Back to work!!!!!!!

Doesn't take long to get back into the routine. I am VERY glad that I cleared my schedule for the weekend that I returned. It gave me two days to just chill.  Car is still nowhere near unpacked.  It was raining all weekend and who wants to unload the car in the rain. Although on my way to the gym this morning, I thought "where are my cycling shoes?"  Luckily they were on top in the back.

The very first bag of stuff that I brought in has kept me busy so no need to rush out and get something else.

You've seen them - all those giveaways on Facebook pages, blogs and wherever else.   "Like this page", "share this page", "make a comment". There are so many of them - I don't usually respond, although you could become a "professional" at it and I bet your odds would go up dramatically.  I remember reading about someone who was a "professional contest enterer". They would enter EVERY  contest and in those days it was much harder - you had to fill out an entry form, usually include box tops of something and then physically mail it all off!!!   Today entering contests is much easier.

A while back, somehow I got onto Patti Carey's blog at Northcott fabrics. She had a give-away and I thought "what the heck".  I left a comment and GUESS WHAT???   Yes - I won.  The box was waiting for me when I got home.  

OH MY GOD - I just found something on their web site - I HAVE to tell you about it tommorrow because you too could be having fun!!!!!   Can you find out what it is?????     Here's a hint - check out the latest news.  I'll give more details tomorrow on why this is significant. No time today.

What's in the box???

A gorgeous bundle of FQs in shades of brown!!!! 

 There is enough to make a quilt.  Hmmmmm - what can I do?  I LOVE the gradations so I have to make use of that.   Going to put my thinking cap on for that one.


One thing I did bring in from the car was some of the books that I bought while I was away.  I THOUGHT I had found a treasure, but when I got home - look what I discovered.

The one on the left is the one I already had, the one on the right is the "new" one

Same book - different cover!!!!   That is annoying.   Well I guess that is the wake up call to get that book database up and running so I don't end up with this situation again.   Do I have any takers for the book????   Otherwise, I will be selling it to the used book guy.


Do you remember this quilt I did while I was away????

Quilt I finished while I was away

Well I needed to get it done because I needed to know how much fabric was leftover.  Just wait........

I got the backing done and the quilt is now safely stowed in the "to be quilted" pile

BUT - I have a customer quilt that I must get finished.  A man wants me to make a quilt from a long dress that belonged to his wife (she is deceased and the quilt is for the daughter).  I did NOT take a picture of the dress, but it was a handmade dress, long - made around the time of the centennial as you can tell from the design on the front of the skirt.   Very soft blues - JUST like the fabric in that quilt.

While I was away - I (with a bit of input from Nancy and a LOT of help from EQ7), I got the quilt designed.

I had to add a little bit to the top of the skirt in order to get this big rectangle.

The center medallion of the quilt

Next up was to cut the sashing to make the first border

Sashing cut to make the first border

Then I took the back of the skirt, the leftovers from the front and the top (blue floral) and created a checkerboard border. Ah my favourite situation - working with odd length strips. Fiddly work, but right up my alley!!!!

Making the strip sets for the checkerboard border

Got three sides of the border made yesterday and I have this much left (below) to finish the last border.  I will have ENOUGH.  Well not quite - you can see on the strip set below that I had to use a couple of strips from the leftovers of my quilt.  It isn't an exact match, but damn close and close enough for a non-quilter to be thrilled with!!!!

Fabric for the last side of the checkerboard border

The quilt so far

Those sections are NOT sewn together. I needed all the pieces done so I could distribute that substitute fabric evenly around the border.  It won't take long to get that border on.  I had to use a bit of muslin as well which is a near perfect colour match to the fabric in the dress.


Then ONE more border and this quilt will be ready to quilt.  Oh - I do have to find a backing, UNLESS I use all the scraps pieces that I have leftover and use them.  This fabric is NOT my cup of tea when it comes to colouring so if I could get it used up that would be great.   YES - that is what I will do.  Make a checkerboard backing.   DONE!!!!!   Gosh - I love when something comes together.  I am certain there is enough fabric there  - if not - well I'll find plan B.   A rough check and there is ALMOST three meters of fabric left - if I scrimp and squeeze - I think I will make it happen!!!!!!


On that note - it is MONDAY!!!!!!   Yes - I am always excited about Monday and in particular today because I haven't seen the group in a number of weeks.  I'm going to try and get my PEI quilt bound because that tartan backing frays likes crazy and I don't want it to fray.  The darn quilt and  my hand stitching stuff is STILL in the car.  No need to pack anything!

I will be posting the information about the license plates tomorrow.  There are so many and so many people collecting for me. But they are all in their own seperate areas so I am good - only two duplicates so far, but those I think are already spoken for.


Have an AWESOME DAY!!!!!!!


Ciao!!!!!!