I'm sitting here thinking I should probably be packing our suitcases, but I don't want to.  We have had such a lovely time....it has been restful and relaxing and to top it off, the girls have been so agreeable.  And pretty nice to each other.  Kind of like a dream.  Additionally, I am not sure how I am going to fit everything in the bags.  You see, I picked up some new flip flops, a couple of skirts and fabric.  Too much fabric - well, kind of.  Can you have too much fabric?  Don't say yes.

While on vacation, I've been snooping around the net, reading your blogs, commenting a tad bit, not really too much, and dreading re-entry into normal life.  School is back in session on Monday and my big race is coming up in about two weeks.  I have a little injury so I am resting, trusting that it will be OK in time.  I have been working on checking number 2 off of my personal goal list since January.  And I will be really sad, probably devastated, if I cannot run.  I have an overnight trip to Chicago smashed in there and a family event the day after the race, too.

So I am predicting more quiet for a couple of weeks - here and elsewhere.  I'm not proclaiming a total break, but maybe a little siesta.  Back soon friends.

So far this vacation:

- we have been in the pool everyday.

- at one point, all four of us had our noses in good books.

- I went on a 7 mile run.  And I liked it.

- there have been margaritas every night.

- Fatty has golfed with his dad.

- I have started cutting a quilt with my mother-in-law.

- the girls have gone swimming in the dark.  twice.

- I have napped every afternoon.

The best part?  We still have four more days.

On Sunday, I made a pillow for a long overdue swap.  I pieced strips of linen with strips of a floral and gingham with the intent of making a striped patchwork pillow.  Once everything was pieced, I didn't really like it so I cut the piece into more strips and added the dotted print.  I finished that up, still wasn't crazy about it so I cut it again and added more dots.

Finally happy with the piecing, I quilted the front with back to back loopy lines and threw it in the wash.  After it was dried, I cut it to size and made the back.  I put in a zipper if you were wondering....and, for the record, I had to consult my own tutorial because it has been awhile, ahem, since I have done the zipper thing.

We are getting ready to go south for spring break.  I will probably post some, but not a whole lot while we are gone.  Just wanted you all to know in case it gets really quiet in this space.  See you soon.

Before we get too far into April, here is my Virtual Quilting Bee block for March.

Kathy asked for log cabin blocks and she pointed us to Gee's Bend and Nancy Crow for inspiration.  She sent the gray and blue polka dot fabric as well as the aqua, blue and brown diamond print.  I am happy to say that all of the other fabrics came from my stash.  I wish I had more gray, but I used my only scrap from the elephant quilt and it was from squaring up the edges!  Funny enough, I didn't piece the block with this orientation in mind.  If you rotate it 90 degrees to the left, you'll see how I pieced it.  When I was finished though, I liked this orientation better.  Quilting just seems to be full of happy accidents for me.

To get an idea of how this quilt is coming together and see more of last month's blocks, check out the flickr group.  I think both quilts are going to look great!

Have you noticed the wordplay button in my sidebar?  Did you click on it and end up in an empty flickr group?  Sorry about that.  The problem is corrected now.  Wordplay starts today.

After Tracy and I finished our outside inspiration projects we decided to keep going.  With a twist and a new collaborator. The notion is still inspiration from the outside in the formof a single word, but some things have changed.

I couldn't be more excited that Emily is joining Tracy and me in this creative collaboration.  Starting today, the three of us will be receiving a single word from an artist, a writer or a friend.  We have six weeks to ponder the word, interpret its meaning and use it as a inspiration for a creative project in a media of our choice.  Basically it is one word, three interpretations, every six weeks.

We asked Shari to give us a word as our inspiration.  And she agreed! So imagine my excitement when I received a letter in the mail yesterday.  I knew it was coming.  I knew what it contained.  I knew it couldn't be opened until today.  Never have I wanted to open something so badly.  But I waited.  I did.

First thing this morning, I made my first cup of coffee and opened the envelope.  Out tumbled a pink paint sample with a typewriter written word on it.  Can you see it?

How about now?

Gossamer.

Wow.  That is what I call a word.  I can't wait to see what we all do with this.

Now that I have the word, it's time to play.  Thanks for the starting point, Shari.  It's really really good.