Ernesto is Gone

Just a real quick note before I head off to the shop...Ernesto is gone from our area. We got a good bit of rain but that was it. We are very thankful that he fizzled out. Lots of folks are complaining because everything was closed down yesterday, but you know what, as a small business I'll take one day with no income as opposed to the mass destruction we've seen with so many of these storms that have come through in the past couple of years. I've lived here 40 years and have never seen storms like we've had in the past couple of years. But all is well, back to the shop. The other good news is that I got to sew almost all day yesterday!

Blogger Cooperated

I finally got Blogger to cooperate and let me post a picture. I got so excited that it was going to let me post it that I didn't even turn the picture so it was up and down. But you get the idea. I don't think there is enough quilting on it but once it's washed I think it will be better. I didn't get a chance to wash it before I gave it to them Sunday. And as my DH says, "It's a quilt for the baby that you told them to use on the floor" He's right...not an heirloom by any stretch of the imagination...but wonderful for him to spend lots of time on. I wish the print on the green fabric showed up better. It has little baby ducks on it. Really cute and they love the ducky theme. Ok now I really am going upstairs to sew.

I'm Finally Back

Our son and daughter-in-law got in Friday night, their plane was very late...but it was so wonderful to see them. We had the shower on Sunday and it was just great. I had it catered because I just didn't have time to do all the food stuff. We served lunch and they did an unbelieveable job. We had about 45 people here and our 2- 90 pound yellow labs. It was wonderful. The one dog, Zack spent most of the day out on the back deck with the guests that were outside and Howie spent most of the day inside with the guests that were eating. Howie loves FOOD! Any kind of food...so I had to beg everyone not to feed him. He would eat until he got sick. The kids (I guess I shouldn't call them kids anymore, they will both be 29 next month, but I guess they will always be kids to me) have great friends, we really enjoyed them all. They got the most wonderful gifts. This little boy will need nothing. He has enough outfits that they can change his clothes many times a day. They were able to get everything packed up in the extra suitcases that they brought so I didn't have to ship anything. Oh, I almost forgot...they loved the quilt. Katie just squealed and wrapped herself in it...Josh had tears in his eyes. That's why we quilt :)
Well, I'm off to the back deck to make sure that I don't have any plants that will blow away today in the storm. They are calling for 3-5 inches of rain for us from Ernesto today with winds of 30-35 mph gusting to 40-50mph. The good news is that it didn't build itself to a hurricane...the rain we can handle. There shouldn't be any lightning so I should be able to sew all afternoon. YIPPEE!

The Baby Quilt is Done

I couldn't be happier...the baby quilt is done. I finished the binding last night, the shower is Sunday afternoon. Story of my life...give me a deadline and it will get done. My son and daughter-in-law arrive tonight from Chicago for the weekend. We're hosting the shower here at our house on Sunday afternoon. There will be 45 or so here...it's a couple"s shower so it should be great fun. I wanted to post a picture but Blogger would not cooperate this morning. I'll try again later. I was so glad to hear that Judy is OK, just Blogger problems. I sure did miss reading her blog every day. Patti asked the question...Why do I quilt? I quilt for many reasons...I love fabric...I love the process of quilting...it is therapy for me, whenever I need a quiet place to go, I go to my quilting. I can sew for 20 minutes and feel a million times better. Quilting connects me to wonderful friends both past and present. I love to look at old quilts and imagine the people that made them. What were their lives like? Why did the use the fabrics they used? Who were they? Quilting gives us all a real connection.

Back on Track

I am just thrilled...the baby quilt top is done...I sewed the back together this morning. I'm a day ahead! Yippee! The quilter will pick it up tomorrow morning and have it back to me on Monday. I'll get the binding on and it will be ready for the shower Sunday. I'm going to let them take it with them and then I'll make the label when he arrives and sew it on when we go up when he's born. Chicago in December...I'll need many quilts. So I'm back on track. I can do Hour # 2 then I'll be ready to start putting blocks together. I have several others going on at the same time but Judy's project is kind of a break. It's been lots of fun seeing everyone's blocks.

No Hour #2 Today

Unfortunately there will be no Hour #2 for me today...I'll be sewing but not on this project. I've been working on a baby quilt for my son and daughter-in-law. There is a shower for them on the 27th of this month...in the back of my mind I thought I could maybe get the quilt done and then put it out of my mind. Well, I went way outside the box today and asked a gal that does some quilting for some of my customers what the chance of squeezing a small quilt in would be. She said, "If I can pick it up Friday, I can have it back to you Monday and then you can get the binding on"...Oh my goodness, that was not the answer I expected but a good one. She said she was doing 10 quilts (all the same Christmas quilt) for a lady and she didn't have the thread the lady wanted so she had to order it...she was kind of at a stand still so she could squeeze me in. YIPPEE! except I'm going to have to sew like a mad woman. There are a zillion half square triangles so that's what I'll be doing tonight. I'll do my Hour #2 and probably #3 this weekend after the baby quilt is done. How do I get myself into these things?

Hour #1

I have completed Hour #1...here are my first 52 half square triangles...13 stacks of 4...I'm looking forward to Hour #2's assignment. It is truly amazing how much I got done in that hour (a wee bit over) tonight...I was focused...cut my squares out, I had pulled my fabric earlier, and sewed pressed and trimmed. I'll check in tomorrow night.