PT surprise, Cindy embroidery, BG new quilt top

I had a ton of computer work (mostly letters to write and unfortunately another sympathy note to write) and so spent most of Wednesday morning (12/20) at the computer. You know, the PT person was worried about me sitting at the sewing machine too long…but that is never the case…I sew for 5 – 7 minutes….get up and iron….sew a bit longer…and get up and take stuff off of the design wall. I am constantly hopping up and down when I sew. Now…sitting at the computer? That’s another matter entirely…that’s where I can spend an hour (or definitely more) sitting and doing stuff!!! Anyway….I’ve gotta be more careful with computer sitting.

So….when I went for my PT appointment yesterday, the receptionist (who I found out is a quilter) was wearing a knit cap as she was bald. Bald to me speaks of long term cancer treatment….and I couldn’t get her out of my mind. You know, quilters are always making things and giving them to others….and I wondered if anyone had made a quilt for her. So, first thing this morning I called and left a message at the desk, asking if my PT therapist could call me for a FIVE MINUTE call…..now I know that was really pushy…the therapist just met me yesterday and would resonably wonder what she was getting herself into....if I was just some needy patient who would be bothering her all the time! I have a massage scheduled and have to leave at 11…I’m dawdling because it’s time to leave and she hasn’t called back yet and I’m sure she’s gonna call while I’m gone. I finally decide I HAVE to head out the door or I’ll be late and the phone rings….it’s my PT lady and I talk really fast and say ‘’thanks so much for calling back…it has nothing what-so-ever to do with my PT and everything to do with your receptionist who I believe is having a long term health issue?’’ She hesitantly says yes and I say ‘’the thing is…I know she’s a quilter and I'm a quilter and lots of times no one thinks to make a quilt for the quilter and I wonder if you could find out what her favorite color is? I’m running out the door, but if you find out, could you just call and leave a message’’? And I run out the door for my massage…when I get home, the message light is blinking and the message is…..LIME GREEN! OK....I didn't really think this through....I thought the answer would just be green or blue or whatever, and I would look at my stack of batiks in that color (thank you Corinne!!) and make up the pattern I had in mind.....but LIME GREEN.....so very specific.....what do I do with that? Do I pair it with blue? With purple? With blue AND purple? Now I have a dilemma. So, I head downstairs and I google ‘’lime green quilts’’ just to make sure I’m thinking of the right shade…and when I see the stuff on line, I remember the fabric ordering frenzy that 4 of us went through at retreat to order the lime green Kaffe Fassett fabric after Pat finished her quilt (if you want to see it, it’s the first quilt under Leila’s gray-ish pillow cases: https://dreamsoaps.wixsite.com/website/post/fiber-floozie-retreat-2023). So…I sent the picture to the Floozies to ask if they see that as lime green…and while I was waiting for answers, I started to go through my BQ patterns. I got affirmatives from everyone, so guess what….I’m setting everything else aside and I’m gonna do my best to pull this together for next week! This is part of the joy of owning my own longarm…that I don't have to depend on anyone else to get this completely finished....also, I gotta check the fabric sales at Hobby Lobby, because I want to buy that luxury fleece that is extra soft for the back. WISH ME LUCK!!!

I remembered that I had seen some black/white fabric in my stash a little while ago….so I located that. I found the perfect piece…..unfortunately I only had a yard…and I need 46 inches….so I had to go with my second choice and I started cutting:

I made a quick half a cheese sandwich for dinner, and continued sewing until after 8 PM….Michael was totally on board once I told him the story. I got to a good stopping place and headed upstairs to collapse and watch TV.

You know the best thing about this whole situation? I have been feeling kinda blah lately....and have had a hard time motivating myself to cut fabric, or start a new project. I've been wasting a lot of excellent quilting time. Well....not anymore! I feel totally energized and so happy about this project.....I can't wait to see it come to life!

A few more gorgeous pictures....a quilting/machine embroidery friend decided at the last minute that she needed something extra for her daughter, and 187,765 stitches later (which took several days!) it was done:

Doesn't that bow look 3-D??? I had to write Cindy to ask if it was....it's not!

And BG took a wall hanging center she made YEARS AGO....and found fabric that looked great with it and turned it into a beautiful lap quilt. She just had the center...inside the pinkish/purple strip, done as a wall hanging:

*** I decided to make sure my honey woke up with a BIG SMILE on his face this morning….now he says I can’t have Sharpies in the house anymore. ***