Birthday--Before and After

I guess it's been a few days since I posted.  Soo....what did I do?

We got our new stove...happy birthday to me.

Thursday was the Quilting Olympics at the guild.  The purpose of the day -- a noon to 9 pm adventure -- is to make quilt tops for the various charities we support:  foster care, Children's Hospital, and a small women & children shelter.  Piles and piles of fabrics, kits and random blocks are stacked in the kitchen area and quilters pick through the rubble and select projects to work on.

Friday I was supposed to take my car in for a brake check, but we woke up to SNOW!  I called the place and told them that the flakes were falling hard and fast in my neighborhood and I simply do not drive in the stuff anymore.  Not because I can't, but because no one else can.  The last time I did, I ended up getting hit by a car spinning out of control on the freeway.  No thanks.  I'll have to call back to make a new appointment.

Ben and Cammie built forts in the back yard, which lasted for a few hours, but eventually melted and caved in.

Saturday it cleared up, for the most part (just a bit here and there along the roadsides), and I went to have my Girlie Day with Lauri and Jean.  We went to the Magic Underwear Ladies at Nordstrom and made a few selections, then went back to the house.  On the way, we ventured downstairs where the weekend was hosting a big makeup spectacular...Jean described it as a "sea of humanity puttin' on their warpaint!"  I wish I had gotten a photo...it was an awesome sight.  With a DJ.  Seriously.  After swimming through the people, I asked to veer off to see if we could find a little geocache in a tiny park a block away from Jean's.  I headed back to the corner where it was located and found a homeless guy sleeping instead.  Never mind. I'll try another time.

We hopped in the car and went to have lunch at a mall/community center.  The place was filled with a bunch of mom-n-pop ethnic food selections (Japanese, Thai, Korean, BBQ, etc.) and a stage where students at School of Rock performed.  They also had meeting rooms and tables in the halls for gaming; anything from teenagers with role-playing dice to geezers with checkers.  It is a great addition to the community instead of more multi-million-dollar food chains and the same old stores, and really reaches out to include the people to get together.  Awesome!

Afterwards, we made a quick trip to Lane Bryant, but it was a very weird, small store.  There were a few new things in the front and a bunch of clearance stuff in the back.  I found a pair of shorts, ONE pair of jeans--apparently, they don't carry many petite sizes...what?  Are there no short people in Redmond?  I also found a pair of pajamas...well, two shirts and one pair of pants...I couldn't find another pair of PJ pants I liked.  Well, I did, but they were shorts, not pants.  I think I might make a trip up to the outlet store up North.  While I was waiting for the other girls to check out, I was thirsty, so I decided to get an iced chai.  One of the employees mentioned that she was thirsty, too, so I picked up four glasses of water for them.  The Starbucks gal gave it to me for free, which was great!  I brought it back and the employee was so happy, she hugged me!  It was great to feel appreciated. :)

We headed back to Jean's house so she could go out to sing at church--being the week before Easter and all, she had some obligations lined up that she needed to take care of.  I drove Lauri down to the nail salon to get all painted up and I went down to the fabric store to get something to finish Emma's quilt.  I didn't find anything in the standard cotton, but I did find a batik that should work fairly well.  Bonus:  it was in the discount rack!

I veered off to find a rather large geocache in a wooded area, but it was no where to be found.  I gave up and headed back to the nail salon to get Lauri.  She was nearly finished, so I sat out on the bench and got a little sunshine.  Afterwards, we drove back to Jean's and let ourselves in.  We didn't have to wait long before she came home and we headed out to dinner.  First we stopped at another clothing store that had even less appealing selection.  I got two pairs of jeans--I tried on a dozen pairs and while one pair fit, another in the same size by the same manufacturer was too small.  Eventually, I ignored the numbers and found two pairs that fit, which was labeled at least a size larger than I normally wear.  Jean found a shirt that she liked, but the size she chose was a bit snug, so choosing the next size up, discovered that it was even *smaller*.  Clearly the QA team was out to lunch that day.  I found one 3/4 sleeve sweater that was nice, but everything else was too young...again, I need to venture North to find more suitable clothing.

We ate dinner at a Mexican place, which was pretty good.  We toasted another year around the sun, but little fanfare about it.  Not a big deal; I really didn't want to wear the big sombrero and have people singing to me in Spanish.  Unless I could take the sombrero home...then maybe.

We went back to Jean's house and after about 30 minutes, I started my trek back home.  A couple hundred dollars poorer (bras and jeans are expensive!), I arrived home about 11 pm.  And when I did, I discovered THIS!
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Sharon and Michele had stopped by on their way through on the Tri-County shop hop.  The quilt blocks are actually from a guild swap, but the Pirate gear is from Michele.  Thanks Miche!

On Sunday, my actual birthday, Ben was invited to a birthday party, so I took Cammie out Geocaching (I asked Emma if she wanted to go; she declined).  We had glorious weather with bright blue skies and mountain views to die for.  We stopped by 10 different caches, 2 of which I had found before but wanted to give Cammie a chance to look for them herself.  We looked in rock walls and under lamp post covers; climbed hillsides and up trees (well, she went up the tree...I supervised).  We even had to do a repair job on the fly--one of the containers had a loop on the top that broke.  I pulled out my zip-ties from the dollar store and put together a makeshift cache holder so we could put it back in place.  I then wrote a note to the owner to let him know.

I'm working on the first of the five Quilts of Valor for Kathleen.  I wound 10 yards of the backing fabric on the frame and will feed the quilts on one at a time.  It means I'll have to tear off the first quilt before re-pinning and adding the next.  We'll see how this works...  I'm cleaning in the Creative Space now, but may need to take a quick break from it to quilt on this for a bit.

Annaleena dropped off some flowers.  She's my co-leader for Girl Scouts and her daughter is in the troop.  I guess it was Miss J's idea.  She's so sweet!  I also got some live lavender from my Mom & Dad.  It's a variety of lavender I've never seen before.  I didn't get a photo of it...I'll have to do that tomorrow.

And Cammie baked me a lopsided cake and placed the backwards numbers on it for me.  Ben offered to do everything I say for a week.  Apparently after Easter, all bets are off.

Patchwork Pirate Retreat Weekend

Lauri and Linda joined me in a mini-retreat this weekend.  We have had as many as eight join me for at a retreat at my house, but this time we had but two.  However, we had plenty of space to spread out and didn't have to fight over cutting tables and ironing boards.  

Jeanie and her friend, Bridget, joined us for dinner at Olive Garden (truly a most authentic Italian restaurant...snerk!).  She is a delightful young lady who belly dances with Jeanie, and has quite the skill with making fabric flowers for hair decorations.  Jean was wearing one oversize flower in her hair--beautiful!  Sadly I didn't get any photos of either Bridget or Jeanie's hair flower.  

During the weekend, I worked on several projects:

Finished working on Sharon's Patchwork Pirate quilt.  It took a bit of work since the last row was not put on straight, so I had to trim down one side and let out a couple of seams to lengthen the other.  I just hope that it lays flat when it's done...I wasn't totally confident that it was done well, especially with all the adjustments.  The punch of color around the outside is the perfect balance to the quilt, although it's a bit off-center from the previous rounds.  I guess that it is telling for the types of quilters we are--a rather colorful and lopsided crew.  In case you're wondering, the flags read:  "Kona Black Bess" which is Sharon's Pirate Name.  Mine is Capt. Cutter the Mad.

Next, I was cutting Halloween fabrics for a charm square swap for my local guild.  Every month, the guild has a themed swap in which you make packs of 3 different fabrics cut to 6" to exchange with each person signed up to participate.  In this case, there are 18 people signed up to swap, so I cut 18 copies of each of three fabrics.  I will collate these and pin them together with my name on them so they know who they came from.  Since I signed up twice, I need to choose three more fabrics.  I will get duplicates of everything, but if I'm making 4-patches, that will be perfect--two of these and two of those...  Or I can sub-cut them into four 3" squares and make smaller 4-patches or 9-patches if I use a different center square.  There are lots of design possibilities, although I have to be honest--I have yet to do much with the dozen or more swapped sets that I've done already (there are birds, patriotics, dots, Christmas, farm animals, summer fun, and several more).  I did start piecing a charity quilt with some bright ones that were donated to the guild, and I added a few from my collection to make a couple more blocks.  Other than that, I haven't done much.  The Frugal Fairy reigns:  this swap didn't require me to purchase anything--I pulled these right from my stash of Halloween fabrics.  Maybe I will sub-cut them to 3" squares and put a black square in the center...or something blood red...ooooo...the creative juices are flowing now!

I also worked on piecing together the blocks for Cammie's quilt.  It still needs a border or two around the outside before it's complete.  Right now it measures more than 5 feet square--I wonder if I should take one row off the side and make it narrower and longer--a 4 by 6 grid, rather than a 5 by 5.  Sure, I'd have one block left over, but it would be put on the back as part of the label or just for decoration.  Then I could add a simple border--something in Girl Scout green, perhaps, and piece the rest of the fabrics I have for the back and a pillowcase.  Then I can put it on the longarm and get it quilted up for Miss Cam...maybe by her birthday!

Community Service blocks - 9 patches from donated 2 1/2" squares, which will be sewn into quilt tops and donated to one of a variety of charitable organizations locally.  There are a number of organizations that they have given to over the years, including the Red Cross, a women's shelter, Churches, police and fire departments, foster care, and many more.  The committee usually selects one charity to donate to each year, but I don't know which one was selected this year.  I was able to complete 32 blocks for this endeavor.

Friendship blocks - I made at least 8 different blocks for friends--I still have two more to make, but I can work on those tomorrow, I think.  Unfortunately, I didn't get any photos of them--I handed them over to Linda to account for them and they will be turned back to their owners next month at the meeting.

Kelly and I watched a TV miniseries called the Crimson Petal and the White.  Intriguing story, but it ended like a Crichton novel--abruptly and with more questions than answers.  What happened to the wife?  Where did the nanny take the little girl?  WTF?  I hate those movies.  Gimmie a good ending or a gruesome one...just don't leave me guessing!  Now I have to stay up late and try to think up my own ending.  Gah!  Maybe I'll just go watch Pride & Prejudice again.  Gotta get me some Firth!

Pirates' Invasion & Patches for Service

I laid out this quilt at the show last month and thought I'd take a picture of it before tucking it away again.  This was made by my great-aunt Addie, presumably the only quilter in our family that I am aware of.  And this is the only quilt known of hers in existence.  It was damaged pretty badly over the years and was lovingly repaired by my Mom, although I may do a bit more to it at some point.  Aunt Donna's name had been in it but it appears the threads have come out, along with the names of a couple more that are starting to pull out.  I have to fine some matching thread for the blocks and I'll try to follow the stitching lines as they still exist, but this piece is so fragile now, I hate to do too much.

I finished putting the sashing and cornerstones on the blocks for Cammie's quilt and had her lay them out how she wants them.  We made sure that the fabrics didn't match up from square to square, shuffling them a bit for more random variety.  Now that we're satisfied, I'll add the last strip pieces around the edges and sew the blocks together.

Here's the final layout.  I'll work on this tomorrow while the Pirates invade.  I anticipate I'll be able to get the top done fairly quickly, and may be able to get the borders on this weekend.  I have Laura's quilt top on the frame still, and should try to work on it a bit in the morning.  I was supposed to get it done for Lauri by this weekend and kept getting distracted.  

At the guild meeting on Monday, I picked up eight packets of 9-patches to sew up for the community service committee. We ended up getting far more squares donated than we used up at the quilt show, so the committee arranged these packets to have members take home and sew together.   I was thinking that there were two 9-patches in each ziplock, but there were four.  So instead of 16 blocks, I committed to make 32.  Ah, well.  They sew up quickly and it's all for a good cause.  

I got half of them done tonight and can finish the rest of them tomorrow and give them to Michele for the project.  I also have a bunch of friendship blocks to get done to hand over to Linda this weekend.  I have a solid list of things to work on!

Then I have to figure out what Friendship Blocks to hand out for the guild...I am eligible to hand out three times now.  I didn't realize it was so many.  Guess I need to get to work!