Patriotic Block Nonswap and Garlic Baloney

On the HGTV message board, they are gearing up for a Patriotic Star Paper Pieced F8th swap which is similar to the "Think Romance" one I am currently participating in. Recall that in a F8th swap, the participants all send each other some fabric. Each recipient creates a block of her choice by combining each received fabric with fabric from her own stash. Then, she returns each completed block to the original senders (and they return hers to her). The main differences in the next swap (the PSPP swap) is that all the blocks must be paper pieced and they'll use red, white and blue fabric. I generally paper piece in whole or in part so it seems made in heaven, for me. All the same, I am not planning to join because I try to pace myself on swaps and avoid doing one back to back. They tend to take up all my weekends and spare time. I know I will be kicking myself because it is being hosted by a fabulous hostess and I suspect it will be composed of some fabulous swappers who I know from experience are talented, conscientious and fun to swap with.

So here is my plan:

I did some online shopping for red, white and blue fabric. I ordered some fat quarters and a few are from the Moda Hamptons collection (see picture, above). This fabric will serve as my private “swap” fabrics and I’ll follow along with the HGTV swap at my own pace, adding fabric to complete the blocks from my current stash. This whole scheme to have a private "swap" is just so sick and twisted that even I can't miss how warped my thinking has become... But all the same, I really HAVE ordered new fabric and plan to pretend it is stuff I received in the mail (well, I really will know it didn't come in the mail). Anyone creeped out by this should stop reading, now. It is making ME uncomfortable, too. I will post some of the blocks on my blog if I don't get committed to a nervous hospital before I'm done.

Or maybe I will just work on some string blocks.











Update on my progress with the 6:00 p.m. diet:

No weight loss, so far. I have to hurry before the hormones kick in, again, to swell me up by 6 – 8 pounds worth of water weight. I didn’t have time to eat, yesterday, and drove into the garage at 5:57. I raced in and crammed some cheese, craisens and a cookie in my mouth. I didn’t swallow it by 6:00 but I managed to get ‘er down by 6:02.

After reading my posting about my fabulous diet, one of my daughters is concerned that I will have a heart attack. I DO probably need some more green food.


I didn’t have time to eat, today, and am surprised that it is nearly 9:00 and I am not even hungry. Someone sent us some garlic baloney for Christmas, which arrived today. Amazingly, I decided I just wasn't interested. The diet is working!

I hope I don't lose too much, too fast.

top photo - Hamptons by Moda