an end to block parts and a start to blocks

The wedding quilt and all its many pieces continues to trudge along...

These look quite similar to me, but maybe that's because I've made so many?

There is one set of block parts missing here on the blog (and in my photos) and I'm not sure if I forgot to photograph them or what.  But I'm sure I made them!

Once these block sections were done (and they were time consuming - about an hour and a half per set!), I set them all out and added sashing strips.  Each block gets 12 strips and they are all different, so I had some work to do.  I have no photos of that pile, but I assure you, it is waiting for me in the sewing room!

Yesterday I got some time to myself (the hubby started his two week vacation on Friday, so it's gonna be a rough stretch) and I ran into the sewing room and turned out the first full block!

I'm pretty excited with how it turned out.  It's a little brighter in real life, but I can't for the life of me figure out why my phone refuses to take true-color photos.  I could look at the phone and the block under it and SEE the differences in colors.  What's up with that?  I edited the photo a little to brighten it up, but that's a whole other skill.  (Cue the eyerolls.)

After this, I decided to tackle some of the fabric for the kitties.  No proof, but I have five very large covers finished (they're cut 36x57 and hemmed just slightly).  That knocked out two of the fabrics on the stack.  12 more to go!

(Not to worry, I'm sure more fabrics will be donated before I finish this set!)

When the hubby got home yesterday, it was time to do what he wanted to do: build the catio he purchased months ago.  And while I'm not sure this is going to go quite as he anticipates (there seems to be an aggressive stray around lately), I wanted the 3 very large boxes out of the side of my living room where my desk and doorway to the longarm room are.  It's not in HIS way, but very much in mine.

This is after about 3 hours of work.  The directions are drawings only (aside from a screw ID letter and how many to use) and not terribly helpful for things like making sure pre-drilled holes are on the right side of the unit.

Things went faster after a 30-minute break where the hubby went out and bought a new electric drill and bit extender to screw in the many, many, many screws.

There are a lot of shelves and such that need to be added, plus a clear plastic roof, but I have to work later today, so we'll see how this goes.  (I got up early to do my chores and he's still sleeping, so I'm safe for now!)

I'll have to give you an update next week - along with finished photos.

And finally, the reading.  I'm nearly finished with a second book for this week, but life has been a little busy (work added a shift, which I'm glad for) and I'm tired at night.  This week will be even tricker with the hubby home all the time.

But I did finish one book!

This one was pretty good.

A young girl (13) is able to heal, and though she has known this for a number of years, she knows to keep it secret.  A tragic accident prompts her to heal her best friend and, thanks to the magic of the internet, the whole world knows very soon after.

As you would expect, her skill brings out all sorts of people, including a lot of fanatics and crazies.  They overrun her small town and make demands of her, also as you'd expect.  Her father, the police chief, buddies up with a televangelist, and they try to manage the people and her.

The trouble is that this healing takes a lot out of her and the only person who doesn't seem to want anything from her is the best friend that she healed.  (I'm not sure he would have asked her to do it in the first place.)

So this is the story of her and those around her trying to navigate this and keeps you hoping till the end that things won't end the way you think they probably will.

A sad book, despite the healing.

The next book is also kinda sad, but seems to be taking a positive twist.  We'll see, though, as there are a lot of players that could screw it up.

And that's it for my week.  Of course there was weeding the garden (goodness that was a long chore, but with a lot of rain and then sunshine, the weeds took off!) and flowers and work and the usual chores.

Wish me luck to get anything much done this week with the hubby home...he is VERY good at sitting on the couch doing absolutely nothing until I look busy and then all of a sudden he wants me to drive to the big town north of us to look for a drill bit or something.  (We have plenty of stores here that sell such things, so I don't know what his deal is.)  He bribes me with promises of lunch out.

Happy quilting and such!

Katie