The Week In Review

It has been a sad week for me, and I have not had much interest in doing anything in my sewing room. I lost my little dog Amy last Sunday evening. She developed an abcess on her side; and even though the vet said we could try to treat it with antibiotics and give her pain meds for her arthritis and an ear infection, she said she didn't know the cause of the abcess, and she really didn't sound very hopeful. I've realized that Amy has been sliding downhill for awhile now; and for the last week and a half, she'd just been lying on her bed staring. She's had multiple health issues for quite a while, and she was losing her hearing and eyesight. Not a very good quality of life for my poor girl, so I thought maybe the very best thing I could do for her was to put her down. It's an awful decision to have to make; and even though there's nothing I can do about it now, I keep agonizing over it, wondering if I could have made it work a few more days, a few more weeks, a few more months. Her dishes are still sitting on the floor because it gives me a little bit of comfort just to see them there.

Friday I went to Kay's for our bimonthly get together, and it was nice to forget about everything for a little while. I love these women that I share this time with, and it was a nice afternoon. I worked on the binding for my Twisted Nine Patch, and I have one more short side to finish and it'll be done. I have one more quilt to bind after that.

I didn't get my strippy for the week finished either and will try to get it done this coming week. My Orange Crush is still languishing on the design wall, right where it's been just about since Bonnie posted the last part of the mystery. Needless to say, probably the last thing I really should be doing right now is starting a new quilt. So after much consideration I decided not to start on Judy's Star Block of the Month after all. Rather, I'll collect the directions for the blocks as they're posted and start it at a later time. At the rate of two blocks a month, I could start it in two or three months and still catch up, if I'm better positioned at that time.

What I thought I might do instead is pick up where I left off with this Galaxy of Stars quilt that I started seven or eight years ago. I bought it as a kit, made 3 or 4 blocks, and it's been sitting ever since. It is predominantly rose colored and would work equally well in my bedroom. Better to get the ufo done maybe.



Even though I hadn't wanted to start another new project, I'm having a hard time refraining from starting this butterfly quilt, which appeared in the latest issue of Fons and Porter quilting magazine. This is not typically a pattern that would interest me, but I found the use of these large scale prints very appealing. I'd love to make this whole quilt with Kaffe Fassett fabrics, as the maker did; but I only have a few, so I'd like to start collecting some fat quarters and start making a few blocks here and there. I would plan to machine applique these and hand embroider the antennae. The Maine quilters guild is hosting their annual quilt show in Augusta this coming weekend, and I am hoping to find a few fat quarters in some of the vendors booths.

Credit where credit is due:
Galaxy of Stars quilt design by Lynn Dash
Butterfly Garden quilt design by Cheryl Kerestes, Fons and Porter's Love of Quilting Jul/Aug 2008