Happy Mail!

 Bear was so kind to bark and let me know the FedEx person was at the door with a box! What was in that box, you ask? 

A mystery end of bolt box from Missouri Star Quilt Company. It was half off so I 'had' to get it! I got one a few years ago and I'm still pulling fabrics to use from it so I got another one.

I have not checked to see how much fabric is in each one, but some are bulky. Some really fun Christmas prints and lots of pretty fabrics. The purple in the second row, 5th down is a fun Halloween print with bats, hats and pretty fall flowers.

I also got the 10 inch variety of pretty greens and the 40 2.5 inch red strips. 

I've gotten 2 of the green hexagons done at lunch this week. Hockey game tonight so maybe I can get the sets of 2 into sets of 4. 

Both kids are late tonight, so maybe I can get the chip quilt pinned this afternoon.  The house is cooler so I might feel like doing that today. We had the AC unit serviced on Wednesday and then with the cooler temps, I didn't notice it was not working until I got home from horses on Friday and the house was 80 degrees. clicking it down did not work but the heat sure was! Of course, it was after hours when we realized it was not working, so we left a message on their machine. It was not going to be extra hot this weekend so it could wait. Yes, it is still in the 80's here in Florida but cools down to the lower 70's at night sometimes. They came late Monday night (they called to let us know they were behind schedule). Turns out the valve was listed as OK by the tech when he left but it was not, and all the coolant escaped. They replaced the valve and refilled the coolant, and we have cool air blowing again! No charge to us =). Great customer service. 

Saturday

 This afternoon, I hope to roll the backing (notice the full stop blocks in there!) onto a board and then pin the potato chip quilt for machine quilting. This morning, I am headed to help set up the Harry Potter event for tomorrow. 

Yesterday I went to the Market of Marion - the food area and picked up these veggies. I had gone to Aldi so had onions and peppers already and some fruits. I do love the fresh tomato's though. The radish was a fun find.

I also rode this guy, Justice yesterday. He was a bit grumpy and needed some corrections, but it is always nice to spend time in the barn. Greg is taking Em to horses this morning so she can get her fix. She did make the Jr. Winter Guard team so will be a busy girl through the end of March.

I visited Melissa's blog this week and saw her cute Christmas doodles. I started with the first set with a little red I had. I might have headed to Joann's Friday (and Thursday, he he he) and got a smaller hoop and some pretty red thread. I'll finish this one in the bright red, then will make the sets in the pretty red.

I did get a finish this week. The 2 inch Trip quilt hand pieced and machine quilted is done. Another UFO checked off the list.

Linking to the RSC.

Virtual meeting at work today

 What's a girl to do? Yup, I did some hand work. I got 4 red hexagons done and sewed them into pairs. Then I finished off a crochet dish cloth. It was about half way done.

We will see if I can get the potato chip quilt rolled onto the boards tomorrow and pinned for machine quilting. 

Tried a new recipe per Emily. Seems they are covering England now, so she wanted to try Cornish Pasties.  If she brings one in, she gets extra credit I guess. She brought in croissants, then made macaroons. I hear they cover Germany next then the USSR. I wonder what I will have to make for those 2 areas?

This was before they were cooked. 

A cobbled backing

 Monday was a day off work for me.... so I sewed! I knew I would never really make the Full Stop quilt top so figured I'd work them in with other misfit blocks to make a backing for the 72x84 Potato Chip quilt top. It took me most of the day, but I have a backing a little bigger than the quilt. I just noticed in the photo the ! are upside down. Not going to fix it. It is the back after all! I still have a stack of extra blocks, but got quilt a few rehomed in this project. I knew I wanted longer plain pieces around the outside, so that I can try and center the quilt top. We will see how that works out. I'll cut the batting off the roll another day and get it pinned for machine quilting. Too much figuring today for my brain to do anything else. The bonus - when this quilt is finished, it will knock off 2 things from my UFO list. Full Stop and the Potato Chip Blocks.

the backing - I did not straighten it out as it was a race to snap a photo before an animal got on it.

the top

The boy is home from his trip and learned a lot. I'm sure he will sleep well tonight. The dog is very happy all his pack is home tonight.

2 inch Trip quilt is finished!

 

This finished at 60 inches square and was cat approved last night. My sister mentioned it looks like a crocheted afghan when I added it to my 2024 Quilt Album on Facebook. I guess it does with the bright colors. 

It was an early morning start with a 6:10 blood draw for Emily then some donuts from Dunkin and then to school for her 7:30 class. She got there around 7AM and a friend was there already, so she was going to chat with her or read her book. She did make the Winter Guard Team, so now Tuesday and Thursdays will be that practice, Mondays will be Symphonic band practice after school until 5 until their winter concert in December. Fridays are marching band until 5PM until after their 2 parades in December. Busy girl. The boy arrives home tonight from their Civil Rights Field Trip - of course it is an hour after his sister is done! 

Just sharing here since it is really bugging me. I have a friend who's husband is Chinese heritage. He is an American citizen. Things like this happen way too often to him. Last night he and his teenage daughter were leaving McDonalds. He daughter was in the car and someone yelled at him to 'go back where you came from' and THREW a drink at him. He was able to avoid most of it, but THIS IS NOT OK! This happens way too often to him, whether alone or out with the twins who are now teens. What has happened to people in this country?

I'm going to go sew and puzzle a back together from odd blocks and hope that calms me down. Next up is the Chip Block for machine quilting.

Slow sunday binding

 I had so much fun yesterday at Hammer and Stain Ocala! My original choice had some issues with the design going onto the board, but they had this one in stock and I think I like it even better. Sometimes things are meant to be! I had a plain wooden plank. I opted to do a light stain with a touch of white in it. I selected the colors to use - and love how the brown letters turned out. I'm going to go back next Saturday and add a welcome to the back with a little red truck with a Christmas tree in the back for the o in welcome. That way I can just turn this around after Thanksgiving and I'm all set for Christmas!

I might have done some birthday shopping after that. Well, in my defense, Missouri Star Quilt Company sent me a $15 off an order of $60 for my birthday and my MIL might have gifted me some birthday $ to spend on me only! Got to love my MIL! She is a keeper. 

So..... I got myself a mystery end of the bolt box. I got one 2 years ago and it was so fun and still providing me with useful fabrics. Since those were on sale for almost half off, and not included for my birthday code... I 'had' to go looking and added these two sets of fabrics. I might have searched for them a few weeks ago but did not get them. Since I had that coupon.... the price was right to get them! This will let me make that Christmas Tree quilt I posted a while ago. I have bright yellows for the stars and plenty of lights for the background.

Wilmington Essentials - Emerald Forest 10 Karat Gems. Wilmington Essentials - Red Carpet 40 Karat Gems

I'll be working on stitching the binding onto the trip around the world quilt. I hand pieced this with 2 inch squares quite a few years ago. (December 2014 was the start time on this one). I machine quilted it Thursday. So close to a finish. 2 sides left to stitch.

This was me being lazy and forgetting to add the corner triangle.  It actually worked out ok!

Linking up with the slow Sunday stitchers.

Progress on the Trip Around the World quilt.

I had a nice chunk of time on Thursday and was able to piece a backing, pin and machine quilt this hand pieced 2 inch trip quilt. I also made and attached the binding to the front. I'll work on hand stitching that down the next few days. I forgot to add the corner bits...so I decided to leave it so they have a corner edge. We will see if it works with the binding or not! I had a quilting pattern in mind, that is the hardest part for me. I had graph paper and was drawing on it and came up with a continuous line quilting so that it does a line through every other row. If I have a plan, it makes the process so much easier!

 You can see the quilting a little better in these two photos. I used my walking foot and a 3 for the length. The standard is 2.5 on my machine for sewing so it is just a smidge bigger. I started in the middle square, went to the yellow, then the dark blue, then the purple, etc. 

This is what I am greeted with after walking the dog when we go out to 'check the chickens'. All 5 come running as they know I'll throw some seed in for them to eat. 

My angel trumpet is in full bloom.

At horses yesterday, Carolyn gave me this as a birthday present. My birthday was back on Monday the 4th. I opened it and said - a crochet hook and seam ripper, neat. She said, no it's a horse! OMG! I turned it slightly and it is indeed a horse! How neat is that. 

My birthday present to me is a trip to Hammer and Stain today in an open class. I am going to make a welcome plank for the front of the house for fall. IT should be a lot of fun. Carolyn, signed up as well and picked a different project. Emily is off to school for Winter Guard try outs. We will see how she does. She is the only one left from the practices that has never done this before. I'll pick her up at 1 and see how it went. The boy is in Montgomery Alabama on his Civil Rights Field trip doing a walking tour and then visiting UAB later. 

I have Monday off from work. So... I could either piece a backing for the Chip quilt and get that ready for machine quilting.... or clear out the front two rooms and give them a much needed painting. I'll decide later today after I go play with some paints and make a nice welcome to fall decoration.