Finally.....

...got downstairs to the studio tonight!  I was determined!  Left the store around 8:15 P.M. after closing and when I walked in the door, I thought - I'm so tired!  But, I also thought that if I didn't go downstairs, if I stopped to turn the TV on upstairs, if I sat down - that would be it!  Another night/day would go by with no quilting done!

So - I talked Jonathan into making me coffee and down I went....here's what's been done so far on Country Haven - I only have the last 3rd to do and my brain "seemed" to be working so I started piecing the top row.....I was motoring along, finishing up the first block and piecing the second (I have a chain going all the time so I was already half way through the second block), when I realized I put the first block together backwards....so I sat and unstitched while Rich and I gabbed on the phone only stabbing myself once......

 I'm not sure what's going on with the camera these days but it seems to add this lovely (not so much) yellow hue to everything - the light fabrics are actually beiges.....

Below is the block I was having trouble with the other night!  You know the "easy" block which I cut wrong twice!  I really was tired......I'd show you the pattern but I can't seem to find the pattern cover!  Unbelievable - and yet I am sooooooo organized down here!
I'm sure it will turn up at some point.....

In any event I managed to finish two blocks of Country Haven and I started the 3rd block before I decided I'd had enough..... I admit this quilt is a bit tedious because I am really trying to match it to Kim Diehl's pattern and the photo I have is not a very good one, but I am determined, so it's going very slowly.  I have 10 more blocks to do and then the centre will be done and I can start on the appliqued borders....woohoo!  They will probably go alot faster then the rest of the quilt!

Today was Thursday Sit & Sew and I took a few pictures of quilts on the go but I got so excited about Nancy's Aunt Millie's Garden that I completely forgot!  I will try to get them posted on Cock A Doodle tomorrow......

My realtors did an Open House this morning for other realtors and no one showed up!  Tanzie said she wasn't surprised because it was so cold but I'm not impressed at all!   She's doing another Open House this weekend, ugh!  I'm so tired of this - I feel like I should just move and be done with it!  It would just be really nice to get my life back (and my stash - I mean really that's what's really bugging me!).....Oh to be able to have 5 projects on the go - all over the house, ha, ha!  You know, one by the TV, one by the Janome Gem, one by the Bernina - one upstairs, one in the basement.......I was so used to being able to walk away and leave it where it was so it was easy to pick up where I left off! 

Don't get me wrong - I love having the house clean and everything in it's place but I also know that I can have my cake and eat it too!  I can still have a clean house, but my projects can also still have there place in the clean house too!  I really miss not having the space to create! 

When I work on a pattern, I tend to spread out all over (you can see that in the back room at the store - better you don't!) I don't confine myself to a small space, rather cutting in one spot, computer not far away and camera and notes in another spot.....I really, really miss that freedom!  Hopefully it won't be long before I get it back!

Okay, tomorrow night is Applique Club so I'll take my hand applique and maybe get a few stitches done after dinner is over and cleaned up.....come join us, but call early so there's plenty of food......

Have a great day/night everyone!

Jo-Ann

P.S. Thought I'd show you what the Country Haven Quilt will look like once it's done - and those are the REAL colours - see what I mean about the yellow!