I have been here in Newark, TX all week helping my grandson Matthew get off to school and get to other places he needs to be, while his Mom is in Mexico working to get her "legal US residency" finalized.  After I take him to school in the morning, I have been working remotely like I usually do at home, but I also have some opportunities to visit with friends I haven't seen since I moved from here to San Angelo.

So, Sandy and I have had a couple of nice little visits in the past few days.  The first visit wasn't very long, but that day we went to JoAnn, which is right down the street from her, and I don't even have a JoAnn's in San Angelo!  I had to hurry back here so I would be here when he got home.  Then today we had another visit that was a little longer, and we got to visit a little bit more, and I gave her a very short lesson on how to make that "whatever the name of it is" quilt - the one with the bright batiks and black background that a few others said they wanted to learn when we are in AZ.  And also today, we visited a favorite LQS who has moved to a brand new, much bigger shop.  More fabric!  haha  It's SO much bigger, they are not crowded, and what a nice fabric selection.  We had a little bit of trouble finding it, because they have no sign over the entrance, and the directions were a little confusing, but we found it partly by dead reckoning, and party by blind luck.  LOL  But we laughed and had a lot of fun, and didn't spend too much money (this time).  

So, that's what I've been working on this week.  It was very sweet to visit with such a nice quilting friend.  

Sounds like fun!  Glad you and Sandy have had a chance to get together!!

Sounds like you and Sandy had a couple of good visits. Also I bet you and your grandson are having a good vist.

I was in the mood for piecing after hand sewing the binding on my forever quilt.  So I pieced one of the kits I had put together several weeks ago.  It went together very fast yesterday evening.  Another idea from the "fast quilts" section of connecting threads, modified slightly for novelty fabrics (4  pieces in the big circle rather than 1).

Like this one too!

Amazing what you do with novelties.

You ever do one with novelties in Irish Chain? I am going to do one for my DGS. Or at least, it will be the simplified version of Irish Chain that Jenny shows on Missouri Star Quilts with 9-patches alternating with solid blocks - there is a more complicated block for Irish Chain on Quilter's Cache.

If you ever write a book about small quilts for children I have the title for it: Dazzling Novelties by Dee.

First chapter is all your pointers about how to collect hundreds of novelty fabrics.

Second chapter is all about how to cut novelty fabrics into various sizes and shapes and then store them in bins and baskets for months (and years).

And then the next chapters are all about the fun of assembling the bits and pieces into jaw-droppingly adorable quilts that will be loved by children.

Oh,I'd buy that! I bet a lot of people would do so!

I don't know about a book.  But I do enjoy sharing my blog with people when they ask if I know of any good I spy patterns.  hahahaha

not Irish chain exactly, just because I don't tend to what that much blank space.  but I have some variations with 9 patches that kind of get the idea of Irish chain.

I have my Mama's Bernina at my house! I have NO WHERE to set it up, sniff... shall have to evict something, but unknown what. I think its a Record but will have to look it up in the manual. It came with a side-cutter (turns it into a quasi-serger!)  and a bunch of feet! And a sewing stool! It also has the knee lift bar. I probably need to give it a 'spa day' - it has not been used much in the last 20 years - I used it about 3 years ago when I was staying at my parents to mend some blanket bindings - but that was the last time it was even plugged in. Sis says she located the bill of sale so that will be interesting to see.

My nephew brought a bunch of stuff from my parents house...which is going to my sister. He and his wife are moving in to the downstairs wing - they are expecting a baby a day after my son and daughter-in-law! (the two boys were born a couple of weeks apart 40 years ago and they both are having boy babies!) So.. Sis is putting in new carpeting next week and nephew is moving in before the end of Feb! They needed the room so he hauled all the stuff I indicated I wanted to keep from my parents... including all the quilts that I gave my parents over the years!

One of the things I found in Mama's sewing box is a manual for a Singer 99 in excellent condition. I did not get a manual when I bought my 99...so that is going to go into its sewing box. Oddly, I don't REMEMBER Mama even having a 99, but she must have. I wonder if that was the machine she had when I first started sewing, under the kitchen table.