A Little of This; A Little of That

This would be catch-up week.  The to-do list is long and full of a lot of little things that take way longer than they should.

We spent Thanksgiving at my mom's in Southern Oregon, where there was actually some sunshine, which always lifts my spirits.  It was really great for all because there was nothing we HAD to do.  That's when new ideas and some clarity about the old ones happens.  We ate good food, watched some football, got caught up on family stuff and I knitted a pedicure sock.


Now that I'm home, I finished the top of the Wreath Quilt.

This is where I was last week and I must admit, I was feeling pretty good about it.  Then I made the triangle border.  Then this happened:

Those two edges on the right were supposed to line up.  (Please insert your preferred unladylike comment.) The scary part was that I cut and sewed all the pieces at the same time and yet one side fit perfectly and three others did not.  I think I now know where head-bangers come from.  Many seams were ripped out, trimmed 1/16th of an inch and re-sewn. 

I could've measured and analyzed just where the problem had happened.  However, I want to finish this year, so I just fixed it without delving too deeply into the whys and wherefores.  I'm pretty sure it wasn't the pattern as the measurements are right.  More likely I cut or sewed when I was tired.

So now I'm up to here:

The pattern calls for another green border.  Sadly, the last minute substitution of wreath fabric means there isn't enough matching fabric and of course it's an older one.  Never let it be said that I don't know how to quit when I'm ahead.  Will it be just like the pattern?  No.  Will it be mine?  Yes.  Is that a problem?  Nope!  If you noticed, the top wreath block is missing a berry.  That I will fix.

This is what November looks like from my studio door.  It's never too foggy for poodles to check out the neighborhood.  The wind a couple of weeks ago uprooted some of the pansies.  I wonder if I can still buy a few to fill in.  In my spare time.  (Insert maniacal laughter.)


A hint from Mother:
If you haven't started a to-do list for the holidays, do it now.  Then go back and cross at least three things out.  Arrive at the holiday sane.  Do a bit less.  Enjoy it more.


As always, thanks to QuilterBlogs.com
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MOB

The First Quilt of Christmas

Autumn is turning chilly here although we still have lots of leaves on trees and the occasional warmish, sunny day like today.

These days really energize me and while I was out doing errands, I took a bunch of pictures like the one below to remind me of the colors I love during the gray days of winter.

Now that the Halloween stuff is all safely packed away (mostly - found a stray bat hanging around this morning), it's a good time to get a head start on Christmas.  We went to the mall last weekend and bought one gift.  It was a three ring circus and that was just parking the car.  I will be shopping online, if for no other reason than valuing my sanity.

With that brilliant maneuver behind me, I found myself charmed by the Berry Wreath quilt on the cover of the current issue of "Fons & Porter's Love of Quilting." Since I'm not so traditional, I looked for fabric that was a bit more funky and found "One Crazy Christmas Eve" to substitute for the large floral. Then I got some batiks to go with it.

This quilt will either be neat looking or really horrible.  This is a test to see if imagination and reality exist in the same universe.


The first five blocks look pretty good.

The wreath blocks proved to be a little more problematic.

It looks like a game of "Where's Waldo."  Can you find a wreath in there?  And I just love the light green and coral fabric.  Barb gave this fabric 'the look' when I first showed her, but she didn't say a word.  She was right and graciously chose not to gloat.  Clearly this wreath is not going to cut it.  The fabric will be saved for another project, but it was back to the old drawing board for wreath fabric.  And the stash came through!

Now that's more like it.  Not the most exciting, but at least you can see it.  What really kind of surprised me was how much the addition of the berries changed it.

Today, I'm sewing these blocks together and starting the borders.  Sadly, some of my day will be spent cleaning house.  When I can't find stuff, it usually means I've let the mess get out of control.  I like to think this is because I'm creative and focused.  I have been advised that this may not necessarily be the case.  But creative and focused is my story and I'm sticking to it.

I'll be back with borders in a few days.

By the way, Toby's back to his usual self.  He took it easy for a few days and took his doggy ibuprofin like a good boy.  

HAPPY BIRTHDAY U.S. MARINES!



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