4/6/17

So Far, So Good

Yesterday was pretty much NBS (nothing but sewing). Quite a few blocks got crossed off my list. First, I'd forgotten Wednesday was the day for the release of the next Solstice Challenge block. This one is called a "Friendship" block. Mine marks Matthew's 33rd birthday, celebrated last Sunday.


We're getting together for "brunch" this morning, and I have a little something for him to celebrate his birthday. Did you catch that he's 33? He's my youngest child. Oy.

Then I made the eight 9-patch blocks for the Welcome Home small quilt mystery. After patting myself on the back for getting these finished, I realized they weren't finished. I needed 12, not 8. Shoot. Four more to do, but that sounds better than the eight I started with. Even if I actually started with 12. It's probably just as well I didn't know.


And then, (cue scary music) I could no longer postpone the inevitable...Quiltmaker's Garden. Here's the layout for all those zillions of pieces I've been working on since May of 2013.


I started in the upper left...seemed as good a place as any. Section one is finished. I think I need to fix that bottom right corner. The paper-pieced blocks didn't sew as nicely as I would have liked, and I think I need to match up the gazebo seams a little better. Do you ever fudge on a piece and then decide later that you need to do better than fudge?


Honestly, I'm not a perfectionist, but that hurts my eyes a little bit.

Nevertheless, I moved onto Section 2 and the top of the gazebo.


It was time to quit for the day when I finished that, and I wanted to take a picture of what I have so far. As you might expect, there was an obstacle.

Oh, another quilt fur meeeee?


She was strongly encouraged to move, but this little cat decides where she lies. She's amazingly strong for such a little thing, and she can make herself dead weight better than a toddler in full tantrum mode. (Remembering those days on the occasion of Matthew's birthday...not that he ever got into full tantrum mode, but I've seen others, you understand.)

Okay, well let me demonstrate my paw-modeling purrowess. I'm thinking of getting a job so that we can impurrove on the cat food menu. If I contribute half, will you buy real furresh wild-caught halibut fur us? Purreferably from Alaska?


Hey...how come nobody told me there was a quilt on the floor? Sadie, I depend on you to wake me up fur these times. 


Okay, so I have the pieces laid out for the next section, but I don't know if I'll get to it today. After I see Matthew, there's grocery shopping to do. 

The only other thing I did yesterday was to get close to a finish on Gertrude.


The last of her is in my hoop now, and I'm hoping to finish her up this morning.


Better get going if I'm going to have time before I need to leave.

9 comments:

Denise :) said...

Wow, you're really down to the end of it on Gertrude! Your two cats are so full of purrrrrsonality! I'd struggle to get *anything* done with them around! Sadie does make a great quilt model. And kudos to you, getting to your garden quilt...even if just for a bit (especially since it fills you with dread -- LOL!)! I like the prints you've used for the 9-patch blocks. Very nice! :)

WoolenSails said...

That is a fun block, they sure do grow up fast, mine has two boys of his own now.
I do love your stitcheries, and I have done a few with some coloring with markers, like the pop of color.

Debbie

Brown Family said...

Your little 9 patches are cute! I really think the Quiltmakers Garden is coming out good. sometimes we are too critical of ourselves!

piecefulwendy said...

That little part on the gazebo really isn't a big deal, but I sure get the "it bugs me and needs fixing". I dislike it when paper piecing doesn't come together exactly. I'm sure Sadie and Smitty will help keep the fun in the quilting ;-) Happy Birthday to Matthew; my son's birthday was this week, he turned 24. I hope you have another NBS day soon!

Lynn - JnL4God said...

Wow Barbara - Almost done with Gertrude. I haven't even started. Looks great. Have a nice day!

BillieBee (billiemick) said...

What a sweet pattern...looking great! Looks like Sadie is upstaging Smitty...grin

Kate said...

Looks like Quiltmaker's Garden is going together reasonably well. At least your kiddies shower your projects with approval. I've banned My Guy from the sewing room as he seems to be on a role of "what were you thinking" comments these days. Happy stitching this weekend.

quiltzyx said...

Happy Birthday to Matthew! I can't believe you were such a young mommy...

Yeah, I get that "gotta re-do this part" too. I had to frog-stitch all of the pieced triangle that I had paired up. When I went to press them I discovered that I had sewn the wrong halves together! It would have still made a neat looking block, but not gone together with the ones that I finished in the workshop. Took me at least 3 hours to undo them. Oy. But, once I get done house-and-kitty sitting, I'll get them done correctly. I wanted to have the flimsy done for guild this Thursday, but not sure that's going to happen. Oh well. At least I've been getting some good cat-time!

Lyndsey said...

Wow I'm impressed with how far you've got with Gertrude. I'm stitching really slowly but she will be finished this month unless something catastrophic happens. I'm really enjoying stitching her.

I just love your little kitties, they are such cuties and congratulations on making a start on the flimsy. Also you don't look old enough for your youngest son to be 33...maybe you got the math wrong?