The Winemaker's Wife

Has been busy helping with this year's harvest. Over the past few weeks, we've crushed and destemmed approximately 1000 pounds of grapes and pressed all but the last 300 pounds. It all started, as it always does, with the Pinot Noir and progressed to the Zinfandel, the homegrown Cabernet Franc and finally the Cabernet Sauvignon. We purchase most of the grapes from a broker who can get us premium grapes from nearly any grower in the Sonoma/Napa area or beyond. We have about 30 vines of Cab. Franc in our otherwise useless side yard, and this year, they yielded a bit over 200 pounds of great looking grapes. It keeps us busy, let me tell you.

In addition, the guild is doing a lot of administrative work re-tooling our new member handbook and making notebooks for new officers detailing their responsibilities. I'm doing a fair amount of graphic work on same, but I do love that. Then there is Time Waste Central, also known as Bejewelled on Facebook. It's addicting.

I have done some sewing work, though, and am eagerly anticipating my trip to PIQF next week. Pictured above is a block from the quilt I blogged about earlier, Bonnie Hunter's String X
quilt, made with linens, pinwale cord and the like. I have 3 blocks done and all of the foundations and set triangles cut and ready for the string piecing. In the meantime, I had to get a couple of quick things done, such as the Trick or Treat bags I made for the boys. Alex got a giraffe costume, so he got the giraffe bag made with a very edible looking leaf print and a baby giraffe on the pocket. Benjamin got a darling firefighter's costume and his mommy found cool rubber boots to go with it, so we used these great Alexander Henry prints for his bag. The bags are 9x9x3, so will be a good size after Halloween for toting books to and from the library.

Finally, though I'm not the organizer of the Sew-a-Row project this year, I am participating. This project is only 14 1/2 inches wide, started by Mitzi, a member of my mini-group who does the most amazing applique ever started it with the Dresden Plates. Phyllis, from my other mini-group added the Sunbonnet Sue and I did my old favorites, the 1930's dogs and cat. Two more rows to go and I definitely want to win this!