Monday...

The weather was nice today. Cooler than last week, but warmer than Sunday. The sun was shining and there was not much wind. Great day for outside recess! And, we ALL needed it!

I got this quilted over the weekend. Now on to binding.

Since last Monday was a holiday, it was a no-school day for me. How to celebrate? Fabric shopping with quilt buddies, of course!




I got the green paisley and an 11 half-yard bundle a few weeks ago on another fabric shopping trip with the same quilt buddies. I have a pattern in mind (actually the same one I am using the flannels for, Breezy Batiks). Some of the pieces are too light or not a color I want to use with this pattern so I wanted to add some more colors.

The fabrics on the right will go with the green paisley bundle. I added some more Civil War fabrics in colors needed for the 365 Challenge which I still haven't decided if I will make all the blocks for. And a baseball print FQ for a quilt I have in mind for a young nephew. Last, but not least, the Vintage Rose papers by Quiltworx. I love the Quiltworx patterns. I don't know when I will have time to make the few I have, but at least I have them. Every time I think I know what colors I want to use I see one made up in different colors that I like even better than the last.

Here is my progress on the Breezy Batiks pattern in flannels. Six more stars to make and even more 25 patch blocks. I am liking it so far.

My latest block for the Quilter's Exchange. We met this past Saturday. We are all anxious to be finished with this. We will do our final exchange in May.
These fabrics are peachy/beigey/grayish and purple grayish. Very soft look. My block is on the left.

All the blocks so far. The pictures are not wonderful. I need to work on learning the camera.

I had started with Pat Sloan's Solstice challenge.
Blocks 1 through 4.

I like Block 1 and may make a quilt with that block using my Civil War stash. Block 2 was OK. I am not crazy about Block 3. I do not like Block 4. Rail Fence type blocks are really not my favorites.

So I have put the finished blocks and the patterns together with a note to myself so I remember what I had in mind when I decided to stop working on this challenge. I have seen pictures of other people's blocks and I think they look nice, but I still do not care for some of the blocks, although I do like some that have been posted since so I might make them up and see how I feel about continuing. Since I have enough other projects to keep me busy I give myself permission to stop working on this project for now.

Monday

Go see Judy's blog to what other quilters are up to.

Here is what I have been up to:

I made this at the last quilt retreat.

It is for a friend. Her birthday and wedding anniversary are on Valentine's day, she is patriotic, loves hearts and the color red.

I fully intended to give it to her tomorrow. I had time. I got fabric for the back that I thought would work. It didn't. It seems too orange.

I ordered something else thinking I would have it in time. Every day I checked for delivery information. Nothing. And, then on Thursday I received an email saying it had shipped. It arrived on Friday. Still time, I thought.

Then my neighbor called. Her mother suffers from Alzheimer's and they needed to be away from home for several hours on Saturday, could I stay with her? They rarely get to go anywhere so, of course, I said yes.

I knew then that I would really, really have to work hard to get this quilt finished by Tuesday. I decided not to stress about it. So, I washed the backing. I will load it to quilt this weekend.

I know some people do not wash before cutting. I almost always do. 

Here is why.

See those Color Catchers? The top one is the (new) red backing for the heart quilt. The bottom one is the blue backing for the T-shirt quilt I recently finished.

I keep reading articles and hearing from my quilt friends that fabric dyes are 

more stable these days, but I still think I will wash first.

My quilt group also exchanged flannel fat quarters at the retreat. Every one participating was to contribute 2 different FQs for each person. I chose a mottled cream and a green print.

Then I added a few more to my stash.

I chose this pattern - Breezy Batiks from Moda Cutting Table Free Patterns.

Strip sets for the scrappy chains.

Aren't those flannels lovely?

Some stars and a chain block. 

The following pictures are NOT my workplace, or even people that I know. 

I see this happening all the time. It happens frequently to me at my workplace.

It happens to me when shopping.

Why do people feel the need to block aisles, hallways and doorways while they talk?

At the store I often just turn around and go down another aisle and come up from the other way.
At work, often I have to excuse myself to get through the door to the office. 

Then, have to do again to get back out. 

Thankfully, our school office has a door into the break room that has a door into 

the library that has a door into the hallway around the corner from the office. 

Sometimes it is just easier to go around rather than excuse myself through the group again.

It seems to me that if someone can't get through that these people would get a clue and move over a little so people can access halls and doors. I know people need to have a discussion sometimes, but do they really need to block the way for others? Or am I just being cranky?

 On a positive note, it was a beautiful day here. Sunny, little wind, mid 40s. 

The kindergarteners were happy to get outside for recess, and so was I!