Watching decline of journalism is hard

If I were still following journalism closely,  I’d suggest reading this about changes  in the Cleveland area.  I would tell you just how many more journalists were laid off, how many more newsrooms have shrunk from the staffs of hundreds to staffs of 20.

Or I might mention coronavirus news fatigue and why so many are avoiding the news when we need to know what is happening in the world and in our backyards. I worry about those who hear only rumors or a brief mention on radio, TV or online.  I worry what is happening while all attention is focused on the coronavirus. That, of course, gets back to how many journalists we now have looking out for us.

I might even suggest you look at this article on why  networks stopped live coverage of Trump’s briefings. Then I might show you some fact-checking sites

I struggle with what I do now.  I wish I was back in the newsroom covering this crisis, sharing information to help all. I read the White House site frequently, check the tweets of President Trump. I look at the WHO site too. Or a site with the guidelines for reopening America.I do share some of what I learn on Facebook in my own posts and in posts in groups. I even started a group to try matching those who make masks and those who need them.

Yet, I am grateful I am not working in these dying newsrooms. I like the freedom of choosing what I write and for whom.

Actually, I could not work right now. I am waiting for the results of my COVID-19 test. If I don’t have it, I am very confused about what I am dealing with right now.

I also wait for it to be safe for surgeries once more. Lousy timing uncovered a possible solution for what ails me.  I hope.

Fractured Birds wing way to challenge

Birds In the Air Challenge 4 for Project Quilting Season 11 sounded like a great challenge. I knew I had at least 3 fabrics featuring birds.  I knew I could find 2 of them in my sewing room.

Fractured Birds

Then, I read past the headline.!!! Project Quilting 11.4 request to use a Birds In The Air block almost meant I was skipping a week. I had lots of good reasons:

• The grandtwins turned 1 Sunday. Of course, grandma wanted to help with the party. It is my chance to do what I wanted to do as a mother but I was limited by the need to work 
• My husband’s birthday was yesterday (Monday).
• Our wedding anniversary is Thursday.
• We are continuing our Ken Burns Country Music Passport tour.
• We are visiting Atlanta for a luncheon with a dance corps, bingo with friends and a movie blitz. 

Most importantly I hate construction of triangles from fabric. Still I did make 12 triangles into squares. I tried following the pattern but it just isn’t me. So I took the block basics and rearranged them. I dove into the ric rack stash, grabbing the jumbo dark blue. I covered my perfect points!

So here is my Fractured Birds wall hanging. It is 8 inches by 10 inches. It was made in Tennessee. This is my earliest finish in Project Quilting. 

I thought I was done earlier in the day. Then I played some more. That led to adding the yellow ric rack.

Birds in the Air

Oh yeah, here’s a more traditional Birds In the Air block. This is a Civil War reproduction quilt block by Barbara Brackman

You can see the other projects completed by quilters in a week in this collection of links.

Project Quilting is open to all. A challenge is posted at noon CST Sundays. The completely finished project is due the same time the following Sunday.  

I have added a personal twist to my involvement - no new purchases. 

Crazy love: Finding a path to the heart

The challenge was to “Put a Heart On It.” That led me to a pile of red and pink fabrics and then to this: Crazy Love: Finding a path to the heart. After all, isn’t the path to love always crazy?

The finished piece is at least 12x12 (I am on the road so used a magazine to measure the piece.) It was created in Tennessee. My husband and I are doing the Ken Burns Country Music Passport tour. That took us to western Tennessee. We now have 4 of 22 stamps on our passports.  The stitching, yarns, laces, ric rack and more went on in between stops at Sun Studio and Beale Street in Memphis.  There was a stop at the Carl Perkins Visitor Center and one of the cabins he lived in as a child in Tiptonville. We spent hours at the Legends of Tennessee Music  Museum in Jackson. https://jacksoncarnegie.com/. I will update with links when I arrive home in middle Tennessee.

I was lucky. I had spotted the valentine bouquet fabric while assembling some greens for my 2020 project. I set it aside in hopes there would be a Valentine theme announced last Sunday. Put A Heart On It was close enough.

Read about Project Quilting and see what others did with the Theme this week. Happy stitching.