Tidying lead to a quilt center

I didn't think I was going to have any time this weekend for quilting. However, after almost 3 hours of prepping this morning, I decided that enough time was spent on it; I feel I'm ready for the week well enough.

Yesterday afternoon, my mother (visiting for the weekend) and I went shopping for fabrics for the quilt she requested a few months ago for their "new bedroom." Come to find out, they haven't even painted their bedroom yet!!!! Guess I don't feel so bad anymore.

The quilt pictured was a google find, and thankfully my mother liked the simple elegance of it (... keyword being SIMPLE!)

I fell in love with it; both for the ease of pattern and for the simple geometric beauty of it. Plus---she needs it in King size! This will be the first quilt I will have made where I spared no cost. All the fabric for the top was purchased at full quilt shop prices ('cept for the 20% discount for finishing off TWO bolts. THAT worked out nicely!) With all the batting that my mother has purchased for me, it's really the least I can do.

So, when I headed downstairs today, I had full intensions of cutting into some LOVELY new fabric!!!!

However, since I haven't been sewing much, I wanted to do some tidying up from my previous projects. Blue-n-Gold Pride scraps were cut down and filed into drawers.....

And these Buckeye Beauty units have been moved around for the past two months. I wasn't about to move them around one more time.....therefore they were sewed up, and added to my design wall.

These blocks have been up on the wall for the past month. Rather than have them spend another few months up there, I sewed them too.

And a 64"x80" quilt center was pieced. An inner border is yet to come, and perhaps a pieced border using these extra 4-patch blocks I found....

Unfortunately, this WILL now be set aside until I decide to get back to it again.

Paul snuck downstairs and took a picture of Caitlyn hanging around with me.

Time for me to make sure we're ready for Halloween tomorrow. Nothing like the last minute.

FINALLY a finish!

Last night, the volleyball team brought home some hardware and are now the 2011 Regional Champions!!! Being the #3 seeded team, we knew the team had their work cut out for themselves, but the championship was attainable. The match was exciting from the start, and our girls upset the #1 seeded team in three straight sets (25-6, 25-20, 25-16). Waaahhhhhoooooooooo!

Our seniors lead the team with motivation and inspiration last night! Joining in with the picture is Emma, former teammate who switched over to Cross-Country. She ALSO had reason to celebrate last night; yesterday morning, she placed 3rd at the Sectional meet and is heading off to State Cross Country!!! I love the support they have for each other!

"Blue-n-Gold Pride
So, with the Blue-n-Gold fever still flowing in the veins, I awoke this morning with the ambition to finally finish this baby.

Hind-sight is 20-20 and I wish I would have made this a bit larger, but it'll still going to be used and used and used.

Cassie is excited to finally have it on her bed. She's upstairs cleaning up her room right now :0)

2011 Whistlestop Half-Marathon

Saturday, 10/15/11
2011 Ashland, WI Whistlestop Half-Marathon

I didn't have my photographer (aka: my sister, Jen) with me this year, so I don't have any pictures from Saturday. The shot to the left is from 2008 when I ran my last full marathon (black leggings/baby-blue top is me); and the trees were in FULL bloom with 100% coloring.

NOT SO this year. All day Friday and throughout the entire race on Saturday, the wind was blowing 15-30 mph with gusts up to 45 mph, so all the leaves were GONE. Thankfully, the race director spoke with Mother-Nature though; the wind was a tail-wind for most of the race. Whew!

The first three miles were over in a blur! My sister-in-law, BethAnn, was also running the half, so she and I paced together, holding between 10:00-10:20/miles. However, I took a pitstop at mile 3, sending her off with a big GOODLUCK wish! She was hoping to improve her current PR of 2:20. {{Which she DID!!!!! Her chip-time was 2:13, so she took 30 seconds off her mile average. Wooohoooo!}}

I, on the other hand, knew all I could hope for was to just finish. Not going to make any excuses, but it is what it is. Two years off in 2009/2010, and mediocre (at best) training for the past 2 months...... I kept my goals realistic :0)

the next few miles also were gone in a blur. There were enough runners to keep your mind busy; watching others' form, listening to the relaxed conversations of those of us in the back-of-the-pack; I really can't remember all that went through my mind. At one point, I remember thinking about what I needed to do for the upcoming weeks in my Junior High math classes with the Wisconsin State tests looming at the end of the month. Funny, huh?

Once I crossed the 8-mile marker, I recall thinking..."What!? 8 miles already?!? This race is going fast!"

I mean....really....the whole thing was just a blur. It CERTAINLY didn't feel like 2 and a half hours of running!!!! I didn't really watch my time/pace too closely -- in the back of my mind, I was hoping to keep my race under a 2:30 Half-marathon, and I was definitely pacing better than what I did on the Paavo course. But as I came into mile 10 at a time of 1:57, with some quick mental calculation, I knew it would be a challenge without my legs having had the endurance training of years past. 11:00/miles for the last 3 miles???? Could it be done?????

Well, take a look at all those low-bumps in my speed graph :/ I was taking my walk breaks and kept staying as strong as I could during my jogging spurts to bring me to the finish.

2:34:55 is my official chip time; so if you take off 1:00-1:30 for my mile-3 pitstop, I'm satisfied with my day.

After catching up with BethAnn and giving her high-5's and hugs for her amazing finish, I shared that I wasn't completely giving up on these longer distances, but my training has to improve. :0)

So, now to update my Running Page:
To date, I've completed three marathons, ELEVEN half-marathons, and too many 5K's and 10K's to count :0)

Happy Sunday Everyone!

Blue-n-Gold Pride & Placemats

Blue-n-Gold Pride has finally been loaded onto the frame, and a few paths completed. The nice reality now.... anytime I have 10-15 minutes, I can go downstairs, turn the machine on, and get a path or two finished. However, a comment from Paul sidetracked me today from further quilting on BnG Pride.

"Cassie, go iron the placemats."

These annoying things!!! Paul bought them a few months ago; we never had used placemats before. I kinda rolled my eyes at him at the time, and said...whatever.

However, I have learned....I really like the benefits of having a placemat.

BUT NOT THESE!!!!!
I've tried ironing them. It didn't help.
I've tried washing them, and laying them flat while drying. It didn't help.


So, I went downstairs and dug around to see what fabric I could find. This chosen fabric is a heavier selection that was buried in one of my many donation boxes; it reminds me of a heavier decorative fabric (upholstery or such).

As you can see---nothing fancy-schmancy at all! Just mere function at this point. Then....later on when I really get inspired, I'll see about coming up with something nicer.

I figured these would be good for now. Orangey-autumn colors (AND I burned through some ORANGE for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge --even those these aren't scraps.)

Speaking of Autumn-----we are having UNSEASONABLY warm temperatures!!!!!! We've had 8 days of 80+ degrees so far this October!!! (The 5:00 news just stated that this hasn't happened since 1953). That is just NOT-NORMAL for us northern states. However, this "borrowed time" will end by mid-week, and then we'll be back to normal (and even BELOW normal temperatures!) :0( So, my half-marathon next weekend will be NOTHING like the Chicago marathon today; temps are predicted for 50s (HIGH), which means.....30s(???) at the start????

Missing all of you

So, does this earn your forgiveness for leaving you all without a SINGLE word for over a week????

It's so true. I miss you all and hope to catch up with all of you over the weekend.....
((in addition to 10 hours of school work, 15 loads of laundry and HOPEFULLLLLY a few hours of sewing))