Somebody Slap Me!

Seriously, I think I need help!

While reading email yesterday I came across a link to a pattern. Generally I don't click on these, but the text said it was a good scrap user upper so I thought, "why not?"

Why not? Because now I've been sucked into yet another project! LOL.

As soon as I saw the pattern, I knew I had to do it and just what fabrics would work. A long time ago I got a stack of shirting rectangles. To be honest, I don't remember how I even came about them, but there is quite a stack of them. I won't have quite enough to complete the project, but in my stash I know I have some comparable prints that will fill in nicely. I took a piece of fabric earmarked for one of my other new projects to use as the border and found an alternate for the other project. The alternate is a little more out of my comfort zone as I can't picture the results as easily as the with the other fabric, but I like to take chances once in a while.

This pattern is paper pieced. I actually enjoy paper piecing on occasion, especially with blocks such as these where, for me, the cutting for traditional piecing would drive me crazy. I was able to get 2 blocks per sheet of paper. I could have figured a way to copy them on, but was trying to eliminate all unnecessary markings so as to use as little ink as possible. We have a copy machine on our FAX so I was able to make my copies at home.

I did them in 10 page increments so as not to lose track or have to count all the pages should the machine jam. This is the stack of pages. What was I thinking! 144 pages, 288 blocks to make this quilt. It will be large as most of my quilts are. To me, a "lap" or "cover up" quilt is at least 60 x 60. This quilt, with borders, will measure about 100 x 110.

I'll not be piecing these right away, but am ready to do so when the urge hits and time permits. First I need to cut out all the pattern pieces, that will be good fill in work for when I'm cooking dinner or need to be doing something I can put down easily. I have to also pull more fabric as the shirting rectangles aren't quite enough to do the whole project since I've decided to make it so large. Shown are the shirting rectangles and the border fabric, which is a little hard to see in this picture.

Technically now I have 6 quilt tops in the works, meaning all have something done on them and I intend to spend time on each regularly until they are finished. In my usual fashion, I'm sure that some will take precedence over others. I have piecing, paper piecing, simple applique, celtic applique and more complicated applique on these projects so I can pick and choose what I feel up to doing each day.

The baby quilt should be finished today, I knew that I probably bit off more than I could chew saying I wanted it finished yesterday. Now I have one side of border left and should be able to finish it in spite of other things on my agenda for the day. I hope to put the first needles full of stitches into the frame quilt as well, I can see it every time I come down the stairs and it's calling my name.

On another note, I thank everyone who as thought about and prayed for us about our financial situation. I try not to talk about it much, and try to keep a positive attitude, but apparently enough bits and pieces got out that our church decided to take some action. Last night the chairman of the elders stopped at our house and gave me a nice check from the benevolent fund, saying they were giving it with joy and hoped we would accept it and that it would help us with some badly needed repairs.

That combined with the checks that are expected in the next week or so will take care of some major and imminent needs and we are unspeakably grateful. While the money will help immensely, what has lifted my spirits and lightened my burden is that it is tangible evidence that God is with us and we are being held up to Him by so many wonderful people and, though I've felt somewhat abandoned by Him in the last months, I know how wrong I was...and how He has been here the whole time and will continue to be.

I talked to Bren on the phone not long ago, lamenting why? why is this happening? I've been so sure any day things will start to turn around...for months and months now. She told me perhaps the question is not why? but when? So I did pray, when Lord, when will we see some relief? SOON was nearly audible to me.

Soon. Soon in our time and soon in God's can be very different, but we're seeing a glimpse of sunshine in the monsoon that seems to be our life these days. And I'm finding joy, and peace, in the sunshine.