Mid-Century Album Class

I've been doing so much machine sewing of scraps lately that I really feel the need for something different. It is time to get back to my handwork. Many of you have heard me talk about the mid-century Album quilt class I'm taking. I had prepped 4 small blocks and finished one, but that was all I'd done. We've had five classes now - we are almost half done - and I had one finished block. So I've been working on the other three, and now four are done. So I spent Sunday and last night prepping more blocks. I have two more 8" blocks prepped, and three or four 16" blocks. Each of our classes has focused on a different category of blocks - trees, wreaths and rings, light and dark, diagonals, and flowers. There are at least 10-12 block patterns in each packet - choosing is so very hard! I want to make them all!

My finished blocks are three trees from the first packet and a crossed leaf design from the third packet. I'm so eager to get back to working on these! We have 8 different choices for layout - thank goodness we don't have to choose that right now! I really like three of them - I don't know how I'll choose. I knew I wanted one with both size blocks, which did help me narrow my choices a little. Please let me know which of these three layouts you like best.

Eileen Trestrain, our album class instructor, is eager to start a 19th century sewing circle that meets regularly for sewing and fellowship. She had the first meeting at her house on Sunday. There were about 10 of us there, and we had a marvelous time. Three people, including Eileen, were working on cream colored wool baseball uniforms - reproductions of baseball uniforms from 1857. Next Saturday at Ft. Vancouver they are playing an exhibition baseball game - 1857 rules. No sliding in the white wool - sliding then was not allowed because it wasn't considered gentlemanly behavior! There are brass buttons on the front of the uniforms - they look more like band uniforms than baseball uniforms. Others were doing hand applique, a couple were doing red work, and one was cross stitching tiny catalog numbers on items from the linen collection belong to the Factor's House at Ft. Vancouver. Eileen is in charge of all the textiles and costuming for the Fort - when I retire I want to become one of her volunteers. We had a delightful afternoon with good conversation and wonderful 19th century food items - bread pudding, brownies, snickerdoodles, fresh fruit and lemonade. Much of the food in the 19th century is exactly the same as what we eat now! We are meeting again in September - I'm looking forward to it very much.

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Gratitudes:

1. Rain today bringing cooler temperatures

2. Fresh cherries

3. A clean house

4. New recipes to try

5. The scale creeping slowly downward

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