Dec 9, 2012

party and a plan

Yesterday was the Friendship Quilters' Guild meeting with installation of officers (I'm continuing on as secretary another year) and finishing up the program year business.  The highlight of the meeting to me, is always Show and Tell.  Not only did we have Christmas items on display but the Paint Chip Challenge items were revealed.  What fun!

Shown at left is the quilt that was made for Peggy, our outgoing president.  We were instructed to make a Sunbonnet Sue block and have it represent us in some manner.  My original block was misplaced and I had to hurry up and stitch another recently.  Unfortunately it did not have the same background though I was sure I had picked something that was like the original.  I was wrong----it sticks out like sore thumb down there in the lower left. 


Peggy made the rotary cutter holders for each of us.  LOL she said when her daughter spotted it she insisted she needed an eye glass holder.  Looks like it would work for that too!  Another person said she thought it would work for her cell phone.

Another member passed out the reindeer noses.  How cute!  One red ball for Rudolph, I guess.  The thread and between quilting needles were given to me as part of the installation of officers, the analogy being that a guild is like a quilt.  The president was binding, the vice president batting and the treasurer, backing.  Committee members were quilt blocks or as one stated, "blockheads."  Membership, charms and there was one at each table spot.

Of course, the potluck lunch was delicious too.  I didn't come home with much leftover peanut butter sheet cake but enough to keep DJ's sweet tooth tended to.  Aline and I were the only ones who ended up going from the north end of the county but we had a precious passenger come home with us.  Her great granddaughter lives with her mama and grandma in Pell City and grandma was moving this weekend.  Aline and Hans keep her a couple days of the week anyway but the phone call came and Lilly came back with us.

I guess Christmas is officially here as I got my hand crafted card from my friend Janet when I arrived home.  She paints and has the painting made up into a print for her Christmas cards.  I always look forward to this and of course, keep these and display them even into January when the snowmen and related wall hangings come out.  So pretty!

I was just exhausted by the time I got home as I had slept so poorly Friday night.  I tried to go to bed early but that just was not working.  DJ was up and the TV blasting.  The door being shut did not muffle it.  I think he needs his hearing aid adjusted again.

Finally by 9:30 I just gave up.  I knew that the historian would need the show and tell lists in order to post picture identification so I typed up the minutes.  Not officially in my duties but it helps her out since she is busy taking the pictures as people come in and hang their items.   (I borrowed her graphic for Peggy's quilt).  In viewing the pictures this afternoon apparently I missed a couple and will have to go back and revise my notes.   Beth said she missed a few that I had written on the list.  Next thing I knew it was 11:30 and I tried the bed again.  Thankfully, last night was a better night--still awake a little bit but not from 3:15 for good.

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I mentioned a plan, quilting goals as it were.  Of course my two immediate piecing goals are
  • Allison's tree skirt and maybe stockings at some point.  She is not expecting it for THIS Christmas decorating time but I will get it done for her.
  • Adapted Oxmoor House Christmas quilt top completion-----at long last get that going.  Hold me to it, okay??
I was digging around in the closet looking for a former Christmas project and pattern that I apparently no longer have.  I am tired of moving stacks of stuff around to get at a buried container in the small closet.  Or guessing at a boxes contents.   (I share closet space with the air exchange unit). 

Later in chatting with Norma.  I said that I really needed to get a handle on the stuff that I have in this tower unit and make some room so the stuff can come out of the storage area in the closet.  Some of the projects are personal items but most of them are donation items or even fabric that I have pulled from various sources that could maybe be combined in some manner. Some I know I absolutely do not want to do or will re-purpose.  I would rather piece than quilt, any day.  I came up with the name "kit it and hit it" ---get these tops done and moved on to a child who needs it!!

Norma's thorn in her side are the fabrics and kits that she has gotten as mementos on previous holidays.  Not just hers but some that her mom who does not sew has gotten along the way on the same trips.  Hey, she knows a quilter who has taken good care of her table toppers and seasonal decorating needs so why make it yourself?  Last year Norma's two kids BOTH got married within a few months of each other so you know where her priorities had to be!  2013 is a whole new ball game. She's in and will write up a list of ones she wants to do.

Sometimes we start off great guns and then get off track with the squirrel, shiny object syndrome.  You have to allow for those but we both made a commitment to get these things moved along.  Honestly, that is what helps keep interest up---try something else for a while.  Squirrels are therefore allowed in our action plan.  It is fine to share links and get excited about something new.  We both know we want to continue with our plans for the Halloween row x row.  Guild is doing one too and I am really excited about it.  One pro bono top a month, two a month??  I got all those pizza boxes packed with stuff too.  Save that for another year?

But just how many things are actually in that tower???  Is this even do-able, realistic?  Do we need to put a cap on the number or re-visit it in a few months from now> 

I pulled stuff out of there this afternoon and took a good look at the contents and made a list.  There are 13 items on it.  Actually I am going to make it 14 as I want to finish up that Criss Cross quilt I have started.  I could list them here but really what they are is only important to me at this point.  I'll do a list on one the page tabs if you are curious, LOL.


Norma and I told Cher about our plans when she arrived on IM.  When I mentioned that a couple of the things I have were not even originated by me.  People donate things and somebody like me finishes them up.  Cher offered to take up to two of them off my hands.  You got a deal, girlfriend! 

Pictured above is one such item.  I think Anne was making a Hidden Wells quilt and a fairly good sized one at that.  There were 19 different strip sets already made up, about 3 yards of that gold tone on tone so that could have been for borders.   We are going to just split the strips sets and make a donation quilt for Wrap Them in Love.  I also had something that originated from my mom--or at least the pattern idea did.   Maybe one of the fabrics.  Anyway I thought it would be something less fussy than another one I kept with 1 inch finished strips in it!  Cher's skills are up to it but since she is a free form, design as you go kinda gal, I thought that might drive her up the wall.   It's on my list but not high priority.   I'll probably list a few personal items I would like to address too---there are probably 3 or 4 of those but just to have something to eventually cross off. 

Another part of the equation too is limiting fabric acquisitions to borders, background and binding, when possible.  I do not have much more room to put anything more in here.  Space is finite therefore something needs to be sewn and gone from this small room.  Right now personal items are in one drawer---they can wait for now.  The other 3 drawers, donation items.   I have a plan and will do my best to make it happen. 

I took the day off from sewing, cutting, knitting or embroidery.   My left wrist and thumb is a bit sore like I should have it splinted or wrapped.  Wrestling the crockpot around trying to wash it tonight did not do it any favors either.   Tomorrow I have an appointment to get my hair trimmed and later an eye doctor's appointment.  DJ will probably go with me as it is his doctor and he has some questions about his treatment plan plus I am reasonably sure they will dilate my eyes.    Then Tuesday is the Bama Belles Christmas lunch so my creative time will be limited but I never stay away long.

There you have it----hope you have had an enjoyable weekend. 

1 comment:

  1. Good luck with your plan - I'll hold you to it - haha. But those squirrels are distracting little buggers - I can't resist them - that's for sure - ;))

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