Cooler Nights are Made for Quilting!

I thought I was making good progress on this – but – what?  Oh, Emmy Lou Lou, how am I supposed to get ANYTHING DONE?!

Yesterday was a blur.  That’s all I can say.  From the time I cooked breakfast to the time I toddled the 7 miles home to the cabin, it was just many hours of scattered go go go.  The kind of day where you don’t feel like you accomplish much of anything.  A bit of this, a bit of that – the proverbial “keeping all plates spinning” while trying to keep any one of them from flying off its stick and crashing to the floor.

My brain kept saying “Too much! too much! too much!” And I had to remind myself that I can only do what I can only do.

So at the end of it all, stitching in the evening is what it took to finally calm my heart and soul.

And I really didn’t mind this too much.

There’s not much better than a purring cat, warm in your lap while the room is made cozy by a lovely fire.

But the BIGGEST thing of all – oh, you guys!  This is just making me SO HAPPY!

For years and years and years I had to watch Downton Abbey SOLO while it was running as a series. The menfolk in my family couldn’t be bothered with all of that schmaltz.  They didn’t care about drama and costuming and stage sets.

But The Hubster and I finally went to see the Downton movie at our favorite Blue Ridge Movie Lounge on Tuesday evening.  

I worried that he was just doing it for me.  That he would just suck it up and endure to the end, and to tell you the truth, without any back story as he had not watched ANY of the episodes when it was running as a series – to have it start up without knowing ANY of the history of the characters, I thought he’d be bored out of his mind. 

Look closely – behind the hoop, up on the wall -

(And then maybe that will take your focus off how those triangle points just do not match.  I gave up on it – they are 1’’ finished!)  The Hubs has gone back to the beginning, and ALL BY HIMSELF thrown himself into watching the entire series from the beginning!  Which means I get to watch it again too.  And I am just so happy.

Usually I cave to watch whatever he wants, and I do enjoy the legal/police/intrigue/drama stuff that he likes – but this is sure a breath of fresh air.  Now I just need to get him to fall in love with Poldark and all things will be right in my world.  LOL!

And this all followed waffles for dinner as it was that kind of day.

Yep.  Gluten free waffles with peanut butter, sliced banana and real maple syrup (HEATED!  I have to have my syrup heated!) and everything started looking much better in my world.

What set the chaos tipping?  Arranging airfare for my dad coming for Thanksgiving.  I finally clued in to the calendar and how late in the month Thanksgiving is this year.  I leave for Germany on Dec 1st.  December 1st is still part of Thanksgiving weekend – it’s the Sunday following Thanksgiving.

I have retreaters coming the 29th of November and leaving December 1st!

So what am I going to do with Dad?  I am going to have him come EARLIER than he usually does and Thanksgiving will be toward the end of our time together. I’ll take him back to the airport on Saturday the 30th, leaving the retreaters to fend for themselves.  Dave can do the house check after they leave. We will deal with the linens, etc. when I get back from Germany.

After dropping dad at the airport, I’ll stay the night in Wallburg, and head back to the airport at 4am Sunday Dec 1st.

Can you feel the panic?

Now let’s throw another couple of plates spinning out of control.

Kenya is next week.  I’m not ready.  I don’t know how to use my new camera – that is on task for this weekend, but I sure hope someone ON the tour can also help me learn this thing!

What happens when I get back from Kenya?  Release of our Quiltville Winter Mystery introductory post containing background information, colors, yardage requirements, etc for this year’s mystery with clue number one going live on BLACK FRIDAY (yes, while the retreaters are arriving!)

And with leaving for Germany December 1st – I’ll have to write at least ONE clue ahead so it is ready to post when it needs to go live.

Can I just go sit by the fire and hand quilt with Emmy Lou for a while?

This morning I was up extra early.

I just couldn’t sleep – I tiptoed down to the studio at the cabin and just pulled from my string bucket to start another string log cabin.  This time a more traditional placement of the logs, but as you can see they are very wonky!  Really, all I want to do is play with my fabric and make simple scrappy quilts for the beds at Quiltville Inn.

Four in a diamond setting!

Look at the placement of those center squares – I love that they are SO not in the center of the blocks.  Too much fun.  I am following the same basic formula for the Crooked Courthouse Steps quilt only going around the center square in a clock wise manner instead of doing two opposite sides, followed by top and bottom strips.  There are more strings, strips and scraps to keep going – and this is so brainless, mindless and fun it is just calling me.

And see that IronEZ?  This is the perfect lead in to what we’ve got going on.  Did you see it in Yesterday’s Post?

I LOVE having my spray bottle in its own holster, off of the surface of the ironing board.  No more bottles tumbling to the floor.

You can win your own IronEZ!

The adjustable clip can fit a multitude of thicknesses – this will even clamp to a table top, tray or big board.

It fits and corrals a multitude of favorite bottle sizes – and the free bottle that comes with it has even a finer mist than the traditional trigger spray on Best Press.  And yes, it will fit a beverage bottle as well - keep that water handy!

I am just this sold on the product, and the kind folks at IronEZ are offering a 15% discount to my readers – AND – we are giving away one!

(Due to shipping, this gift-away is available to USA residents only please.)

Head back to YESTERDAY’S POST and find the blue "Add Your Link" button part way down the page.  Click it and enter just your name and email address. 

If you are visiting after clicking through another site, adding yourself to the giveaway may not be possible.

If you have clicked a link to this blog via Facebook or through a blog reader service, exit out and open a new browser page (especially on a mobile device like a phone or tablet.)  Come directly to my blog at Quiltville.blogspot.com and scroll to yesterday’s post and click the “read more” to get to the full actual page. 

If you have also had trouble leaving a comment – it could be because you clicked through another site (Facebook or Blog Reader Service) and are not REALLY on my site – so open a new browser window and come directly to me.)

This quick finish was sent in by Nancy Mason! 
“Here’s my Punkin’ Patch Runner ready to be quilted!”

This is a reminder that my Punkin’ Patch Table Runner pattern is still on sale for the month of October at half price!  It’s only $4.00!  It didn’t take Nancy very long to whip this puppy up, and isn’t it cute?

Since there is no shipping, you can be stitching pumpkins within the hour, no matter where in the world you live!

Quiltville Quote of the Day

Vintage nine patch quilt found in North Carolina.

Listen to that voice within. It really does know you better than you think! 

There are days where I love the simplicity of little squares and straight line hand quilting. It fills my soul!

I feel the need to do some simple stitching today. I hope I can carve out some time to do it.

How about you?

Enjoy your Thursday, everyone!