And, the next day,

I cleaned.

Okay, ever thought about how many of life's events end like that? 

Picnics...And, then, we cleaned up.

Vacation...And, the next day, I did laundry all day.

Christmas dinner...It took me two days to get all the dishes put away and all the linens washed and folded.

Christmas tree...And, the next day, we picked pine needles out of the carpet.

Quilt show...And, the next day, I tried to put everything back where it belonged.

I spent all my sewing time this morning trying to find the floor and the cutting mat in the sewing room.  They were both buried under a coating of quilt show debris.  I found rulers and I found scraps and I found my extra rotary cutter that's been missing for a week.  I found at least 13 pair of scissors because every time I needed scissors, they'd been covered with something, so I'd go to the drawer and pull out another pair.  (Yes, I have a drawer full of scissors, some better than others.)  I found the fabric for a modern baby quilt.  (Is there anything wrong with a green and black and white baby quilt?  I haven't decided yet.)  I found 15 spools of loose thread, floating around the room.  And, four cones of serger thread that I didn't remember I had.  It seemed that every pile had a threaded hand sewing needle stuck in it, just waiting for an unprotected foot or hand to find the dull end of.  Every flat surface had a seam ripper. 

Yes, I was busy.  Too busy to clean.  But, now, it's getting nice and tidy in there and I'm planning my next projects.  Because without projects, Lane is a very dull boy.

That green and black and white baby quilt has the cutest pea green fabric, covered with very regular rows and columns of little white flowers that have black centers.  Very modern print.  And, I have three black and white fabrics to go with it that range from mostly white to mostly black.  It would be a very wonderful quilt and would be perfect for the very modern family that would be getting it.  But, there's just something about a baby quilt that has black fabric in it that gives me the willy's.  I have to make two baby quilts between now and year's end.  I'm just starting to plan that now and haven't even picked a pattern, but I'm thinking of a log cabin in the barn raising pattern made from scraps as the other one.  The recipient there is a very traditional family and I think they'd love a brightly colored scrap quilt.  And, besides that, my 2" strip bin overfloweth.

I have two quilts to baste, one pin and one thread.  The thread one is the Dresden Plate quilt that I'm going to hand quilt.  By the time I finish that quilt, I will have had my fill of lemon yellow for a very long time as all the fabrics, except the plates, is light yellow...even the back.  And, so is the thread.  I may call it "yellow bombardment" even though it is not bright and was meant to be a "mellow yellow". 

And, Sydney made a batik quilt top that she wants me to quilt and I finally got around to piecing the back...because by the time she'd finished the top, she just wasn't up to piecing the back, so it has hung in the sewing room for over a year.  I'd like to get that done before it's cool enough to need it.

As far as piecing?  I still have 12 Mariner's compass blocks to make before I can start putting that quilt together...and only 5 months to do it.  And, I have some hand applique that I might pull out and work on.  That has languished for a while and is a great project for sitting in the sunroom, watching the sun come up. 

I need to make a list of all my projects that are started or planned.  I am sure it is more than I will ever complete.  I even have all the wool squares to make a very nice and masculine lap robe, with a lovely wool plaid backing.  Planned to tie that one or simple diagonal line, hand quilt it.  I cut all my old suits down to make it.  That would be a very quick and simple project to pick back up and finish.  Must be the time of year because I'm reading more and more from quilters that are pulling out their UFO's and giving them a good push toward completion.  I guess I'm ready to jump in, too. 

Hope you are well.  Hope your UFO pile is either manageable, or stored in a quiet place where it can't mock you. 

Our south Austin JoAnn's is moving locations.  Presumably, it will be a bigger store.  But, I have to tell you that if they set it up like the store up north, I won't likely go there for fabric.  Every time I've been to the north store, there's been an hour wait to get fabric cut.  Lines of people with carts full of fabric bolts, waiting in line like sheep.  I go to my local store because I've never waited in line more than 15 minutes to get fabric cut.  That little bit of customer courtesy, a store that is mindful of a customer's time, is so important.  I can get fabric off the internet for the same price or less and all I have to be is be willing to wait a few days to get it in my hands.  I can do that.

Okay, so that's my gripe for the day. 

Sydney is in an exceptionally receptive mood for help with her homework.  I guess she has been convinced that I am NOT going away and that she is going to have to show me schoolwork EVERY day.  Or, maybe she's running a scam.  You can never tell with a teenager.  So, I'm going to assume that she's being up front and wait a while to see if she makes an ass out of u and me.  She still argues that the math problems are right and every time I find one that's wrong, she says "the teacher worked it for us and I know that's right."  No.  It's not.  I'll be sunk when she goes from algebra to geometry because I don't remember how to do that.  Maybe I should take a class at the community college now, so I can be ready. 

Take care.  Lane