Getting back into it!

So - when last I wrote I was trying to get back to sewing... well I still have trouble tearing myself away from the big screen TV each night - having shows on the DVR makes it so easy to watch back to back episodes of may favorites and before I know it the night is gone!

Anyway - I have started on my nine patches - and the first batch of 17 sewn late one night had some serious measurement problems and ripping out nine-patches is a horrible waste of time for 1/8 inch overall shortage - so I have just cut new strips and am paying more attention to those seam allowances and making sure they are truly 'scant'. I got a set of 17 more cut last night and pressed and if I do a little every night I will make the deadline - no problem. I may slow down a bit when I get to the ones cut from FQs but once I do the math and have a cutting plan I think it'll be okay. The shorties - I can use in some other project of my own or maybe in a pieced backing.

Did I tell you I signed up to go to a quilt retreat? Well I did!!!! I am so excited. Next year, spring, Charlotte NC, 100 quilters that I have been sharing with on the HGTV BBS for more years than I can recall. I am also in a Round Robin with a group of them which is kind of a cool thing - here's how that works.

We are each in a group of 5-6 quilters that signed up, we each make a center block of our choice, pieced, applique, crazy, whatever. We send to the next person and they add a border on all sides that must be pieced, appliqued, or whatever and they send it on. We have a long time between mailings which is an advantage for me. At the end - when we finish the last round we send it to one person who is going to take them all to the retreat and there will be a show and tell and delivery at the retreat. So we live in anticipation of what the finished piece will be. The center block can be no more than 9.5 inches and each border no more than 5.5 inches - so it will finish wall hanging size but one could always add extra borders and make it a throw or larger. I think it will be great fun. Once I get my center block done. I am torn on what to do - I started a Cross Sticth that I was going to put borders on - but now I am afraid I may not finish it on time. Forgot that I had not done cross sticth in 20 years and this one has like 5 shades of gold in it! I do have a back-up block in case I don't get it done!


We also have small groups for the retreat overall and mine is a combo of old and new friends so I am really looking forward to growing relationships over the next 9 months and then meeting in Charlotte.

This past week Mark and I got our reservations made for Labor day also! We will be in Seattle from Friday night until Wed and then up to Vancouver for me to work for 2 days and Mark to sightsee. Should be fun - can't wait to see the family. Stephen is starting school again on Monday, so he will be home with Merlin, enjoying the single life again! We always come home from being away and they are like best buds, which is nice to see. The rest of the time Mark and I dote on the dog so much I think he neglects Stephen. Are we giving that dumb dog too much credit? He is awfully dumb - though we love him to pieces!!

Here's my baby - when he was a baby......now he's 6 and has gray coming in around the muzzle...
He went to the vet last week for his annual visist and he is down 3 pounds. Not a lot to you and me, but it's 10% of his body weight, so we need to get a couple back on him. He should be around 34 pounds. Small enough to snuggle and big enough to be a 'real dog'. I think the weight loss is from restricting his human food.... we also put him back on Omega-3's for a shiny coat and allergy protection.



That's all for now - Toby