Deadlines and Forms, Hate One, Love the Other

Close to hysteria here, trying to get Neighborhood finished in time to enter it in the Do You EQ Contest (Karen, lighten up, this quilting is supposed to be fun) Entry must be postmarked by Friday. And I signed up for a quilting class on quite another topic for tomorrow, but oh well, I figure that will be a much-needed break from Neighborhood. Thank you for your kind comments; they are keeping me going on this project. Judy, I machine-embroidered and machine-appliqued the corner blocks, so I digitized them in Embird but also drew the shapes in EQ5 so they will be included in the EQ project file.

The actual quilting is my downfall on any quilt. It's why I have so many UFOs. I tried two seams of in the ditch machine quilting and had to rip it out, which of course took ages. Threw the quilt on the quilting frame (after throwing off the poor quilt that was already on there) and hand quilted the basic outlines. My hand quilting is nothing to write home about, either. But it was improving after all of that. Just did the first few areas of machine stippling and that looks good. Now stippling is something I can do if I can handle all the surrounding weight and drag. Wonder why machine-in-the-ditch is so difficult for me. Maybe I should try it free motion?

I know I'm not a member of a ring, but I love to fill out forms, so am filling out the ABC form y'all have been doing (hope nobody minds but this was a great break from quilting):

Accent – people here in the south know I’m from some Northern city somewhere (Chicago); people back in the midwest think I’m from the south
Booze – ooh, love white wine
Chore – have a list out in the kitchen as long as your arm
Dog/cat – three good cats
Essential electronics – Computer and digital camera LOVE THEM how many delightful games on the computer, EQ5, Embird, collecting fonts, processing my photos
Favorite perfume – Still swoon over Wind Song
Gold/silver - Yes
Hometown – Springboro OH, La Grange IL (age 8 through high school)
Insomnia - Yes.
Job title – not interested, see Worst Habit
Kids – one son, 16; would have adored to have a dozen children
Living arrangements – a mid-century Modern house, aka California Contemporary; they’re unusual here in Atlanta but no doubt ubiquitous in California
Most admirable trait – I raised a good son alone
Number of countries visited – only Canada; maybe one of these days, I’ll get to see the pyramids, the British Museum, Cornwall, and Bronte country
Overnight hospital stays – none despite having a caesarean with my son; I was too hyper to relax in that place
Phobias – Closed-in spaces somewhat, which I discovered when I had to work underneath a little 1922 frame house I bought; it was just open to the ground but there was only a foot clearance in places and it was scary being stuffed under there not able to stand up and "run away" if necessary. I’m busty and had to go without a bra and wrap fabric around me to be flat enough to squash under there…oh, what we do for house renovations…
Quote - I like to say the Gettsyburg Address to myself. “These are the times that try men’s souls” often pops into my head, also “This too shall pass”. I remember an excellent grade-school teacher discussing the These are the times quote so vividly, because she was rephrasing it in different silly ways to show us how powerfully it was phrased
Religion – raised Presybterian/Congregational/Lutheran; evidently my parents liked to try out Protestant churches
Siblings - none
Time you usually wake – between 4 and 6:30
Unusual talent – guess I’d have to say my drawing/painting…oh, I can also touch my nose with my tongue
Vegetable I refuse to eat – lima beans; love everything else
Worst habit – dislike of income-producing jobs
X-rays – a few over the years
Yummy foods I make – copied down recipes for cinnamon bread and persimmon ice cream decades ago at the Persimmon Festival in Mitchell, Indiana; people had food displayed a la state fair style in an old downtown building with dusty, soft wooden floors
Zodiac - Capricorn