Quilting Outside the Box

My parents left Sunday and took both kids with them. They are in Louisiana now with my brother and then will travel on to New York this Sunday. My kids will be home around the 17th or so. It has been very quiet but I am trying to enjoy every minute! I have even made a "play date" for hubby to go do something next weekend so it will be just me and the dogs. Wow! They only want to be fed twice a day, given water when they run out and let in and out for bathroom and other duties. There is the occassional scratching and cuddling required. I can handle that!

So after my parents left I went to my friends house to sit and sew. Originally I was only planning to drop off my 12 Days quilt to be quilted but was invited to sew as well. I like the quilt I just cannot fully develop my quilting plan. I have plenty of ideas for some blocks just not all of them. I turned the quilt and my ideas over to her and she is going to see what sort of plan she can hatch. She and I are also in a Round Robin swap together. She had one ready for me when I arrived and completed her step on a second. So now I have advance time to work on these RR's.

Now to the topic of my post. While I was quilting my 7 Sisters my friend was prepping her square in a square quilt for her long arm. She was having issues with the backing and found she had cut it too small. I tried to help her hold it to see if it was just turned wrongly. No such luck. I started thinking what my solution would be. Cut off and piece the backing so it is wide enough or piece another backing. While these thoughts were running through my mind I heard a rip and looked to see what she was doing. This quilt has no borders and she decided to just tear a row off. I told her in a million years I would not have thought to do that. She admitted to running through the same ideas I had and arrived at this one.

I admire her and others that can "think outside the box". I would go so far as to say that I am usually intimidated by these folks that can work like this. I don't feel dumb but I do feel that I wish I were smarter. We sometimes get so stuck in what we are supposed to do and can't see other options. I do tend to follow directions to a "T" but I am learning to be more flexible in that area as well. My hat's off to you forward thinkers! I admire you all.

Personal Challenge If you remember my personal challenge to work only on my 7 Sisters until I am in the top 10 of the UFO Challenge on Stashbuster I want to update you. As of yesterday all the side setting triangles are quilted, my borders are mended and I am now quilting the borders. I am 14th on the list. It is taking forever to move above me! I do have a fast finish ready to be completed once I reach the top 10. I hope I am there next weekend while hubby is away. :D