Two nights ago I was able to complete cutting and pressing the binding for my “Rambling Rose” quilt. Last night I got it stitched on. As I neared the end of the quilt, though, I started to mildly panic; I wasn’t sure I made enough binding to complete the perimeter. Not a big deal, I could have made another strip…it was just the thought that I couldn’t accurately measure that would have bothered me. However I had a whopping five inches of binding left over so all was good.

I began the hand stitching portion of the process and before going to bed had almost one side completed. There is something therapeutic about hand-sewing. It’s the same feeling I get when I write with a pen and paper. Computers and machines have taken that away. I’m not complaining about technology and automation and I have no desire to go back a few decades. It’s just so nice to sit back, relaxed, with a cup of tea and a lap project. I think that is why I love to crosstitch so much (another hobby I’ve not been finding time for.)

And I just want to say one thing…the person who invented the needle threader is a heroine (or maybe a hero) in my book! What a godsend. My left eye is, to put it mildly, junk. Threading needles, without this little helper, is torture. So, whoever you are…thank you.

I woke up at 5:00am this morning and, unable to go back to sleep, made coffee and hand-stitched until 7:00am. It was a nice, quiet way to start a somewhat snowy Saturday.

However my planned project for today (quilt stitching aside for a little while) is to ‘play’ with my new serger. My husband, aka Paul, bought me a very nice one for my birthday in December and I’m ashamed to say, I’ve not done anything with it. I’m told there is much to learn, especially the threading.  I’ll let you know how that goes…hopefully well as I have many plans and a serger, I think, will be a big part of them.