A deadline.  Again.  But you know me by now.  It’s what I live for.  To finish just in the nick of time.  And get no sleep in the process.  Will I ever learn?

My latest deadline is Monday.  That’s when Christmas in July begins at Quilter’s Dream, the Quilt Shop where I work.  I really need to get my two projects finished before Monday, because they need to be hung in the shop before the customers arrive Monday morning.  My goal was to get them both finished by Friday night.  But I have a new plan.  One project is placemats and I figure they can go on a table in the Christmas Room and be thrown there at the last possible minute Monday morning.  Good plan, isn’t it?

And the good news?  I finished the other project.  So I thought I’d show it to you.  To get you fired up to come to the Shop next week and see it in person.  I’m very pleased with the result.

Here it is as I was quilting it.  I love the colors and I love plaid.  And it’s flannel.  The softest flannel you’ve ever touched.  I wish we had touch-a-vision on this blog.  Because you really need to touch this fabric.  It is so soft.  And I will enjoy it much more when it’s not 125 degrees outside.

Isn’t it great?  Would be a good manly Christmas gift, don’t ya think?

With polka dots on the back.  I like polka dots too.  Almost as much as I love plaid.  And stripes.  This is my kind of snuggly quilt.

The border is actually a houndstooth check.  And you want to know the best part?  None of that center fabric is pieced.  It’s all one big piece of fabric.  Printed with those little four patches and blocks.  Cool, huh?  So all I did was sew the borders on and quilt lines where the seams would be if it were pieced.  Too fool everyone into thinking that it was pieced.  Did I fool you?  I’m calling this one “Last Minute Lap Warmer.”  You can throw it together at the last minute.  Like I did.  To meet my deadline.  I’m sneaky that way.

And after the binding was all finished, I had to throw it in the washer.  Because I love even more the soft, snuggly crinkledness that quilts get after they are washed.  It’s in the dryer right now.  And I have a feeling I will have to take another picture when it is dry.  Because it will be even more photogenic then.  Didn’t know quilts could be photogenic, did ya?

I also had to have a treat.  Because I had worked hard all evening.  So I had some of this.

Please disregard the fact that it says “low fat” in big letters.  I didn’t let that stop me from having a big bowl.  And it was good even if it was low fat.

Doesn’t it look pretty in this bright orange fiesta bowl?  And then, just because I could, I did this:

Because anything is better with chocolate fudge sauce and because Dear Hubby had bought it and because I deserved it.  I ate the whole thing.  It was very yummy.  Orange, Pineapple, Raspberry Sherbet is quite good smothered in chocolate fudge sauce.  In case you were wondering.

Boo sat right next to the computer and watched intently as I ate the whole thing.  He didn’t even want to lick the bowl when I was done.  He just wanted to watch for some reason.  And I had to post that picture because I think it’s cool.  He moved as I took it and also the shutter stayed open quite awhile because there was not enough light.  Isn’t it weird how you can see right through his ear and the top of his head?  He looks kind of ghost-like, doesn’t he?  Anyway, Boo wanted to say hi to my blog friends and I thought you should see that cool picture.

I also had a fun thing happen at the Quilt Guild meeting today.  I met Bertha.  And I wanted you to meet her too.

I thought I was going to save Bertha’s picture and one day do a posting about the people who read my blog.  But I couldn’t wait.  I wanted you to meet Bertha!  Bertha told me today that she reads my blog every day.  Right after she reads the obituaries.  I’m happy to be a part of Bertha’s day.  Isn’t she just the cutest?  “You made my day, Bertha! Thanks for reading and being my friend in Blogland.”

By the way, Suz, it was 1:50.  So I wasn’t too far off now, was I?

Hugs,
Barb