Quilted walls ...

      I'm working hard to find creative ways to keep the house a little bit warmer this winter.  

      Exhibit A:  An old quilt cut into strips to fit along the stair wall where it is the coldest area in the house.  Even if the curtain at the foot of the stairs wasn't keeping all the heat from rising, it would still be the coldest area in the house.  It actually looks quite decorative, and I'm going to be prowling Goodwill for a few more to finish it.  That second strip shows just how short I am, and how afraid I would be to put a box or step stool on the stairs to raise it higher.  I've heard broken necks from falling downstairs is hard to come back from.  I may still have to find some way to raise it up, tho.  A safe way.

     Exhibit B: Charlie's old quilt from the sofa (washed and no longer smelling like Charlie) on one of the living room walls that let a great deal of cold in.

     The house has no insulation on the exterior under the vinyl siding, and judging from the wood strips on the wall of the stairs, probably no insulation at all.  I reached out to the landlords to ask if they would consider redoing the siding to add insulation.  Fingers crossed.  My lease is up in April, and I really don't want to move, but also want to be warm in the winters and have affordable electric bills.

     This quilt was ordered before my unexpected unemployment and arrived today.  It was going to hang on the wall where the previous quilt is but was not large enough to be effective.  It's also too gorgeous to be a possibly seasonal hanging so I moved it over the sofa where it can remain.

     The fabric is all handmade batik, and it is truly exquisite.  I love love love it.  There is still a lot of space on the wall which is going to be perfect for several art class projects I have coming up in the next few months.  I may have to get a 2nd job for my crafting addiction.

      I hope that you are staying warm in the northern hemisphere of the world, and cool if you are in the southern.  I'm counting the days until the possibility of the first crocus of spring (six weeks and four days).

                                            Hugs,

                                                  Ci