Lee Thomson

via www.flickr.com

I'm back at my circles.

It took my back three long days to calm down enough for me to perch on my stool and sew things. Once I could do that, I focused a lot of energy on the largest piece headed to the Crane Estate Art Show and Sale. I always forget the effort it takes to execute really big pieces. Things that are big for me (16×20") make my quilting friends snort with derision – but then they are not covering every square inch with thread either!

I finished a crow, and a very sketchy looking thread landscape on linen which are also at the show and sale. I delivered them on Saturday because there is a Full On Freakout over the projected impact of Hurricane Sandy and something coming out of the west converging on us on Monday. The entire east coast seems to have declared a state of emergency, schools and universities are closed across the state, and it feels like the whole town is holding our collective breath.

I may have mentioned my beloved Bernina sewing machine was having fits. Probably the power supply, but I won't know until I take it to the shop, which i have not had a moment to accomplish yet. I did fix the problem of getting a new machine though, but getting… an old machine. I found an ebay auction for a Bernina 1130, one of the nicest machines they ever made, and I won it, fair and square! So I have a new old machine, probably roughly the same age as my current one, but with fewer bells and whistles, and a less computery interface. I love it already.

I used it to make these two sugar skulls, and I didn't realize until they were done that they still fit into this month's theme of dessert and sugar. So I can work on a few more until the end of the month. They are mentally relaxing for me to make, more doodling than anything else.

If I don't show up for a couple days it will because the electricity is out, hopefully not because I'm broken in some new and distressing way –