another week has flown by

Time flies when you are having fun, right? Last post I was heading off to the Gadsden Quilt show in the next day (pictures at end of post) and looking towards two days of sewing at the 8th Annual Bama Belles Fall Sew-In. Time to update my blog, I would say.

I don't have any stitching that I can show you---I got a pile of rail fence blocks done at the sew-in and swapped some out with Theramae who was stitching some as well for a little variety. Other than cutting side setting triangles for the both of us, that is as far as my potential top got. It can wait.

I came home with a stack of 8 or 9 quilts and I still need to number and document them before they can be dispersed. Some will go to WTIL headquarters and others, down to the Presbyterian Home for Children in Talledega. The girls also pinned the last three tops my mom sent that will be going to Mexico and Pam's project. So it is looking a bit crowded in my bedroom right now with available surfaces covered with quilts in some stage of completion. One of these days I better get cranked up on quilting these up.

I also met with the young lady who has commissioned the t-shirt quilt and got the shirts here whenever I am ready to get started on the quilt---a couple of weeks from now anyway. First the row robin blocks, then my merkitties challenge quilt and then the t-shirt quilt. I found the black and white gingham she requested last month in Collinsville and picked up the WOW and interfacing I needed in Gadsden at Hobby Lobby on my way back home from the quilt show. The yardage was marked down and I was able to use a 40% off coupon on the miles of fusible interfacing that it takes.

I am nearing completion on the first block I need for the fall row robin. Working out well but can't show you the results for some time. What fun digging around in the fabric stash pairing up colors! I did have to buy some brown fabrics just to augment the stash and wouldn't you know that every piece is a Thimbleberries print? Not exactly my "thing" since I always think they look too dark and muddy and I swear that I was just shopping by color, not designer when I entered "Brown fabric" in the quiltshops.com search box.

On a non- quilting front, I picked up some yarn today to make an earwarmer/headband thing and maybe some mittens. My ears are getting a little chilly in the morning when I walk and I think that might be just the ticket plus I love to knit when I get a chance. Quilting takes precedence but I do enjoy it. Maybe a bit in the mornings instead of wasting time playing solitaire.

I am also making a committment to do some strength training. My friend Judy recommended a book she found helpful called "Strong Women Stay Young" and lent me her copy. I already own some free weights from years ago and DJ has some a bit heavier but I picked up the ankle weights they recommend today. A little more reading and I am going to get started on that next week. I continue to walk daily now (time off for the sew-in though) and am up to 2.8 miles consistently in about 52 minutes. The fact that I feel like a slug when I don't walk is a good sign for me. Even better, I almost weigh what it says on my drivers license, LOL. That is progress!

Oh, this week's home catastrophe---the plumbing which has been backing up water from the washer into the kitchen sink for months now got worse. DJ did a load of wash while I was gone sewing and the water also flowed out from behind the washer and dryer. He called the plumber who had to go down through the stand pipe and remove a big clog. And under the continued home concern category. no animal control person yet. Not surprising since there is only two of them for the whole county. The others called two or three weeks ago and still no response. They said they would be here Tuesday but no show---a standard problem around here where they tell you what you want to hear so you quit bugging them but then do what they darned well please. BUT no matter, the dog has moved on to either our neighbor across the lane or some other location. I have not seen her for days but something is eating the dog food and drinking the water. Just hope it isn't "varmits." DJ said I should probably quit putting food out if the dog is no where to be seen.

SO enough about me---how about some pictures from the quilt show? A couple of the Belles had several quilts exhibited and some won ribbons in the Viewer's Choice categories. "Horror of Horrors" though, the best of show picked was an appliqued "Kit Quilt". While someone still had to do the quilting and all that applique, I guess it grates on the organizers that a more original design, design set or something with personal fabric choices should have received the recognition. I say, that is what you get when you have uninformed, non-quilting general public doing the picking--they pick what reminds them of what grandma made and so forth and tend not to reward the truly well executed or designed at such events. I'll load as many as blogger will let me-----

Aline's Hanky Quilt--many of the handkerchiefs were bought by her daughter who has been living in England but moving back Stateside soon.

One of our newer Belles, Rosa made this lovely batik star sampler. Theramae helped her arrange the blocks and the multicolored cornerstones a few months back. It is huge though and I could not get the whole quilt in the picture.

I did not know the maker of this quilt but it sure looks fun---those moveable eyes are cool.

I don't know if you can tell that the skirts on this quilt, wall clock etc are three dimensional. The quilt was a challenge piece though I am not sure just which piece HAD to be used.

This quilt was made by Edna, a quilting friend from one of the other quilt groups in the area. These are BOM blocks from the Burns' "Pioneer Sampler" book that about 8 of us from Calhoun County took at a now closed quilt shop. She used the fall colored option while mine are made in 30's print (still need to finish quilting mine) but this is an interesting set for the blocks, I thought. A personal challenge, she said, on the informational notes.

This was one of my favorites--all those itty bitty hexagons and I love the fabrics as well. The quilter executed her design very well, I thought. Ribbon? Who knows---those were awarded long after I left.

This was another one I really liked---a watercolor feel to it. I do not know the quilter.

One of Gary's entries called I think, "Bird of Paradise". He said he had to learn how to foundation piece for the zig zag border. Well done and of course, being a purple lover, I love it!

I don't know much about this one other than it was foundation pieced as well. Very striking.

Guess that's it for now. We are invited down the lane to the neighbors for a cookout tomorrow so I am either headed out to the kitchen to bake a banana cake with caramel icing to contribute to the meal OR finishing up that row block. What I don't do now, I do later...........