Friday check in: birthday thanks, two new projects, conference ahead

I turned 74 at 3:47 a.m. Tuesday.   I appreciated all the good wishes from Facebook friends.

I indulged in a little retail therapy and a short walk at Half Day Forest Preserve.   (Water lily, wild morning glory, and bladderwort.)

In 1990 Amelia and I celebrated our June birthdays in Northbrook.  I was staying at my parents' for the ALA conference and Amelia and her mother (my sister) were home for a visit.   Amelia greeted me at the door excitedly:  "Nann!  Grandmother and I baked you a lemon cake!" 

My big birthday gift came yesterday.  I traded the 2018 Forester (bought in 2017) and Stevens' 2020 Nissan Kicks for a 2026 Forester.  Subaru won the beauty contest (as S would say) over Nissan Rogue and Honda CRV.   Now I have Apple Car Play so I don't have to hold the phone in my hand to see maps.  

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On the front door now.

Modern Quilt Studio (Bill Kerr and Weeks Ringle) designed We the People for America 250.  The pattern is on the MQS website.  It was easy to make -- the letters are fusible applique. The hard part was figuring out how to hang it.  I had to dig into the Christmas decor boxes to find the wreath hanger. 

The deboned shirt bins are overflowing! 

On the design wall, but not for long:  thrifted shirts, 9" blocks.  I'm going to set these aside and consider an alternate block (sixteen patch, maybe).  

I was looking through Bonnie Hunter's Scraps and Shirttails and rediscovered this pattern.   A way to use not-blue shirts!  

Six blocks so far.   For the rest I'm going to cut the patches and units separately and keep them in the snapware boxes, then mix/match to assemble the blocks.  That way I'll get maximum variety. 

But all that is on hold until next week.  As soon as I publish this post I'll finish packing for the ALA Annual Conference.  It's in Chicago and I'm taking the 11:30 train downtown.   Home on Monday evening!

Linking up with Finished or Not Friday  Brag About Your Beauties