Good Intentions, Bad News

If you read my post yesterday, intentions were high for a productive day. Then, after checking the DeGroot Reunion Facebook page, received an IM from a high school and dear friend. 

There were about five or six of us who hung around together in high school. Back then, I didn't get along with girls very well, so I was the only girl in the group. There was Steve, Tom, Kevin, Doug, Chris, and myself. Doug was the one that contacted me to let me know Chris had passed away last week. WHAT? I'm JUST hearing about this? And then Doug tells me his wife passed in January. 

Because Facebook is a vortex of time sucker, I rarely go out there. I find myself squirreling way too much and waste valuable studio time playing on the stupid app. So I avoid it until the need arrives. Apparently, I need to start visiting the sight more than I have in the past.

So the morning was shot. And, just when I was getting into my afternoon groove, Jim needed to be picked up at work to get his truck from the repair shop. Again. 

I tried to long arm after I got back home, but then two of my customers came and picked up their quilts. And stayed to chat for a little bit. Yep, not very productive yesterday.

So, this morning,  I'm again working on the deer panel top for Pat and will hopefully get it done. And today is another interruption day. Mom is coming over later this morning, Doug is coming over this afternoon to get some much needed hugs (he happened to be in the area when he IM'd me yesterday and we figured while he was up here, he needed to visit). And Jim is taking the afternoon off and has tomorrow off as well.

I warned him that I would need to work tomorrow since yesterday and probably today will be a bust. He understands and has work around here to do anyway, so we'll just work apart together at the house. 

Goals and Aspirations

I currently have two quilts in queue right now. My goal is to get those completed before starting to pack for the DeGroot Reunion...which is next weekend. This one will be worked today.

Pats gift quilt

Prior to getting this loaded last night, I long armed this quilt.

Joanies quilt

This is for a first birthday too. 

Once Pats quilt was loaded, I had pretty much been on the long arm eight hours yesterday and decided the fabric bundle and book I purchased at the Pieces of Thyme sidewalk sale last week needed to be dug into. 

I'm just starting to prep and make the first set of blocks for a quilt top I'm going to call Star Bright. This is from the book titled Stash-Buster Quilts by Lynne Edwards.

The copyright on the book is 2006, but for some reason, Pieces still had a copy of it. And how I didn't have it in my library was puzzling since I usually get any stash-type of book out there. There are a number of tops I'll be making out of the book, most of which can utilize the stash I have around here. But this particular top I wanted to make very bright and consistent so I am using a large fat quarter bundle (35) for its construction. 

Thank Goodness for A/C

First this spring the rain wouldn't stop. Now we can't seem to get any and are in a drought situation. It's good in one way; mosquitoes are at a minimum right now. Bad for Jims garden and all other living creatures though. But with the hot (90+ degree) days, I stay inside and work. 

Here is what was completed yesterday on the frame.

Jill's baby quilt

Hook swirls grace this cute baby quilt that some lucky little one-year old is going to receive for their birthday.

New customer quilt being loaded today. With Minky as the backing. I'm told many long armers won't work with Minky. It's very stretchy and a bit flighty with the quilting aspect. It likes to pucker and pulling it tight just makes matters worse. Finding the happy medium of stretch versus slop is the key. Wish me luck on this one.

Moving Week

Not for us...thank goodness! Mom's movers are supposed to be at her house right now. She has an offer on the lake house and spent the last night there last night. She's pretty sad about it, but excited too for her new condo in Gladwin.

So, most of Saturday was spent with her moving frames and other miscellaneous items. Things too delicate for the movers to trust. 

This was on the frame when the weekend started.

A little baby quilt for Jill

This still needs to be squared and bound today. Another baby quilt for Jill will get loaded later today. That too will need binding made and added once it's complete.

Our grandson, Elijah, was baptized yesterday. Proud parents for sure.

Baby Elijah didn't mind the ceremony

And the Northern Catalpa tree is in blossom. What a beautiful background when looking out the window where my pressing and cutting tables are.

In full bloom

Hot and sunny all week which also makes for great quilting weather since we still don't have a "lake". It continues to drop 1-2" each day and this is our fate for the unforeseeable future. I measured the amount of new "lake frontage" we now have. We were estimating around 20-25 feet; we are actually now at a little over 40 feet! Not cool!

I forgot to mention the weekend was also spent at the Pieces of Thyme sidewalk sale. A few fat quarter bundles, some background fabric, a pattern, a book, and eight panels were purchased to keep me busy during my evening sewing time. It's fun adding to the stash and to the projects pile too!

Another Day Off

The new truck needed to go in for undercoating yesterday. Mom and I spent the day shopping and eating out. What a treat.

But this was on the frame and started when I left. 

Mickey's Kaffe Feathers

Now it's quilted and just needs trimming. Mickey will probably be ecstatic to get her three quilts back that have been here for six (Ugh) weeks. 

Another little project was completed yesterday.

Emily's patriotic wallhanging

The customer asked me to bind this for her after it was quilted, and so I need to contact her too.

Accomplished

Day 2 of the quilting marathon trying to catch up from the little life tosses.

Quilted this one for Mickey yesterday.

Mickey's second quilt

I have three total from her and this is only the second one done. I feel terrible for not getting them done quicker. 

This is a new customer piece I also worked yesterday. 

Emily's little wall hanging

I still have to bind it for her, but the third project I undertook didn't work out for me to get it done before calling it a day. Jill's coin quilt came back to me for the binding she didn't have when I quilted it a few months ago, so that was completed instead.

Today I bind Emily's quilt (hopefully), I have customers coming to drop off more (two I think), and I have to load Mickey's third quilt onto the frame. I have to get her stuff done...I've had them long enough! Two additional tops were dropped off yesterday and just when I think I'm getting a handle on my work load, in comes another bunch. 

It's a good thing, but getting only one of mine done every few months is kinda not a good thing. But mine don't pay the bills and it's not like I don't have a huge inventory already. 

Progress

Finally, some studio progress. 

This quilt wasn't expected to be completed yesterday, but since Jim was canning strawberry jam, I persisted and finished this for mom. Just in time. Her new bed arrives sometime today and this will look wonderful on its top.

Look closely at the blocks in the center

I started this table topper on Sunday (or thereabouts). I needed something patriotic for the dining room table and finished this one yesterday too. It was not quilted on DW but rather my Janome 1600P; which actually does a better job then the long arm. 

Happy 4th of July...soon.

Today I have a customer quilt to load. I received a wall hanging from a new customer yesterday. I have two more regular customer tops coming in today, and another two tomorrow. Better get busy and quit messing around with my own stuff huh?