Chicago Quilt Show was fun!

Managed to drag myself out of bed, get dressed and get on the charter bus to the Chicago show on Saturday morning. This after a night of tossing and turning and sitting up to look at the clock entirely too frequently . . . terrified I would oversleep and miss the bus! Made the bus . . . forgot my camera!

I did remarkably well on my fabric diet. I bought a couple charm packs for my Civil War Love Letters stash. Then I grabbed four fat quarters in a watermelon print, and a watermelon rind print . . . want to make the pickle dish pattern, and call it, "Watermelon Pickles"! I had just posted a note in my journal of ideas to do an inchworm quilt . . . found fabric with tape measures all over it, so I bought that for borders. The Pfaff booth had fat quarters for $1.49, and I found an acid green print for my Civil War stash, and picked out three others for a friend who couldn't make the trip. I got a little packet of hand-dyed wools for my friend, Laura. My final fabric purchase was two five-dollar grab bags from the Little Quilts booth. My friends all laugh at my addiction to grab bags. There were lots of Moda's and Andover prints, and many WOF cuts. Yesterday, out of curiosity, I measured the WOF cuts and came up with a total yardage of 6.5 yards. That didn't include the squares and strips narrower than 5 inches, and odd shaped scraps. Lots of them will go into my Civil War stash. I guess buying 6.5 yards plus of fabric is falling off the diet, but I only spent $10 on it, so I think I'll count it as scraps!

I picked up three spools of Aurifil thread for piecing . . . love this thread. I put a spool on my machine in January, and have pieced at least three quilt tops, and I'm still only halfway down the spool. It's a nice fine thread, that seems to permit the seam allowances to lay flatter. Best of all, it doesn't lint up my machine.

I bought an applique quilt pattern from Primitive Gatherings, and while standing in the check-out line, I felt faint when I saw their BOM, Primitive Garden. By the time I got to the cash register, I had my credit card in my hand, and I signed up. It is stunning, and a gift to myself which will keep on giving for the next 14 months!

Friday night, I finished assembling my four-patch blocks for Bonnie Hunter's Orange Crush mystery. Yesterday, I finished tidying the last of the basement stash of yarns and fabrics, and began attacking the studio. I found the desk top by putting all the books stacked there back on the bookshelf, emptied two plastic tubs and a Longaberger basket of an assortment of things. I sewed buttons on two hand-knit topped dish towels, and put those away. Tonight, I'm planning to dig down to the sewing machine cabinet top. I had an ill-assortment of "stuff" under one wing of my sewing machine cabinet, and I removed it all. It now houses my sewing machine "fleet". On the bottom are my vintage Pfaff and a Viking. Next up is a basic Elna, and the case for my featherweight, as well as the case that fits atop my new Pfaff that is in the cabinet.

When I finally sat down last night, I was still wound up tighter than a $2 watch, and felt like piecing something. So, I pulled out the kit collection for The Quilt Company's "Sweet Tea" BOM, and pieced the first tea pot. This morning, before leaving for the office, I managed to applique the spout into position. I was lucky to score a couple grab bags at the LQS where I bought these kits before they closed up (owner's illness). The grab bags gave me an extra border kit, and lots of extra strips for the various components of the quilt, so I can make this one a bit larger, if I want to. That's a trap I always fall into . . . Ooooh! I like this . . . I'll make it bigger!

Now, I'm on the countdown for the Paducah show. Next Monday, Good Lord, and American Airlines, willing, my sister-in-law will arrive from Texas. I'm only working Monday and Tuesday, so I think a few of us will play, "Orange Crush" on Wednesday evening, before departing Thursday morning. I have three items on my shopping list: 3 yards of fabric with lemons for a blue and yellow quilt, and I'm hoping to find two books by Bronwyn Hayes of Red Brolly Designs, Polka Dot Girls, and Miss Mary's Garden. If I can't locate them, I'll break down and order on-line. As you can tell, I need more projects!