What Are Quilters Blogging About Today?

People always say they can't wait to go on vacation. Do you know that prepping for vacation or even a couple of days away is one of my most stressful things? There is so much stuff to prepare, so much planning. It's one of the reasons my life at home is so routine—same breakfast, same lunch. There's zero mental ability expended on those tasks!

I'm not sure how I'm going to cope with planning for this upcoming vacation. I've left it to DH, which I know I shouldn't do! After Quilt Canada ...

Sunrise today.

"Sky-blue pink," as Uncle Wiggly would say. 

Many, many years ago Clara Cummings was denied membership in the Excalibur Club, a very exclusive women's club in Waukegan.  Clara began her own club, now eponymous. Members used to read and ...

 When I visited Stevens at lunchtime yesterday he was dressed in sweatpants and a t-shirt and seated in a wheelchair across from the nurses' station!  That's progress. I meet with the entire care team today.

At the Zion Woman's Club board meeting yesterday afternoon the treasurer reported that last Friday's Bunco night netted $1400. Hooray!    Our charities account is fully funded to meet our obligations this year.  We allocated $1800 of that to nine local agencies (two food pantries, the library, the historical society, and others).  We previously allocated funds to GFWC-IL state projects.  We will present ...

Well, this message has hit very close to home! 

I'm listening to an audiobook by Oliver Burkeman called "Meditations for Mortals." Oh boy -- it's about trying to do everything in life and not always succeeding. It talks about our busyness, which is me! 

It also mentions how we feel we must read everything that comes into our house—that's me. We must listen to audiobooks/podcasts at double speed (NOT me) and millions of UFOs (OK—that's me). He wasn't talking about quilting but unfinished projects—like painting the living room, fixing the bathroom door ...

 Stevens had laprascopic surgery on Friday afternoon. The results were good.  "I went from one end of the bowel to the other," said the surgeon when he called me, "and there's nothing there."  It's taken S all weekend to recover. He was half-awake when I visited Saturday morning and asleep this afternoon.  Thanks again to all of you for your concern and support.

The thirteen Lake County Round Table P.E.O. chapters held the annual Founder's Day luncheon on Saturday.  I'm round table president so I was the emcee.  This was the second year the ...

Almost-full moon at 5:30 this morning.  Didn't we just have a full moon? The days and nights fly by.

I thought I'd signed up for the guild's 2025 mystery quilt-along in January but it turned out that I hadn't.  I rectified the omission by paying the $10 fee at the meeting last week.  Five weeks' clues dropped into my email box. 

The pattern requires 3-1/2 yards of background (tone-on-tone recommended) and either a jelly roll or 40 2-1/2" strips.  I had a 4-yard piece in lavender (estate sale purchase $5) for the background ...

This year's theme is, obviously, India.  

The corridor to the greenhouses featured this display. 

It is impossible to take a bad picture of an orchid.  

The peacock's tail was all orchids. 

Stevens ...

The Quiltville FB group has photos of many versions of the design with different colorways and different sashings or settings or borders.  I'm going to stick to the sashing as patterned but I may do something other than the checkerboard border.  

I'll revisit the pricing issue later this week—there's no time this morning. I'm back home, and there is much to do this week. I must not let that wreak havoc with my schedule! 

The last day of the retreat is always bittersweet. I've been away long enough to create chaos in my work schedule and long enough to ignore it, but at the same time, I want to get home, sort things out, put things away, and give my girls a big hug! 

I'll share as much of that story as possible this morning ...

"Smile for your fan club!"

Sunshine and temperatures in the upper 30's and lower 40's were conducive to walking this week.  It was good to stretch my legs!

This is pack ice, covered in sand.

I saw four of the ornaments I hung along one of the paths in mid-December.  This one had a few remnants of its red paint.

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I had a satisfying and productive month in the studio. 

The Stay at Home Round Robin (SAHRR) prompt this week was half-square triangles. I have a box of batik HSTs on hand so this was an easy step ...

The parts department had two 80" lengths of neutral-squares-neutral (6.5" wide) intended for a border that I didn't use.  I added another strip of squares, then sewed the lengths together, and cut into four 20" pieces.   

I'm using the serpentine stitch to quilt these placemats.   The photo shows the borders sewn on but not yet sewn down. 

The pink Ohio Stars are a basted flimsy.  9" blocks = 36" x 45".  

# # # # # #  The ALA Retired Members Round Table Book Club met by Zoom yesterday.   Instead of reading one book and discussing ...

The cat's cradle blocks are assembled. 

 Justification for a ginormous stash: this floral print and the backing fabric (not shown), both just right.

None of these are the Old Town mystery, obviously.  That box is sitting on ...

Saturday, the Fiber Fair was held at Beginnings Quilt Shop and we set up a large booth space with quilts, quilted table toppers and runners, embroidered towels, and small items. The spectacular quilt from Pam B was on display with a placard stating that proceeds would be sent to Interfaith Assistance Ministry. Unfortunately, it did not sell. So, I am in the process of identifying a way to get it sold or raffled for the benefit of hurricane victims.

I sold a few things, but the wine inspired runners and placemats are all still available. If you are interested let ...

 I had a very productive weekend at the guild retreat last weekend.  It was glorious to have three full days to sew--meals provided and no dishes to do!  I added binding to two quilts that are gifts so I can't show those yet, but they are both hand stitched now and ready to gift.  I quilted the table runner I showed last week that will be for sale at our church bazaar next weekend and added the binding this week when I got home. I hope someone will like it enough to purchase it! I also worked on three ...