Sew-in report

 What a fun day with the girlfriends at guild!  The event is always three days but the only one where all 4 of us could get away was Friday so we loaded up in Jane's SUV and off we went.  Terri's husband offered to help pack up the back end thinking we needed a hand to fight 4 machines and accompanying bags and supplies in there  but this was NOT our first rodeo, LOL.

I had elected to work on a little rewards project though I certainly could have started on my guild alphabet challenge piece, due next month.  Just not in the mood to sew strip sets.  This little bag kit from Quilt Taffy that I got with the giveaway from Carol's of Just Let Me Quilt fame was just ticket.   The pattern is from "Whatcha Got?" from This and That patterns designed by Sherri K. Falls.  Corrie packed it up with a charm pack of Moda's American Jane Potluck.  With 42- 2.5 inch squares this large size only uses half of the pack so I could conceivably make another.  I am pretty sure that the Ashville Quilt Shop has what Corrie called "Pez" fabric on hand.  Using the same fabric for the backing and lining, she had sent 1/2 yard of the measuring tape fabric.  I would have to track down some vinyl or pet screening would work too.

As you can see I did not get too far with it.  What  you don't see from this lousy picture is that the little charm squares are actually already sewn to a piece of vinyl that Corrie had cut saying "it is hard to see on the mat" and since she had to cut a section off to kit it up, she cut it to size.  I appreciate it!  I would have had the front completely done but after carefully arranging the color sequencing the way I thought I wanted it, I sewed on section upside down and had a concentration of red in one corner.  Rip----again!   I had also misunderstood the folding part for the zipper tabs.  DUH, do it like you do purse straps and you won't have to worry about a raw edge!  A glue stick or a dot of glue and the touch of an iron would have helped to hold the zipper in place at the tab end but no one had one with them.  I am tossing one in my sewing bag while I am thinking about it!  Since I was traveling "light" yesterday (see the comments about 4 machines etc in the back of the SUV, LOL), half the house could not come with me!

We had a brown bag lunch with the group though some of the ladies did run out for lunch.  Our program gal and her mom bring their camper and stay out at the lake for the three day run of the sew-in to prevent that running back and forth from their home which I think is a 2 hour round trip away.  I know when I go for two days by myself I have thought about just staying overnight in a hotel one night rather than trucking back and forth, have my own personal retreat.  Now it would take some planning for the critters.

We 4 had talked about possibly stopping for an early supper depending on what time we left the sew-in.  Frankly after nibbling on some of the food people had brought to share, including Terri's frosted pumpkin bars and my cookie brownies I don't think any of us were ready to have Mexican food at 3:30.  We'll shoot for another time.

Speaking of critters, I don't know what these two were doing all day while I was gone but look at these two lazy bones.  Skyler is lolling around on
the bed though he did greet me at the door.  Sometimes this is his playing pose too.  Run and chase down the hallway and he leaps on either bed and wants you to either pet his belly or flop down with him.

Oscar on the other hand:   yeah we walked up and down the lane when I got home like we often do but poor thing looks exhausted.  I would expect this after the park laps.   Tough job patrolling the back yard, tossing his rawhide bone around and digging little holes in the back yard?  It had been a hot day and by evening it was a bit muggy.  I assume that dogs can get overheated just like people do?  I heard some distant rumbling and it looked like rain was on its way in again.

Miss Kathrine called and said that Kit Kit had turned her nose up at the Friskies canned food that she had been giving her .She, like Skyler eats primarily dry food with the wet more like a treat bite.  Did I want to try it?  Skyler is a Fancy Feast guy but I could see if he would eat it rather than let it go to waste.  OR Oscar will eat anything, LOL.  I went across the lane, visited with her a bit, played with the cat though she was being mighty feisty.  Her post-surgery confinement is coming to an end and Miss Katherine is ready for Kit Kit AKA Mamacita to be back to neighborhood cat status.  She has been getting into EVERYTHING.

I needed to run out to get something for supper after our visit since our early supper plans had fallen through.  As I was coming home and waiting to make a turn at one of the t-intersections near here, a lady was turning and rolling down her window looking right at me.  It looked like she needed some help.  She asked if I knew where the McClellan ball fields were.  I had a fair idea and told her it would be far easier to just have her follow me over than try to explain where to turn and such.  "Whip a u-ie and I'll get you over there."  I was not doing anything important last night other than unpacking from sewing.

Remember where I had the picnic recently and the pictures of the aquatic and fitness center?  The diamonds and football field are in that same complex.  Maybe even soccer field or two as well? I hopped out of the car to tell her that I thought this was the spot and parking was also available across the road, it being the same complex and property.  Bless her, she offered to give me some gas money but I wouldn't hear of it.  Only a couple miles drive and I am always running over that direction for some reason.   I asked where she was from just to get her on the right track towards home once the game was over.   By that time, it was really darkening up so I hope all those folks did not get wet sitting out watching the team in the All Star game.   I had some rain on the windshield but not too much to worry about using the wipers.

So another day dawns.  I am going to try to finish up that little bag today.  I also picked up the missing power cord and foot pedal for the New Home machine I got from Sherry's estate from one of the gals at the sew-in so I have "new to me" machine to try out.   I don't see where the cords and pedal are to pack into the hard shell sewing machine case so it could be that my new bag will house them.   But first, I am going to go dust and vacuum.  THEN I can play.  I've been up since 5:30 so Oscar has walked twice, a load of clothes is done and the dishwasher is already running.  Beyond that, who knows?  Wait for the grass to dry and go spray a weed or two probably.  That is how it goes lately.