Friday, April 3, 2015

Mopped and Basted

Norm mopped the kitchen floor this morning, so you know what that meant?

I could baste a quilt!

And so I did.

I listened to an audiobook while I scrambled around on the floor, taping and smoothing, and poking in my pins. This is a Hands2Help donation quilt, by the way.

I'm on the second to the last in the eight-book Outlander series, An Echo in the Bone, and I'm maybe two-thirds of the way through the book.  Hard to tell with Audible, or at least I don't pay particular attention to how far along I am.

It's been kind of like the story that never ends, partly because I'm a take-my-sweet-time kind of reader/listener (quilter/blogger) with a tendency to distract myself on other things.  Each audiobook is well over 40 hours of narration (actually, two of them were over 55 hours), but that's okay with me because I'm enjoying the ride.  Thanks, Sarah, for giving me the heads up on Outlander a couple years ago!

I binge-watched (twice, in fact) the first eight episodes, which came out on Blu-ray on March 6.  The next season starts tomorrow night on Starz, but since we don't get the Starz channel, I'll have to wait a few months until those episodes come out on DVD/Blu-ray to get my next fix.  Meanwhile, I'll finish the book series.

(Catriona Balfe and Sam Heughan as Claire and Jamie)
I adore all the actors/characters in the TV series.  It is so very well done.  Jamie, Claire, Frank/Jack Randall, Dougal, Colum, etc.—all seem perfectly cast.  Tobias Menzies, who plays dual roles, is every bit as wonderful playing the forlorn Frank as he is the villainous Black Jack Randall. 

(Tobias Menzies as Jack Randall)
And Jamie, played by Sam Heughan, is totally swoon-worthy.  It's like he walked right off the pages of the novel.

The scenery is wonderful, the costumes divine.  So you could say that's been a slight distraction.

Back to reality, though.  I hope you all have a wonderful Easter!

11 comments:

Sarah Craig said...

I will totally claim responsibility for hooking you on Outlander, since you hooked me on Downton Abbey! And you gotta admit, Jamie is a whole lot prettier to look at than Matthew!

Your H2H quilt is really pretty - tell Norm I said thanks for mopping the floor!

ThreeOldKeys said...

Are you going to give Norm a "guest blogger" opportunity to give his side of the story?

Maybe he'll post a video clip of a kneeling baster as she pins and swoons ...

You're funny. And generous. Someone will LOVE that quilt.

Marei said...

If I had known Norm was in a mopping mood I would have asked him to come over! I really like the look of this quilt. The lighter center with darker setting triangles/borders makes it look like "more" than a 16-patch quilt. You know what I mean, right?

Terri said...

When Norm is done at your house he can come and mop my floors. They need it.
I'm only reading the series... I haven't got STARZ and my DVD player isn't hooked up since our move. But I am enjoying the read... some things are better read. You can't tell what she is feeling or thinking from the TV. MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM (Naughty Grandma)
Love the arrangement of your Sweet 16. This is going to be very interesting to see how everyone is arranging theirs.
Thanks for sharing.
Hugs

Hazel said...

I like that quilt! And that you're giving it to a charity is phenomenal!

I've never watched Outlander...I may have to do so now that you've talked it up!

Lara B. said...

Can we borrow Norm at our house? I love the visual (Scrubs?)
Paulette that will be a wonderful H2H quilt! I have loved it from the start!
Glad you are enjoying all the Outlander experiences so much!

Eat Sleep Quilt said...

Your H2H quilt is beautiful, I love the on point setting.

Outlander has to be the absolute BEST series ever! I think the last book might be my favorite in the series because of the ending.

Gregory Snyder said...

Smooth! That is a really sharp and snappy way of making the most out of a clean floor. That just shows how cleaning can simply open up possibilities of design and the inspiration behind them, simply because it's a more acceptable and welcoming canvass that way, so better keep cleaning as a principle. Thanks for sharing that! All the best!

Gregory Snyder @ Executive Image

Jeanna said...

Your charity quilt is gorgeous. I love it that you use your kitchen floor to baste your quilts...my floor of choice is the living room ;)

Joanna said...

Nice patchwork quilt, and pin basting on the floor is good exercise. I listen to audiobooks when I quilt as well, but I'm a mystery buff.

ThreeOldKeys said...

He's still mopping and hopping ...