Atlanta Shop Hop

Well it's Atlanta Shop Hop weekend and for the first time since I started quilting, I am not going to a bunch of the shops. Too many UFOs, too much stuff in my sewing space, and gas is getting way too expensive. I will go to Melisa's (Sweet Home Quilt Co.) on Saturday though and probably stop by Intown Quilters on my way home from Starbucks on Sunday. Karin is feeling the same way.

My goal is to finish the borders on my Morris Garden quilt and get the back pieced so I can get it off to the long-arm quilter. Also, I need to hand stitch the binding on a quilt, which I'll probably do watching movies this weekend. So if all goes as planned (which it rarely does...) I'll have a couple of new photos by the end of the weekend.

PS #1: Can someone return spring to Atlanta since it was in the 20s! the past couple of mornings AND there were snow flurries this past Tuesday morning.

PS#2: Where exactly did February go?

Spring..for a day at least

Well it is Spring in Atlanta, at least for today. My flowers are blooming, which means it will probably freeze again. Since we are in the midst of a terrible drought here in the South, I have adopted the Darwin theory of gardening--if it survives, it survives. So far I haven't lost any plants, they are just hanging on. Here are my hellebores (also called Lenten rose). Such a beautiful purple color.

The first camellia. Daffodils, which are very short this year but blooming like crazy.

Here's my flowering quince--the sun was too bright for a good photo but it has lovely coral blooms (it also has the most vicious thorns ever--learned the hard way).

A finished quilt

Finally a completely finished quilt! This one is for me; love the colors!!!

(the lumps under the quilts are three cats snoozing)

here's a close up

I added leftover blocks to the back.

The pattern is by my friend, mentor, and all around fabulous person Pat Wys of Silver Thimble Quilt Co. The pattern is called "Strawberry Pie".

Now, I'm going to fix some dinner, curl up under my finished quilt, and watch the Oscars.

Greta Garbo in Snowshoes

The idea I can't get out of my head this week is to go away for a few days by myself. I thought of this Tuesday night when I was taking out the recycling and ended up staring at the nearly full moon in the middle of my driveway on an unusually clear night for Atlanta. I just want to be somewhere quiet and peaceful like the mountains--not southern mountains but real mountains- in the west. I would love to see the moon reflecting on snow on a crisp, cold, dark night. Somewhere where is it so quiet you can hear the snow falling.

I want to stay at a great lodge with a fireplace in my room and someone bringing me food I don't have to cook and pot after pot of coffee I don't have to brew. I would sit in the peace and quiet and watch the fire and not think about anything.

All day long at the office, the phones are ringing, people talking, computers and florescent lights humming, copy machines, and all the noise of downtown with the sirens, cars, people. At Starbucks, it's constant noise--music, people, espresso machines, blenders, timers, the drive thru headset, the cars, and more people. The whole living in the city thing is wearing me down.

The really odd thing about this is I can't figure out why I want to be somewhere cold. I don't really like the cold. I don't even have a hat let alone a winter coat and boots. I wouldn't begin to know where to go--Colorado Springs? Telluride? Jackson Hole? Lake Tahoe? Aspen? Not to ski but maybe snowshoeing? It's like hiking but in snow right?

I am around people all day and all night and sometimes, every once in awhile, like Greta Garbo, I just want to be alone. Since snowshoeing in Colorado is probably out of the question, maybe I'll take a cue from Gomez and just find a really big box

Finally a diagnosis for Morticia

Morticia is going to be fine. I can't tell you how relieved I am that she has a treatable bacterial infection that should clear up with her 30 days of super salmon-flavored antibiotic. One less worry in my life.

Area 51

Roswell! Roswell! (any X-Files fans out there will know this is a quote from a really great episode...) Everyone is talking about UFOs...my friend Becky is finishing up UFOs, so is my friend Karin, and Debbie is AWOL she so busy sewing, so is Pat Sloan, and today I was listening to Annie Smith's podcast and she was talking about finishing up UFOs too. Now I'm stressed...I want to finish up UFOs!!!!!! But I am working too much these next couple of weeks (sigh). I need a patron! I need a sponsor! So I can stay home and quilt all day to get some of these UFOs done.

In all it's shame and no glory whatsoever, here is my stack of UFOs on note cards (these are works in progress and quilts I have fabric for) and an example of how I keep track of projects. Of course, there is no scale (haha) so really *truly* there's only 10 cards in that stack...

This stack is the tops that are done and need quilting (only 5 here I am sure....)

Not to mention I thought of two really fabulous ideas for quilts while I was stuck in traffic. Stop the madness!! Well I probably won't get anything done tonight because I am curl-up-and-cry-tired.

It's all about the coffee

Well no sewing for me this past weekend and it's looking pretty grim for the next couple of weeks. 5 shifts at Starbucks this week and 6 (!) the next. Well it's a good thing I get free drinks because it's going to be extra shots of espresso time for me.

I did finish a good book on Saturday "People of the Book" by Geraldine Brooks. She is a great writer and I've read her other books "March" and "Year of Wonders". Check them out if you need suggestions for your book club.

More coffee talk: we are nearing the end of our supply of my absolute FAVORITE Starbucks coffee (limited edition for the past couple of years). And I am stocking up.

Morticia update: she is still sick/sneezing even with the salmon-flavored super-antibiotic. I am still waiting on blood test results.

Valentine's Day

Psssst do you want to know the secret to Valentine's Day?

Don't expect anything. That way you are not disappointed. And if you do have a Valentine, you are surprised.

My dad is the best--every year he sends me a box of chocolate (and I am always surprised). How sweet is that? Thanks Dad!!!!

More Crazy Weather in the ATL

What is up with the weather this year? Yesterday it felt like spring. My daffodils are even blooming. Today it is freezing with a windchill of 20 degrees and we may have snow flurries/freezing drizzle. And by Friday it's going to be 65. Enough already! I'm tired of changing coats.

On a quilting note: I received block 8 of a BOM in the mail today (this is a BOM from last year). Block 8!!???!! I have block 2 done and most of block 1 done. Better get busy...

Morticia update: Morticia went back to the vet yesterday for two blood tests. She is very congested and sneezing still. The vet prescribed another antibiotic for her and asked if she would like tuna, salmon, or chicken flavored medicine. Ack! a dilemma--I picked salmon but maybe she would like tuna better....

Westminister!

I love, love, love watching the Westminister Dog Show. I'm so glad I'm home tonight to watch the final night (note to self: catch part one on reruns). My favorites are the big dogs like Irish Wolfhounds.

and German Shepard Dogs
So I'm off to eat a real dinner (which will make my friend KJ happy) of (gasp) salad and leftover gumbo and watch the dogs. Hooray for dogs!

Take a compliment where you can get it

On two seperate occasions some guy came into Starbucks asking for me to personally make his cafe vanilla frappuccinos because the one I made him last week was the best he had ever had (I wasn't working those 2 days). How funny is that??? Should I laugh or cry...three college degrees, 10 years in a professional job, and 6 years at Starbucks and I make fabulous frappuccinos. Well I'll take a compliment where I can get it. Now if you will excuse me, I need to polish my tiara---queen of frappuccinos!

A Productive Weekend!

This was my first weekend off of SBux in I don't know how long so I did the two things I don't get enough of lately--sleeping and quilting. On Saturday, I went to Sweet Home Quilt Co. to see Melisa (who I haven't seen in forever) and get some backing fabric for my "Morris Garden" quilt. If you want some of this fabric--run down there because it is flying off the bolts! I bought this to make a scrappy backing:


You need to see this fabric in person because the photos don't do it justice. I was good and didn't buy anything else (well except for a 1/2 yd of a really great red because I might just need this particular really great red someday and a 1/2 yd of a great black for black & white quilt that Becky and I are going to make someday just as soon as our dot quilt is done...). I picked up my BOM also. I try to only do one BOM per year because most of the time I have BOMs from other years I haven't finished. I signed up for this one at Melisa's for 3 reasons: 1. it's a itty bitty quilt only 40" square or something and it will hardly be noticable among my UFOs, 2. I met Kathy Schmitz in Houston and she was really nice,
& 3. it will give me an excuse to go to Melisa's.

When I got home, I continued to behave and finished one quilt before I started a new one.(aren't y'all proud of me). This is the one I finished last Sat. except for the borders. To answer the inevidable questions: I don't know why I made this quilt or what I am going to do with it but I liked the fabric (Moda's Oak Leaves & Reel) and it only took one jelly roll & a little yardage.


Here is the other one I finished last weekend (and this one was also a quick jelly roll project) It was supposed to be a fall quilt and now it is an early fall quilt!
The rest of the weekend I worked on the "Morris Garden" quilt using this pattern:
I just need to do the borders on three sides of the quilt and it is done! It's queen size and took 20 fat quarters plus yardage for the borders. Here's a sneak peek:
and here's a peek with the borders:
Hopefully I will finish the rest of the borders next weekend and piece the backing together. Keeping my fingers crossed...

Mardi Gras!

(photo courtesy of The Times-Picayune)

Some year, I will spend Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Yes, it's probably crazy and crowded but I really want to experience it. Instead of catching beads, bar hopping on Bourbon Street, and Cafe du Monde, I will be at Cafe du Starbucks.

E. and I did devour most of a King Cake over the weekend however in celebration.

Om a quilting note: My friends Karin (who frequently disparages machine applique as the "A-word"), has finished her "Peace in the Valley" quilt top (designed by Pat) and appliqued the rick-rack and leaves. Hooray Karin!

On another quilting note: Unable to sleep last night, I finally figured out which pattern to use for my "Morris Garden" bundle. I wonder if this is considered a "new project", which I said I would not start until I finished some old projects. Or is it classified as a UFO since I already have the fabric and now the pattern? I guess I'll spend the rest of the week trying to rationalize starting it this weekend.....

Sewing time

Well finally got some sewing time in this weekend. Went to "sisters" sewing group on Saturday. So much fun to see everyone! I actually accomplished something this time: one top complete and one just needs borders (will post photos later). Yea! Karin sewed miles of binding and showed us her spreadsheet of UFOs (PS: Karin--if you use a smaller font maybe it will fit on one page LOL!). I am sending courage and encouragement to Karin for tackling the dreaded A-word. You go girl!!!! Today after Sbux, I made miles of binding and sewed binding on two quilts. I am resisting my friends' bad influences and turned down going to a workshop in March because I don't need to start another project. A good weekend!

Word of the day is...

Quiltress!

What a great word, why didn't I think of it???!!!??? Found it when I was reading the latest issue of Mark Lapinski's irreverent magazine Quilter's Home. I love that "quiltress" sounds young and hip and sexy--something to tell non-quilters who look at you funny when you tell them you make quilts. You know, the people who think all quilters are boring, grandmotherly, spinster, cat-ladies. Here's some characteristics of a Quiltress I came up with.

A Quiltress...

...*would* wear these boots or her Doc Martins

but prefers to quilt barefoot (to better show off her toe rings).

....loves her featherweight not only because it's a great little machine but because it's black.

....free-motion quilts to raucous music.

...uses the word kickass to describe something quilt-related.

...still wants to be a pirate when she grows up.

...has this fabric in her stash

...likes to whack off borders instead of measuring (Suzanne!)

....thinks the best quilt retreats have equal parts laughter and quilting (and an occasional bottle of wine or perhaps a margarita).

...is annoyed when people (usually spouses or S.O.'s) ask "what are you going to do with that quilt?"

...is more annoyed when people say "don't you have enough quilts/fabric/books/sewing stuff?"

...has quilting friends who are bad influences (hey Debbie--how's your patriotic quilt? hee hee)

Any Quiltress out there have more ideas? Send me some suggestions.