Catching Up

That wasn’t a very long hiatus, was it?  DD’s step mom passed away this morning.  While those she left behind are sad and will miss her tremendously, we all know that she is now free from pain and worshipping at the foot of the Throne.  While I expect that I’ll still be pretty busy for the next week or so, I won’t be nearly as busy as I had been and will hopefully be able to resume a somewhat regular blogging schedule.  Let’s catch up, shall we?

Since my last “real” post, we attended the Ts’ summer swim team awards banquet.  I’ve already mentioned that T#2 didn’t have a great summer swim this year, thanks to her broken arm.  But the boys certainly had a great season and brought home the hardware to prove it.  Papa and I are so proud of them.

Our neighbors have seen raccoons wandering around our subdivision from time to time … it looks like they’ve decided that they like to lounge out on our deck, perhaps napping on our deck chairs?  See these little paw prints on the base of the chair (ignore the dust … with construction across the street, it’s a little dusty in our neck of the woods – ha!). 

I haven’t had time to do any quilting so my Kiss quilt sits neglected.  Before my hiatus, I’d gotten all but the outermost 2” quilted on 2 of the 4 sides, and I’d made some progress on side #3.  Once I get all 4 sides quilted to within that final 2”, I’ll get out my border hoop and finish the outer edges.  I suppose that there’s light at the end of the tunnel, but it’s going to be a while before I’ll be able to tell whether it’s daylight or a train bearing down on me.  ha! 

I did however have time to work on my hexies … if you recall, I discovered that I didn’t have enough fabric to make all the necessary connector hexies for my Martha Washington’s Flower Garden.  I bought replacement fabric on our trip to Homestead Hearth a couple of weeks ago … and cut 600+ 2.5” squares a week ago Saturday.  I took my EPP travel case with me to DD’s and was able to baste a few hexies … I also basted a few when I got home in the evening.  Even with just doing a few here and there, I have 145 basted.  If I can keep up that pace, I should have them finished before we return from Hilton Head next month.  I might even begin to add them to my blocks (note to self: be sure to pack the MWFG blocks to take with to HHI). 

T#2 lost a molar last week while DD was at the hospital … thankfully she’s known for quite some time just who the Tooth Fairy is, so she didn’t have to worry if the Tooth Fairy had forgotten her. 

I’m participating in a Block of the Month (BOM) hosted by the Facebook quilting group I belong to.  My plan is to use reds, blues and a constant neutral.  I’m worried that I may not have enough of the neutral, especially since my July and August blocks involved applique … which means I’ll be using larger pieces of the background than I would with a pieced block.  Thankfully the neutral I’m using is still available.  Last Saturday, I cut more fabric for my EPP bow ties … I’m concerned that I might not have enough of the neutral since that project is turning out to be larger than originally planned.  It, too, is still available.  I ordered a fair amount of both, figuring that what doesn’t get used will be added to stash (since I love both pieces).  In fact, I’m thinking about ordering more of the primitive muslin.  It’s such a pretty color, and I like how it reads as a solid but has enough mottling to keep it from being so flat like true solids are.  The color is slightly off (as usual! ) in the photo … they’re both just a little darker, just a little more tan than they photographed.  Don’t you love the bow on the striped Kim Diehl fabric?  I’m such a sucker for presentation!  ha! 

Speaking of the BOM hosted by my Facebook quilting group, this month’s block is the Orange Peel.  I’d always wanted to try that block … being a beginner at applique, I thought it might make an easy beginning project.  I started with the freezer paper and starch method … I took a class on needle turn applique 3-4 years ago and I never was able to master that technique … I couldn’t seem to handle the applique piece, the background and turn with my needle all at the same time.  I thought I might have better luck with a method which had the seam allowances already turned under, so all I had to do was stitch down the applique piece.  Alas, that method was an epic fail.    I then tried the method I learned at a class I took a couple of years ago … where I place the freezer paper waxed side up on the back of the fabric and with my iron, press the seam allowance to the freezer paper.  Thankfully that method worked!  Whew!  My piece certainly does bear witness to the fact that I’m an applique newbie, but it’s done … and that’s good enough for me.  I’m not sure that I’ll ever be a fan of applique, but I’ll give it one more try when I start my Kim Diehl Carolina Lily (I have the kit).  

I wish I could report that I finished up the stash reorganization that I started a week and a half ago, but I’ve chosen to stitch in the little bit of free time that I’ve had.  Thankfully I’m the only one who’s needed to get in/out of that room, so the state of squalor in there has been ignored.  I really do need to finish that up, so maybe I’ll make a point to spend a day in the next week or two finishing up.      

I hope that whatever you have planned for today includes a little something that will bring some joy!
Kathy