Weds. check-in

Well, so far today---nothing creative happening but a few more hand quilting stitches put in the border of my FAB friendship quilt.

I just got back from about a 100 mile round trip to take my Strip Twist top, last seen HERE , to the long arm quilter. Does that count, LOL? The weather forecast at week's end may be a little iffy so I thought today would be the best day for such a trip. It will be about a month or so before she get to it judging by the length of her list and her best estimation but that is perfectly fine. Maybe by pickup time I can share a ride back up as several other quilting buddies names were either right before mine or right after. I chatted with Susan for a bit, found some embroidery floss I needed at her shop, got a reuben sandwich (yum!) at Mill Street Deli and then drove on home.

My Sunday project was to put the binding on my Belles challenge quilt, last shown HERE . I had quilted it and one other donation quilt last week as planned. As it turns out I was able to use the leftover binding from it on the little calendar quilt block as well. I like to put plaid, gingham or stripe fabric on the bias so that worked out well for both quilts. Earlier in the day I had finished up the embroidered bits called for in the quilt. I also traced off THIS cute cat stitchery from Bronwyn Hayes of Red Brolly fame---part of a CATALICIOUS quilt, free BOM. I have a good bit of the cat stitched and a good bit done on the Freckles "Quilts yes!" I linked to in a prior post.

I had posted about the FAB reveal Monday evening. Today I lifted Cher's graphic from her post today since I forgot to take a pic of the finished project before I mailed it off to her. Silly girl!

Anyway.........the light tone on tone was the challenge fabric. The multi colored piece I picked up at the Fabric Depot in Portland at the FAB retreat to possibly use for the challenge provided it fit into my pattern choice. The remaining pieces are from the Twilight Frost collection from Connecting Thread---the sage colored one is called "Falling Snow", the stripe "Snow Tracks" and the dark piece "Blizzard" so I felt it fit a challenge name of "Baby's It's Cold Outside" I had initially planned on doing something way different than this involving circles and applique and such. Well that was one of several ideas I had but just as I was about to start I found out I had made a fabric ordering error. I was running out of time and made a wintery Convergence instead. But since I had ordered more for that other plan, I still have yardage to use. Not that circle thing but possible a scaled down version of THIS pattern from Connecting Threads. I have odd sized cuts and a charm pack, not fats, so that is why I am thinking scaled down. I could also finish my OWN version of convergence one of these days, instead of just hanging it off the bookcase till the end of time, LOL.

The stitcheries and handquilting are ongoing things so what is next on the list? We pinned my Sisterhood of Quilters top yesterday at the quilt meeting so I can quilt that at any time. It wouldn't take long and the "right" machine is out. I am due a "reward" piece but had not quite decided which one though Susan provided a nudge today.

You see, she had her version of Amy Bradley's Seasoned Quilter hanging at the shop---the birthday cake had been hanging but she didn't have the hearts done for February yet. Cute, way cute! Well, being an Amy Bradley fan I have that set of patterns on hand and really, really want to do them one of these days but I have had the Quilt Diva stuff longer. In fact, the fabric for the base of it is all kitted up while the Seasoned quilter is not PLUS it is on my 10n10 list. I mentioned that I should probably think about investing in a mega roll of steam a seam 2 when I was ready to do both of these projects. Susan handed me a couple yards of Pellon fusible to use and gave me orders to show some progress on the quilt, LOL---either of them. I guess to prove it, I should have it done and bring it with me when I pick up my Strip Twist.

Did you hear that boredom can be bad for your health? That is the theory put forth in to this blurb I spotted this morning on my home page. Well, no way I am getting bored! I could do something different in the crafty department every day!

Hope you have a wonderful day in whatever you chose to do---------

tada!

"Tada" is a word the FABS have been using a lot today as each one of us finished up the body of our Convergence Quilts. As you can see I did not waste too much time putting to use the mostly Moda Blackbird "Water's Edge" I got at the ATL area shop hop last Saturday (previous post for picture). What is on the shelves behind the wallhanging is making it bow out a bit---flat, it doesn't look so warped, LOL. Color is way off but the lights are soft yellow so maybe not as off as I think

Pam and I got started just slightly ahead of Norma since we were all up by 8 CST and chomping at the bit. Cher came along a bit later so we were all at slightly different stages in the making of the top. We kept in touch by IM and photos of our progression so it was fun to sew together across the miles and cheer each other on plus "ohh and ahh" over the different color combinations we used. All so different!

I will use the other fats I got for outer borders and a piece of the line called "wallpaper" cut on the bias for borders. I ordered some possible fabric choices online for a small framing border once I came to the outer border decision. This as far as I will get for the weekend so it will be back to quilting after supper.

At right is one of the 10 donation quilts I have quilted since 2/26. My mom made the one pictured---I hate to free motion but could not figure out what to do with those snowballs so ended up writing MOO. LOL, didn't kill me. We had joked about appliquing the Chick-fil-A restaurant slogan to spell out "Eat" "Mor" " Chikin" when we pinned it but doubted that many would get the joke. Moo is probably the same in Spanish as English? This is one of at least 12 headed to Pam for the Mexico project. I have 5 more pinned tops to go and am determined to be done with these by next weekend. Also I vow not to bring any more home with me from the meeting on Tuesday. Planning on our working on binding---BIG Time!



Pam asked "what is on your design wall?" Well, no wall here but this is what serves as one as shown by my hanging the Convergence piece up there this afternoon. I took the pic a few days ago but didn't post when I got too busy quilting. That same piece of redwork that needs a pieced border---someday. Two blocks in 30's repros that goes with my row quilt from last year---need 6 more blocks. Then over on the other shelving unit attached to one of the baskets, some challenge blocks from one of the Belles---I will be putting the resultant quilt together but mine aren't done yet. Below that leftover binding "bows"---usually shared with Cher or Pam once the bag is full.

Supper is leftover turkey loaf from the freezer but I need to make the side dishes. DJ had me give him a haircut after I finished my quilt top so that's out of the way. And, that is how my day, and week, has gone---busy as usual.

shop hoppin'

I don't know just where the day has gone but it is almost time for supper! How did that happen? I don't have to cook since we have leftovers available and will be going out for lunch tomorrow--cook's night off, I guess. I suppose I'll just keep goofing off--maybe do a few rows on my sweater or the November snowman block.

I had been on a tear with quilting some of the tops for Mexico--4 quilts done in 4 days time-- and intended to continue on that pace this weekend as well. Well, not completely done--the binding volunteers will finish up. My part is done though. BUT my pal Judy unexpectedly stopped by Friday afternoon to drop off a book for me and issued an invitation to go the Atlanta (GA) area shop hop with her on Saturday. I took me about 2 seconds to say "YES" and work out the logistics. DJ and I had tickets to the Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast Saturday morning so could we leave after that? Sure! Turns out Judy had just told her husband to go to the same breakfast without her but she would go after all and meet me there. We would send the boys on home without us after we ate. Playtime!

It is about 90 miles or so to the outskirts of Georgia on I-20 so off we went. Got hung up for a good bit trying to hit I-285 North to Marietta since we were heading to Tiny Stitches. Judy had gone to the Hop in '05 with a couple of the Belles but for reasons I don't remember, I did not. She has visited the shop a few times in between and knew how to get there. I have been to Tiny Stitches once with Cher when she was visiting her sister who lives in the ATL area but no way would I have remembered how to get there. We picked up a map for the participating shops and took it from there.

Next up was Little Quilts since it is also in Marietta but we decided not to worry about getting all the passport stamps--no way since we had to get home to AL somewhere before supper and the shops would be closing at 5 Eastern time. Cher had said that Intown Quilters was her fav shop in the area--brights, batiks etc That appealed more to the both of us.

But first, we went to a Cheesecake Factory near a mall off 285--I didn't know where the heck I was all day, LOL. Yummmmy but no cheesecake for either of us. They could have had to clean drool off the pastry case had we not gotten to our seats soon. (I had Thai Chicken Pasta and Judy, grilled salmon and brought the leftovers home with us)

So the picture above shows what followed me home. From top left, a free pattern from Tiny Stitches and Intown Quilters rendition of the tropical themed shop hop quilt. Next to it, Little Quilt fats of shirtings and Civil War type fabric to add to my collection of same. I am not going to cave into the wave of Civil War Diary blocks I have seen on some blogs but I will make something with it in the future when I find a project I want to do with it. The striped fabric was included with their shop pattern along with the candy.

Moving to the right, a yard of bright green fabric. That I need for the next row quilt----a yard of fabric that "represents" us in some manner. We are to tell why we picked it out and what it means. Well, I guess I am a little "dotty", like brights and make kids quilts but what she wants us to do with it from there is unknown at this point. The red tone on tone and the red and green batiks are for the Christmas row that will be headed my way soon in May. The fat eighths in the lower right in front were from Tiny Stitches as our freebie while the batik squares were from Intown Quilters.

Lastly, the 8 fat quarters to the lower left are some I picked out for the Convergence wallhanging that we FABS are doing--check out the ones that Norma has selected! Now to narrow down which weekend we are going to actually sew this!

I got home from GA at 5 our time, just in time to fix our supper. Playtime over! DJ was enjoying the good weather yesterday and getting the lawnmower ready for spring/summer. Here's my fella relaxing in his recliner this afternoon and Pippi, above, thinking about sunbathing in the doorway. It was gorgeous outside today--almost 70 by our thermometer though as I write this the sun is setting and it is cooling a bit. We opened up the windows for some fresh air this afternoon. He got in 9 holes of golf this morning having played only 3 times in February--a little rusty would be an understatement, he said. I walked in my shirt sleeves in the mid 50's. Storms may be on the way in come Tuesday--nothing lasts forever but we can enjoy it while we have it, right?

So, none of plans worked out this weekend but I did something better that I had no idea I would be doing. Nice break away from the home routine and a good day with a friend. I'll take it! Hope you had a good weekend in whatever you chose to do.