Nine

I've spent the last couple of days sewing, mostly putting borders on quilts that have been languishing unfinished because I don't like putting borders on quilts (and mostly I don't, but these just needed borders). In the last two days, I finished putting borders on three quilts (the garden path quilt I mentioned last time, a Sunbonnet Sue quilt that I started in 2020, and a prairie flower quilt that has been finished except for the border for almost two years).  

I still have two more to do (an appliqued crumb circle quilt done in solid colors and a polka dot Irish chain quilt). I have one half done, an Old Italian block quilt that I'm adding two borders to and the first is on so I only have to do the second. 

I also have another quilt (a one patch done in 5-inch squares) that I was going to quilt or tie myself so I had left it in panels. Now I'm not so sure, so I may just sew it up into one big quilt top and send it out to be long-arm quilted. 

I also have one more complete quilt top (another prairie flower but done in patterned fabrics) that just needed to be measured and sent out for quilting.

If you're keeping score at home, that's nine quilt tops.

My left shoulder starts to act up if I spend too much time at the sewing machine. Yesterday I iced it twice and this morning and it was a bit sore, but okay. This morning, I only got in a handful of hours before it started to protest. I've already iced it twice today but it's still sore so it just needs more ice, CBD, and rest until it's better.

So instead of sewing, I spent part of the afternoon shopping online for fabric and sewing supplies and putting in an order for the first quilt to be sent out for quilting. There are local long-arm quilters, but I'm not looking to establish a relationship with a local long-arm quilter--I prefer anonymity where machine quilting is concerned--so I send my quilts out to Missouri Star Quilt Company in Hamilton, Missouri. Long-arm quilters generally charge the same amount for quilting, around 0.03 cents per square inch for basic patterns, but MSQC includes batting, which is a decent deal. (Of course, that only offsets what I have to pay to ship the quilt top to them--but they do pay to ship it back to me, so maybe that's a wash?) I can also buy one of their quilt backings, so I don't have to worry about supplying one for a local quilter.  Anyway, I've had them quilt several of my quilts and I like their work. It had been awhile since I ordered anything from them, so last month they sent me a postcard with a 20% off offer, which for them is a pretty big deal. (I've never gotten any other kind of coupon or offer from them.) I went ahead and placed an order today that included lots of fabric, a quilting ruler, thread, and the machine quilting order. 

One quilt top down, eight to go. 

In other news, I'm so tired. So tired. My sleep schedule is still pretty rough. It's almost six p.m. now and I'm ready to go back to bed. The days have been beautiful but the pollen is insane right now, so my allergies are crushing me (another reason why I am so tired). 

So tired.