Ziggity-Zag

It has been an exhaustively, albeit productive quilting week... 

My chevron quilt is now completely quilted & with binding attached... only sleeve remains.

A member of my local guild, Robin Kinley took on the task of long arm quilting my selvage quilt- and now all that remains is its binding. Alas... that is the part that panics me most. It means cutting away batting and backing STRAIGHT, manipulating the VERY HEAVY and for me way over sized quilt through my home machine and making the edges straight & corners look sharp. 
This being the first time we have a modern category- I found out I have the honor of a very special placement in our quilt show display for this quilt- only adding to my already current binding anxiety.

You see, arthritic discomfort aside... I don't mind hand binding the back... it's that straight edge cutting and straight line border edge that has my mouth going dry and anxiety levels high. (So much for a relaxing hobby!)

The Quilt Guild of East Texas' quilt show begins March 18th... and ALL quilts must be delivered to the convention center on Tuesday, March 15th.
THAT GIVES ME EXACTLY 17 DAYS TO BIND THIS QUILT.

ARGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

Chevron quilt created with a layer cake by Cotton & Steel

All piecing and quilting completed on my Babylock Elissimo

Za design wall

fully quilted

binding

Ziggity-Zag

And, a sneak peak at my selvage quilt:

There is a bed in there somewhere?

Both of my kids have "moved on"... so it is too late to change the way I let them leave their rooms at this point. (if only!)

Personal spaces- only made worse after college was over & the "dorm essentials" were deposited into that same "storage unit" I continue to call my kids bedrooms.

"Do with it whatever you want- I don't care"

How many times did we have that discussion over holiday visits before it finally sunk in. 

Perhaps, someday the treasures I have saved & could not part with will have meaning for them. But for all the rest of it...
it was time.

My sister is bringing the triplets to visit for spring break & everyone needs places to sleep!

So,
that is how I spent my mornings- my afternoons- & my evenings the past couple of weeks.

It is an exhaustive emotional roller coaster of disgust!!!

But I see a light at the end of the tunnel!

My son's bedroom after years of neglect &

his college graduation "final deposit" before moving

After... 

I failed to take a pic of my daughters room... she had started some of the purging over Christmas, so it was no wheres near as bad as my son's room. 

But I made it presentable to welcome guests as well.

my daughters room

I failed to leave myself much time for quilting... but I did baste my quilt & it is ready for stitch work this week!

ready to quilt

2016 Challenge Block & a Layer Cake of Cotton & Steel

Our guilds quilt show is near & it is giving me that needed push to get back on the creative bandwagon!

It was a very productive week. 

I completed the 2016 challenge block for the Quilt Guild of East Texas. 

The challenge was to create a block using 16 different fabrics!

I pieced together 16 fabric swatches & created a block I called

"VARIEGATED THREAD"

This is the first year our show will hold a modern category. So I decided to use a layer cake I was given as an X-mas gift & create a small throw.

Cotton & Steel Honeymoon Layer Cake

by Sarah Watts

I pieced the triangles back into blocks, pressed, & squared off

block manipulation number 1

block manipulation number 2

block manipulation number 3

row by row piecing

After topper was fully pieced... 

I decided it was too small for a throw-

back to the cutting table I went

exploring layout for row 6

Exploring layout for column 5

"fully pieced topper"

Awaiting backing fabric that I ordered on line... 
to be continued...

Pokemon, Gameboy, Star Wars... & Candy Wrappers

No time for quilting :(

This week I have taken on the challenge of conquering my sons bedroom. 

I have been informed repeatedly by my 22 year old son that he "no longer lives here" and to "do whatever I want with his stuff". 

After optimistically nagging him at every "visit" home to let me help him pack up what he wants to keep- I have given up.
I am on my own. (Realistically, I always was)

I wish I had thought to take pics at the start... it looks worse now that I am half way through... but I know where everything is. (well- kinda, sorta)

We still have his bunk bed with all of its hidden storage spots. 
I had no idea there were so many video game comic books & magazines in print!

Drawers, hidden shelves, cabinets, built in desk... everything a boy needed

nearly asphyxiated by 20 years of dust... the cubbies are empty- awaiting new storage

Amongst the dust & candy wrappers, I found  hoards of Pokemon cards, star wars toys, game boy games, cassette tapes and a Walkman... it was like a 1990's flashback!


Then I moved on to the bookshelves.
Why do we have multiple copies of every Harry Potter book... and several unreturned school textbooks?

I kept out the books I thought my "guest" might actually read again & put the rest in the closet- or in the donation pile.

bookshelves used for real books... not piles sideways and falling off

Comics & Game Manuals stacked on top shelf of closet. 

As a "Big Bang" fan- I have learned someone somewhere might be willing to pay for anything. 

Since my boy is a musician... he may need them someday. (But I hope not)

Perhaps the hardest part for me are all the handmade projects & school papers I saved.
Mom's & Dad's... if anyone out there is actually reading this... they are dust magnets! 
and in the end-
no one really cares but us.

so I took pics.

They will be cherished memories.

teared up some...

& TOSSED IT!!!

No one will ever notice or care...

I emptied out his closet so I could start over. 
It will store "some" clothes... for his "visits".
And the rest will be donated!

Now that the closet has a floor and shelves it will store his comics... collectables... and whatever else I can get in there! 

But for today... I am now on empty... 
and alas- the room likes like a tornado hit.

such is life... they grow up... 
they move out... 
and leave behind THEIR CRAP!

ARGHHHHHHH!

organized chaos... to be continued