Sew-In day/check in

Fun day with the gals from the Friendship Quilters group. It is far easier to visit with folks across the table than in the guild meeting set up where you basically set in a chair and vote on this and that, LOL. Except for the time before and directly after the meeting you just don't have that chatting time.

I was having some machine tension issues with the Jem so I did not get too far with the project I cut out yesterday. I had said that if I had to spend my day doing "boring sewing" i.e. seaming backs, cutting, sewing binding then I wanted to do something fun and "new to me" at the sew-in. It meant more cutting, of course. This is Billie Lauder's "Reflections" using a batik layer cake pack that my pal Pam sent to me. I did try one half of the block but really want my Brother for this one. No, I do not know where this one will be going. Some of the colors are right up QOV alley but is it allowed to put in other colors, like red, green and orange?? Does it really matter? I suppose those are campaign ribbon colors so maybe. I didn't touch the folded eight point star which I found on delaware quilts as a free pattern---later with that one.

I did get started on a pile of QOV 3-D bow ties. These will have red knots throughout which I did not color that way for the layout in EQ. That was mostly for counting purposes. I need 76 pieced blocks and will have to buy some WOW for the alternating spaces.

Of course I had to demo the bow tie block to a few of the gals. That and the EZ flippy corner version to a newbie quilter. She spotted the printout in my work space. I told her I could show her a really easy way to do them --the ez one and a FUN "how did you do that?!" one, LOL.

Our vice prez/program person gave us instructions on how to make those cute little bags from mesh pet screen and a sewing themed fabric. Fun! Of course, you can do them any size but this is what they had kitted up for us. My tablemate showed me the cute tomato like pincushion they had done yesterday. Tomorrow they are doing a convergence class but you can go even if you don't want to have the class and work on your own stuff. I don't plan on going but they were certainly encouraging me to do so. The pals that I went with today are going over to East Cobb Quilters bi-annual show in Marietta tomorrow.

That other stuff in the picture? Well, I didn't get to the binding sewing and in fact, need to cut more. I DID get the boring sewing stuff mostly done, other than that. By 930 PM, I quit sewing, though my brain was still in overdrive planning something else for down the line. Not so conducive to sleep, let me tell you. I have one more quilt back to go though (the other 4 are done). Then the green stuff needs washed as it is a little stiff feeling. Tomorrow........Sunday, I am going to do hand work. Next week probably start quilting since the machine I use for that is set up right now.

Yesterday afternoon Jane had called to see if I had any binding to do as she didn't really want to take her machine to the sew-in. She had no particular project that she was itching to do. m I had to take a little detour last night to get one bound for her to work on and it took a little time to get the quilt prepped---a re-do is always harder than the "from scratch". Aline wasn't sewing either but she had binding to finish up on a quilt entry for next week and was hand quilting on her redwork Sunbonnet Sue quilt. Betsy was working on QOV pillow cases.

Oh, I had a "treat" shortly after I got there! Recently I had sent a good sized box of abandoned blocks to a guild member in response to a need for quilts in the Shoal Creek area of Alabama where there was significant tornado damage this spring. The lady I sent them to was my table mate today---in fact, Mary was quilting on her half of the table on one that will go to a young person . Mary pointed out a member of her small quilt group who had put a good many of those abandoned blocks into a top at the sew-in. She was preparing to put on the outer border when I arrived. The woman wondered if I had any information about who made the blocks. She knew a couple as either she or her sister had made some of them. I could point out the ones my mom or I had made farily easily. A few I thought were Aline's but they were hand pieced and Aline would have used the machine. BUT I went off without my camera--dang it! I'll ask Mary to have the other gal take one if she can. It made a pretty quilt for someone and will find a good use NOT hiding in my closet waiting for a "some day" to come along.

And sew it goes--------thanks for stopping by