Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Musings before Halloween

Well, no pics today, just thoughts.

I am supposed to be making the Hokey Pokey quilt in the 2 color variation, but the directions are confusing or incomplete in my eyes. The website is "under construction" and no one answers the phone. Still waiting for a call back on the voicemail I left. Anyone out there have this pattern figured out? I don't mind if you tell me I'm a moron. With my hormones lately, I may become angry and cry, but I'll know you are probably right.

Halloween weekend is the annual local craft fair, which I will not be a part of because they now require you to have a sales tax license. No thanks. That is all I need is more paperwork and more government. I wouldn't know what to do if someone tried to pay with a personal check anyway. Who is going to come in there with $600 cash for a quilt I made? Nobody.

Thanksgiving. Could it be any more complicated with divorced parents and people who aren't speaking to each other? Add to that my ex, who is moving all the way across the continent to look for a job and LIVE here, so that means more holiday juggling from now on. Please send me a winning lotto ticket so my hubby and I can go on a cruise ship (or other vacation) for the holidays from now on.

Holiday fattening treats. They are everywhere and they all look so good, don't they? I really want a candy coated apple from the Rocky Mountain Candy Company, but the closest one is 60 miles away. Making one at home would be equally costly and time-consuming. And messier. Maybe I'll run off on Saturday? Hey, there is a PF Chang's in Destin too. Hmmmm....

I have been working on teaching myself applique. Not too bad, if I do say so myself. There is a whole other realm of quiltmaking opening for me.  I did fall leaves on one set and pumpkins with vines on another. Neither has become anything more than practice squares, but could be wall hangings or table runners if I put my mind to it.

Last Friday I had a bad round of anger and depression (which you probably don't want to know) and I swore I was going to sell ALL my quilt stuff. I am frustrated by inability to sell anything, not wanting to sign up for a state sales tax license and the ensuing paperwork that would bring, not being able to join the quilt guild because I am the babysitter every Monday night for the foreseeable future, and they meet on Monday nights. Of course money and no girlfriends was in there too.

Anyway, I got over it. For now. What can you do except shrug your shoulders and carry on? Or plot revenge from beyond the grave.

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Bryan's Birthday Quilt

So I salvaged the Old Tobacco Road quilt fiasco.  * Get it? Salvaged? Photo of quilt on rustic old truck? Ha ha! *  It is quilted and bound now and was presented on October 6th, my honey's birthday! I first blogged about the fiasco here. At least I learned a lot more about the fragility of bias cuts. I started this quilt in early 2008 or late 2007. Not sure exactly. Got it back out in January 2009 and had my very pregnant daughter helping me with the layout on the design wall. It went together pretty quickly after that, but the baby came in March and it was on hold on the design wall. That's when the drooping, stretched bias occurred and I banished it to a box again until a few months ago.

It is hard to cut up a quilt you really like, but knowing there was no other solution made it a little easier. Now that it is all done, it is just fine.It is a long, narrow quilt - perfect for my tall, narrow husband. And it is flannel backed, just the way he likes them.
One thing I really like about this quilt is how I used up a lot of single piece scraps that I got in a charm square swap. Some of them were REALLY not beautiful, if you know what I mean. But now that they are little bitty squares in a scrappy quilt, I really like them! Go figure.

Its funny that knowing it was the one and only scrap I ever had of a particular fabric makes it like a treasure hidden in the design of the quilt.

If you like this, check it out at http://quiltville.com/oldtobaccoroadintro.shtml  It is challenging and you'll really put a dent in your scraps!