anything but machine quilting

The past few days I just have NOT felt like machine quilting--so I gave myself permission not to. Like DJ often says to me "Who gave you all these jobs? Aren't you retired?" Good point. Also good to rest my aching right shoulder a bit---used to be my left one acting up. Now that one is okay and the right wants to get into the act.

So anyway, a little hand stitching to fill the time a bit. I had a good start on this August block before I set it aside a month ago. I finished it up. The color is absolutely not right in the pics --the background is a white on white that looks as close as I could find to snowflakes. The DMC floss color #798 is not purple or navy either. Pam is using purple and it looks great but mine is actually more of a primary colored blue, like the color of a hyperlink. Norma is doing these blocks as well and I think with the same color! I have to watch out though as these girls are gaining on me, not that it was a contest to get done first, LOL.

Here is the one that I finished up yesterday afternoon. I had thought that I would skip the french knots on his body but it looks a little bare. The blocks were found HERE and originally designed for machine embroidery. An online quilt group I moderate had permission to use the graphics but do them by hand. See, the color looks almost black in this one--again, not a bad choice, just not the one it actually is.

I still had time--what to do next? I sewed down a label on one of the recently turned in quilts but I sure didn't feel like binding. I thought about my "Dazzling Dog" blocks--- it is on my long ignored personal UFO list though the snowmen are on there too. Everytime I see the "Major" block on Laurie Ann's blog it makes me smile. I really should finish that quilt one of these days. I have already done the "Kitty City" one after all. Out came Prissy, the Poodle---most of the hand blanket stitching was done except for the dress and glasses. I have only four more blocks to stitch as the blocks were all prepped some time back.

I recently purchased Amy Bradley's Seasoned Quilter set from the same designer that has the detachable quilts for Christmas, Birthday, Halloween, Thanksgiving, 4th of July, Easter, Valentine's Day and St. Pat's. I can't wait to get started on those. Amy was generous enough to include the "Bountiful Beauties" pattern along with my order for free. Another fun pattern though I am afraid I resemble those girls a little too much.

We finally got a bit of rain yesterday along with some thunderstorms. Quite foggy this morning so I waited to go walk. Yesterday I had lost track of how many rounds I had gone so I may have overdone it a bit. I told DJ that maybe I better lay out 6 or 7 rocks in a row and then remove one with each successive round and quit when I was done if I can't keep track any better than that. I get lost in the tunes, I guess.

Well, enough prattling from me. I've cooled down enough to get in the shower and not feel like I need another one as soon as I get out. Till I fire up the blowdryer, that is. Why did I cut my hair?

In conclusion I love you, Mom