Happy (Re)Birthday Smallwood Lake

This is birthday month for our family. Laura's was this past Wednesday, mine is this coming Wednesday, and Lia's is two days after mine. Smallwood Lake has returned so its re-birth has begun. We are now at our legal lake levels for the summer months and we've seen so many boats (pontoons and speed boats too) up and down the waters since Friday. 

We grabbed mom yesterday, went out to eat and then bummed around West Branch St. Vincents afterwards. 

Today I'll be busy skating and packing up for retreat so we knew we wouldn't be able to go in today to visit with her. 

She got me this WONDERFUL kit from Bittersweet Quilt Shop for my birthday.

I want to get started on it right now, but I know I have other pressing things to work on like Christmas gifts for the kids. 

I did get caught up on the Temperature Quilt blocks last night after we returned back from moms. But I couldn't start right away because my mom has a buying habit and she's been fawning all her stuff to us. We had to take care of a literal truck load last night before I could start sewing. 

Clothing, food, furniture, electronics, and birthday items all had to be taken care of. Oh mom, please stop! 😑

Retreat Dates

I'll be out of the studio all next week. Monday through Thursday (October 12-15) I'll be retreating at The Springs. Friday through Sunday (October 16-18) we should be in Ohio. That depends on this big girl. 

Not feeling the greatest

Hazel has some bad teeth and I don't know if they will just clean them or remove them. If they remove them, we won't be doing any traveling because it's not fair to the dog sitter to have to deal with her convalescence. 

I finished Lynettes quilt and hung it on DW temporarily while I was doing admin stuff for the project and look how the sun shows the detail I inserted in this.

Sometimes the back looks as nice as the front

I wanted to get on DW last night to start working on the first (second now) QAL but I knew if I didn't get this one below bound I was breaking my own "rules". I know if I don't get the binding done I'll regret it later. 

For Zechariah

This quilt is going to my youngest grandson along with a matching pillow, which I started last night instead of long arming. Today though I need to get caught up on the Temperature quilt. I am way behind on that. We also have lunch plans with mom and so I may be just cutting pieces instead of actually sewing them together. I'll take it to retreat to work on if I have to.

Have you priced poly fill lately? Holy cow, it's averaging $7/lb versus $3/lb less than five years ago. And I have six pillows to make all needing about 1.5lbs each. Yikes. Good thing I started making holiday gifts early this year so I can spread that expense out a few months. 

Out of the Box

As we get older we fall into a comfortable routine. When the routine is disrupted it's like working outside of the box or coloring outside of the lines. Remember in our younger years routine changes didn't seem as big a deal?

Today is back to the norm, but I quite like getting outside of the box. I like change. I like to mix things up. While getting back to the norm is like a favorite pair of shoes; comfortable but not quite as supportive or clean anymore, let's get those shoes really dirty! More in a bit.

Here is some of the quilting going into Lynettes quilt. 

Frosty?

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree

Honk

The previous night I did get all the blocks done on the QAL and only had to do the border. Here are the last four blocks. 

Block 12

Block 11

Block 10

block nine

And the last big block in the Quilt Room is finished meaning it's time to get the whole thing put together.

Last block is done

I have a few hours left to go in Lynette's quilt this morning and then my day will be done. I may start in on the fifth quilt from Diane, but since it's supposed to be nice today (another pic-perf autumn day) it may be difficult to stay in the studio this afternoon. 

Yesterday was another 'norm' day, but I'm doing my skating exercises to regain the balance I've lost and adjust to my new 'older' body (which is not 16 anymore). I'm planning on sticking with my skating (re)endeavor and that's getting the shoes very dirty!

Where Was I Yesterday?

I did do quilting things both Tuesday and Wednesday, but yesterday morning I was off and running with Jim. We were doing this...

Trying to get the old boots off. The bolts/nuts were rusted on. 

My old skates received a minor overhaul. New boots, cleaned bearings, and new inserts. Here they are ready for me to pick up on Sunday...

The skates reconditioned

Here's the thing about my skating habit. I used to go whenever I could. Didn't matter the weather, temperatures (most rinks are not air conditioned), inside or outside, I loved to skate and would get on them as much as possible. I started training for speed/distance competitions and then I found out I was pregnant.

The doctor said I was not allowed on my skates. Life, moving, college, boys, moving, new careers, moving, and now age have gotten in the way along my lifes path. 

Nearly 40 years later I'm treading into a very familiar, yet oddly new experience. When ya start losing your balance (as we do as we age), skating becomes a new experience all over again. And, my skates were not done yesterday in time for me to enjoy getting on the floor. I grabbed a pair of rentals and at least played for a little while. Well, played is not correct. Trying not to fall is more like it.

But it'll come. 

Back to the quilting end of things. Tuesday was a busy day. Here is what I've been working on the past two days...

Another Tilda

And since I've been long winded this morning I'll just tell you all the blocks in the 9-Patch QAL are done. I just need to get the border in. The last block in the Quilt Room is being constructed and I've got a little less than half done on Lynette's Tilda quilt above. 

Another Visit from Mom?

After working yesterday, which btw, I have two quilts off the Bernini's and two more backs already loaded and getting frame ironed, I had to do the long work on the Quilt Room. The last set of blocks (the banner) needed to have setting blocks and top blocks added.

That section is now done

After working on the Quilt Room I headed over to DW. I spent the rest of the evening marking, and then quilting all the thin sashings and part of the border. While I was over there working I spied my Temperature quilt row hanging out and oh crap, I haven't done that in a few weeks. 

Guess I know what I'll be doing tonight.

Got a text from mom. She'll be over later this afternoon to discuss this bedroom set that's supposed to be coming over here. I believe she's having second thoughts. Which is fine by me. I don't have to rush to get the room ready (new paint). She volunteered the set. I didn't ask for it, but she knew I liked it and wanted to get something new for herself.

Mom visits about three times a year. She doesn't like dogs and we are a little below her housing expectations. She used to bitch about my grandmother tsk-ing our family home when I was growing up. Mom wasn't a great housekeeper back then. Now my mom is doing the same thing to me. Funny, huh?

I have nothing to share on what I'll be working on the machines today because each of them needs one more roll before I can load. 

The Lake is Back!

After nearly 6 1/2 years our lake is finally back. With the rain we received a few days ago, and with the runoff from tributaries and Secord Lake, our legal lake levels have returned. While it has risen a few times during the 6 1/2 year period, we knew it would dissipate in a matter of days; which it did because the gates were wide open still with construction going on. Now we are staying full until 12/1. 

I did spend a little time in the studio yesterday morning/afternoon.

Two new portable design boards

The kids went to a real Octoberfest (in Germany) on Saturday. Aren't they adorable?

In Munich on Saturday

I guess Evie was a hit and the star of the whole show. 

Today I'll be on Marty all day. I don't know if Lynettes quilt will be done today or not. There's still a couple of rolls hanging there and I usually do about a pass and a half a day. 

As Predictated

Zero time was spent in the studio yesterday except to plug in my iPad. Today I'll be out there for a bit because I miss it.

Here's why I was otherwise occupied.

Boiling the cider before packaging

Filling the press hopper

Our water is nearly at summer lake levels

Bailing out the pontoon cover

Family is everything and after talking to the mom of this motley crew (happy face) it looks like each of the kids need a new quilt for their beds. Don't know how many I'll get to before the holiday, but hey, bonus!