Sentimental Stitches

Sadly, the hunters came packing a high powered pellet riffle yesterday afternoon and the two residents have been evicted from the crawl space above the ceiling at the store.

As sad as it was, I have to admit to laughing when our expert marksman hollered "I got her" followed by "oh, crap" as he dropped down out of the crawl space with his head covered in feathers. He'd missed and the bird dive bombed his head.

It's dawned on me (a little late as usual) that the spring Dear Jane Retreat in Shipshewana is squeezed in right around the time I'm supposed to be moving back to the cottage. The dilemma; do I move the week before I go to Shipshe and do without water for a few days or do I wait until the week after I get back and pay rent for two extra weeks, one of which I'll be gone?
I'm opting for doing without the water so I'm packing things to move, packing things for Shipshe and trying to keep it all straight in my head.

Clutch and I are going over to the cottage in a little while to see if we can budge the 3 foot snow bank at the end of the driveway and get the Jeep in far enough to slide things down the hill on the snow. Better to be sliding them down than pulling them up like I did with the microwave a couple of months back.

There are always lots of great things to share with you while I'm in Shipshewana and I'll do my best to get our Amish Mystery quilt going during that time. I have the first blocks finished, just need to write instructions. I know you're all anxious to get started. Me too!

Would you believe I have a big Rock Pigeon who decided to nest above the ceiling in the office at the shop. She made her way in through a broken window in the back parking lot. I've been asking our landlord to fix it for months to no avail. Now he's really got his hands full. They put a live trap up there yesterday but she's still walking around this morning making the strangest noises. It kind of gives you the creeps. If we don't trap her today, she'll meet her demise tonight the old fashioned way. I hope she goes for the peanut butter and relocation plan.

You'll notice today's motif has some color on it. In lots of antique embroidery, the designs were sold with areas colored and you could simply embroider around them. I came across the design looking for something patriotic for one of the requested designs and wondered how many of you knew how to achieve that antique look or how it was originally done.

I've been writing and recording the oral history of my family and the part they played over the years in quilting. I'll bet you didn't know my father was one of the men who invented the machine that made the first slotted quilting stencils did you? He also, at age 13, washed the brushes used in tinting the fabrics for quilts and embroidery as his after school job? Did you know he introduced the first raised edge quilting thimble?

We have a lot to learn about each other. Watch for a new history section coming to the site soon. It'll be filled with stories, quilts, embroidery, catalogs and probably a whole lot more.

Sure wish I could get another 12 hours in every day. I have so many things I want to work on and then there are those things you have to do like eat.

We only have 4 days left in the month. I can't believe how fast the time went by.

Clutch is mending and taking his medicine like a good boy. He needs help getting in bed at night. It's just too big of a jump. I've fashioned a little ramp for him in case he wants a drink of water during the night. Thanks for all your prayers and good wishes for his speedy recovery.