goals for 2020?!

I'm not quite finished with the Pantone Challenge quilt, so not quite ready for the reveal.  But...since my last post, I did sew the binding on the machine side...

Photographic proof!

But first, the binding needed to be finished on the baby quilt.  So that could go into the mail today.  The shower is Sunday and I wasn't sure if I would get the day off (and have asked for quite a few other days this summer, so didn't want to push my luck by asking for too many!). So there's another big share that will happen soon!

So, the hand-sewing of binding on the Pantone quilt will commence soon.  Perhaps tonight?  There's a show on at 10pm, so maybe I'll make up late enough to watch that and work on binding then?  I mean, I still have a few more days before it's due, so why not procrastinate a little more?!

In the meantime, the winners of the judged Modern Mini Challenge were announced today.  Kim Lapacek, the gal who co-hosted the Project Quilting challenges, won third place!  Me?

Considering I never thought I'd get anything, this feels pretty good to at least have placed.  I mean 16th is nothing amazing, but it's better than about 60 other people who entered, so I'm going to be happy with this.  Particularly considering this is the first challenge I've entered that is judged.  (Well, there was that guild challenge for AQS a few years back, but that was based on all the guild entries, not just mine, so we'll not count that, okay?!)

(And I just realized they did not list me as Katie, as I entered, but Katherine, as my e-mail shows.  Doggone it.  I'm so tired of people not looking at what my name is and assuming I'm Katherine all the time.  I mean, I am, but seriously folks?  LOOK AT THE E-MAIL TEXT.)

And it seems I've actually won a little prize!  I'll share more on that when it arrives.

This weekend, the hubby seemed determined to get me to buy something at a quilt shop.  He actually stopped at two on the same day - offered to stop, no less.

I decided it was time to make new pillowcases for my bedroom.  Remember two years ago we repainted it and I put on my purple and grey quilt (has it really been two years?!), but in the meantime I've had pink bunny sheets and such.  So about a week ago, I found some grey chambray-look sheets that were perfect.  And the extra pillowcases that didn't have minions or dogs in pool floaties seemed the next obvious step!

I found both fabrics at my actually-local quilt shop.  I love the purple "spiderwebs" even if it does look a bit like the underside of a mushroom to me, rather than the designer description of spiderwebs.

And then, as I was groaning at having to press those French seams back on themselves, knowing I'd scorch my fingertips, I remembered the seam roller I'd won as part of one of the Project Quilting challenges.

Game changer.

No scorched fingers.

I did follow up with a good steamy press, just to make sure, but this was so easy.  That step is the hardest part (well, other than choosing flannel fabric and having to pull that "burrito" apart...but I've learned that lesson!) and now it's so much nicer.

And considering I just eyeballed the color in the store - had no actual fabric with me - I think I did pretty darn well!

My bedroom is now complete.  Well.  The carpet is still a little old and gross, but that's fine for now.  Not on the agenda to be replaced yet.

Once the pillowcases were made and that fabric out of the way (I figured instead of moving it around and around, I'd just as well sew it up and be done), I started into my next project...

I decided that instead of putting the Pantone leftovers back into my stash, I would just make another quilt with them.

A quick tour of Pinterest, and I found a project that seemed perfect.  Simple, yet scrappy.  And a free tutorial from the gal who hosts the Hands 2 Help quilt drive, too!

And as I was cutting pieces, it occurred to me that perhaps if I made a quilt a month, I'd have 12 to donate next year.  12?  12!

Hands 2 Help 2020 has begun!  (At least at my house!)

I started sewing yesterday, which is no easy feat.  The hubby, being off last week and this week, has been fairly distracting.  So getting time to sew is not always easy.  (And when you do start, he decides he needs something else...or stands in the doorway in a somewhat creepy manner...)  I was determined to have the first set of blocks finished.

I win!

Tonight after a particularly trying day at work (I had more than my share of grumpy customers), I decided to sew the other set of blocks!

I cranked up the rowdy tunes that I love so much and sewed like a maniac.

This was not without troubles...

...I solved one problem only to create another.

Thankfully, I had two more spools of grey in my basket next to the sewing table, so my progress was not slowed any.  Thread hoarding Planning ahead win!

But I see this trend of running out of thread lately.  Hmmm...not a fun trend!

Tomorrow the layout of the quilt will commence, but first the design floor needs a good vacuuming.  And the hubby is in bed, so it will wait.  (He also seems to be allergic to the new vacuum - every time I use it and he's home, he goes around sniffling for a few hours.  It's a very good, expensive vacuum, so I have no idea what is going on.  He says I'm kicking up dust.  No, I'm sucking it up.  It should not be bothering him, but I don't think he's faking it!)  So we'll see how this goes tomorrow.

In the meantime, I'm trying to take care of the chores I usually do after a Tuesday morning shift at work that I neglected for sewing.  (Blogging may or may not be one of them...but it's been about a week, so it was time...)

And oh dear, there are no cats in this post.

This is an old one of Gabby, but it makes me giggle that she burrowed her head in the pillows there and took a snooze.  She is always doing goofy stuff, but moves so doggone fast, you rarely get a good photo of her antics.

Time to go get the dishes washed and then decide if I'm awake enough to watch an hour of television too!

Happy quilting,

Katie