Schnibble for July's Parade

I was overjoyed that "Lincoln" was chosen as this month's project for Another Year of Schnibbles project because....

I already made mine way back in spring 2010.  I used Moda's "Verna" fabric line by Kate Spain and this started my Kate Spain I-love-all-her-fabric-and-her-cute-kitties fan-girl-ness.

Here is optimistic original post that said I would have it all quilted and bound by the weekend following April 3rd 2010....

April 3, 2010

and here it is today....

Ummmm... not quilted and bound and a rather bad photo since it is overcast & dark in my house today.

I think I remember seeing the backing fabric for this so I need to dig that out and hopefully it won't be another year (let alone three!) that this Schnibble will be done.

You can see all the great Lincoln projects on Sherri and Sinta's blogs.

I can't wait to see what the new project is for August.

Remy Stayed Home

Even though he was all packed up and ready to go (see previous post), Remy and the other three cats stayed home while S. and I went on vacation for a week.

Don't feel bad for the cats.  They had a great cat sitter, who spoils them rotten.  And face it, cats seem like they are on vacation all the time.

An obligatory beach-at-sunset photo.  My iPhone photo doesn't do justice to the amazing colors of the sky.


S.'s extended family rents a beach house every year in Corolla on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
The Outer Banks (often abbreviated as OBX) are small barrier islands off the coast of NC and is a popular tourist destination for this part of the country.  

Siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, parents, nieces, & nephews drive from north and south to play on the beach, swim in the pool, and eat lots and lots of great food.

Beach houses 

We had a great time getting away for some relaxation and a break from work.  We walked the beach in the mornings and after dinner and stayed out of the mid-day sun and the heat. Took quite a few naps. Read books and magazines. Enjoyed porches and hammocks and lazy days.  I missed the cats and got text updates on their latest antics.

My favorite place to while away the afternoon is Island Bookstore in historic Corolla village.  There is nothing better than an indie bookstore, especially when there are no quilt shops anywhere nearby.  

Now it's back to the real world and the cats are the only ones taking naps.

TIme for some sewing too.

A Remy Post: Ready to Go

Remy says: "Vacation anyone? I am ready to go."

A Garden Post

Not much sewing going on here so I thought I'd post some photos from my yard.  We have had an exceptionally wet summer in Atlanta with rain and thunderstorms just about every day.  This is in sharp contrast from the severe drought we had for the past 5 or so years.

My hydrangeas love the rain.




 The Recession Garden: Year Five

The rain has been great for our vegetable garden.  The cucumbers have taken over and are crowding out the green beans. Okra plants are in the back.

We have one bed filled with tomato plants with some basil on the far end.  The tomatoes are doing great and are growing taller than their cages.  I envision lots of salsa and salads in the next week.

Happy 4th of July!

Hope everyone has a Happy and Safe 4th of July!

On this day especially, remember to keep your pets safe indoors!!!

There is nothing but rain and more rain in the forecast for today in metro Atlanta.  No fireworks or grilling out for us.

Too. Cute. For. Words.

Remy with his favorite fish toy

Sunnyside for an Overcast Day

I'm so excited to start off the month with a completed quilt top! I finished sewing the rows together this afternoon.

The pattern is "Sunnyside" from Pat Wys' book Spotlight on Neutrals: Quilts and More for Any Decor. 

I used my hoarded stash of Denise Schmidt Flea Market Fancy and Hope Valley fabrics with Moda Bella Solid in Zen Gray for the background.

I wish the lighting was better but it's been overcast on and off all day.   The colors are not true in this image and this photo doesn't do justice to the saturated colors of the fabrics.  There is no chance for an outdoor photo today as everything is still damp from the two weeks of a rain-storm-a-day weather. I'll try to get one when S. is home to be Mr. Quilt Holder.

Remy I started planning this quilt back in January and it went together quickly once I decided on the fabrics.  The directions were very thorough and it was easier to piece than it looks.

Here is a detail of the stars. This is a perfect pattern to highlight some of your treasured fabrics that you've been saving for "just the right quilt".  I particularly like the outer setting with the large and small triangles (or as I called it "the mountain range around the edge").

The original quilt in neutrals can be seen on Pat's blog. I think it would also look amazing in batiks.








I thought I would add an outtake of my attempts at trying to photograph this quilt today.
Count them.  Three.  Three cats in the middle of the photo.  From the top: Remy cleaning his toes, Gomez staring off into space and not willing to move an inch, and Stella wandering around back and forth in and out of the frame.  Edgar Poe (the fourth cat) was guarding the sewing machine.  Never a dull moment around here.

Also, we all would like to wish a Happy Canada Day to our fellow quilters and bloggers and quilt-blog kitties to the North.  Hope you have a wonderful holiday!!