this and that

I have been keeping busy but not necessarily with quilting stuff. Tuesday the quilt group met and I did sit down to make a few more triple rail blocks from some backing cutaways. I call 'em basketweave blocks--is either correct? Either way, I got this much of them assembled while I was there. I am using the set up from Mary Ellen Hopkins old BOM for "Mock Triple Rails and Squares" with the plain squares forming a heart shape at center if you can see that in the print out. Theramae and I were stitching these blocks at the sew-in but her top is done and the girls pinned it along with several others.

Two more of the Merkitty challenge tops were done and I did take pics of them but will wait to share those till after the Christmas party. A piece of backing fabric that Mom sent recently was perfect for the back of Beverly's top--the pink and blue splotchy one, Mom. I stopped sewing my triple rail in order to piece it together for her since I had the only machine set up. Lois bailed me out with a needle though when I broke mine with about 12 inches to seam. I had left my extras at home though I had all my other sewing supplies with me. Reminder: put a pack or two in the carry along basket too, not just in the wound bobbin container. Theramae had two quilts to turn in--one snuggle up and another scrappy cut squares so a few pictures to take as well. Pat worked on binding on the one of the tops I recently quilted keeping me company while I stitched. Theramae will finish that one up at home while Lois took the 2nd top home to do the honors since I am machine quilting one of her tops for her.

Beverly's DIL is a beginner quilter and had a top to pin that she hopes to tie. She has begun sewing nine patch blocks and is going to be a meticulous piecer, I can tell. She needed a little help in how to cut (left-handed) as she had been using purchased cut squares for her project. I really enjoyed her enthusiasm and of course, we are all willing to share what we have learned over the years.

Several of us ran out for a light lunch at a bakery down the street and brought it back to join the others who had carried theirs in. I didn't realize that they served some breakfast items and had soup, salad and sandwich items that you could eat in or carry out. It smelled heavenly in there--like cinnamon and yeast bread. Beverly commented that she probably gained 5 lbs. just sniffing the aromas of the bakery items, LOL. I think we might run down there in January as a group for lunch. The girls sounded interested.

I spent the rest of Tuesday evening messing with some recipe files on the computer and most of the day yesterday between wash loads and meal prep. Actually what I fixed for supper was trying to replicate the chicken tortilla soup that the girls ordered at the bakery that looked and tasted so good. Inspiration comes from all sources. Perfect for a chilly evening.

This is what started a cleaning rampage yesterday morning. DJ had bought a hamper like this a few months back. It is so much easier to just roll the whole danged thing into the laundry room to sort the clothes than pull everything out of the hamper, load it into a clothes basket and handle it all over again in the laundry room. I had considered buying one for months and mentioned it again. DJ kidded me about just keeping it in the "mulling over" stage. But about similtaneously, it occured to us to see if it might work while both hampers were empty.

Okay, it fit in that spot nicely and access to the closet next to it would not be so limited. It doesn't stick out like my odd shaped, corner- intended woven onedoes. It would alllow me empty out the kits and UFOs from the small basket at the foot of the cutting table and the picnic basket stuffed with the same thing from under the table. Then the tub of Christmas fabrics can go under the table instead of sitting in front of the closet door. This might work. Pippi can launch herself up from the floor to her water bowl and window perch from the hamper, surely. (Said objects showed parked near the kitchen and removal from the house. )

Let the shifting stuff around begin! Out came the vacuum and now the old hamper is stuffed to the gills with the kits and UFOs that obviously I need to consider sewing up. Most of them are things that will go for donation quilts which makes for even more reason to do something with them. Not doing a child any good stuffed in a ziploc bag.

This is by no means, all that I have on hand either. I've got a stack of 12 pizza type boxes on the book shelf and there are about more in the sewing room closet and a basket that sits near my machine with 5 more pressing projects in it. At this rate I should never, ever leave this house at this rate and sew every available minute of my life, LOL. Or at the very least not start something new at the drop of a hat---but where is the fun in that? Sometimes sewing something new with some recently purchased fabric is what gets the quilting fire stoked again. Or combining fabrics from your stash with the color or print that combo was missing might get you off and running in another tangent.
So anyway, here we go---the "what lies beneath" all straightened up. A spot for the Christmas fabric now with room for some of the "yard sale" backing fabrics for a couple months back, 30's print tubs, pastels for another project, yellows, brights Actually have 30's fabrics in two other spots and it should all be combined but where would I put the tub???

The other three containers of yardage go up and down. I know what is in there as I visit them often. Some of it is large pieces of several yardages that a friend shared with the Belles for future challenge quilts so it is not going anywhere soon but it has to go somewhere in the meantime. The serger that I occasionally need and the paper shredder still fit along with my meeting tote bag and another pizza box of completed blocks. I squeezed in that bolt of muslin along the basket. Extra pizza boxes and bags with handles went in the space between the table legs and wall. I sew in an 10 x 10 bedroom so you have to use every inch of space to the max. You do what you have to do.

These cool mornings means waiting a bit to go walk. The problem with that is I get busy with something else and then don't want to stop what I am doing to get my exercise in. I prefer the summer routine of getting dressed and going out to do it before the day intervenes. Also I usually don't eat before I walk --feel sluggish when I do and don't physically feel like eating when I first get up anyway. I can see that a plan of action needs to be worked out a little better if I am going out after 8:30 and hope to keep my enthusiasm for exercise up. The minute that I don't make it a priority and start thinking of everything else I have planned for the day, it becomes a chore and making myself walk an extra lap just becomes drudgery. Having said that, the temp is now up to 41, sun is shining, looks like I don't have to scrap the car windows now-- I can dress for that. Off I go. I'll be quilting this afternoon and hope you have a good day too. Thanks for stopping by----