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Saturday, December 04, 2010

Adventures in Aviation!



Yesterday I had a great day with Friend-Jen, showing her how to paper piece! This is her first block, one of many...for an airplane quilt for her son! See the sections? Yeah, she didn't choose the easiest, there are weird angles etc...but she is a trooper!

First, we took the pattern and labeled the sections. We also figured which size of strips the pieces would each come from.

And then we took another pattern and cut it apart, using some of the pieces as patterns to rough-cut so she wouldn't have to guess the placement on some of these weird angles, mostly in the background pieces. This also helps eliminate waste as well as helps placement!

And then we set to sewing!



This is the first block, DONE! As of an email I got this morning, she is up to 5...nearly a whole squadron! It's going to be so cute, what growing boy wouldn't like a quilt with these planes on it? They finish about 10" square...

I wish I was having as much fun with my flights today as we were with Jen's airplanes yesterday. :cP

You know, 3:45am comes AWFUL EARLY....and we were a bit late leaving Greensboro. I thought to myself...not a problem...plenty of layover...and I found my gate at Dulles with about 15 minutes til boarding. Just enough time to head to the powder room, get all in order.

We boarded the plane (And I got bumped up to first class...WHOOOOO!!) and all systems "SEEMED" go. Safety demos were presented, the pilot came over the loud speaker and told the flight attendants to take their seats and prepare for take off...we had taxied all the way out..and then...

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a sick passenger on board, we are returning to gate for medical help." WHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

Of course, we more than anything wanted well for this passenger, and if they needed medical attention, of course...

The thing is...I "saw" this lady when we were at the gate. She was wearing a blue medical mask. She was hacking and coughing and blowing her nose and looking miserable. In my opinion, should she even have thought to travel today? What was she thinking? Is that mask really going to keep her from polluting the rest of us with whatever she was suffering from? I moved to the other side of the gate before boarding. When they said over the loud speaker that a passenger was ill, I knew it was her. I just knew it. Why was she let on the plane?

So...we head back to the gate. we park on the tarmack for at least 30 minutes because no gate was available. When we finally get there, there is an ambulance waiting, there is paper work to be filled out, and all that goes with having to update our flight plan. 1.5 hours......auughh! We would have been 1/2 way to Houston by the time we could finally take off.

This means that a WHOLE AIRBUS 321 full of passengers MISSED THEIR CONNECTIONS...because one passenger thought they could fly while they were sick. AND..we have all now been coughed on and breathed this same air. Do I sound a bit paranoid? I hope not! I just hope that if I were "THAT" sick, that I would think twice before traveling. I don't know what the story is, or why she was traveling alone and so ill...but.....

At any rate, I hope she gets the help she needs.

So! We got underway, and the upside was:



BREAKFAST!!


OMGoodnes...I feel like I have never been SO HUNGRY in my life. I hadn't eaten anything since about 5:30pm last night. This morning I set my alarm for 3:45, and had time for a shower and a bit of packing of the toiletries before leaving the house at 4:15am! I honestly thought I'd get something in Dulles, but we were late, so no time..after I got the upgrade, I knew there would be munchies on the plane, but then the delay and return to gate, and waiting, and I didn't pack any munchies in my bag! I usually travel with a couple apples..but....forgot!

Needless to say, when the flight attendant asked if I wanted breakfast, my answer was, "How fast can you serve it!?" LOL!

You'll notice there are some hexagons on the left of my plate on the tray!Yes, there has been much hexagon sewing this morning too...and it will continue. Thank heavens for busy-bags! ((And busy hands...))

I did miss my flight to Harlingen, but I've found a comfy spot to plug in, catch up on mail, charge my phone, sew a bit...and of course, I can always power walk the terminals. There will be time for sleeping later!

And now for some exciting news!



Tonya's book is ALMOST OUT!! I am so excited I can hardly stand myself. It was Tonya who taught me these techniques back when we were in the same guild when she lived in Georgia and I in South Carolina. One weekend when both of our hubbies were out of town, she came and spent the weekend and changed my life forever with one simple tutorial..."Just piece your name" She said...yeah....sure....and a whole new world opened up to me! I'm so proud of her and getting this book underway...

And to top it off, I'm going to be selling Tonya's books on my site! WHOOOOO! I'll let you know as soon as I know when I can expect them to be in, and added to the Quiltville book store. My own book will be out in early Feb, so we will have more great things you will want to have.

I'm going to start pre-orders for Scraps & Shirttails II on Jan 1st, and hopefully I'll have more info on Word Play Quilts (maybe even have them in stock) So you can order them at the same time.

It's going to be a great new year full of Quilty Goodness!

16 comments:

  1. You need to save one of each for me please. Tanya said something about signing a bookplate to paste inside if we want autographs. I will gladly send a SASE for this!
    On RRCB I now have 36 Clue#3's done. Love this process and the telephone pages peel off so easily!
    Have a safe trip...and I think that lady was not in her right mind to travel...maybe that is why she thought she could.
    XOXOXOx Subee
    who is making homemade chicken & noodles on a snowy Indiana Saturday!

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  2. i placed my preorder for tonya's book one month ago. can't wait for it to arrive.
    i too am sewing like mad making string blocks. they are so much fun to make...and so forgiving too. have a safe and fun trip.

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  3. My dad's favourite saying when travelling is "when you have time to spare, fly by air" for all the times he has sat in airports. I just got my notice from Amazon.ca that Tonya's book is available. How exciting.

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  4. Sorry about your delays. Sometimes travel can be maddening. Love the busy bag idea. I have crocheted on a trip (nylon hook only), but I had been told by a couple of ladies that we couldn't have any needles of any kind (like terrorists know how to use Betweens, sheesh!).

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  5. the one thing that makes me crazy is when my flight does not depart on time
    Holiday Hugs,
    Gerry

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  6. Like you I have found if I have something to keep my hands busy while I wait it is not nearly as difficult. If I listen to a good book while waiting with my hands busy......I can wait all day.

    Safe travels and Happy Sewing

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  7. A friend gifted me with Scraps & Shirttails I. I've made dozens of quilts and mostly make my own designs. But this week I've been happily cutting strips for the plaid bargello. Two sets. One dark quilt. One light. The thrift shop sees me twice a week. lol

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  8. Bonnie, how clever to keep a busy bag for "air" time, I live in DC and haven't flown out of Dulles in a very long time. I'm sorry about your delays but look at that breakfast! So THAT's how first class eats!! LOL

    I already have your first two books and I'm looking forward to the release of your third book, along with Tonya's book. I saw it on her blog, it looks exciting.
    Linda - http://eatsleepquilt.blogspot.com

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  9. Oooh, how lucky to be bumped to first class! Never happened to me. But it looks like you ate well up in the "upper class" end of the plane!

    Re: flying sick: I once came down with the flu while on a business trip and was in the first stages of "I think I'm catching something" when I flew home. Only had a scratchy throat, not even a cough, but as soon as that plane ascended and the cabin pressure kicked in, I was miserable! The poor lady wouldn't have wanted to endure the flight. Why didn't she figure that out before she went to the airport? Perhaps she had a family emergency and was trying to travel anyway. Or was sicker than we know and was going for medical treatment in another city.

    RRCB is going nicely and I've completed step 3; not what I would have called neutrals, but I'm trusting and waiting!

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  10. woohoo for the first classiness of the whole thing. missing the connection though is a big boo. I so wish we lived closer by one another still! have a great holiday

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  11. You are too funny - I'd love to know your REAL thoughts .. this post was way too PC (polite and correct?) .. I would have used a few choice words to describe this situation . lol
    I'm sure you had a nice hand project to work on.. never let your mind or hands rest.. makes the trip go faster right?. and of course there's always blogger/facebook/etc to update. If you're like me.. I never run out of things to say so there's always a blog post fresh in my mind. haha.

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  12. We had a sick man on our flight to Australia--they were moving people and giving him oxygen on the plane ride. Infectious disease people boarded after we landed in Brisbane and we could not deplane until they took this guy's history (he didn't speak English!) Luckily it was not SARS and we only had to wait about 10 minutes. I don't envy all the hours you spend in airports, but being experienced you sure find good ways to pass time :)

    I have a word in Tonya's quilt that is on the cover!!!It is the one and only free pieced I have ever done but I would like to do more:) Can I call myself published now? I'm starting at the bottom with a single word, LOL! (my word is SOAR)

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  13. I have a few of those airplanes pieced! Only, I wanted a take-along project when DH flew us in a 6-seater...so I started cutting up his old dress shirts (years before I found your blog and piecing them by hand). Might be a reason why it is still one of my UFO's, right? :-) We no longer own the plane and I don't know if that project will ever climb to the top of my To Do list.
    Rita

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  14. you were at Dulles?? you were 10 minutes from my house! I am NOT joking... i'm off the 2nd exit!

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  15. just wondering? might tonya's book (that you'll be selling) be signed by her??? if so, i'd definitely order from YOU!!

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  16. Can I get the cutting instructions on the Adventures in Aviation Block? I would really like to make something with it.

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