Mardi Gras!!

Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler!  King Bacchus this year in NOLA is none other than Will Ferrell.  How fun is that??!!!  I hope to visit NOLA for Mardi Gras someday.  Today, I'll just have to settle for wearing beads to Starbucks.

Image courtesy of The Times-Picayune on nola.com

Not much partying going on here in Stellabellaland. I have been working working working  these past two weeks (70 hours last week and 65 this week) as we are short-handed at Starbucks and I have my usual 40-hour week day-job (no President's Day off for us).  That means not much sewing and not much of anything.  Le sigh.

I did finally finish reading the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trilogy (or Millennium trilogy). I may have been the third to last person on the planet to read this (two of my Twitter buds are the others lol!). I enjoyed it a lot and am anxious for the next two movies to be filmed.  My current book is Just My Type: a book about fonts by Simon Garfield. I think I qualify for an uber-geek award with this selection.  I admit I am a font noticer and prefer serif fonts to sans serif fonts (old fashioned in this regard).

In other miscellaneous news, Downton Abbey has ended for US audiences and now we have to wait for Season 3 along with everyone else.  I already miss the Dowager Countess.  I think I liked Season 1 better than Season 2.  Season 2 was a little overdramatic and soap-opera-y in my opinion.  The last episode (Christmas episode) was much better although ended a bit abruptly. I guess to set up for Season 3.  What are your thoughts Abbey fans?    

PS:  I got rid of the new, annoying, incomprehensible word verification so please comment away without having to decipher.

PPS:  If you do comment, please let me know what you think of my new plain-style blog layout.  Too boring? Too dreary? OK?  Need different colors?  Don't have an opinion?  I hope to add a colorful photo banner at the top with quilts/cats/something. S is supposed to work on one for me in exchange for doing his taxes for him.  Hint hint S!  Thanks!!!

Collections

Among the (many) collectible collections I have is a collection of city Starbucks mugs. (I am such a Starbucks geek) One of my SBux co-workers is living in Germany for a couple of years and is sending me mugs from cities that she visits. Love this one!! Prague is one of the places I hope to visit someday but for now I'll enjoy my mug. Thanks Abi!!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Retreat Report

I had a fabulous time at quilt retreat.  The days went by so fast that it didn't seem like we spent three solid days and one partial day sewing.  Ginormous thanks to Pat Wys for organizing this fun, productive, wonderful retreat.

Pat had a few demos for us including this great block board inspired by Lori at Bee in My Bonnet. 

Remy is hard at work inspecting my blocks for another project made from French General's Maison de Garance fabric line.   He must be checking my 1/4"seam.

"I don't approve of this block!" 

Here is another photo of my finished project and a detail. Can't wait until next year's retreat!

Edgar Poe's Report

Hello! Edgar Poe here for a guest post.  Mom came home today from her quilt retreat.  There was much purring and rejoicing among us cats.   Although S. does a great job taking care of us when Mom is gone, we like Mom to be home.  Besides, S. always tells Mom that we misbehave when she is gone (maybe the other cats, surely not me.)

Mom was so happy to see us that she curled up on the couch and took a cat nap with us.  Guess quilting is hard work.

On Location

Hello from the North Georgia mountains!  I am on retreat at a gorgeous location with about 30 other quilters from the Silver Thimble Quilt Club.

Beautiful view from our sewing area.








Here is my little station right next to Karin.

Thursday I worked on an old UFO from the book Layer Cake, Jelly Roll, and Charm Pack Quilts called "Damask Rose".  The fabric is Windham's "Clara Barton" fabric line.

This is a quilt on my 2012 UFO list and guess what...









Ta da!  It's done.  (not the greatest photo from the iPhone but you get an idea.

OK time for lunch and back to sewing.

Quilting Question

Do you think 57 projects is too many to bring to a four-day retreat?

Not really 57 projects

I thought not.









Through the graciousness and wonderfulness of friends, I am going on a long-weekend retreat to the mountains for some major sewing and fun time.


And I've already started packing.

 Remy has decided to "help" pack.