Balance

After the month of November, when I was participating in Nanowrimo -and so not quilting at all- it has been really good to get back to my sewing machine. I had started a quilt in October, but I wasn't enjoying the process of making it. A month later I liked it even less, so I gave myself permission to change my mind. I had seen Bonnie Hunter's free pattern called "Bricks and Stepping Stones": and I thought those checkerboard 4 patches would add some sparkle. I want to use up a lot of scraps -you know, as a quilter you are always making scraps, and there have to be quilts made with them. As Bonnie says, we spend a lot of money on fabric-and it is the same price even when we have cut it smaller. So with some luck, this will soak up a lot of old pieces and make room for new fabric.

Getting back to sewing is part of getting back to the balance I love in my life. I love to sew and garden and cook. If I can do these things, as well as deal with the life at work, I am in a pretty good place to have a balance in my life.

So I spent this morning in the garden. I have been potting on some tomatoes and other small 'free' plants -the volunteers which come up in the garden. We get a lot of lavender and tansy coming up -parsley self-seeds everywhere. I even have parsley coming up in the cracks in the bricks on the driveway! We are loving the small sweet mulberries on our own tree -for the first time this year! Such a lot of fun. One of the things many people say when they see our garden is "How do you have the time for all this?" Well, of course we don't ever have enough time -there are lots of weeds which need attention, I haven't made a garlic and chilli spray for the tomatoes, yet -you know the routine. Yet we love the garden and the work. When I am there, I am reminded that nothing is ever perfect or finished! 

My DH has been working on the passive shade features of our house. The grapevine pergola at the front of the house now has some temporary shadecloth whilst we wait for the grapes to grow. The shade on the north of the house will help to keep it cool.  He also built a pergola in the narrow space on the eastern aspect of the house between our house and the fence. DD's room faces east -and the early sun is hot and early in summer. The pergola has three different climbers on it. 

I hope you are enjoying week 2 of Advent.