Weekly update: deliveries, small finishes, and new projects

The sky was so clear today that the Chicago skyline was visible from Hosah Park.  That's 40 miles away.  You can click on the photo to enlarge it. Look at the horizon on the right and you can see the outlines of the skyscrapers.

Closer to the ground:  flag iris, coreopsis, daisies, spiderwort. I think the plant not in bloom (upper right) is a mullein. It is a huge specimen.

One Tuesday I drove on the Tollway (I-94) for the first time since February when I went to Glen Ellyn.    I met first with the incoming AAUW-IL president to sort through files of the Gender Equity Fund.  It was great to visit with her.  We reduced three boxes of files to two -- one for her, one for me.  I then went five townhouses down the street (same subdivision) to have lunch with the immediate past chair of the P.E.O. Illinois Home Fund and to pick up all the Home Fund files from her.  (Lisa and Sue had never met!)

On Wednesday Stevens and I were back on the Tollway, but for a shorter trip.  I delivered all of the supplies for the yearbook binders that are my P.E.O. chapter's fundraiser to LS in Lake Zurich. Chapter members take turns fulfilling the orders from chapters across the country.  I was supposed to turn them over to LS in March but none of us was going anywhere then.

After offloading the mailing supplies we went to Barb, the longarm quilter.  I delivered Shelter in Place.  A lot of quiltmakers are finishing UFOs -- Barb won't have SIP for me until August!  I did not want to hang onto it for another month because I don't want to change the back yet again.  I made a *third* set of letters and though I'm still not ecstatic about them, they will do. 

I made these mug rugs for three friends who are retiring this month.  I made up gift bags with advance reader copies (ALA Midwinter books, still) and the mug rugs. One recipient wasn't home but I left it at her back door. The other was home and invited me to visit, which I happily did out on her deck (and I got to know her fiance better, too).   The third delivery will be at the end of the month.







The five-patch units I made from Shelter in Place and mask scraps are all assembled.  I call these blocks "waffle stamps" because of the 1.5" squares (postage stamps) and the grid that reminds me of waffles.

The blocks are 5.5" unfinished. This will be 60 x 70. I don't know if I'll add borders.

(See previous waffle stamp quilts here and here.)

When I learned what a backlog of quilting Barb has I realized I really need to get going on the wedding quilt for my nephew and his fiancee!     I asked Barb to put me on the calendar. She said end of August for the September 25 wedding.   I asked Becca about style and color -- outdoors with deep blue, emerald, gray, and wood/gold.  I've found a Bonnie Hunter pattern that may work out perfectly. Stay tuned!

Linking up with Oh Scrap!
 Monday Making
 Design Wall Monday

P.S.  The peonies are beautiful this year. whether in the garden or on the table.

All the white ones came from a yard sale. About 15 years ago I paid $20 for two garbage bags of roots. The red peony I planted two years ago has finally bloomed.