Home sweet home

Well, I'm back home, and it feels great. We have Monday sewing as a distraction today, and then it will be heads-down while I get some work done, and there's a lot to do. 

But let's look at what happened yesterday. OH -- we had a lot of snow overnight, and it was still snowing into the morning. Which wasn't a bad thing. I acquired my steps by shoveling the front step TWICE, shoveling around some of the cars, and a path to the cars! How nice I am! The laneway was a bit deep, but I followed in the tracks of those with the bigger cars, and I made it out with no problem. 

When I pulled onto my street, DH was in the driveway, just finishing clearing the snow (how fortuitous was my timing?) The garage door was open, so I backed the car in and unpacked. And this is ALL The stuff that I had to unpack. Good grief -- I swear I would come home with less than I went with, but that wasn't the case. I dropped off a sewing machine and its accessories but picked up five quilts to quilt!

All the stuff to unpack and sort

Thankfully, I had packed the car as the week went along, so there wasn't much to put in the car yesterday. But there was enough. 

I love the unpacking process. I get to put things away or set them aside to be processed later. And I do it bag by bag. The first bag I grabbed was the Boho Heart bag. I knew I had to find some fabrics, so I pulled out the basket of black and white. 

Searching for missing fabric

I laid out the quilt to see what was missing, and I needed three fabrics. I found two, but not the third, so I'll go back to the scrap box to see it there, and I may have to find a substitute scrap. Who will notice? I left this project out as it needs to be done as my homework for the remedial Jen Kingwell class. 

Boho Heart

Then I did the same thing with the Kansas Troubles improv blocks. I was looking for a sashing fabric and pulled out the basket of material to see what I could find. 

Searching for Kansas Trouble fabric

I wanted a lighter color, and I auditioned a couple and picked one. I put the fabric in the bag, and I'm still determining when I'll get to this one. 

Kansas Troubles improv blocks

I was on a roll, so I pulled out the blue basket to find the missing fabric for the Tumbling block quilt. I was almost done with the blue fabrics, so I remembered it was NOT in that pile but in a project box. 

Searching through the blue fabrics

While searching, I found this bundle of three one-yard pieces I passed over MULTIPLE Times. Guess where it went? Yep -- in the queue for Diane. I told you - NOTHING is sacred as far as the fabric goes. I found another piece that will work nicely with these; I will never make anything, so why keep it? 

Fabric in the donation pile 

Then I went and pulled the Tumbling Blocks project box off the shelf. There's all the missing fabric, and there is still a LOT of it. I will NOT use up all the fabric, but I will only let it go once this top is done. 

The fabric for the Tumbling block quilt

I also found three pieces that have been assembled. In addition, I finished two table mats made for the nightstands, which got used. 

Partially assembled sections of tumbling blocks

For some reason, I trimmed that one on the left. I will remove the trimmed bits and add enough to all three, so they can be sewn together to make the top larger and use up all those darn diamonds. Yes -- I know it'll take a long time, but I don't care. I would like to say it is done, and that's that. The pioneer in me, and in keeping with the "true" nature of the original or quilting, I want to use up the bits and get this done. 

Extra white and some medium scraps went into the bag with the diamonds. I'll work on it at a retreat, so this project can go back into the retreat box. 

Oh, how I laugh when I see this ruler. Remember, this is the FIRST serious quilt project I undertook, and there was this EASY SIX ruler to cut diamonds. I NEEDED that ruler and searched far and wide to get it. 

The Easy Six ruler

Now I simply use my Omnigrid 6" by 12" ruler. There's no need for specialty rulers, but what did I know back then? 

Did you notice something above? Yes --- I have a room filled with fabric, yet I'm happy as a clam working with the scraps -- improv blocks, small diamonds cut years ago, and I'm quite excited to give away those yardage pieces. I have to laugh -- I know where my heart lies! 

Oh dear -- this is what happened to the Boho Heart quilt when it was on the floor. 

What happened to Boho Heart

You can guess what happened. Murphy came with her ball and plunked herself on the quilt, and when she got up IN A HURRY, the quilt got scooched around. It's now lying on the cutting table. 

Mom -- thank goodness you are home! 

The cutting table got crammed with stuff and then bit by bit (and bag by bag), it all got put away. It's clear as ever and waiting for me to do some cutting today. There's only one thing that needs to be taken downstairs, and there are a few things at the bottom that needs to come up. But for the most part -- all is good. 

I was exhausted, and my only walk of the day was to take both girls on one walk. I did not walk at the retreat as there was too much snow for my short boots, although Helen Anne went out. I still walked almost 12 KM. That resulted from shoveling, packing, and unpacking cars and putting things away!

OK -- that's all I have time for this morning as I must get off to spin class. 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!