this and that

When I was back in Illinois last month visiting with family, Mom and I were discussing some possible quilt choices for the grandkids.  She has been working steadily on making full sized quilts starting with the older grands and working down from oldest to youngest, more or less.  Two are married now and received their quilts as wedding presents.  Allison was engaged and has her quilt.  Other tops are done, one or more quilted and waiting.  Another in the works that she laid out for preview.

Mom has some thoughts on what she is making for the younger set based on their color choices.  Anyway, this block came up though neither of us could remember what Judy Martin had called it and could not lay hands on her Scrap Quilts book right away either.  It is called "Country Cousin" and has sort of a "Rob Peter to Pay Paul" positive/negative deal going on.  (ED:  11-28 on the 365 Quilt Blocks perpetual calendar calls this 4 Knaves.  BlockBase #1197 Nancy Cabot 1938)

We had done  this years ago as a block raffle at Hands All Around Quilt Guild.  I won a pile of them and have obviously done little with them.  However, I did make a more, even hand piecing some of them in the car on vacation even.    There are 45 in the stack, 4 are joined even as it makes a secondary pattern when the blocks are joined.  BUT check the year on the postmark!  While I still like the blocks, like the red and lights combo etc after this length of time am I really going to ever get to them??

I told Mom that she was welcome to them to jump start her granddaughter's/my niece's quilt proposed quilt.   I keep forgetting to box them up and she had to remind me at one point too. That "remember-er" is not working as well as it once did or I am more easily distracted and less able to do 4 things at once, LOL.   First I needed a small box, then needed printer ink.  I've been a little busy sewing and quilting lately, really busy and it is not apt to slow down for a couple more weeks either. Well, they are boxed and ready, Mom and I'll be making a post office run as I have another outside errand (or two) to tend to before I hit the machine.

Skyler rousted me at 6:15 wanting his treat bit of Fancy Feast.  Unfortunately that hour was after only about 3 hours of sleep.  SIGH, one of those nights where I could not get settled, restless, uncomfortable in bed, pj's kept getting all twisted up.  Little booger rousts me so HE can climb back in.  Well, forget making the bed for awhile, LOL.  Normally I am up at 7 or so but there was no going back to sleep.

Instead I have been preparing that mailing and found a box that might work for the tree skirt mailing while I was it.  I have pre-washed some fabric for a friendship project (requiring two loads of wash be done).  I actually made oatmeal for breakfast instead of my usual peanut butter on one slice of whole wheat bread . I hate cooking in the morning!  Also not all that fond of cooked cereal but toss in some walnuts, raisins and cinnamon, it was not that bad.  Looked for a decent recipe for cooking steel cut oats in the crockpot thinking I could just re-heat a portion.   Checked my email, checked facebook and a few headlines that caught my eye.  Looks like the Cardinals can forget a trade with the Rangers that might include Ian Kinsler as he is headed to Detroit in place of Prince Fielder.  Detroit loses about umpteen million dollars and 7 year left on that contract.  HMMMMM.  Will need to catch up with the blog hop when I have time for a computer break, here and there.

I have also done a bit of prep work for the applique elements of the paint chip challenge.  I cut out all I could of the pieced elements yesterday.  Because of the adjustments I made in the width a couple things will have to wait.  I can start sewing but there are a couple of appliqued elements that can be stitched into seam lines so I'll get that part ready to go.  The fabrics are pulled and pressed already, waiting.

And sew it goes----you know where to find me!