NEW PROJECT

 Here we go again - instead of doing things I should be doing, I've started a new project.

I was sorting through some containers and came across the 'letters' I had made during one of Joe Cummingham's monthly workshops.  He had us making easy letters and then putting an 'X' through them.  I realized I could make the word 'bird', so I made that.

That was a few days ago.  So, I stopped at Goodwill looking for some floral fabric that would work with these colors - yellow, grey and rust.  I found a Hawaiian shirt, of 100% silk, that might work.  I brought it home, washed it and then cut it up.

Then I just started making more weird blocks.  I don't know where this is going...

CHANGE OF PLAN

 I'm always not sure of what I'm doing when I start quilting on a new project.  I know it would be better to think these things through before starting, but I don't.  And sometimes it hurts.

While on my walk this morning I decided that what I had done yesterday was wrong.  So first thing today I had to pick out some of what I did yesterday.

INT'L DOG DAY

 We stopped at Starbucks to get my morning coffee and Jelly got a Pupachino because it's International Dog Day.

She had half and we took the rest home to Jax, who saved it for after his morning Chicken Jerky treat.

FMQ STARTS

 I've started free-motion quilting on my Flowers II.  

MOVING THE THREADS

 I watched a video while sewing this morning and decided to move my threads to above the Kona bookcase, like I'd seen in the video.  I've had them on a shelf next to my sewing machine and they were hard to get in and out of there.  It makes more sense to have them be in a more accessible spot and put some stuff I don't use as often in the their less-accessible place.

Before

After

CACTUS FLOWER

 

NINE-PATCH PI QUILTED

 I finally finished the quilting on the Nine-Patch Pi Quilt.

It's fabulous!

PIPING AND PETS

 Amazon delivered the piping and zipper I needed to finish the dog bed cover.  The piping was a little smaller in diameter than I'd like to have had, but it was all I could find.  I now have a big spool of it, too.  I rounded the corners of the panels to make it easier to attach the piping and went for it.

Sewing on the piping with a zipper foot.

The zipper was easy to install, but sewing the sides to the panels was a bit more challenging.  Engineering is always fun though.

Once I got it all together I jammed the big blanket he's been using and they took turns trying it out.

I think they approve.

SEAMQG PROJECT

 I volunteered to help sew together the blocks for a Seattle Modern Quilt Guild's community giving quilt.  They sent the blocks and a plan on how to put them together.

I got the top third of the quilt.

It went together quite quickly and easily.

It's a bit too pink for my taste!

DOG BED

 I pulled out the panels I made from denim a while ago.  I started them in a Sherri Lynn Wood workshop, but was uninspired and frustrated, so I set them aside. 

So, when Joe Cunningham talked about denim in his Quilt Freedom Workshop today, I thought I'd see about finishing them and making a dog bed cover.

In order to cut down on the frustration I squared up the parts I had and filled in any blank areas.

Here are the finished panels, 30" by 34".  I ordered some piping and a zipper, which will be here in a few days.

DONE WITH JURY DUTY

 We heard the closing arguments and the Judge's instructions and then they pulled two numbers out of a hat to see who would be the alternate jurors.  My number was picked.  I was excused and got to leave.  I'm done.

It was a beautiful day, so I left the Courthouse and walked north on 4th Avenue.  I didn't want to go home, but I didn't have a destination.  I was just enjoying myself.

Good bye Seattle, I probably won't be back for a while unfortunately.

I rode the C bus home and Darrell picked me up at the Barton Street P-Patch.

LOTS TO SEE

 There are plenty of interesting things to see going to and from downtown Seattle on my way to Jury Duty.

LUNCH AT COLUMBIA TOWER

 I discovered there is a big food court in the base of the Columbia Tower, three floors of vendors in fact.  So, I've been having my lunch, that I bring from home, there, while on Jury Duty.

We have an hour and a half for our lunch break, so I have plenty of time to sketch, too.

This one took me a while because of all the angles.  I didn't get a chance to ink it.

QUILTING FM PI

 I finally decided on how to quilt the Nine-Patch Pi quilt.

I'm doing a totally free-motion curvy, loopy line from bottom to top.

P.S. we got this Monday off from Jury Duty for some reason, but it's back at it tomorrow.  I probably won't be able to get back to quilting this.  I hope I can pick up on the same rhythm and motion so it looks consistent.

TOMATOES

 Darrell planted only tomato plants in our backyard garden this year.  He's in the process of trying to eliminate the purslane that has overtaken everything.

So, in the meantime, our vegetable garden is mostly dirt.

Here is one of the three tomato plants.  They are setting fruit, but everything is still green.

GOLD AND PURPLE

 I started a new project.  I'm going to use the gold to brown fabrics in my number 23-24 scrap bucket, which is overflowing, along with a much less full bucket of it's compliments, purples.

I want to use the same method I used when I made Blissfully - strip sets.

I'm not sure it's going that well.

FRIDAYS OFF

 We've still been going for our morning walks in Lincoln Park before I head downtown for Jury Duty, but we get Fridays off, so it was a more relaxed (and beautiful) walk this morning.

DOWNTOWN FUN

The weather is perfect and it's a beautiful day, but I'll be spending it inside the King County Courthouse, again.  Can't talk about it.

 But, I can say, I found out my new knees set off the metal detector every time.  [sigh]

The Smith Tower saying good morning.

Lots of KC Sheriffs keeping us safe.

I was the first one into the Jury Room this morning, so I sketched it.

Another view of the KC Courthouse with the Smith Tower

FIRST DAY OF JURY DUTY

Well, it finally happened, I got called for Jury Duty.  We were first asked to fill out a questionaire online.  Then a few days later, we attended voir dire on a zoom call where they asked more questions.

Out of the 155 people interviewed I was picked!  It supposed to last several weeks.

So, I took the 120 bus and reported to the King County Courthouse downtown.

But, I can't talk about it.

Elevator bank in the KC Courthouse

2007 photo from Wikipedia

It's a beautiful building, built in 1916, full of marble and oak.  But, I hate the old elevators.  

[I have a phobia about elevators!]

PHOTO DAY

 Darrell had his studio set up to take the pictues of his Fremont Chest of Drawers.  When he was done he took pictures of some of my quilts.

'Flowers' by Barbara Brackman from 1998

TURNED AGAIN

 While talking with the Brave Patch group it was decided that anyway orientation of my new Dancing With The Wall quilt top looks okay.

None seem to be better.  Here's another way: