Monday On My Own -

Halloween in July I can do!

Christmas can’t happen until October at least, but in the heat of July I start thinking about cooler temperatures, the first sign of leaves turning color towards golden, of pumpkin and spice flavored everything and chilly nights requiring TWO quilts on the bed instead of one in the summer.

It’s been 8 months of NO MACHINE QUILTING for me as we waited for the Quiltville Post Office to be finished.  And then POOF!  All of a sudden, faster than I could have imagined it, the stars aligned, I returned home from California and moved the machine and got it set up THE NEXT DAY.  And I’ve been pinching myself ever since.

I’ve tried to appreciate all of the small things along the way – and when looking back, I see that there have been some mighty big hunks and chunks that have fallen into place as well.

(However, contractors are NOT one of them!  They did a no-show yesterday. Sigh.)

I gave them a never mind and just quilted myself silly in my happy place!

Some of the lessons I am willing to learn include not getting upset over things I can’t control, and focusing on the things that I can.  Quilt number two off the long arm since moving it!

This quilt is slated for “next book” and doesn’t even have a name yet, so stay tuned for this one.  You may recognize the alternate block as a variation of one from my Addicted to Scraps column a year or so back, so any guesses what the theme of the next book might be?

I had a great time pulling fabrics for this one!

Yes there are some Halloween fabrics in here, but I think theme fabrics can overrun a project, so there are other things as well – loads of fun neutrals, even some Y2K fabrics, and a lot of those “Black background with rainbow colored things” that never seemed to fit anywhere else in the Scrap User’s System.  Bicycles, foxes, chili peppers, flowers – if it was multicolored on black, in it went.  The louder and more “non-matchy” the better.

Binding also is prepped -

I didn’t bring the straight stitch walking foot from home for the QPO – I think I see myself ordering another one in the future so that I can apply bindings here.

My thought was to use the slant shank walking foot at the cabin on the 301 – but I got distracted by something else, and frankly didn’t feel like quilt wrestling to get binding on.  (Plus a sleeve needs to be made and a label attached and my brain was not cooperating.)

Grassy Creek NC Post Office -

Operating hours – noon to 4pm!

I left the QPO and drove THIS way back to the cabin, This post office is closer to the cabin than the Mouth of Wilson PO is – dropped off a couple of things, said hello and was home in a flash.  Goodness I love this middle of nowhere living!

The state of my cutting area this morning.  LOL!

I’ve been busy cutting out “You just may know what” in preparation for my 10 days in Pennsylvania that starts tomorrow.  There will be sewing on the road! 

Oooh, this year is going to be a fun one!

But unless there really are quilting wood nymphs out on my mountainside, it’s going to be up to ME to clean up that whirling dervish of a cutting mess this evening.  (And hopefully get the binding on the Halloween quilt….)

I’m giving myself a day to play however!  Martha is coming by and she and I are off to Chilhowie VA for some antiquing fun and lunch out.

It will keep me from steaming that the bathroom contractors haven’t shown up yet.  Perhaps when I check back later this afternoon the claw-foot tubs will have been removed and SOMETHING started?

Which reminds me – heart touch of the day:  Yesterday when I went to refill my glass with ice from the fridge ice-maker there was a dead female cardinal on the porch.  I don’t know if she hit a window and broke her neck, or if some other natural cause got her, but the poor male was flying from porch rail, to her lifeless body – nudging her to wake up, and then back to the porch rail he would fly only to repeat it again and again and again.  My heart just broke for him!  Do cardinals mate for life?

I carefully scooped her up with a dustpan, gave her my condolences, boxed her up and this morning put her out for a garbage truck cortege as Tuesday is trash day. So sorry little one!

Which brings to mind how fleeting life is, so appreciate the small happy things today. 

Don’t let them pass you by!

ALSO: Our Stunning Stitches ebook Gift-Away started yesterday and continues until Wednesday morning when I draw our winner!  Did you enter to win ON THAT POST? As it’s an ebook, international entries are welcome as well!

Quiltville Quote of the Day

List the first small thing that made you smile this morning in the comment section below.

Mine: Deer at the salt lick! 

Have a wonderful Tuesday, everyone!