Have to finish something!

Today I decided to sit at the sewing machine and sew for a bit.

 All this folding, organizing and packing was just wearing me out!

Also I was afraid that if I pack up this leader and ender project from two years ago that it would never be sewn together!  So after several hours I almost have a top!

Did go through some more boxes that leaves me shaking my head...

like this almost quilt top made from leftover/orphan blocks from my Baltimore Album quilt.  I think I took that class in 1993!  I think I'm going for a personal record with this....

Found boxes of 4-patches in reproduction fabric...

two patches in brights

and even the blocks from a Bonnie Hunter Mystery (this is only about 10 years old so not ready to finish yet!)

Why are borders so hard?

I am about 3/4 through with my leader and ender lozenger quilt-top...at least I thought I was.  I measured it last night then laid it out on the bed and say what?!  It is too small.

Five of the rows have been sewn together so the best option is a border no?  But what border!

First I made some broken dishes blocks - the hst are 3 inches so the block finishes at 6 inches. I like the way it mimics the secondary pattern in the quilt.  But even with a 2 inch inner border it is only an 8 inch border.  I need more.

I tried a big honking broken dish block (broken platter perhaps?!)  On draft paper this looked really good.  In real life...not so much.  I'm tempted to make a second one to see if that changes my perception...

Then there is a hybrid option; a 2 inch inner border with the 6 inch broken dishes followed by another 2 inch border then a random brick pieced 5 inch outer border.  That gives me a big enough quilt for a king size bed...

I think I'll put off making a decision (and more blocks) until the center part of the top is done...

and when Dobby gives me my sewing chair back....

(on the Watson front...we brought him down by the river for a long run this morning.  It did a good job of wearing him out!  At least he ate his lunch and was a bit less "sad" today.  We'll just have to keep coming up with ways to distract him...unfortunately dog-parks are out.  He was attacked by a larger dog when he was small so unless it is in the house he isn't good with meeting other dogs...)  He is great with cats though...no cat parks though!

No fences!

My neighbors are replacing the fence around their yard which means lots of construction trucks (doing drains and gutters too...)  All this means we cannot let Watson out in the yard.

Has anyone ever dealt with a dog with depression?  They took down the fence last Friday.  So since then we have been taking him out about every 2-3 hours.  This is still not nearly as often as he went into the backyard for a quick squirrell chase.  For the first few days he was just confused...then he whimpered a lot at the door...today he isn't eating - not even bacon.

Talked with the contractor and it will be mid next week until the fence goes back up...trying to think of options.

This does link to quilting...I'm keeping him back in my sewing room most of the day since that is the furthest point from the noise.

However the likes to sit on my lap...doesn't lead to productive days.

And needless to say Dobby is really not happy the dog has taken over his space.

So in all this what is on the design wall?  My leader and ender project from 2016!  Looks a bit like fences to me...with a bit of luck the real fence will be completed before my quilt-top is!