A Marinating Mariner's Compass, etc.

If you have been with me from the beginning (bless you) you may recall that I was in the process of a Mariner's Compass, but I set it aside because as I was working on the surrounding radiating checkerboard I decided the bold fabrics overpowered the compass.

I've been marinating ideas as I worked on other things and I found a fabric in my stash that is the color I want--I'm just not sure there is enough of it. Do you think it is a better option? Or do you have a suggestion for something you think would look better? I am open to all possibilities. It is the closest match I can find to the blue background in the flying geese ring. I used every scrap I had of that to make the ring. When the t-shirt top is finished I will cut this fabric up and see if I can make it work. I will also keep my eyes open as I participate in a shop hop tomorrow and see if I can find a similar fabric, or more of this one.

This shop hop happens every year at this time and it is usually fairly close to our anniversary (our 33rd is coming up on Monday). When I don't have friends to go with, DH has often spent our anniversary shop hopping with me. This patient man called today from work and offered to take me to as many shops as we can fit in if he takes off early from work (he goes in at 6 a.m. and will get off at 10 a.m. tomorrow). Since the farthest shop is one of my favorites and it is at least a 2 hour drive, we won't get to all 15 shops, but I've been to them all a couple of other years and some of them don't really appeal to my style and interests. We should be able to fit in all of the ones I really want to visit. The funny thing about my favorite shops is that two of the best are in completely separate cities but look how similar they appear. The photos are from their respective websites. Can you believe it?

This is Corn Wagon Quilt Co. in Springville, UT.

This is Elaine's Quilt Block in Salt Lake City (Cottonwood Heights).

You are probably all tired of the t-shirt quilt--I know I am. I never dreamed it would be so much work. This is the first one I have made, and I have to say, I have made pieced tops quicker than this is coming together! Of course, the fact that since I thought I first had all of the blocks made, my son has brought me three more shirts to sub for ones I already had made hasn't helped it along any (I have to keep rearranging when he chooses to remove a block of one color and replace it with a shirt of a totally different color--the gold in the upper left corner is gone now). But I finally have it to the assembly stage--except for that hole in the middle of the top row.

DS knows he has one more shirt that he would like in it, when he can get it to me (probably not until he comes out for Sunday dinner). I actually do have this section all sewn together and I have started on the section below it.

My thanks go out to whomever it was that posted a month or so ago about assembling quilts by sections rather than rows. I think that is so helpful to me as I put together this heavy, king-sized top.  My goal is to have everything but that top row with the hole finished before Sunday. In a little less than two weeks we are headed to a family reunion in Canada near Waterton Park and then we are taking in some of the Banff/Lake Louise area afterward. I want to have this to my longarm quilter before we leave.

As I sit typing this I can feel a chilled breeze coming from the open window. The clouds are gathering--again. That is the story of our weather for about 6 weeks now. Tonight I am helping my friend at her daughter's garden wedding reception. They reserved the church just in case, but as of this morning they had decided to go ahead with the garden setting--come rain or shine!

'Til next time, from the little mountain valley where the sagebrush would grow if the sun would shine,
Janet O.