A Mermaid Fair

Happy Monday, everyone! I hope that you all had a fabulous and relaxing weekend. Ours was very nice, although all of our plans had to be shifted around to accomodate the air conditioner repair guys coming back out to look at the BRAND NEW UNIT to see why it was not working. Well, it appears that when you install a new unit you have to set the unit to how much freon you want it to use at a time, and well, when set too low – it freezes over and then A/C no worky. So, in 106 degree heat, we were less than pleased. But, that aside, we did have a great weekend (although slightly rearranged).

As I mentioned in my last post, I was able to make a start on the next block for my Red Thread piece at the guild meeting (photo at top). This is the June block, Road Trip. Friday night I finished stitching the border, and then did the rest you can see here. I think this block will actually be a pretty quick stitch. Let’s hope so – I need to move on to July! As always, this is a fun and relaxing stitch. Please excuse the wonkiness of my piece in the photo – this is due to the block being right at the crease where I folded the fabric, and the stitching itself is not so messed up looking. I promise.

Sunday morning I was able to spend some time with my sewing machine and do a couple of things that have been piling up – like doing some mending, and then working on some quilting projects. I decided that I am going to take my Kimono quilt to be quilted as a birthday gift to myself. So, I needed to make sure that my backing fabric was ready to go. That backing fabric is now pieced and pressed and folded neatly along with the quilt top. I am hoping to drop it off next weekend. Hurrah!! I will be so thrilled when that piece is finally completely finished. I’ve had the quilt top tacked to the wall in our dining room (which is meant to be its final destination), since I finished it. So, yay! for getting that done. I did have a minor snafu while piecing the back, since the fabric is directional. Guess who pieced the two pieces going in opposite directions. Yes, that would be me. So, seam ripper to the rescue.

The second project I worked on is part of my monthly goals. I cut and pieced the binding for my $5 quilt (which I had quilted way back in November I think!!) (Photo above is just the quilt top, pre-quilting.). I pressed my binding (all 8 million yards 0f it) and then machine-sewed it to the quilt. Needless to say, I had about 7.5 million yards extra of the binding, which I may use to string up the cat if he scratches on my couches one more time. So, all that I lack on finishing that quilt is hand sewing the binding down and then making and attaching a label. Woohoo! I can almost taste a finish!! I would have loved to spend Sunday evening stitching down that binding, but I had committed to Anna that I would get back to stitching on our Mermaid SAL on Sunday nights. So, I pulled out Mermaids of the Deep Blue to stitch on.

Last update on this piece was back in March, I believe. Here’s what it looked like before.

And. here is what she looks like after last night’s stitching. Not a ton of progress, but enough to see a difference. I am working on the light brown in her hair. I do enjoy this piece, and as it is my first Mirabilia, and my first Mermaid…it deserves some attention. I am stitching this with DMC on 32ct Ocean Waves Belfast by Stitches and Spice. Love love love this fabric. It is so gorgeous.

So, that’s what I was up to this weekend. I am hoping to get Road Trip and my binding on the quilt finished soon. That would be fabulous! I do plan to work on the mermaid more next weekend though. See you soon!

I am grateful for dinner with a friend and moving the monstrosity!!