Ra-ra-ra!

I finished the blocks! Just in time. I'm not 100% satisfied with how they turned out. I guess I never am, since I'm somewhat of a perfectionist about quilts. I still seem to be struggling with keeping a consistent quarter inch seam. I think it may be time to invest in a quarter inch foot for my machine. But I didn't have time to rip and redo, so out they went. I mailed them today at my lunch break. Here is the Blazed Trail:


And the Snail Trail:


And here is the promised photo of the cute thank you postcard that my secret sister sent me. You know, the one that made me think that my secret sister had identified me, leading me to blurt this out at the meeting?

Isn't it adorable?

Oh, and since it has been so terribly long since I managed to post a photo, here are also some photos from the flood destruction:

Secret Sister update

I forgot to mention that I got a new secret sister this past Tuesday at the quilt shop. I am so excited.

Of course, this also means that the person who had me for a secret sister revealed herself. Thank you, Rosemary! The parting gift she gave me was a ball jar of amish fabrics along with one thirties (or maybe twenties?) reproduction fat quarter that was made up of four or five different prints on one sheet. That was cool.

Also, my secret sister, who was Cindy, did not actually know who I was as I reported here. She made me that adorable postcard (which I should photograph and put up, but you know how lazy I am with the pictures) and had someone else address it. She didn't know who I was and I think she probably thought I was a bit silly for not catching on to the fact that the note was written in a different hand from the address label. Though I haven't yet checked to see how obvious the difference really was.

Anyway, I'm excited again to ferret out gifts for the new sis. And due to the birthday I didn't get to work on the Round Robin blocks. :(

Happy Birthday to me!

I just had to post real quick to say that I finished two, count 'em, TWO, blocks last night! Only 14 more to go...and 18 days to do it in.

Round Robin sewing has begun

Well I started sewing my blocks yesterday. Sigh.

Ok, my goal was to finish one block yesterday. Just one lousy block. I had about an hour and a half to play with. So I sat down, and carefully followed my instructions, checked and rechecked my quarter inch seams, and did all the proper pressing. I need to provide a quality block, ya know? So I was getting ready to press open a bunch of half triangle pieces and I called my dad. I'm chatting on the phone, and carefully pressing, and I look down and think, something is funny here. Now, I'm in the basement, and there is just one bare bulb by the ironing board and I'm thinking, this is just a trick of the light. But no. It wasn't a trick, it was my own dang stupidity staring me in the face and saying, 'HA'. I sewed one of the fabrics with the wrong side up. OMG. I spent 45 minutes carefully marking and sewing "scant" quarter inch seams (which, whoever came up with the term "scant" for something as accurate as piecing should be shot) and then cutting all of the pieces carefully apart on the lines...and it's wrong. Not even fixable wrong, just out and out wrong.

So I didn't get my one block done. I didn't have time to recreate the triangles. I have 21 days to get 16 blocks finished. Ugh.

Oh, and the only thing that kept a string of loud and vague obsenities from streaming out of my mouth was my dad asking what we are doing about our flood damage. Thankfully he can't read my thoughts. At least I think he can't.

Cuttin' it up

Hurrah! I started on my blocks for the round robin last night. I cut into one of my four fabrics. I finished cutting all of the pieces that I need from that fabric.

I don't understand it, though. I thought I estimated fairly close how much fabric I would need. I think I ordered 3 yards of each of 4 fabrics. Which, yeah, I was of course trying to err on the side of caution since running out of a fabric mid-block would not be an option. So I cut into the actual challenge fabric, and got all the pieces I needed cut for my first block (the second block doesn't use the challenge fabric) and I think I only used maybe a yard. A yard and a quarter, at best.

Oops.

So I guess when the exchange is over and I have all of the blocks, I'll have plenty of fabric left to add borders and sashing, etc.

And in other news. We have experienced a flood. One of the kids accidently left the bathroom faucet on full blast all day while we were at work last Wednesday. When I came home I found it raining in the kitchen, as well as the basement. Ugh. We are now in the throws of trying to get it cleaned up and fixed. I can't believe how damaging a little water is. Ok, it was a LOT of water. We currently have an emergency services company visiting our house daily to check on the myriad of giant (super loud) fans and dehumidifiers spread around the house. Today they want to cut out the soffit that is over the cabinets in the kitchen. Of course they already tore up the bathroom flooring and cut holes in the kitchen ceiling.

This does not look good for the sale of our house. Obviously we can't put it on the market in this condition, not unless we want people laughing and pointing. So. We're kind of floating around in limbo, not really sure where life is going. I guess that's the joy of the ride, right?