Is anyone still doing these?

I'm doing so many BOM's this year that I have to take one weekend a month and just devote it to them. The first one I started was with a bunch of people from my previous blog site. It's from BunnyHill.com and is called "A Tisket A Tasket" and is a series of baskets, one per month, with something seasonal in each one. I'm going to make one addition to the original design and embroider the month on each one. Some of them are just missing something and I think that if I slip the month into them, at various places on the block, like up one side of the basket, or between the handle and the basket contents, it will give them just what they need. Anyway, haven't done that yet. I've been too busy to go backward and add stuff. For this one, I'm thinking of embroidering June up the right side, starting just above the bird's wing and ending just where the handle starts to kind of fill in that blank space.



These blocks were where I got started on the applique kick. 2009 has turned into applique year for me and I'm getting better and better. In the first couple of basket blocks, I tried several different applique methods, trying to find the one I liked best. In my practice, I have 3 January blocks, each made with a different method and all good enough to keep. But, in some subsequent months, I've made terrible mistakes and ended up throwing the blocks away and starting over. Now, I have the neatest stilletto that I can use to fold the edges of the fabric over the freezer paper and keep from burning my fingers and I've become quite adept at applique...and keeping my fingerprints.



On the homefront, Sydney got her braces off this morning. She did so good through the whole process, never complaining about any pain and getting regular compliments from the orthodontist about how clean she was keeping her teeth. In a year or so, when all her permanent teeth are in, we'll see whether she needs another round to adjust the front teeth to the back ones, but the ortho is not sure she'll need it and I'm really hoping not as we've just about used up the ortho benefit on my insurance.

I was so tired last night that I fell asleep on the couch while hand stitching some hexagons onto my hexagon medallion quilt. I just sat it in my lap for a second to cut a new piece of thread and woke up about 40 minutes later. Rob and Sydney were nice enough to let me sleep, but after I woke up, they sure had a big giggle about me sitting upright and snoring. I tried to blame that on the dog that was sleeping next to me, but they were not going for it..."that little dog was NOT making all that noise".

Reading: I haven't talked much about reading on the blog, but I am an avid fan of good books. I've been reading Endless Chain by Emilie Richards. This is my first book by her. I've only read quilt related novels by Jennifer Chiaverinni and I have to say that this book is very, very good. The characters are well developed and the plot has lots of twists and turns and it has been a real page turner. I'm about 50 pages from the end, so don't tell me what happens because I truly cannot predict it, which adds so much to my interest in a book. I have 4 of the Shenandoah Album series and can't wait to start the next one. But, first, I'm going to read an Earlene Fowler quilt mystery, just to give her a try and see what I think. I love a good mystery and I love quilts, so unless it's just terrible, I should enjoy it.

Take care and have a great day. I'll see you around the blog site. Lane