more Saturday doings...

Pink continues to be going strong - I finally put the borders on the pink string quilt from my recent retreat on last night. I just needed to trim the two side borders to the right width and get this photo taken. Next up: batting and backing for both pink tops plus, my final pink project, a stack of muslin squares to make string blocks to send in for Project Pink at Heartstrings. Link is on the sidebar...

Morning was leisurely and lovely- up at 7:30 instead of 4:50 am...coffee and breakfast before walking Zoe and then time to do some blog reading before heading out for errands. We weighed in for Weight Watchers ( I am up for the third month in a row-time to get back in the gym for sure), browsed and shopped at Powells Books...I will share what I found at another time...suffice to say they have added something new that involves fiber. On to handle grocery shopping rounded out by stopping for fish tacos for lunch. I took advantage of this glorious sunny day to tackle some yard and rock moving projects long on my list to get done. One more bout of errand running as my sweetie had had to rest and load up on pain meds after the mornings doings. Did I mention she had a total knee replacement October first? All I can say is I wish they did not feel compelled to reduce her medication at this point...it's really hard to see the constant pain she is in, and of course, it's even harder for her to be in that non stop pain.
The call on Friday about this issue was to wait out the weekend and call on Monday or Tuesday-sheesh. At any rate this day is nearly done and I have an impatiently waiting dog ready for another walk. Guess those strings will have to wait a bit longer-good thing I am making something easy for dinner tonight-pesto topped baked salmon and asparagus. Yum.

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Saturday doings

I noticed when I looked out the back door a strange sight...we had really high winds yesterday and last night...this must have happened during the night...now I was planning on taking this umbrella down for the winter-I didn't know I would get this kind of help!

Gee's Bend

On the heels of getting back from retreat- I took a bus trip with fellow quilters last Sunday up to Tacoma ,WA to check out the Gee's Bend exhibit. No photos were allowed so I can only link to the museum where it is currently on display until December 9th- if you live anywhere close- go check it out! Seeing those quilts up close was amazing. I noted the freeform Baptist fan quilting on one piece by Lucy Mingo-blocks and strips work clothes. In fact, many, many of the quilts were hand quilted with that style-and often the "thread" looked like thin string..some knots on the top even. I bought the huge book, Gee's Bend The Architecture of the Quilt...it must weigh three pounds alone. It was great to see so many quilts in the book that I had just seen in person! I plan on going back up another time with my sweetie- plus, December 18 through February 17, 2008 there will be another worthwhile show called, Threads that Bind: Works by Pacific Northwest African American Quilters - won't that be a great follow up to Gee's Bend?
Sadly the tour guides that gave us a "special" talk were not quilters and could only repeat a bit of what one of the Gee's Bend quilters, Mary Lee Bendolph had said when she was visiting the museum to promote the exhibit.

*** life is over the top warp speed crazy right now, so though I have a few more posts in my mind, they will just have to wait a while****
Quilt when you can!

home from retreat

Before I get back to the new york beauty project I am sharing a finished top from retreat-I went with three charms packs and yardage - added a bit from some shopping we enjoyed and came up with my own idea for blocks. I now need to piece a backing and get this quilted-have not made up my mind whether I will tackle it or not, as it measures 62 by 72.5 inches. I have not taken a photo of the other project I got to the completed rows stage...if I find time tonight, I will throw it up on the design wall and take a photo. This completed top will be a gift for a family member...

me too!

Patti at Quilting is my Passion should be here in an hour or so and we will be off on a retreat adventure. No, I am really not quite ready, but I am packed-pretty much. I had to work late at the office and then of course a few errands before getting home. Zoe needed her walk and her supper and I needed to eat as well. When you start at 8 pm there are not many hours left in the evening!
My mission was to gather together those projects and related fabrics to take-plus all my quilt related gear. I spent considerable time in the fabric room tidying up. I have been shopping and stashing pinks for quite a while-then I wanted to pull out the special flannel I have been wanting to make myself something from...half of it was in need of washing..forget that! That much time I did not have. I had forgotten just how much flannel I still have to use up too! So I sorted and I folded and I organized. Amazing results. Almost all the fabric fit on the shelves :-)
I gathered together what I needed and threw in one more just in case project too.
So now, it's all packed and I am able to relax and enjoy my last cup of coffee before heading out the door. Lots of photos when I get back on Tuesday!

First Sunday of the month

The first Sunday of the month is work on Wraptheminlove.
Our group meets over at a local quilt shop and usually I dash over there on Saturday to check out possible donations. Today I found 3 tops from a quilter and 2 quilted quilts by the latest volunteer learning to longarm(shortarm) gal, Lisa. You can see her quilting is pretty nice for not having done it all that long. I spent today trimming the two quilted quilts and stitching labels on them. Tomorrow one of the gals will stitch the binding on. I was lucky and received more scrap binding so there is plenty to chose from for that job. I couldn't sleep last night and had pressed a lot of the wrinkled muslin I want to cut for string block foundations. Today I cut 70 squares-enough for a wrap'em size top. Then I decided to make quilt sandwiches as I know Lisa is working at the shop tomorrow and I can pass them along to her. I had some donated yardage, enough for backs for all three of todays donated tops, plus a fourth from Patti.
When I was going through some stuff I noticed a large bag of leftover batting- I was able to cut one large piece in half for two of the tops, and pieced together another two for the others. That took care of all that stash batting! More proof that a large and varied stash is a lifesaver when you are in the quilting groove late into the night. You see on the table the results of my efforts today. Four sandwich bundles (backings out) and the two ready to be bound quilts. I am about 12 inches from finishing the hand binding on the queen donated quilt too. I will take that along and finish it tomorrow - I know everyone is going to want to see it. My sewing room is a bit more tidy thanks to these efforts today as well. And, another bonus was Alice and her parents dropping by for a short visit this afternoon . What a great day it has been.