Inquilring minds want to know?!....

Everyone seems to want to know what I've been up to these days!  Well, let's see, Monday was Sit & Sew so I cooked Sunday night and came in Monday to make lunch and get some stuff done around the back of the store.

Tuesday I was busy packing up my "old" office and going through a 600 sq. ft. storage area we have at the other building.  Wednesday I spent most of the day at home nursing a pesky eye infection I've contracted from somewhere or other (probably all the dust at the storage unit).  Then I came over to the store to make dinner for Barb and I, Lamb Chops with Richard's fabulous Broccoli/Garlic and Mashed Potatoes with Fried Onions - it was absolutely delicious (ask Barb)!

Today Rich and I spent the morning going over some business ideas and then came over to the store to finally take a stab at sorting out the back storage (to make room for the stuff that has to come over from the other place....).

Oh, oh but that's not really what you all want to know about - is it?  You want to know what my new "obsession" is!  You want to know what I've been teasing you all with for the past 2 weeks - well here it is!

On or about the beginning of December a book came into the store.  A book that Nancy asked me to order.  If you may remember on a blog back then I had Elaine expertly holding up that book for you all to see.......

It is The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt by Laurie Aaron Hurd - I grabbed it back then and walked around with it for weeks.  Looking at it, drooling over it, reading it, studying it, until finally my willpower broke down......

.....and I started it!  Not only have I started it but I am piecing it by hand!  I am absolutely loving it!  I will share with you a few of the blocks I have completed......

Block 1 - Attic Window

I am trying to stay as close to the original quilt as possible - and I am using fabrics from the store and from my personal stash....... Block 1 went together relatively quickly, all the fabrics are from the store in this one and so.......

I chose my fabrics for Block 2, cut my templates, fabric and marked my stitching lines......and voila!

Block 2 - Autumn Tints

The fabrics here are mostly from my personal stash.  The centre squares (yellow on the example page) are scraps I had left over from my very first quilt and was also used in my Lone Star Quilt......cool, eh!  The only "newer" fabric (from the store) is the brown. I was on a roll at this point so on to Block 4.

Choosing fabrics for Block 4 was relatively easy.......

Block 4 - Basket Weave

Yes, I did say Block 4!  What I chose to do as a start was to cut the "most" used templates in the quilt first and do all the blocks which use those templates - there are a total of 22 blocks which use a combination of the templates that I cut.....

I did this for two reasons - the first one was I wanted to see if I would actually be happy doing a project like this so I went for the "easy" blocks first, and the second reason was that it afforded me the opportunity to not have to think so much - I have been choosing my fabrics for each individual block, then marking them, cutting them and marking my 1/4" seam allowance.  So far I have been staying about 3 blocks ahead of myself in the cutting so I can just pick up and piece a block or a portion of a block any time I have the urge.....

The fabrics for Block 4 are a mix, the red and black are from the store, the cream/red floral is from a group of fabrics I purchased on a trip through New England in the Fall of 2000 at Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts.  I'm finding the whole process very rewarding and very relaxing.......

I've actually gotten 10 blocks done but I only have pictures of the first 3 blocks.  I promise to share the rest soon.....BUT, I do not want any pressure with this project......(that's probably why I was so reluctant to share my "obsession")  I honestly believe that this is a project that will hold my interest but I also know that it is "long term" since I have chosen to do it by hand.  There will be times (like the past 5 days) when I will have to put it down to do other things.... even though I would rather be working on this.....

Right now I am commited to completing a Challenge Quilt for one guild meeting (next Wednesday) and 2 10" blocks for another guild meeting the following Tuesday, so, as long as I can keep my priorities straight I will be fine.  I also want to quilt Ditch Flowers as it has been sandwiched for a few days already.....

Just an aside - guess who came to visit at the store today!  Simon, and he found a nice cosy spot on the couch after having a bowl of Beef Stew!  I had to go home late in the afternoon to drop Rich off to pick up his truck and Simon was outside (I had let him out at about 11:00 A.M. this morning).  I didn't have time to "throw" him in the house - there's always a whole todo with Bosley when I come in - so I coerced him into the car, he HATES the car and headed over to the store.  He was not at all impressed with the drive and wailed all the way to the store - a total of 5 minutes tops!  Once he got into the store - his first visit - he snooped around, meowed alot and then just figured out that he belonged........great cat nap here!

At this point I just have to figure out how to get him and all my bags home so the night isn't a total loss, I really need to get working on one of those projects.......

Happy Quilting everyone!

Jo-Ann