Matching from Long Distance

Greetings! I have missed posting here but have been so busy! Last weekend I went on my annual female cousin's retreat and had a blast, as usual. We go to our cabins at a northern Minnesota lake. (Many relatives own cabins on the same lake.) We always have such a good time. Every year we also read a book and discuss it together. This year we read Founding Mothers by Cokie Roberts... a good book which (finally) chronicles the important role women played in the early years of establishing the USA (after stealing it from the indigenous people) - a big chunk of history that is missing in most history books.

Would you believe that I forgot to take my camera? I was kicking myself all weekend, because the fall colors were just spectacular!

Last Wednesday was my birthday! Husband treated me to attendance at a Talking Volumes presentation (a book club hosted by Minnesota Public Radio). The guest was Sherman Alexie who has written several novels, poems, and screenplays and won many awards. He was VERY entertaining and fascinating. I bought his two most recent books and have already read one which was excellent. It's a young adult book called The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. I recommend it for both young and old adults.



Also as a birthday treat I received some fabric in the mail that I had ordered from Z&Sfabrics. On a whim, I went to their site linked from Tazzie's, and placed an order. I thought it was fun to get fabric wrapped in a bow, and the extra bonus was that it arrived on my birthday.



On blind faith, ordering from a computerized thumbnail, I tried to get fabrics that match the blue piece I bought in San Francisco last month. I think I did pretty well for not being able to see them side by side. What do you think? Was my long-distance matching pretty successful?



This weekend I am finally able to do some sewing. However, I can't show it to you! I'm working on a challenge quilt (which has to remain anonymous) for my guild, and most of the other projects I'm working on are also for my guild's annual show. I don't want to show them before they're seen at the show, or they'll all be ho-hum quilts being seen for the 2nd time (by my local readers, if there are any). Last night I finished a funky wall hanging using some of Tonya's letters. All I can say about it is that it was my attempt to stretch my comfort zone and make something funky.

Back to the sewing machine for me! I have a long list of projects I need to tackle!