MCM Sew Day

I have been simply terrible at posting all the wonderful fun I have been having lately, but today I'll throw a few out here.  It's another Mad City Mama sew day at my house and even though Valerie is not making this quilt, she is along for the ride with Allison and Janet.  It's so fun to have her back from the U.K., even if it's only for a couple of months.

These days are so good for my soul.  The discussions, food, sewing, laughter, and just plain fun of the days cannot be overstated here.  Take a journey through the few pics I managed to take and you will see what I am talking about.

Sunset Day Retreat

It's so very hard to believe that I was in Surfside, TX yesterday and Sunset (how appropo right now), TX today.  For those who don't understand, these two places are almost 400 miles apart.  Crazy, right?  Yep, that's me --- crazy lady.

I bet you are wondering why.  Well, I left my family reunion and arrived in Dallas to fall into bed for some sleep and then off to Sunset today all because I'm just that much of a social butterfly.  HAHAHAHA --- NOT.  Quite simply, I have missed my friends and need a day with them.  It's worth it to me.  So, off we go.

Now, I could make this post all about the retreat center (which is lovely but not totally my cup of tea) but I won't out of loyalty to Brazos House.  So what exactly does that leave me to share?  Well, how about the reason I went.  FRIENDS!.  What fun to be with Allison, Valerie, Sherry, Suzanne, Stephannie, and Lovetta.  We laughed and shared stories the whole day and were even told that we were having "too much fun" over in our corner.  Well, so be it.  We do have a great time.  (Yes, I invited Marie to join us and you can expect to see her smiling face around here more often.  She is the one in the background with the white shirt and blue slacks.)

Roll Roll Cotton Boll - Clue 8 - Bonnie Hunter - Mystery Quilt

8/5  With Clue 7 posted, I am determined to keep going on this.  There is the added pressure that I am leaving town in a couple of days and need to clean the living room.  Thus, onto Clue 8 --- BORDERS.

These borders are INTENSE!  No joke.  I am so glad that the billions of pieces were part of the previous clues.  I think I would have fallen over and gone with a plain border otherwise.

After laying out groups of 8, I just sew.  And sew, And sew.

Roll Roll Cotton Boll - Clue 7 - Bonnie Hunter - Mystery Quilt

5/23/16 -   Clue 7!!!  Yep  it's already out and since I just finished Clue 6 (only a few days late) --- I'm staying on course.  This week we are making blocks and SETTING them.  Crazy lot to do.

The good thing is that all of the little pieces are already made so it just takes time to sew these up.  I'm loving the first set of blocks.  I think the teal absolutely pops.  How fun is this?

July 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.

A QUICK NOTE:  I have created a new group for those of you wishing to participate in the Chasing the Sun Mystery which starts in August.  We are going to have such a great time and hope that you will join in with us.  The group can be located by clicking on this FACEBOOK LINK and all information for the mystery will be located in this blog by clicking the tab at the top of the page.  I can't wait to get started and hope you will all join in.  The more the merrier.

Goals:  I am no longer even attempting to comment on those that were not touched.  They'll just stay on the list until they are achieved, even though life jumps in front of them now and then.

Easy Street (ES) - quilted, bound -
Old Tobacco Road (OTR)  - Clues 4, 5 - working on borders as leader/enders

Allietare (A) - Clue 6 sewn, back, label, binding, quilted, bound -
Double Delight (DD) - quilted and bound - loaded on the frame
Row Robin #2 - quilted and bound - YES
Bargello - quilted and bound - YES
Roll Roll Cotton Boll - Clues 7-8
New baby Afghan crocheted - one third of the way through
Chasing the Sun (CTS) - dang - can't tell anything about this one Shhhhhh.  

1st -  This summer is just flying by.  I am entering my second month of "camp" sessions with my grands so once again will be a bit limited in what I can accomplish.  Toss in the fact that I am waist deep in Chasing the Sun (the new mystery mentioned above) and that also limits me with pictures.  I hope I don't disappoint you this month but enough jibber jabber, let's get this post started.

I have spent the ENTIRE day working on CTS and all I can say is there is color everywhere in my house.  For some evening entertainment, I met up with Elisabeth and Mariah to talk about an upcoming party and then followed up our gin and tonic planning with a couples dinner for Mister and myself with Elisabeth and her sweetie, Jim.  What a super fun evening.  Oh -- and we have a rough draft for our event.  Win, win.

Girlfriends are the BEST! Oh, and a Tea Party for Allison

I am so blessed to call Allison Bayer my best friend.  For a gal who has never really connected with other gals without annoying them, this is indeed fun.  She's a saint to put up with me.  So --- as many of you know, I am blessed each year with the birthday season and wanted to share that experience with her this year.  Having grands all summer made it impossible to be with Allison on her special day so I watched as other friends started the season early and kept it going with sew days and special treats along the way.  I got together with Elisabeth and planned a tea party that doubled as a surprise party for her and scheduled it for the FIRST day I had without kids.  That is now!  Fingers crossed we pull it all off.  (OH -- and yes, this IS the Allison who has the machine quilting banner on this blog -- please check it out.)

Bright and early this morning, I am up and baking scones for the party.  Everything else was dropped of yesterday and now to clean up my mess of a living room so that we can sew this morning.  Allison is on her way and I'm dang excited to have some girlfriend time.

As soon as she arrives, I can't stand it anymore.  It's present time.

Last month, she had recommended that I check out Gibson's Ace Hardware in Weatherford, TX while on one of my many child exchanges.  I did exactly that and then was unable to share what I found since when I walked in --- I spotted her birthday present instantly and that is all I bought.  Oh -- well I bought one for myself too.  We are going to have such fun making these together on our sew days.  It's gonna be oh so fun.

Woohoo -- A new Quilt Shop in Dallas - Welcome Rocking Bobbin

It's been such a delightful day so far and we are still going strong.  NOW -- we are off to check out a new quilt shop that is literally less than 2 miles from my house.  I am soooo excited.

Rocking Bobbin, located at 9090 Skillman Street, is in the middle of their soft opening with a grand event planned in August after school gets out.  Hmmmm, perhaps I should go talk with them about synchronizing with the mystery release.  (Why, oh why, did I not take a picture of the outside sign?  Sigh)

As we enter the shop, I am loving how big it is --- SO much room to fill up with quilts and supplies.  It will be so fun to watch this one grow and I'm pretty sure I will contribute to that growth --- it's just so dang close.