No Agenda Saturday

This weekend has been wonderful.  It's the first Saturday in a long, long time that I didn't have anything particular to do.  I didn't have a deadline or somewhere I had to be or anything specific on my agenda.  I had no agenda!!  It has been a wonderfully relaxing weekend.  Yesterday, I got up (okay, couldn't sleep in much - got up at 7:30) Decided I wanted a coke (don't have any soft drinks in the house) so I went to my favorite Stripes and got me my favorite mixed drink - coke and diet coke mixed in one cup.  Their breakfast platter was calling to me so I purchased one along with a newspaper.  I can't tell you how long it has been since I have purchased a newspaper because I don't even remember when it was, it was that long ago.  (okay, maybe a month ago)  I quickly looked through - not much in our paper - and looked to see if there were any estate sales that day.  Sure enough there was one.  So, taking my breakfast and my coke, I set off to go to the estate sale.  Got there in plenty of time to sit and enjoy my breakfast in the car, with the windows down and the cool morning breeze!  It was delightful. 

The last estate sale I attended, I purchased three metal file boxes that I plan on re-painting (have finished one) and when I was going through the big one I found $80.  That's right, eighty dollars!!  I think I paid one dollar for that box.  I also found some really old postcards that I need to put on e-bay.  They were all wrapped up in plastic so they are in really excellent condition and they have the one cent postage marking on them.  It will be cool to find out if they are worth anything.  So, my $79 profit from that box may grow a bit.  However, I usually go to estate sales to see if there is anything to add to my collection of cut and pressed glass serving pieces.  I picked up three bowls for a total of $5.41.  Not a bad haul! 

I finally went by Hobby Lobby and got me a new cutting mat along with some Kona Espresso fabric and a few remnant fabrics on clearance.  My intention was to work on some new projects.  Instead, I got on the computer and played a few games and answered some e-mail and tired myself out!  Just in time for a long, long nap!!  that is what these Saturday's are for, aren't they?  Napping??  I needed it and really deserved it.  Needless to say, since most of you know me, I didn't get into the studio (sewing room) until later that night.  Here are some things I worked on last night. 

My quilt group is doing a round robin and I added my border to Gerrie's quilt top.  I don't have picture of how the top looked before I got it. Wait, I will be back.  I am going to try to crop it and see if I can show you what it looked like before I added my border.  Be right back . . . . . .

Here is what it looked like when I got it.  The center star was made by Gerrie.  Liz put it on point by adding the strips around the star along with the orange, turquoise and black/brown fabric.  The next border is to be triangles.  I drew out some flying geese on the sides and thought that would work to continue the black/brown fabric making it look like a box.  Then I couldn't decide what else to do, so I used the orange again along with a similar background batik - there wasn't enough of the original fabric in her box to use the same background batik and here is what it looks like now . . . . . .oops, it replaced the original picture with this cropped one, just a second, while I download the original off the camera again .  . . . . . . .

I really like how the orange looks like boxes on point with turquoise squares inside.  This is looking really great!  I can't wait until Saturday to see what everyone else did with their triangles.  And, to see how my little quilt is progressing! 

The next thing I worked on was the color challenge from 15 Minutes Play.  Victoria is posting a new color each week for you to play with.  I was behind, since I haven't read many blogs lately and didn't know about this until Friday.  I chose to use my own favorite pattern for each of my blocks and use the Kona Espresso that I got at Hobby Lobby for my background.  Here is the Mauve block:

It is the only one all put together.  I may off set the rest of the blocks and have them share some of the squares so there isn't sooo much solid brown squares.  I may change my mind later and decide to finish each block and then put them on point with some sashing, but at this time I am leaving my options open.  Which totally explains why the next two blocks look so wonky.  They aren't totally sewn together, but you can get an idea about the colors.  Here is the Ochre:

And the Avocado:

I can't wait until Wednesday to get the next color to use in my blocks.  In the meantime, I will work on the April Challenge from the Modern 8 Create blog.  I am not one of the 8 members, but it is fun to see what they are doing and try my own version of their challenges at home.  (not that I have been able to do much before now, but I always enjoy seeing what they do)  Here are their rules from their website for the challenge.  Go by there and see what everyone is making.  It is a lot of fun.  I have only gotten to rule number one and am going to work on rule number two right now.

April Challenge “Rules”

1) Take a photograph. Take a picture of something around your house (inside or out makes no difference).

2) Crop it to pull out a section that is nearly unrecognizable as a “thing”.
3) Interpret this portion of your picture into a quilt.
4) Size is totally up to you. Make it a size you’ll love and want and use.
You can use any colors and fabrics you desire. You can embellish or not as you see fit. Use any technique that’s fun for you (or try a new one you’ve been wanting to play with).
 from http://modern8create.blogspot.com

This is a picture of a metal picture frame with magnetic dots that hold the picture to the metal.  I hardly ever have a picture on it since I love the art of it just the way it is.  So, let me go play with the cropping and I will be back. . . Once again, I am leaving you.  This is a great time to get yourself that cup of coffee or take a bathroom break.  We will meet back here in just a couple of minutes.  See you . . .

I don't know what I pushed, I played with all kinds of editing buttons, but the background looks really yellow now.  It's a wonderful medium gray in the original form.  Even though I like this, I am not sure that this is what I want to do.  I may have to play with this some more or possibly take another picture of something more normal.  That may be the trick to the entire thing. Using something so normal and then closing in on it to make it look different.  I am off to play with this some more.  No, I am not coming right back this time, so finish that cup of coffee and go check out the two blogs I linked to and try your hand at these two challenges.