Foggy Mornings, Beautiful Afternoons - must be July on the coast

This week has been a blur!  Monday there was a chlorine imbalance at the pool so no water aerobics that day!  But TTF classes have been great!  And Wednesday we actually got to have Tai-chi in the park!

It was an 80 degree day here (very unusual any time of the year!)  But under the tall pines, it was cool and very zen!  There were 10 of us.  Nine regular class students and one wanna-be joiner!  Next encounter Tuesday - same time, same place.

I have to admit, parts of my body hadn't been stretched or held a position since the beginning of self-isolation.  Wrist?? But we did well, Almost made it thru the long form - with everyone thinking hard "what is next"  and usually one of us would come up with it!  And boy-oh-boy it was a beautiful day to have class outside!!

Over on Facebook there is a 'tag challenge'!

I Love Being In a Quilter Challenge.... Every day for 10 days I will post a quilt I’ve made and I’ll challenge one of you to do the same, and you will challenge someone to do the same and so on. No description necessary, just a quilt photo. 10 days means 10 different quilts.

I love these pop up challenges. It's great eye candy and something not political on FB!! Win-win! Today I posted:

In 2017 I finally brought my "Quilt Diary" up to date.  That was the year I was "Featured Quilter in the Azalea Guild Show.  No one cared that I had it, but it was a great deadline to work toward!  I haven't add any quilts since!  So I guess Self-Isolation Summer is a good time to hunt up all the pictures and what information I've written about them and 'get'r dun!'

I wrote the diary because I was sure I was loosing my mind.  And at least I'd have this diary to look at and see the quilts again!  The following is the entry for this quilt!

All Around the Town - Boydville, That Is   This quilt was made in 2002.  It's 60 x 60 and I still own it.  I love it!

My friend M was making the shop sample of this Sue Garman pattern for The Front Parlor. (just ONE of our local shops in Lincoln NE!  Those were the days!)  4 of us were also interested in the pattern, so we split the BOM costs.  I challenged myself to learn machine appliqué - but I went with fusible and machine blanket stitch.  A method I still prefer!!

It was fun to pick fabrics and quietly incorporate our lives into the quilt.  There's a brick house with shutters, DH will be glad to tell you how he had to stand on a ladder and drill holes in brick on his first Father's Day as a dad!! and a grey schnauzer with a red collar running around a corner. My horse, Thunder. Poor M had to do the sample exactly as published!!

I went to all the trouble to put FOUR sleeves on it, so I could hang it any which way up.  But, I only like it with the Flag flying correctly.  There was many a giggle over the "whale of doom" over its house!

I used G's DSM for the blanket stitching when she was traveling.  I was working on this when DH let it slip I was getting a new machine for Christmas! For the next few months, I would come downstairs and "bother" him with hugs for my new machine.   My Janome 4800 (picked with Glenda's advice). 

2018:   My 4800 is still running strong! Thank you - both of you!!

Today  I'm sad to report that my wonder-machine is failing.  I can only read 1/3 of the stitch screen - that makes special stitches very hard!!  I'm hoping the EverSewn machines ship next month - because I'm ready to buy a new one! (I blame all the face masks I made on it this summer!!)

So, each day for 9 more days, I'll give 'the rest of the story' to my FB choice!  Hope you enjoy it!

Well the #100dayproject is officially done.  I so enjoyed it this year, especially with the kind of year we're having!  It keep me going in the sewing room, even when that wasn't what I wanted to do.  But am I glad I kept it going - I feel more creative and that's not bad when you're turning 68 this summer.  Remember way-back-when I was afraid I was losing my mind (I am, of course!) but quilting keeps me cheerful and thinking about the next quilt all the time!!  That's the best thing about retirement!! A sustainable hobby!  And believe me, I can sustain it for a few more decades with just what I have in the house!  We'll discuss that problem another time or two!

What I accomplished:  2 quilts I'd been wanting to do forever - really - forever!  I made all the blocks and topped the quilts.  One went to the Quilter today!  And she named it "Wild Child" - can you guess which one!!!  LOL!

I also made FOUR 60 x 80 StashLab string QOV quilts.  The blocks were made.  I did have to mark, make and trim HST blocks out of them ... 

Last year our group donated strings and sewed string blocks at group gatherings and at home.  Just when we were ready to start putting quilts together, Yep, Covid showed up.  

So when I got tired enough and curious enough to do something about the giant amount of string stuff all over the sewing space ... I put a top together.  Boy, they are addicting AND don't ever 'fluff' strings!!!  

Pssst! Don't tell -   we are having a Guild meeting at the end of the month and I'm closing out our year long challenge with the promised prizes, and 2 (so far) table runners.  AND we're going to have the Big Reveal of what we created!!  I'll post the little darlings later, after the reveal.  One quilt was already presented to a Veteran.  But 4 are being quilted as we speak!!  And I'm coming up with a design for the leftover "beige-ings" blocks this weekend. It will be so EXCITING for me to be done with this and see it come to life!