As you may or may not recall, when I left you on Friday, I was heading out to the motorhome all by myself. What was the first thing I did? I took a two hour nap! I felt like a new person.
I wish you could have seen where I was parked. We keep the motorhome in the airplane hanger. Now this is a little town with a little airport. (I probably heard about 8 take-0ffs and landings in the two days I was there!) The little airport is out in the country. And it’s ugly. The grass is still brown and there was a dirty pile of snow left. Isn’t the view inspiring???
What you don’t see is the lake on the other side. Actually, it’s just a drainage issue.
But who cares as long as it’s nice and quiet inside. I started with some redwork. I had about an hours worth of work left on my very first piece.
I realized when I was almost finished that I’d done the entire thing in stem stitch, which isn’t really the right way to do redwork. So I put it away. I finished it on Friday and sewed it into a quilt.
I don’t love it. The little blue border isn’t cutting it, but neither did anything else I auditioned. I’m hoping the quilting will transform it. I’ll probably scallop the border and it will look cute hanging in my sewing room.
It was close to midnight when I finished the first quilt. So did I do the smart thing and go to bed? Nope! I decided to cast on for Maplewing. Um, that was only 600 stitches. Then did I do the smart thing and go to bed? Nope! I had to do the first row, which was a pattern row. What do you do when you have a 39 stitch repeat over 600 stitches? You count very carefully and hold your breath toward the end of the row. It worked!!! Then did I go to bed? Yes, because it was 4 AM.
I slept til noon on Saturday and then I finished the borders on Fanciful Flowers.
I’m loving this quilt. It’s going to hang right where it is in my kitchen when it’s quilted.
Here’s another shot with the bottom reflected on the countertop. This quilt was featured on The Last Piece a few days ago. The pattern for this quilt came from Material Obsession and Sarah is one of the authors.
I’ll be back soon with another quilt that was finished and some knitting.
And now, it’s home school time.
Passing Down Crazy 
April 6, 2009 at 9:40 am
I would love to go spend two days in my motor home alone. How wonderful for you.
April 6, 2009 at 12:08 pm
I’m out of breath just reading about what you accomplished. The quilts are lovely. And I’m dying to see the 600-stitch-cast-on shawl. Is it spring your way yet?
April 6, 2009 at 1:07 pm
I love the red quilt, I think it is something I would probably hang in my bedroom if I had enough oomph to plan and execute a quilt that looks that nice.
April 6, 2009 at 5:16 pm
Reply to your reply: must confess the picture is from last year, a little later in the season–I just thought everyone needed a bit of cheer. In our parts we take our chance on the long weekend in May (around the 18th), and to be safe, we wait till the end of May. The early birds who want their choice of colors, or best pots, will come early, then carry them in-and-out-and-in-and-out.
By the way, what IS the proper embroidery stitch for redwork?
April 7, 2009 at 10:04 am
i am with Georgi, I love the red quilt, I love all of your quilts and I can’t wait to see the knitting.
I want to be you when I grow up!!!!
April 8, 2009 at 10:36 am
Love the redwork quilt. I love the flower quilt. I also want to be you when I grow up (aka: get my act together).
I’m thinking of buying a quilting machine. Are they fairly user friendly or do you have to be a mechanical engineer to figure out how it works?
June 1, 2009 at 3:52 pm
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE that fanciful quilt. I have to get my hands on that pattern!