HAPPY FALL!!

Wow, I can't believe that today is the first day of fall already! Hooray...my most favorite season (probably because it comes right after my least favorite). But I really can't complain about summer and the heat this year, as we didn't have much hot weather at all this summer. And the last couple of weeks it's been fairly cool with not much sun. We've even had a lot of fog, which is pretty unusual.

I also can't believe it's been so long since I posted here. The baseball team ended up going to the state championship and took 4th (no trophy). Football practice was scheduled to start a week or so after baseball ended, so all we got for a vacation was a quick trip to Table Rock Lake at Branson. It was really nice there, too...not too hot and not very humid and we had a great time.

I haven't had any time to do any sewing the past couple months..I really need to get into my sewing room and get my table cleaned off so that I CAN sew if I get the chance. I've been putting off getting the Bonnet Girl's binding on....possibly because I've never done a bias binding on a scalloped quilt. Maybe tonight I can get some research done on that and get busy. While in front of the TV, of course!

Run, run, run....

I've been running here and running there and everywhere! And have not been getting any sewing done. :~(

Today we are going to Plainville ( more than an hour and a half one way) for the sub-regional baseball tournament. The boys play 2 games today and at least one tomorrow, depending how well they do, so we are packing an overnight bag and may stay the night. If they make it to the top 5, we may be in Goodland next weekend.

The Bonnet Girl Quilt has been quilted and I have it now to do the binding....not sure when I'm going to be able to start that, but I don't think I have a deadline. The quilting is nice, but not exactly what I would've chosen. They outlined the girls and then all the rest is lines and angles...I think I would've used some ropes or braids in some of the borders, but they didn't ask me. Ha! I will try and post pictures of some of the quilting when I get a chance.

What a week....and not a very good one, unfortunately. We had a sudden, senseless death in our family last Friday night. The funeral was Wednesday and I got really behind with everything around here.

Today I'm going to work on the second set of blocks for the pink and Brown Swap. I'm anxious to get these two sets of blocks finished and out of here!

MORE pink and brown blocks.....

Here are two more fabric variations of my basket block. I'm not sure about the brown background in the first picture...might be a bit dark. But I didn't have any lighter medium toned browns, so it'll have to do. Although I hate to say it, I think I like the feathered pink background a little better than the paisley pink (yesterday's post).

But anyhow, all 12 basket blocks for the swap are finished!! I was going to make a set of 4 for myself, but I got tired of paper piecing. Next I'm moving on to a set of brown and pink pinwheel blocks for the same swap. They should go more quickly as they are not paper pieced.

I'm going to trim up the basket blocks and then tear the paper off while I'm watching The Mentalist.

Another Pink and Brown Block.....

Here it is a week after my last post and I finally got another pink and brown basket block finished for the swap. I found a different pattern that was all one piece and added the extra strip in the basket...I like this one much better since I don't have to piece the handle part on.

I'm not quite sure if I should do all the rest in this same mix of fabric or not. I think it's the pink paisley background that I'm not quite sure of...is it too busy? It is a bit brighter in person than it shows on my monitor. But I do love paisley!

I'm back in the saddle again....

(that old song keeps running through my head) But I guess it really should be "I'm back at the sewing machine again". I finally got my sewing machine up and running and pieced the backing for the Bonnet Girl quilt. The quilt is now at the quilt shop to be quilted and I will get it back afterwards to do the binding. The scalloped bias binding will be another thing that I've never done before. But, I guess it's always good to learn something new, right?

Next on my to-do list is to get the pink and brown blocks finished up. By now I've probably forgotten how to paper piece and I'll have to take the time for a refresher lesson. I need to check and see when the due date is for getting those in to swap hostess. I know it's in June...I'm just hoping it's NOT June 1st!

It's almost 9 p.m., so I'm off to find a comfy spot on the couch and watch The Unusuals.

Too quiet in the sewing room!

It's been very quiet in the sewing room the past couple of weeks. I haven't even unpacked everything I took to the quilt retreat, not even my sewing machine.

I've been busy mostly with my 80 year old dad, who had surgery for rectal cancer on April 30th in Wichita, which is a 3 hours drive (one way) from here. I stayed several days before, during and after his surgery and then brought him back home last Thursday. The news wasn't especially good, the cancer had spread to 2 of his other lymph nodes and he'll have to have chemotherapy. He was hoping to go back and live independently in his apartment, but it doesn't look like that's going to be happening. I've been a bit down and also have been putting off discussing the facts with him.

Well, I really need to go piece the backing for my aunt's Bonnet Girl quilt, as she's taking it to be quilted sometime in June. Then I've got to get my sewing cleaned up so that I begin some much needed Quilt Therapy for myself.