What not to do when you're busy~

  I've heard it said 'When life gives you lemons; make lemonade'. While I get the sentiment, I always thought that unless you get sugar, too, it's going to be lousy lemonade. But that's neither here nor there and has nothing to do with this post. I just thought of it because it kinda goes along with today's other thought: When you're already busy, don't take on more stuff! For goodness sake, I need to put my "no" button in a more reachable place.

On the docket this month is:
-new school lessons
-turning 51(this one happens without any real effort on my part)
-beginning work on "Aida"
-beginning work on "Portrait of a Nude"
-the Doll Quilter's Monthly mini quilt
-ongoing (intended for Christmas) projects
-running the lightboard for 'my' theatre; three shows each weekend
-breathing and sleeping. And eating. But I always find time to eat. Not a problem.

So when Sewing Mamas opened up a Fall doll quilt swap I said sure. I mean, I'm already making one--what's one more? Right?

Right. I'm nuts. But at least I'm a sensible nut. I had already planned to make two of the same quilt because I like the pattern I chose and I wanted to keep one for myself.  I've already started them; they're progressing well, so I think it best I just take a picture for my quilt album and pass both minis along in the swap. Photos when they're done.

I received this beauty for the August swap from Leonie in Germany.

 It is gorgeous and the quilting---oh, I wish I could get my stitches so perfect! I hinted at the quilt I was making for her in my "I. Hate. Diamonds."  rant. I hesitated to show the finished quilt because she hasn't received it yet (as far as I know) and also because I'm embarrassed. It was my first attempt at a Lone Star and to say it is wonky is being kind. I had to do all kinds of crazy adjusting to get that sucker to lie flat and it will never will any prizes for symmetry or matching points. It's also bigger than I thought it was going to be. I think the best lessons I took away from the project were that things will always take longer than you think and, for goodness sake, keep it simple when you're on a deadline!

 

Anyway, I hope it makes to Leonie safely (I may have messed up her address, on top of everything else.). Time for rehearsal...

...did I mention ( I know I didn't yet, I'm 51, I'm not that far gone) that Jacie auditioned for a role in "Portrait" and she got it! She's playing a British schoolboy and is tickeled to death that once again she has thwarted having to wear a dress or look at all feminine. Auditioning was her idea, she went through the whole audition/callback process and earned it. Mama is proud. :)

 Oh--- the top picture? Gratuitous picture of Kal-El and Leia--  I made whipped cream and suddenly I was the most popular Nannie in the house! Can you believe Leia will be one year old next month?

Been away~

 Took a trip to Boston to see family. Took in a kidlet for 1 1/2 weeks while her guardians are away. Needless to say I'm behind on this month's doll quilt. And school planning. And because my in-laws are moving to an apartment, my brother-in-law brought some downsized items to our house while we were away and so I came home to a house that looks like one of the ones on Hoarders.

  I just want to catch up with y'all now so I can see how productive YOU have been and NOT look at what used to be my living room.

Best part of the trip-  a week with the grands. Here's Kal-El~ can you believe he's 2 1/2 already?

I. Hate. Diamonds.

  I hate diamonds. Not the naturally occuring minerals that claim to be a girl's best friend, although I really don't care about them either. I mean the ones that claim to be a quilt block, or piece of a block, that have too many bias edges and make life for this quilter frustrating and hair-pulling. This is my first diamond foray:

 I had a charm pack from Me & My 3 Sisters stashed away and a template that was in my Christmas stocking. Bless my two youngest children, I know they didn't know what they were choosing. I imagine the scene went something like this:

Child 3: What should we get for Mom's stocking?
Child 4: Dad says 'pick out a bunch of quilting stuff and let's go'.
Child 3: But what stuff? I don't know what she wants.
Child 4: I don't either. I think she has most of this. Let's get some
              long pins and one of these shape thingies.
Child 3: Which one? I wish she wanted comic books.
              I know about  comic books.
Child 4: Here--this shape will fit in her stocking and it's orange.
              That could be fun. She doesn't have anything orange.
Child 3: Is there one shaped like Batman?
Child 4: *hits child 3*

 Thus, I have a diamond template.
  I used it to cut the charm pack into diamonds (3 1/2-4") and cut some solid white ones from the stash. I immediately sewed them into 'twosies'--every blessed one-- and then went to press them open. Naturally, I had sewn the wrong edges, so instead of rows I had chevrons. Angry at myself for not checking the first one, I stuffed them into the UFO drawer. Weeks later, I pulled them out, picked them apart, and stuffed them back into the drawer for a few more weeks.  Now ready to face them again, I managed to get them into rows and trimmed all sides to be fairly even. Not quite big enough for a baby quilt so I added the pink stripe where I will embroider the baby's name. Boy, it was frustrating getting points to match and there's a lot of steaming on there to make everything lay flat. I hope to sandwich it this week.
  And I swore off diamonds.
 So what am I working on for this month's doll quilt exchange?

 

                                                                  Shoot. Me. Now.

Random catch up time~

  Okay, so, I had a doll swap quilt to finish and then off to camp when I last wrote. I hoped to finish and mail the swap quilt before I left for camp, but I didn't, so I figured I'd have enough 'free' time from the kids to do a little hand sewing as I have in past years. This year-- because I have something I really need to finish, of course-- I didn't. I got most of the binding done but had to finish the last few inches when I got home. Here's "July":

Then the package sat in the car for a few days because the in-laws were visiting and we never made it to the PO in all our running around. But at last it is on it's way to its new home.

 I had a stomach bug for a few days that kept me close to, uh, home so I did get some other things finished up.

 Remember the patriotic fabrics (part of the DUFUS pile) that I made up Kate Blakesley's block with? I managed to eek out a few more and put 'em into this lap-sized top that I'm in no hurry to quilt. But B loves it!

                                       (This print reads the Pledge of Allegiance over and over)
I'm not crazy about the eagle in the center. It seemed a good idea at the time, and I have a bunch of 'em and was determined to use this stuff this year, but I really don't like the brightness of the true red hues in the center with the burgundy in the rest of the blocks and sashes. But it is what it is.

And it totally clashes with my summer comforter which finally made it onto the bed.

 Have you seen these guys? These designs are from Jay McCarroll:

I found them a couple of years ago when A.C. Moore started putting fat quarters and jelly rolls into their inventory. I bought two FQs of each design and waited for the 'right' project. They were definitely in the DUFUS pile. Must get used this year. Then I remembered Kickin' Stash. KS usually uses four prints in a similar colorway but why not have a little fun with it? Voila~~ wacky birds and zombie bunnies make a kickin' Kickin Stash!

 I only photographed one corner because (a) I'm alone right now and need someone else to hold it up and (b) it's been folded and is too wrinkly and I don't feel like pressing it for pictures. 'Cause I'm lazy like that. I also just realized that the individual block I chose to focus on is the one I made the biggest mistake in. C'est la vie. I am not a fussy quilter. This WILL be quilted before Christmas because it will likely be someones gift. If I can bear to give it away.

Remember the granny squares?  I made a few more:

I'm up to nine done now. I'm not sure how many I'll do but, thanks to "Hamlet", I added a few more colors to the Kona scraps so I have some new combinations to try. I think I'll stop at twelve for this one. I have some special colors and fabrics set aside to do another one and I'm itching to start it.

 I expect to get a ton of stuff sewn this week. I will be childless, except for the adult child who does his own thing anyway. Philip is winging his way to Mexico today for a mission trip (his first) and Jacie goes to camp for her week tomorrow. B is still job hunting although there is a good prospect in the picture. I volunteered to help the costumer for a local show but he hasn't given me any work yet so I figure it's a sew-whatever-week. They haven't happened much so I'm grabbing it. Expect to see some Christmas in the next update. Oh, and there are two baby blankets waiting. I'd like a new dress. I will go out to pick blueberries and make something with them. Right now, my house smells like Thanksgiving. We pulled a turkey from the freezer to cook for a big in-law meal that never happened. So it's use it or lose it time. A mini-Thanksgiving tonight--- and tomorrow let the marathon begin.

June Doll Quilts

Two swap doll quilts, both due in June, finally on their way (or arrived, I hope!) to their new homes~

"Summer 'Hoo"' for Dina at Sewing Mamas

(theme: summer)

                                          "...something blue" for Vickie at Doll Quilter's Monthly
                                                  (theme: something old, new, borrowed, blue)

               Old-  fabric. I've had some of those blues for years
               New- the backing fabric; bought just for this and the batting
               Borrowed- the red heart fabric is from a Kona solids quilt I'm currently working on
               Blue- well... it is!

I'm still embarrassed. I hate missing deadlines. Which means I need to go finish my July quilt before I leave for camp!

Another Doofus failure.

This time it's not a Project DUFUS fail. It is a personal--as in 'I'm a doofus'-- fail. Despite knowing I joined a monthly doll quilt swap, agrreed to a second doll quilt swap, had a wedding gown to alter, had a major show to open, and knew I'd be working the box office for my theatre, I am chagrined to realize I missed my June deadlines. Neither doll quilt is complete yet. They're almost there and will be mailed by Tuesday, but I still am embarrassed that I didn't get 'em done in time.

AND the gown came back because the alteration was done incorrectly too. That has never happened to me. *sigh* I hate alterations.

"Hamlet" looks good and will close tonight to very good reviews. It isn't exactly the look I had in mind--- it never is, really~ I dream big--- but that had more to do with lack of money than time. Most of the cast is just wonderful-- I did have some issues with some of the younger actors who do not understand that just because we are not all professionals doesn't mean we don't behave in a professional manner. Some were downright rude and disrespectful to me and I won't miss them when we're done. These four, though, and a couple of others, (like my student-assistants Holly and Ashley and Mr.-Catholic-School Cole), I will miss and I hope we are all together again next summer.

              King Claudius/Ghost John, Queen Gertrude Michelle, Hamlet Logan & Polonius Brian
                                  Picture stolen from Michelle's Facebook-- thanks Michelle!

I'll have more pics soon. Right now I have to repair a couple of costumes for the last time. Then, to some binding...

Stripping and a Naked Grape

 If there's one thing a community theater needs it's money. It costs a lot to put on a show and when you figure the average season is five or six shows it adds up pretty quickly. Ticket sales only cover a fraction of the expenses. One way my theater brings in more funds is through raffles. Every show we sell raffle tickets for donated prizes. Cabot Cheese is a standing sponsor of ours and we are so grateful for their support! I've been wanted to donate a quilt to be raffled but I have this little procrastination issue... I think that's been covered before. Anyway, I decided this would be the year and "The Full Monty" would be the show. It's the season closer, it's a musical, and it's about guys who strip to support their families. What else is more quilt worthy?
 So here are the two issues I ran into: what kind of pattern/fabric to represent naked men and, with precious few quilting dollars, can I afford the batting I need because I have little right now. For a pattern I was thinking a "strip" quilt would be perfect. I figured most patrons wouldn't know it was a strip quilt, but I would, and that would be my own little inside joke. What fabric? I looked at some online--and there are some novelty prints that feature scantily clad gentlemen-- but realized I really couldn't afford enough of it and I'm not sure that our older patrons would want a quilt with such a print anyway and thus would not buy tickets. The little old ladies that are watching the show are enjoying the men's performances, but drape 'em over their rockers 24/7? Maybe not. So I had to go with something I already had. I decided I wanted to play up the love stories ingrained in "Monty" (since that is what the show is really about) and I found a "Curio" charm pack from Moda's Basic Grey line. Hey--I'm sure some folks are coming to see the show because their 'curio'us about the strippers, right? And the colors/prints are very romantic. I only had one pack, though, so it had to be a small quilt. I was able to buy a bit of the solids for borders and a neutral print for a backing. I was also able to piece remnants of batting together for this smaller size and I added some vintage lace I had stashed away. It's not a strippy quilt, and it's only lap sized, but "Monty's Curio" is just right for a quick picnic table topper. I paired it with a basket containing crackers, some pretty wine glasses and 2 bottles of Naked Grape wines~ a perfect basket for a romantic getaway. The prize has been well received, ticket sales are good and next week someone will win Monty's Curio. Whether they keep their clothes on while enjoying it... well, I don't really want to know!

 (Naturally, I forgot to take pictures before I brought it to the theatre so I took a couple of quick shots before the show last weekend. Sorry. They're bad.)