All of the units needed for the On Ringo Lake blocks are made. I’ve even have the center rows done. On the other hand, the sashing units are just the same as they were back on December 27th…

One of each direction made and bagged up waiting for me to get to them.  I’ll add these into the mix as I sew my completed units into rows.  10 of each then get up and press.

Shoot. I thought I had all my fabric cut except for the setting triangles, but I just realized I need cornerstones to go with the sashing. Good thing I’ve not started cleaning up.

I’ve finished Part 7 of On Ringo Lake and have started sewing them to the 9-patches. Meanwhile I am still piecing the combination triangle units. I’m not quite halfway through those.

I took this afternoon off for an appointment on the other side of town which ended significantly earlier than expected. So, naturally, I looked for the nearest quilt shop, Quilter’s Station in Lee’s Summit, Missouri.  It’s been a while since I’ve been in there. The first thing they told me when I walked in the door, was new fabric had been added to the sale room.  The quilts I could make just from the fabric in the sale room.  But alas, I’m on a very limited budget and my goal is a few more corals/peaches for On Ringo Lake. None were to be found in the sale room.

Next I hit the FQ bin.  I found the fabric shown above – my colors appear to be off slightly, but they  blend well with what I bought Saturday and will work my quilt.  Since they were there, I picked up a couple of turquoises and a brown which I thought might be good for some sort of a border. Unfortunately they only had this FQ, but I know it’s a Hoffman as I found it in black. I’m not sure where my borders are going, so it’s really too soon to be worried about them.

It’s been a while, but my creativity is beginning to return. It’s evidenced by the new projects I’ve accumulated over the past few weeks and older projects I’ve pulled out to work on. There’s 7 projects on the table and there are a few more which I didn’t get into the dining room.

The oldest project on the table is last year’s Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt, En Provence.  I hope to get it quilted in early December. I’m waiting on a pantograph to come in so I can schedule rental time. But that’s OK, because my husband wants to start wearing waistcoats to work and I’m certain I can make them for less than the few he has found to purchase.

But when I went to the store I found the plaid I fell in love with last fall and there is enough on the bolt for a skirt or dress for me as well as his waistcoat. The color is off in this picture. The dark blue will be the lining for the waistcoat and the lining in the dress will be the bright turquoise with matches that tiny line running through the plaid. The goal is to get these 2 pieces, and find/make a blouse, by November 29th. I may pull my hair out as I work through altering the patterns.

Altering the patterns, is primarily why those knits haven’t been cut into – that and I think I’ve changed my mind on what I’m using the print on. I don’t know that the print has enough recovery to make leggings. This project goes to the bottom of the current list.

Which is where the lingerie is as well.  The lace I bought recently, the solid I’ve had for YEARS. Again there are fit issues. But baby steps. I haven’t wanted to sew for myself in years.

Front and center is the fabric for this year’s mystery quilt – On Ringo Lake.  I need more neutrals and more aqua/turquoise. I’m not planning on getting through the clues each week, so I have time to gather more fabric.  Why the delay?

This way overdue quilt. After I get through the waistcoat & dress, this becomes my #1 priority except for the day I quilt En Provence. There’s also the green and blue StripTwist I’ve been working on — which is piled on the ironing board, cleaning the sewing room (which really needs to happen before I do anything), the shirting Pineapple Blossom, the borders for Allietare, the new ruler and pattern I bought last month, and of course any of the 30 other quilts I have already started….

Yes, I feel the creativity coming back. Stay tuned.

I was off from work yesterday afternoon, but did not attempt to do any quilting until later in the evening. Perhaps that was my mistake. Or trying to read the pattern instructions on my phone. Anyway, I stitched the side seam of my Bionic bag and found batting for the outer fabric. That’s when I realized I had a problem.  Not only was the outer fabric too wide (I gather this was to be expected),  it was too short.

Given that it was now late in the evening, I decided moving forward on this project was going to have to wait until I re-read the instructions a few more times and looked for hints and tips on the internet, maybe asking a few questions of people who have made this bag.

But not wanting to have nothing to show for my time at the sewing machine, I pulled out the fabric I had cut for another zipper bag.

At the quilt retreat last weekend we played Left-Right-Center. After losing all my FQ by the second round, I came out the winner. 21 FQs. I can’t wait to use them.

It’s been a long 2 weeks.  I’d love to say the silence was because “I was busy sewing and here’s what I got done” but alas, that’s not the case. It’s been a combination of things – the crud, reading, back out of whack, working, and my hosting server had issues.

Have you ever heard someone say “Could you repeat that? I didn’t have glasses on.” Well apparently for me “My blog and e-mail are down, I can’t sew.”

During this ‘down time’ I’ve read The Bone Labyrinth by James Rollins, Started reading Volume 2 of The Outlandish Companion by Diana Gabaldon, and read a ‘stack’ of romance novels — most if not all of them by Grace Burrows on — my phone.

The crud has run its course, the chiropractor re-aligned my back, I couldn’t find anything I wanted to read the other night, and the blog and e-mail are back up since I changed to a new hosting provider.

I’m getting back to the quilting. All of the light squares for the latest Disappearing 9-Patch are cut, and I’ve started cutting the dark squares. Friday evening and Saturday morning I worked on my Star-A-Day quilt and this afternoon/evening I’ve been playing in EQ designing a quilt for the LQS to use as a block of the month.

Up next – get the Disappearing 9-Patch done, work on the instructions for the BOM and get my sewing machine into the shop!  I need it to working to finish up the Cream and Green Swap quilt and the Compass Lone Star. I’ll use my Mini Ultra for the D9P.

Maybe tonight I’ll get to sew.

Since I took the Hardware Panel quilt off the long arm Saturday, I haven’t even turned on the sewing machine.

• Sunday was our 30th wedding anniversary, so we went out to dinner.
• Monday I ran around after work to see if I could find a backing for the Black and Bright quilt that I liked and was willing to pay for. I object to paying LQS prices at chain stores. When I got home there were some computer classes I had to finish.
• Tuesday more running around after work looking for the backing, grocery shopping and a stop at the library.
• Wednesday I thought I’d be smart and run to the LQS during lunch. Score! A fabric on clearance that will work. Sure I’ll have to piece it (2 seams) but it’s a better option than trying to stretch the fabric I originally had picked out. The green is nearly a perfect match in color to the sashing in the quilt top.

But still no quilting after work. Some computer work came in that had to be done – but I did flip through the library books looking for quilting ideas. I have no idea on how I’m going to quilt the quilt. I’ve got until the 19th to figure it out.