It started out painfully...

I got a new perminant crown yesterday.

It shouldn't have been a big deal, and I guess it really wasn't; however as the dentist reached in my mouth to pull out the temporary one all I could think of was the scene from Les Miserable's where they steel the poor girls teeth.  It went down hill from there.

Every time he put the perminant one in and took it out electric tingles worked their way into my sinus cavity.  It was like chewing on aluminum foil...by the time I got done my mouth was one big mass of sensitivity. 

I was assured that it looked pretty - but I wasn't sure that it was worth the effort.

I spent the rest of the day doing laudry (so that I wouldn't feel guilty when I go on a quilting retreat at the end of the week) and cleaning out 15 years of accumulation from my middle son's room.  (He didn't really need all of those old clothes and shoes.

I finally ate lunch at 3:00.

THEN THE MAIL CAME!!!!

Received from Jyllybean via Little Quilt - Sew, Vote, Swap on Flickr

Funny thing is she made it after seeing my entry that also had drifting Dresdon plates on it.

Isn't the little pin cushion cute.  LOVE IT!!

 

Goodies received from Beachgirl Sews via Fab Little Random Treasures Swap (FLiRTS) on Flickr. Yes, the pillow is that gorgeous.  The two little pouches are too

She made the back of the pillow more "boy friendly" - although they are NOT going to get this one. 

The pouches close up.   The quilting on these is awesome.



AND

I got a check in the mail from one of my customers.  I agreed to do a bunch of work for her with the understanding that she would pay me when she could.  The check was $114 more than she owed me.  I guess she is paying me in advance now.  (I did check with her about that and it is her intention.  Can't wait to see the wonderful quilts she brings to me.)

The day wasn't so bad after all.

I said, "Boom chicka pop!"

Not much is going on in my corner of the world at the moment.  The sky is dull, grey, forbidding, and brings with it a chilly wind and nasty drizzly rain.  It would be easy to sleep the day away.

However, sitting in front of me, nestled safely between my arms as I type is a over sized coffee cup laden with snacking goodness.  Crisp golden kernels of pop corn with just the right touch of sweet and salty.  Hmmmm.  I have to say DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT.  You read this right.  Do not buy it...else I will not have enough of it for ME!!

 

 

Delicious I tell you...and it comes in an amazing evaporating bag.  Product seems to fly out of it way faster than you could possibly be eating it.  Maybe my cats have discovered it.

 

On other fronts....

 

I finished my FLiRTS gift.

 



 

I went back and reexamined my partner's mosaic and decided that the more subtle border was called for. 

 

This puppy is in the mail headed for it's new home.  It should be there by the end of the week.



I received a package from my DQS13 partner...
 

One mailing cube of happiness!

I love the potential that is in a sealed box.  Until it is opened it could be anything.

 

 

This is what I found when I opened it.

 



 

Oh yeah!  SCORE!! 

 

 I love this little quilt.  It was made for me by Phuong, aka Dorrylu.  She didn't know it when she made it, but it looks like the aspen trees I remember from my college days.  She took me back 30 years.  THANK YOU Phuong!!  I love it.

 

 

 

for now....

 



I need some help Flirting!

I thought that would get your attention.

No, I didn't mean that kind of flirting.

I am participating in a Flickr swap with a group called FLiRTS.  It stands for Fabulous Little Random Thing Swap.  Each participant got to pick a difficulty level - easy, medium, or hard - and pick 5 items that they would like to have made for them.  They were then paired with a secret partner who is to make one of the 5 things.

 

I've been working on my partner's random little thing.  It is going to be a table runner, for which she gave very specific dimensions.

I've been hand working this puppy since last Thursday.  I took it on our outing to visit my college boy.  (His team was playing 2 hours south of us.  We drove 2 hours down; sat and watched 6 hours of baseball; visited for about 20 minutes; then drove 2 hours back.  Those 20 minutes and 2 hugs were worth the rest!!)

 

 

I spent yesterday appliqueing on the birds and embroidering stems.

  

Today I am trying to get the borders on...but am having a little difficulty.

 

All the while I was doing the hand work I was thinking that this fabric would look fabulous.  I even made a special trip this morning to pick up the yardage I needed.  Then I got out my rulers and did a little arithmetic.  Turns out, if I use this wonderful stripe it will make the runner just enough bigger than it's intended perch to be really annoying.  It wouldn't hang over, nor would it stay centered on the table.  (Grrrr)

So, I auditioned two other options.

This option above looks more like my original plan....it would come out being perfectly shaped...but I think it is a tad boring....especially after the stunning leafy stripe.

 

 

 

Idea number 2 is more colorful.  I think if I do this one I will add a skinny dark border between the center and the colorful stripe and then use the same dark fabric for the binding.

 

 

Soooo, what do you think?  Which border should I do?