Flash Sewing Weekend - August 8th

Phew!  Finally Friday!!!  This has been a long week.  Work has been nuts, lots of stuff to do, and still not feeling 100% so I've been crashing pretty much as soon as I get home from work.  I have managed to get some sewing in this week :-)  I finished up the "inner quilt" of my Lattice Quilt last night and it's ready for borders. 

I kinda had an "oh crap!" moment last weekend while finishing up the last couple of rows.  I pulled out the pattern and was reviewing the steps.... apparently I should have read thru the entire thing before starting.  I didn't realize there was an inner border using the same fabric as the lattice pieces.  Whoops!  If I had read that before I started cutting, I would have been a little more cautious with my cutting and made sure to leave extra honey bun strips for the border.  I didn't :-(  I did have pieces leftover.. but they were just that... pieces!  All were about 11" long.  Now, after calming myself down, I came to the conclusion that I could do one of three things...

1. Skip that inner border and go straight to the outer border - decided against it because I didn't think it would look "finished" if I would have done that.
2. Order more fabric - didn't want to have to do that if I could avoid it.  This isn't fabric I could get from JoAnn's or Hobby Lobby and it would definitely have to be ordered.  I could get it at Missouri Star, but unfortunately they are a little backed up in shipping due to their warehouse move a few weeks ago and I didn't want to have to wait two weeks to get it.
3. Piece all the leftovers together to create the border

When all was said and done, I ultimately chose option #3.  I started sewing those 11" strips together for each side and figured as long as it was consistent thru the entire border it might look OK.   I managed to get the top and bottom done last night, but still need to do the sides.  That's what's on my agenda for tonight.  If things go as planned, I should be able to get it basted and started quilting by the end of the weekend.  I originally had this one "scheduled" for completion August 31st, so if I can get it all done over the next week or so... I'll be a bit ahead of schedule.

Also on my agenda for this weekend is to start working on a shirt that was requested by Hubby.  A couple of weekends ago, the one where I got "Rosie," Hubby and I made a pit-stop at JoAnn's so I could pick up a few accessories for my new machine.  While walking around the store, he picked up a bolt of some fabric out of the licensed section and brought it over.  All he did was hold it up and ask "What can you make me with this?"

Naturally, I was quick to rack my brain for ideas.  It's not quite the greatest print for a quilt, but I immediately thought it would work for a button down shirt. 

McCall's Pattern - M2149

I had made one of these shirts for my dad for Christmas a few years ago and had bought the pattern and some other fabric to make Hubby one as well, just never got around to it.  I already had the pattern so all I had to do was grab some interfacing and some buttons and I would be ready to go.  Hubby has never asked me specifically to make him anything, and after a day of torturing him with craft stores and driving all over Ohio... I was happy to oblige. 

I have the original fabric I bought him years ago to make a shirt with, plus this fabric and some music note fabric I found all to make him shirts out of.  I just need to get to cracking on it!  It'll all need pre-washed so I'm going to zip the edges thru my serger tonight and get it washed.  Thinking I'll have the pieces cut out for the first one sometime tomorrow (we have a short wedding reception to go to in the afternoon) and then have it ready for him to wear by Monday!

It's going to be a busy, busy sewing weekend!  I'm armed with plenty of snacks and beverages, a loaded iPod full of audiobooks, and a nice new machine to play with!  Can't wait to get started tonight!!

Hope everyone is having a Fabulous Friday!