Time to fling

In Ripples, a weekly message that uses quotes, came this gem!

It's not the thing you fling, it's the fling itself.  Chris Stevens (Northern Exposure)

And oh boy, I had fun flinging this weekend.  We had our carpets cleaned this month.  So a large percentage of my sewing space was boxed up and put in the deck storage closet.  I was not looking forward to bringing it back in - but it's vital to do it before the winter rains start! And they kind-of started off this week!

And DH was off golfing and the sun was shining ... And if not now - when???  

OK, just a moment to commiserate with other 'golf-widows' about the fall. Don'cha just hate hearing "this may be my last chance to golf ..." weekend after weekend after weekend?? A 'last call' that goes for months!!  I usually just smile and wave good-bye until it gets close to Thanksgiving then I make him stay home at least one weekend a month!!!  And then, of course, when the weather finally shuts it down, he's home all the time!!!  Good luck to us all!!

I was determined to fit the totes and boxes back into my allotted space ... not just jammed where ever and laying about in piles on the floor this time!!!  I flung and flung!!  I made 35 pillow case kits (for GKs and Million pillowcase challenge)  One of our local stores is sponsoring this charity. She hand delivers them to an Oregon hospital and the director comes out and thanks her personally AND sends a thankyou note!  So we are gung-ho to support them!

Then I gathered and stuffed a PO box jam-packed full of blocks (and block sets) that do not thrill anymore!  I am going to mail them to a Stashbuster in Iowa who turns them into charity quilts.  They get to get out of the closet, be used, stop feeling neglected and go out into the world! Consider it 'sub-contracting' your work out!!

Our guild is ALSO having a "Brown paper bag for $1 - $3" fund raiser this month.  So I wrapped and priced tools, fabric, books and other interesting things for that sale.  Ironically, I flung a large roll of brown paper to a teacher here in town just last month!!!! Isn't that always the case ... you finally fling something and then find a use for it shortly after!!  But I found I can live with that! (I cut up grocery bags for the wrapping!)

This sale is one of the first Guild efforts that I won't be tempted to bring home more than I take!!  I'll miss the meeting - we'll be in Portland babysitting!! YAY!

There are a few other things that are set aside for friends that are interested!!  A group of Row by Row patterns, that I've been saving for no apparent reason! She can pick and choose what she'd like to add to her project - just don't give them back to me!! Thank goodness I don't buy Row by Row kits!!  Yikes!

And some plastic zipper bags that set my skin wild!!  Does anyone else have trouble with that sticky heavy plastic they make project bags out of?? I'd much rather use a zip-lock! Or one of the grid bags that feel normal!

It's always a good thing to work on the old sewing space, a "clean out" project like this just before a Quilt Show!!!  Now if I can just repeat to my self at Houston ... "I need nothing, I need nothing ..."  I did manage to fit fabric back into the cubicles but there is not any room to spare!

Fling, flang, flung and oh boy, can I see a difference!!  

Of course, I did find a few loved but neglected UFOs in there.  Some that were quite expensive and still not worked on!!  Sigh - oh well, I'll consider it job security!!  I'll be able to pick and choose; working on one, putting it back away and playing with another one for years to come! Trying to keep the 'glass half full' in mind!

N - my friend in Texas has two habits that I need to immolate!  She doesn't buy any fabric that she isn't going to use within a week. (Of course, she doesn't live on the edge of the earth with no shopping around, - just saying!!)  I could work with a month time period??

And this year, she's working on a challenge to bring all UFOs to a flimsey!  For those of you not 'in the know' - this means complete the top so it's ready to quilt. Figure out the problem that made you stop working on it.  Finish out the idea while you can still think of it!!

Believe me, there were some blocks that were completely forgotten in the black hole that is my sewing space.  And it's no fun, sitting there, flummoxed, wondering if it's even your project!!  Where did this come from? What was I thinking?  Was I high on M&Ms???

Here's some other things I think about!!

Don't you love this little face!  Let's hope they never get over that feeling. "Yay, Nana's making me a new quilt!"

Page sends out a heart every Monday in memory of someone she's lost.  I love this heart.  

Guess what - the fresh cranberries are here!!!  Get out the Cuisinart - it's our duty to make cranberry chutney as much as possible until the cranberries are gone!!! (Dec - Jan, if we're lucky) Ready, set go!!

We've been having low fog roll in.  Not covering the entire world, as usual, but picking and choosing!  Here is it surrounding Goat Island.  My friend P lives on the other side of it.  She could only see a wee bit of the top!! Probably only 2/3s showing from my side.

I did manage to finish the Halloween PCs for this year.  I love PCs and of course, I love getting them in my mailbox.  I do several 1-on-1 exchanges with a quilting friend in Texas.  And join in 3-4 exchanges each year.  I used to do oh-so-many more, but have learned to slow it down!  This pumpkin was clip-art on the web.  And I picked a spooky text fabric for the background.  Remember spreading the newspaper before carving??

I love that 'spooky' edging!!  And I like to add some back art to my postcards.  I hand sketched the bats (yes, that is what they are!!!)

And here is my 'self portrait' from this summer!  Love the grey hair??  And although I do not make many modern quilts - this fabric just cried out to be used for this!!  I loved it - and managed to hide my hips at the same time!!  tee-hee

PS - Have you read any quotes lately that rang a bell??

Happy Halloween - or as the witches say, 

"Season's Greetings, Dearie"!