Oldies but Goodies!

I promised Sossity that I would haul out the warehouse of completed quilt tops. She still gets to see them in person, but this makes a record of them, too! First up, a mystery quilt from the second Guild Retreat . . . about 1997, I think. Carol Hopkins had us going, making four-patches and connector corners. Nobody guessed where it was going. I liked it, so in my usual fashion, I kept going . . . cutting from my scrap drawers after I got home. I finally decided to quit as I was nearly out of my setting fabric. I'm afraid to measure this one . . . it's big!

My husband has always loved Norman Rockwell. One day, on one of my quilt adventures with my friends, in the dead of a hot summer, I found this Rockwell panel on the clearance table for $1, so I promptly snatched it up. I added a striped border to bring it to a measurement which would allow the addition of the rising star blocks, and finished it off with another striped border. I do love this one . . . need to get it out of the "quilt top collection" and onto my frame!

Another Retreat mystery project, this one led by Roseanna, again at a Guild Retreat. I love how it turned out. The next picture shows the piped border that frames the quilt.

There is a Guild meeting tonight, thank goodness! It's only been a week, but seems like a year since I saw my friends. We are truly all addicted to one another. I have Paducah presents for the girls who didn't get to make the trip this year.

I've had a lot of fun getting some scraps and strips ready to send off to a couple gals in a swap. We were supposed to gather about one pound of strips in the Orange Crush swap. My partner, Renee, needed dark fabrics. Since she lives in Florida, I know that not many shops in that part of the country offer dark fabrics . . . they are a great source for bright fabrics, however. I just kept stuffing fabric in a zip-loc bag, making sure it would still zip. When I thought I had enough, I took it to the post office. Before going over there, I checked it on the postal scale in the office. I'm sorry to admit that my path to an alternate career as a butcher's assistant, or deli-worker, is in jeopardy. I would soon bankrupt the company. The package weighed in at 3 3/4" pounds! Renee is swapping fabrics with me, and has advised that she included some plaids, in short supply in my stash!

This morning, I took my care package for Kim to the post office. I was able to control myself a bit more in this case. Kim was looking for 1800's reproduction fabrics. She'll have to suffer through with only 2 pounds, 12 ounces! Kim is sending me some sock yarn!

Finally, in Paducah, in the Eleanor Burns tent (can't stand her, but her sales were good!), I found EZ Angle rulers for just $3 each. I grabbed several of them. Posted to the Orange Crush chat, Wanda inquired about cutting triangles for a 3" finish from a 3 1/2" strip. Someone told her to just cut 3 1/2" squares and cut them in half! Having made this mistake in my early quilting career, and ending up with squares that were 3/8" too small, I hurried to stop her from this mistake. I promised to send her one of my spare EZ Angle rulers, because that's the exact reason I bought extras . . . to share! Wanda is sending me a fat quarter.

In Paducah, I played the AQS booth hop, paying for kits for a 12" block with Benartex's Aspen fabric line. Most of the shops were out of the blocks, and promised to mail them. One arrived yesterday, and I only have 9 to go, and one component of the 10th one! Also, I called the Stash Company, and ordered their finishing kit, which has a beautiful applique medallion center. Kerry gave me a choice on the border fabric, and I selected the large burgundy floral.

So, getting the mail in the next week or so, is going to be great fun! Having Murphy and his ridiculous laws, several will probably show up today, because my car is being serviced, and I can't go home for lunch! If I ever see him, I'm gonna give him such a smack!