Eight Rows Strong...Halfway There

Half finished! I cut up a bunch of scraps instead of sewing more this afternoon. It was difficult to do what I should instead of what I wanted to do, but I'm glad now. I cut up small pieces that had to be pressed heavily first, so it was time-consuming, but they are gone for good from my scrap box now. I plan to just cut some more tomorrow if I have time.

Our Christmas Eve and Day holiday will be laid back, so there won't be a lot to do, but I want to spend time with my family while we're off school and my wonderful husband is off work.

There is a possibility that I might be getting a Handi-Quilter machine soon. I can barely stand to think about it for the excitement!! Calm down, calm down, calm down...Some have asked how the sign language interpreting went last night. I was pleasantly pleased with the ease in which it "came back". It's been a couple years since I've signed anything to a deaf person (I occasionally sign to a child across the building at church or whatever). My husband said he was proud of me, so that's all I needed to hear. The deaf man was very pleasant and expresssive. He said I was a wonderful interpreter, so I was happy.

The above picture is the sign for interpreter, by the way.

Off to practice a song my family is singing for Sunday.

~Joan

Seven Rows Now

One good thing about my mess-up on Monday is that when I finished piecing a row today, I could add TWO rows without any more sewing!

My goal for this quilt is to have 16 rows wide. I am nearly halfway there!

Here is my Texas Braid with seven rows. Only nine more to go. I will cut some more bricks when I get back from errands. I have some clear shoe boxes that I keep small scraps in. Since the acquisition of my sister's stash (nearly 600 yards), those boxes are overflowing. I must deplete them a little this afternoon if there is time. I want to start cutting fabrics for a "tumbler" quilt, which I've always thought of as a thimble quilt. The shape of the pieces reminds me of thimbles. I want it scrappy (what else?), so this is a good opportunity to cut out a bunch of unique pieces for that.


Isn't it strange how entirely different people's lives are from each other's? My errands are going to be picking up 7 fifty-pound bags of wheat berries, taking my daughter to take her driver's license test, and preparing to interpret our Christmas service at church tonight for a deaf man. How are you spending YOUR day?

~Joan

Emily's Engagement Ring

My Emily is a unique girl (like everyone else). She does not like diamonds. I wouldn't go as far as to say she HATES diamonds, but there is a strong negative emotion going on there. She says they look cold. Some may choose to differ. Her fiance (I can barely grasp that I actually typed that word in reference to one of my children's relationships for the first time) did good. Here is a picture of her engagement ring...

It is so perfect for her.

Off to the races,

~Joan

I've Gained a Son!!

This is the best picture I can do for right now. Steve asked Emily to marry him today, and she. said. YES!!

~Joan

How the Mighty Have Fallen

I was so proud of my sewing efforts today. It's been a packed day with doing my thing at the Y, visiting 5 different stores, mailing off my flannel quilt to be machine quilted, planning a get-together for 30 for tomorrow night (at my house), etc., etc. That was all before lunch!

It's my laundry day, so I planned to sew while processing that. I was pushing myself along, and was so happy to get another braid row finished. When I went to sew it to the rest of the top, I realized I made the "wrong" row. There are two types of braids in the quilt. I had hung my top upside down on the design wall and didn't realize it until I went to line up the new row. Oh, well...I will use it after I piece one of the "right" ones!

~Joan