Hello and welcome to the eighth Monthly Quilt Update of 2019. Have you joined us in our theme for this year? Do you know what it is? Here is your hint and if you want to know all about it -- here is your LINK. Always remember that in this group all links open in a separate window so you don't lose your place here AND there are no ads or popups EVER.
If you are new to the blog, you may be asking, "just what is a monthly update?" I decided long ago that I just can't keep up with blogging daily. I just can't. Sooooo, what happens is I document a day in my life within one post and if something special happens, a separate post takes place. See, you can stay caught up with a once a month check and then, if you're interested, see the other posts too. It's a great system for me.
In years past, I have set goals for each month and I will continue to do that simply to keep myself on track. I AM still in UFO mode around here and trying oh so hard to use or clean out the stash. It will be an ongoing project this year. If I want something to come in -- something has to go out. That is one goal. The balance change each month (hopefully) and will always show up at the bottom of the update if you read that far - and they are joined by links to the previous monthly updates for the year.
Now, grab a cuppa and sit back for a fun read and perhaps a new idea or two. (P.S. I format on a computer, so if you are reading on a phone, well sometimes the pictures will be before or after the story. It is what it is.)1st - I have been wallowing all day. Seriously. If you read this monthly, you know last month ended poorly and, well, it continues on today. I will pull myself together, but freaking out is not my strong suit. Or maybe it is. Maybe I just do it so well that it supersedes everything else. That's the way to handle it --- put a positive spin on it. Breathe, spin, breathe, oh heck --- I'm just gonna go binge some more Netflix.
2nd - Enough! I'm letting go and moving forward. The calendar keeps changing days and the list of things I need to do is getting longer. Something has to give and it's gotta be me. With an attitude adjustment firmly in place, I set to work on the prototype units and blocks for the upcoming mystery. This part -- the making sure cutting directions are perfect and that all parts fit together exactly is the toughest part of designing for me. I have been at it all morning and wish to own a sign that says, "Bang head here." I would use it today.
Remnants of my fun are taking over the dining room. Success has been had, mostly, though and I've even found my way to the grocery store and have made a New England Boil for dinner. Progress.
3rd - I'm back on schedule!! With an early morning rise, some blogging is complete and family day has commenced. After taking Mom H to the doctor Wednesday, we decided that we would all get together today for lunch and to catch everyone up. Mattitos fills the bill and sangria is involved.
My fajitas were just so dang good. Perfect.
Even a quick, chop the head off Mister, blurry picture to keep. Moments need to be captured. Our evening entertainment consists of watching Green Book (finally) and relaxing.
4th - My sweetie and I are out walking bright and early this morning and the Dallas Zoo is always perfect for that. We have such a great time and learn a ton about the okapi herd here. You can catch up with us by clicking on this LINK.The hippos always make us smile and they did not let us down today. Such fun and a great way to start the day.
Once back home, Mister has some yard work he wants to do and I hit the paper. I have a layout to draw and draw and draw and draw ---- math math math and my head hurts even more. Finally, Mister comes to rescue me and it all works. Amazing!! NOW, it's official --- I am absolutely in love with this year's design. I loved it upon design, but one never knows if all the math will support the plan. It does and it's ready to rock and roll. Woohoo!!!
5th - It's my turn with the vampires today. Doctor's appointment to discuss options and more blood work to wait for results on. Yeah --- great day. Once home, I spend the rest of the day cutting, cutting, cutting on fabric. I have raided every little scrap storage spot in the studio. If I had squares, bricks, strips, you name it. Anything in the right blue tones made it's way into the house. (It's just too hot to cut out in the studio at this time of year and WAY too expensive to cool it down.) This pic is of all the squares found in a bin --- can they be used? Time will tell.
6th - Mister is working in the Irving office today and I am taking some time to get the personal blog all caught up once again. I wish I was not so much of a procrastinator. Half of an entire day typing on the computer is just not at the top of the fun list. However, I am eternally grateful for learning how to type oh so many years ago. It does make things go much faster, especially for people like me who tend to write books. The balance of it is spent with more cutting.7th - It's day 2 for my love to be out of the house and working. It seems so quiet here without him even though he barely moves and rarely talks to me. I have made use of the morning to finish all the cutting that needs to be done. Lots and lots of pictures have been taken and developed as well. I can challenge most anyone in a mess making contest. Somewhere along the way, I discovered that I was short some light blue and tore the studio apart looking for more. Finally, in one last hiding spot, two more fat quarters were discovered. Yes!
By the time the cutting is through -- I have almost emptied two containers of fake "best press". Lots and lots of fat quarters were pressed and cut up. I'm ready to power sew. Now to focus on some house cleaning. Ugh -- but it's gotta be done. Sherri arrives today to spend the night and visit for a bit. I've missed her and am looking forward to this evening.8th - Friends! Today is a friend day and I've been looking forward to it for quite awhile. In the Our Quilt World Facebook group, we posted this event months ago and today, several of us are heading to the Kimball Museum for the Money exhibit. You can follow along and see all the amazing paintings with a simple click on this Kimball LINK.
Great friends make everything just that much better and today -- it was exactly the medicine I needed.
We even managed to stop in at a quilt shop and you can see our fun in this Cabbage Rose LINK. Good fun, lots of great conversation and a few silly antics always make the days memorable. Thank you Lana, Diane, Stephannie, and Sherri. Y'all made my day perfect and it's not done yet.After saying good-bye to Lana and Diane, we make a pit stop on the way home. The Fort Worth Water Gardens are always great and since Sherri's never been and it's been years for Stephannie, I get to play tour guide. Come along with us. There are quite a few pics for today, but I didn't do a special post on the Water Gardens so wanted to share our fun.
What a great day! Truly, one of the best. Home to develop pictures and enjoy a glass of wine. (Yep, the picture I shared above)
9th - I have an upcoming trip and today the suitcase came out and I have started throwing a few things onto the bed in preparation for packing. I've pulled dresses that have possibility and some other things as well. Lists are being made and little notes lay all over the place.Part of my day is spent over at Mom H's trying to get some things in order for her. Troubles with bookkeeping and med management at the place she lives and you can never get a hold of anyone that can make a decision on the weekend. Hence, a Friday trip.
10th - I have managed to get myself one very busy Saturday lined up. Truly. It's starting out with me on the road to Plano at 6:30 in the morning. I'm not joking at all. The Plano Quilt Show is today and I am so fortunate to be meeting up with some friends for breakfast before the main event. I love these times to connect with those I may not normally get to spend a lot of time with. Thank you, Sam and Brenda for great conversation and friendship. From breakfast, Sam and I are off to the show and you can follow along with us AND see all the glorious eye candy by clicking on this Quilt Show LINK. An added treat is to get to see Lori, even if only for a short time.
The reason for my short time is because event number 3 (1 breakfast, 2 show) is a Red Hat Luncheon at Rockfish Grill. My tablemate is Estella and so much fun is had by all. Please do the click thing to read all about us here: Red Hat LINK. Once I'm home and clothes are changed (very quickly) Mister and I are out the door to visit his mom and make sure everything there is taken care of. After that, we make a quick stop at Costco and then it's home to blog for a bit. Check out the temp inside our car when we leave Costco. It's warm out.
11th - Continuing our busy week, Mister and I are off on a downtown adventure and our day is just so much fun. Y'all REALLY need to check out this LINK to see and learn about all the fun things we saw. My evening activity is to print all the documents needed for the cruise in 2 weeks. Wow --- it's getting closer and I'm starting to get excited. I have a LOT to do before we go though, so gotta get back in gear tomorrow.12th - Mystery quilt clues are occupying a great deal of my "behind the scenes" time right now so I feel like people think I no longer quilt. I do, I just can't show much right now. However, I am also working on a wall hanging for an exchange at the beach in September AND bits and pieces for my Smith Mountain Morning project - those get used as leader/enders every chance I get.
It's also been a great phone day as visits with Val, Lydia, and Jen brighten my day. Computer time consisted of cruise posts in that group and dealing with the test results that I finally have. The WBC appears to be improving but the TSH is still crazy wacko. Wonderful --- but, we are going to do the wait thing for a bit longer. Four months to be precise. Oh Goody -- 16 more weeks to worry. The only advantage is that this is my crazy busy time of year and with one event after another, it'll go quick.
My final purchases for the cruise have arrived. I'm set.13th - Another full day behind the curtain work on the mystery. My label is complete for SMM though so I think I earned a partial checkmark at least. Right? I wouldn't be getting anything finished if it weren't for leader/enders. Thank you Bonnie Hunter.
14th - Day 3 in a row of mystery fun. Gotta tell ya --- it's soooo cool. Today, however, my leader/enders became a bit larger and the first border went onto SMM. Had laundry going as well --- the mundane parts of life still need to be tackled.
15th - I'm taking a small break today and driving down to Waxahachie to meet up with a girlfriend. I have a shirt to deliver to Stephanie and she has some gifts for retreats. The trade will take place kinda halfway. It's not too busy downtown yet and I am able to find a parking spot just a block away from the cafe we are meeting in. That gives me a chance to look around a bit as I walk. Beautiful courthouse. I do so love these old buildings.
A great mural -
And this heart. Is this what the eye sees? Or am I the only one that things the base is an eyeball? Color me crazy if so.
Ahhhh, I'm here and as I walk through the doors, I see that the place is almost completely full - of men. A hush comes over the room for a second and as I take a seat, I count. There are 19 men and me. Well, the server is female too, so I guess I'm not the lone ranger. Stephanie arrives and we have such a great visit that somehow neither of us even remembers to take a picture. Wow.
As we are leaving the cafe, it has emptied out and we are the only customers inside. I mention to the owner the experience I had when I arrived and he said that they call themselves the ROMEO's - Retired Old Men Eating Out. Okay --- I kinda like that spirit and love the friendships they must have. Good-byes are said and I'm back on the road towards Dallas.
My next stop is a bit on the shocking side. It's time for a change and I'm chopping off a LOT of my hair. Once it is finished, I realize that this may take longer than I thought to get used to. It's short for sure, but maybe, just maybe not short enough on top. Time will tell.
A few minutes of actual quilt progress comes in the form of drawing dolphins on fusible web. Yeah, I'm a real barn burner today.
16th - Back on track once again, the mystery takes precedence and the pieced borders for SMM find their home. I REALLY like it.
Mister has told me we have a date tonight, but I have enough time to put borders on my wall hanging AND iron the dolphins onto fabric AND get them cut out AND ironed onto the backing. YAY!!! I may make the deadline on this project after all.We are off to a "new to us" brewery -- Outfit Brewing -- to sample their treats.
Once there, I discover why my sweet man wanted to come here. Look closely at the menu and you will instantly see what he orders. Too funny. The IPA's are wonderful here, by the way. It'll warrant a return trip. We have a great visit with Mike, one of the owners and spend a couple hours laughing and learning.17th - Saturday means helping Mom and today we went for Pho to get her out for awhile. All her shopping is complete and everything is in order for awhile. I promise her I'll stop by on Thursday to check on her before leaving town. Then, it's back home. Mister wants to get some things finished around the house and I certainly have enough to keep me occupied. I've found some fabrics to use in the SMM backing and start laying them out. Must find more.
Backing is cut
And bindings for both SMM and the wall hanging are cut. It's not a lot, but it is forward movement.
18th - More fabric has been located. Let the fun begin. Even though it is Sunday, we are hanging at the house and keeping a low profile. It's kinda nice.
Bindings are made and I'm working on the SMM backing -
View from a little further back - hahahaha
19th - I created the new Facebook group for this year's mystery. That's a sure sign that time is zooming up on me. Wowser --- Just keep sewing . . . Here is your LINK to join the group if you are participating in the mystery. Plus ---- TA-DA --- I have a backing
These are both complete now and moving into the "to be quilted" stack. Yay!! By the time I go to the beach next month, I'll have one of them finished and perhaps the second will be ready to hand stitch the binding down. It's possible.
20th - I woke this morning with the drive to sew three pair of pants. Yep, writing it even makes it sound crazy. I've had them cut out for awhile, but I am considering taking them on the cruise. I leave in 3 days. Now, you see the crazy part. Serger is out and set up ---
I didn't even see Mister take this picture. He's sooooo quiet.
GO
Thank you, my friend, for brightening my day. Can't wait to see you again on Friday.
After Paula left, I sewed some more and all three pair of pants are finished with what I can do using the serger. They have some initial regular sewing done and all that is left is hems and waistbands. Made meatloaf and enjoyed the evening with my sweetie.
21st - Since I'm leaving for a bit, I asked my sweetheart what he would like for me to bake. English Muffin Bread and Oatmeal Raisin Cookies hit the chart, so after grocery shopping this morning, I tackled both.
As the last batch of cookies came out of the oven, I had prepared a pot roast to go in. Now to clean up the mess and get back to sewing. By the time I am ready to stop today, I have one pair of pants completely finished. The second only needs elastic put in and the waistband on number three. Getting there but I gotta run to JoAnns for more elastic. That's it for today. Sweetheart time.22nd - Well, I've done it. Just in time too. All three pair of pants are made, but it required a trip to the store for some perfect tops to go with. Naturally.
Packing takes place next and I'm officially ready to go. This dang bag weighs about 100 pounds. CRAZY LADY alert!! I just couldn't decide how to approach each day and then there were excursions, etc. At least I'll be prepared no matter what. Now, if I just could lift the dang thing. I wonder if I'll sleep tonight. It's iffy, but I gotta try.23rd - Today is the day. The party is getting started and caravanning (is that a word?) cars are all headed to Val's house for our Bon Voyage Party. You can follow along with our fun in this LINK. Sharron drives over to play for the evening and we get a picture of all 14 of us. It's a fun night and so many memories are made.
24th - Randy and Val have fed and watered us for two meals now and it's time for our drive to Galveston and the embarkation process. Please click on the LINK to share in our fun.
25th - We are at sea and having the bestest day. How much better does it get than sitting in a hut in a pool while singing? Today's fun is brought to you by this LINK.
Oh, something a little crafty at least. The door sign that Debi made for our room. So cute.
These ladies are all drop dead gorgeous - don't ya think?
26th - Sea Day number 2 and I'm really into the scavenger hunt today. Your cruise details are in this LINK and all the fun stories will make you smile. It's also Electric White Night and so some fun photography on our way to dinner. These pics were not only fun to do, but I love how they turned out. Girl time rocks.
27th - Jamaica Mon. We are in port and having the time of our life. So much fun and so many new experiences today. Please click this LINK and come check out our fun in a Rastafarian Indigenous Village.
Gathering for dinner in my new Jamaican dress. Fun times.
28th - Grand Cayman is our exploring ground today and we are playing as a group. This LINK will share all of our glorious moments with stingrays and starfish. Ya just gotta see.
Some fun on the way to dinner again. I LOVE these moments and all the fun we get to have.
29th - Cozumel is on one side of the ship and the mainland is across the water on the other. We are ferrying off to the mainland. Come along to join us and share in our cenote joy. Since we never were on the pier, no real group photo, drat. Here's your LINK to all the wonder we get to share and experience. Please let me go back.
30th - Our last sea day and it's a quiet one. Most of us are sun burnt or just plain tired. We have thoroughly enjoyed our time here and quiet sewing takes place to end out the fun. This last LINK will share the remainder of our fun. Take a peek.31st - This is it. The dreaded day has arrived. As we wake, we are pulling into Galveston and preparing for the task of making our way back home once again. This has been amazing and I am super excited to do it again. Next year plans are already being researched. Do you want to join us?
UFO's to quilt:
BOM #1 - quilted and bound
BOM #2 - quilted and bound
BOM #3 - quilted and bound
Current Projects:
5 pair lounge pants - Done
Wall Hanging for beach exchange - Top, Backing Binding Made - Ready to applique and quilt
2019 Mystery - Sapphire Blues -- READY for take-off
UFO Items for This Month:
Ohio Star - set and backing/binding made
1 Row by Row block -
*Jamestown Landing -
*Smith Mountain Morning - Top finished, backing/binding/label made - Ready to quilt
*Midnight Flight -
UFO Handwork Items:
1 Box finished for tea set -
Hand Quilting --
Links to Previous 2019 Monthly Posts:
January 2019 Quilt Update
February 2019 Quilt Update
March 2019 Quilt Update
April 2019 Quilt Update
May 2019 Quilt Update
June 2019 Quilt Update
July 2019 Quilt Update
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