Thursday, January 15, 2009

Lovely "mental health" day, with another to come!

Ahhhh....lovely, lovely day today! The day started with a phone call at 5:57AM saying "This is the Hollywell Instant Messaging System with a message from Shell Lake Schools---there is no school today."

Now, TYPICALLY, when the alarm goes off at 6:00 AM, I drag my butt to the shower and convince myself to get the day going off on the right foot, and SMILE. Today, THAT didn't take ANY effort! I was up and out of bed by 6:10AM (couldn't sleep anymore), put the coffee on, made up some Lemon-poppyseed muffins, and logged on to catch up on emails. Amazingly, I wasn't in any superbig hurry to get downstairs to sew. In fact, once the house woke up and Cassie realized school was cancelled, Candace and I threw a movie into our bedroom TV and snuggled up in bed. The next thing I knew, it was 10:00! WOW! I NEVER allow myself to just "veg" and NOT have anything to do!

By 10:30, I headed downstairs while the girls played. DH has also been home all week due to the blistery cold temps! His crew doesn't have any "inside' work right now, so, he's been paying Domestic Man.

I'm still "strippin'" up a storm for Perkiomen Daydreams. Here is an extreme example of the wide range of non-matching fabrics that Bonnie always mentions. I haven't held anything back, except for a collection of pink strips that just don't fit as a "dark" OR a "light." Which is fine, because I HAVE decided I will eventually made the DoubleDelight mystery of Bonnie's and it calls for 1.5" inch pink strips. Perfect!

Little did I know that DH was getting a bit "sneaky" with the camera today! However, he hasn't used the new camera yet, so he used a setting that wasn't too great for the basement lighting. These pictures actually are kind of nice, because it gives you a good idea of how "non-finished" my sewing space is (AND how messy it is ONCE AGAIN!)




Here-n-there throughout the day, I worked on piecing and cutting the strips, and eventually I had a nice stack of the 5 different sets called for by the pattern. Then another here-n-there throughout the afternoon and evening, the strip sets got pieced into 5.5" blocks.



And v'iola! The first mini-layout with 85 blocks. Only 315 more to go! Seeing it on the floor---the pattern is "eye-boggling" close up. It's not until you back away when the illusion takes over. So cool! I can't wait to see this baby finished!

AND------YES! The phone just rang an hour ago with my school's Instant Alert Message.....NO SCHOOL tomorrow again! Yes! We haven't been out of the negative degrees at all today, and tomorrow looks to be much of the same until later in the afternoon when the subzero temps and windchill is expected to finally break. So......this means another unexpected day of quilting :0)

My parents arrived tonight around 6:00. My mom was also happy our school got called off so she can spend the day with all THREE girls since Cassie won't have to go to school. It's a bit after 10:00pm, and I'm really thinking of calling it a night even though I can sleep in for the next THREE days!

Hopefully you all are receiving some "luck" in your little corner of the world.
Happy Thursday from frigid Wisconsin.

8 comments:

Amanda said...

Great pictures of you concentrating so hard you don't notice the camera. I noticed your lighting especially, since I realised I need to sort out some better light in my new sewing room when I was working in my own shadow yesterday evening. Your quilt is coming along really well but all those tiny squares to match would drive me mad I think. You'll be cross-eyed before you finish!

Renee said...

Amy, I'm doing Perkiomen Daydreams also. I've been cutting out strips for a while and I think I will have way too many. I have over 100 blocks sewn together and I just sew and sew and sew. I haven't taken any pictures yet, but sometime today I will. I was looking for something simple to keep me busy until I leave for NY and this was a great quilt for just that. I thought it would make a dent in my stash, but, no, it did not. So, I have enough fabric to make at least one of each of the quilts in Bonnie's book, lol. And I will. Have fun on your day off and keep up the great work. Quilt looks great.

Chris Daly said...

Congratulations on your four day weekend! I love your progress. This pattern has intrigued me since I saw Bonnie's lecture. Have fun!

QuiltinLibraryLady said...

And I thought it was cold here in NE Nebr. the past few days!! Glad I don't live further north.

What sort of walls are those in your sewing area? Some of that insulated, poured concrete kind?

Is your sewing area really that dark or is it just the way the pictures turned out?

Glad you're enjoying your days off.

Cornfield Quilter said...

You blow my mind! You are, by far, the fastest quilter in the world! :D Your newest quilt is wonderful, will it be done by tonight???? LOL
Have a fantbabulous weekend!!

Nancy said...

Oh it is turning out lovely!!!!!! I wish I could remember what a snow day was. We have had two delays and one early dismissmal (that turned out for no reason as the storm tracked weird). I wish we would have one good storm.

Enjoy!!

scraphappy said...

Snow days are a gift from above. Wow did you put yours to good use. That is a heck of a lot of 1.5 inch strips. Way to go. Knowing you you'll have it all done up before the weekend is done. Is this one to keep or is it already gifted to someone?

Laurel said...

Amy, I love your Perkimen Daydreams quilt. Is there a pattern somewhere? Or is this from one of Bonnie's classes only?