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We arrived back in California Saturday afternoon, jetlagged and varying degrees of sick.  What fun!  The jetlag is slowly wearing off (up with Jazzy at 6am yesterday, up with both boys at 5am today...) as are the headcolds.  Tidying up the unpacking mess is going a bit more slowly, unfortunately.

I gave myself yesterday as a grace period, but today I need to start doing stuff.  Excavating my sewing area, contacting the guild members who covered for me, getting ready to resume my Wednesday night writing class, etc....

I didn't do too much sewing while in England, but I did borrow my mother-in-law's sewing machine and stitch a bit on some block bits I'd brought with me.  I also finished one of my half-done thrift store embroidery finds.  For Christmas, I got several quilting books, about a yard of fabric that various gifts were wrapped in, a giant silver thimble to corral scissors and the like in, and a vintage quilt top from my sister!  I also purchased about four and a quarter yards of fabric.  I think this year I'm going to try measuring my fabric in-vs-out.

I also gave away six quilts this holiday season.  One each to my sister, sister-in-law, father-in-law, aunt and uncle, our dear friends whom we visit in Cambridge, and the baby quilt to Wonderful Husband's friend.  Whee!  Room to make more quilts!  I also made something like seventeen pillowcases for Christmas gifts, and a pair of Lilo and Stitch pyjama bottoms for Wonderful Husband (which I need to hem up because apparently the pattern thinks his legs are like 5" longer... and he's 6'1" so it's not like he's particularly short to begin with!).

And!  My mother-in-law made her first finished quilt!  She had the top done, and I helped her figure out how to sandwich and machine quilt it.  I have a picture to be posted later, after Wonderful Husband wakes and I can get my phone from the bedroom.

For now, little boys need entertaining....

On A Different Continent

Whee!  We flew to England last Wednesday, and while 3/4 of the family is time-adjusted, Jazzy is not.  Joy!  Wonderful Husband and/or myself have been getting up with him in the middle of the night for a few hours each night.

The evening before we left, though, my guild had the big Round Robin reveal.  First, here are the two that I did rounds one and two on.  The reveal was done before break, and all twelve were laid on the ground so everyone could walk around during break and get a better look at them.

And then here's mine!  I love it, and I especially love how Lorraine fussy-cut and hand appliqued all those butterflies in the last border!

No sewing machine here in the UK, but I've done a little embroidery to keep my sanity during sleep deprivation.  And it's time to start hustling Squiddle bedwards, so off I go!

Catching Up With Myself

I spent this morning running around doing errands, and this evening is to be spent at quilt guild, so I have... four hours here in the middle of the day.  Which I should be spending packing, doing dishes, doing laundry, cleaning the house, cleaning the patio.  Eek!  Well, I do have a few more hours tomorrow morning before we leave for the airport, but still.  Tall list!

Here's the block I'm presenting at guild tonight for January's block of the month: a 9" yellow churn dash with either black or white background.

For now, time to relace my white trainers since they've been through the wash, and then, when Squiddle wakes, go raid the boys' dresser for socks to pack for them.

T-Minus Three Days

Getting ready to fly on Wednesday!  It's obviously been eating into my sewing time, though I did have time to finish the final round of my guild's Round Robin challenge for 2017:

We all get them back on Tuesday... and given that when I asked my fellow board members for suggestions on this one, Lorraine said she worked on it last, I know who has mine now! ^_^

Tonight we did mini-Christmas, exchanging gifts with my parents, since we'll be in a different country from them on Christmas, and more especially since their gift to Squiddle will be useful on the flight.  Among other things, I had made my mother some pillowcases, and I was pleased that when she opened them she thought the fabric was very Scandinavian, as that's exactly why I'd thought she would like it. ^_^  I got a couple books and a rust eraser for use on my vintage sewing machines.  The only downside was that one of the gifts for my father hasn't arrived yet.  (Neither has one for my niece.)  Well, they'll get here when they get here.

Sometimes it's not me...

Having got most of my to-do list done, and the minutes for last night's board meeting already typed up, I decided I could participate in this year's Christmas ornament exchange with my guild.  So I looked for a tutorial for Scandinavian Woven Stars, which I have made before.

And the result was a MESS.

Being confuzzled, I checked out another tutorial.  And this one worked.

So, no, it wasn't me.  It was the directions.  What a relief!

And I've decided to make six.  One for the guild, one for me, one for parents, one for parents-in-law, one for sister, and one for sister-in-law.  They're pretty easy and fast, so I've got three done now and am turning in for the night.

The GOOD tutorial is here.

To-Dos, Updated

(1) type up Minutes for both November meetings
(2) type up handout and signup sheet for next year's block exchange
(3) make samples for next year's block exchange
(4) type up handout for the January Block of the Month
(5) make samples for the January Block of the Month
(6) type up handout for the February Block of the Month
(7) make samples for the February Block of the Month (only two instead of my usual six, but enough for now)
(8) do the Round Robin project
(9) get all the handouts printed out

I've found a good border fabric for the Round Robin project, but I feel like I need to so something beyond just slapping on a plain round of fabric. Maybe make some white bias tape and do swirly designs...?

Feeling Swamped

Waa.  Trying to catch up on all my stuff for guild!  I'm going to be gone for both January meetings, so my to-do list looks like:

(1) type up Minutes for both November meetings (done)
(2) type up handout and signup sheet for next year's block exchange (done)
(3) make samples for next year's block exchange
(4) type up handout for the January Block of the Month (done)
(5) make samples for the January Block of the Month (done)
(6) type up handout for the February Block of the Month
(7) make samples for the February Block of the Month
(8) do the Round Robin project
(9) get all the handouts printed out

I need to have all this done by the 12th.  Plus packing and wrapping gifts and Christmas shopping, and and and! :)