had a couple of good little snows, they didn't inconvenience me in any way, and you were kind in affording me plenty of sewing time.

I did have a rather productive sewing and quilting month, which pleases me immensely. I listened to a few good books, too, and enjoyed some quality family time.

Early in the month I finished off two baby quilts, one of which has been delivered. I met for breakfast with my 4 siblings, our mom, and two nieces. Next month, I will insist we sit in such a way as to get all 5 of us in one picture - and maybe try to get Mom in, too! I made a diaper bag to match one of the baby quilts. That was a fun, creative venture.

Evidence of the two or three snow events is there to start the middle row. All snow days were short-lived, as temperatures quickly rebounded back to the mid-40s. My big flimsy finish for the month is in the center - Summer Nights came together quite nicely, and I need to add it to the quilts I hope to put on the long arm this year. The final picture in the middle row shows the blocks I am making in our Frankfort Girls' sew-along.

The bottom row features my one big quilted quilt, Sweet Sixteen. I have yet to finish the binding; maybe I will make that this evening's task so that it can be a true February finish. A totally unplanned finish is the toile table topper that I excavated from the depths of the sewing room stacks. It currently adorns our kitchen table. And last, continued stitching on that 10-year-project, Lake Effect. Yes, I am still plugging away on it, and take it every time the Frankfort Girls meet.

I feel like I did get a lot done, and I attribute that to listening to several good books. In the queue this month were: Foreign Agent by Brad Thor, The Last Patriot by Brad Thor, Takedown by Brad Thor,  Raven Black by Anne Cleeves, The Pioneers by David McCullough, and my current book, A Single Thread by Tracy Chevalier. Brad Thor books are fast-paced, require very little concentration, and keep me glued to my sewing. The Cleeves book is part of a mystery series all set in the same town, and the second I have read. In both I completely missed the clues leading to the uncovering of the culprit. The McCullough book was so good that DH is now listening to it, and I find myself all wrapped up in it again. The Chevalier book started out promising, but as I near the end, I find that I am growing impatient with it.

As I look toward March, I wonder what I will accomplish? Plans are swirling in my mind all the time. I still have a couple of baby quilts to finish and I'd like to get a wedding quilt checked off my to-do list, as well. The couple has already been married over 4 - or could it be 5? - months!

Happy Quilting, Friends!