A week of work

One goal was met and the banner is done and ready to hang.  The deadline that was pressed on me was only to make a photography deadline so it can be used in the ministries booklet which was due at the printer.

Thanks to suggestions from my blogging friends, I quilted the background with the words, Time, Talent, Faithfulness, Vision, Discipleship, Prayer, Love, Peace, Service, and Support. I used light blue thread and I don't know if those words will be noticed when it is hung, but having them there made me feel a bit more satisfied than when the project was begun.

In the midst of making this, I had a week of Vacation Bible School, running the "Palace Playground Games".
And to add to the challenge, I added a broken toe to the equation

In the midst of nagging me to work faster on the banner, husband Paul (who is in charge of getting the booklets printed) returned from walking the dog saying that my neighbor, Miki-san, was outside and I should come out and say hello. Not wanting to stop what I was doing, I tried to ignore the request. After all, Miki-san's front door faces ours only separated by a few meters and we see each other often. Still, the requests got louder and not wanting to be rude, I finally put on my flip-flops and went out to give greeting. My neighbor was weeding so I did a bit to help and then swept the "road" between our houses.

Working in the bright sun, it took my eyes time to adjust when returning to our dark genkan. (the little space inside the front door where those entering leave their shoes). As I stepped inside, I kicked the wooden geta (clogs) my husband had kicked off earlier as he entered. This sounds like a re-run of the two broken toes last summer and when I went to the neighborhood clinic, the doctor had a good laugh.(It seems he laughs every time I go there). Oh what a klutz this foreigner is!

Since I had a busy week riding a crowded rush-hour train, I ended up with a partial cast and a big bandage. It was probably a good move because by day four, I had been stepped on enough to crack the cast. It never did win me a seat in the preferred seating though.

I ended up pulling three very late-nighters to get the banner done. I really need to get to bed by 10pm  when I have to get up by 6am to get to church and without my beauty rest I can get ugly fast. A week of rowdy lively games added to the equation, and I went to bed the last two nights without waiting for dinner.

 Between some long train rides home and a few meetings, I managed to finish sewing together the rest of the rows on the + and X quilt.

Today, after VBS was over, I laid the rows out on the fellowship hall floor and picked out the cornerstones. It is not really up to my son's standard but it'll have to do.

Now I will have a bit more take-along work, sewing and adding the sashing to each row. I will probably have to add the rows at home because it is getting a bit big to carry along.

I have no plan for the backing and still don't know where I can go to baste the sandwich... maybe back at church. I am also thinking of adding a border of some kind just to tie it all together and make it easier to bind.

Meanwhile, I have plans churning in my brain for the next project. My recently married son has requested something in green and brown with owls. At a quilt show this year, I saw a mola of an owl and thought making a large one (or two) in Mola style feathers might be fun. That will be a project with no deadline. I know my kids will be happy with whatever I make whenever they get it.

So ... now I am ready for a bit of a rest and a bit of neglected house-work.