Daffodils, potholder and broken bits

 The squirrels evidently like the daffodils, too, and broke a couple playing with them. So they're now indoors, scenting the room powerfully, the white one fruity, the yellow ones peppery 

Here you see through to the patio, chairs summerized,  just organized for sitting in, not washed yet. Rushing the season.

And here's one of my favorite paintings, which I've shown you before but it's worth seeing again. And when I remember the painter's name I'll credit her. Ed note: Brynhild Parker, thanks to Yamini.

And Atomic Shrimp went mud larking on the fossil coast of the UK, where a Victorian landfill slumped onto the beach, full of bits of crockery. His YouTube channel is full of excursions like this.

Gary is back from a trip and came dashing over last evening to get his photo taken to prove to his daughter he does still get dressed up in a suit sometimes. He'd been in the city today. To people here that means Manhattan. 

He also arranged to fix my leaking downstairs toilet today or tomorrow, and renewed his pleas on me not to send the eight- foot ficus to the library, he'll miss it!  So will I, but better to do it now than leave it for Handsome Son later. 

I won't miss hauling it out in summer and back in fall, and my friend at the library is all set to do all that, even has the indoor and outdoor spots picked out. 

Their indoor light is so much better than here, plenty of overhead light, just what a ficus likes. I just get to admire it when I visit. I've taken care of it for fifty plus years, time to hand over.

And meanwhile I'm nearly done with the Quilted Potholder.

I learned quite a bit in the course of making it, one thing being that my running-stitch skills are rusty, after only a few weeks of not stitching. 

Another was that toweling shifts and creases with handling the way batting doesn't, and needs more securing pins at the outset.  And that I need more pins, having used all my meager supply and it wasn't quite enough. 

A bit more overcasting round the edges and it's ready to use. There are no leftover scraps, the hanger having used up the one extra bit. My Mermaid Potholder is almost there, though I'm not sure mermaids use them much.

Newish Haggard Hawks puzzle

Funny clues only, and bear with me if your clue is too subtle for me and I solemnly answer it!

Happy day everyone, don't worry if you miss the point, there'll be another one along in no time.

Spring walk, qayg trial, Happy St. Patrick's

Happy St Patrick's Day, from this granddaughter of an Irishwoman.

Saturday morning was beautiful, no biting insects yet, bright sun, no jacket.

I noticed the pair of mallards I've seen on the pond were absent, and if you study those blobs out of reach there, on the opposite bank, basking,  you'll see why.

A squadron of snapping turtles, dangerous to ducks. Not a worry to the pair of Canada geese who eyed me suspiciously. They're probably nesting here, favorite place. 

And a pair of red tail hawks overhead, making large lazy circles in a dance. They're known for staying around and this is their territory, good hunting for small mammals and occasionally birds, but that's usually when they're hungry in winter and mammals are harder to find.

Then there's the pair of mourning doves meeting on the fence. And other signs of spring.

 

Back home I made a start on what is probably going to be a potholder. My stash is limited, but I have some good options.

I decided to use some scrap towelling for batting, and this turmeric-dyed fabric for backing.

So here's the sandwich, frontispiece batik, middlispiece toweling, backispiece dyed cotton.  Approximately 9" square, which will be a bit smaller when quilted and hemmed.

I tried a trapunto-style idea first, stitches enclosing pattern motifs, but didn't like it and started over with a grid.

It already feels quiltish, so that's nice, not being a quilter. I started with this idea, two solid pieces, no fancy piecing, to get the hang of it. 

I'm working in hand since my hoops don't cope with this thickness, the screws not long enough to work. But it's all good.

Happy day, everyone, and here's a cool Chaucerian bit