The Next Block and Florida Goodies

I know, I know, it's been two weeks....it's just that right when I believe my life is going to slow down just a notch, it ramps up speed again.

I completed the next block in At Piece with Time.

 

This block really wasn't all that hard.  Even the applique was pretty darn easy.  You should have no issues with this block.  The next block is another story...but we won't go there right now...oy-vey....

 

 

As I'm close to completing all the blocks (can you believe it?!), I once again laid all the blocks out on my living room rug to check for color balance.

 

 

Of course, Sam had to give me his opinion....



Obviously he really likes this block...

Which I can appreciate because those Y-seams were hard!

So I was at Disney World with the granddarlings two weeks ago.  It was fun.  It was hot.  Boy, was it hot...and rainy.  And lots of walking.  But watching the oldest granddarling's eyes when she met Ariel....priceless.  And she got to go to Mickey Mouse's Not-So-Scary Halloween party.  She made the cutest, little witch ever!

And the littlest darling just went as herself...

I did get a reprieve from the park one day.  A while back some women came into Dragonfly Quilt Shop when I was working there.  They were from Orlando and owned a quilt shop  called Heartfelt Quilting.  I got the address and one day persuaded my DH (dear husband...or darn husband depending on what's going on) to take me there.  It was only ten minutes away from the hotel. 

It. Was. Amazing.

Wonderful shop, great sales people.  Beautiful material.  If you're in Orlando, look them up.  They're also Janome dealers, for all of us who love those machines.  They had some great prices on some slightly used machines from a sewing cruise.  I wasn't in the market for a new Janome (I'm holding out for a long arm), but if I had been, I would have walked away with one.  Best prices I've seen in a while.

Anyway, a couple of hours and about $100 later, I walked away with some white-on-whites to finish out the kites on my Dear Jane and all of these batiks that will go into my Country Inn Quilt.

I'm a sucker for batiks...

Next up on my calendar is my guild's annual "Drop Everything and Just Quilt!" Retreat October 23-26 at Haw River State Park in Brown Summit. This is our third one and we quilt and piece and applique from sun up to way past midnight.  I get more done in those four days than I can in a three months at home.  The park takes care of the meals, there's no housework for me to feel guilty about, and the office can't reach me because my cell phone's reception is lousy there. 

Four days of sanity in an insane world.  No TV.  No news.  No campaign ads.

I love it.

So right now I'm packing up my WIPS (works in progress) and especially my WISPS (works in  slow progress) and WIVPS (works in very slow progress).  I've procuring the goods to make Seam Rippers (a quilter's cocktail made of tequila and Red Bull), and deciding on which DSM (domestic sewing machine) to bring.  It will probably be Big Red (my Janome 7700). 

Getting ready to go on a retreat takes me a week.  I have to decide what to take.  It's a balancing act.  Clothes don't count on a retreat -- you can look as slovenly as you want, however good hygiene is expected -- but you have to carefully plan what you're bringing to work on.  The projects have to be ones that can fill up a four-day weekend, but can't be too complicated because there is good talk and good gossip  and lots of good food and our guild does have an alcohol permit for that weekend....

I'm taking Monday off of work to make these and other critical decisions. I'll let you know what I decide.

Love and Stitches,

Sherri