Quick update on raffle quilt

I got the raffle quilt and backing today and will begin the quilting tomorrow. Barb did a great job piecing the back; it's a wonderful surprise to make the back as interesting as the front!
I will take a picture to show you when the quilting is done, so stay tuned.

The quilt top had its debut at the meeting on Tuesday

Off to Fort Myers for my class

Today started at 1AM with Molly up-chucking. At least she had the decency to wake me up to go outside to do it! We settled back in and just started to really snooze when....up again for another trip outside. Three trips later, and now 5AM, she finally felt better and went to sleep. I had to get up at 6. Yawn!!
The construction crew came at 7:15. I was out the door at 8AM and on the way to quilting fun in Fort Myers. There wee 8 ladies in the class and they were very forgiving of all my errors in the cutting instructions. (Of course, all the home made goodies they brought softened the blow, too) Once we had the instructions straightened out, everything went along swimmingly with the sewing machines humming a merry tune.
Here are some pictures of the day's activities and the beginnings of some beautiful quilts.

Linda is making a patriotic scrappy quilt

Kathleen' sewing is so organized! 

Betty is smokin' her chain piecing!

Pat's black and tan stars are stunning

Susan (yippee! another Susan!) busy giving her featherweight a workout.

Kathy drove over from Key Biscayne to take the class! Wow! 

Yet another Kathy powered through with an injured shoulder. Can't keep a quilter down!

Here are Kathy's scrappy stars

Judy is making a night sky quilt

Here is my station, chain piecing like a crazy person.

Susan is too shy to peek over her pretty stars.

Kathy is going to make pillows for Christmas.

Kathleen finished this row and has the next one almost done. You go, girl!

I love the contrast in Pat's blocks.

Linda's quilt is taking shape. It is red, white and blue, but the lighting made it look pink!

Thanks to Betty for making me feel welcome. I hope to see them all again.

Bathroom started and ready for class!

The construction guys came at 7:30 as promised and went straight to work tearing up the bathroom. Little Molly clung to me like a static charged sweater as soon as the loud banging and chiseling started. Poor baby.

The first hint something is going on...

                                             

Closets covered with plastic and all the tile ripped out

Work on the shower has begun

This thing sucks the dust outside. It is quite loud.

All the stuff from the bathroom is in the bedroom for now.

  Nothing stops Wazoo, though, so we were at the machines and working early.
I had to get my pieces and blocks ready for my class on Wednesday, so I began by cutting up the fabric I just bought last Friday. Wouldn't you know, I didn't buy enough and the quilt shop is closed on Mondays. Drat! I soldiered on, cutting what I had, and started to sew the units for the blocks. Fortunately, I didn't sew all of them before piecing a block...they didn't turn out the right size!! You see, the instructions for this quilt are in Georgia. Oh joy. I thought I had them on the computer, too, but they are in a format that I can't open with my newest operating system. This has to be the only really stupid thing Apple has ever done. Back to the drawing board, so to speak, and measuring the quilt block in the class sample quilt I made 6 years ago. Once I figured out my size error, everything went together lickety split. Unfortunately, I had sent out the cutting instructions with the supply list to save the students time. If they haven't cut yet, they're okay. If they have the pieces all cut, they will have to cut 1/2 inch off all 240 pieces. Oops. I sent off an email to the education director and hopefully she can alert the students before they cut their fabric.
I re-wrote the instructions with the changes and now, all is right with the quilting universe. I will trot to the store for the rest of the fabric tomorrow.

My tight little sewing area with chain piecing in progress

This is what the unit is supposed to look like

Three short demo rows so students can see the pattern emerge

Mr. Wazoo worked on a customer quilt most of the day. He ran a few errands this morning and then settled into his quilting rhythm. When he finished up, it was outside to play. There is rarely a day when he isn't puttering somewhere in the yard; but then, it is quite a yard to putter in. I'll leave you with a few shots outside so you know we actually do go there.

This big hawk sat across the creek watching for something good to snag for his lunch

One corner of the back yard. Mr.Wazoo put in the walkway as well as all the plantings.

Looking toward the lanai and the pool

Trellis, walkway and plantings. So serene.

All the plants are native to Florida, too.

The 'island' has a bubbling fountain for sound and bird bathing.

Raffle quilt top done...and Packers won!

Today was a good day all around for me. The Packers beat the socks off the Panthers and I got the borders made and sewed onto the raffle quilt. I set in some of the leftover blocks on point to add interest. It's ready for its debut at guild Tuesday night.

It is pretty big, so this is looking at the quilt as it will be on the bed

This view shows the rest of the quilt. This is the part that will go over the pillows.

Yesterday, I finished up a quilt with an all over pattern on my machine, because it wouldn't fit on Mr Wazoo's table. I also did two pillow shams to match it. Mr Wazoo stayed busy quilting a Harley Davidson tee shirt quilt. He has done several quilts last week, as well as keep working on the yard and garage.

Giant customer quilt I did yesterday

Harley tee shirt quilt

Mr Wazoo did this one...

and this one...

and this one, too!

I told you it was big! This is the view from the back of my table.

The men come tomorrow at 7:30 (ugh!) to start tearing up the master bathroom. I have wanted this done since we moved in. Oh well, the next people will get the new bathroom. I moved all our stuff out of there and into the guest bath and am thinking of sleeping in the guest room so I don't have to be up and dressed at 7AM! 

Tomorrow, I have to get the prop blocks sewn for my class on Wednesday and finish writing the instructions. It seems I packed the original instructions and moved them to Georgia with my studio stuff. Rats! I know the quilt well, so it shouldn't be too hard to re-write them. While I was at the fabric shop, I bought some fabric to make the class quilt out of, too. Seems I didn't plan ahead when I packed all my fabric and moved it. Duh.

This is the quilt for the class I'm teaching on Wednesday