Unusually Productive...

 

I was just a busy beaver yesterday! I worked my 6 am to 10 am shift, but came home with purpose. Number One on my list was the lap quilt. I had to split my attention, though, so Handsome helped with that.

I changed clothes as soon as I got home, and then retired to my studio. As I'd already pinned my "quilt sandwich", it was "just" a matter of choosing thread and sewing. But, I had another project to run at the same time.

Two days ago I bought fifteen pounds of McIntosh apples from a local grower who brings bags to the station. I wanted to get them processed into applesauce before they went bad.

I enlisted the help of my dear husband. We got out a Nesco roaster, washed and quartered the apples and set them out on the porch to cook down. All I added was a bit of lemon and some spring water. While I sewed, Handsome monitored and stirred the apples. They simmered all afternoon.

I completed sewing on the quilt binding and preparing it for hand sewing while he made dinner for us. We were both finished at the same time. I turned off the apples and we had our evening meal.

After dinner, he did cleanup and I processed the apples into applesauce. Back on the stovetop with only a tablespoon of cinnamon and half a cup of sugar, those beautiful apples were turned into five quarts of applesauce. Talk about teamwork! A half hour later (at about 10:30), I covered the jars to seal overnight and headed to bed.

I picked up a shift for 10 am to 2 pm today, so I'm on my way out the door now. Can't wait to tell you how today goes. Gotta run...

A Full Day...

Even so, I didn't get to the quilting part yet. I did finish making the binding; assembling the back; layering the back, batting, and front, and then pinning...and pinning...and pinning. 

By the time that was all done, so was I. Handsome came into the studio and declared it "lights out" for the day. I didn't argue. 

I work early today, but when I get home, I'll be quilting layers together. We'll see where I go from there.

The Top Is Done...

I completed piecing my quilt top Sunday afternoon, but needed Handsome's assistance to get it photographed. Measuring 64" square, I was too short vertically challenged  to hold it up to get a pic. He was more than happy to oblige.

I went into my magic drawer and found just enough of the dark Farmhouse Flannels fabric to accomplish the border. whew!

Once that was done, I found another assortment from the same line, so I decided to piece together enough 4-1/2" squares to create the binding for it. I'm going to cut this into two long 2-1/4" strips, which will give me the length I need. I hope I like the unconventional binding, because I don't think I have enough left of the line for an alternative. 

So when I get home from work today, I'll change from my work clothes into my play clothes and get the top, batting, and back set up to assemble the quilt for sewing. 

Before I call it a day, I'll have the binding attached, leaving just the hand stitching - and adding the label. Yippee!