Sad News... but it gets better.

I heard earlier this week that Rosemary Makhan passed away suddenly.  She was a very talented designer.  I am currently working on making her Woodland Creatures quilt as a block of the month.  We are on block 11, which is the lower inner (chipmunk) border of the quilt, though I am a month behind, so still working on the upper inner (sparrow) border.  It will be with great sadness and thankfulness for her sharing her talents that I WILL finish this quilt, no matter how long it takes me.
Here's a pic of the finished quilt - I hope mine looks half as nice when completed:

I guess it just goes to show that we just don't know how much time we have on this earth.  Sometimes that thought is scary and paralyzing, and other times it is strong impetus to get up and DO things.   This time, it's been the latter for me.  I've been working on quilts all week since I got home.

I just got done with a long trip to Washington state to look at property for a potential move up there (when my husband retires).  I didn't post anything here, because I think it's safer not to post online that you are away from home for long periods before or while traveling.  With how easy it is these days to track down where someone lives, I hate saying 'Gee, come rob me while I'm gone.'  Still, it was a wonderful trip.  We found a great house in a nice location with a lot of land for my husband's radio antennae.  However, we're still not sure the climate will be right for us, so we didn't buy it.  I could cry if this one gets away from us... But c'est la vie.  My husband will make up his mind in his own time.

I did get two applique blocks done after we came home from our trip.  One is for the quilt 'Autumn Joy', a BOM from my LQS:

I am a little upset that the shop that is sponsoring this BoM decided to drop the last 2 months blocks on us all at once this month because they are anxious to start the next quilt in the series ('Summer Joy').  I didn't need the added pressure, but I will try to continue doing them in month order as if I didn't have them all now.  Still have to do the edge stitching (buttonhole stitch for me) on this one of course but the fusing is done.

I also started my new BOM for 2014:  Bertie's Year.  The first block was fun and easy to cut and fuse - compared to what I've been doing last year, there were relatively few pieces.  Here's block one:

Still needs edge stitching and embellishment (buttons and embroidery)... I think I'm going to really enjoy this one... It's different, I've never appliqued flannel on flannel before.  Sorry the pic is slightly out of focus, I tried 4 times and the ghost seems to have a 'ghost' no matter how still I hold the camera.


Tomorrow I go to pick up my Saturday sampler at another LQS.  It's a good excuse to have a morning out with friends, as we enjoy breakfast out together before the meeting.  After breakfast, it's off to 'Sat. sampler class', which is mostly kinda boring, but it's required to get the next block.

After that class, I drive back to visit my regular Saturday quilting class for an hour or two before I go to the 'Meet the Teacher's Day' at yet another LQS.  I promised to teach machine applique in the upcoming months, in coordination with a BoM they are offering called 'Kokeshi Dolls'.  It was first published in Quiltmania Magazine (#77 and #78).  The quilt is designed by Susan Claire and is SO cute.  Here's mine, but I look forward to making some more blocks, perhaps for pillows? or maybe another quilt, who knows...

Busy day Saturday to say the least...  Sunday is set aside to play Dungeons and Dragons with my husband and some friends.

Somehow, since quilting is my hobby, it seems wrong to look forward to a day of rest and relaxation without it, but somehow I do.  I guess that means you can just have so much of a good thing before it becomes a bit overwhelming.