Countdown to Texas

Only one day left to get everything ready for the trip tp Texas. All the laundry is done and the bed has fresh linens. I spent yesterday tidying up the studio and organizing things so I can work comfortably when I get home. I just started back to quilting this week, and have already taken in 8 quilts! I don't think I missed a step with my customers. They're the best!

Mr Wazoo surprised me with two more drawer units from Wally World! I took out the horrible wooden shelf and swept up dust bunnies as big as my fist from under the cutting table. We attempted to move it to clean further underneath, but it wouldn't budge. The drawers on both ends are chock-a-block full of fabric and, we all know, it weighs a ton.

The other unit will live in the back of the table and holds kits I have assembled as well as some vintage linens. My scrap catching bag is on the left side, and my bag of bags on the right.

This is as clean as the table will get for now. Most of the stuff has been put away or went to the scrap bag for a lucky person in the evening guild. My BOM fabrics are still out because I have to cut a piece of each for the dogtooth border  in  month one's instructions.

A few days ago, Penny amused herself by chewing through the power cord on my new Forte!! Needless to say, I was not amused. My dealer has ordered a new cord, and Mr W helped me form a blockade around the machine to keep her from being able to get behind it and chew a cord. Penny is a big chicken when it comes to any type of obstacle  in her path, as well as going from carpet to bare floor. She doesn't go in shady spots or down the basement stairs. She is a real scaredy cat! With the three rolling drawer units and some plastic bins, we have stopped her from coming back here.

I prepped the first repair of 2022 by marking all the pieces I need to replace, and then set about making the pieces. Today, I safety pinned them all in place and put the top in an old zippered package from a set of sheets. I hope to get much of it done while we're away.

It's a pretty log cabin top, made by the great Aunt of the customer. Two tops were unearthed from the attic, in a box, where they have languished for years. One was in good shape and is off being quilted by one of my longarm friends. She recommended me for repairing and finishing this one.

This particular fabric is worn clear through. It is a thin silk that didn't do well in storage.

Here it is again, looking even more moth eaten.

There were also many patches of this green fabric. they have lost a lot of their color, as well as having holes in them.

This floral was only in one spot on the quilt, so I only have to replace the two logs you see here. Altogether, there are about 50 logs to replace.

Thankfully, my giant stash saved me again, and I found fabrics for all the logs that are disintegrating with time. You will surely see the progress as I go along, as well as the finished quilt. Stay tuned for that!

While rooting around in boxes and bags that have been buried under the cutting table, I found a bag with a half finished class project from about twenty years ago. I took a class to learn stack and slash, and improv piecing. I hated the process as well as the things I made in the class. I did make a small wall quilt from some of the blocks for my grandson's nursery, but these blocks stayed in the bag. There were only 9 blocks and the weird rows of improv black and white bits. I kept adding fabric until I figured it was big enough to be a child's quilt, about 40x52". I'll quilt it and give it away. Unless the quilt provokes a seizure, it should be a nice cuddly blanket for little tyke.

I made this from the useable blocks. It hangs in my grandson's room.

Here it is! Bright and cheerful, with an assortment of novelty fabrics.

I alternated the pieced blocks with squares of fabrics from my stash.

I love this fabric! Happy cats. Of course I added monkeys and strange looking dogs to cheer it up even more.

All that cheerfulness is in sharp contrast to what was happening outside when I quit for the day.

Spooky pinkish-gray sky and a steady rain falling from the low hanging, thunder rumbling clouds. Penny beat feet to the back door and didn't stop to water the grass on the way!

I hope tomorrow is a nicer day.

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