My Comfort Zone

I stepped way out of my comfort zone this weekend to attend a women's handgun course. It helped that I got a friend to go with me. We live in a rural area...and if you read my blog you know we get a lot of visits from brown and black bears. There have also been daytime break-ins at homes in our area. When our security alarm tripped recently it took the police 45 minutes to get to our house. I used to rely on having big dogs with me at all times but I don't have them anymore. Sooo...we have guns...but I didn't know how to use any of them. I changed that this weekend and I am so glad I did. I feel much more empowered now to protect myself.

Oddly enough...firing a pistol used the same muscles that were sore from running my longarm quilting machine. Now my arm is really sore!!! But I'll work through the pain.

This week I plan to immerse myself back into my comfort zone. Still waiting for better weather to take outside quilt photos but until then I will be starting the next quilting project on the longarm. I spent Thursday and Friday doodling on my plexiglass to figure out my quilting design. The border is inspired by all the intricate doorways I see in Paris...on a quilt named for a bay in Alaska...so appropriate in my world!

The quilting plan for the interior of the quilt.

Apparently I am a little hard on seam rippers...I went to pick this up the other day and realized the tip had broken off....oops!

I also started top stitching around these salmon on a quilt that has been sitting in the limbo for way too long.

Only 11 more fish to top-stitch.

I'm joining the quilting world at Design Wall Monday with Judy at Patchwork Times.