Melinda Quilts etc
We weren’t able to go anywhere yesterday and looks like the same today, at least until this afternoon. Bill had a doctor appointment around noon and it has been cancelled. Both of my classes were cancelled because the store was closed.
I did sew a little and got the Sylvia’s Bridal Sampler BOM done. This is block C-9
Hope to get some sewing done today.
Melinda
Here is out the front window yesterday afternoon.
And my poor little car in the driveway.
The front bushes with the bottle tree in the background.
Out the kitchen windows and the deck.
We are having a horrible time here in the Atlanta area. The snow started around 10 am yesterday and ended in the early evening. The interstates were packed from noon on and several schools had to keep the kids overnight. 75 is still blocked and people have been on the road since yesterday. The Home Depots stayed open as shelters for anyone who could reach them.
My beginning machine piecing classes are cancelled for today and tonight and the store is closed. Actually, pretty much everything is closed in the whole area. We are just going to stay home and stay warm. Hopefully it will get above freezing tomorrow and things will clear up. We are not used to snow and ice.
Melinda
I have been using my red and aqua swap blocks for leaders and enders recently and have turned 100 small blocks into 25 larger ones. I am still doing some pressing but plan to put them up on the design wall later today.
Although this isn’t on my official UFO list, I have been wanting to get this quilt done. I bought some Bliss floral for a border but might need an inner border also. I guess I won’t know until the blocks are sewn together.
Weather update: The ice is almost gone but the snow still has a way to go. The temperature should stay above freezing all day so we are making progress.
Melinda
This is about how I felt yesterday. Just wanted to curl up in a blanket and sleep. I had other things to do so Max took care of it for me. The dogs are as tired of the weather as I am. Chula especially doesn’t want to go out in the snow any more.
About the snow – it is still here but is now covered with a thin layer of ice. Not good. It did get above freezing for a few hours today but it is starting to freeze again.
The quilt shop was open today and I think we are back on track. Bill has been driving me to work since he has been unable to get his truck up the hill. After he got home from work, he was able to drive the truck and went to Home Depot and picked up road salt. He dug out some of the ice in the street in front of the house and then walked up the hill with the salt. Hopefully that will allow him to drive his truck tomorrow so I can have the car to go to work.
The weather tomorrow is predicted to be above freezing for about 14 hours so hopefully much of the ice will melt. Enough is enough!
We have a retreat scheduled for next weekend up in the North Georgia Mountains. We will be doing a mystery quilt and I will be teaching a special small project. We are doing a take-off on Oprah’s favorite things. Maetha will be Oprah, Henry is Steadman and guess who is going to be Gayle – lucky me. At least we are scheduled to have good weather.
Melinda
I have been folding fabric recently and just unpacked this and got it folded up to go on the shelves. It is Tula Pink’s latest line and is beautiful. I have no plans for it at this time but really love it and will be looking for inspiration.
I got all three colorways from the Fat Quarter Shop. They are a great shop to buy from. Their service is very good and they package things beautifully. It is so exciting to get a package from them.
Weather update: We still have ice but it is above freezing today so hopefully things will be better soon. The sun is out and some of the ice is melting (of course it will freeze again tonight). Our snow day turned into a snow week. We did open the quilt shop yesterday at noon and are back to regular hours today.
Melinda
I worked on a block for the January bee today. It isn’t finished yet but I should be able to get it done tonight.
Linda sent the fabric for us to use but said it would be OK to add more white fabric if needed. I think I will need it.
Weather Update: Still icy out and it did not get above freezing today. Bill made it out to the grocery store this afternoon but the roads are still dangerous. I think the quilt shop will open tomorrow if we can make it there. Schools are still closed. The snow day has turned into a snow week.
Melinda
I joined two bees this year and worked on my blocks for the Scrap Bee at 15 Minutes Play. Victoria asked for blocks that used made fabric. Here is what I came up with. They are ready to mail if I can ever get out of the house.
She specified the red sashing and center yellow square but left everything else up to us. This is a great way to use up small scraps.
Weather update: Still frozen outside and the quilt shop is still closed. My classes have been postponed for a week. The class is six weeks long and we usually take a one week break during the six weeks. We will just skip that part.
The sun is out today but the temperature is still below freezing. We still can’t make it up the hill with the car but maybe tomorrow.
Off to make a block for my other bee.
Melinda
We took the dogs out about 10 last night and there was no snow. By 11 when we actually went to bed, there was at least an inch of snow. This morning, this is what we woke up to. We have about 6-8 inches of snow.
The Atlanta area is pretty much closed down and we are staying home. Bill was supposed to go to work today but there is no way to get a car out of the subdivision. They have been saying that we are going to get more freezing rain (we already had sleet) but it is looking better on the weather maps. All the schools are closed, most of the banks and shopping malls. It isn’t looking good for tomorrow either since it is not going to warm up at all. Pretty much all the flights out of Atlanta (world’s biggest airport) are cancelled.
The local TV station rates the weather on a scale of 1-11 (11Alive is the station) and today is a 1. Our new governor is supposed to get sworn in today but all of the festivities have been cancelled. They are going to have a simple swearing in at the Capitol building but no other celebrations. Hopefully some of the celebrations can be rescheduled.
Bill is asleep on the couch and the dogs are in their beds so I think I will go upstairs and sew a little more.
Melinda
Today was the monthly meeting of the Atlanta Modern Quilt Guild. I took the donation quilt and hung it up for everyone to admire.
It really turned out great and I think represents the modern movement very well. Here are a couple of close ups.
The direction given to the members was to make a single color block. I love all the different designs that were used. With the wide white sashing, it allows each block to shine while complimenting its neighbors.
Pam took the quilt home to add the binding and sleeve and it will be ready to hang in the State Capitol building on January 31.
The rest of the day at the quilt shop was very busy. I think all the quilters heard about the weather report for snow and ice over the next couple of days and came in to get the fabric equivalent of milk, bread and eggs so that if they are going to be stuck at home, they will have plenty to stitch with.
The weather report is still for 2-4 inches of snow and then sleet and freezing rain. That would be bad anywhere, but here in the Atlanta area, it is a guarantee for disaster. I am glad I have no reason to leave the house for the next day or two.
Melinda
We are having a White Christmas. It started snowing a couple of hours ago and keeps on going. According to the local weatherman, the last time it snowed on Christmas day in Atlanta was 1882 – over a hundred years ago.
I got up and made a pumpkin roll and since we had overripe bananas, I also made a loaf of banana nut bread. I started the cheese sauce for cheesy potatoes. While I was doing this, Bill was getting sicker and sicker. I think it is just a bad cold but I finally called and cancelled our appearance at dinner with friends. He would be miserable but more important, I didn’t want him to infect everyone else.
I had purchased a ham a couple of days ago because they were on sale so I got it out and stuck it in the oven. We won’t go hungry. I had planned on cooking it tomorrow but today will work.
Still snowing out – it is pretty but the doggies don’t like it.
Melinda
It snowed lightly most of the day yesterday but there was no accumulation. When I got up this morning, this is what I saw.
Not much compared to many areas but it is snow. I don’t think it has accumulated any more but continues to lightly snow off and on. It is cold!
One more thing to show. At the guild meeting on Friday, Pat gave out little gifts to everyone serving on the Executive Committee during 2010.
Pat made Big Chicken needlecases for everyone. I love mine. For those who do not know what the Big Chicken is you can read about it here. Just last night we heard on TV an ad that talked about something being 2 miles north of the Big Chicken. It is quite a local landmark.
Melinda
