this and that/meeting notes

A little of this and that going on around here.  Of course, knitting that has gotten me through hours in the doctor's office and before they started dilating my eye in earnest for surgery.    I've collecting my efforts for about a month, with the two rolled brim ones on the far left being the two latest.  12 hats in all but I almost have another watch cap done in another colorway.  I packed this all up and mailed it off to my friend Cindy along with a crocheted cap that Marilyn had given me to pass on to her.



Sunday I DID fire up the machine and got a few more blocks added to what will be the base for Allison's Christmas tree skirt---two more blocks to go as it will be 7 blocks x 7 blocks before I whack it up. 

 

I took my embroidery to quilting yesterday and didn't even touch it.  Come to think of it, I didn't touch the knitting either except to pick up and put it back down again.  We had several guests join us and another friend that has not been able to come in several months but a few others were missing due to illness and other health concerns.  Kind of a spontaneous potluck was planned after Lois posted "if I bring some soup for lunch will you join me?"  Others responded with what they would bring, LOL.   I think there were 5 machines up and running at one point.  Two were binding.  Several of us were involved with pinning but we had to deal with the monster roll of batting first!!   I could not have brought that down to the church in a more timely manner as we were only able to get two more quilts off the little bit that was left.  Lois and Rosa each had one to pin and I had two of mine in the mix.

 I had spent some time Monday evening prepping backs for them.  One of them I had to prep the batting  too from varying lengths I had been given by a long arm quilting friend.   Gotta love that heat fusible tape for the super flat batting..  Since then, I have prepped two more of my tops for the next meeting's pinning.  One or more of those will be going to the Friendship Quilters group since donating one pro bono top is a condition of membership now---1 minimum but Wrap Them in Love might be one of the donation areas but I don't know if we can designate that or not.  I WILL find out! 

There were no finished quilt to show you but Bev's personal project is about done.  Beverly's Tons of Black Challenge piece as well!  I shared that back in early December and will post its glamour shot once she turns it in.

Bev had made 10 quilts for the Veteran's Home project and had patriotic fabric to use up.  She plans for this to go on the back of one of the couches at home.  She was still working on the binding finish.

The girls were so helpful about helping me avoid the bending, stooping, lifting with assistance in loading/unloading the car.  I had left my grabber at home and there were a few times I could have used it---like when we were dropping binding clips off the pinning table right and left, LOL.   You think I will just be lazy if I keep using it once my activity restrictions are lifted?  Yeah, I thought so.

I had a followup appointment with the eye doctor on the way home.  That worked out well because I go within a block of his office on my usual route home and the timing was perfect.  We got done putting up the lunch supplies, picking up and rearranging the chairs/replacing table cloths etc and said our good byes just a bit after two, leaving me just enough time to drive back.   My right eye is doing well, according to the doctor and in my estimation too.  Preop instructions were given for the left and we are track to have round 2 on Tuesday the 29th.  I did ask him about what strength readers I would be needing----1.75 or 2.00.  I have several pairs of readers and one of them is 1.75, LOL but no higher.  I picked up another pair while I was in town on errands.  Seems like everyone you talk to that uses them does-----one in the spot they read, at the bedside, in their purse or project bag, etc.   You never want to be caught without a pair available.  LOL, I know my husband had to ask if I had any with me the day I went for my lab as he was looking at one of their ancient magazines in the waiting room----and I did though they looked a little goofy on him and the strength was not the same.  He is doing a little better about having his pair with him if he thinks he will have to read or sign something but only if he has a pocket in his shirt.   Not that time though.  I do need to make a few slimmed down glasses cases for them though.   I bet I can find a free pattern online and fabric in this room to get the job done, don't you?

As far as other sewing/quilting plans go, I am not very ambitious, I'm afraid.  I would like to track down some primary colored fleece to back a piece Nancy M gave the quilt group recently and do one of those fleece tie throws.   (The link will take you to the free patterns on the Project Linus site and then look for the "no sew fleece blanket".  It opens a pdf file so I did not want to post the direct link.  There is another pattern for just fringed blanket among other pattern choices.)  I did one for DJ years and years ago and will need a refresher course!  Once I get a measurement taken, I can get the ball rolling there though it might be easier for me to do it at the meeting place on an elevated table.  Since my table is in the corner of the room, it is not always handy for a project of this nature.  Also Nancy had given us a large pieced bow tie top that I think can be disassembled and made into two but may need a border or whatever.

I had changed my mind about how I want to approach the stack and whack hexagon stars----no big blob of green print in the middle??  The mottled antique quilter candy yardage from Connecting Threads arrived yesterday while I was out and it will surround all the blocks using the green for an inner border and binding and of course, the focus prints for the border.  I will use that pretty mottled print for something else down the line.  I honestly do not think that I need to be dealing with the rotary cutter till both eyes are on the same playing field.  I have a sort of plan but just not yet!   I did find a good site for Stack and Whack instructions though!  Lyn Brown is doing tutorials she is calling Repeat Revolution  that shows the same Hexagon Star thing I started oh, so many years ago.  18 blocks.  She is on lesson 3 at this point and showing how to sew the fill-in equilateral triangles.   She even told how she drew up her design in EQ6  which may help ME because I know I am going to have more blocks that than!  25 plus, I believe.

If I want to piece, I can do a few more blocks on the tree skirt project.  If I don't,  then I have a few things that keep me thinking "quilt" even if I am not actively doing it.   And there is always knitting, right?

Come to think, I DO have one deadline sewing project----Seasons in a Row---a heart row is due at Friendship Quilters, 2nd Saturday in February.  I best be seeing if that is foundation pieced or what.  I do know the row does finish narrower than the snowman row did. 

I also have an idea about what I will do with the "It's All About Me---I'm a little Biased" shop hop I told you about in my post.  Really it is the idea that came to me first and it is something that I need and will actually use.  I'll keep that under my hat for now though.  I don't need more stuff to put on the walls, if that is any sort of clue, LOL.  Nor does it combine another fabric challenge---too bad, huh?  HMMMM  I need to ponder that a little longer---maybe I can??

I know exactly what I am going to do with that cupcake challenge piece I drew at Friendship guild---foundation piece the cupcake block found at Bubblestitch Quilts which is offered as a free pattern and apparently used in a block swap last year.  I had it downloaded in my files and rediscovered it when I was doing that file reorganizing/backing up deal a week or so ago.   I've got a bit of time yet since that is not due till the 2nd week of April.

What else?  Explore my idea for a knitting needle roll for my double point sets.  I have several marked on pinterest but I think mine will need more pockets.

And sew it goes------ I suppose my husband expects to be fed.  The nerve of him!  LOL  Our anniversary is coming up on Saturday and there is some debate about what we are going to be doing.  I think they jack up the prices on the weekend so I had suggested going to one particular spot on Friday instead.  HE doesn't think Golden Corral does that and was going to call them to ask.  We would go for lunch, not supper anyway.  There is a chance that we will have freezing rain on Friday in which case it will be a moot point in the first place if we have to stay home, right???

Okay, I think there is something in the freezer that can be heated up and no cooking, per se