Second Time Around is So Much More Fun!

Here we are in the middle of 90 degree weather with 70% humidity – and no rain.  Darn.  Summer Solstice is already here on 21 June – 6 months has flown by!  In 4 1/2 months we get our hour back, and as of next Thursday (25 June) Christmas is 6 months away……….Time just flies by when we are having fun!  We missed Mr Bill from the Gulf this time, but I bet the Hurricane Season is right on his heels!   I blame the fast passage of time now on the extra Daylight Savings Time.

Saturday I was able to attend the San Antonio Guild monthly meeting and thoroughly enjoyed every moment of the Program.  Charlotte Angotti (http://www.quiltmakersstudio.com)  was the speaker and she provided 1 hour and 15 minutes of pure laughter! I think Charlotte has missed her calling – she should be a stand up Comedian.  She is a pure joy to listen to her share her quilting “stories”.  She is so funny.  She has a book out with Debbie Caffrey called “Surprise Yourself”.  The story behind this book is absolutely hilarious.  Charlotte is the type of quilter that if a point doesn’t match she puts a button over the area to cover it up, or totally ignore it!  On the other hand, Debbie Caffrey is like I am,  the eternal perfectionist and cannot ride that galloping horse without seeing a mistake!  The book is presented in a Compare and Contrast work of art!

Cudo’s to Rebecca Cook (no relation) who is the 3rd VP for Programs with the Guild.  She is a newly Certified Quilt Appraiser and knowing Rebecca, she will be an excellent one.

I have FINALLY finished the remake of my Enduring Love #270 (see 26 May Blog for the original picture) and I changed the fabric in the 2nd border and the technique in making the borders.  The original pattern called for a mitered border, a non-mitered border, then another mitered border and that was a disaster for me.  This time I cut all of the border strips  (# 1-3) the same length (longest length for Border 3) and sprayed each strip with Magic Sizing to prevent any distortion on the last border of the Serpentine fabric.   I then sewed 4 sections consisting of Borders #1-3 together. I marked each corner of the Bird Medallion with a 1/4 inch mark, and sewed a stay stitch on Border 3 to prevent distortion.  Then I carefully measured and pinned and sewed the side border strip on first and then the top.   I used Marti Michell’s Miter Ruler to cut the mitered points and it turned out absolutely perfect!  What a great ruler to have.

So here I am at the point where I “think” I was around 26 May with this project.

I have also finished 2 more blocks for my Stars Across Texas quilt:

Well, tomorrow the Square in a Square borders will go on the Enduring Love #270 (hopefully).  We will see if they have a problem also, or if I have corrected all my “errors” that will provide a great quilt to enter in a Quilt Show next year!

I now have Threads of Memory, Sunbonnet Ladies, Stars Across Texas (almost), and Enduring Love #270 to complete and design settings!  Think I will be busy between now and time to scoot to Arizona…..

Have a great week – enjoy your time quilting!