tablecloquiltth done!

This week is rather full (Mary Jo here Sunday to Wednesday, martini club Monday night, dinner at Jan’s Wednesday night, bread class on Friday, and birthday lunch for a friend Friday, 33 people coming for pot luck dinner Saturday before heading out to theatre) so I decided I really needed a little alone time/recharge on Thursday (7/27).  Michael switched his golf from Wednesday to Thursday as well…so it seemed perfect.  I spent the entire day working on my tablecloth and it was heavenly :~).  Michael came home around 3:30 PM….he said he had a good round until the last 2 holes :~(…I don’t know how he golfs in this heat AT ALL…but he managed.  He said at least he broke 90, so that was something.  By dinnertime my tablecloth was totally finished:   

quilt number 50!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I know you can barely see this label, but I wanted it very subtle so the cloth is reversable.

 I had leftover dough from the pizza on Tuesday, and was planning to make another pizza, but my honey decided to cook dinner instead.  He sautéed squash (from Loree & Reg) along with tomatoes and mushrooms, tossed it with pasta and sprinkled it with Parmesan cheese….yum!!!  We spent the evening watching TV, and ripping stitches from the sides of the backing of my tablecloth so I can re-use the fabric.

Mary Jo a trois

Mary Jo and I spent Wednesday morning (7/29) in Gastonia at SEW MUCH FUN 

 

(she started buying fabric for a large bargello quilt and I got sucked into a jelly roll that I hope to make a baby bargello out of) and Tony’s Ice Cream.  Then it was off to the airport…time for Mary Jo to go home :~(.  We had a wonderful visit, but it was WAY too short:  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was home by 1:30 and was just exhausted, so I took a nap in the afternoon.  After that I putzed around my sewing room…pulling out more fabric to cut up for 2 more quilts.  Michael and I headed over to Jan & Walt’s for dinner….veggie lasagna which was out of this world good…a lovely salad…and key lime pie for dessert….YUM!!  When we came home I called Janice and we talked for about an hour…then it was TV watching and knitting before bed.

crafting with Mary Jo, pizza

Tuesday (7/28) was all about crafting.  Mary Jo continued to cut out squares for the I SPY quilt, 

while I got my tablecloth quilted!!   

I made dough and another pizza for dinner…

it was SO GOOD!!!   Michael left at 7 PM to see Mr HOLMES with Larry, while Mary Jo and I continued talking and talking and talking, while she knit.

tablecloth loaded up, Pat's SNS Martini Club party

Michael left for golf early on Monday (7/27), and other than a quick trip to the grocery store, Mary Jo and I putzed around the house all day.  I got egg salad made (for our lunch) and got my tablecloth loaded up and basted on Miss Scarlet,  (to me, this is historic...it's quilt number FIFTY!!!!!)

otherwise it was talking, talking, talking…with a little nap thrown in :~).  We got cleaned up at dinnertime 

and picked up Donnis on our way to Pat’s house for the second meeting of the SNS (shaken, not stirred) Martini Club.  

Pat, our hostess

action shot...martinis in the making!

yum!

 OMgoodness…what a riot….those ladies are tons of fun :~).  

Babs & Kathi

Donnis, Joyce, Jane

Sue, Donnis (hard to catch her being still!!), Joyce

Pat, Bonnie, Alice

Donnis, Joyce, Jane

Kathi, Alice, Donnis

Jane, Mary Jo, Sue

Kathi, Sue, Babs, Bonnie

Alice, Jane, Donnis (moving again...she's fast!), Joyce

Kathi & Mary Jo

Bonnie, Donnis, Alice, Sue

 Did you notice the preponderance of martini aprons?  Pat & Joyce made one for ALL of us...how fun!!!  We also discussed getting t-shirts embroidered to wear to all of our meetings.  Pat’s theme was Mexican Fiesta…she made mojitos for our first martini, and a margarita martini for our second.  For appetizers she had chips and salsa, Mexican 7 layer dip, stuffed jalapenos and a corn/black bean salsa.   

Everything was really yummy, and the Margarita cake for dessert 

was heaven!  I think everyone had a great time and when we got home around 10:30, we were both beat and headed to bed.

Mary Jo, bread

We were up early Sunday morning (7/25) getting ready for Mary Jo’s arrival.  On the way to the airport I ran down to the church to drop off something for Loree, then headed out.  Mary Jo got in early and was waiting for me on my first pass through the terminal.  She hopped in the car and we headed out.  She asked if there was a Home Goods nearby (she’s trying to find panels for her newly remodeled bedroom…so we stopped on the way home, but no luck.  Then it was home, where we immediately went to the studio to start working: 

working on Christmas presents already!

I did get bread dough put together and baked

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

so that we could have our first BLT’s of the summer (with 2 FABULOUS tomatoes from Loree.  I love my roma tomatoes to make sauce and for non-soggy pizzas, but a regular old tomato is the best for ‘mater sammiches and BLT’s).  Then it was back downstairs to continue being productive :~).  I finished ALL of the cutting for the Disappearing Pinwheel Quilt #5, and started cutting for the illusions quilt that several of us hope to make on retreat.  Mary Jo started cutting her squares for an “I SPY” quilt.  She had been up since 5 AM to get the airport in time, so finally at 10:30 we both collapsed and headed for bed.

3 dudes quilt, "S" card, birthday cake, Evelyn & Susan

Michael left at 8 AM for golf here at SCCL on Saturday (7/25) and I headed to the studio to spend the day finishing up the 3 dudes quilt and getting a little cutting done.  Michael was home at 3:30 and I was just ironing my last seam…here’s how it looks now (ready to be quilted):

 He came home with an 88 (a good scored but he was bummed with no birdies), and helped me to put the quilt up on the wall…he thought the blue was a nice touch.  After that, I got just a bit of cutting done for a new quilt before getting cleaned up and heading over to Susan’s for dinner.  I took another card for a hostess gift: 

in case you hadn't guessed, these cards are the secret project I've been working on

 and we had a fabulous summer meal: pasta salad with shredded chicken (which had a really nice flavor) tomatoes/mozzarealla/basil salad, sautéed yellow squash and zucchini and some good bread.  Evelyn & Phil were there as well and we had a fun evening playing Mexican Train…the Mexican part got totally crazy on most of the games…here’s one example:   

   

When we broke for dessert I was totally SHOCKED when everyone started singing Happy Birthday and Susan brought out the cake:  

I'm sorry you can't really see the basket weave all around the sides

 Evelyn had made it (she used to make regular cakes and wedding cakes for a living) and put my favorite color (teal) on it!  

 

Evelyn (cake baker) and Susan (hostess)

 It was a totally YUMMY chocolate cake and Michael and I were both stuffed by the time we came home.  We read for just a tiny bit before bed.