And working away

* Close to the end on the Sloane Shawl. Or, at least, I'm declaring some point after the next couple rows "the end" because it's big enough and I'm sick of knitting on it. I want to block something and have something done.

* In, working away on those book chapters. I need to work all the problems in them, did you know that? It's accuracy checking. I guess that's why they offered me the big bucks. But that's okay. Like I said: new car fund but also it's going to be "dangit buy a new ceiling fan already" fund. Though the main thing limiting me on that is the fact that it's in my bedroom, the last room I ever bother to declutter, and I will have to move stuff out of the room to make space/have less breakable stuff around. (Like: the table with my Monster High dolls on it is right where the guy would need to put the ladder).

Also, the ceiling light fixture in the little hall by the bathroom died and I need to replace that. But I want to get a guy out ONCE for both, so it's kind of a domino thing: I can't get the ceiling light replaced until I'm ready to replace the fan in the bedroom. I'm thinking maybe the week or two in August when classes are not in session yet but I am here. It would just really take me throwing the stuff cluttering my bedroom into boxes or laundry baskets and then getting the guy out....

* My sister in law, I mentioned she tweaked her knee? My brother finally persuaded her to go to the doctor. The good news is nothing too bad is wrong, the bad news is something is slightly wrong: a sprained MCL, which means she's in a brace for a month.

I'd make a comment about people delaying seeing the doctor except in January, you will remember, I hung around for like 2 weeks with a bad stomach and it was only when I scared myself sufficiently that maybe my gall bladder was going to explode over a weekend that I went in (for a ruinously expensive ER visit) and found out it was gastritis....so people in glass houses and all that.

* I did break down and buy some fabric. A "Jelly Roll" in the fabric line called Summerfest which is super cute and is all colors I love and want to work with soon. I already have a pattern in mind: a while back I bought a magazine of "quick quilts" that had a pattern where you make nine-patch blocks, but then you set them offcenter by using triangular sashing. (The pattern is visible here. I think it needs bright cute colors rather than darker colors, and the fabric I chose seems just right to me).  I also bought enough white Kona Cotton for the sashing - the original had a subtle print but I just like the plain white Kona cotton with the "bright pastel" colorways.

I also ordered another Jelly Roll in the line called "Bread and Butter" (sort of 1930s colors and feed-sack inspired prints). There's another nine-patch type quilt in that magazine I want to make. I think for this one I'll dig out the big piece of butter yellow I have in my stash and use that for the sashing. (Oh! The pattern I plan to use is this one. I have a great fondness for the "simple" geometric patterns like nine-patch. Especially nine-patch; there is a symmetricality to it I find pleasing. I also like quilts with triangular designs in those though it's been a while since I found one that moved me to make it. Maybe do some kind of half-square triangle thing eventually? Or sometime, I want to do a big Flying Geese quilt).

I've been doing a bit of quilting on the quilt in the frame; I might be able to get that one done this summer if I apply myself, and then I can put in another quilt. (It's a little hard now not being able to take stuff to a longarmer. I will have to try to find someone nearby that I can pay to do machine quilting for me because really, making the tops is my favorite part. And yes, I still keep my little dream of someday getting a small longarm machine for myself, if I could figure out a decent place to put it and if I could make time to go to classes to learn to use it. I don't know that I'd do people's tops for pay.... there are so many potential pitfalls in that - not being able to do your own stuff, getting that super picky person who doesn't want to pay you because you failed to anticipate something they didn't tell you they wanted, getting that slightly dishonest person who claims they're not satisfied in order to try to get out of paying....I would, however, consider quilting other people's tops for the cost of batting and thread, especially if they were tops to be donated somewhere like Project Linus or were tops for fundraising raffles, things like that.)

But first, I need to finish the "flower garden" quilt top that I've been working on for a long time. I'm down to the last few blocks and then I need to lay it out. I probably need to take one day that I'm free and no one is using the fellowship hall at church and lay them out there, where there's more space - even my living room, the biggest room, is a little small and I have to work around my piano's legs to lay out a top. I suppose I could, at the same time, baste the next top for the frame, if I could decide which one I want to handquilt next....