one of THOSE nights

I don't think that today is going to be a sewing day around here. I have a feeling that my efforts would lead to more "reverse sewing" or I would be primed for a rotary cutter nick or an attempt at sewing through my finger. Oh, tell me that doesn't happen at YOUR house too!

I am definitely not at the top of my game since I could neither get to sleep till after 1 a.m. and have been awake since 4: 15. Finally I bailed at 5 and fired up the computer. It is NOT that I have a lot on my mind and that was interfering with my sleep. I certainly was tired enough at 9 or so to have gone to sleep if it had been dark, cool and quiet around here. Well, cool and dark I could manage---quiet, no. Not with a small house and a husband who is a candidate for a hearing aid. I see a nap on the horizon later today.

So what is on the horizon for me?  Well, I want to back up my computer files but first all these saved files---and that is not near all of them----need to be put into their basic categories before I do that.   It also helps to remind me of just what is in there or delete any dupes or the ones that no longer have as much appeal.  Some will  just go in that big catch all "misc, uncategorized" for later sorting if they are mixed patterned quilt.

I am sorta looking for a few things as I do this:

First off,  I am considering a Bama Belles challenge consisting of me picking a pattern and then asking them to interpret it with their own fabric this year.  That would be a new twist.  We have done the all the same fabric ones several times.  We did a scrappy challenge last year.   Lord knows,  THAT could be explored some more and some new ideas on how to use those cut strips and squares is always good.    I have a few ideas tucked away if we go that route or it could be a choice for the spring sew date.

Second, my dear FAB pal Pam and her husband lost their long time Kitty Companion around Thanksgiving.  They had taken Akira in when he could no longer stay with his kitty daddy (their son) Ryan  .I know how hard that is to go through losing a long time treasured furry family member. when our Pippi passed away almost 4 years ago. It still hurts. Pam and I made memorial quilts for her; mine is seen in THIS POST.   I had pulled some possible fabrics the other day for this purpose but am not quite sure of a pattern.  I know I have a copy of that Rose Garden or whatever I used but still cannot come up with its proper name!!   Yeah there are two grouping there.  One would also be in honor of Chico the neighborhood cat who has gone missing.  While we are still hopeful that Skyler's kitty buddy may show up, it is also possible that he won't after this much time passing.  (Glynda said they had looked everywhere on the property as they have about 30 acres, some timber with a creek running through it.)    

Lastly, some time back Cher had sent a packet to each of the FABS  with this panel from the 2011 Sister's Quilt show and some of the go with's.  The fabric line is "My Sunshine" by Kathy Deggendorfer for "In the Beginning".  No date has been firmed up for us to work on this but she was issuing a challenge for the 5 of us to make a quilt from at least the panel piece.  I was teasing her recently that this might just be what we do for her THIS year birthday since we didn't sew last year on her FAB PAR-TAY date.  

I had bought some of the fabric line with my birthday money from the Belles. I have a good idea of what I am going to do.  However, as I so often say "I reserve the right to change my mind, LOL".  I am a quilter, after all and have one friend  in particular who sends me pattern idea links to tempt me.  Since she gave this to us, I have been looking at things that feature panels or large focus pieces and considering them as possibilities.  That project has an idea folder set up too!  And some of those files in my huge "quilt files and pdfs" folder go in said folder.

To the right:  what I do when I cannot sleep.   I own two very similar patterns----Criss-Cross Quilt from the free quilt patterns info site (not free) and Prairie Window from QuiltWoman and designer Anne Wiens.  I have done a couple tops using the Prairie Window. Easiest way to find them would probably be to look in the 2011 flimsies and finishes tabs on my blog site proper, not a feed.    Okay, I own the patterns so why did I draw it up, you might ask?    Well, neither pattern is perfect for WTIL needs.  We shoot for around 40 x 60 though kids come in all sizes.  Prairie Window has wider rail sections and just looks a bit "clunky" to me.  The lap size is too big and the baby quilt finishes at the odd (to me) size of 44 x 51---too wide and too short, for WTIL range.    Criss-Cross?  It is shown as a square quilt and I prefer rectangular ones when possible.  I drew it up in EQ, did the calculations and then wrote up some cutting instructions for me.  

I also have some other paper piddling to do today. Primarily I need to write up some minutes for the executive board meeting from guild before my notes get cold but there is some other set aside mail to deal with as well.  I get busy sewing and if something does not require my immediate attention, it stacks for a few days, LOL.  

It has already been a busy week and it just got started!   Tonight, of course, we will be rooting on Alabama in the BCS championship football game.  ROLL TIDE!   Let's have a good game and no injuries, boys.  Tomorrow is Bama Belles day.  Some packing up involved there.  I'll need to be sure to pack my camera (and spare battery this time!!)  That stack of quilts needs to be delivered at some point.  Saturday I am back over to Pell City for regular guild meeting.  Something tells me I am not going to get a whole lot of sewing done this week----but that's okay too.  I outdid myself last week, LOL.

It is staying fairly warm today with a lot of cloud cover but I can toss some burgers on the grill for lunch. Best get off the computer and take care of that!  Thanks for stopping by----------