So I spent most of this week moving our offices to a new location. In 90 degree, 90% humidity weather. Although we had some volunteers, I was still lifting and hauling furniture and cartons and such for a few days straight as I packed, we moved, and I unpacked. Needless to say, when the weekend got here, I was toast. It was time for a relaxed, straight-up weekend off. I even cut errands to the bare minimum.
(Top pic: old office mid-packing. Middle pic: new office after moving in. Bottom pic: panorama shot of new office with everything put away. Eventually the side with the round table with be set up for teleconferencing and the side with two chairs in the upper right corner will be set up as more of a living-room feel for smaller meetings. My actual workspace is all in the far right—same amount of space as I took up in the last office, despite this being four times the size! The administrative office is separate, and smaller, but still bigger than we used to have, and we have a small reception area leading to both offices. It’s a great space and I look forward to when we’re finally able to afford to fully furnish and decorate it! One step at a time….)
I did manage to get in some much-needed friend-time. I’ve recently reconnected with a high-school friend, who had married another high-school friend right out of high school. I actually knew her now-husband better than her in high school because he and I were in several classes together starting in elementary school; I saw her less often. Now that we’ve reconnected, though, I said to her, “I’m wondering why I wasn’t closer friends with you in high school!” It wasn’t that we weren’t friends—we were more along the lines of friendly acquaintances. When we were together, we got along great. We just weren’t together all that much. We’re fixing that now. She and her husband raise Siberian Huskies. They have 18 adult dogs and do their own breeding, very carefully, and only once a year or less. They have very strict rules about only having one female have two litters total, if that, because it takes such a toll on the mom’s body. They’re also very careful about who gets one of their puppies. They’re basically dog-lovers first who then offer some very loved, cared for puppies into the world on occasion.
They currently have a litter of pups who are about 3 or 4 weeks old and in need of socializing. And I was in need of puppy breath. So my BFF/BQF Katie (another one of our circle who all grew up together), Katie’s daughter and I went out to visit the puppies on Saturday.
I discovered that Husky puppies aren’t quite as face-oriented as Springer Spaniels (the puppies I grew up with) or Golden Retrievers (the puppies I’ve had as an adult), so getting my fill of puppy breath was a little more work with these little guys. But going nose-to-nose with them garnished enough nose nibbles and face licks that I got enough to get by. They were absolute sweeties. And hearing their carers/owners talk about their pack was a joy—they clearly love them so much.
Boy, did I need that puppy breath.
But this is not, all signs pointing to the contrary, a dog blog.
Because I was toast, I just couldn’t get my mojo up for any actual sewing again this weekend. Instead, I managed to push some UFOs forward in a non-sewing way.
I dropped the two jelly-roll race quilts off at an LQS for machine quilting. It felt good to get them off the hanger in my sewing room.
I looked at the LQS for fabrics for backings for the other two pieced tops I have ready to go, but didn’t find anything that appealed and I was running late for meeting my friends for Puppy-a-looza so I bagged it for then. As I was driving home, my face covered in puppy licks, I realized it was too late to stop at any other quilt shops that afternoon. Given how little time I have to actually go shopping, I decided I was going to have to risk doing it online.
Backing for shabby-chic sampler quilt
This afternoon I did a little looking around at various online fabric places and finally found what I think will work at The Fat Quarter Shop. It’s tricky trying to match colors in a physical quilt with what you’re seeing on your computer screen, but since I wasn’t going for an exact match and rather a “coordinate with” type of fabric, I think it should work. Plus, it’s only the back.
Backing for taupe sampler
I’m not 100% convinced I have binding fabric for either of these two quilts but I decided that’s a problem for another day. I didn’t have enough puppy breath built up in my system to try to take care of that today too.