2013-2014 Designer Mystery

Yes, it's that time again....Fat Quarter Shop's Designer Mystery BOM. 

I signed up for it last year not knowing if I'd keep up with it but I knew so many girls out there in blogland that were doing it so we kept one another challenged each month to do the block and git er done. 

This year they are using "Avalon" by Joanna Figueroa of Fig Tree Quilts, and it's fitting that block #1 was designed by Joanna to start it off.  The block is called "Strawberry Picking" and I must say, the fabrics are super cute and the block was easy peasy to make. 
OH....and again, FQ Shop was VERY generous with their cuts so I could probably make 2 blocks each month from what they send you.

If you were on the fence on doing this BOM, I'd urge you to go for it!
AND  if you were wishing you'd done last year's BOM, and want the patterns, let me know, I have them and would gladly share them with you.....

Only 3 days of work this week and then vacation until July 15th.

Juggling

Yes, I've been juggling....just a little  :)

Yesterday was the first day of summer and also the last day of school for the kids in our town.  Being a guidance office secretary that means there's lots of "juggling".  Award ceremony last week, final grades, promotion, retention meetings with kids and parents, TONS of phone calls from the sad aka angry parents that feel there kid should promote even though their final grade is 51.....and INSISTING no one did a thing all year to help their kid. 
School takes up about half of my day and then there's the juggling at home.  Do I do laundry, vacuum, dust, nap, sew???
Yes, I like a nice nap after school  :)    Hubby was away 8 of the last 10 days to different parts of the US and then there was the decision I had to make as to "when" to click the "retirement button" for the state of NJ.  
So, lots of "juggling" but in the end, I hit the button to retire January 1st, 2014 on Wednesday which gave me such a peace of mind...you have no idea!    I tell anyone that I know that is swaying on that front...Hit the Damn Button and you'd be surprised at how good you feel!

As for sewing.....I've started 2 new projects.  I have 25 of "Terry's Scrappy Stars" from last summer that were just calling to me the last few weeks so I had them laid out two different ways, one on pointe and one just side by side in rows.  The on-pointe setting won out for me.  I have a few rows connected as of late last night so I'll get some pictures taken today so that my next blog post is a little more colorful/picture friendly.

Happy Summer!!!


Peggy

Cross Stitch

     I've been back from retreat now for 2-3 weeks but just haven't felt much like blogging....I know...it's sad but I don't want to make excuses for being MIA.

      This has been the spring of "baby news" both at work and for a couple of friends of my daughter so I've been keeping busy with making, binding and wrapping up a few.  Last week however, the counselor I work with in school, Peggy (yes, we have the same name...and at one time there were 3 of us Peggy's in the guidance office) asked if I'd put a backing on a counted cross stitch quilt top she did for her daughter Jaclyn who's expecting in July.  As she said, just doing the cross stitch was a HUGE accomplishment for her.  She didn't have the ability to finish it off. 

       I brought it home from work on Wednesday and just set it aside, but when I remembered Friday night that the shower was next Saturday I went on a mission to find a nice backing for it.....Of course I had trouble making up my mind.  Flannel or cotton, polka dot or flowers?    I finally decided on a pink floral flannel and got to work on it.    I got the binding on late yesterday afternoon and popped it in the washer last night when I went to bed.  I just now took it out of the dryer and look at all it's crinkly goodness!!!!



"Z" is for Zebra