box upon box upon box

Yesterday was a big mail delivery day around my house! I still had not found a home for the 30 some yards I had gotten at the quilt retreat and my sewing room was getting a little smaller around the periphery. (And it is only 10 x 10 to begin with).

The fabric you see in the foreground is some that a friend and fellow Wrap 'Em list mate had sent so I could make a choice for a challenge fabric for the Bama Belles this year. These are 8 yard cuts so I have enough for a couple years worth. A quilt shop in KY had donated yardage to her and she had some to share. This was the


one I picked for us to work with this year. Michael Miller "Merkitties" Actually it is a little brighter green but I was more concerned with getting the royal blue background adjusted in editing. Soft pinks and ivory colorations with that brights.

As if that were not enough, Kitty also sent that big Barnes and Noble box full of backing fabrics. Our postal person honks to let us know that there is a package peither on top of the mailbox across our lane or she is delivering it to the door. DJ headed out though I know I had packages coming. He hauled the box in along with a stuffed to the gills priority box. Apparently someone had donated100 yard rolls and bulk yardage so she passed some along to us. I already have put that piecing of shirting type stuff to use and laundered up another 10 yard section. You will see where further down in the post.

The priority box that DJ brought in was full of challenge fabrics came from Ellen. It was bulging with scraps, strips, yardage! The idea is that she would pack whatever she could get crammed in there and we make one or more WTIL quilts for $10 to cover mailing etc. Now that is a "win-win" situation since things are cleared out of the shop and we get some new fabrics to play with for our quilts. There were a couple of 2 yard sections that I will probably use for a two color Puss in the Corner--positive/negative probably--of another Michael Miller cat fabric. But a big pile of 2 1/2 inch strips already cut, sandwich bags stuffed with 2 inch and 2 1/2 inch squares along some half square triangles. Stray blocks or block componenets as well as stuff I can cut up/trim down of my chosing. Miss Rosie's Quilt Co. Grandmother's Scrap Bag pattern is calling me for some of those bits and pieces.

I set this all aside to work on that last Joann's BOM---things were not going well. Either not cut correctly or the seamtress error with the flying geese etc so I may well junk this one out. I already know that I am making an 8 block top so I'll see what background fabric is leftover if I need to make a replacement for another use.

Then as I was preparing supper, the doorbell rang again---this time, it was the UPS driver and a package I expected from my mom arrived. DJ had to haul THAT one in too amidst groans that he never gets anything in the mail or words to that effect. 10 quilt tops that she made and I will back and quilt---these will be going to Pam for the Mexico project in spring '08. I got busy pairing the tops with backings last evening and took this picture after I finished. Either I used some fabric that mom sent adding some stuff from my stash to make it wider, some of what Kitty had just mailed or I pieced it from things I had on hand. Stashbusting my stash and their too, LOL. Actually I did have to make a run to Walmart for 2 yards of a pink to finish the last one but 2 yards plus a tad for the wider ones for 10 quilts found a use.

Pippi of course, is supervising the whole deal. She still has that "poodle paws" thing going on if you look at her front legs. Mom has all her binding pressed and wrapped on the large cardboard piece propped next to the quilt stack with labels as to which one goes with what quilt and how long it is. Me? Still need to press 4 quilts worth--right next to it and the iron. The box also had a nice pile of abandoned blocks for me to play with. More quilts inspired by Finn on the horizon. The other thing in the montage up there---I just emptied off the last bit of thread on a 6000 yard spool in 5 months time. Some of it is wound up on the bobbin rack but that is a lot of thread---must have been a busy girl! (The gray one is what it looks like to start)


Lastly, here is my fabric from the retreat. The two on the end on the left were in a grab bag but we didn't count those in the tally. Last I heard the total for the group was up to 250 some yards and that was without two people "fessing up". The fats I got mainly since I thought they might work in the orphan block quilt I was working on at the retreat though I found more yardage for two of them at the fabric sale. A few purple, yellows, teals--my fav colors after all. A couple of backgrounds in creamy tone on tones and two rusty browns that may end up on my medallion round robin for that last border. (Once they are displayed at the quilt show that last round will be re-worked as I hate that polycotton brown and that mess in the corner has got to go.) The wild tropical floral on the right end was purchased so I can try the 4 patch stacked posie pattern that I picked out for my birthday. Norma is responsible for that "itch" since she pointed the pattern out in IM and I was intrigued by the whole thing. Maybe if she and I ever get caught up, we can give it a whirl.

I will make a separate post with the quilts/wrap up from the quilt meeting on Tuesday since that is a shift of gears, so to speak. Stay tuned..........