A 2012 mystery [quilt]

Looks like my friend Pat beat me to posting about the mystery quilt we're doing together.  As she explained in her post, it came about because she gave me a subscription to a magazine and my first issue contained this 3-part mystery. 

Nice addition is/was the fabric choices of several magazine staffers. I also like that alternatives are given for two sizes.  Pat is making the larger version; I've chosen to do the smaller (72" x 72" so it's still practical). 

I have never done a mystery quilt (though I once agonized fifteen ways about fabric choices when I thought I was going to attend a mystery quilt retreat).  Also one of my goals is to try to be less anal-retentive controlling and to stretch outside my comfort zone.  So, I suggested to her that we do this together.   Pat's post outlines the instructions for fabric choices and shows her bright, cheery choices.  Here are mine:

While I do love paisleys, the one I chose (far left) is in not-my-usual colors.  The aqua is in my "normal" pallette, so the aqua & brown "tiles" (far right) are also predictable, but I'm not a brown person at ALL, nor do I tend toward sage-y greens.  Since those two are (based on yardage) the most prominent colors, I'm stepping out of my usual blue/purple/aqua or "bright color" boxes.   I've cut and have almost finished sewing the first units:

Looking forward to the next installment in the upcoming issue! 

Progress report: month 18 (December 2011)

December 31, 2011 marked the completion of first full calendar year of Day Zero, as well as over half of the days -- 542 to be exact. And for the first time, I completed all my priorities, as posted in the previous month!

Completed:
70. Make 3rd curtain for D#2's room
75. Cut scrap fabric into usable pieces
78. (part 2) Make 1 quilt top from scraps (finished binding "Bricks and Stepping Stones" which was the first quilt I ever made completely from scraps and stash)

Progress:
7,26,28. Kept up-to-date.
33. Went to gym (mostly) 3 times a week.
48. Watched 5 (new) "movies":
      Six feet under (TV: season 2)
      Freaks & geeks (TV: season 1 and only)
      The King's speech (wonderful!!)
      The Squid and the whale
      The Illusionist
and rewatched two holiday favorites (not counted):
      Elf
      Love, actually
(99 movies in 2011; 142 since beginning of Day Zero)
49. Read 4 books: (56/60, 36/30, 17/10)
      Wench (Dolen Perkins-Valdez)
      Let the great world spin (Colum McCann)
      Miss Peregrine's home for peculiar children (Ransom Riggs)
      Schooled (Anisha Lakhani)
84. Extra contributions to Philabundance and Habitat for Humanity
99. Updated blog post with progress (18 out of 18)
101. 3 blog posts:
      W.I.B.W.O.
      Thanksgiving gratitude
      Visit to DC
Extra quilts to recipients:
      late graduation gift (friend of D#2)
      baby quilt (former vicar)
      added borders to finish top (CFAC "Traditions" charms)

Priorities for January:
6/9. Back to basement and books
12. Small things around house (almost done!)
96. Learn to load music on my MP3 player (started in December)

Visit to DC

Starting the past September, my D#1 had a fellowship in Washington DC.  An internship with a congresswoman was a key part of this opportunity.  She received a stipend and housing quite close to the Capitol.  The young man who she is seeing was serving as a White House intern during the same time period -- one of relatively few who worked in the actual White House.  Two weeks ago, because her fellowship was ending, I drove to Washington DC to help her move out of the house she shared with other interns from a variety of programs. We took that chance to visit the Capitol building and to see the holiday-bedecked White House (thanks to said young man who fast-tracked security checks for us... well, for me anyway!).

Our visit to the Capitol building was fairly fast-paced so I didn't have time to take many photos.  Left is the Capitol rotunda and below is the statue in the Hall of Statuary of Henry Melchoir Muhlenberg, the pastor-soldier of the Revolutionary War, one of two statues placed by Pennsylvania.

(Yeah, I know that Henry is sideways -- need to figure out how to get him to rotate 90 degrees counterclockwise.)  

There were a number of Christmas trees (duh) in various rooms, but my camera didn't like the lighted ones, which all came out blurry.  The main one in the Blue Room was more cooperative.

I was told the White House florist likes putting "Bo" in different arrangements 

around the building.  Here's one near the entrance -- easily two feet tall if I remember correctly.

The library had another "Bo", lying by the fireplace.  The White House Christmas card portrayed a similar scene.   (Ask me how I know...[wink])

This beautiful Nativity scene was in the State Dining Room.  Wish I could have viewed it more closely!

At the end of the Dining Room was the replica of the White House, in white 

chocolate!  (Another Bo -- not to scale.)

The sunset view from the Blue Room (I think), with the Washington Monument 

at left, was stunning.  Straight ahead is the Jefferson Memorial, though it's lost in the shadows of the photo.

 

Here's the tree in the Blue Room, as seen from the foyer of the South (?) exit.  

Note the Presidential Seal above the door.

And, finally, my daughter and me!  

 

D#1 is home until mid-January when she returns to the Capital.  Anyone who wants to keep me company on a trip to deliver her belongings, just let me know!