This past week I attended a quilt retreat where it looked like I was speed piecing.  I’ll let you in on a secret – I pre-cut sashings and had blocks already made.  This first quilt is on my guild’s UFO list as “Pink & Black Crazy Auction Blocks”. But after the list was made I decided to make the quilt bigger so swapped out the sashing and border fabrics.  Over the past few weeks I made a few extra blocks and apparently miscounted as I ended up with an extra block.  This was the first quilt I worked on.  Just added my precut sashings and instant quilt.  I used the sashing from Bonnie Hunter’s Dancing Nine’s.

Since I wanted to make sure I got up and walked, I chain stitched 10 sashings, then did a leader/ender.  My first L/E project was assembling this Easy Breezy quilt top.  I found it when I opened a box. I really thought I had finished it.  I think I had to assemble 3 or 4 rows.

Next up were these Shimmer blocks.  I had 5 ‘new’ blocks to make and had to remake 2 of the blocks, then I started assembling.

A couple of years ago I bought a FQ bundle of Radiance by Dan Morris plus 10 blenders. This is the 3rd quilt I made from that bundle and I’m going to try and get a 4th.

This was my leader/ender project.  These were 16-patches, so only 3 seams per blocks.

Now this was a quick sew. I purchased this fabric on my way to the retreat.  It’s a 3-yard pattern – Roman Holiday from the Quilt as a Wink collection.  I did make the borders wider.

Having run out of 1-1/2″ squares, I pulled out my Garden Party blocks to use as my leader/ender project. I’m not sure how many more of these blocks I need to make. I need to kit up more blocks.

This was my final project for the week – I had one block cut out and one flying geese made.  Decided how to assemble the quilt on the fly.

Purchases were made, but I’ll save that for another post.

I’m going to work backwards.  Last night I setup a table and gathered up all of the lights for the electricians.  They arrived this morning at 7 AM and I worked with them to verify where I wanted them to go.

But backing up, I flew to Houston for Thanksgiving with my SIL and my nephew’s family.  I know I took pictures of all of us, but I must have been using someone else’s phone as they aren’t on my phone.  So I’ll tell you about Friday.

We decided to go to NASA for Galaxy Lights and toured the museum that afternoon.

Growing up in Houston during the height of the Apollo missions, I wanted to be an Astronaut.  I was going to be the first woman in space, not realizing Valentina Tereshkova had gone into space shortly after I was born.

So, my next goal was goal was to be the first woman on the Moon.  But we stopped going to the moon.

So my next goal was to be the first American woman in space.  Sally Ride took that honor.  I think the card said this was a replica of one of her flight suit.  Yes, I teared up seeing this.  I teared up and got emotional when I met her back a number of years ago.

My great-grandma made it to the moon in January 1912.  Nearly 110 years later I got just as close.

The deal closed this past Wednesday.

Mystery — as in “Where did these blocks come from?”

After coming home from the Brandon Quilters guild meeting last night, I started digging in my project boxes to see what I could easily take to a Sit and Sew day this Saturday.  I pulled out the box with the Christmas Redwork in it and found this stack of blocks. I don’t remember making them and do not recognized the fabric in some of the blocks, so I suspect they were swap blocks.  But they are not on my UFO list.

After thinking about it for a while,  I’ve about decided they were from the first retreat I went to after Ted died.  I remember spending hours working on the swap blocks at the retreat.  I was tired, and quite frankly, I’m not sure I was really ready for a retreat at that point. I think the only other thing I got done was the retreat mystery quilt.

Perhaps I’ll dig around in my stuff to see if I can find fabric to use to turn these blocks into a top.

I haven’t quilted since shortly after making the decision to move in April.  Looking back through my posts, it appears I attempted to work on a top in April, and in early May I put together some “frankenbatts”.  Since then I’ve been packing, unpacking, and looking for contractors.

This past Monday, I did go to a Guild meeting.  Quilters By Hearts’ Desire is an evening guild which meets the 3rd Monday in Brandon, MS.  It’s an easy 15 minute drive for me.  I enjoyed the meeting and believe I’ll be joining this Guild.  There is another evening guild the 1st Monday of the month which I will visit in a couple of weeks.

So, to my sanity.  When the movers unloaded the truck anything related to sewing got shoved into the front bedroom. Or more accurately, if it wasn’t clearly kitchen, dining room, Christmas, books or music, or ‘garage’ it got shoved into the front bedroom.  As it turns out there are “basement” things in the front room – although much of “basement” is fabric related.  Anyway, the Mississippi Quilt Association’s Fall Gathering is coming up October 1st & 2nd.  During the event there will be show and tell for the BOM we’ve been working on. All my blocks are done. All they need is a bit of sashing and a border.  Hum…I could get that done.  Ha!  Step one locate the blocks.

So, because it’s been so long since I’ve played in my fabric, I put together the fabric shelves and started loading them.  They are currently in my living room – not where they will end up.   I have more small totes than shelf space so I’m ruminating on ideas, but that will have to wait.

I finally found my blocks. Originally I over looked them because I thought I was looking in an office box, not a sewing room box.

So, this evening I went to the local quilt shop The Cotton Blossom.  I picked out the turquoise fabric for the border and opted for white as the sashings.

Now the only question is will I get the top done.  I’ll need to find a spot to sew in. For now that’s going to be the corner of my den.

It’s been a busy week here in Ridgeland.  The electricians arrived on Tuesday to start their work.  I think they came in around 7:30. They were back Thursday and Friday at 6:00 AM!  This morning the gutter guys also showed up at 7:00 AM.  Everyone is trying to beat the heat.  Although today has been absolutely gorgeous.  Low humidity and it didn’t get up to 80 degrees until around Noon.

Tomorrow’s plans include looking for a new-to-me washer and dryer to get me through until I redo the kitchen and laundry room in a year or so.

About 2 hours after my last post, we looked at the weather and decided to check out of the hotel and head for home.  We got into Ridgeland around 11 PM with only light showers for the last hour.  We unloaded the essentials and called it a night.

Hurricane Ida came through sometime during the night – the fence gate banged open, but no damage.  In the neighborhood lots of pine straw on the street, but I didn’t see much else when I went over to Ruby’s.  We sat out on her covered patio and watched the rain.  It reminded me of sitting on my grandparent’s screen porch when Camille came in.

Tuesday morning was the big day.  The moving truck arrived. Since I’m on a cul-de-sac, the driver had to back in.  It probably took them 4 hours to unload the truck.  I’m not doing much unpacking since there is so much work to be done on the house.  The bed is made and that’s about all I’ve gotten done.

The electricians have been rescheduled for next Tuesday.  They have work to do due to Ida, and quite frankly I could use the time to clear out the bonus room.  All the garage stuff ended up in the bonus room and I’ve got to figure out where to put it to get it out of the way.

Today, after paying my bills I’m off to order a washer and dryer and maybe buy a small microwave.

Saturday was moving day.  The cats are packed – but they smelled/tastes the meds I was to give them, so they didn’t eat anything before we left.  Gracie rode with me since she was so traumatized.

The plan was to spend one night on the road.  But I’ve chosen to move during a tornado. Needless to say I was on the phone yesterday morning extending my hotel reservation.

The cats have made themselves at home.  Gracie is hiding under the bedskirt on the far side of the bed.

This morning, Gracie & Butterscotch were in the window when I woke up.

Sherbert is checking out the large shower.

My household goods are supposed to arrive on Tuesday. I’m not sure what this hurricane is going to do to those plans.  I guess we’ll find out.