Quilting as Therapy, Progress on Music Sampler and Skating

Last Friday was not a good day, but I learned something else about quilting.

 

The day started with a 6:00 am phone call with news that our 18 year-old niece was in the ER. My husband and I went to the hospital to help. Many hours later, my husband was at his office and I was in my sewing room. Comforted that our niece was going to be alright, what I really wanted to do was quilt.  

Still working (this piece seems to be taking forever) on my music-theme quilt for my voice coach, I added the sashing. Voila! What once was a piece I really didn't like at all became rather - well - cute.  I think once quilted, it will be a very appreciated wall hanging for my instructor's music studio.  But I digress . . .

What I learned about quilting is its therapeutic effect on me.  While the morning in the ER had been stressful and chaotic, once back in my sewing room at my little Janome Gem, I felt very relaxed and secure.  The process of cutting the sashing (BTW, I did get every row to measure the same by taking in or letting out seams) and sewing it on was comforting.  I took my time, making certain that I was doing this properly and the end result included a sense of peace, accomplishment and small degree of pride, I suppose.  

So, I can go to my piecing class today having completed our homework.  As today is the last class, I think we'll have our quilts completed.  YEAH!  

As for skating, I had a great skate yesterday.  Not in terms of my skill level, believe me, but just being on the ice.  Had a good lesson doing dance (my coach and I decided I would definitely test my Ten Fox in March), Silver Moves and starting to work on my ISI Freestyle 2 test.  Having not taken this test before, I need to re-learn some things - ballet jump, half Lutz, half Wally (this jump is very strange and not attractive, even when my coach demonstrates it).  I also learned the little footwork sequence for the FS test and picked it up pretty easily. My best skating buddy came up and told me it was "passable" for the test (which she passed ages ago), but I'd like to add some polish and style to it.  I dug up the music that my coach had cut for me for this test years ago.  It's a nice piece from "Secret Garden." Thank goodness I saved this music, so there won't be any added expense for cutting music.  

I found out the ISI is taking the USFSA route and has changed music requirements to 1.40.  I was absolutely crestfallen when I heard this.  How my beautiful "Passion of the Christ" music can be cut to what seems like no time at all baffles me.  In a brief discussion, I suggested to my coach that we cut the first few seconds and the mid-section that has some seconds of Aramaic speaking.  I think between these two sections, we should be able to trim this to the appropriate time.  But, then there is the re-working of the program elements.  I have great faith in my coach, but am truly disappointed about this.  Whether this can all be accomplished by Gold Rush in April is questionable, but we'll establish this as a goal and see if I can achieve it.  

To Kathy S.: If you are reading this, thank you so much for your call yesterday about the Friendship Stars and Flying Geese.  It was so nice of you to contact me and I really appreciate you reading my blog and support of my quilting. 

 

Finally, a literary recommendation (yes, it is easy for a blog to become a venue for one's stream of consciousness!).  A sweet little book entitled "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society."  This book takes place as England is just coming out of WWII.  It's a delightful "must read."