March Quilt Update

 Any links that you click in this post will open in a DIFFERENT window, allowing you to continue reading this without losing the page.

I have moved the previous posts to the end of the entry.  I hope that you make it that far.

Goals:

Easy Street (ES) back, quilted, bound - back made
Old Tobacco Road (OTR)  - Clues 4, 5 - still dreaming

Allietare (A) - Clue 6 sewn, back, label, binding, quilted, bound -  perhaps my goals are too high
Double Delight (DD) - quilted and bound - haven't used the mid-arm all month
Row Robin #2 - back, label, binding made, quilted and bound - see above
March group project prototype made, kits together - YES
Second Valentine pillow finished - embroidery half finished
Round Robin - finished and in mail - YES!!!!
Bargello - top finished, back made, label made - top finished
Gifts for Ophelia - YES

1st -  March?  Yes, March, and the travel continues on.  I am still at Jen's (if you want to read about my time there, please click on this LINK) and today's task is to draw and iron on the parts for the wool kits for retreat.  Mission accomplished.

2nd -  The kids are all at school.  Yes, breathe a sigh of relief.  Oh my, I did this daily once upon a time.  Moments like this remind me how old I am getting and yet at the same time, I'm pretty sure I could get right back into the rhythm rather quickly.  I love being around my grands - any time, any place.  Okay, stop waxing nostalgic and get to work on these kits.  It's time to cut the bits apart and kit them up.  I also need a prototype made so . . . . . into Jen the supplies go and she is the lucky participant.  Some things CAN be done in bed.

And yes, she still does what Momma asks her to do.  Now I will have to do  mine at retreat with everyone else and she will have the free time.

3rd -  The focus today is on Bekah's soccer team dinner that we are hosting tonight.  You know what and elbows moving around here today.  I did do one of those Facebook things today that are supposed to tell you about yourself.  Here is what it said:  (pretty dang right on the money.)

4th -  Where has this week gone?  It's my last day here and I really want Jen to rest today.  I think the party was a bit much for her.  Thus -- she has been sent to her room and I am determined to finish the back for Easy Street.  I have stacks of bits and pieces for the stripe down the middle of the back and I just start sewing them haphazardly together.  Once it is long enough to match the backing, I stitch it on and soon have both halves put together.  Woohoo.  I am on a roll and moving forward.  Wait a minute ---- ugh.  Hold the presses.

 It is still not wide enough.  Out comes the seam ripper and the middle is removed from one half.  Now to use up every last bit of my remaining odds and ends to make the stripe wider.  The entire time I am kept company by Grace, who has decided that the cut of selvage ends are delightful toys.

Okay -- the stripe has been widened and reattached to the mother ship.  I think I'm good now and can get this baby quilted.  All parts are present and accounted for.  Yay me.

I am hopeful that it will be finished before retreat.  Not realistic, but hopeful.

5th -  Mister has arrived to take me home after being gone FOREVER.  I have a total of four days to recuperate, spend some time with my sweetie, and get ready for retreat and another four days away from home.  I bet Mister is wondering if he is indeed married.  On our way home, we stop at a coffee shop and I spot these wonderful little cup cozies.  Must take pictures to show Debi K.  Perhaps we should make these and she should dang sure have them in her booth in the fall.

6th -  I am devoting a bit of today to my sweetheart.  He has wanted to see the Jackson Pollock exhibit at the DMA for awhile, thus that is our destination.  To see some of his works and other fun finds for the day, please click HERE.

7th -  Mister is back at work today and I am in recovery mode.  I guess another way of phrasing it is:  horizontal blob.

8th -  I'm vertical -- but still a blob.  Lots of Friends episodes today.

9th -  Wow -- two days down the tubes.  Today is laundry, clean, pack for retreat day.  It's a good thing this is a short retreat as I am incredibly unprepared.

10th - It's retreat day, the car is loaded and after dropping Mister at work, I am Brazos bound.  Woot Woot.  To read all about our incredible weekend, check out this AMAZING POST.  The first order of business is to get set up and my focus today and tomorrow is on helping others with their Bargello tops while working on my own.  Check out my little corner of heaven.  It will NOT stay this clean, lol.

11th - Day two and YES!!!! I have a Bargello top before dinner.  Another lesson in using fabric that has strong color changes.  Ahhh -- the many lessons.  There is a possibility that it will join Double Delight and Easy Street for some fun on the midarm.  There is an equally strong possibility that the three of them will just get to be good friends for awhile, draped over the frame, and chatting about the future beauty they will bear.

12th - Last night after dinner, I started working on my gifted panel from Allison.  It's L'il Red and Mr. Big and a gift to Miss Ophelia.  (Kind of a unique take on Little Red Riding Hood)  She has a skirt, cape, pillow, and quilt.  Today is completion day and then I move my attention to some fabric books to go along with the doll.

13th - Jen and I went into town yesterday and I found another little fabric book to make.  AND -- I still have my retreat project to do.  Thus, at 4:30 this morning, I met my goals and slept for a wee bit before starting the whole pack up work.


A super big thanks to these wonderful ladies for another fantastic weekend.  I truly had a remarkable time.  (Yes, we managed to not have everyone together and had to photoshop this picture.  Sorry, but it's the best we have.)

Back row:  Me, Jen, Doris, Elisabeth, Theresa, Stephanie, Debi, Kelly, Misty, LeeAnn
Front row:  Barbara, Susan, Phyllis, Charlotte, Tammy, Johnnie, Laurie, Janet

14th -  SLEEP!  SLEEP!  SLEEP!  Almost 14 hours straight.  Apparently I didn't get enough at retreat.  Nothing much going on here today.

15th -  Bookwork, bookwork, bookwork.  Yes, this has to be done too.

16th - It's another pack/laundry day.  I am off to Utah tonight and so am kitting up a few things and trying to get organized again.  Oh goodness this has been busy month.

I am blessed with a sunset the ENTIRE flight.  Oh my.  Triple blessed to have Miss Ophelia up still when I arrive.  Yep, books given right away.

17th - Happy St. Patrick's Day.  I'm in Utah enjoying time with my daughter and granddaughter.  The most creative thing we do today is COLOR!

To read about my first two days please click on THIS LINK.

We really do have such a good time.  I treasure these moments.

18th - Another day in the Beehive state.  No sewing going on -- just memory making.

19th - We are off to the cabin today.  To read about the fun I have there, please, please, please, click on this Wonderful Link.

Love, love, love this picture with my daughter.

20th - Another fun day in the Salt Lake Valley.  No, I am not sewing or working on a dang thing.  I know.  What is up with that?  I brought many things all kitted up and just don't want to work on them.  I am thoroughly enjoying family and rest time.  Perhaps my body is trying to tell me something.

Isn't this just a wonderful mother/daughter pic below?

21st -  Just a day filled with wonderful three generation moments.  Here is the POST of our fun.  Please feel free to check it out.  Time passes so quick and they are only little like this for a short while.

22nd - It's my last day in Utah and somehow we find time for a quilt shop --- yay, I bet you were wondering if I would ever again write something in this post that has to do with quilting.

Well, here is the picture you have been waiting for.  TA-DA.  Yep, a retake of the last time we were here.

After Cass and I wander the store for awhile looking for ideas on a quilt for Ophelia's new room, she has mastered the locks in this puzzle.  Is this a good thing?  Hmmm.

On the shelf right above her is this cute little frame and I'm thinking something similar will be in my future "I must make" list.

23rd - It's starting to be a habit.  Return home.  Do nothing.  Yep, that's me today.  A do nothing girl.

24th - A wee bit of bookwork today and some grocery shopping.  That's it.  Now in my defense, we haven't shopped for groceries in about a month so it was a rather extensive trip and took quite awhile to put it all away.  I know that's pretty lame.

25th - I am off to Valerie's for a play day -- a much needed play day.  First stop is at Allison's for tea and some show and share.  Just as it is about time to head to Valerie's, Elisabeth shows up and receives a tour of the wonder that Allison calls home.  For those of you who missed it before, please click HERE for a remarkable peek into her home.  It is well worth the click.

Valerie is wondering what is taking us so long and soon we are in cars and on the way to her.  She greets us at the door and up to her loft we go.  It's a lovely sewing area but I must say that for some reason my brain is not in camera mode today and the pictures are very few.  I think I just wanted to be with my gal pals and the thought of documenting the day went on a walkabout.  We are treated to a delightful chicken stew with risotto and warm bread.  Yum.  Allison and I both spend the day working on bits and pieces of our Mad City Mama quilts.  I didn't really finish anything except bits, so not even any pics there.  Shame on me.

26th - Mister and I are taking a day for the two of us.  We are off to the zoo for the morning and the afternoon is at Jimmy's buying more groceries and tasting wine along with having a wonderful lunch.  Yep it's a super nice day.  Mister got some  BEAUTIFUL PICS at the zoo.  Take a minute to check them out.  Lovin' that man of mine today.

27th - Happy Easter everyone.  Mister and I find ourselves alone today and are still going ahead with the traditional Easter dinner:  Glazed spiral-sliced ham, fresh asparagus, farfalle alfredo, hot homemade rolls, and angel food cake with a strawberry-kiwi glaze.  The rest of our day is just spent relaxing and being together after a few truly crazy months.

28th -  I am home for the morning and manage to get a few blog entries finished along with some emails.  I find a bit of time to sew and start working on the recent Round Robin (round 3) on my sweet Danielle, a gorgeous little Singer 185K.  Everything is going wonderful for the first four seams and then she loses power and I move on.  It appears Mister needs to do some work still.  For the afternoon, I take the train up to Irving and meet Mister for dinner out with his mom.  At the train station, I discover a lovely field of bluebonnets.  Oh my, must take pictures.

This year the bluebonnets are so dang early and the entire state has bloomed at once.  I'm afraid we will miss taking the little girls next month and doing a photo shoot amidst the splendor.  Drat.

AGAIN:  SUZANNE MONTGOMERY DO NOT GO PAST THIS IF YOU WANT TO REMAIN SURPRISED ON YOUR ROW ROBIN.

29th -  Since Danielle is on the fritz, I set up Cocoa, one of my LBOW Singer 301a's, and get to work finishing this Round Robin which MUST go in the mail before month end.  It goes together well and I am finished before noon.  Oh yeah.  That feels so good.  Now, where is a pen.  Let's get that journal entry finished and box this baby up.  Mail time.

30th -  Thinking, thinking, thinking.  I have received two more Round Robins and am busy working on what to do with them.  They are both absolutely beautiful.  Oh my.  Again, I will be challenged.

31st -  I have an idea for the first Round Robin.  Using some scraps that came with it, I make a prototype to see just what a 2 1/2" star would look like.  Man, this is tiny.  ( I really should remove threads before taking pictures.)

Oh goodness.  I need to mail Suzanne's Round Robin top.  Oh sure Deb, finish it and then forget to mail it.  No car today, so I am off to the post office on foot.  A quick look back at the house and I have to smile.  Love it when the trees leaf out and my house is once again hidden.

It's been another active month but a great one.  April promises wonder as well and I hope there is time to check off a few more goals.

Thanks for checking up on me this month.  Check back in now and then and please check out the link to OUR QUILT BLOGS at the top of the page for many of the quilt groups are starting to restrict the posting of blogs into the groups.  If you want to still have a long monthly read and time for your tea, join the group.  Thanks for sticking around this long -- I appreciate all of you who read each month.

Links to Previous 2016 Monthly Update Posts:

January Quilt Update
February Quilt Update