Barbie quilts are done!

Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes!! I had a great day and spent it on the phone talking to family or on Zoom chatting with friends! Oh -- and I did spend time with DH and the girls! Now, how much more could one person want? 

I actually accomplished a fair amount, considering all the interruptions. I started off by quilting that Barbie quilt. 

Community project quilt - DONE

I started to quilt that darn thing well over 20 years ago! I remember at the college, we had just received the equivalent of what we would call a sit-down quilting machine. It was an industrial one, but it was terrific. For some reason, I got part of that quilt quilted, and then it sat for 24 years. It was hiding in one of my tubs of quilt tops. So all the previous quilting was removed (yes -- a hideous job, but a good one to putter away at), and then it got the edge-to-edge treatment on the long arm. 

While quilting that quilt, I finished listening to the third Harry Potter book -- The Prisoner of Azkaban. Before I start on the 4th book, I have a couple of other audiobooks that appeared on my shelf that I have to deal with. 

The Barbie quilt got trimmed, and it was the last thing I finished last night before I shut the call down. I had enough binding left over from the other eight quilts to bind this, and I still have a wee bit left over. 

The binding on the ninth Barbie quilt

All the quilts are sitting on the kitchen table, along with the two Barbie books, and I'll contact the Project Linus people today to see if we can arrange a pick-up. It feels good to get NINE more quilts out of my house! If only I could do that every month!!!!!

I made the binding for this small project, which was attached to the quilt. 

A sample - DONE

I'm not sure if I ever showed this before, but it was made in the mySewnet Embroidery Software, and the letters were cut on my digital cutter. Everything was machine embroidered - the background, which is very tight quilted, and the lettering, which was machine embroidery applique. This is a prototype, more or less, because I learned a lot making it and made many mistakes. So, I'm off to make another one! 

Then I got this Quilts of Valour quilt trimmed and bound. So that is one of seven, and I'll see how it goes to get the remaining six done. I have other things that need to be done, and I have other quilts that need to be quilted. The travel will start sooner than I think, and we'll see how it goes. 

Quilts of Valour quilt - DONE

Can you imagine if I stayed in Spain until the date I originally planned? I still wouldn't be home and in a mad panic trying to complete the trail and thinking about work deadlines. I'm glad I did what I did. Next year, when I return, I'm clearing even more of my calendar, and I'll have strict instructions on who can add to it and what gets added. No more mister nice guy!!!!!

I knew I would have birthday cake, as I saw it on the counter in a box. But look at the cake!!!!!

My birthday cake!!!!!

Happy Birthday in SPANISH!!!! And orange icing to boot -- how thoughtful was that? Yep --- I guess he's a keeper! I got a present from M, but no picture this morning, so you'll see that tomorrow. 

And then there are the girls. They are just TROUBLE. I'm on the phone trying to have a quiet conversation, and they are RIGHT THERE! MOM --- do you need us? MOM --- we want to talk on the phone too! 

Oh boy -- but then they got distracted by something, and I had a few minutes of peace. I love how Murphy puts her head under that little metal stand! Oh, don't worry -- the little metal stand is directly in front of the window for a reason. Murphy would jump on the windows and bark at passing dogs if the stand was not there. No more jumping on the windows, but she gets to look out!!!! 

MOM -- we see stuff!!

And I caught her beside the deck, looking guilty as ever. I didn't investigate, but I'm sure she rolled something under the deck and wanted me to retrieve it. Maybe I'll check later today if I remember. 

Mom -- a little help!!!!

I reset my alarms last night - something I haven't done in over a month. I believe I'm back on my sleep schedule and off to spin class this morning. I took the dogs for their full walks yesterday, although I didn't get a second walk in the afternoon because of all the phone calls, etc. I still managed 10,000 steps. And my knee is feeling pretty darn good. Seriously --- no painkillers or anti-inflammatories. It's tired, mind you, and I must NOT twist it, but it almost feels better than when I left. I almost feel like I imagined the whole incident. 

Spin class will be an experiment. I'll back off the tension and ride and see how it goes. And I wear my brace for long walks as I feel my knee, but that intense pain is gone. You do not know how much of a relief it is to get out of bed and be able to put my full weight on the knee! It honestly feels like a miracle!!! And I only suffered for about 10 days! 

The Virtual Retreat was quiet all weekend, but that's OK. We had a lot of fun for those of us on the call. And today it's back to Monday sewing. I have things I want to get done, and I'll just putter while on the call. I'd like to get those backings done for the next six quilts. Then, it would be easy to throw them on the long arm, but I also have some quilt blocks I want to make. So we'll see how it goes. 

And then this week, I'll be back to work - I've got class material to prepare and articles to write, and I do NOT want to get into a time crunch, so I'm going to try and follow my new Camino philosophies and stay on top of things and not wait until the last minute. OH -- and the big thing is -- do NOT over book my time!!!! Wish me luck!!! 

On that note, I'm off to spin class. 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!