Quilting and Shopping

 My two favorite things to do all wrapped up into one day yesterday.

Carla's Love It Quilt

A little detail of the appliqué blocks. And some of the surrounding blocks too. I got a pass and a half done before our shopping trip at noon. 

About the only other thing accomplished yesterday was cutting out pieces for block #4 on the Celestial Stars. Chad and mom stayed longer than I had anticipated last night giving me very little time afterwards. 

Kinda Busy Weekend

Working on the BOM (Celestial Stars) and the Rail Fence Katie sent to me via text was interspersed with visiting family.

Block 3

Picking from the scrap buckets

My brother here from Cincinnati

And my brother is staying through tomorrow so we're going to go out and do something with mom today. I'm going to try to get a little long arming done before they arrive around noon so at least I'll feel a little productive and less neglectful (is that even a word?) to my customers.

Saturday I picked up four more tops to do. I think the current count is around 14; therefore today is my last "play" day before I really have to buckle down. It has been nearly a month since I really dug my heels in with the business between the holiday and the "thing" and...it is time to get fully vested. 

Feeling Almost Myself

This morning finds it snowing outside, but my fuzzy, snowy head seems to be clearing away. I nearly feel whole again. 

I pushed through that feeling yesterday and finished quilting the Cross quilt. It's still on the frame waiting for me to make binding for it, but it's quilted nonetheless.

And I was digging through my bag of tricks for something to start. The scrap thing I started two nights ago just isn't doing it for me. The four blocks I made will be a throw pillow...or something else. Then I found my raffle winner from last years retreat.

Linda McGibbon From Lakeview Quilting donated this pattern

The first star, located in the upper left hand corner was block one (It's a block of the month kinda pattern). Here is my rendition.

Block One

I think I have enough scraps in my batik bin to be able to do most of this without having to go out and purchase a whole heck of a lot. Except the background, which I'll need to run over and get tomorrow maybe?

Music and (Free) Motion

I forgot how cool it was to slip on those headphones, dial up the volume just a mite, and grab the long arm to work some free motion motifs. I was having a ball.

And then Jim got home and we had to go get his truck. Once home, I had lost my oomph and started baking cookies instead. 

DeGroot Reunion Quilt (Cross Quilt)

Here is part of what is going into the Cross Quilt.

A hook swirl with respective thread changes in each of the colors

In the white/lights I'm putting a simple meander, in the burgundy around the cross I'm putting a wandering square, and in the center, woodgrain.

I arrived past the half way point before we took off. Since this is my last day of quarantine, I need to get this completed. Today. Customer quilts have to get started tomorrow. 

But, I'm still dealing with some fuzzy head and Katie said some people experience this for months. I'm just going to have to deal with it and move along. I wonder if it has something to do with my lack of taste/smell?

Here are the yummy molasses cookies made later yesterday. Well, I think they look yummy anyway. I can't really taste much of them. 

Yum!

Aaannnddd...it's a quilt! Wow it felt good to get back on the machine!

U.S.A.

After completing the U.S.A. quilt I moved along to the DeGroot Reunion Cross. Section 13 is built. Sections 14-16 are set up and ready to be pieced. I'll work on those today.

Sections 12, 15, and 16

We have a freezing mist coming down right now and the roads are treacherous. Jim came back home this morning after attempting to get to work. It's just not safe currently.  

I'm debating on how safe it would be to start customer quilts. I'm itching to get back into them but want to maintain the safest possible situation for my customers. They will certainly understand my waiting. I don't know that I have enough time to load any more of mine since all the tops left in the tote are large to huge sizes.

This means I'm at about a two-day stand still with the long arm. Again. Hmmm?? I'll think about this why I'm piecing these sections together this morning. 

Well, That Wasn't Fun!

So, this COVID thing is nothing to laugh at. While none of us were hospitalized, it did take quite a while to get over. I'm still a little fuzzy headed today, but every day is showing improvement; except for the lack of taste and smell, which I seem to have lost for now.

Hazel kept me company on the couch during recovery. She wasn't acting bonkers and kinda knew mom wasn't feeling too well.

Keeping mom company while she's trying to get better

I did do a little studio work yesterday on the DeGroot Reunion Cross completing sections 11 and 12 out of the 16 needed. I have section 13 laid out and will put that together later today.

But the first part of today is a DW day. I miss him...tried to get on him a few days ago and it just didn't work out. I was too weak and was afraid of my lightheadedness reeking havoc on what I'm in the middle of, which is some ruler work.

This was a heck of a way to introduce 2021 into our lives (or end the retched 2020) but we all made it and may finally get back into a state of normalcy. 

Yay! Long Arming!

Didn't realize how much I missed the big guy until he was fired back up yesterday. One of the tops completed during the virtual retreat begged to be finished. Or, it was one of the tops that just didn't fit into the tote of Flimsy's. Either way, it's on the frame and half done.

Getting back on the frame

After long arming, work on the reunion Cross commenced. Sections one through eight are completed. 

Laying out section eight

More long arming and Cross building today; and anything else I can find to get into between now and later.