Wednesday Check-Ins

It's Wednesday, and that means it's the day for WIP Wednesday (quilting) and the Yarn-Along (knitting and reading).  I look forward all week to these progress checks, and I try to make both of them every week.  I've found so many interesting blogs through both of them.  Here's this week's progress:

Evaluating the crumbs blocks for the Cedar Tree auction quilt:  I'm going to need about 120 of them, and I have about 80-90.  They fall into one of these categories: tree blocks, double-height tree blocks, star blocks, abstract blocks with at least one small bit of patchwork as a focal point, completely abstract/whimsical crumbs blocks, orphan blocks made up of traditional patchwork like 9-patches or log cabins.  There will be the tree blocks and a dark green inner border to tie it all together, but I love the improvisational, free-wheeling process of piecing these little 6" gems.  And my sewing area's still a big mess!  Stay tuned.

This is Monday's picture of the progress on quilting Easy Street.  I'm about at the halfway point and I need to get more thread.  There are some ripples quilted into the back... it's such a huge quilt!  But I'm persevering with it.

The Circle of Fun bathmat is finished, at least the inner circle part is.  Now I have to seam up that center bit and figure out how to knit on a garter stitch border.  The Mason-Dixon knitting ladies have you knitting a garter strip for approximately 3 years and then sewing it on separately, but I really don't want to do that.

And I just read my first Asterix book!  Can you believe I've been a Latin teacher for 13 years now, and this is the first time?  I picked up Asterix and the Actress from the floor of my daughters' room the other day and actually read it, giggling the whole time.  Now I really need to check out the rest of them.  Woo-er!

And speaking of reading projects, here's Tertia with Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire...

...and Star Wars.  She couldn't decide between the two of them, although she's 60% done with Harry Potter.  If you wouldn't use the word "retarded" to describe this bright and active girl, and there's really no reason why anyone should... would you please "spread the word to end the word" and help erase the R-word from being used as an insult or term of derision.  That's something that everyone should be able to agree on, regardless of politics.  Thank you!