September Into Fall!

Can you feel it?

The change of the seasons.

I absolutely love the blooming and renewal of spring, and the long daylight of summer.

But I tend to start feeling a bit nostalgic with September and the return to the school year (Even if it happens in August here) where I can tell the time by the school buses I see going down the road in the mornings, and on their return journeys in the late afternoon hours.

Things just feel different.

And somehow, even if I go kicking and screaming - I find myself ready to give into autumn and cooler days and cozy evenings.

And perhaps a new project....or two? Or three?

In the photo above I have started to cut for another tile floor inspired quilt.  I'm not even sure why as there are other things on the to do list, but when the urge comes to push why not just give in?

More to work in here.

That pile of oatmeal colored strips on the long arm roller is bound to be background.

The hunks and chunks on the table are for "more to strip down if I need it."

My plan is to use the toasty tans paired with warm and rusty - there will be some brighter neutrals to play a certain role - but my brain can't settle on the 4th color family.  

I've done a lot of blue lately. (Stardust in particular - but also Waterford which was all dark blues and neutrals.) 

The original tile floor was tan/rust/white/blue.  But maybe I could go with a grassy green instead?

I have cut out a bunch of half-square triangles to get started.

And then I set them aside...because....WHAT AM I THINKING?!?! I already have another "main" project started and though it had stalled out when I dug into Stardust...I really do want to pull it forward.

So..big rust pile still on the table - I pushed it to the side and cut some more block kits for what I'm already working on.

All while waiting to flip loads of retreat laundry from washer to dryer after waving off the September Quiltvillians yesterday.

Some sewing commenced.

But not a lot.

It turns out in the midst of everything - it took me until noon at least to find that the QPO had no internet.  No wifi signal.

I tried all of the things including unplugging the modem and plugging it back in again. (That fixes most things, right?)  Well - nothing.

So I drove home, grabbed hubster Dave (Because I can't call him if I don't have wifi to boost my Verizon signal. No internet - no Verizon booster.) and bring him back.

He also tried all the things including going on the roof of the QPO to check the satellite thing up there. All was fine.

Then he came back in to check the modem to find that at the modem, not the wall - one little cable was *BARELY* not plugged in all the way. One little push back into place and it all came out right.

Whew.

But do you know how stressed out I was?  I'm leaving for Europe in 9 days and all I could think about was retreaters arriving next week and having no wifi and no cell booster and me gone, and Dave left to deal with it.

So glad it wasn't a hardware issue.  But whew.  That little episode took up more time than I wanted it to.

Blocks.

Some with light background.  And that is where it first stalled out because it was too much light.

And now with what I have just cut out - some of them will have dark backgrounds.

That will make things more interesting - but I don't know how I want to set them yet.

This little block is called X Plus andwas submitted to Quiltmaker in my Jan/Feb 2023 Addicted to Scraps column.

It also seems like this is the time to tell you that 2025 is the last year I will be writing for Quiltmaker. 

I've been presenting the Addicted to Scraps column for 15 years.

The magazine has gone through many changes and many different publishers over those 15 years.

I understand how the magazine industry is facing so many issues right now and I hated to let this go, but once they went from 6 issues a year down to 4 I had to make a decision.

Instead of making a few blocks per issue (That I didn't have time to turn into real quilts) I have decided to turn my attention back to my own publishing and simplify things here.

At nearly 64 it's time for me to step back just a bit. I know you will understand.

As I said, it's been a marvelous 15 years and I can't thank Quiltmaker enough for the part they have played in my quilting journey.

My last Addicted to Scraps column comes out in a few weeks.

I don't know if they will continue with someone else taking over the column, or do something entirely different. I'm wishing them the best.

Last night while watching the last episode of Sullivan's Crossing, Season 2. What a way to end a season?!?!

I finished stitching down the scrappy hanging sleeve on Stardust.

The label is also finished.

That's another quilt in the done column.

I'll get some more photos to share.

Stardust comes out as a PDF pattern in January.

Today - more getting the inn ready for next week's group.  Housekeeper Susan is on hand opting to do it this week so she can take a break next week!

She, Hubster Dave and Son Jeff will be handling things while I am out of the country.

I'm starting to pack.

I'm starting to panic just a bit.

And I need some new jeans.

How about your Wednesday ahead?

Quiltville Quote of the Day -

Accept all the cookies? Reject all the cookies?

 
Unless they're chocolate chip or peanut butter I have no idea what they are doing with them anyway!

Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone!