Done

I’m done taking apart those blocks I mentioned in my last post, five whole days ago.  No it didn’t take me five days to do it, honest.  I had them all apart and in the proper pieces in just two days. 

So what have I been doing otherwise?  Packing.  Organizing and packing.  And reorganizing and repacking.  No matter what I take out I still have way too much stuff.  Waaaaaay too much.  Fortunately it’s not all for me, there is some stuff in there that won’t come back. 

There is a huge box of t-shirts, retreat apparel ordered by the ladies.  One or two extras only, actually mistakes from the printer.  (Thanks Darlene!)  None of those will come back, except maybe the extra t-shirts which just happen to be my size. 

There is also a box of stuff for Bob’s Blankie Brigade.  One finished quilt, one top, and a whole lot of fabric. 

I’m also taking up a few quilts for sale, with hopes of raising some more money for Relay For Life.  I would be extremely happy not to bring any of those back and raise money for this year’s fund drive. 

It’s that and all the extra stuff I’m taking that fills up the car.  The electrical box with extension cords, surge protectors, irons and who knows what else.  It’s the three (or is it four) cutting mats, the tool box with the “someone might need something”  in it.  I just said to John that I wonder what it would be like to take just MY stuff… I’m not sure I would know how to pack for that. 

What to do?

During the 2012 November Retreat I started a Scrappy Trips Around the World quilt with Aunt Grace fabrics.  When I got home I laid the blocks out on my design bed and… well I didn’t like them, not at all, not one tiny bit.  So I stuck them in a bag and there they’ve sat. 

While packing for the retreat last week I found them again but decided not to take them two years in a row.  But what to do with them?  This morning I laid them out on the design bed again and looked at them closer.  I still don’t like them but I can’t waste them. 

I just decided what I’m going to do…  I’m going to take a few rows off each block, and make them a bit smaller, down to 16 patch squares (4 rows of 4 squares). 

And since my main machine is at the shop getting worked on this is the perfect time for some undoing work with Jack the Ripper. 

Once I have them all apart, I’ll sew the pieces I took off into 16 patch blocks also.  And I have a whole bunch of ideas of things to do with those blocks!   

Spring?

I said the other day that I refused to acknowledge spring until there was no more snow in the forecast!  The last two days have been lovely and quite spring like.  My daffodils are up and blooming beautifully.  I even have some tulip buds showing color.  I was outside with just a sweater and I almost didn’t need that. 

However…. Well I’m not even going to say it.  No, there can’t possibly be a nor’easter coming and even if there is, it certainly isn’t going to bring any of that white stuff with it.  And if it does, it will warm up the next day and bring spring back for good.  I hope.

In the meantime I am getting ready for the spring retreats.  I’m checking things off my to do list, and making piles of things to go in the car.  The car’s been washed inside and out and it has a full tank of gas.

I will be ready for spring and the spring retreats, despite what the weather is!

First day of spring?

That is a BIG question mark up there, because I really do question the arrival of spring.  Mother Nature has been cruel to us this winter and now that spring has arrived, or will a little after noon, she is teasing us with a warm spring-like day.  However in the weather forecast is still a four letter word….  On Tuesday is the possibility of more of that sh snow.

My crocuses were blooming before the heavy snow this week smashed them all.  Many of my daffodils are blooming, just the shady ones are staying in bud form waiting for a warm up.  Even the forsythias are ready to pop open, there very well could be some yellow out there by the end of the day today. 

And yet the weather man is still saying the S word.  Personally I will not be declaring spring until there is no more S in the weather forecast and it’s warm enough to not wear a jacket outside for a week straight….. or until the Spring Retreats start!

 

Did you think I got lost?

No I have not been sick, thank you for asking.  Yes I’ve had a horrible cold which is lingering, but so is winter, but that isn’t why I haven’t posted.  For the last few weeks I’ve been working with a sick lap top.  I’ve done what was absolutely necessary but not much else, hoping it wouldn’t die on me before the new one arrived. 

Which brings a big question, how often do you back up?  I do, but not enough, and the first time my screen blacked out on me I checked my back up… and as soon as we got up and running again I did another back up.  Then I backed up everything I did anytime I made any changes as soon as they were done. 

My new lap top arrived late Friday and I’ve spent almost every waking moment since then getting it up and running.  What was the first thing I “tried” to load?  Electric Quilt of course!  However I ran into a slight problem, so will be calling them this morning.  (They have the BEST support of any software provider I know!)  Second to EQ was Office, and that gave me problems too, but a phone called got me squared away. 

I downloaded programs that are important to me, IrFranView, PictureResize and of course SolSuite.  Well I downloaded SolSuite and bought a new registration key, but did you know you have to give them your correct email when you do that… I didn’t.  I mean I knew you did, but I didn't.  I blame it on getting used to the new keyboard, I keep leaving the “I” out of Hotmail…hotmal doesn’t work.  However, once again I was saved by a great support team, they noticed my error and fix it, and I got the new registration key despite my typing booboo. 

So now I’m up and running again and will try to stay in touch.  Except… I’m packing for the spring retreats and you know how that goes.  But I will try, I promise.

Remember that cold?

I don’t mean the weather, although that is cold… I mean the one that John gave me on Valentine’s Day?  I’m still fighting it.  Today is day 10 of the antibiotics and I’ve used up all the other medicines, I’m dreading a return visit to the Dr’s office.  But if I must go I will, I just don’t want to… 

In the meantime, my trusty old (6+) years lap top is dying, giving me fits and problems on even the simplest of tasks.  I wasn’t planning on getting a new lap top and it certainly isn’t in the budget…  but if you must you must and I did… order a new one.  I think the old one knew, because today it is giving me even more fits than it did yesterday.  Fortunately I did a backup over the weekend, so I’m ready for whatever it does to me.  But I sure hope the new one gets here quick!

March updates!

I just got the web site updated for March.

I still have openings for both spring retreats, and can still get anyone in who is interested in some fun and lots of quilting time. http://www.delawarequilts.com/Retreat/index.html

The project for March is World’s Fair. http://delawarequilts.com/Projects/Yearly/WorldsFair.pdf Looking at the quilts I’ve made using this pattern, and knowing how simple it is, I am thinking I might just make another one someday!

I posted some of my quilt history for 2012 today, http://delawarequilts.com/MyQuilts/History/14.html which was “My Year to Give”

We will be celebrating National Quilting Day, March 15th, with a new mystery on the Mysteries For Relay group. This one can be done scrappy and use up a whole bunch of scraps, or you can use coordinated fabrics too. For just $5 you can get in on the mystery, or get the full pattern when it is posted when the mystery is solved. https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/MysteriesForRelay/info

I will be updating early next month, since the Spring Retreats start April 1st…. unless I forget then it will be late!