Observations of the Day – August 14, 2019

Really, another one?!?!?!

• I have found yet another project and it’s a block of the DAY pattern!  It’s the 2019 Fall Paducah Quilt Show kickoff celebration sponsored by the American Quilter’s Society. It’s called the Celebration Sampler and began August 7, 2019. Here’s my version of blocks one and two. (You can get all the blocks so far here.

• So, here’s a story from my Thailand trip. We were at a resort in Phuket (pronounced FOO-ket) and the ladies decided that a trip to the spa was in order. The special was a massage, a salt scrub, facial, and an aromatherapy steam room treatment. Everyone (except hubby) decided that it was too hot for a steam room treatment, so they offered to extend our massages by 15 minutes. We also opted to do these treatments as couples. Hubby questioned the need for his facial, and I assured him that he did, in fact, need one. They took me and hubby back to this nice room where there was a sliding glass door leading to a rock garden with a high wall surrounding it. They gave us these paper panties to wear, and hubby commented about me changing in front of the glass doors. I really didn’t care as the walls were quite high and if anybody did see me, I was in Thailand and I probably wouldn’t have to worry about ever seeing them again. We put on our paper panties and I slipped under the sheet on one of the massage tables while hubby put on a robe, stepped outside and they escorted him to the steam room. My salt scrub began. It was wonderful! She asked me to turn over and began scrubbing my chest. Then she began to scrub my boobies – OMG, here I am in Thailand getting my boobies salt scrubbed. I wondered about the other ladies. One, I thought, would ask them to stop and other I figured would probably die. I was trying really hard not to giggle. As the scrub finished, she put flip flops on my feet and gestured for me to step outside the sliding glass doors. Okay. Then I saw there was a shower out there. OMG, here I am in Thailand showering almost nekkid outside. It was great and I was laughing and showering the salt off of me then she comes to the door and gestures for me to take the paper panties off. What? Okay. She been gestures for me to drop them on the ground and the word frolicking came to mind. She finally asked me to come back in. Hubby was back by this point and I was trying not to chatter because massages are supposed to be relaxing. She did my massage, at one point straddling my back, and then did a wonderful a wonderful facial. When I heard hubby getting up, I did comment, “oh you’re really going to love this!”, because he’s a lot shyer about these things than I am. After, as we walked back to our room (the other couples had finished before we did). I could not stop talking – she scrubbed my boobs, I showered naked outside, it was great, did I tell you she scrubbed my boobs, my BOOBS… Come to find out that the other couples a) didn’t have access to an outside room with a shower and b) neither of the other ladies even had an attempt to salt scrub their boobs. I don’t know what it was about me…

• Here’s a tiki torch quilt block that is part of the “blocks 2 quilt” series that I found on The Sewing Loft blog. I’m not too sure how I feel about it…

• Last Saturday, I went to an applique and monogram basics class at my LQS, The Stitchery . The lovely Stephanie let me borrow the trusty Baby Lock Spirit , while I impatiently await the arrival of my new Meridian . BTW – Stephanie called me the other day and told me after all the dust had settled, the Meridian was significantly cheaper than first quoted. Hubby thinks we are in cahoots (if you remember my story about the Crescendo price). Anyway, the class was fraught with technical difficulties and the talented Anna was wonderful and handled the setbacks like a pro. Here’s a close up of my monogrammed shirt and my tea towel. It was so much fun! Next week comes free motion quilting and I’m pretty stoked about that one!

• Do you set your seams? I recently followed a discussion on a Facebook group and until then, I didn’t. I have found it’s much easier to do when the piece is smaller, but much harder when you get to the borders. Here’s an explanation on setting seams from The Spruce Crafts if you were like me and didn’t know this was a thing. Here’s also my “reminder” over my ironing board.

• As promised an update on my WIPs. Sonshine’s quilt is pieced in rows and on the design board. I have about 3 weeks to get it done if I wanna show it to my Modern Quilt guild. The jury is out on if I’ll make it. Baby the Biscuit – sigh, that’s another story. I was thiiiiissss close to finishing her quilt and hated it. Every. Single. Mistake was so glaring and jarring to me. She also had married, moved and bought new furniture so her colors were different. On day I decided why do what didn’t make me happy and asked her if we could start over. I bought this Blossom pattern from Planted Seed Designs and off I went in shades of blue on a white background. It’s all cut and mostly pieced. I’m much happier now that that first albatross is off my shoulders.

• Here is my completed top of the just ended NQS Quilt block Challenge. I’m pretty happy with it.

• Until next time my friends… XOXO. Let me hear from you!!!!