Christmas sewing

I've been in denial that Christmas is upon us.  Despite the cold winter weather, the Christmas spirit has been notably absent.  The tree, chopped down, brought home and put up the day after Thanksgiving, still sits half decorated.  We've made two paper ornaments (ten more to go).  Christmas presents are in the early stages of being made (and by early I mean that I have only just hatched a plan this very morning with the help of Pinterest and a cup of coffee). 

The holiday spirit I felt when this picture was taken has fled the building.  I blame the Spare the Air alerts we've had the past couple of weeks.  Cold weather, and we can't light the fireplace.  How am I supposed to get into the holiday spirit without a crackling fire?   

Before presents can be worked on, though, these must be finished. 

Rumor of a just-after-Christmas visit from my sister and her husband necessitates that I finish these pronto so that they can grace my table for a family holiday dinner.  My fingers are crossed that they are able to make it.  Distance means holidays spent with family other than my husband and children are few and far between.

Now that my bout of Bah! Humbug! has been properly documented, time to get on to the holiday sewing.  Fellow handmade holiday-makers, have you finished your holiday makes?

Linking up to WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.

Crazy Penny

Risking frostbitten toes this morning, I managed to take a photo of my finished Penny Patchwork quilt top. 

The recipe is from the Penny Patch Quilt-along at Stitched in Color.  Because of the scrappy nature of my version, it looks a little crazy.  But my family loves it.  There was a chorus of "oooh... pretty!" from my children, and my husband declared it his favorite of all the quilts I've made so far.

And speaking of recipes, I made this little gem yesterday.   

I saw a picture of a chocolate-glazed banana cake at JulieLou, and Julie was kind enough to share with me the recipe she used.  The only modification I made to was to replace 1/4 cup of white sugar with brown sugar to make it a little richer.  I would have added walnuts, but the littlest one has a nut allergy.  I used this recipe for chocolate glaze, but replaced the water with milk, then added a couple of ounces of melted milk chocolate.  Divine.

Pennies and Scraps

As I look around my sewing room, I am overwhelmed by the jumble of fabric, sewing machines and WIP's cluttering the space.  Fabric scraps from other projects litter the floor, having spilled out of the buckets and baskets meant to contain them.  This is a problem.  The entryway-turned-sewing room is the first thing anyone sees upon entering the house, and right now it's giving off a hoarder vibe. 

Things are in disarray because I've chosen to ignore the mess in favor of sewing.  By taking part in the Marcelle Medallion and Modern Maples fun, I've come out of self-imposed exile and find myself jumping into sew-alongs with gleeful abandon.  So before Marcelle Medallion or Modern Maples are even finished, I've already joined the Penny Patch Quilt-along at Stitched in Color.

I love the simplicity of design of the Penny Patch quilt.  It's squares upon squares- different sizes, but all squares, nonetheless.  This lends itself easily to power chain-piecing.  If you decide to join in the fun, Rachel has an excellent post about choosing a color scheme.  Because I kept waffling back and forth between color palettes and couldn't commit to just one, I'm going to make a scrappy version of the quilt.  Going through the scraps seems a perfect start to cleaning up the sewing room.

Linking up to the Penny Patch linky party at Stitched in Color and to WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.

Improv Stripped Geese tutorial

November is my month to host the Love Circle of do. Good Stitches.  I've really enjoyed being a part of this lovely and talented group of quilters.  Many of the quilts we've made together are unique and original.  The quilts made in this bee are sent to the  Wrap Them in Love Foundation, which then sends the quilts to children in need around the world.

Inspired by the color palette of this quilt, the design of this quilt, and a love of flying geese blocks, I've chosen a design that mixes all of these things in one quilt.  Here's the method I used to construct the blocks.

Improv Stripped Geese

What you will need:
rotary cutter
ruler
cutting mat
8" strips of fabric, varying widths (I cut mine between 2.5" to 4")
one 4" square piece of fabric
one strip of fabric 4"x9.5"

All seams are 1/4."  Please press seams to the right unless otherwise noted.  Block measures 6.5"x12.5" unfinished. 

To make the improv geese unit:
Start with the 4" square.  With your rotary cutter and ruler, cut an improv triangle. 

Lay your triangle over the 4" x 9.5" strip, ensuring there is at least 1/2" clearance of the background fabric at the top of the triangle (to allow for seams).

Place your ruler over the right edge of the triangle and cut the background fabric with your rotary cutter.  Do the same on the left edge of the triangle. 

Flip the triangle over the right-side background piece, centering on the angled edge. 

Sew together and press seam towards the background fabric.  Trim the dog-ear at the top.

Place the newly sewn unit right sides together over the angled edge of the left-side piece.

Sew together and press seam towards the background.

Trim the top and bottom edges.  Set the flying geese block aside.

To assemble the improv strips: 
Take one of the strips and, with your rotary cutter and a ruler, cut the right edge at a slight angle.

Take another strip, align on the angled edge right sides together.

Sew together.  Press seam to the right.

With your rotary cutter and ruler, cut the right edge of the newly sewn unit at a slight angle opposite to the first angled cut. 

Take a third strip, align on the angled edge, right sides together.

Sew together.  Press seam to the right.

Repeat these steps, working in the improv geese unit somewhere in the block.  Stop when the block reaches 13" or so in width.  Trim block to 6.5" x 12.5."

Congrats- you've successfully completed a Stripped Geese block!  I hope you found this tutorial clear and helpful.

eta: To my Love Circle friends... please feel free to add more than one flying geese unit in each of your blocks!

Have a great week!

Last minute sewing

Does it count as a WIP if I started today?  And why, oh why, did I wait so long?

My little guy wants to be Kick Buttowski for Halloween.  And for those who don't know this character, here's a visual (of Kick, not my little guy):

Image Source: Stuffpoint.com

Kieran informed us of his choice as soon as the Halloween chatter started the first day of October.  I've been in talks with my husband as to how exactly we're going to pull this off, as no pre-made Kick Buttowski costume exists.  I've known for weeks that the jumpsuit would have to be sewn.

And yet here I am, the day before Halloween, with this on my dining table:

 

Modifications I'm making are skipping the zipper in favor of a velcro closure, and I'm going to attempt to make the giant batwing collar (wish me luck).  The rest of the costume will be cobbled together with duct tape- red down the sleeves, yellow over Kieran's rain boots, white and red over a Top Gun helmet we found at Goodwill.  We're still trying to figure out the yellow gloves. 

See that guy in the upper left corner of the photo?  He's getting ready for Christmas.  Meanwhile I'm just trying to get this costume assembled before he walks out the door tomorrow afternoon to beg strangers for candy.

Linking up to WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.

Variations on a theme of Modern Maples: Nature Walk

The chilly mornings and evenings tell me it's Fall, even if the warm afternoons tell me otherwise.  My family typically do a lot of hiking in the fall.  We've been lazy so far, choosing instead to watch football and soccer on the weekends.  But I'm starting to get antsy- time to get out and commune with nature!

I must have had communing with nature on the brain when I was working on Modern Maples. 

In this quilt top are a couple of elements that my family and I frequently see on our hikes around the Bay Area.  There are feathers (re-sized from Anna Maria Horner's pattern) and mushrooms (which I drafted and paper-pieced).  One of my children suggested that I represent banana slugs.  Sorry kid, no dice.

Heavily inspired (and I do mean heavily) by this version, I used a mix of low-volume prints for the background.  I re-sized the blocks to 10.5" (finished) to allow for the addition of sashing.

I've chosen to back this quilt with a Valori Wells Urban Flannel print.  These green roses have been a favorite for so long and I'm happy to have found a project for them.  I'm not quite sure how to quilt this yet, but it will most probably be straight lines. 

Linking up to WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.

Still growing...

Now that we're well into October, I'm feeling the itch to start decorating for Halloween.  Especially since the littlest one's birthday is coming up, and he wants a Halloween-themed celebration (in his mind that just means pumpkins everywhere).   

In between dreaming up clever ways to transform the house into a Halloween wonderland (I'm leaning cutesy-crafty, though the rest of the family want ghoulish-gory) I've done a bit of work on Marcelle.

I chose mostly prints from various Anna Maria Horner collections (which I own in droves) because of their deep and rich colors.  I added a skinny strip of newsprint after the bricks to lighten it up a bit.  But the next border, which is a big, chunky cut, makes the top feel heavy and I'm unsure whether or not I want to keep it.  The next round will have plenty of low-volume goodness, so I'll reserve judgement until I see the pluses framing the whole thing. 

More maple blocks are in the works.  I hope to have the last of them done today.  I may even have a Modern Maples quilt top by the end of the week!

Linking up to the Marcelle Medallion Quilt-along at penny poppleton and WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.

The geese have landed

Now that fall is in the air (in the mornings, anyway), the urge to finish the quilts I have going is especially acute.  Swept up in two quilt-alongs as I am, chain-piecing has been the order of the day.  I've got nine Modern Maples blocks done with three more in progress.  (I do them in threes because I need the instant gratification of seeing finished blocks.) 

But what's more gratifying is that I've got border #4 (flying geese) of the Marcelle Medallion done.

I think this border has cured my desire to make a flying geese quilt (at least for now).  All those bias seams!  I really like how this quilt is shaping up.  I'm aiming for a rich and saturated scrappy look.  I like that the low-volume prints in the center and alternating borders keep it from looking too busy (I think).

The bricks for border #5 are all cut and ready for piecing.  I'm going to put the bricks in a bag and *try* to sew them as I pull them out rather than laying them out beforehand. 

Linking up to the MMQAL over at penny poppleton.  

Instant favorite

My family loves this quilt so much and I don't know how I forgot to unveil the finished Vintage Stars.  It is in constant use by whomever happens to be lounging on the sofa, or by Kieran when he's in his "tv chair" (which he is soon to outgrow). 

I stitched down the binding on this quilt a couple of Saturdays ago at Martina's soccer game (I wanted to finish it in time for my guild meeting later that afternoon) and had a lovely conversation with a lady whose granddaughter was playing for the opposing team.  She was a fellow quilter who was tickled to see me working on a quilt whilst cheering my daughter's team to victory.

This is the first quilt I've made with rounded corners.  It's made primarily with prints from Rosette by Juliana Horner, plus kona solids and a stray Garden Party print.  I quilted in straight lines on the diagonal 1/4" on either side of the seams. 

Martina's calling it "the reversible quilt" because "the back looks like another quilt(!)"  I won't disabuse her of the notion that I invented the scrappy pieced back- she thinks I'm brilliant, and I'll take that when I can get it.  I used several fat quarters and odd cuts from various Anna Maria Horner prints.

The little guy is such a camera hog... he demanded that I take his picture with the quilt, so I did.

Linking up to Finish It Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts.

The one where I join another quilt-along

I signed up for Sew On Norcal at the last minute and am so glad that my friend, Jen, talked me into it.  Lots of fun sewing and chatting in a gorgeous setting.  It was great to meet new people and be inspired by all the amazing projects happening around me.

The thing about going away for the weekend with other quilters is that there's nobody watching the baby.  I can get up to all kinds of quilty hi-jinks, and the group is okay with it.  Want to hit up the fabric shops in the area?  Let me give you directions!  Start another quilt even though you're in the beginning stages of the Marcelle Medallion?  You should totally do that!  Modify a border after realizing you've made a mistake because you're so distracted by all the quilty (and knitty) goodness happening around you?  You have our blessings.

I have a small confession to make.  I did not know about the wonder that is Modern Maples.  I've been in a hibernation, of sorts, since the beginning of summer.  A visiting MIL, the beginning of the school year and after-school activities, self-imposed exile from bees/swaps/sewalongs- all have contributed to my ignorance.

Then this happened.  (I was there when Tamiko's and Amanda's gorgeous quilts were on the floor and being photographed- I even touched them!)  Then Adrianne finished her Modern Maples quilt top.  The topic of choice on the drive home was...  Modern Maples.  And then there was a rash of #sewonnorcal fabric pulls for Modern Maples on Instagram.  Which led to this:

Sorry, my dear Marcelle.  I know we're in the beginning stages of our relationship, but I'm going to hang out with Modern Maples today. 

Linking up to WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.

Marcelle, Marcelle, Marcelle

I am quilter obsessed.  Marcelle Medallion is slowly stealing every available minute not spent on housework or child-rearing.  When I'm not working on it, I'm thinking about the next round of borders.  What prints should I use?  Should I reverse the lights and darks?  Does my stash have what I need? 

On Friday I leave with a few quilty friends for Sew On Northern California (yay!).  In packing up projects for the weekend, I realize I'm subconciously trying to figure out a way to have my whole stash available to me while I'm away from home. As that's not going to happen, I'm consoled with the knowledge that a trip to an LQS or two have been planned for Saturday morning.

Anyway, here is Marcelle, with border #1 in place:

The center medallion was hand-pieced using the EPP method.  The aftermath of finding just the right  prints for the first border has made a mess of my stash.  It's in further disarray after pulling these prints for border #2:

I may sneak in a couple more prints.  Or not, according whatever whim might strike as I'm piecing the triangles that make up this border.

Linking up to the MMQAL at penny poppleton and WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.

Taking shape

I'm having a bout of quilter's ADD this week.  I'm actively working on these four quilts, going back and forth as the mood strikes.  This means that quilt backs, batting, fabric scraps and sewing paraphernalia litter just about every available surface in the living room and mudroom (aka my sewing room).  There are also a sink full of dishes and an overflowing basket of clean laundry- two loads worth, waiting to be folded.  But what is housework when there's sewing to be done?

Today I think I'll work on Vintage Stars.  The back is pieced:

 
I'm going to try my hand at thread basting this quilt.  It seems like that would go much quicker than pin-basting, and I'll try anything to save my finger tips from getting pricked a hundred times. 

And while I'm shuttling kids to various activities this afternoon, I'll bring along Marcelle.  Progress is slow on the center medallion, which I'm EPP'ing.  After a few false starts where my stitches were showing through the front using a whipstitch, I found Lori's helpful tutorial using the ladder stitch.  The result is much neater for me.

However, sewing and housework both will have to wait.  The little one has decided it's time to put together his large floor puzzle of the United States.

Linking up to WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.

Paper and thread

In between soccer games and thrifting, I began work on the Marcelle center medallion over the weekend.  I opted to go the EPP route to avoid the dreaded y-seams.  It's also nice to have a portable project to work on while the kids have soccer practice and guitar lessons this week.

After the myriad changes I made before settling on this stack, I made a few more changes once the prints were cut and pieces laid out.  The print meant for the outer corners was moved to the center star, and a couple of prints were switched out completely.  Here's my final answer, basted and ready to be hand-pieced:

  
There are helpful tips for piecing the center medallion, whether by machine or by hand, at the MMQAL hosted over at penny poppleton. 

It was a little scary cutting into some of my most precious prints.  I'm happy to have found a project that's stash-worthy.  Now that I've finally cut into them, I don't think I'll be so hesitant to pull them out for future projects.

Now it's to pick up the needle and thread (though I really should be picking up the broom and dustpan).

Finally caving

Earlier this year I made a resolution to refrain from joining bees, swaps and any type of "along."  This week, I came to the sad conclusion that I can hold out no longer.  It's been a good run, but there have been a few flickr swaps that I regretted not joining.  Marcelle Medallion quilts found here, here and here further weakened my resolve.  The Marcelle Medallion Quilt-Along hosted over at penny poppleton was the final nail in the coffin.

So with Liberty Love book in hand, I spent some time yesterday (between spurts of domesticity) perusing my stash for the center medallion prints.  Nothing in my stash was off limits for a future project, all prints previously deemed too dear to cut into were fair game.

Seven prints.  That is all that's required for the center medallion, and yet it took me all afternoon and well into the evening to settle on seven prints.  I even fell asleep thinking about the seven prints.  My stash and sewing area look like the aftermath of a rummage sale, but I'm feeling pretty confident these are "the ones": 

I've decided to let the quilt grow organically with each successive round of borders.  I like the idea of delving into my stash as the quilt grows.  My goal is to use stash fabric for this quilt, but who knows what new print may be in my stash when it's time for the next round?  It's also a good reminder of the wonderful fabrics that have been tucked away for much too long.

Progress

I've been working in earnest on Vintage Stars (from this publication) and 41 this week.  At my guild's Sew Day over the weekend, I managed to sew the binding onto 41, as well as make significant progress sewing star blocks together.   After much sewing, un-sewing and re-sewing last night (I kept pinning the rows together the wrong way), the Vintage Stars top, my first attempt at piecing a quilt on-point, is finally done:

Absolutely adore the Rosette collection by Juliana Horner but I snuck in a couple of Garden Party blocks, just because.

The 41 quilt will be finished by the weekend, which should satisfy my hubby.  It drives him crazy to see so many unfinished quilts about the house.

On the cutting table

There's a new project on my sewing table.  I should be working on burying loads of knots in this quilt, but after burying about twenty of them, I'm taking a break.  Threading the needle over and over gives me headaches, thanks to presbyopia.  Also, two lines of quilting need to be ripped out and done over. 

So I took out my lovely Rosette yardage and started cutting.  The quilt pattern is from BHG's Antique Quilts and is called Vintage Stars. 

Very unlike me, to cut into newly purchased fabric!  I usually let new prints sit and marinate for a while in the stash.  But I've been wanting to make Vintage Stars for ages, and the stack of Rosette sitting on my sewing table seemed a perfect match.

Now I've got three quilts in progress.  Next week the older kids are back and school, which may or may not mean more sewing time to work on Vintage Stars, 41, and Kieran's brick quilt.  The little guy may be clingy until he adjusts to not having "the Big Kids" at his disposal at all times!  

Linking up to WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.  Go on over and take a look at what others are working on today!

On your marks...

After a pretty but challenging Sunday morning hike in the Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve (note to self: hiking downwards at the beginning of a hike means hiking upwards on the way back) I decided to take it easy the rest of the day and mark the quilting lines on my "41" quilt.  I think the uphill hike was less frustrating.

Have you ever used Clover water soluble pencils?  I used them for the very first time marking this quilt, and I think I spent more time sharpening the pencils than I did marking the lines.  The lead kept breaking below the shaved area.  See the blue bit of lead in the upper left side of the bowl?  There are countless more, of both the blue and pink variety, buried under those shavings. 

Even with a light hand and barely sharpened point, the lead kept breaking and popping out.  The pink pencil was worse than the blue.  I marked 40 lines with each pencil and here's what the pencils looked like when I had finished:

 

I wrote a nice, diplomatic email to the company describing my experience with their product.  Not sure what they can do about it, but I thought they should know. 

On the bright side, I've finished marking the quilt top and can now move on to basting.  Did I mention that at 68" x 76", this quilt is the largest I've made?  I'll be spending the better part of the day on the floor pin basting.  Guess that's not such a bright side after all.

A finish and a fail

Of all the charity quilts I've made, this Sorry! inspired Goose Creek quilt is by far my favorite.  It's hard to part with, but knowing that a child in need will find some comfort in it lessens the sting. 

 

The ladies of the Love Circle (of do. Good Stitches) did an amazing job making these blocks, and I adore the end result.  I always thought I liked modern quilts, but this one feels very vintage-y and I'm completely charmed by it.  In fact, after I wrap up a couple of other projects, I think I may make another to keep.

After finishing Goose Creek earlier this week, I intended to piece the backing for Kieran's brick quilt.  An error in calculations held this process up last month, a fact I conveniently forgot.  Since working on K'S quilt calls for a fabric purchase, I decided to move on to "41."  The back was carefully cut and methodically pieced last night.  After pressing the new backing, I laid it down over the quilt top and... something's rotten in the state of Denmark. 

The backing is a full 17 inches too narrow.  I ask you... 17 inches???  Not to mention the major puckering in the middle of the quilt top (see how lumpy it is under the backing?).  Will it quilt out?  I don't even know.  I have a horrible feeling that when I make the quilt sandwich, no amount of smoothing will make it lie flat.  There is most probably some painstaking un-sewing in my future.   

Summer update

It's funny how a summer that feels busy to me can seem boring to my children.  At dinner tonight, Antonio remarked that the summer has been lonely (read "boring") so far.  This, after a six week visit from his grandmother, a mini-vacation in Twain Harte with a side trip to Yosemite, July 4th with family friends, day-trips Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Francisco, a couple of trips to the movie theater, and a week-long "summer camp" here at home with friends.  What's a girl gotta do to keep her kids entertained?  Sheesh!

Now that our guest is gone and things have gotten back to normal, my sewing mojo is slowly returning.  Lots of progress has been made on the binding for Goose Creek, thanks to an encore showing of Sharknado on Syfy, and some late night "Arrested Development" on Netflix.

This quilt should be finished in a day or so, at which time I can get back to Kieran's quilt.  Or my own quilt.  Or this chair.  Or curtains for the kitchen.  Or something from this book...

On the fabric stashing front, I made a little purchase at Joann's this weekend.  Upon walking into the premium fabric section, my eye was immediately drawn to these prints:

I was pleasantly surprised to find that they were a collection called Rosette from Juliana Horner.  It's the first collection from Anna Maria Horner's eldest girl.  Guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.  There are four prints not represented here because I didn't buy them.  I'm thinking to go back to buy this one and this one.

In other summer news, I can't believe in a few short weeks Antonio and Martina (or as Kieran calls them, "Big Kids") will be back in school.  Martina's last year of elementary and Antonio's first in middle school.  I think I just got another gray hair. 

Midsummer Sewing

It feels like forever since I've sat in front of my sewing machine, but in actuality it's only been a week.  I took a short hiatus to run "camp" (which was pretty much a week of playdates at home) for my children and two dear girls of close family friends.

The plan this week was to baste and quilt Kieran's brick quilt, but the last of the blocks from the Love Circle rolled in this week, and I feel compelled to finish the do.Good Stitches quilt first.  Especially since I have two completed d.GS quilts waiting to be sent off to Wrap Them in Love.  Horrible, horrible... but they really will go out as soon as I finish this latest one.

And so, that is the only WIP on the books this week.  Here's a parting shot of the Sorry!-inspired Goose Creek quilt top:

Linking up to WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.

One step closer

Two Fridays ago, I received an invitation from the gals of the South Bay Area Modern Quilt Guild to attend their Sew Day.  I jumped at the chance- the siren song of a clean, uncluttered space with just the sound of sewing machines and quilt-focused chatter proved too strong to resist.

I worked very industriously on Kieran's brick quilt (there's a nice in-progress photo here, courtesy of Anne).  The entire top should have been finished, but poor planning after laying out the blocks the night before required that I work on one row at a time instead of chain piecing everything at once to keep them in "random" order.   Note to self- next time, number the blocks!

Most of the top was sewn up before I left Sew Day (it was 4 rows shy of completion).  We've had an extended heat wave in the Bay Area, and my "sewing room" (a.k.a. the front entryway) traps heat.  So no sewing for me since then.

Thank goodness the heat finally broke over the weekend and we're back to mild California summer weather.  I spent Sunday afternoon sewing with a quilty friend and finally completed the top:

More poor planning regarding the quilt back requires a few days' wait until the backing fabric arrives in the mail.  Maybe I'll have a finish by next week. 

And how was your weekend?

A (previous) Friday Finish

The baby quilt from last week's post is finished!  It was actually finished last Friday, but we've been traveling the past week and had spotty internet access.  Anyway, we attended a lovely baby shower for my cousin, and the quilt is now in the hands of an eager mama-to-be.  Here are obligatory pics of the finished quilt:

   

The blocks were orphans from an abandoned project, the binding and backing are prints I've been holding on to for a while.  It feels good to have found the perfect project for them.

This marks the first time I've actually given a quilt before the event for which it was intended.  Now I can start that graduation quilt that's three years overdue!

Linking to Finish it Up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts.

Are we there yet?

As the school year marches inexorably on, I find myself asking my kids "When did you say is the last day of school?"  I'm wilting in the heat and am looking forward to being able to take a family trip to the coast, if even only for the day. 

Luckily, I've got a few things to keep me busy.  The garden, for one.  I won't go into details, but anyone who's curious can read about it here.  Also, the fabric for Kieran's quilt is cut and just needs piecing.  But first, a gift from a stack of orphan blocks: 

These were part of an "A-Z" quilt-along my local quilt guild hosted, in which we made blocks with names that begin with each letter of the alphabet.   I abandoned this for other projects.  It's so nice to be able to put the blocks to use, as they really are sweet.  And, though I didn't quite make it through the alphabet, I have the perfect amount for a baby quilt, with three to spare for the back.

That's what I'm working on this WIP Wednesday.  What's on your sewing table?