Date Day

Jim and I go out on a "date" every week. We might just grocery shop, but it's time spent together without any outside distractions at home to pull us apart. It means a lot to me to talk to my best friend for an hour of uninterrupted noise. Some might say, "But it's just getting groceries" To us, we make it a game or have fun with it any way we can. It works for us and we are nearly 40 years in the making.

Anns quilt was completed yesterday morning and I started right in on Joyces quilt on DW even before lunch. Here's what I'll be working on through the next couple of days...

Penny Quilt (as they are calling it)

But it's actually a Trip Around the World pattern. The fabrics in here are circa 1940's so I'm using a much smaller needle and thread to quilt this out. And I'm not putting a butt load of thread down since they wouldn't have back then either.

Right out of the gate I knew there were going to be issues. Here's the top borders...

Say 'hello' with the wave

Yep, I have a feeling the iron and some steam are gonna be our friends on this one. 

I'll be working this most of today. I still need to get Anns quilt off the frame (was waiting for the marks to disappear) and trimmed up, and then I have to get the next back started on Bernie in between quilting breaks on Joyces. Happy Friday. 

Lighting

The lighting this time of the year in the studio is weird. The leaves are still on the trees, and the sun is falling in the horizon, giving it an even greater amount of shade (and darkness) despite it being sunny outside. 

I would like to take a kayak ride later today or tomorrow. Check out some of our blooming colors and see what's going on with our dam. I heard some ruckus down there this morning so maybe they're starting?

Mary's quilt was finished yesterday. Then I put on Linda N's top...

Linda's Beautiful Embroidery

And believe it or not, all she wanted in here was a very loose edge-to-edge. I was cringing as it was stitching out. But I selected a very fine thread and it didn't blemish the embroidery at all. 

After that was done, and after lunch was finally eaten, I loaded this quilt top for Joni...

Joni's antique top

She gave me a book that this came out of and it has a very clear pic on the quilting, which is what Joni wants me to put into it. No thinking on my part. 

I got another row done on the 9-Patch quilt-along last night as well as some border work, two long sashings, and three vertical sashings in before I was tired enough to get out of the studio. 

I have two customers coming today; one to pick up and another to drop off. Both of their names end in -ette. Isn't that funny?