My Mojo has come home.

My Mojo has returned over a week ago and boy did it make up for the time that it was missing.  I have been super busy and. On the 8th I spent the day with my friend, Ms. D. came over to help me trim & ready the Kitten quilt so that she could help me quilt it since I don’t have a walking foot for my machine.  Once I got home, I pinned the binding onto the brown & orange table runner and pinned the hems on 8 out of 10 little dolly dresses that we are making for the “Santa” program in the local village; all the while I was watching “Killing Lincoln” that Tom Hanks had narrated.

On the 9th, I spent the day at Ms. D’s house learning how to can what will become spaghetti sauce.  This was an interesting experience for me and I was able to take 11 quarts and 1 pint home as my bounty from the bushel  minus the few that I ate for lunch.  I spent the evening doing my Hostess duties in pairing up names for a Secret Santa that I’m running on the Quilt & Needle board.  From there, I proceeded to finished pinning the last 2 little dolly dresses so they are ready for the sewing machine.

Come the 10th - I sat down determined that I would iron & cut out the fabrics needed to work on the 2nd table runner.  I am still using the pattern that I drew up for the 1st one that I made with just a small change to it.  While I’m making my cuts, I realized that as I start to sew my HST’s together that I messed up the cuts making them too small.  UGH!!! GRRR!! Wait…hummm …maybe… YES!!  I can still use them!! Yeah … do quick “Happy Dance” .  I’m doing a Non-Swap Challenge featuring a Maple Leaf on the QB.  Instead of getting mad & frustrated … feeling like throwing the machine out the window… I grabbed some graph paper and started sketching out a quick design.  Okay deep breath… this looks like it might work … and cut more HST’s for the new design.  Guess working on the table runner wasn’t in the cards that day. From there I cut the batting for my Canadian friend’s grand baby quilt so that I could take it to quilt group on Wednesday morning. At TV time I work on hand quilting a little wall hanging for a Santa Sack Swap project that I’m also in. 

The 11th finds me at the library, but upon looking at it; I put it away as I have some questions for  my friend before proceeding.  After group and lunch, I spent the day cutting, ironing & prepping fabrics for several projects that are slated for the week.  In  the evening, I managed to get half way around the little Santa piece as I try my hand at doing a meandering type stitch by hand on the border.

So the 12th has me actually sitting down to piece that 2nd table runner and trace out some more dolly dresses. And of course more hand work - but this time I picked up the Challenge top again. 

Friday found me once again at the library with a multitude of things to do there.  I called the friend that had me make the kitten quilt to meet me so that I could give her the finished product.  I also took the time to write out all of the Farmer’s Wife Blocks that we have been given from the Q&N group into a notebook to serve as a logbook.  I had the ladies help me print out all the templates for the whole quilt. So now I’m really ready to get back into the groove again.  When these started I was sort of on track & I really want to get back on track now that the BC has gone back to dad’s for school. 

Sunday I spent the day with Ms. D. as a passenger on a road trip, where I continued on hand quilting and we ended up with another half dozen quilt magazines to read on the way home, but in the evening I spent the time working on appliquéing the challenge top inching my way to the half way point on that one side of the border that I’m working on. Once I finish that last half of the flower bud … let the trumpet’s blare & I’ll rejoice as the first stitch goes into the tri-level full flower.

Monday was spent assisting Mr. S. with an outside project that has been looming at us as we needed to finish this project before the winter settles in.  Ms. D & Hubby are over to help and stay for dinner.  She also brought with her an assorted mix of reds & yellows as possible binding for the Santa wall hanging that I hope to finish later that evening.

Tuesday had me flipping & trimming the 2nd runner and I’m so happy that it looks like I won’t need to use pre-made binding to hide some shifting in the fabrics on the edges.  I started stitching my “non-swap” maple leaf project when Ms. D. came over – who made a comment about how “messy” my multi-purpose room.  Once she left – I went into “cleaning” mode to the room. After several hours of straighten & re-stacking fabrics, books & assorted odds and ends,  I finally finished the wall hanging …yeah!

Last week I had read an e-mail from Bird Brain Designs about their “Red work” Challenge.  I had contemplated it a while and decide that I would try very very hard to finish a project and submit it.  So come Wednesday I printed out the needed patterns while at the library.  We went to lunch at The Rock Cafe on the Ferris State campus and made a trip to a little quilt shop in Paris.  I was really good and bought nothing but was able to take two vintage Aunt Martha’s hot transfer pattern packages for free.  I don’t know when these came out but it’s nice to the packages in such nice condition and the prices. 

It was a nice little reminder that I had my Red Work challenge and I was looking forward to getting started.  I had gotten the 1st pattern traced and started stitching it.  But thinking about what I had read in the rules & e-mail I had decided that I needed to clarify a couple of things before proceeding.  So Thursday morning I made a phone to Carol Bledsoe of BBD who was very pleasant & took a few minutes out of (what I am sure) her busy schedule to help me with my questions.   The up side was I got the green light to continue with my BBD.

I also managed finish another wall hanging by finally getting the label on it. So that was another item off my “to do” list and that is always a good thing.  I got the Maple Leaf top finished yesterday and it waits for sandwiching and hand quilting.  I got great maple leaf template when I was with Ms. D. on a road trip on Sunday in the most unusual place.  This came from a hanging display at Bath &Body.  After the purchasing some really nice smelly things that was gifted to me… Ms. D. asked for one of the leaves and the clerk was more than happy to clip one for us to take home.  I laminated it and I’ll scatter them out on the top when I hand quilt it in brown variegated threads.  I’m calling this piece “Autumn’s Trails” at the moment.   I think the brown thread will look interesting as contrast against the red & green. It should really look nice  with the brown crackle frame that will  go with the brown in the leaf print.

So here are the two table runners that went into the mail this morning for the swap on the Quilting Board. This was a design that I drew up myself and I really like the way they came out. 

                     

Well I need to think about signing off for the day since dinner is calling my name.  I’m thinking a nice taco salad is what I want. So ‘til next time.

Toodles,
Tricia