I had just announced on Facebook that I was going to design and release 13 Days of Halloween designs on my website, www.CraftyDeb.com and then this popped up?! Now I'm in overdrive mode... sort of.
I have to admit that I'd be much further along in my somewhat spooky crochet designs but I've taken too many personal days for one reason or another. I will say this now. I don't think I'm going to be able to whip out 13 designs. I'm finishing up #6 and getting ready to move on to #7 but they take time... which is one thing I don't have a lot of. I have to get these done, edited, tested, photographed and set up to be released and no later than Oct 11th, I need to be in a car, driving 13 hours (how appropriate!) to get to Jersey for pre wedding assistance for my sister... It would be better if I could get there earlier but it is what it is. I'm doing the best that I can. So, I've got about 10 days to finish 7 crochet designs, find a dress or pantsuit that I can cram my body in to (which involves shopping and emotional distress), and run the household which involves shopping, cooking and some degree of housework all the while juggling the quilting process for finishing two quilts... I know that I won't be able to do it all. If I come even close, I'll be amazed.
Last week I did take a step toward the completion of quilt #1... my sister's quilt... I thought I'd share a pictural process of the way it went together...
Here is the first step - frame out square pieces of fabric...
My friend Jen offered to quilt it for me. She has a nice longarm machine. I'm going to be owing her something in return... she hates doing bindings so it looks like I'll be doing some binding for her. I was thrilled that she offered to quilt it for me. It will help me tremendously to get this done in time. I really don't like mailing quilts. Too many of them disappear in transit...
In the middle of making this quilt top, I also had gone on a road trip with a few members of my quilt guild. We went to the Birmingham Quilt and Sewing Expo. My favorite booth was the Gypsy Quilter. They had really cool quilts and gadgets, one of which I already own and blogged my high praise for.
They demonstrated a quilt they call the Less than Traditional Quilt. The pattern and ruler & template was available for sale but it was killing me. I was pretty sure I had what I needed already... as in I thought I had the template already... turns out I have templates for making a double wedding ring... but it still was itching at me that I had seen it before so I checked online. Yup. There's a free tutorial for that... so it's a quilt as you go project and that is what I'm going to be starting on today for my niece. It's going to be cool - and when I'm done piecing it, it will be finished which in this short notice situation is just what the quilt doctor ordered! I'll post pics when I'm done with it.
No worries about spoiling the surprise for either of them. Neither of them have ever been to my personal website or read my blog. I feel the spoiler pictures are safe here.