Today

I work the afternoon shift at Hallmark.  

It's ornament debut weekend.  

Hopefully the hordes of collectors were in first thing this morning.

  

;)

I spent the morning making a simple table runner for my SIL.

18 x 94 -ruffle is about 8"

I used Osenburg fabric for it.  Now I will need to get some more to finish my new living room curtains--I cut it wrong which is why I used it for the runner..he he.

Just doing simple panels for my curtains, won't take long...famous last words.

  I finished the binding on Granny Squares.  It seems like I've been working on the binding for weeks, well I have because it's been mostly sitting on the back of a chair, not being worked on.  I have to do a label for it.  I was shocked that I didn't do one before I quilted it, but I was trying to get all the tops I had done before vacation and HQ went in to the spa. 

Um, yes, that will be my official excuse.  

63 x 84

I do love this quilt. 

and I started the machine blanket stitching on Autumn Gatherings. 

sigh...some days I just don't want to go anywhere. 

It's usually on days I have to.

Fun times, fun times.

Life is good!

a batik pumpkin

I ran out of time yesterday to visit a quilt shop for orange batiks.
I really am trying to be good and use my stash. I find it easier now that the stash is shrinking to say "oh I don't have anything that will work-must go shop." and sometimes that's true.
But what kept going through my head this evening was what if I couldn't just hop in the car and get some fabric; how would I finish this.
And suddenly I thought why couldn't I just use one batik fabric for the pumpkin instead of 4-5 like the pattern suggests.
So I did.

(Edit:  I actually used two batiks----my mind is a sieve-what can I say! :)

but you'd never know probably they are very close-which only shows the stash is more than adequate.

I really like it.  

I really, really like that I don't have to go out tomorrow morning and that I used a bit more of the stash.  

The top still needs it's outer border but I'll wait until after the machine blanket stitching is done before adding it.

HQ has been in spa treatment for a month now.  

Oh please oh please let the backlog of machines dissipate and get my machine CO &A pronto!!! 

4 to 6 weeks is becoming unbearable.  

I may break out in hives.  

I didn't think the separation would be so difficult.

whahh!  

:(

I started a new project

--could you even believe it!?

I have had this pattern for oh a hundred years it seems.

I bought it on my first Shop Hop.  I went downstairs yesterday not to start a new project for sure!  I think it's probably the only pattern I've had this long and still want to make.
I pulled all the fabrics from my stash and except for the crow fabric, which I bought with the pattern and have been saving (unbelievable) all this time, I used all batiks.  I am going to have to go get some orange batiks for the pumpkin, I need 3.  I did use 2 'regular' fabrics for 2 of the pumpkin sections but I just need something different than what I have.  I might be able to squeeze in a quick visit to The Quilting Needle tomorrow, if not it will have to be Saturday.

Dresden plates

I made a new "list of things to do". It's taped to the side of my sewing machine.  The last one worked really well.  I don't put anything like 

TO BE DONE THIS WEEK!! on it.

I just list some things and leave it open ended.  

It's keeping me on task without making me stressed.  

The Dresden's are on the list.  You may recall how I posted about wanting to set these on point.  Well, I'm over that.  

*smile*

The setting is going to be 4 x 5 plus sashing and borders.  I will aim for a nice queen size for my bed.  

The above picture was taken yesterday morning after the rearrangement. I now have all the plates made and only 5 more to blanket stitch to their foundations, woo-hoo.

You can see I still only have 4 NY Beauty blocks made.  I do need to make at least one soon here so I don't forget the technique!

And a way down at the end of the wall are 8 random block-a-days.  I want to put them together with a solid fabric--saw an inspiration  quilt for it on Pinterest; forgot to pin it or pinned to wrong board (done that before)-- but that's OK as I saw another inspiration quilt today. 

***

Last Saturday Paul-michael called.  

He was in the 'burgh and wanted to know if he could stop for a little visit before having to head back to Emmitsburg on Sunday morning.

"HECK YAH, come on over!"  I said calmly.  ;)

After lunch he and Meg went out on the deck.

I was cleaning up and spied them out the kitchen window.

One of those moments, 

                  nothing special really 

but it made my heart swell.

You know what I mean.  

 Sometimes life is so good it wells up and leaks out my eyes.

the first 4

New York Beauties

I'm happy with them all.  The one on top left is the only one a little off- you can see the bottom of the outside background piece is too narrow by a good 1/4 inch.  I'm not sure what went wrong but I can always re do it.  

I'm going to wait since I need 36 total blocks the chances of having more like that are high.  If I have 2 like that next to each other it won't stick out as off.

NYB Simplified

Here is my first block.

6 1/2 inch block

Last night was our first quilt guild meeting of the year.  Linda J Hahn was our speaker.  She gave an excellent trunk show of all the quilts in her book and is a very funny lady too!

Today was the workshop, but I wasn't sure if I could make it with vacation and all so I didn't sign up.  

I had bought this book months ago when I decided I really wanted to make a NYB one day.

As you might recall, paper piecing and I don't get along.  So after a successful newbies class on the subject last year through the guild I got all excited, bought the book and then just as quickly was distracted!  

This morning I thought I better give it an attempt.

  This 6 1/2 inch block took me 2 solid hours.  I messed up 3 times and then turned the book upside down -and wallah I could do it.  I sewed right on the printer paper that I had.  I'm going to head out now and see if I can find some EQ printable foundation that Linda recommends-it doesn't have to be removed.  We felt her quilts after the lecture and you can not tell there's anything in there.

I also want to get a 9 1/2 inch square ruler. 

I need rotary cutter blades too- 45mm and 28mm.  Last night while I had 5 minutes before I had to leave to pick up Libby (she finally decided to try the guild!) I changed the blades on my cutters---none of them worked well.   I hate doing that 

little job.  I'm afraid of those things.

*******

fun times, fun times.  Life is Good.

Vacation 2

Yesterday, the 12th, I got up before the sunrise so I could get myself down to the beach to watch it.  It always takes me a couple days here before I can get up for it.  It always amazes me how fast the sun comes up once it peeks over the horizon.

*****

September 13

Today although the forecast was saying sunny and 80.  It is very cloudy & windy.  When the sun does peak out it is probably 80!  I went for a very long walk this  morning and along the shore was a huge, dead sea turtle.  I called Paul and told him to get down there with the camera!  I heard one of the others standing by saying they had called it in.  Which I assume meant to some authority to come and remove it and or document it.

When we here last year, we saw a couple of the NEST volunteers watching/guarding a turtle nest.

I did sit at the beach for a few hours today reading State of Wonder

It's really good!!

Tomorrow is Friday.  

We leave Saturday. 

 How can this be? 

We just got here.

******
September 14

Our last day on the beach.  The weather was perfect.  The water warm, the waves huge (a little too huge for me, thank you very much).

I finished my book.  We went out for dinner.
We got our stuff packed up.
It was the fastest vacation yet-and we did next to nothing.

I'm already dreaming of next year!