Friday check in: a busy first week and a flimsy

 The first week of the month is always busy with regularly-scheduled meetings. 

It was wonderful to have dinner with P.E.O. sisters on Monday after months of Zooming.  We had great fun with our white elephant exchange (sidelined for two years due to Covid).  I'd had custody of one of the perennial white elephants -- a funny plaster pig--and successfully handed it off.    

 Deb got the bead-and-safety-pin basket.   Lenee got the owls--we think they are travel jewelry holders. One owl has been around for 20 years. I got the other owl and the basket at this estate sale way back in 2009.

In return I got a never-used giant beer glass that can serve very nicely as a vase.

I didn't take any photos at the Zion Woman's Club meeting on Tuesday because I was too occupied with presiding at the meeting and doing the powerpoint for the two speakers.  Wendy talked about the BUZ, Building Up Zion, our status as a monarch butterfly city and a community garden project.  (Our Rotary Club is sponsoring the signage for that project.)  Harriet talked about Grandparents and Kin Raising Children Lake County, the agency she founded.  GKRCLC will be the beneficiary of ZWC's Cinco de Mayo fundraiser.   (And on Thursday Marilyn and I interviewed five candidates for the ZWC scholarship, $1000 awarded to a young woman graduating from Zion-Benton Twp High School.)

And, yes, there was quilting.  (Isn't there always quilting?)  The guild met in person Wednesday.  Guild member Barb presented a trunk show.   She has a long arm business and has quilted many of my quilts.   She does beautiful work.

I'm co-chairing the guild BOM this year.  Participants brought several months' worth of blocks to distribute to those who have won the monthly drawing. 

Rose with Feb. log cabin baskets, Donna with Jan. batik baskets, Joanne with Nov. Thanksgiving baskets, Sunny with October Halloween baskets, Helen with December cactus baskets.  The March handkerchief baskets were handed in and awarded as well.  Co-chair Marge has us making Gwennie's Baskets for April (a la Gwen Marston) and is coming up with an idea for May.  I'll have June and July.

Despite all this activity I had time to sew.   The pattern that inspired the hopscotch blocks (see the previous post) had an on-point setting with red for the alternate squares and side triangles.  Remember that this is a stash reduction effort and I'm using what I have. I auditioned several reds and found one that would work.  I had enough for the squares but not the side triangles. What to do?  I switched to a straight setting and cut the setting squares into 2" strips. I added contrasting cornerstones. There was enough of a blue print (a bit of gold, a bit of red) for the borders.  Success!

5-1/2 yards for the flimsy.

Linking up with Finished or Not Friday

  

P.S. We were delighted with the news of Judge Jackson's confirmation!