I'm planning to go to a quilt show in Ocala tomorrow (about a 90 minute drive). Sunday I am in the orchestra and handbell choir at church for three services and I have my clarinet choir rehearsal at night, so Sunday afternoon will probably be nap time!

I may get some sewing in tomorrow afternoon/evening.

Donna

I did one binding yesterday, two more to go. Surely I can get that done today or tomorrow. I did the first binding by machine and am quite happy with it so will try it with the rest.

Theresa

PS Donna, that is a lot of music. I did belong to our Church Choir for many years and enjoyed it greatly. New director, new direction, I had to step back but I miss it.

Linda, what fun times. At that age they seem to change daily,

Donna, be sure to sleep somewhere in there.

I'm gonna try, but I'll be working today, and selling raffle tickets at the Pinhoti 100 packet pick-up/carb load meal this afternoon. The grands will also be here for the weekend, but I can put them to work cutting scraps if I need to. I do hope to finish the tee shirt top for my tech.

We've had such unseasonably warm weather here that I've put off finishing the yard work, but I'd better get to it this weekend. These mid-60s won't last much longer. This is the longest spring freeze to fall freeze period on record for Minneapolis. We surpassed the old record of 204 days several days ago, and there's no freeze in sight.

I tried to quilt on a project I'm not too excited about last night, but I got nowhere. My daughter asked me to make a quilted table cover for her, and for some reason I'm just not "in to it." My scrap drawers are beginning to overwhelm me too. I just can't seem to cut up my scraps without a definite purpose. I can't get my head around Bonnie Hunter's system. I think I'm going to have to do some string quilts. Maybe that will help .

Theresa and Donna, I sing in a chorus too, and we're preparing for our holiday concert. We're doing Vivaldi's Gloria (glorious piece) and a very unusual John Rutter composition, When Icicles Hang.

I hope everyone has a lovely weekend.

Lois, I love the Vivaldi Gloria! I sang in the church choir for a lot of years, too. But like Theresa, we had leadership changes in the church and in the music ministry, and I just had to step back from choir. I've been struggling with staying in the bell choir, too...I do not like the new church leadership but I do like the new music leadership. So...I just keep going to bell rehearsal and not making a decision. :)

Donna

Another Vivaldi singer. We did that many years ago as part of a Community Choir. Loved it.

Also have done several Rutter pieces. Loved them all.

Now I am really missing choir! Boo-hoo.

Theresa

Donna and Theresa, I have been singing since 2000 in a community chorus, maybe not as much politics there. Happily, we've had the same fantastic director for over 20 years. He has a doctorate from Yale in choral and orchestral direction. He is demanding, but we have a lot of fun too. I hope he stays with us as long as I can carry a tune.

Well, I went to exercise class this morning and worked in the yard for a couple of hours. Now I'm going to work on the calendar for next year's golf league and then quilt. I promise!

Lois, I tried our local community choir for a short while. Some of the music was very challenging, which I enjoyed! But it was hard to get to know people, and they expect members to spend a lot of time fund raising, even though they pay dues. The director is very good and has won many awards, but he would turn up about 1 minute before the start of rehearsal and disappear as soon as we were done. I think that's what got to me - it seemed that unless you were in the "inner circle" he wasn't interested in knowing you.

I'm an instrumentalist first, anyway. :) I'm enjoying the clarinet choir. We're doing some really challenging music there, too, and it's great to get my chops back in shape!

Donna

I love this forum for the same reasons, Theresa! I love listening to our choir and hand bell choir in church, but I don't sing!

I am going to work on some scrappy quilt stuff this weekend. I loved one that Jackie brought to retreat and have copied her pattern - we will see how that comes out! :) I need to sandwich some of the tops I have finished, but that is my LEAST favorite thing to do. Tomorrow I need to make cupcakes for my DIL's baby shower which is on Sunday. I have the Harry Potter inspired quilt finished and wrapped and ready to go. I am so anxious for her to see it - I hope she loves it! I do need to do some yard work this weekend also - our porch renovation is almost complete and I am trying to find the sprinkler heads that were buried under the 6' tall mound of dirt in our front yard. I know they are there somewhere ... too bad we have already had the sprinkler system blown out for the winter, it might be easier to blast water through. Oh well.

Sue

My singing days are over but I have my memories singing with family members. Mostly solo, duets, trios and quartets while playing piano......no church choirs as I was the one at the piano, but I hummed along anyway. :-)

I finished up a UFO today. That's the 4th one completed this year and with the 4 UFO tops I've sent for donation, that's 8 UFO's taken care of. Yippee-skippee! Of course we won't talk about the 6 new tops that are now UFO's. It's no wonder I can't catch up! Oh well, that's what it's all about.......having fun. Now I need to inventory to see what I can get done over the week-end.

I can't seem to make myself drag into the sewing room here lately, and I have a quilt under the needle as we speak, waiting to finish free-motion. But since there is a lot to do outside because the weather is nicer and it's not so sloppy wet, and we are in the throes of getting the Winter garden out and conquering the weeds, it's hard to settle back inside. It will happen. As for wandering OT, I don't know the Gloria piece but I do love Vivaldi's Four Seasons.

Theresa, I too love how this thread can wander each week.

To me, this forum represents a group of friends having a coffee and cookie, starting off on one subject and then branching off into "what's happening at home". And as friends, we can relate, sympathize, encourage and enjoy. I used to belong to a small bridge group. We started off playing cards and then got sidetracked with our discussions. We finally had to keep a note pad handy and jot down what we wanted to share later over coffee.

Thank you friends!

Theresa

Sewing some table runners in Christmas prints, piesces all cut and ready to sew.

Weekend finishes, And while cleaning up the cutting table, I found a basket of two and half inch squares. More treasures. Theresa

PS the fellow next door is a hunter, thus the orange jackets on his line.

I just love those half circle squares interspersed. Continuing on the musical theme...wee just got home from a weekend in South Bend. The Symphony concert was a selection of John Williams music. It was wonderful and a lot of fun. They had people come out on stage in Star War costumes and the kids in the theater went nuts.

I've got to pick the eggplant still on the vine...can you believe it? and make some eggplant Parmesan. It's already 2 pm and I have to unpack, etc, so I don't see any sewing today, but sometimes a girl has to do what a girl has to do...so I may. He He He

Beautiful quilts!

Bev that sounds like a fun concert!

Wow, Theresa, you got so much done this weekend. Beautiful quilts, every one.

Bev, I just popped some Mideastern eggplant and lamb mixture into the oven. Tis the season for eggplants, that's for sure.

Couldn't help myself. Got to the sewing room and am putting on sashing trying to get the top together.

Theresa - beautiful quilts!

Bev - I'd listen to anything by John Williams!

Love the red/white/and black quilt! I might have to add that to my "wish list"!

Sue

How was the shower on Sunday, Sue? Did Mama-to-be love the quilt?

Theresa

PS we just got word that Great grandchild number 2 is on the way and it is a girl. Must start looking for a special pattern.

I actually got to do some quilting this past weekend!! Seems like it's been ages since it saw the light of day! I've been busy with costume modifications for my daughter's Nutcracker performances. It's a local show, and she has the lead as Clara this year! Needless to say we're all very excited! It's an honor to be chosen. Anyhow, I'm finally caught up with all the costumes, so, I hope I can get back to quilting. They're staring me down every time I walk into the sewing room!

I have less than 1/4 of assembly on my HoopSister's Sewn Seeds quilt. I'm debating on adding more to the border. I'll post some pictures when I get there to see what you guys think??

I was also like the rest of you and did yard work this past weekend. Looks like it may have been the last one of really nice weather. It was a very enjoyable afternoon.

I played piano for the choir in high school. I love music, but never could sing :-)

Robbi

Robbi, congratulations to your daughter! I'm sure she's both excited and terrified to have the lead in The Nutcracker! It sounds like she got her musical talent from you. :) And kudos to you, too, for altering the costumes. My mom got roped into a few school costume projects so I know it can be a thankless job.

Donna

Theresa, the baby shower was great and mama loved the quilt - as did her sisters and her mom. My outlaw ( DIL's mom) said she hopes that when her other 2 girls get married and have kids I will consider making quilts for them, as well. I brought the quilt home with me so I can add a label once baby is born. DS and DIL came for dinner last and he saw it for the first time and really loved it too.

Robbi, congrats on your daughter's role. That is great - lots of work for both of you!

Sue