Foot Dragging

I had two trips last week into the nearest "big" town about an hour away so was not super productive on the art front. It did not help that I kept dragging my feet about which Zentangle to do next. This one is based on the Zentangle I mentioned I decided not to do because I wasn't too keen on the tangles used. But the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to give it a try, using a different tangle. I couldn't get beyond the vision of bubbles being trapped by the overlying lines. So I gave it a go on my own terms. It came out looking like a shell rather than the trapping net I thought I was going for.

I used green metallic gel pen for the bubbles and blue metallic gel pen for the encasing lines - it may have looked more like I envisioned had I used black micron pen instead like they did. I could have done a better job smoothing the graphite shading on the lines but I found myself rushing at the end. As I reviewed the video to jog my memory, I also remembered a possible reason for my wanting to skip this one. The two gals demoing couldn't stop fussing as they drew, adding a little bit here, some more bits there when really, it wasn't necessary. At one point, the gal not drawing finally told the one who was to stop, it was fine, and lets go to the next step. Just when I thought the Zentangle was complete, they'd add another step, some more shading around the outside, the pastel pencil for the background (which I did with the Art Graf). They were obviously enjoying extending this out, not wanting it to end but goodness! I begrudgingly admit that the final outer shadings did pull it together and helped that look of a shell come through. And I do like it now.

This one sure has bling!

Also dragging feet on the machine quilting. For one thing, my thread choices have had me doing what I think of as nervous quilting. That is when you've chosen a thread used enough that you are not sure how much is left, if it will be enough, and know you cannot buy more because it has been discontinued. That's the problem with all my Ultra Twist threads that quilt up so beautifully. Another company bought out the one that made this thread, replacing it with their version that simply doesn't quilt up the same. Anyway, staring at the partial spool won't make anymore thread magically appear on it, so may as well cross my fingers and get on with it.

But that's the second thing making me drag my feet. The next section to be quilted was one with multiple short runs. Not only does that use more thread with all that starting and stopping, but it tries one's patience as well, and my patience, or perhaps tolerance, for this sort of thing is in short supply. Not helping that I've been fighting to keep the quilt in place and not catching on anything as I quilt, and then it knocked a tin of straight pins onto the floor. Luckily I have one of those telescoping wands with a magnet end to pick up the mess without bending! But I hunkered down yesterday and forced myself to complete these short runs on either side of the rectangles and now it is smooth sailing down longer stretches to the bottom of this section.

Speaking of smooth sailing, those out of town drives last week were most enjoyable. I like driving that stretch of road and all the cottonwoods and birches along the way had finally turned that beautiful golden yellow we'd been waiting for. Driving like that isn't bothering me anymore, more progress on the surgery front. And I have missed being able to take scenic drives because I really do love driving. However, might not love it so much tomorrow. A winter storm blew through today, not leaving much more than a couple of inches of snow, but it has been windy with temps not getting much above 25 degrees. Old man winter knocked loudly on our door and my last gasp geranium blooms have gasp their last. Crossing fingers again that the roads will be cleared and dry by the morning. Or at least sanded.