Starburst quilt progress

A few days ago I found the most adorable backing for my Giant Starburst quilt. So I bought some and paired it with a great binding.

I chose Tamara Kate Helen's Garden Enchanted Cream for that backing and dear Stella Confetti Dot Cantaloupe for the binding. They look so lovely with my selection of greens that are to be the front. I LOVE them ALL!

The backing. Isn't it so lovely? It's even more adorable in person.

The binding. It's a fun pop of color for the front and goes great with the back.

Binding and Backing.

And the greens in the correct order.

Before I got my greens I had a plan that was based off of the the computer colors of the greens. I knew I'd probably be changing the order once I had the actual fabric and I was right. I switched a few around.

The plans.

Today I cut all the fabric for the front. It took me a couple of hours because I was checking and double checking the instructions. Remember I'm doing eight colors, not four. So I have to do a bit of checking to make sure I have the right size pieces. And I was occasionally geeking out about how lovely all my colors are. I got into a rhythm and I went faster as I continued cutting. (And I had to stop to get drinks of water and do my laundry.)

After cutting this is the progress so far laid out on the dining room table. With the afternoon sun streaming across.

I'll probably sew a bit on Saturday. Mostly I will sew next Monday. That's my day off and I get a lot done those days.

This is part of a quilt along. Although I'm not keeping up with them. That's okay though. I love it. My first real quilt!

via Canoe Ridge Creations. (HERE)

Two Gentlemen of Verona

Quotes I like:

"Proteus: ... For he was more than over shoes in love.
Valentine: 'Tis true, for you are over boots in love ..."
(Act 1, Scene 1, lines 24-25.)
This reminds of the phrase "Head over heels in love." I wonder if it came from Shakespeare.

"Lucetta: Fire that's closest kept burns most of all."
(Act 1, Scene 2, line 30.)
I like that line. It's pretty.

"Valentine: Ay, Proteus, but that life is altered now.
I have done penance for contemning Love,
Whose high imperious thoughts have punished me
With bitter fasts, with penitential groans,
With nightly tears, and daily heartsore sighs,
For in revenge of my contempt of love,
Love hath chased sleep from my enthralled eyes
And made them watchers of mine own heart's sorrow.
O gentle Proteus, Love's a mighty lord
And hath so humbled me as I confess
There is no woe to his correction,
Nor, to his service, no such joy on earth.
Now, no discourse except it be of love.
Now can I break my fast, dine, sup and sleep
Upon the very naked name of Love."
(Act 2, Scene 4, line 131-147.)
This speech is full of passion and I love it.


General Thoughts:

Overall, I liked this play. I didn't really agree with the ending. Both Julia and Valentine forgive Proteus all his sins. Proteus forsook Julia, his love, and pursued another woman, Valentine's love, Sylvia. Proteus had Valentine banished so he could pursue Sylvia. And Proteus tried to rape Sylvia in front of a disguised Julia and a hidden Valentine. And they all forgave him! I feel like he is the villain of the play and everyone forgives him in the end. I wouldn't have.

2014 ... The William Shakespeare year ... For real this time

2014 ... The year I read the complete works of William Shakespeare. ... For real this time.

... Each book (ie. play) is commented about on my blog. Here they will be permalinked so just click on the title to go to that blog post. ...

The Plays

1. Two Gentlemen of Verona
2. Taming of the Shrew
3. Henry VI, part 2
4. Henry VI, part 3
5. Henry VI, part 1
6. Titus Andronicus
7. Richard III
8. The Comedy of Errors
9. Love's Labours Lost
10. Richard II
11. Romeo and Juliet
12. A Midsummer Night's Dream
13. King John
14. The Merchant of Venice
15. Henry IV, part 1
16. The Merry Wives of Windsor
17. Henry IV, part 2
18. Much Ado About Nothing
19. Henry V
20. Julius Caesar
21. As You Like It
22. Hamlet
23. Twelfth Night
24. Troilus and Cressida
25. Measure for Measure
26. Othello
27. All's Well That Ends Well
28. Timon of Athens
29. King Lear
30. Macbeth
31. Antony and Cleopatra
32. Pericles, Prince of Tyre
33. Coriolanus
34. A Winter's Tale
35. Cymbeline
36. The Tempest
37. Henry VIII

White Flower Wreath progress

Several months ago for a church Relief Society activity we made wreaths. We got felt of our color choice and a twig wreath. The idea was to make felt flowers (which I was all down for) and put them on the wreath. It would look similar to this one, which I do like. But I had a different wreath in mind. I wanted the flowers to be the wreath, like this one. I got the twig wreath though. It's been hanging on my bedroom door for months. I saw a wreath like my twig one that was spray painted bright blue. I kind of like that idea. Maybe I'll spray paint my wreath a bright color someday. Anyways, the reason for this post is because I am finally getting around to hot gluing all those felt flowers I made to a wreath form. I am about halfway done and I love it so far. Here is a progress shot...

I need to buy more white felt and make more flowers. And then I can finish this wreath. I think I'll hang it on my bedroom door when it's done.

2014 Resolutions

Reviewing last year's resolutions I did two two most important ones. I kind of sloughed on the other three. Let's take a look ...

1. Get out of debt. I did pretty good at this one. I paid off my credit card like I wanted. I still have a little bit to pay my parent's back. But I should be straight with them by April.
2. Paying tithing. I paid my tithing at the end of every month. I do see a difference when I do and don't pay my tithing. My life just goes better when I follow this little commandment.
3. Organizing my room. I did get rid of lots of clothes I never wore. And I did go through some papers that I was hording. But it never got as organized as I would like. And I still have areas of my room I haven't cleaned. Like under my bed.
4. Chat on FOJG more. Yeah. I never really did that. Which in turn makes me think if I should keep paying for the membership. But to be honest I like all the stuff I get. So I'll probably keep on being a member of Friends of Josh Groban.
5. Do a photo-a-day. I think I did a month but then I got bored. And I never remembered to take a photo every day. I completely failed at this one.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

So what are my goals for 2014? In no particular order ...

• Go to the temple and receive my endowments. I would like to do this before my 26th birthday in June. But we'll see how that goes.
• Pray and read the scriptures every day. I do both of these sporadically. I am pretty good about saying my nightly prayers but I don't say them in the morning. And as for scripture reading I would like to read some everyday. I was thinking in the mornings.
• Get out of debt completely and continue to save money. I just have a couple more months of payments to my parents and then I am out of debt with them. I would like to continue saving a lot of my money after I get out of debt.
• Read the complete works of William Shakespeare this year. Thirty-seven plays. Twelve months. I have no biography to read because I already read that. It's about 3 plays a month in order to read them all by the end of the year.
• Journal every day. I got back into writing in my journal. I only missed a few days when I was sick just before Christmas.
• Complete the starburst quilt. I want to sew this quilt. Maybe I'll do another this year. But fabric is expensive.