The challenge..............

As I mentioned a while back, it is TIME to get working on the "while I'm away" challenge.

Nancy is a VERY CREATIVE person and I knew she would have some great ideas, so I HAD to look at it BEFORE she came or I would be influenced by her.   So I took everything out of the box.

The "while I'm away" challenge box

This is what is in the box

 But so you can really appreciate how "kind" my friends are - here is what was in the box............

The fabrics - a WILD WIDE assorement of fabrics froom snowflake organza to fake fur, Christmas prints, dogs, badmiinton raquets, African fairc and some other wild prints!!!!!

Trims - again - a wide, wild assortment from lace colour, rick rack, curly ribbon

Beads and bobbles!!!   Again - HUGE variety!!!!  Beads, a button, a heart, some pearls

Oh yes - I have the BEST friends ever!!!!

 My brain froze!!!!!!!!!!!    This is a pretty wild variety of stuff - perhaps I should have been more specific - like just one colour????   Oh well - it is what it is!!!!!


Nancy had a look at it and BANG - she grabs her sketch book and draws something out. ACK!!!!   Now the pressure is on.  She did NOT show me her idea.  I am doing something on the computer when it hit me - AHA - I have an idea.  So we compared notes.  Totally different ideas - that is crazy!!!!

Nancy was off to the beach with the dogs and I was busy in the kitchen with cardboard and plates.

Now what could I be doing with cardboard and plates????

 I have managed to get a couple of the elements done and yep - it happened.  What I had planned became something so totally different as I created it.   And it is absolutely stunning.  Just wait until this person sees what I did with their donation.  I am LOVING it.  And several of the other elements just fit so perfectly with it. Oh yes - some of those items will be a stretch to fit in, but I will make it work. I did get one more element made that day - OK - this kind of stuff slows one down a LOT!!!!!!!    I am working on the hard part at this moment, no - ALL of it is going to be hard and GASP - I might not finish while I am here!!!!    Oh boy!!!!  Because it is so much more fun to just cram through those other EASY projects. And Nancy is making me use what is in the box.  I am not sure what I will add - but I will have to put in a few things but I want to keep what I add to a minimum.

Not without help!!!!!

A quilt on the floor is like a magnet to Sparky!!!!    By the way - I did get the blocks together of what she is standing on. The first border is pinned on and ready to sew and the second border which was made entirely of the leftover scaps is all sewn together and ready to be put on when the times comes.

And I got the inner border for the batik quilt ready to go. Here the two quilts are hanging out on my design wall.

Two quilt tops ready for borders!!!!

Plus I got the outer two borders (I hope) cut for the batik one as well.  I have no idea if there is enough fabric - I just cut up all I had.  Have to get sewing to find out!

The outer two borders for the batik quilt

You have to keep in mind, these quilts I am finishing up - are EASY.   There are no points on them, no fussy elements. In many cases, a good part of the quilt is already complete.  In the case of the pale blue one - the blocks were together - I just had to sew the locks together!!!!  

As for my enders and leaders - I switched from the basket block (way too complicated for that day) and started on more bow ties. Again - these were all cut AND marked so it really isn't a big deal.  Oh yes - I spend hours and hours at home prepping stuff.  Why????   I should be prepping and sewing, prepping and sewing, but I like prepping.   But I gotta sew more at home!!!!!!   I have definitely made a dent in the prepped stuff - well in the prepped stuff that was sitting out!

Bow Tie blocks from the Itty Bitty Blocks

And I was on a lengthly phone conversation the other day and while I was chatting, I couldn't have idle hands so I trimmed a LOT of these little half square triangles.  I WILL get them done before I leave.

The pile on the left is getting smaller while the pile on the right is getting bigger. YEAH!!!!!

Robin (who lives part time on the island) has a long arm machine and she is in the process of getting it set up in her new space.  She hinted that I might be able to quilt a quilt on it.   In anticipation of that - I brought along  a kit that I could say I did from start to finish while I was away.

My kit while I'm away!!!

Of course - the darn pattern is NOT big enough. But I have a feeling that there is more than enough fabric in the package to make the quilt into a decent lap size.

Since it is raining today, I might just get those borders on, this kit cut and well - who knows what will happen. The house is getting fuller - well one more person.

Oh - I have to tell you this.  Nancy went off on her own yesterday and spent quite a bit of time at Bargain Fabric Outlet. As I mentioned, Nancy has a totally different style from myself, SUPER creative and I love what she sews.   So when she finally got home last night, she showed me what she had purchased at the quilt store.   I was in stitches.   With the exception of ONE piece of fabric, I had NOT SEEN anything else that she had purchased.   I guess when I was in the store - I was super focused and well - now that I have seen what she purchased, there are a couple of gorgeous fabrics there!!!!!!    It was just hysterical to see how two different quilters went into the same store and bought TOTALLY different things.  Like I said - I did NOT recognize anything she bought with the exception of one fabric that they had made a sample with!!!!!


And the bad news for today - well I started another Clive Cussler book.   Took me a while to get through the preamble at the beginning, but well - I can't put the darn book down and that is bad!!!!   OK - I'm on vacation and if I want to read today rather than sew or do anything else - yep - it's MY vacation!!!!


On that note - I do have a bit of computer work that has to be done first - then the day is mine.


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


Ciao!!!!!!!!