What Have I Done to Myself? I Must Have Lost My Mind!

A couple of days ago, my quilting buddy was here for help with his binding, and before he left, I suggested he help me with my vintage embroidery blocks.  I had sorted them a bit by color, and before I knew it he grabbed the stack and was laying the blocks out on the bed.  He handed me some of the blocks, and I went to the other side of the bed.  I had told him I had enough for eight rows, seven blocks wide.  He managed to get almost all of them visible on the top of the bed, with the number seven blocks hanging onto the sheet I had on top of the bed.

He grabbed the block with the lady in blue that I just couldn't cut, and he put her in the center, which is what I had said I would do.  We both just kept changing blocks around into different places, and also literally around and around in that same space to get flowers butterflies, baskets, and ladies in the upright position.  Of course, with a lot of the blocks, that just is not possible!

After he left, I just had to leave the room too!  Talk about a jumbled up mess!  I kept thinking, "And that's all I've worked on this entire year!"  I didn't even want to go back in the room that night ------ until about 1 AM!  I made a few changes and said to myself, "That will just have to do!"

Here's a couple of examples of what I've done to my mind!

Now tell me, how am I supposed to make any sense of this conglomeration?  I can't see where one block ends and another block begins!  Yes, I know; the sashings will make a big difference, but how can I be sure this is the arrangement I want?  I did finally discover that there are seven little lady blocks, and I decided to put them down the center.  Then I counted birds, butterflies, baskets, and big pretty flowers and tried to equalize the number on both sides.  Then I still had to make a few more adjustments to separate similar flowers or butterflies.  I finally decided about noon today that "It is what it is!'  

I got my numbered safety pens and got the blocks all numbered, Row 1, Block 1,  Row 1, Blk 2, 3, 4,, and so forth all the way through Row 8, Block 7.  The blocks will be there until time to pack them up for retreat.  My quilting friend who is going to retreat also has not seen them yet.  I'm sure she will see some blocks that should be moved.  I may consider it; may not.  We'll see.  She does have a really good eye, and mine were really tired by the time I closed the last pin!  I'm not even sure that last picture above is the final picture, because I took a few at different stages.  Probably some of the gals at retreat may suggest some changes too.  We'll see.

I have all the sashings counted and sorted by rows, and the cornerstones are sewn on the top ones, and they too are sorted by row.  So I think I have at least that part of the process ready to sew to the blocks.  Now if I can just keep myself from wanting to start sewing the sashings on.   Remember, I was also going to work on the baby quilts at retreat, but you know what happened there!   Well, I do plan to hand stitch the binding to the back of the smaller one.

This evening I got all my quilting 'stuff' rounded up for retreat.  I even cleaned my machine, and got five bobbins filled so I wouldn't be doing that there.  Now I have to decide on snacks and get  clothes ready. (The hostess will  cook breakfast and lunch three days.)   I think I got all the snacks yesterday when I drove myself to the grocery store for the first time since Mother's Day.  I made it just fine, but I wasn't in rush hour traffic.  I admit I was worn out after walking to every corner of that big store !

Tomorrow I have to clean house!  I've really neglected doing much cleaning during this last couple of months.  I still have to clean up and store away//or trash all that embroidery stuff that's left  What a mess that is!

I guess I've about worn you out if you are still reading this, so I think I'll hush and go to bed!

Hope you're not as confused with what you are working on as I have been with this last part of mine.  Making all 56 of those blocks really was fun.  I just hope I'll like the quilt when I get it finished!

---"Love"