Another One Done

I think I've mentioned before that I am a member of SAQA.  Studio Art Quilt Associates.  I'm not a terribly active member, but I love reading the weekly updates and keeping up with the yahoo group.  Every once in a while they have a call for entry that I know I can do.  The most recent is for the 2017 traveling trunk show.  The deadline is tomorrow.  I started my quilt yesterday.  It needs to measure 10"x7", in portrait setting.

You know how I love ocean views and ocean sunsets, right?  I have lots of strips leftover from one of the Katie PM lessons back in July.  Time to whip out another one!

I finally had a chance to dig into the King Tut variegated threads that I bought during the summer.  ooh aah, nice!  :)

 Once it was quilted, I trimmed it to 7" wide.

 Then I pinned on my sails.

Once they were secure, I cut it to 10", and added binding.

The corners of the binding kind of bother me, so I might have to remove them and try again.  But other than that?  "Sunset Sea" makes me want to sail away. 

And now, it's on to the next thing.  Goals are good!

Check

 Well, I finished that baby quilt, bound it, labeled it, wrapped it, and sent it off to the office with my husband.  Hopefully it was delivered today, and I won't be thinking about it again.  You can see the errant blocks in the upper left quadrant and the bottom right.  But they're all fish or lures, so it's all good, right? Check one more thing off of the ToDo List.

Over the weekend, I got a new-to-me cabinet from a friend.  I filled it with things from the room I have been referring to as The Sewing Annex.  It is no longer the annex.  Okay, so the Tiara is still in there, and a design wall, and the closet is full of sewing machines, but other than those details (and the bins under the bed and under the window seat)...well, it's now a Guest Room!  For now.

 We have company coming for Thanksgiving, in the form of my dad and his new companion Tutti.  He's had her for four days, and already, she's booked on a road trip.  Tomorrow I head down to Escondido to pick them up.  The plan is for them to stay through Saturday.

I've also been sewing out some labels, and attaching them to quilts.  I have several deadlines before November 30, but whether or not I will be able to meet them remains to be seen.  One day at a time.  Goals are good!

Groan

So I've got yet another baby waiting for his quilt.  He was born at least 6 weeks ago and, though I cut the strips in advance of his arrival, I had yet to put the top together.

Yesterday I set to work.  I sewed strips together, I made 4-patch pieces, I combined them into Double 4-patch blocks.  I've made this quilt so many times, I thought I could do it in my sleep.  But, apparently not.

Today I laid out the top, since I had a slight variation in some of the fabrics.  I wanted to be certain that they lined up properly.  I could not figure out how I came up five blocks short.  That never happens.  What usually happens is that I have two blocks too many.

I fussed, I fiddled, I looked for lost blocks.  I actually did find one that was half-pieced, but I was still four short.  I finally made some substitutions, laid them out so they worked, then stacked the blocks to begin the finally piecing.

I sewed together two rows of six, then realized, uh oh.  I still had four rows left.  Oh, good gravy!  The blocks are supposed to line up 5 x 6...and I'd laid them out 6x6.  That explains the lack of blocks.  unbelievable!

I ended up leaving the odd-ball blocks in place, since I'd already pieced one in the body of the quilt.  I put the extra sixth row into my orphan block box, snapped on the lid, and finished piecing the top.

Tomorrow, when I'm a bit calmer, I will quilt it.  Goals are good.

In the meantime, I will leave you with this picture of my latest successful creations.

Banana bread.  One has pecans and craisins, the other has chocolate covered dried fruit.  yum.

I think I need a piece.

Oh My

I don't know about you, but I spent Tuesday evening glued to my computer screen and the radio, listening to the election results come in from around the country.  I ended up going to bed around 10:30pm without knowing how it would end.

I spent Wednesday glued to the radio, listening to the things people had to say.  oh. my. goodness.

Coincidentally, our guild had a 2-color quilt challenge set for today.  I'd wracked my brain for months, trying to come up with something.  I had nothing.  Until Wednesday.  After listening to the reactions for a couple of hours, I was spurred on to one of my own.  Five hours later, I had this quilt.  I call it "Shock and Awe."

Some of my friends thought I might have begun it before Wednesday, or at least had pieces of it already finished.  No, I did not.  It was all done on Wednesday, in response to the election results.

oh. my.  I am still speechless.

Busy Busy...I Do

When last I left you I was...working on the flower girl dress for my granddaughter?  The dress was finished a few days before the wedding, and here she is, trying it on for the first time.

I think she likes it!

 And then, it was November 5, and my baby was waiting for his bride.  In an unheard of turn of weather, the sky was blue, no fog to be seen, and it was warm enough to enjoy...unless you were the bride and groom, staring into the beating sun.

Here she comes, escorted by her grandpa:

 And here's the handoff...

I stopped taking pictures about this time, and picked it up again for the first dance.

All in all it was a beautiful day.  On Monday, I was able to relax for the first time in a long time.  One of these days, I'll pick up and get back to work, but for now...I'm enjoying the beautiful memories.