Back to school...............

Ever have those moments in life when you think (and are absolutely certain) that you CAN do it all. I had such a moment yesterday when I was quilting.

Then when I dragged myself off the machine, I thought - what am I doing????   This is insane, so I have lowered my schedule for the next couple of days. But I am on track so not worried.

But I am on a roll and just want to get MORE done. But that isn't going to happen. I have a bunch of errands to get done in the next couple of days and can't do everything. Someone said to me yesterday that we need to say NO. I agreed, but she laughed and said she can't be rude to those that she needs to say NO to. Oh yes - isn't that the truth.


We missed all the excitement when we were at the retreat. Look what happened. Good thing I didn't run into this cougar when I went for my hike through the trees.   (Thanks Carol for the link)


Big Cat SHOT


What have I been working on? Well a quilt of MINE!!!!   And I decided to dig out some information about this quilt. Yikes - wait for it...............

MY quilt just off the machine

Yes it has the binding already on it - but look how even those edges are!!!!

Other side - equally as even!!!!

The quilting - yes I went to town and quilted it within an inch of its life. Was loads of fun to just play. 

So yes it is ALL quilted EXCEPT for that outside border. I debated the entire time I was working on the quilt - should I quilt it on the machine or off - finally the OFF argument won over the ON. 

 Now I know you are dying to know why this quilt has the binding on, but not quilted. Here is the story of this quilt.

Way back when - look at this date on the instructions that I found in the box - YES - that says November 1, 2000. Anyway - I took a class at Jillybean's in Oakville (long since closed). The instructor was Rosemary Makhan - it was her Ladies of the Night. This particular class was called Two Colour Quilt Mystery. If I had known it has a house block - I might not have made it since it is NOT my favourite block.

The date on the fabric requirements sheet

Now here is the worst part of this whole thing. When I started to make the houses, I screwed up and was making them SCRAPPY.  I guess at some point, I decided I had made a MISTAKE and started over so that all the reds in one block were the same.

Scrappy doors to the house

Yes - I have every intention of finishing the houses in SCRAPPY, but I won't do the same setting.

Look at all the fabric still in the box. A LOT.......................

Extra fabric in the school house block box

 I know that I did NOT finish this quilt at the class, and I think it sat as a top for a long time. At some point - 2003????  there was a fund raiser at my daughter's school. I decided to donate this quilt to raise money at the auction. I madly quilted around the houses  - well basically all the stitch in the ditch and through the diagonal squares. I got the binding on and the intention was I would get it back from the purchaser so I could finish it. I put a reserve bid on it because I did NOT want it to go for next to nothing and it was going for too cheap, so I got it back and it has sat unfinished for YEARS. Yup - almost 10.

Now I have an opportunity to put the quilt in a red/white quilt show coming up and it is time to get it done.

So there you have it - the story of why this quilt has the binding on before it is done. I do not recommend this as it is going to be a hassle to do that last border, but I have a couple of days to get it completed.

I promised you a picture of the dust bunnies under the long arm.....................

Dust bunnies

 I was going through a box of old fabrics and came across this. When I was at Sheridan College, one of our assignments was to make fabric for the theatre department. They wanted BIG prints so they would show up to the audience. This is what I was assigned - BIG FISH. This was a test piece to check the registration. I kind of like it - I wonder what I could do with it??????

Big fish registration check.

I was reading through some e-mail this morning on one of my quilting groups. Oh my goodness - bad news. One of the ladies who used to POST a lot - apparently she passed away. Went down to her studio and her husband heard a THUD - ran down - the woman was DEAD of a heart attack. Maybe the sight of all those UFOs finally got to her!!!!   OK - so that wasn't funny. But what a way to go - fast - no pain and amongst all your treasures. That thought is awful because I can't imagine what would happen to all my stuff - there is so much and so much unfinished. That is my goal - get things under control, finished or labelled. Then if I go - I won't mind. I would HATE to see people fighting over my stuff.

On that note - I am out of here. Got lots to do and the list keeps getting longer the more I think.



Have a great day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Ciao!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!