Happy Memorial Day!

Happy Memorial Day weekend to everyone! I love the start of the summer season. Working at Mt. Rushmore every summer I was in college, I always enjoyed Memorial Day weekend because there was always that first big rush of summer tourist traffic.
This weekend was unlike most for us. We usually go home for the family branding, but since we're going to my parents next weekend we stayed home and I worked both Sat. and Sun. My quilting was severly hampered by working, but I did get quite a bit of quilting done.
Friday night I loaded Pop Parade on the frame and quilted swirls on it. If I had known how long swirls would take, I never would have done it. I quilted a couple hours Friday night, a couple hours Sat. night, and Sun. night I finally finished up. I was exhausted, only to pull it off the frame and realize the last three rows had bad tension issues, so I spent an hour Sun. night, two hours today, and still have a good foot left to take out before I put it back on the frame to finish quilting it. I was so mad, but I want it to look nice, so it's worth it.

Here's a close up of the quilting on it.

Jill and I had been discussing doing a One Block Wonder together. I had a grand idea to use our cowgirls fabric, but figured for my first one I should try something off the sale rack. I found this peach Koi fabric and I know my MIL loves it, so I'm going to make the first one for her. It matches the blue pillowcase and pants I made for her last week.

Today we had grand plans of going fishing since I was off. Paul had me up at the crack of dawn. We went to Wall Lake and New Underwood Lake, but it was pretty windy, so no luck. Paul says it's called fishing, not catching for a reason.
We got home in time for naps and to watch the postponed Nascar race. They were talking about the Indy car race and I thought of Jennifer and her well planned family vacation.
I had planned to go to Hancock's for their big sale today, so I headed out mid afternoon. I picked up several zippers and magnetic snaps for a professional tote I'm making. Elastic for more pants. Leather thimbles, a new flex light (for good lighting for ripping), button pins for working on OBW, and some new scissors like Jen had a retreat. They are a lot lighter than the ones I normally use, so aren't as weighty on my neck. Ran in to some co-workers so ended up spending time visiting too. I went to Lowe's for plants, Best Buy for headphones, and Shopko just to look. It was a nice (but windy) afternoon and it was so great just to look. My MP3 player was taken at the airport on my way to retreat in OH, so last week I got a new one... 8 GB and FM Tuner... Paul is so jealous. He tried to convince me I could have his 4GB one and he'd use the new one. Not gonna happen! I love my new player and have already filled it about half full. I hated the headphones that came with it, so I picked up some new ones.


This week is the first class for the professional tote bag class mom and I are teaching. I am making one for a friend, so I planned to get it all cut out this weekend. That didn't happen, but I did get the fabric. The dots will be on the outside, the brown is the contrast, and the one on the right is the lining. I think it will turn out great.

I worked on cutting out a Wonder Blocks quilt out of the Mocha Meringue fabric this weekend, but didn't get it all done, so tomorrow I'm taking it to work and will do it at lunch. Jill made me this awesome Tool Caddy to take with me to work, so I'm taking it along with my rotating mat and hopefully I'll get it all cut out.

I love the little mat, rulers, and rotary cutter, which I didn't have. I so wish we had a Joann fabrics around here, but we don't so I get what I can at Hancock's when they have 50% off notions like they did today.