September 7, 2019 - September 15, 2019
When it’s our birthday, Bob and I always celebrate for the whole week so this past week has been more about me than usual. On Saturday we started the day with breakfast in the boater’s lounge and chatting with our fellow boaters. Afterwards I went across the street to have a pedicure, next a haircut by Renee, and then a trip to urgent care. The day before, after taking the cats to the vet, a very traumatized Lola needed a bath (she made a big mess in her carrier). She wasn’t very happy about the bath and it was basically a wrestling match between the two of us. She finally got her head free and bit me at the base of my left hand. Bob and I cleaned up the bite, applied neosporen, and bandaged the wound. By the morning I had red streaks starting up my arm hence the trip to urgent care. I started immediately on antibiotics and began to improve slowly. My hand was swollen and painful for several days, but by Sunday it was almost healed. For lunch on Saturday we went to Mamma’s on the Half Shell for a delightful lunch.
 |
| Mama’s is one of our favorite Canton restaurants. It’s right on the square and has outstanding crab cakes and oysters. Besides, I like their logo! |
On Sunday we attended the Madannari Festival in Little Italy (just west of Fells Point). The artwork was amazing and, our lunch at Amicci’s was delicious.
 |
| Little Italy closed a street for several blocks to allow artists sponsored by Baltimore businesses to create outstanding art on the road surface. |
 |
| The theme of the festival was courage. This artist choose a portrait of Martin Luther King Jr. to exemplify courage. |
 |
| Artists were still at work on Sunday afternoon. Notice the knee pads! |
 |
| Here is an over view of part of the festival. |
 |
| Theses portraits are more examples of courage. Do you recognize them? (hint: football and women's soccer) |
On Tuesday I worked in the boater’s lounge. First I sewed extra pieces onto the batting for my quilt to make sure it was wide enough for the long arm quilting machine, sewed the velcro strips onto our cockpit back rests, and started working on a shower tote.
 |
| I used textilene and soft leather like fabric for the tote. Here it is completed and filled. |
Wednesday started out with the weekly boat ladies breakfast and then after lunch Mary took me with her to Linda Buck’s (a professional machine quilter) to deliver our completed quilt tops to be quilted. Linda had a display of fat quarters, jelly rolls and half yard pieces of quilt fabric and while Mary was choosing how to have here five quilt tops quilted I picked out fabric for my next project. I can’t wait to see my quilt completed and to start on my next project.
 |
| I think this is how my husband feels about my new quilting hobby. |
 |
| This is definitely how I feel about quilting. |
I scheduled a lesson, on Thursday morning, at the shop where I purchased my sewing machine to help me learn all of the features of my new sewing machine . I got all of my questions answered and learned about features I didn’t even know to ask about. I also found out that every Thursday the shop has a “free sew” day where you can bring your machine and your sewing project to work on in their work room. Since I live on a boat the large tables with rotary cutter mats and large work tables will make my projects go much more smoothly. I'm looking forward to taking advantage of this perk from buying my machine there.
I did some sewing over the weekend while watching college football with Bob (Penn State beat Pitt 17-10). I completed a top I had cut out and a dress I was hoping to wear to my 50th class reunion. The top looks great, but I am disappointed in the dress. We will see if Jess can help me fit the dress next weekend when I am in Johnstown for the Johnstown Orchestra Queen concert.
Thanks for reading my blog.
