Quilt Camp Weekend

This has been a weird sewing year for me.  I've been gone for 33 out of 42 days.  I was only supposed to be gone for 15 of those days.  First, we extended our trip to Alaska by a week (couldn't miss the birth of our first grandchild).  The only stitching I got done for those 3 weeks was on the airplane, and a tiny bit in Alaska, for my daughter in law. 

Three days after we got back, I was setting up my booth for the Pride of the Prairie Quilt Show.  I only had time to stitch 3 sets of exchange blocks at the quilt show.  The day after the quilt show, I got really sick, and just did nothing for several days. 

Life happens, whether you are sick or well.  A few days after I got sick, I was traveling to Texas for a funeral.  Another 11 days gone from home.  When I finally got home, I saw the doctor.  I've had a sinus infection since January, and it had turned nasty after the quilt show.  Needless to say, feeling like I did, I still didn't get anything done for another week or more. 

Well, this weekend was the Camp Tuckabatchee quilt weekend.  I finally got myself moving, and went to camp on Friday afternoon.  Yipee!  My first stitching in a month.

I set up my hand crank as soon as I arrived.  I'm the hostess for 2 different Treadle On block exchanges, and my blocks were not all done.  I really needed to finish stitching those exchange blocks.  I finished the last 2 sets of Spring Basic 4 patch blocks, and also the last 2 sets of Chocolate 9 patch blocks, for the exchanges. 

Spring Basic 4 patch blocks

Spring Basic 4 patch blocks

Chocolate 9 patch blocks

Chocolate 9 patch blocks

All I need to do is sign my blocks.  I can do that later this week. 

On Saturday morning, I set up 'Betty Sue' my purple Featherweight.  Last June, Kevin started a Sapphire Star Mystery Quilt along, and I'd kept up for the first clue, but, things got in the way, and I hadn't worked on those quilts since.  Yes QUILTS.  As usual, I started more than one quilt.  I started THREE quilts.  Two of those quilts are scrappy, as Kevin suggested, but, I also decided that I'd try one quilt as a 'controlled' color quilt.  Just 7 fabrics, one for each 'color' that Kevin had chosen, instead of scrappy. 

Since the Sapphire Star Mystery ended October 1st, I had all the clues printed off.  I'd cut out several clues at the last quilt camp weekend.  I needed to finish cutting all the clues (I'm still short 2 clues for the 'controlled' quilt).  Now to get more stitching done.

Back in September, I'd sewn some of Clue #2 while having a booth at the Lyon's Farm Fall Festival. I'd only gotten half of Clue #2 stitched.  Lots of sewing left to do on that Clue#2 (times 3).

2 sets of scrappy Clue #2 finished

Clue #2 'controlled' is also finished

I cut out the pieces for Clue #3, for the controlled quilt.  They went together nicely.

Clue #3 'controlled' blocks are finished

Then I pulled out the pieces that I'd cut last fall, for the 2 scrappy Clue #3's, and started stitching them together.  Oops!  Somehow I got all the background pieces cut, but, only half of the dark blue side pieces cut out. 

Oops!  Missing half of the side pieces for these 2 sets of Clue #3

I didn't have any of the scrappy fabric with me at quilt camp, so, I'll have to cut out the rest of those missing side pieces this week.  I had thought that I had all the scrappy Clues cut out.  Oh well.  All those fabrics are still in a basket, until I finish all three quilt tops. 

It felt sew good to start sewing again.  I'm meeting up with friends, and going to sew at Sewing, Etc. on Wednesday.  I'm hoping to get more Clues sewn then.  Two of these quilts will be for Quilts of Valor, but, one will be a wedding present, and I need to have it finished before October.  Lots of deadlines coming up, and, with being gone so much, I'm WAY behind.