Retreat Fun

Would ya look at this mess! It's not really a mess, it's organized chaois. But if you compare it to the second photo, it's a mess. My new friend Trina--what a doll--took some good hearted ribbing from the rest of us. Look at how precise her blocks are lined up. She didn't use a ruler, I did. I mean, this is a blog moment. :-) This was the way her table looked all weekend. All nice and neat.

I completed 3 12" paper pieced blocks and made 1 sweatshirt jacket before I just had to dive into my strings. I planned to work on my version of Quiltville's Diamond Strings .

Before leaving home, I cut my phone book pages to use for foundations. I had a bag of 4"-6" string pieces and I started sewing. I chained 6 to 10 units at a time then made crumb blocks as my Leaders and Enders . I ended up with 130 4 1/2" pieced half square triangles. (The crumb block link takes you to my webshots tutorial on making crumb blocks.)

After I got home on Sunday, I had to keep working. I started to sew my HSTs into blocks. Instead of sashing between my blocks like Bonnie did, I sashed each block with a different 2" sashing. So when all my blocks are completed, I will have 30 different sashings. I a little bit excited to get this sewn into a top but it will be a while before that happens. I have my sashing pieces all cut and in a project bag for this weekend's retreat.

I'm not totally unpacked from last weekend. I just need to rearrange some things and add a couple more projects. Ohhhhhh I am getting excited to have another 4 days of sewing and spending time with my quilting friends.

So now I have to get off this computer and get some marana sauce cooking for my contribution to the next retreat dinner. Thursday will be here before I am ready.

Retreat Time

It's retreat time. Two retreats in two weeks. I leave Thursday for 4 days, come home for 3 and leave again next Thursday for 4 more days. The weather has turned nice so I am hoping there will still be leaves falling from the maple trees.

I posted this picture to get myself ready to sleep on that beloved bottom bunk. I could come home--it's only 3 miles--but what if something fun happened while I was gone!!! I do not want to miss anything.

I have a few projects planned and packed for this week and I have a couple small things for next week. I certainly have enough stuff here at home to keep me sewing so I will not make a trip to the quilt shop. I have been coveting the New York Beauty quilts and bought a book so I think I am going to work on that if my other things get finished. I have a few blocks to make to complete a UFO thats 3 years old. I am doing a BOM from the Carol Doak Yahoo group so I have October and November's blocks to do. I am a bit slow on the paper piecing so just 2 blocks could take me all day.

I really haven't been spending any quality time with my sewing machine. Last night was the first night I have sat in front of her for several days. I did a little bit of work on a wall hanging but that didn't last long.

Last Friday, I helped Jenny unpack her kitchen boxes while the mover men were unloading the truck. (Those guys have some serious muscles! Watching them carry box after box up the stairs made my back ache!) Saturday we went to Home Depot to look at new cabinets and get them priced out. Ohhhh Lordy! I am going to have a very nice kitchen when this project is all done.
Sunday, Dee and her family were here and by Sunday evening, I just wanted to hold down the couch with a good book.

My friend, Sharon and I have been walking. Some days I am amazed that I make it home without collapsing. Like today, about half way back home, I just wanted to fall into the ditch and stay there. But I took a quick rest and kept plodding along. Really, I didn't fall into the ditch cuz I didn't want to have to crawl back out of it! I don't care if I never loose a single pound (well I do but you know what I mean), I just want to be able to go for a walk without being all out of breath. It's been 11 months since I quit smoking and now I need to finish taking care of myself. Lawrdy, it's hard work getting healthy again. I should never, ever have let myself get this far gone but I did and now I have to do the hard work. I've been looking and I can't find any one out there to do if to me. Anybody???? Please!!!

My Chicklets Are All Home

I talked to Jenny today about 2 and they are almost home. And that makes me one Happy Momma and Gramma! I try real hard not to nose into my children's lives. I don't want to be "one of those" moms. I know they are adults and have to do what is right for their families. But geez, I hate that they had to do it in Texas and Arizona. So today, I am having a very happy day. Jenny and her family are back home in Washington where, in my not so humble opinion, is where they belong! Again, I'm sorry Jenny, I know you loved Texas but damn, I missed you.

How do you like my sunrise picture? I call those God Moments. This was last Tuesday about 7 am. The curtains were still closed and the light through them just looked funny. I peeked out and this is what I saw. Thank you God, I need moments like this.

This quilt top is a mystery from one of my yahoo groups. I had my pieces all cut and ready to go when I got up on Saturday morning. It didn't take too long to figure out what was happening so I just kept plodding along. Then came the time to decide how to set the blocks. I think this was my second setting so I took a picture of it, moved things around again, took another picture and another and came back to this setting. I call it Slightly Off Center. It's kind of like me. So after letting it age for a week, last night I finally got all the blocks sewn together, today I decided on my borders and sometime this week I might put them on.

I had a quilt loaded on the machine that was giving me fits. The backing is batik and my machine evidently doesn't like batiks for backs! I took it off so I could take out the row and a half of pantograph. I retimed the machine thinking that was it and then loaded on a practice piece. It is sewing quite nice but still doesn't like the batiks. I have to come up with something different for the back of the other quilt. Sorry Sonya, we'll figure something out.

This is my crazy dog doing the cat blade walk. He does the funniest things. I just may send him to the circus. Gotta go, Oprah's on.

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday Crystal.
I hope all of your wishes come true.
I love you.