Big and small

I'm not going to panic! Nope - just because I realized that I have a quilt due to a magazine on March 8 and I'm still piecing it - I'm not going to panic!

It's mostly together, it's small so finishing it shouldn't be a problem. But dang it - I knew it was due that date and somehow, it just slipped my mind. All this time working on other things when I should have had this ready for the long arm!  Let's not forget that there is another one due on March 15 so I'd better get my butt in gear and get working on that one as well. Oh - I'm a sucker for punishment. Those few days of lounging around and now I'm in panic mode again!

Speaking of quilts in magazines, here is another quilt of mine that just got published. It's with one of my favorite fabric collections -  Letterpress by Northcott. The quilt is in McCall's Quick Quilts - the April/May 2018 issue.   Here's a link to the pattern if you want to just buy the pattern.

Here's a picture of the quilt - I pilfered that off the McCall's website. I need to get them to send me the images, but I'm sure it's all good.

Just my Type

I love the quilt - it's one of my favorites and I ADORE the fabric collection. It's got words on it - maybe that's why.

I have so many browser windows open to interesting links I want to share with you. I know - I could bookmark them, but then I'd forget about them!!  I'll share a couple with you this morning.  The first is about labeling your quilts. We all know that we should label our quilts. We just should. I know I'm cheating when I put that little tag on my quilts as it gives some, but not all the information necessary for the quilts. It would be great to put the reason that the quilt was made and since a lot of my quilts these days are being made for a very specific reason, that should be on the quilt. But what I love even more is what's mentioned in this link. Check out what Carrie Nelson puts on her labels. I love it and I could easily do that. Well not easily, but I could and it would be perfect since I have so many of them (quotes) floating around my house.

Remember last week when it was announced that Free Spirit was closing? Well - here's an update to that. As much as the initial announcement was a surprise, this announcement that they are being bought is also a surprise. You must read the comments as well. Danee has a very valid point and I also mentioned it last week in my blog post. Just because these designers have huge followings on social media, does NOT mean that all those followers are buying. The fans may be buying, but not enough to keep up with the output. Social media is technically "free", while buying fabric is not! Two different things! Fabric companies need to come to grips with that. Otherwise why would a fabric company with HUGELY popular designers need to fold because they weren't profitable?  If you want a different take on the acquisition, read this blog post by one of the owners of Jaftex. It's a bit - well - you decide.

Now for the big and small. I did work yesterday. Matter of fact, I got an amazing amount of paperwork tidied up. I did end up bringing some of the stuff from the kitchen table back into the office, but that's OK. It's looking better - a lot of stuff has been removed from the floor. It's going to happen. Just a slow and steady pace. Yes - I did take the girls for a walk to the bank (and Tim's). Come on - it was like summer out there yesterday. Absolutely stunning day. How could you NOT go for a walk? That circuit is about 2 1/2 KM which is OK for a walk. I could go longer, but not with the girls. They are too unruly - well Murphy at least.

I also got some quilting done. My goal was to load the next quilt on the long arm, although technically I needed to do more. It's a HUGE quilt. 80 by 108 or something like that. I'm not a fan of loading those big ones so I wanted to get it out of the way. Then I decided (after I realized the deadline for the magazine quilt) that I had better start quilting it. So I got a couple of rows done.

Big quilt - huge quilt!

It needs to be done today! Plus I have to finish writing one more pattern today. That's my absolute things that have to be done today.

While I was piecing that small quilt for the magazine, I was back to my enders and leaders. And I've got one more row done. Hopefully, that block can be finished the same time the quilt top is done.

Small pieces!

I finished all (well almost) all the cutting for the homework for the Farm Girl Vintage quilt. Once it's cut, then it doesn't take too long to piece the blocks together. But if I don't start now, it won't get done for the class and as I mentioned, I'm determined to keep up.  I MUST keep up! So far, so good. I've pulled fabrics for the homework for the table runner class and I cut the fabric for those four additional blocks that I want to make for last month's homework.

I'm in good shape for a sit n sew day. But I need to have a couple of personal sit n sew days to get a few other things done - for magazines and blogs. I don't work on those when the others are over. But I counted and I have 13 quilts that still need to be quilted before the long arm goes in for servicing. That's four/five a week for the next three weeks. That's going to be intense because a couple of them need to be custom quilted. Thankfully some of them are small!! 

And I would be remiss if I didn't mention that today is a VERY SPECIAL DAY!!!   My baby turns 22 today. Is that right? Twenty-two? I can never remember how old anyone is - not even myself. She asked me yesterday if I got her a card. Oops - I don't ever think of cards for anyone. But my Mom sent her a card. Oh, crap - world's worst Mom. So now I have to come up with something better than a card that I can get there today. Hmm - money? No - she wouldn't want money.  Anyway - Happy Birthday M. Love you to pieces!!!!

On that note, I see that I had better get my act together and get to work!!

Have a great day!!!

Ciao!!!