Three For Thirty :: Day One

This is my first day of thirty... thirty days of sewing, movement, and photography. The challenge is described in Matt Cutts' TED video, and initiated by Jennifer, of Infinity More Monkeys. And realistically, I should only be doing one activity in the thirty day challenge, but my friends keep sharing their plans, and each new idea inspires me, and I think, yeah, I should totally do that, too. My foremost commitment is to sew for thirty days: quilting, embroidery, garments, and some crochet. And because I cannot help myself, I will include photography, and because I should help myself, I am challenging myself to get outside and stretch, walk, swim, wander, wonder, and move. So, I am challenging myself to Three For Thirty.

I am nearing the finish line with hand-quilting this Picnic Quilt. It's probably about twin size, and I pieced it five years ago, then it was packed away, and I only just rediscovered it. The center is a chess board, and somewhere I even have all the chess pieces I made to go with it, finished and packed, somewhere. Where-oh-where-oh where can those be?

All the birds were quilted around, and now I am picking and choosing flowers to trace. I stopped using the hoop. Hopefully I am keeping the layers flat and taut enough that I don't create any huge puckers. Even when I was using the hoop, I managed to let a huge section get bound up and scrunchy, and so I ripped out a couple of feet of stitches, and started over. It was very necessary.

Thank goodness for a cool down here. I was sitting under the quilt in record breaking humidity and ninety degree temperatures! That was kind of nuts, but I guess I do get kind of obsessed once I start sewing. I cannot put it down, and will sit, happily, for as long as I can get away with it. My finger tips are hard and tender, both. We are bound to have more hot days, so I will start a smaller, lighter hand sewing project for traveling and waiting in cars... probably more kitchen cloths.

Cool weather is also most conducive to movement, so later today I will get out and walk, wander, wonder and move.

Are you taking the challenge?
Would you like to be added to a list of participants?
Let me know. I would be happy to include you and your blog.
Either way, I hope you enjoy your thirty days.

7:40 pm...
Enjoyed extra time in the garden and with our animals. Our garden beds, that we set up in the side yard, are now between the barn and the Chicken run... in sight, we hope they will get more time and attention. Alex and Mitchell refilled the beds for me. We will need more soil, though. I'd say time to plant our cool season crops, but our summer has just begun, and I don't expect a hint of cool weather until November! The chicas are growing, growing, growing. I gave everyone a cooling mist from the garden hose, and lost of odds and ends from veggie scraps. The goats ate some tomatoes, which I thought was funny. And that was my outside and moving effort for the day. I think after a cool shower, I'll add a few stretches before sleep. Ah, sleep. I could use some.