Le Petite Project: Butternchurn

Here's my Le Petite project for this month.  The pattern is Butterchurn by This n That patterns and the charm squares are Moda "Rites of Spring" by Brannock & Patek from a couple of years ago I think.


I love this fabric line with my favorite colors of purple & green. The designers have a new purple & green line coming out in the spring called "Lilac Hill."  You know I'll be getting a little bit of that :) 

And because no post (or quilt project) is complete without a cat.
Guess who had to get into the photos this time?
Here's Morpheus who missed me terribly because I was gone overnight last night for work.  Poor Morph had no blogging time.


And just so you don't think she is neglecting her photo ops....is of course....
Stella!

November Coffee Musings

I love Starbucks Thanksgiving Blend!  Starbucks introduced this coffee a couple of years ago and it really is a perfect accompaniment to all kinds of foods, sweet and savory, and great for after dinner.  Being home for four days (not to mention how damp and cold it was), I went through A LOT of coffee (one of these pounds is gone).  The Thanksgiving Blend is sold out at my SBux so I'm moving on to the new Christmas Espresso Blend.  I'll give a review soon.


I can't believe it's been 7 months since I left SBux. Doesn't seem that long.  I still remember it all to vividly. It's very strange not working Holiday at SBux.

All those red cups. The instant change from making frappuchinos to caramel apple spice and hot chocolates. 

Do you have a favorite SBux holiday drink? (check out the owl on the grande size cup)


One thing I do not miss is eggnog lattes.  Bleh! I know a lot of our customers love them but I am not an eggnog fan and really do not like making them.  Eggnog is loud (!), I mean really really loud and high-pitched, when you steam it and has a tendency to spray all over you.  We had a set of "Eggnoggles"  (goggles) in our store as an inside joke. Little Sbux secret for you there.

This red cup was a quad grande nonfat latte.  

"Block" Friday and Small Business Saturday

The only "black Friday" shopping I did was at Sweet Home Quilt Co.  Melisa opened the store at 7AM and had some great deals (and yes I was there at 7).  I *may* have bought some thread, a ruler, a book, and some various fabric goodies. My co-conspirator Kristie and I will never tell. It was a bunch of fun getting to the store nearly before the sun and shopping and chatting with Kristie.

That was about the extent of the excitement to my day yesterday.  I did finish catching up on my jelly roll BOM--it was BLOCK Friday after all.

Only 3 more blocks to go.

I bought Mackenzie's presents online and had them shipped to Michigan.  No waiting in line or traffic there.  Hope the economy is not relying on me lol!

Today is the first "Small Business Saturday" (started as a Facebook campaign I think) so make sure you visit your favorite small business in person or on-line (preferably your favorite quilt store) and shop local.  As Martha would say "It's a good thing!"

Edited to add: Oh I forgot to give my Thanksgiving report.  Wednesday I made 2 pecan pies with homemade crust.  I was in the kitchen from about 7AM til noon and made roast turkey, homemade rolls, cornbread dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy and gingerbread cookies. I made green bean casserole for S. (I don't like the traditional dump-out-of-cans green bean casserole so I improvised and made steamed fresh green beans, a sauce with organic mushroom soup and fresh onions.)  I had eleventy hundred dirty dishes and used all my dish towels (all this for just S. and I!). S. helped by opening the can of organic cranberries lol! The cats had bites of turkey and they napped all afternoon. S. and I took a huge plate of food and a whole pie and the cookies up to Starbucks for my former co-workers.  They loved it!! And by 4PM were ready for some breaks and food. The best thing about the day was sharing dinner with friends and I didn't have to clean house.  A fun, laid-back day.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone out in Blogland!  You know I am thankful for every one of you that reads this little blog about my cats and quilting and ramblings about whatever!! 

I am ever so thankful to have an adorable, happy, & healthy niece Mackenzie

 As well as being thankful for my cats and S. & E. and family & friends & my house & having a job, etc. etc., I am also thankful that I don't have to work a second job right now and I can enjoy the holiday and cook to my heart's content so I'll be taking platefuls and a pecan pie to my friends at Starbucks working today.  Please remember to smile and thank those hard-working retail and service people out there this holiday season.  It is a hard job for little pay and lots of stress. A little kindness goes a long way. Believe me.  

Choose Your Own Caption

I am brain dead from working on two big projects at work trying to get them finished before tomorrow. 

Stella thought you would enjoy coming up with a caption for this photo.

One Day Done; Two More to Go

I am so excited about having a short work week this week.  I am really enjoying not being crazy working two jobs and dealing with Thanksgiving madness. I actually get to enjoy the holiday!  I have all the grocery shopping done and even though it's just me and S. (and the 4 cats who meow for whatever we are eating), I am cooking the turkey, dressing (in the South it is cornbread dressing never stuffing), mashed potatoes, yada yada all that, the whole nine yards, and pecan pie. I'm sure we will be eating leftovers for eons....

Oh I forgot to post my goodies from Saturday's trip to Little Quilts.  We had a great trip to Marietta with lunch at Williamson Bros.and walk around the square antiquing and a stop by the quilt shop.

Oh look there's Stella again....

A few new Jo Morton fat quarters and a free yard of fabric (earned by collecting receipts). I did look at every-single-last-thing in the store (just ask S. who was beyond patient).  


Yesterday, I watched four (count them--four hours) of the new AMC show "The Walking Dead" (Zombies!  In Atlanta!  Love it! and a friend of mine was a zombie in the first episode) and cut eleventy hundred 2" strips from stash for Bonnie Hunter's new mystery quilt. 


Here's Step one finished.  I changed the colors to purple and green instead of pink (not a fan!) and green.

I also started getting caught up on the U.K. jelly roll BOM (I'm a few months behind).  So that is the latest here. Two more days of work and then four days off. Yea! 

November Thimbles Meeting

This month I decided to go to the Friday night Silver Thimbles club instead of my usual Saturday. S. needs to go to Marietta today and I said I would go with him provided that we go to Little Quilts (a fair deal I think) and we eat at one of my favorite BBQ places, Williamson Bros.  [With Atlanta traffic, even on the weekends, it's nice to have someone to sit in traffic with you.]    I am trying to be patient while S. stalls finishes grading papers.

Although I missed seeing some of the Saturday people (namely Karin, my-partner-in-crime for lots of quilty fun), I did get to see Karmen and Brenda and also Saturday regulars Kristie and Becky.

I did buy the kit for this month's project (although I didn't start it). This great quilt is from the fabulous book Scrap Basket Surprises and the fabric line is by Little Quilts called  "Whittier Hill"

We could choose different border fabric so I chose the darker purplish-brown paisley. Here's my fabrics.


Just to show you that it's nearly impossible to take photos around here without a cat or two wanting in on the action.... Here's Stella with Whittier Hill fabric.

Improve every photo by adding a little Stella

Although it was a small group, we had lots of show n' tell from Sarah (no blog).  Sarah is very productive and a fabulous quilter.   Here are four of her quilts (four!)


 


For the December meeting, we are to bring a "thing in a dish but don't stress yourself out" which roughly translates to:  a potluck dish.  [Our fearless leader Pat just finished writing her quilt book and mailing it out and then realizing the holidays are hererightnow. Go visit her blog and give her a little hello, happy to see you back from book-writing-craziness].

For January, we have the choice to do this quilt (or as always work on our own projects).  Although it is a very striking quilt, I think I'll pass and just enjoy the photo.  It's not like a have 900 gazillion projects to work on...

 Alright, time to light a fire under Mr. S. and tell him to hurry up.  There is fabric waiting you know!!

Giveaway at Green Fairy Quilts

Check out the most wonderful giveaway at Green Fairy Quilts!  And say hello to baby Noah (he is a cutie!). There are some wonderful fabric lines coming up from Moda this spring. I better start saving my pennies.

What are your favorites?  Do you pre-plan fabric purchases of fabric lines you like?  Or just wait to see what inspires you at the shops? 

Monday's Questions

Question 1:  How did I not post this weekend?  Beats me. I was all over blogland but didn't stop by my own blog.  I had a very productive weekend though. 

Went on a walk to enjoy the little bit of local autumnal-ness after a too hot and dry summer



Worked on my Groovy Girls homework (need to get a photo though oops!)  Yes that Bad Melisa gives us homework and bribes us with punches in our Groovy Girls punch card (she is so clever!)

Made two Seuss-ful pillowcases

 And finished up Bonnie Hunter's Christmas Lights mystery from July 2009. Just in time for her next mystery coming up all too soon. 
I am proud to say that I made this all from stash. 

Also did all the cooking, cleaning, laundry, yada yada yada boring stuff....

Question 2:  What was the most overheard saying at my house this weekend?
Edgar! Edgar! Edgar! Edgar! Edgar!

Question 3:  Who was a bad puddy cat and got into all kinds of trouble all weekend? 

See question 2. 

PS:  I know he looks sorry but he's really planning his next mischief.
PPS:  We just love those bad ol' puddy cats.

Adorable Giveaway!

Please visit the lovely blog of Kimber at Heirlooms by Ashton House to enter a giveaway for her cute-as-can-be owl pincushion.

Then please send it to me if you win hee hee :)

Kimber is super talented and has a fabulous historic house and fabulous black cats too.

Blog Hopping and Schnibbling

Yesterday was a day off work for Veterans Day.  I spent the day catching up on all the blog hops going on (whew there is a lot! and it's exhausting!!!), finishing the quilt top for November's Le Petite project, and working on a Schnibble quilt.  A very productive day off!  Here's a peek of the Schnibble. 

Pattern is "Scratch" 
Fabric is Moda "Fandango" by Kate Spain. Love it! Really interesting patterns and colors.  The colors remind me of Fiestaware dishes.

I hope to get this basted and quilted tomorrow along with the Nov. Le Petite project.  More show n tell tomorrow :)

Veterans Day

Honoring and remembering all the veteran's and their families. Thank you from a grateful nation.

Still Life: Four Cats

I love this photo of all four cats catching some late afternoon Autumn sunshine.

They also arranged themselves alternating black cat and tabby. 

Sort of like an hourglass block.  Is my quilting influencing them or do I just see quilt blocks everywhere?

I left this photo unedited in photoshop because I like the light patterns.  Please ignore how I need to wash my windows though... 

Guest Blogger: Morpheus' Favorite Place

Meeeeoooow!  I am Morph and this is my favorite place--curled up on the couch in a quilt nest next to Mom while she works on the laptop.  If she types with one hand and snuggles me with the other, it's even better.  Sometimes, I don't let her get up and protest if she gets up anyway. I am the only cat who gets to sit in this spot because I am the oldest.
And the favorite.

A Sunday Morning

Hello!  I feel like I have been away from my blog forever! Well it has been a week.  I have spent most of this week on the phone trying to resolve an issue with a bank.  Yes, 7 hours on the phone over several days, one day off of work, 1 1/2 hours at an actual physical bank (where no one could help me because no one in Georgia could correct the problem....), 6 days of not being able to use my checking account--all because of the BANK'S ERROR!  Grrrrr.....

The bank I've had since the mid-1990s was bought out during the financial crisis and was "converted" to this new national bank on Oct. 23. My problem started Oct. 26.  It was resolved late Friday Nov. 5. Guess who is taking their accounts and going to a new bank? 

OK enough with the evil, horrible, uncaring, too-big-to-fail, they-better-not-come-looking-for-another-bailout bank......except I have a suggestion of where they can park their stagecoach!!!!!!!

Moving on...
Yesterday was Groovy Girls at Sweet Home.  Before class, I talked with Melisa about her trip to quilt market. Can't wait for those new fabrics, patterns, & books to arrive.  Did a wee bit o' shopping.  Then it was time for class.  If your local quilt shop offers the Groovy Girls program, I highly recommend signing up and if they don't offer it, why not?  It is a super fun program with wonderful, easy projects (great for gifts) that you can make with your stash.
I came home and worked on this month's Le Petite project.

 These cute little churn dash blocks are 4 1/2 inches finished.  Sweet little blocks! The weird lighting is sunshine from the windows. It was freezing cold here in GA (in the 40s F) so I had the blinds up trying to get some warmth. I also made a big pot of beef stew and piled on the quilts.

Today is catching up on usual housework, blog reading, more sewing, etc.  Hooray for any extra hour of sleep and an extra hour to the weekend.

November Le Petite: Paganini

I think I'm late posting this project for the parade of Paganinis over at Sherri and Sinta's blogs.  Here is my Paganini. I had hoped to get it quilted too but Halloween monster movie marathon got in the way.  

and of course Stella had to help organize the rows and make sure they didn't go anywhere. 

The charm squares are "Renewal" and "Looking Back" by Brannock & Patek for Moda.