Susan Palmer's Exquisite Now

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recent posts

  • Steep learning curve

    Want to know what’s really hard to hand stitch on a quilt? Tight circles.

    This was a thing I might have guessed from my various adventures in embroidery. But I didn’t think about it when looking for a stencil to guide my quilt stitching. I have friends who are expert quilters that I could have checked in with. But I didn’t. Just forged ahead because I liked the swirly design.

    This image shows about 9 inches by five inches of work. It took me three hours. I am making a queen-sized quilt. Hopefully I will get faster as I go.

    Another thing I am learning. Quilting needles are freakishly tiny. You can embed them in your thumb (and all other nearby fingers) before you even halfway realize you are drawing blood. I guess I am now in the suffering for my craft mode.

  • It’s cold but that’s cool

    Only three of us showed up for dance fit class this morning. Maybe because dance class is outside, and when it’s below freezing it’s hard to get motivated. Our instructor had a great lineup of tunes, though. Got to love a class where Russian hip hop precedes Elvis Presley.

    The air was so cold ice crystals shimmered around us. It takes about five minutes to get warmed up. When it’s over, 50 minutes later, you have to scurry to the car because the sweat instantly chills you. But the post-workout natural euphoria is worth it.

  • Now that’s a metaphor

    Shout out to historian and newspaper columnist Patricia Ann Edwards for capturing this great quote in her history of Lorane Oregon, “Sawdust and Cider,” now sadly out of print.

    She’s quoting farmer and former Lane County Commissioner Oral Crowe: “This soil is so bad that a man couldn’t raise hell on it with seven naked ladies and a barrel of whiskey.” 

    I believe our local library has a copy and I will be tracking it down. Edwards’ blog also looks pretty delightful.