Rainbow Scrap Challenge in Cafe

Just under the wire I got these brown blocks made.  Thought I was all caught up for October (which has been a whirlwind fast month!) and then I realized I haven't made my Betty's Choice blocks!  So I am hoping to whip those up shortly!  Linking up with Angela over at SoScrappy!
edit  Here are the Betty's Choice blocks too!

I don't think I mentioned that while I was at quilt camp my oldest son Coleman and his new wife Chelsea decided (randomly with no plan) to put some of their stuff in their semi reliable van (puppy and cat included) and move to Arizona.  About three weeks ago we let a friend who is down on his luck move into Coleman's room and so now Coleman and wife are in my spare Packer room which is mostly used to wrapping gifts and storing sewing machines unless we have company.  My house looks like a bomb went off as we relocate tons of stuff and I am now wrapping gifts on my bed again.  The friend is supposed to leave in March or so and I am secretly hoping that happens sooner so we can move these two downstairs.  Anyway life is stressful and I am trying to stay focused on eating right and exercising!  I did go on my first hike all alone this past week, and I lost two pounds!

I am so happy to be getting back to hiking now that it is cooler again!  Tonight we are going to meet up with the little ones and walk around Trick or Treating for a bit.  Will be fun to see them all in costume.

Fall Quilt Camp 2015

Here are the digs at camp.  Nothing fancy at all.  I have gotten really good at wrangling myself in and out of the coffin bed! Seriously that is not the easiest bed to slip in and out of when you need to pee in the middle of the night!

 I made a quick baby quilt (pattern is on Craft Nectar's blog and is called Simple Gifts) for Colton's birth mom  because she is having a little girl and will be raising her. I think seeing him growing up (she is good friend's with my brother who is raising him) made her  realize she does want a child.  I only hope a baby sister who lives elsewhere enriches his life.  I love this gal for letting us love on Colton all his life.

 I did manage to do my brown Quiltmaker  bitty block trees. TOO FUN!  I also made Mac this cute Mr. Bones wallhaning. I will gift it to him and Liz.  I just need to get it quilted.

 Pat was kind enough to make each of us an embroidery heart to make into a pincushion at camp!  More than this were made but not all made it into the picture.  Here is Pat with my pincushion!

 After lunch on Saturday I managed to get Kathy O. and Judy to go for a hike with me after lunch Saturday.  They were planning on a walk but it was nice to have people to go with since my usual hiking/quilting buddies were not at camp this time!

 I sewed for a few hours after that and then decided that I needed to really hit it and went out alone with my ipod.

Pretty happy with my pace since this was uphill ish and I was alone.  Really felt great after!  Took a shower, had some dinner and then was ready for our quilt auction!

Edna won the sign Kathy made for me to auction off and Pat won my Christmas Past and Presents.  She has a Deaf niece that signs and was tickled with my ily hand label.  Thanks again Barb for quilting it and binding it.

I took this picture (then made one more block after) just so I could see what I had going on.  I do not plan to lay it out with this layout, lol I will play before it gets sashed!  I still have two blocks to do, sashing and the border which is pieced.  Happy my PUP saw some progress though!  These blocks are labor intensive and I felt like I didn't get as far as I would have liked--I brought Garden Party with me but did not get to it at all!

 We hung our quilts out for a show on Sunday morning.  It is always nice to see what all got made!  I love Marguerite's Love Shack quilt and I have moved that one up my list!

Here are Terri and I.  We had a blast and it was so nice to catch up with her since she has been busy going to baseball games the same night as guild.  I should start seeing her more often now that that is done!

Quilt Camp--Working on Some Espresso!

 I made another brown Talkin' Turkey block at quilt  camp!  As you may notice I actually made quilt a few in other colors too.  I started this a few years ago for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge but after one year realized I needed more blocks so it just sat and waited.

I also did this month's Bitty Blocks in brown,  I can finally link up with SoScrappy!

Nimble Thimbles and a Small Quilt Auction Quilt!

 Tonight at guild I met some new gals (Hi Fran!) that are into Bonnie Hunter and Quiltville.  Apparently Fran saw someone's blog from our group and decided we were the right group for her!  Hopefully she can make our third annual Quiltville Mystery Quilt Kickoff next month!  We had a long business meeting and then made a few ornaments for donation.  The time went too fast!

I am prepped and mostly ready for camp.  I have packed up Talkin' Turkey and Garden Party.  I am hoping to work on a baby quilt or two as well but have nothing prepped yet and we leave in the morning.  I just found out that my cousin Ashley had a baby boy and he needs a Chicago Bears quilt...they live in Wisconsin but daddy is a Bears fan.  Blasphemy but I will do it.  Another past Deaf student also had a little boy and they are into owls so I ordered owls and bears fabric today.  I also found out Suli is having TWINS!  So I will have more honorary nephews or nieces! And my adopted newhew's mama decided to have a baby and keep it...I think seeing our guy growing up made her realize she did want a little one so I need to make a quilt for her girl too!  And a coworker is pregnant with her first (And a fellow quilter too--Tiffany--but she is gonna have to make her own) so I am up to SIX baby quilts on my to do list!  Better get to it!

I am lucky my friend Barb (who isn't going to camp this time) offered to quilt my Christmas Past and Presents mini quilt for the quilt auction. I just didn't get time to get it done!  She even added the binding for me.  You may remember I made this as I made it when TemeculaQuilt Company was posting it last year.  Love that they share fun easy to do sewalongs.  I need to join in another one!

 

 And hanging things too, BARB YOU ROCK!

I told her we should tag team these quilts from now on,  I will piece two and she can quilt them.  HEHE.  I love the piecing part!  Thanks Barb!

Weekend Fly By!

I worked all day Saturday, went to a wedding Saturday night about an hour away from home and then did a job on Sunday morning and went hiking after.  I thought it was cool enough to get back out there and do the Ridgeline at South Mountain.  Kathy came with and did the main trail, we split up and she met me after the hard part, butI was wrong...still too hot for me to do that much.  I was dead for two hours after.  Watched the Packer game and then prepped for quilt camp (I leave Thursday) so did not sew a stitch!  The weekend flew by faster than any ever I think because I worked it.
Back around to Monday and I am a tired camper.  Have been having migraines like mad again too.  UGH.  I did however manage to maintain on my weight loss during the cruise!  I gained the week before the cruise (and had some med changes, ugh!) so I am currently working that off.  Feels good to get back to Pilates and hiking!
So looking forward to a few days at quilt camp chilling!  I have prepped up Garden Party and Talkin' Turkey to go with.  Hoping to have time to prep up a baby quilt or two too.

Travel Back Home Day--Sunday!

 We left the ship early Sunday and planned to check our luggage and hang in the airport all day, but we discovered we could not check the luggage til after 2!  So Becky found us a cart and did the heavy pushing. We shopped the airport and got in some steps.

 We found a lounge to hang in for a few hours.  I watched the Packer game on my phone (modern technology!) while Becky read her book or browsed Pinterest.

 

 I finished up the last of my hexies!

 

 We had to take a picture in our matching new shirts that say "the tan will fade but the memories last forever--Royal Carribean" it was fun to be twinsies.

 We were a little closer on the plane on the way home.  Becky wound up next to a drunk rowdy guy and I was next to a young couple. I got a ton of reading done and it was a great flight.  Did I mention I am not thin enough to get my tray table down while seated.  It is the little things people!

 And arrival in Phoenix...still HOT!

 Do I look exhausted enough?  Seriously, get me home to bed!

This trip was amazing, everything that I could have hoped for and more.  I am closer to Becky for having spent so much time with her and I have made several new quilty/bloggy friends.  I feel so incredibly blessed to have gotten to go on this trip!

Saturday Cruise Saturday--Sewing at Sea Again

Another day of sewing at sea!  I sewed all of these blocks and more green blocks after the picture!  LOVING how it is coming out!

Xenia and Cynthia are hard at work sewing away on their alternate blocks.  I love how all of us used the top of this machine for storage of our blocks!

My table hard at work!  Tammy and Michelle on the left, and Cathy on the right.

Lunch in the dining room!

They decorate a table each day...would make a nice quilt!

Saw Puss in Boots (but missed the parade)!  Got a few autographs from Bonnie.

Had to get a picture of Becky and I with Bonnie.

And one of me and my new friend Xenia.  So happy to have met a blog reader!

And here are the results of some of the gals' sewing efforts...had to have a little parade!

I am loving Alice's beach colors!

And Bonnie with her hexies again!

We joined Bonnie, Irene, Michelle and Tammy for some hexie sewing in the Olive or Twist lounge before dinner too!

We had dinner in the dining room at Bonnie and Dave's table. They had no tablemates so invited us to join them.  The dinner was my favorite!  It was Thanksgiving and was the healthy choice that night (I mostly picked from the lighter choice and was not disappointed!).

There was a magnificent sunset just out the window.  It was a perfect last night!

Maureen, Xenia, Becky and I went to a show again.  This one had acrobats and a comedian. They also brought out lots of staff from the ship which was fun!

We celebrated with mojitos!