Design Wall Monday

I am excited that I have a picture of my design wall this week - well it is not exactly "my" design wall but it is my quilt pieces on the wall at our retreat this weekend. Before the retreat I pulled out a bowtie project I had started at least 10 years ago. I had learned to make dimensional bowties and I just kept making them. At the time I had a plan for them but it did not happen so I had a box of bowties fermenting in my studio. A little while ago I saw a setting I really liked for them so I decided to pull them out. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that there were over 100 of the little suckers and that there were quite a few still chained together that only needed the final seam stitched. I even had squares cut and ready to make more. So I started putting them together and I finished 26 blocks with enough for at least 10 more.


Of course I had to take them down to come home but I am excited about the project again and I will get them together soon -well soon is a relative term when it has already been this long.

Sushi Sunday

As usual I am a bit behind but I wanted to post about this anyway. For some strange reason 75% of my family loves sushi and I am in the minority so Sushi making has become a tradition at our house - WHEN MOM GOES AWAY.My husband wanted to make sushi for Father's Day and since it was dad's special day I was gracious and let everyone else go for it even though I would be there. I made a Chinese dish for the rest of us - oh I mean me.

My son in law Ray has been practicing a lot and his sushi really was pretty, I even tried the sashimi and it was okay. . . still not a fan though.

Quilting on High

We traveled to San Antonio for a graduation of a niece - our main objective was to visit with my sister in law who was there for the big event. I thought it would be a good idea to have some handwork to do on the 5 hour trip in the car so I pulled out a piece of hand applique that I had started in a class with Karen Kay Buckley a year or so ago. The night before we left I prepped a bunch of grapes and I packed it all in the car and off we went.

I always plan to do things while driving but then I get in the car and realize that I can't watch the road if my attention is elsewhere, now mind you I am not driving but I feel the need to watch the road as if I were (am I a back seat driver? - we are not going there!). So bottom line, long drive, no sewing.

Monday night was the graduation ceremony at a large auditorium. We had to be there early so at the last minute I pulled out the work bag and took it in with me. We ended up sitting a few rows down from the top in some very uncomfortable seats. I looked around and just a few more rows up were wooden bleachers but they had backs so I moved up there, all the way at the top. I spread my work bag out on the bench and started sewing.
When the ceremony started they dimmed the lights but I had my handy, dandy magnifying light
so while the 600 or so names were read I kept sewing.

I was concerned about appearing rude but I decided since the whole row in front of me was texting and reading news on their phones I could sew if I wanted too. Our grad was in the next to the last row so I got quite a bit done.

I am so glad I had hand work - we were in the auditorium for 3 and 1/2 hours and I am also glad we sat up high - no one was behind me so when I got tired of sitting I could stand for awhile and the AC was blowing on us so we were quite comfortable. So I have learned that maybe "handwork" is not a bad word and I only have a few more grapes to complete that part, maybe it will get done this year!

Design Wall Monday/Wednesday

Judy at Sunshine quilts has started a new Mr. Linky called What's on Your Design Wall? You can talk about what is on your design wall on Monday and then report on the progress the next week. Not all of my projects are on the wall since I am in the middle of quilting one (or two) right now. I also sew clothing so that doesn't go on the wall either but I would like to take part in this challenge because I think it will help me get some things accomplished. As usual I have a lot of things going right now but as of Monday I had:




2 sample outfits for the store where I work

1 quilt for a wedding present on Saturday

the fabric chosen and cut for a new project my lunch bunch is doing together - a French Braid quilt

the completed center panel (finished it on Saturday) for my Out of the Darkness quilt that I started sometime in 2002 - now I just have to do the borders, it really is on my design wall, even though I finished it last week I put it up as inspiration to get to the rest of the quilt