Let the Vacation Prepping Begin

I've managed to stitch together the blocks of 6 horizontal rows. Once the last 4 rows are together I need to press the seams on each row and then sew the 10 rows together. Then it's on to assembling the 160 3-1/2" blocks that make up the diamond units. Not likely to happen before I leave next week, but I would like to have this center finished and off the design wall and out of the light.

In the interest of over-achieving, I did kit up the 4 remaining pieced blocks for the Jingle BOM quilt. It's just so much easier to cut out what is needed to make the necessary HSTs and QSTs and have everything ready to sew when I get to it.

Likewise, I've kitted the 4 remaining applique blocks. All the little berries are made, everything cut out and fused to freezer paper to make the hand applique go quicker. The designs are inked on the backgrounds with Frixion pens (inside the actual finished shape to be certain you never see the ink--I'm not sold yet on the total disappearing never will come back thing....when you least expect it....).

Everything I need to take this show on the road is inside one sturdy zipper bag (this is an Eleanor Burns large project bag) that I can grab and go. I toss this in my carry-on tote and I slip it out and put it in the seat pocket before I slide the tote under the seat. Once we have survived take-off, I disengage my nails from the armrest, and start to stitch. My scissors attach to me (pull cord on a magnet), and other than the actual block I'm stitching, everything else stays zipped in the bag. This way, nothing goes flying every which way on a bumpy ride, and I don't accidentally drop some crucial flower petal or bird wing between the seats.


Having it all in the one bag also makes it easy to pull it out in the airport, take it with me to the games (I'm a bleacher stitcher), and I toss it in the car for the 4 hour drives through Alligator Alley (though mostly I'm not sewing... I'm looking for actual alligators on the side of the road (I have yet to see one) and wild boar (seen a lot of dead ones) and updating my Facebook status through the strangely named (Okeechobee) towns).

Now, if I can finish those 4 small blocks and the large center medallion on this trip,  I will actually be able to finish this quilt for Christmas. Imagine that....I optimistically ordered the fabric for the setting triangles and the border yesterday so that it will be waiting for me when I get home.

Enjoy your weekend!