Greetings from South Texas where who knows what the weather will be – we are still in the warm Spring type weather! Â Lovely high humidity and in the mid-70’s. Â We are ‘expecting’ rain tonight, but then we have been expecting rain for 4 days!!! Â So guess we will just continue looking out the window to see what happens!
I now have my great back brace, and I am really enjoying it. Â It has made me realize that I have NOT been standing up straight as I have always done. I guess this comes with age and when we sit at the sewing machine, or standing at our cutting tables, we begin to slouch and ruin our posture. Â Try to keep this in mind so that you do not end up as I have.
I have had the best 15 days of a New Year since 2014!!! Still trying to increase my walking and step goals to be over 6000 per day and I have kept up with the pace, although this morning I really did not think I would be able to do the 35 minutes, but I did and was looking for my chair when I finished. Â But when you walk in 93% humidity sometimes it is just not fun! Â Oh where is our winter for 2017!
Today I finished sewing the binding on the 5 projects that I quilted this week. Â Somehow I did not get to work in my Studio on the binding the last 2 days – let’s say that it was “unforeseen” requirements that took over. Â My goal is to have them all completed by Wednesday, if not before!


I am also determined to finish those lovely grapes and the bird’s beak on Block 5 of A Bountiful Life project! Â There are a few areas where I am going embroidery a few short-short stems and one area where I am not interested in doing circles in bias twigs! Â I will embroidery that area and just make it mine! Â I wonder what I was thinking when I did the wings? Â Probably pulled the yellow from the orange, but I like it! Â My quilt will really be different from the others who have made this quilt in Reproduction fabrics. Â I love my batiks.

I have a clothes rack where I hang quilts that need to be quilted. Â Now some of them have been begging to be quilted for a while, so as you can see, I must prioritize this effort. Â I was going to quilt Threads of Memory, but decided to do all the smaller projects and work up to the larger ones. Â I will send 2 of the quilts out for a professional job to enter in the SA Show this year. Â I know that the Judges would absolutely count me off if I do my free motion meandering and I do not want to take the time to spend to learn how to become more proficient. Â I am just hoping I can find an excellent quilter to do the job! I do not want a 2014 repeat, thank you very much!!! Â (OH there is that purple monstrosity that I started 2016 with and do not want to work on it at this time – I need to put something in the baskets. Â If I did not have so much time and money invested it would go away to the “never see again” basket called Trash Can)

For my next quilting project, I have decided to quilt a wall hanging from Lynette Jensen that I made during one of our trips to Arizona – which year….maybe 2012? Â I need to embroidery some stars on the blue part and then it will be loaded and quilted! Â YEA.

Now I must think of what I am going to do for RSC 2017.  How about Sue Garman’s OMIGOSH! – it is a highly technical and challenging project.  Do I want to make it a year-long project that will drive me nuts but would remind me of Sue who was such a wonderfully gifted Designer every step of the way?  She passed away in the last week or so and she will be missed by the quilting world!  I really am leaning toward this quilt as a project to work on during the day, but before I start I must study color placement and do a few test blocks to make sure that all will go well with the endeavor.  When looking for the Flag pattern I found an old Lynette Jensen Bow Tie pattern that might really be easier and more in tune to use the RSC 2017 project .  Of course I may also start Robin’s Nest for my piecing project.  Heck why not start all three?  I could really head for the nut house by May….
Well, have a great holiday if you are still working, if not, continue to enjoy retirement and quilting! Â It has been so peaceful here today and I have accomplished so much this week! Â I am hoping to sell my Husqvarna embroidery unit through one of my guilds this week. Â Cross my fingers. Â Someone out there might need it and I have only used it close to 40 hours since I purchased my Designer 1, only to find out I did not like it!
I am so excited about our 45th President and his Inauguration, I wish our country would come together and support him and his Amazing Cabinet selections. Â He is going to be America’s President and support the great citizens of this Nation.