Counting the Days...and Some Finishes!

 I am definitely counting the days until I no longer need to go to work in the morning.  I don't necessarily want these last 11 (yes, only eleven more days to work!) days to go by fast...ohwell, who am I kidding?  Of course, I do want them to go by quickly.  I am rarin' to go and excited to start and just plain giddy about the entire thought of not working!  

I am training someone to do my job.  Not an easy task.  What is so routine and mundane to me requires much thought for someone new.  I try to be a good teacher and be patient.  I am of the belief that one can always take that extra step to help...whether it be a coworker, a student, a doctor, another staff member or, and especially, a client.  Now I get questioned as to why I 'had' to do something.  I keep repeating that 'it's all in the details'.  

All I can say is this;  once I am gone, there is nothing I can do about how things are done there.  So, I'll do what I can now to train and get things organized and written down and then forget about it when I leave. 

Anyway. 

Not much has been accomplished this past week.  BUT, I did manage to get all the woolens mailed out and I do want to thank those of you who helped me out.  I still have some bundles and pieces available over at The Chocolate Puppy...take a look-see if you're interested.  Once I retire, I need to get all my fat quarters ready to go out the door.  I'll let you know how that's going.

Remember this quilt? 

It was to be for the baby of a coworker...the greens are left from the quilt I made for their first baby.  See it here.  I thought it would be really fun for the two sisters to have quilts made with the same fabrics but with a totally different pattern.  Good idea hey?  But, when I started quilting it, I didn't like what I was doing.  So.  I made this one, instead. 

Gotta love that polka-dot backing!  I haven't washed/dried it, so it's not got all that crinkly softness, yet.  I am very happy with it and am excited to give it to Baby Emily.


What do you do when you just don't like something you're working on?  Do you plow through it?  Do you ditch it and start something else?  Do you set it aside and hope that a fresh look will change your feeling for it?  I think I've done all of the above.

With the zigzag baby quilt, I decided to gift it to someone else.  So, I cut it down so there was just the zigzag center and the first solid border and am sending it to Ellie.  Julie's dog.  Poor thing doesn't have anything made by me.  ~sigh~  It is ~24", I think.

This is the first time that I finished the backside of the binding with machine stitching...I thought it turned out okay for a first attempt.  

Today, I finished the second sweatshirt jacket for Aunt Bev.  Finally.  I've been working on it here and there for at least a month.  Not like it was taking that much time.  I just wasn't getting to it.  I hope she likes it...

It's cool today, and it's been raining on and off.  Not complaining, just saying.  

I think that's all I have for now.  

Have a great weekend!  



"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.". Jeremiah 29:11

2wenty thr3e...and counting.

Awhile ago, I picked up a charm pack of the

2wenty thr3e fabric collection

(no, those are not typos)....

Today, I picked up a few pieces
of yardage to match...
(only the center one is from the 2wenty thr3e collection)

 I love these!

I also picked up a bit of fabric

so I could finish the orange quilt.

I didn't have quite enough leftover

pieces to make an entire backing.

Gotta love these dots...

These are my last pre-retirement fabric purchases.

For sure.

When I was in Eau Claire last month,

my Aunt Bev asked me to make some

sweatshirts into jackets for her.

I've been a sewist for years...

so have more experience in

making clothes than in making quilts.

However, I had never done anything

like what she wanted.

But...

how difficult could it be?

Before I came home,

I did up a white

sweatshirt jacket for her.

Apparently, she's not taken it off since.
(okay, kidding, but I gather she really likes it!)

I brought 2 home with me.

Here's the gray one...

It's pretty simple to do...

just cut up the front and face the edges.

Then, cut off the ribbing at the

waist and sleeves and add facings.

That sleeve isn't meant to be worn turned back;

it's just like that to show the facing.

The next one I make is going to be

very unique and fun.

I think.

We shall see if I end up doing

what I have in mind.

It's kind of a 'make it up as I go along' thing.

Ya know?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Only 31 days left to work.

But, who's counting?

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.". Jeremiah 29:11