5/5/16

Celebrating Cinco de Mayo

We always celebrate Cinco de Mayo here at the Three Cats Ranch...but not because of anything having to do with Mexico. We celebrate because it just happens to be my birthday. Wasn't it nice of Mexico to create this holiday just for me?

There's nothing planned today beyond sewing and a little smidge of housework. Tonight, however, we'll be heading out to one of our favorite restaurants in downtown Portland for a nice dinner. This morning I'm planning on going down to the South Store Cafe for some oatmeal and then a walk. I'm not sure what makes their oatmeal so delicious, but I don't ask questions...I just eat.


As for my sewing, the chairs are coming right along, and I have most of the day to work on them. Yesterday I had most of the red chair sewn together when I realized I'd made an error in the sewing order. The section in green was sewn to the pieces below it. Then I'd sewn everything in the diagonal at the bottom together, which left me with a piecing puzzle where the chair back meets the corner of the green lines. Do you see that "Y" seam there?


It was then that I realized that only the larger sections running along the diagonal lines can be sewn to one another before being sewn into a whole. I know...clear as mud, right? It isn't important for anyone to understand it but this hapless quilter. I took the stitching out of that little section and then made my way southeast along the section line, sewing the chair back to the sand at its left and then continuing on down the diagonal line.


When I'd taken it that far, I was really in a mood to sew together the back of the green chair. In order to do that, I needed to add the sand at the top. When it was finished, it looked like this.


Every time I sew together another section of little pieces, I breathe a sigh of relief. When I quit for the day, it looked like this:


Today I'm hoping to finish up the red chair. It is more complicated than the green, and so it's safe to say that the hardest part will be finished.

Last night I took a walk around the house, trying to get in my 10k steps, and I noticed that one of the variegated blue iris has opened up. Pretty, huh?


So off I go to enjoy my day. I want to get in my oatmeal and walk, but really, I'm itching to get back to my quilt.

27 comments:

Donna said...

Happy Birthday! Enjoy your day!

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday! Have a great day! Laura V.

Linda M @ Pieceful Kingdom said...

Happy birthday!

Sally Trude said...

Happy Birthday Barbara. I can hardly wait to find out what Smitty gets you for your birthday. Also I'm enjoying watching you put together the chairs. But I'm wondering about the seams and would love a shot of sewing the pieces at the machine.

NancyA said...

Happy Birthday! Enjoy your day; sounds like you have the right idea--sewing and then a nice dinner.

Chris said...

Happy Birthday, Barbara! Have a purrfectly wonderful day.

Lee said...

Happy Birthday!

Patricia said...

Happy Birthday! That iris is beautiful, I have never seen one that color. Hope you have a great day!

gpc said...

Well happy happy happy birthday!!! I hope it's the best ever! :)

Quilting Babcia said...

Happy Birthday is getting all those seams to come out just right, and it looks like you have!

Linda Schiffer said...

Happy Birthday!! I am enjoying your journey and grateful to you for sharing your life and cats.

🙂 Linda

Dana Gaffney said...

Happy Birthday! Have a wonderful dinner.

Debbie said...

Happy birthday to you, girl! Celebrate in style, the quilt will be there tomorrow. The piece looks great and those shadows are working!

Vicki H said...

Happy Birthday!! It's also my grandson's 7th birthday today.

crazy quilter said...

First , Happy Happy.Birthday! I love how this is coming along . It does seem [or seam] quite complicated to me from the outside looking in.

sunny said...

Happy Cinco de Mayo Birthday!

Betty said...

Happy Birthday! I hope it was wonderful!

Marlene said...

Happy Birthday. Hope it has been a truly wonderful day.

SJSM said...

I hope you had a wonderful birthday. It's good to have reasons to celebrate and people with which to celebrate these special moments,

I am loving the method for putting the chair quilt together. This is a real puzzle and a good brain exercise. It will keep your brain working at its peak and help keep age related brain fade pushed further down the road. :-)

Anonymous said...

Your chair quilt is going to be a show stopper for sure! You go girl!!!!!

juliehallfeldhaus said...

Happy Birthday:)

Beth said...

Happy (belated) birthday! Let's hear it for another glorious trip around the sun!

Janarama said...

Happy Birthday Barbara!

Lou said...

Happy Belated Birthday! I was in Dallas all weekend so missed it:(

Auntiepatch said...

Happy Birthday! I missed it because I was in Palm Springs with my aunt, her 2 daughters-in-law, and a cousin. We had a blast!

Siouxzq64@gmail.com said...

Happy Belated Birthday!

Kate said...

Happy Belated Birthday! I'm really loving your chairs, they are definitely coming together.