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:

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?

Excitement

I have several exciting things to report. And no, I don't have any photos to share. I wish I did. But posting from lunch at work prevents that.

Exciting thing #1 - I have a secret sister! I went to the quilt shop Tuesday night and we received our secret sister assignments. I am so excited to pick something out for her. I'm thinking that since the next meeting will be in February it should be Valentine-oriented. Or maybe presidential.

Exciting thing #2 - I received this quarter's mail order from Angry Chicken. It is counted cross stitch, and I am not in to that. But getting the packet was still a thrill. I'm trying to figure out the secret word so I can get a bonus gift. We'll see if I can manage it.

Exciting thing #3 - I realized this week that I am almost three quarters of the way through quilting the border on The Girl's quilt.

Last exciting thing...it's Friday!! Thank goodness. The Husband took today off to paint The Boy's bedroom. It used to be a full-room underwater scene, even on the ceiling. I'm a little sad to see it go. The Boy is getting too old too fast. He'll start kindergarten in the fall. I am definitely going to have hysterics over that.

Broken goal

Ok, I know it was my goal to include a photo in at least every other post. But I've only had time to post from work lately and no photos around.

But I thought I needed to update you on The Girl's quilt progress. I have finished quilting the main portion of the top. Ta-dah! Now I am on to quilting the border. I decided to just stitch in the ditch and add her name in script in one bar of the border.

Unfortunately I still have not finished cutting out her coat pieces, though, so that means no sewing of the coat either. I am thinking it won't be done in time for Thanksgiving wear. I am a little sad about that but not bent out of shape.

And I did finish painting the kitchen window, which had been scuffed up when we had our counters and cabinets replaced last year. I just need to scrape the slopped-on-the-glass paint and also (ahem) sew the curtain. I know, I know. It's been forever since I started that project.

Oh, and a new development. We need new living room carpet. The other day The Husband and The Boy went to get haircuts, and I was left at home to give The Girl a bath. The Husband had started a fire before he left, and while I was upstairs with The Girl in the bathroom I heard a big thump. I knew right away what it was...a giant log that The Husband put in the fire before he left fell out. I raced downstairs and found it sitting on both the hearth and carpet. I used the poker tool to get it back on the hearth, but I wasn't fast enough. We now have a pretty good-sized blackened melted area of the carpet. D'oh. Then of course I'm standing there thinking, this log is on fire for crying out loud, how am I supposed to get it back in there? After several quick fire-tool experiments I found I could lift it by balancing it on the poker and the shovel. I hoisted it back in and this time closed the glass doors. Then I threw a glass of water on the smoldering carpet so I could get back to the girl. We had originally planned to replace the carpet in January or February, so really it's not a big deal. But still. It used to look at least semi-presentable with only shadows of stains. This is like a black hole, irresistably drawing your eye as if your eye is made of of mass, light, and gravity. Ugh.

Nothing else major to report, except that I've started collecting photos for the secret project. That's been fun except the kiddies keep trying to step on them.