Seems like this week got away from me in a hurry. Cleaning out my closet took a couple of hours on Monday, then I was able to have a day of fun on Tuesday with Virtual Retreat. Thank goodness for that! Wednesday was full of appointments and meetings, as was yesterday. With the snow storm set to arrive overnight tonight, a trip to the store was in order as well. The good part of the two board meetings was both were accompanied by a sushi meal – one lunch and one dinner. Yum!
Colder days mean hot soup for lunch at home, this time a tomato-basil while we Zoomed on Virtual Retreat sewing, chatting, and laughing.
My goal for the sew day was to get the background done for a challenge quilt for Worldwide Quilting Day. Now, here is where you will start laughing. I am in charge of the committee for this year, with my cohort Gail, and we choose the theme of “It’s My Birthday!”, AND we chose the challenge fabric. You would think that I would have an idea of how I was going to use it, but nooooooo! My first two ideas were total busts. I could not make the challenge fabric work. My third idea is going to be it. I have a graded color fat quarter pack in gold tones and decided to make a background that would represent the topaz/citrine gemstone of my birth month of November. I got out a ruler set from Marti Michell that would do a three triangle block that suggests a gem. This idea was inspired by the Triangle Tricks book in the photo above that I got in the book gift exchange at our Fiesta party last week.
Using a ruler grip like this one was much safer than putting my fingers so close to the blade of the rotary cutter.
I cut pieces in various shades of gold and randomly sewed them together.
Then I decided that placing them on point would be best, so that meant working out a size for the filler triangles on the edges. I did not get as far on this as I had hoped.
When I finish the background, I plan to quilt it, then put an applique on top. I have two embroidered bits to add, and I need to figure out how to put them in as well. I can’t show any more than this right now, as the projects are not supposed to be shown until we hang the exhibit. Some pretty great prizes are at stake! This is first prize – a jelly roll, some tools and threads worth over $100. My plan is to have someone who has not entered a quilt to count the ballots so the committee is eligible to win as well.
During retreat we chat about all kinds of things, including books. These two were recommended so I looked them up online at my local library during the retreat. Both were available, so I put them on hold and picked them up on Wednesday. I started Clementine, and will review both when I get them read.
Mark your calendars and plan to spend the day with us for the February Virtual Retreat! I’m planning to hold the next one on Friday, Feb 7. I don’t have the payment button done yet, but as soon as I can make sure that date works, I’ll put it up. Let me know in the comments if you can come!
We’ll see what the weather holds today, maybe some photos this weekend if it turns out to snow as the weather people say it will. I hope the house party we plan to go to is able to go ahead. Several couples are getting together Saturday, and some are staying over to Sunday. So, Sunday chat may be a bit later in the day. But for now, I am off to the sewing room!
How did your week go? What are your weekend plans?
From My Carolina Home 
good morning!
my week was pretty empty which was a blessing as I’ve headed into another round of “more than just my everyday headache”. I had planned a major rearrange for my she shed but it will be started this weekend. I plan to move everything from the south end to the North end.
i also plan to sort out items for a garage sale in April as I go to not touch things more than once.
i need to finish my son’s T-shirt quilt and work on my husband’s.
I’m excited that as of right now I can do the February sewing day!!! The others just didn’t work out for me reason or another.
I didn’t get much sewing in this week either. Other household stuff stopped me. But I was able to pick up my prostitcher for my long arm – two months to the day from when I ordered it. So playing with that will be in cards for this coming week. So yes sewing will be done !!!!!
Your new gold gem quilt should be pretty..Can’t wait to see the finished piece..I am slowly making my way to sew up a couple of western shirts for my grandsons..Big Bubba and Little Bubba..lol..Haven’t sewn clothes in a good long time..may need prayers.
I like where your gem idea is heading, but then again I am always a sucker for a monochromatic design. 🙂 If snow comes, I hope it is beautiful and the roads are safe enough for everyone to visit.
That ruler grip looks very handy! I’ve abandoned a few projects because I was so worried about how I could safely hold the special ruler and not slip or cut my fingers. I really like your yellow blocks, too. Today I’m making the binding for my latest quilt finish!
Just waiting for a friend’s plane who is visiting Chicago from Arizona! The Tomato Basil looks like the best way to warm up after we shovel the 5 inches of Chicago Sunshine! Got couple of gift cards for Christmas and looks like you have given the perfect way to use them! Thanks for the book reviews too – more snow, more reading!
It seems like everything that was on hold over the holidays was crammed into this week! Every day was booked with something. I love what you’re doing with your beautiful golden fabrics (my favorite color) & my birthstone too. I wasn’t able to join the last virtual dates so I’ve reserved the Feb spot on my calendar to make sure I can join the fun this time around.
I really enjoyed Tuesday’s Retrear/Sew Day. I made progress on 6 zipper pouches which got finished the next day. I’ve penciled in Friday, 2/7 for another zoom retreat.
My daughter liked the pouches so much she’s asked for 11 more! Hope they will be done before the next zoom!
“Clementine” looks very good. I would think she’d have to be quite a special woman. I love the cheery yellow of your project and look forward to the finished piece.
We got some snow yesterday and overnight — not so much as one would think for Michigan, but it’s pretty. The birds are going through seed like a kid going through the Halloween bag with no adult supervision! I’m paying more for the birds than for Lizzie — and she gets premium food!
Rick is hosting a house concert this weekend — a harpist, which should be lovely. So I’m baking, doing some of the “set up” errands so he can take care of his house and get the chairs, bread made for the reception after. It should be lovely — and I’ll be glad when it’s done. I still am de-decorating and have some Christmas wrapping to do for a late exchange with my friend from Canada. We don’t know when we’re celebrating but I decided to get the paper on while it’s all out and the bows can come before we get together. Also trying to get a handle on Rick’s work travel schedule to see if I can host a Cork Poppers in February. That’s good incentive for getting down Christmas before the Equinox!
Marmaledaegypsy your house concert sounds great. But my question is – Is Cork Poppers a wine group because that sounds very intriguing . :}
Hi, btravis! Yes, Cork Poppers is our wine group — 13 or on occasion 14 friends who just like trying new wine and eating fun food! We meet every couple of months with a theme — it might be a certain kind of wine (wines from Italy, for example) or something like “Wines to Die For, which was what we did when we met around Day of the Dead in November. We used to do sit down dinners each time but since Covid we just do appetizers and desserts, for the most part and I like that much better for loads of reasons. I post our wine notes (which are far from scientific or snooty because we don’t know how to be!) on Marmelade Gypsy and archive past ones with a tab on the menu bar. I hope you’ll stop by sometime!
Funny how our own ideas can trip us up! I am off to retreat (one of the reasons I wasn’t able to join the zoom) but am penciling the 7th as that is possible. Hope you made it through all your snow! PS I am am November too – actually son and husband also! 4, 8 and 27. How did I miss that?