Phew!

Boy! I earned this finish!
 
It began innocently enough -- the Low Volume QAL. A perfect opportunity, I thought,  to use up some of the box of scraps left over from several braid quilts I made a few years ago. I dug out the box, sorted some of the pale, swirly, seashell-y, text-y prints, cut them into squares....then, what?

I got out one of my sketchbooks. I hope you have one of these. I have 2 & am nearly ready for a 3rd. I LOVE my sketchbooks! They are filled with drawings & clippings & printouts. They go everywhere with me! Well, I looked through one of them & found this:



Looked like fun, though unfortunately, I used up more Kona Snow than I did scraps from the box. {oh well} The piecing was easy, just squares; the setting together just a bit more challenging.
But the quilting -- again, not complicated -- wobbly walking foot straight lines & free-motion in-the-ditch around the patchwork. It was just the mass of the thing & working on it at a diagonal. THAT was WORK!!! I began referring to this quilt as The Monster, but I think I will name it "Stairs".

 

 

Pippa is always a Big Help when I quilt, but she seemed especially fond of this quilt. Maybe she knew that the colors were quite becoming to her.

What to do first?

After the Quilt Festival, I was -- & remain -- starry-eyed with the wonderful experience of seeing beautiful quilts, beautiful fabrics & talking to talented people. I was so full of ideas & idea fragments that my mind was bouncing around like a pinball! I had to force myself to be practical & focus first on what was on the downhill-side of being finished: finishing up some lap robes for the HMQG charity sewing & quilting my low volume quilt.

Done & getting done!

Where did the month go?!?

I know exactly where my month went:

First, there was 2 weeks of an all-hands-on-deck, mad house, work-a-thon at my job -- 8 to 12 hour days straight through (we did get Sunday off) slaying mastodons with our atlatls.

 

Not really, *that* exhibit was installed months ago, we were on to the next thing. :-)

After the paid work was over, I needed to do some serious house-cleaning for house-guests coming for Quilt Festival. I know you know what I'm talking about -- the sort of cleaning you only do when you are expecting company. I was sure my company wouldn't notice, or care if they did, but I felt better knowing it was done.


Louis says, "Food Lady, this is nice! You should make the beds more often."

I did nearly no sewing. All I did was finish my HMQG logo colors mini challenge & made a few more zipper pouches for gifts. (I think I'm beginning to feel more confident about my zippers.)

 

 

Then the 2 house-guests arrived -- a quilter friend from France & my MIL. And Quilt Festival!!! An exhausting good time! This year, I really enjoyed looking at the antique & vintage quilts being sold -- I even came home with one!





In spite of an oath with myself not to get any fabric, I managed to come home with some: a stack of Grunge, some vintage bits, plus some other pieces. 

 

Next, a trip to the airport with one departing guest & a route home over a very attractive bridge.



Then, relaxing bay-side with the remaining guest.



Then it was just me & Shug, tired, but with pleasant memories of the last week.
And did I mention that my quilt was hanging at the Quilt Festival!?!