Happy me -- a trip to Franklin

Yesterday was the perfect day for a quick trip to Stitcher's Garden in Franklin. I was looking for sashing and background fabric for a jelly roll quilt I want to make. The pattern is by Joanna Figuora at Fig Tree Quilts. I saw her making this on The Quilt Show and decided I had to try it.
I looked for fabric here and couldn't find what I wanted last week.Nope, none of what you can see in this picture is what I bought for the jelly roll quilt, but I love it all. Love it. Makes me itch to get in my sewing room and start (another) new project. Last week when school was just plain stressful, I came home and headed straight to my room. Allen called up after a half hour, "Are you better?" And I was. Having my own things in my own space just like I left them...bliss.

Of course, we have to leave the door closed so that Louie doesn't rearrange anything. He stretches and strains to get whatever off of Allen's desk. Friday night, he got the remote for Allen's radio and managed to chew up the battery holder. He must have had the battery in his mouth too, but he spit it out. I found it all slobbery on the carpet. He did not get to go along to Franklin, but maybe today he can go to the pet store to get a new bag of chow. Then he can come sit with me, under supervision, and I can cut into my new fabric.

Another week in May

The highlight of the week had to be having dinner for Shannon, and her Sew Beautiful compatriots, Leighann and Vicki. The four of us went to the Country Living Fair last September, and we're already looking forward to September for the next road trip. Allen spent the week at a conference in Orlando (Is seeing Don Henley perform work?? and how old do you have to be to know all of the lyrics??), so it was the perfect evening for a girls' dinner. We laughed and talked, and I had such a nice evening.
Here is the sewing room cleaned up for company. Actually, I love straightening up between projects and planning the next. I have two projects sitting on the corner of the table, Shannon's big red and yellow quilt to finish, and a hand project in my head. What's that saying? So many quilts (or mountains or whatever), so little time. I am so looking forward to summer vacation which is just days away. This week will be the last full week that I work, and then next week is Memorial Day, two make-up days, and a teacher work day. I know I have summer travel and visitor plans, but the rest of the time, well, I'll be in my sewing room.I am so proud of myself for sticking with my Block of the Month from The Quilt Show. It is challenging and takes time and concentration to complete the blocks.
I competed four different stars with thirty six pieces and then eight sawtooth stars this month. I finally seem to be improving with my accuracy. They actually measured what they were supposed to when I finished, and I didn't have to re-sew most of the seams multiple times. Allen and I were talking at lunch about how so many people seem to think that expecting children to really have to work hard at a skill is somehow harmful. Wrong, wrong, wrong. If I work and work at something and practice, why gee golly, at some point, I improve. Meghan and I have the same "teacher" conversation regularly too. What's wrong with really working and struggling to do something new?Here are the components of the beast so far. Seven months to go. Meanwhile, school tomorrow, work for Allen, and oh, Louie??? Yes, he's here. Stealing underwear from the sorted laundry piles today. Today, he was sneaking around while I was upstairs and Allen was outside, and he was sitting in the hall with a whole collection of socks and underpants. He has practiced until he has it down pat.

Counting Down

I finished this little baby quilt in just a few days for a friend at school. Dawn is expecting her second little one later this month. They've decided to call him Tripp, and his sweet room is black and white and red. I saw this Michael Miller fabric in Paducah and had to have it. Little boys are so much fun. I named this quilt after the fabric -- Boys Play. I know Dawn is counting down the days. I'm counting down too, but today we learned we have two days added to our calendar to make up for the "flu days" that we had last week. Sigh. Sad. Silly. I am going to focus on the fun things like making this for a precious new baby, working on my block of the month quilt, and looking forward to the weekend...and summer vacation. Louie will play with me, won't you?

How I Spent My May Days Swine Flu Vacation

With a couple of school holidays due to the swine flu outbreak in Madison County, I set about quilting my batik applique quilt. The quilt has 144 batik circles, all hand appliqued on to 144 squares which I then set together. I used the book Foolproof Machine Quilting by Mary Mashuta to figure out how to machine quilt this one. I love the way it turned out, and while it was time consuming and a bit tedious, I really didn't run into any snags. I will use her ideas again, no doubt. I just am not confident about free motion quilting, especially on a large quilt where I have invested hours and hours.
Here it is finished. Not sure if I will hang it up, put in on the dining room table, or what, but for now, I guess I will put it on the balcony rail. I really had fun making this.
Yesterday, I finished all of the machine work just in time to sit down and enjoy the Kentucky Derby with Allen and Louie. Having just been to Kentucky through horse country, we were looking forward to the race. Louie gets very excited when you say, "TV -- Dogs!!" Poor Louie, I think he thought there were dogs racing on his TV. He was fascinated and watched closely. I sat and hand sewed the binding which was finished by bedtime.
Umm, yes, that sure is a mint julep. We picked up this year's glasses while we were in Lexington last month. Today, we are staying in mostly. It is raining. We have had over five inches in the last several days, I'm sure, and it just keeps coming down. We try to sneak in Louie walks in the lulls. The school district is meeting with EMA folks at 3 this afternoon to decide on any possible closings this week. Allen and I were recalling the swine flu scare in the 70's when it hurt so many pig farmers. It's pretty crazy, but I have had a great little vacation.