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I've gotten no sewing done this week, even though I've tried. Since my daughter has been visiting, I haven't worked on sewing during the day. However, each evening I've had Dear Jane blocks prepared to do by hand while we watch tv. Each evening I've tried, and each evening I've failed. I'm not sure where I've gone wrong, but everything I tried to make came out the wrong size or just generally screwed up. I should have been working on quilting my D9P quilt; it's never going to get finished at this rate.
Today I tried to get myself back into sewing and did make a couple of DJ blocks and a block for a monthly swap. I'll post it as soon as it's gotten to my swap partner. What I really need to do, though, is some work on Christmas projects. I have all the blocks to make for Aunt Pitty Pat's holiday swap. I have my colors and patterns chosen, I just need to do it. I also have a couple of Christmas blocks to make for swaps, and some placemats for my daughter. I have them started, and I'll show you all of them as soon as they're finished, since DD doesn't read my blog. I also have all those cardinals to finish up. Hopefully, tomorrow I can really concentrate and finish at least one of those projects. Wish me luck!
My daughter has been visiting this week, so my time has been spent in other than my usual activities. However, yesterday I got a surprise from the mailman and just had to share. It's a mini quilt for the Fall Mini Quilt swap. It was made by Kristine, and it is such a cutie. She sent so many goodies along with it; chocolate (long gone), some really cute Mary Englebreit magnets, recipe cards, a card listing standard quilt sizes, and a beautiful piece of fabric to wrap it all up. She also sent a beautiful handcrafted card. What a wonderful surprise. Thank you, Krisitne.
I rattled on so much yesterday that I didn't tell you about the great surprises in the mail. The first one was a beautiful block from a monthly swap I'm in. I've asked for stars in dark blues, reds and greens, and this is from Susie, who said she is inexperienced with stars. Believe me, it certainly doesn't show inexperience. It's going to fit in perfectly with the others I've received. The quilt top with all these lovely stars is going to be gorgeous. I wish I could get the colors to look the way they really do.
The second package was from Debra in Australia for the Four Seasons Holiday Swap. She sent this cute little wall hanging, which she said was her first ever quilt. What an honor to receive someone's first effort at this craft/art we love so much. Her package was also filled with other goodies; a Christmas tea towel, gift cards, a beautiful handmade card, and some chocolate, which of course, is long gone. Thanks, Debra, for the great surprise.
I spent my sewing time today working on some Dear Jane blocks, but I'm going to have to put them away. I have several other projects that I must work on, so I'll have to put it aside for now. I have 82 blocks made, and these are the latest additions.
I have a swap that must be mailed tomorrow, and I'm ashamed to say I missed the deadline. Today is the deadline, and of course I can't make it. I'll have to spend a little more on postage, because I really don't want it to be late to the recipient.
We got home from Las Vegas late yesterday, but I was just too tired to do much of anything. We love to travel, but getting to an airport is always is problem. We live in a small town, and although we have an airport, it seems we just can't get anywhere from here. (Remember that old book, "You Can't Get There From Here"?) We usually drive to the airport in Charleston, Columbus or even Akron, but this time the flight in the package we bought was from Cincinnati. That's a 3 1/2 hour drive from home, and since I was totally unfamiliar with the area, I looked on the internet for driving instructions. I didn't know the name of the airport, and just looked for an airport in Cincinnati. Got our driving directions, put them in the GPS, and we were off on Monday morning, more than 5 hours before the flight time. Would you believe the directions were for the wrong airport?? I was sure our trip was ruined. Fortunately, the TomTom is a lot smarter than I am, and when I searched for an airport in the Cincinnati, it came up with the right one. We were past the morning traffic rush, and so made it in time. And would you believe the Cincinnati, Ohio airport is in Kentucky?
Not a very auspicious start to the trip, but we really did have a good time. We did a little shopping, played slots, did a lot of walking and saw 2 shows, Menopause the Musical, and The Lion King. They were both great entertainment. The Lion King stage show is absolutely amazing. We all know the story, but the staging, costumes and music are just wonderful. It just made the trip, and if I get the chance, I'm going to see it again. Truly awesome.
It was good to get back to sewing today, and I got 2 Dear Jane blocks completed, and made a Christmas block for a swap. I keep finding more swaps I want to join, but I'm resisting. I have things that I need to get in the mail on Monday, then I don't think I have any others due until January. Thank goodness. Life gets really busy at this time of the year. Sorry I have no pictures to show you - my battery died and I forgot to charge it.
This will be my last post until Thursday or Friday. Early tomorrow hubby and I are headed out to Las Vegas for 3 days. We're hoping to see some good shows. Of course, I love the slots, so I'll have a good time in the Mandalay Bay Casino. Can't wait! Of course, there are some quilt shops there as well, so I may get a chance to go and drool. See you later.
I have had so much fun in the sewing room yesterday, working on DJ blocks. It seems the more I work on this quilt, the more it pulls me in. When I started the blocks, of course I started with the easiest ones. So that's the only order I'm using. Now, however, the ones I passed up before are also fairly easy. My work is far from perfect, but as I've read about this quilt, done is better than perfect. I have almost half the blocks completed, so I'm going to lay them all out on a bed to really see how they look together. I've kept a spreasheet of the blocks completed and the colors I've used for them so that I won't end up with 5 blues or reds or browns in a row, but otherwise the blocks just sit in a pile on my sewing table. There isn't a color plan for the quilt, but as you've seen in the blocks I've posted, I'm using Civil War reproduction fabrics with a tea stained muslin as the background.
Today I have some Christmas blocks I need to get done, including my cardinal blocks. I have to get started on my blocks for Aunt Pitty Pat's holiday swap. I know the blocks aren't due until late January, but I'll be on a trip at that time and need to have everything done ahead of time. I'll try to post some pictures this evening.
Well, I've sent off 3 packages to bring me up-to-date with my swap obligations. I didn't realize I had so many due for November. I have 1 more to mail out within a week, 1 before the end of the month, and I think that's is for November.
I had to use three post offices to get these packages out. I was taking a friend to lunch, so left home a half hour early to have time to stop at my closest PO. There was a line, but I got the mailers I needed, got in line and addressed them. Then I realized that the line was not only not moving, but there was some major difficulty with the computer printer for money orderes. It took some time to get that customer finished, then the next person in line wanted 3 money orders. Needless to say, that took the next half hour. I couldn't leave the line because I had to pay for the mailers I had already addressed. When I finally got my turn, I just paid for them, took them and left. So to continue the saga, after lunch I was going to a quilt shop in another town, and went to the PO there only to find it closed. I finally found one on my way home that not only was open, but didn't have a line.
Unfortunately, not much sewing today.... hopefully, tomorrow.
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