There's Hope!

What a whirlwind week we've had.....again!! Being stuck at home had its benefits! More time to do things that had been on the list and were pretty desperately needing to be done, like a quilt for a baby born in January!! Normally I get things done before the baby arrives but I hadn't. For one thing, inspiration hadn't hit. I knew it was going to be a girl and I'd been kicking around ideas using fabrics I had, pink, pixie, or what? The other day DH suggested that I use aboriginal Aussie fabrics. A couple of years ago I made a big quilt for us using the fabrics I'd collected. I love the fabrics. They're so interesting, lots of dots, lines and shapes. And the colors are fun. However, I wouldn't have thought of a baby quilt using the fabrics. However, I pulled out the box and looked at what I had. There was one piece that I could use for the squares that had alot of cheerful color in it plus there were other pieces that had enough left for what I figured I'd do.

 So I did. It's multi color, multi shaped, busy quilt but it works.

 Before the ice hit, we'd gone over to Asheville to deliver some handwovens to the Folk Art Center. While there we just happened to stop by a quilt shop and I found what I needed for backing. That's all I bought for this quilt. But don't you love the koalas? It makes the whole quilt softer.

 We shipped it the minute it was done and the parents loved it. They're from Australia and having a bit of "home" for their beautiful little girl is special. I'm hoping she loves it and uses it to wrap herself and her doll in it down the road. For now, they can lay her down on it on the floor or sofa.

We had more snow this past week. We'd hoped to go to the center Tuesday. In fact, there had been emails back and forth between us hoping that it wouldn't snow Monday night so at least some of us could get out. Well, that stopped when Katie, our manager, emailed to say that the parking lot was still a sheet of ice. It was good to quit planning anyway because it snowed and we couldn't have gone anyway. Then Thursday morning we woke to this......at least 4 more inches on top of the other snow, freezing rain and ice pellets!!

 Beautiful but treacherous and many businesses closed. Schools were closed the full 2 weeks. Colleges were closed alot too.

 The good news....our power stayed on, even cable! My brake had come in and I had a new warp on the loom for more rugs. I'm using selvedges to weave these rugs. It's a messy, dusty job but kind of fun to do. I'm not sure I'll buy more selvedges because I'm not sure it's really good for my loom to weave rugs but once in awhile it's fun.

 The other thing I finally had time to do..........get that shawl off the rigid heddle loom. We get donations of yarns sometimes and I'd claimed this bunch of wonderful colors. Even bought a rigid heddle to weave it with. The warp was on the loom for almost a year, not quite. It was so close to being finished but there was always something else to weave instead.

 I got it done! Used a very fine purple weft. It washed nicely too. There's enough for several more warps and I will take it back to the center to put another one on. It'll be a tad narrower though. It seems that, like on a floor loom, you don't want to really weave the total width possible on the loom.

So, I just touched something that changed the font. I don't know what I did. I didn't think I screwed up but obviously I did. Weird. I hate computers sometimes!!
Anyway, yesterday it rained. The temperature had gone up above freezing some Friday and Saturday but last night there still was snow on our driveway. This morning it's all gone. We're snowless today!!! The bad news is that they're talking maybe more snow or at least freezing rain Thursday morning. Go figure!! Tomorrow the high is about 60 and we will enjoy it!! Hopefully everyone will be able to get out to the center. It should be a blast!!
I'm heading down to keep weaving rugs. The pile of selvedges is slowly going down. I've got another warp of rugs to weave after this one. I hope to have pictures of rugs next week when I finish them.
Until then, stay warm and keep weaving!!
Carol