Monday Meandering 9 - 11 - 23

It's been a busy week with lots of enjoyable reading. I have been focusing on the items on my list.  But Ruthie, the long arm, had some issues.  She needed to be retimed. Something I never had done nor figured I could do.  But hubby came through and was able to fix my machine. He is amazing! Ruthie is back up and running. The problems did put me behind getting the quilt done. Let's take a look at what I did get done this week. 

9/4/23

✅Finish quilting customer quilt — Almost done, still 2 more rows. 

👎🏼Continue the clean up of the front of the cutting table — a few pieces were cut up and stored but lots more to do! 

✅Finish sewing baby quilt blocks together and figure out borders — Blocks together, binding added and backing and binding figured out. 

✅Layout Ombré log cabin and start sewing rows together (this is the Sept UFO project) — It’s laid out, still placing blocks and sewing rows. 

 

YIKES! This quilt is bigger than my design wall. I cleared everything off except the papers on the right side and the small quilt at the top right corner. (It just needs quilting although it the quilting needs to be dense and will need a lot of different colors. Someday I will do it.)  

I had to move it into another room and use the floor!  Here's what it looks like so far. 

This is so big I had to take the picture from the closet! I am still laying it out and correcting colors and that one block I sewed incorrectly! Oops. Many of these diagonal rows have been sewn together but I really need to make sure the colors are distributed well.  Right now I'm planning 6 rows down by 8 rows across.  Unfortunately it's hard to figure out the size because the blocks are on point.  By next week I hope to have all these rows sewn with the triangular fillers also added. If I'm lucky I might get some of the rows sewn together too.  

Here's what my plans for this week looks like. 

9/11/23

Finish customer’s quilt

Begin sewing secret items… 

Cut 1 new project for retreat (or more if time permits)

Continue the clean up of the front of the cutting table

Continue working on Ombre, cut setting setting triangles & sew columns together

I actually started a new quilt this week.  I had run out of leader enders so I cut two blocks of a Maple Leaf quilt using the Accuquilt Die.  Here's one of the blocks. 

A while ago I bought a fat quarter bundle from Connecting Threads of fall colors. I'll be using them to make these blocks.  Hum, if I remember, I have another bundle that has a some fabrics that would look good as maple leaves too. I'll be cutting more and in fact I probably will cut several more to take with me on retreat. (That is in 3 weeks so I'll be focused on getting projects cut and ready to sew.) 

Do you have too many ideas running around in your head? Quilts that you have seen and want to make? Or patterns you've bought but haven't made yet? I do and I never know which one to start next!  Have you got a list of quilts you want to make? So far I haven't made a list although I think that would be great for next year.  I hope I remember to do that in January. 

I'm linking up with my regular Linky parties.  Take some time to surf these sites to get some more inspiration. 

Oh Scrap

Design Wall Monday 

Monday Musings

Sew and Tell 

To Do Tuesday

I mentioned above about reading during the week.  I finished a book that every time I picked it up I got so engrossed in it I didn't want to put it down.  If you are looking for an interesting read that pulls you into the story try Only the Beautiful by Susan Meisner.  You can read a synopsis of the story on Amazon.

On another subject Monday is the 22nd  anniversary of the 9/11 attack on America.  I vividly remember the day.  I was an elementary media specialist in Maryland, a mere hour or so from Washington, DC.  It was unbelievable what was happening in DC, PA and NY.  I wish I had written my thoughts through the day but I didn't.  I know that many families had connections to people who were either killed or involved with helping others.  

Looking back to that time, I am in shock at how far apart Americans have become from when we were united against a common foe.  Although there is still danger from foreign interventions in America, my biggest concern is the Americans who are attacking our own citizens by laws to ban teaching the full story of American history, limiting citizens from voting by creating laws to make it harder to vote, and attacking the LGBTQ+ community. I hope all of us can look to what makes America a strong democracy:  making America strong does not mean denying groups of citizens equality. 

I will continue to read, quilt and keep up with news about America.  Hopefully there will be some positive shifts in the future.

Happy Quilting All! Bonnie