String Challenge and More

I still haven’t gotten a lot done in the sewing department.  After I said that in another post a blog reader suggested that “I’m choosing life” over hobby and that has been exactly right.  Surprisingly I’m not one bit sad about it.  Besides some other things have been happening here that do take up lots of time.

Earlier this year we submitted a quilt I designed to a magazine.  They passed on it.  We submitted it to another magazine.  They took it.  Now, two months later the original magazine that we submitted to wants the quilt.  Well sadly, it’s too late.  So I scrambled to take some pictures of a few projects we had in the works to see if they wanted any of those…they did want one immediately.  That means more scrambling which is all okay…just something that has to be done.

In the meantime the magazine also asked if we had any pre-friendly designs so more scrambling again.  Some projects we design just to make and later when figuring out yardage we realize they could be pre-cut friendly.  Many quilts I design and then they just sit in files on the my computer.  I did some computer file digging and some calculating and come conference calls with Kelli.  After I write this I am off to figure out a quilt block and will be making a few test blocks.  It’s all part of the fun…and work.

BUT..Sunday was suppose to be my sewing day.  I had it all planned but you know know what they say, “Tell God your plans and then He laughs”.  That was the kind of day we had.

Hubby came home from work and started in on asking if I wanted to go to a garage sale.  No I really didn’t but I could tell he wanted to….Well it’s Spring and I’m likely not going to see him lots in the next month so I should go with him…right?  Yes, right.  There is nothing that I’m doing in the sewing room that has a firm deadline….so I started to say I could go with him when my phone rings….

It’s the antique mall that we have the booth at and a big piece that takes up a whole wall space sold.  They were going to arrange things the best they could but we should come soon and restock.  I told Hubby and he said “Let’s go”.  Well that involved a whole plan.  We had to go to Kalissa’s and get another big piece….load it up.  Did through our garage to find something…load it all up.  Load up the other box of things I had tagged…change clothes and go.

As I ran out the door I grabbed my string blocks.

I did manage to get all of the papers off of them.  YAHOO…that means I had a little progress in the string quilt challenge.

After restocking the booth, Hubby decided that we could stop at the garage sale on the way home.  I was okay with that.  We pulled into the yard and saw Diane Ihde.  Some of you might remember Diane as she attended the retreat we hosted last summer.  Diane asked if I was interested in rhubarb.  I said “ALWAYS”.  I explained that mine was just coming up, and asked it they had stalks already…she said, no-she had plants we could have.  WOW.  YES.  We use rhubarb all the time.  This was perfect.

I found a few things at the sale.  Hubby started a pile in one spot.  I started a pile in another.  I paid for my pile and he started loading and I went to dig rhubarb.  We got it dug…LOTS OF IT…and off we headed home.  We were laughing about how sometimes the day decides itself…and we really don’t NEED to make a decision as life makes it for us, kind of like the phone call from the antique shop did on this day.

We got home, I had to go to the bathroom so went straight into the house.  The door was open and Ruby was gone.  After a few panicked minutes, and a drive around town by Hubby and he found her….He pulled up to the house and said, “She’s going to need a bath…ugh. Great.

Oh my did she ever need a bath.  I don’t know where she had been or what she had been doing but but she stunk terribly.  It was a pig manure smell..AWFUL.  Just look at that dog of mine…..

She had black between her toes.  YUCK.

She HATES baths but I think she knew she was in trouble so did really well.

I had to scrub her down and shampoo her twice.  YUCK!   No posing for the camera now by Ruby…she was no happy.

As frustrating as all of that was, I was so happy we found her.

After that it was time to plant the rhubarb.  I’ll be honest, part of me thought about waiting the next night but I knew I would regret that.  To the garden I went.

Eight holes and eight plants later (and four buckets of water) it’s all planted.  I now have LOTS of rhubarb.  The only sad part about it is waiting out until next year to harvest from the newly gifted plants.  I can’t thank Diane enough for the rhubarb.  Hubby especially thanks her.   You can see my own rhubarb is getting bigger…harvest time is soon.  I more than doubled the number of plants I have.  I’m so happy.

While I was planting, Hubby was thatching with the lawn mower…and then got the lawn mowed.

It was about then with me covered in dog stink and dirt that I realized it was 6:20 and the dance recital that my childcare kiddos were in started at 6:30.  There was no way I could make it.  Oh…that did make me a little sad.  I had intended to go.

Feeling regretful I went to the truck to carry in my goodies from the garage sale only to realize the we forgot the pile of things that Hubby had in his pile on the freezer…a box of pepper and salt shakers and a scrabble game.  Oh well.  That happens.

So how much sewing did I get done on my “sewing day”….NONE.  ZIPPO.  Zero.

Earlier this week I did get this sewn together….It’s my churn dash blocks.  So far, LOVE IT.

Now…I’m off to take a bath. I still stink like dirty dog. YUCK!