the Ultimate UFO

I've been busy.

Not my normal 'crazy' busy, but this new kind of INSANE busy.

And of course there's a story to go with:

Last weekend I recieved an invite to a Bridal Shower. It was for the bride-to-be of one of my close friends' (step) sons. (Not that the 'step' matters- but just so you know). And at this point in my life we are BROKER than broke. Mostly because we're saving every penny for something important. So I'm thinking- I really want to go to this shower and support my friend (whom I haven't seen since she visited me in the hospital WAY back in March) but I can't go empty handed. I sent her a quick text asking their wedding colors just so I could hopefully get some brain juices flowing. Eggplant, Sage, and Champagne (purple, green, and cream). Minutes later I had a flash of genius in which I remembered some blocks I had sewn for a proposed quilt for my bed only 6-7 years ago. Now...where were those blocks?

AS you may remember I've been clearing the stash. Those blocks could be ANYWHERE! After I looked in all the most logical places and even a few not-so-logical places I did the next best thing. I called my friend "F" to see if she had them. I often give "F" things I don't want or need anymore only to call her later on down the road and ask for them back. :o) She remembered the blocks, too, and was certain she had them. Until I woke Monday morning with a text that said "Sorry. I don't have the blocks"

UGH! now I have to figure out something else to do for this wedding present. EXCEPT these blocks were perfect because they were almost her wedding colors. (a little more burgundy and slightly more olive- but who's asking!?) I couldn't get the blocks out of my head. I decided to look where any smart person would look- the garage. Only I was sure they weren't there. Again, I started looking in logical places but I remembered cleaning every box of fabric out ofthe garage so I knew they weren't going to be in here. Until I turned around and saw another box. It was a clear rubbermaid storage container and I could see everything in it- those blocks weren't. But a little voice said to open it and look through and so I did. Way down deep and wrapped in all sorts of other fabrics I found....

THE BLOCKS~!!!!

And so the sewing began. The blocks were quarter-square triangles sewn together. AND a few rows were already sewn. All I had to do was sew the rest together, add a border and TA-DAH! But wait, wouldn't it look better with a skinny border, a wide border, and another skinny border. Ok. By this time I'm realizing this quilt is getting BIG and I still have to quilt it. Finally finish piecing and have to fun to my LQS for some thread. Lay it out on my bed to "sandwich" and it is the size of the TOP of my KING! HELLO!? No time (Or money) to send it off to be quilted. I gotta do it myself. One more run to the LQS for MORE thread. I finished the quilting at 4pm yesterday. The shower started at 6 (or so I thought- it was actually 7). I scrambled to get the binding on sweating the whole time. I machine bound it- no time for hand work. Finished just in time to change my shirt, run a comb through my hair and hop in the car.

The bride LOVED it. It really did turn out nice. I was only slightly embarrassed when my friend announced that I had made it in only 4 days while battling cancer. (That's not entirely true since technically, since my surgery, I'm not....awkward.) SO I smiled and said "No biggie- it was fun!" And that IS TRUE. But from the quilting perpective-since the blocks were from an old project I feel like I just completed something amazing! (well, that and this ultra-long post! Are you still with me?)

Want to see some pictures? WHAT!? PICTURES!? Oh yeah, I was in such a hurry, didn't have time to take any. Luckily my friend did at the shower. Once she send them over I'll post. Until then, you'll just have to let this amazingly long story do the trick. :o)

Do you have any great UFO stories? I'd love to hear!