Manic Monday

Hey ya'll, it's Monday.  What have you been up to the last few days.  I've been feverishly working on my challenge quilt for the Mountain Quiltfest in Pigeon Forge.

 I have until February 14th to get the quilt finished and postmarked to Pigeon Forge.  (Thankfully, I have a two-week buffer, because I can hand-deliver the quilt on February 28th and since I only live about an hour and a half from Pigeon Forge I can hand-deliver it.)  I don't plan to use my buffer period, but just in case it's there.

This quilt is a first for me in so many ways.  It is my first competition quilt.  It is my first fully custom designed quilt.  I used a picture of a painting to create this quilt.  It is my first hand-applique quilt.  One element has to be hand-appliqued when the quilting is finished to work.  This quilt has been quite challenging in many ways, but I am so excited to be working on it.  Sorry, but there are no pictures just yet.  I don't want to give away my design until it's shipped, but rest assured, as soon as it is shipped I'll share those pics, because I don't wanna keep it to myself!

Today was a busy work day for me.  12-hours at the hospital, now I am home and ready to work on some more sewing before my usual Tuesday do's.  While I've been working on my challenge quilt, I've also got a good portion of Bonnie Hunter's Grand Illusion Mystery on my design wall.  The GI mystery which you can read about in earlier posts has been quite fun.  Now I'm assembling the full top.

I wanted to share with you an exciting find from today.  Quiltmaker Magazine shared a picture on Facebook today of "A Girl Sewing" by Victor Hammershoi which was originally posted on "The Inbox Jaunt" and can be found by clicking the link.  I am so excited to find this and have the person in mind that I want to make this for.  The girl sewing is a paper-pieced design that finishes 20x21.  What an awesome gift for a quilting friend or to commemorate a loved one who once quilted.  Absolutely gorgeous!

The day tarries on, yet here I am still writing.  I hope you have enjoyed your Monday.  To our New England friends, stay warm and safe.  What perfect weather for quilting, all snow-bound.  As for us here, it is cold and windy.  We are supposed to be expecting a few inches in the mountains, but they've missed it the last few times so who knows.  I guess we'll know in the morning if the ground is white!  Whether you are warm or cold, snowing, raining, or sunny, wherever you are remember...

UNTIL NEXT TIME, QUILT ON!