Routine Chaos

Twenty-one years ago when our son was born the professionals were quite insistent that we would have to keep to a strict routine as people with down syndrome had to have routine.  My thoughts at that time were we would just need to develop a new normalcy for the family as anyone with a new baby would.  We would also establish chaos as the routine in the household! Today, chaos is still the basic routine with adaptations made to accommodate each individual in the family.

Will was born a week before Thanksgiving, so he's always been my Thanksgiving baby.  This year due to an aging dog, we were unable to leave town for the usual family gathering.  We had a quick simple Thanksgiving dinner, but with all the trimmings.

The rest of the day I split between the sewing room and family room keeping the dog company.  This morning I finished the top to "Routine Chaos"

When I originally cut up my 3" scraps for "Cacophony" I also cut 2" squares from the smaller scraps.  Then I used the 2" scraps as leaders and enders while working on "Cacophony".  By the time I was finished with it, I had nearly finished with sewing the 4 x 4 blocks. I have to add that on occasion I just sat down and worked on the 2" squares when I had a few minutes.  Over the weeks, I toyed with ways to put the squares all together and decided that I liked the idea of the squares turned on point, but didn't want all of them.  I also thought about rows of diamonds and rows of squares, in the end I went with alternating the diamonds and squares. 

So, here is "Routine Chaos" a tribute to my Thanksgiving baby, beauty in the unexpected.

Sidetracked to UFO

I posted my sidetracked project a couple of weeks ago.  After I finished the top, I went out to get a tutorial in spray basting.  I am quite taken with the ease of spray basting over pinning.  As a result, I've decided to finish up a couple of projects and then spray baste two to three projects in a single setting.

I started this project a couple of years ago using leftover fabric for a friend's daughter.  I've made all her children and grandchildren quilts (the yarn tied off type).  One daughter really wants a second quilt ... 28 years later, the first is long gone.  For a variety of reasons, I decided to make her one more.

This one will be backed in an old purple sheet pretty much by request.  I haven't decided if I'll tie this one or machine quilt.  If I machine quilt it will have to be wide, as she remembers the softness and drape of the original quilt.  The flannel backed ones I made for her nieces and her children are not the same!

Sidetracked

I was volunteered by my husband to work on a quilt for someone retiring in his area.  This was fine by me as I tend to get bored rather easily when I focus too long on one project ... so I was given the fabric to make 17 squares in three days. Okay, husband is out of town at a conference, son is not a picky eater, I can definitely find the time to finish and have the weekend for family ... Mission was accomplished, and since I was so quick, I was asked to put them all together.  Okay, there went the weekend.

Here's the near final project, the last column still needs to be attached as the last row, but all in all I'm fairly happy with my "rush" job.  I know that I will not be working on it anymore and hopefully the other person can disguise my less than perfect points.  

This quilt is definitely going to have a relaxing watery feel.  I rather like the calming effect it has.  That said, back to my Cacophony quilt and my Galiano quilt (friends quilt) with the bright colors I so love.