Class Preparation

Tomorrow is my monthly meeting with the Breakfast Club...a group that started out as a "strip club," but has morphed into more of a "meet and sew group." Last month we started a disappearing nine-patch. I only used three fabrics originally.

No sparkle. I wasn't happy.

I played today and added two more fabrics.

Much better! Two different layout options. I'll just make a throw for a standby gift.

I also sewed the first two trial storm at sea blocks using Marti Michell's acrylic templates. It's a bit tedious to cut out with the templates but it was worth it! I've never had success with the odd angles of storm at sea before without paper piecing. It was amazingly easy! 

I'm happy with these color choices by not with the "seaweed" print...going to check out another Hoffman batik in the same colorway that has circles. The direction play of the seaweed on a bed-sized quilt doesn't work for me...especially in the smaller center box. I still might use it in my border where I can control the direction to my advantage. 

Forrest update...no puppy yet! I almost got lost myself wandering through the wooded area he was possibly seen at last Friday. I had Jenny, my other Bernese, with me and my bear spray.  I was wondering around in a very dark and densely wooded area (it was raining but because of the tree cover I wasn't getting too wet), occasionally seeing bear scat and moose poop. As I was stumbling around, moving under and over brush, I accidentally sprayed some of the bear spray...in the front of me where Jenny was. Thank goodness it just hit the back side of her and she quickly rolled on the ground which was spongy and moss-like...I think it was more the noise of the spray that scared her. She didn't react in any other way. I immediately got a wiff of the pepper spray and started coughing. 

Of course my story doesn't end there...I was still going in circles in the woods. I never get lost driving...even when I lived in large cities. So I told myself to trust my instinct and sure enough I saw a break in the trees. But  Jenny still had pepper spray on her backside. I had thought to bring a towel for her since it was raining. I  did one big wipe from the back of her neck to her tail and put her in the back seat of my truck. She appeared completely normal...no sign of distress at all.

I, however, got a tiny bit of pepper spray  from Jenny's back on my left hand which quickly brushed a stray hair out of my mouth...instantly my lips started burning. Then my left hand started burning. I was about a 15 minute drive to get to my house. I realized I had gotten some of the spray on my rain jacket which I still had on so I could smell the spray as I was driving home. 

As soon as I got home I bathed Jenny. I am so glad she showed not signs of distress...the double coat of hair had thwarted the spray from hitting her skin. I was so worried she would try to lick her back side before I got her bathed! Then I showered. It was an hour and a half later before all the burning was gone on my hand and lips. 

That was on Monday. I have only been driving and yelling from my truck on my search for Forrest since then. I've plastered the area with new flyers. So I'm still not getting much of anything else done.

I know...I'm not impressing you with my outdoor skills! If you've been reading about my journey on the Colorado River, you already know what a sissy I am. But I really want to find my dog and since he may not be letting others help him, I feel like I have to go find him myself.