IN - what's that? TERR - what? - UPT - who? IONS

In case you didn't catch that - the title is INTERRUPTIONS!!!!

It wasn't quite as productive a day as originally planned. Why is that you ask? Guess?????   Yes - interruptions.

My day kind of went like this........

Take M to clinic for blood work
Start the blog.....
Ronda came to visit and pick up her quilt
Finish the blog
Check e-mail
Have a discussion with DH (who is now working from home on a regular basis)
Start a load of laundry
Finish discussion with DH
Oh - there goes the phone - can't miss this call
Finish load of laundry
Oh - the phone again
Tidy up the kitchen
Drat - the phone once again
Chat with new customer who brings not one, but TWO quilts - both big (of course)
Get paperwork all organized for new customer
Iron backing of new quilt to be loaded on machine
Have lunch
Oh yes - got to find batting pieces big enough
Clean up Kaylee's mess (she got into the garbage!!! - Kleenix - her favourite)
Batting together
Load top
Load batting
Start quilting
M home from school with Caroline
Chat  - Caroline wants her pants fixed - too big. And not easy to fix
Door bell - pond guy coming to check pump
Quilt another  .......      (pond guy to give update on pump)    row
Off to the grocery store
Try to catch Kaylee after door was left open when bringing in groceries while family members watch from from door.
Quilt one more row
Make dinner
Eat dinner
Back to quilting
Finish at 8:45 PM - MUCH earlier than yesterday
Cut up watermelon
Read my book!


See what I mean - the days are just crazy with interruptions.

Bottom line - I did get the one quilt done - guess which one?????   Yep - It's a Bling Thing!!!!!   And I LOVE it.

It's a Bling Thing - quilted!!!!

OK - this is also a lesson in how NOT to bring a quilt to your favourite long arm quilter. Notice how I had to cut a section out of the edge of the batting and piece the corner. The long arm quilter would not be happy if she had to do that for you and would charge you a lot of money to fix that. But with my batting pieces and it is MY quilt - I am allowed to do that!!!

And I would call that JUST the right size of batting!!!!

Almost didn't make this side!!!!!   Is this girl cheap on the batting or what?????

I LOVE the thread I used though. A variegated by Superior Threads - Rainbows. Changes colour every ONE inch. It was blue/green and perfect for this quilt. I also used a more than usual dense pattern and although it takes longer to do - I love it. 

I think you can see the colour change a bit better here.  Had a bit of trouble with the thread breaking - but once I loosened the bobbin tension and slowed a bit - it was much better. 

As I was madly working in my studio this morning - I got to thinking - what do I like about quilting????   It is the cutting, the planning, the piecing, the final project?????   Actually one of my favourite things is being able to figure out and make something work. It can be as simple as finding the right fabric for the back of a quilt. This is the back of It's a Bling Thing. I had this length of blue/green/purple fabric that was JUST the right length for this quilt with an inch or so to spare so it could be loaded on the long arm. Then I added this turquoise to both sides of that main strip. I got rid of the better part of TWO fabrics that were piled in my backings stash. Yeah - that is one of the reasons why I like quilting. Be creative with what you have and you never know what you will come up with.

Back of It's a Bling Thing

Again - big quilting plans for the day (plus a TO-DO list a mile long!!!)   I do hope to start the quilting MUCH earlier today. Then I can relax in the evening and maybe start on some of those bindings!!!

I managed to get the top, the binding and the backing of the Border Creek Mystery completed!!!!!   Again - it was scrounging to make it all work. It is very hard to show you, but the one side of the backing  - well I had to put about 6 seams in the darn thing but it is big ENOUGH!!!!!  With just a few scraps left over!!!!!   I love making things work!!!!   Yes - I could go and buy brand new - but this is more fun!!!!!

All the fabric that was left after I cut the binding. I cut the binding 2 3/4" as it is flannel on the back and front and will need a smidgen wider binding. 

The colours in the top

The backing - not a bad combination with the top!  And it came from the stash!!!!

Yep - that is the mystery - but that is all you get to see. And yes there is the backing (I hid all the seams in this picture) and the binding!!!!

Ronda mentioned that when she was in the US on the weekend she had found a gift for me - with my name written all over it?????    Hmmmmm - what could that be?????


Surprise..........................

An ORANGE Halloween t-shirt!!!!!!!    How cool is that!!!!!

 Interesting enough - I also had Halloween on the brain because I thought that I was doing so well with my progress on my quilts - why not get the Halloween quilt out. I had dug this out of the closet two days ago.

The Halloween quilt

The squares for the Halloween quilt(s) all cut and ready to sew. I could have this done in no TIME!!!!!

Now there is a foreseeable problem to this level of productivity. My sewing machine is going to be out of commission for a week when it goes in for a tune-up. Yes - if I were a truly organized person - I would have made arrangements to do that while I was away this summer. But I was running around like an idiot that I did not have time to get it to the dealer. I did think of it though - does that count??????   Never mind - I have a TON of hand work to do. I can live without the machine for a week. And I do have a serger, three other sewing machines and a long-arm. I think I can find something to occupy me for a week.

And look at this cool gift that Ronda's daughter (Celeste) made me!!!!!

Hmmmm - something made of duct tape........   with a big letter E on it

It's a duct tape wallet. notice the quilt on the left and the geocaching symbols on the right????   Too cool.
Thanks Celeste!!!!!   I love it and I think it will fit in my little brown pouch. 

Look at this cool tin that I bought in Belgium. Sorry it was FILLED with yummy Belgian chocolate - which I did share with the Monday girls and then I ate the rest. They are right - it doesn't last. The last couple of pieces were NOT as good as the first ones.

Metal tin for the Belgain chocolates. Notice the price tag - 13.50 Euro. That works out to about $1 a chocolate which isn't bad I guess. And I get a nice tin to boot!!!!!

 There is one thing that I would love to make. Have you seen those purses made from juice pouches?????  


Yikes - I just did a search on the internet and there are TONS of references!!!!!

Juice pouch tote

Now my big question - where do I buy the juice pouches??????   Maybe they are at the grocery store and since I do not buy that kind of thing - I haven't seen them?????   When we were in Europe - I snagged these two - one was yogurt (very GOOD yogurt - which Marian should bring me some more - well just the empty pouches!!!!) and this juice one.

Yogurt and juice pouch from Europe

The only drink pouch I have seen here was for Pina Coladas.

Pina colada in a pouch

The ones I have are different than this and I CANNOT find them right now. DRAT - I knew exactly where they were - then I rearranged that closet and BAM - the pouches are missing!!!!!

So if you or your kids use these pouches and you are throwing them away - I would like them. I'll pay for your shipping!!!!


Forgot to post the MOST important picture of all for yesterday!!!!   It is the FIRST day of school and here is my baby - ready for Grade 11. Off to school with her bike!!!!  And a dress - very European!!!

M - first day of Grade 11. A dress. nylons and a hobo jacket!!!!!

And let's not forget our guest. She has NO time for blogging - she is too busy getting into trouble. See what I mean.....

Kaylee and her toilet paper caper!!!!!

I do NOT know what kind of a life she has at her own house, but she is a pretty good dog for the most part. But come 4 AM - she wants to play!!!!!   Does she do that at home?????  I think not!!!!!!   That is probably why she is allowed on the bed to cuddle in order to keep her quiet. That is NOT allowed here and she is protesting LOUDLY!!!!!  


And I see Marian is having fun blogging - just pictures one day and then too drunk????  to blog the next. Yep - that blog has gone to hell in a hand basket - pretty quick!!!!!


On that note - I have a ton of e-mails to get to and a quilt to get loaded BEFORE noon.


Have a great day!!!!


Ciao!!!!!!