Design Floor

Taking advantage of my four sewing helpers being in Santa Fe, I've had this quilt-in-progress spread out on the living room floor for a few days.  (It also helps that nearly all the furniture is in Santa Fe too).  There is no way the cats' would've left this alone for two seconds without rearranging the blocks.

[sorry for the dark photo--I'll get a better one when it's finished & not night & not overcast]

This was a fun fabric swap that my quilt friends and I did a couple of years back. The pattern is "Long Road Home" by Red Crinoline Quilts.  My friends and I swapped the neutral alternating blocks and strips of shirtings and dark/mediums for the pieced blocks.  I think this was the fourth fabric swap we did and I also think I'm the last one to finish up this quilt.  Instead of a red solid for the setting triangles, I'm using a yummy purple tone-on-tone floral.  This is a warm and cozy looking quilt--perfect for cold winter nights.

Have you done a fabric swap with friends?  It's a great way to make quilts that call for lots of different fabrics.  It's also a great way to use fabrics that are a bit outside of your box. It's also helpful to have a math wizard in your swap.  We had Kristie, who figured out the math and created charts with participants, how many strips of fabric to cut, etc.

More tomorrow. I need to get busy on my Christmas cards before Christmas is over LOL.

Recommendation: We Love French Knots

In case you haven't found this website yet, visit

http://www.welovefrenchknots.com/

for a wonderful series of videos on how to do embroidery stitches. 

I have always had problems with French knots.  I will learn how to do it, make one or two then forget again. Although, I may not "love" them yet, Bari J's video really  helped me figure out how to do these (again!) and I went back to a stitchery UFO and added all the French knots.  I also learned how to do a chain stitch and finished some more of this UFO. Only one block left to stitch.  Woo hoo! 

Keeping up with Karin

My good friend Karin is cruising through the quilts this year. Her goal is to finish 20 in 2008 and she is already up to 17!!! I am afraid she is going to run out of fabric if she keeps up this pace.

I got to spend a lot of time doing quilty things this weekend. Friday, I took my truck (her name is Xena) in for maintenance. Xena is very happy and is running great (and she better 'cause it was ex--pen--sive). I took at little (ahem) detour on the way home (20 miles) to go to Sweet Home Quilt Co. for a little look-see. I was good and only bought about a yard of fabric, my stitchery BOM, and the new "Quilters' Travel Companion" (not that anyone can afford gas to go shop hopping but it's fun to look through).

Yesterday, I finished up the top for "Peace in the Valley" except for the borders.

(yes it is straight and not wavy, my quilt holder-uper person is new to holding quilts). The quilt is kinda growing on me; it's really not my colors but it's for a gift and I hope it's OK. I need to consult with the "sisters" at my next sewing group meeting for advice on borders. I have 2 options and am undecided.

The cats were a tremendous help yesterday. Here is Stella showing you why I always lock the blade on rotary cutters.

Here is Morpheus helping to lay out and rearrange blocks.

Here is the finished quilt (didn't Morph do a good job arranging blocks?)

This log cabin is a kit from 2005 (!!! wow aged reproduction fabric) that I ordered from Homestead Hearth. Don't remember why I ordered it... I love Homestead's website!! This would be one dangerous shop if I ever went there in person. I am anxiously waiting for this stitchery BOM to come in the mail (not that I need another project but it was Halloween and I couldn't resist).

So I'm off to do some chores (quickly) and find another project.

A whole lot of the usual

I’m rather behind on blogging this week. I am trying to get back into the daily grind (pun intended) after my vacation and am wondering how I ever managed this schedule. It’s also been a yucky week weatherwise in the ATL resulting in this equation: 90s, high humidity, plus Code Orange or Code Red smog alerts = runny eyes, bad allergies, and grumpy me. And yes, I’ve been whining about moving to the Pacific NW where everything was much nicer.

Anyway—moving on. As I noted in my previous blog post, last Friday I received a “Bat Signal” from my sewing buddies to come sew with them. Well Kristie showed us the cutest tote bag and of course we all wanted one, so on Saturday I went to Sweet Home Quilt Co. to get the pattern and a few other things. I have some Moda jelly rolls (Hemming House and Prairie Paisley) and needed to get some project ideas before the fabric was gone for borders, etc. I know for a fact that some of my friends put a serious dent in the bolts of Prairie Paisley at Sweet Home (on quilter’s honor the guilty parties shall remain nameless). I found two patterns in the fabulous book “Jelly Roll Quilts” and made a list of exactly what I needed. I was relatively “good” and didn’t deviate too much from the list. I told Melisa that I was going to go straight home and whip up these two quilts but having second thoughts at the piles of projects on my sewing table, I was “good” again and worked on a UFO from last year before starting new projects. I hope to finish the top this coming weekend and I’ll post a photo. I am really hoping to get a lot of projects done the rest of this summer so I don’t have all these UFOs all over the place.

In cat news: Gomez is doing fine and back to his old self again. Morpheus has been a “velco kitty” since I got back from vacation. Edgar Poe and Stella are being their ever-cute and adorable selves and can be found either sprawled out on the floor or following me around.

A whole lot of the usual going on here.

Holiday Weekend

I have not been as productive as I thought I would be this holiday weekend. Saturday, I did make this pursestart to finish for my new summer bag. I bought the kit last year (?) from one of my favorite quilt shops in Michigan, Mabelena's (unfortunately they don't have a website). It's from the pattern "Everyday Bag" by My Favorite Things. Another UFO done!

The weather has been beautiful here in GA this weekend and I did spend some time in the yard checking out the drought-survivors. This oak leaf hydrangea is my favorite plant in the yard(don't tell the others!).

I just love the deep green leaves, the creamy white flowers, and in the winter it has a wonderful twisty shape and shows off its peeling bark.

Yesterday, I worked all day at SBux and did my weekly shopping at Whole Foods. Instead of grilling this weekend, I bought a mess of wild-caught, fresh shrimp (on sale!) and some veggies and lots of fruit.

This shrimp is the best! Boiled quickly in Old Bay seasoning YUM!

Morpheus and I chilled out for a couple of hours reading the Sunday NY Times

Throw in a couple of naps and that's about the extent of things around here. Things I did not get done: get caught up on the OC Mystery Quilt, make it to any of the LQS's Memorial Day sales, and housework chores.

Shocking Discovery

I was rummaging around in my sewing space on a mission to get some stash to start cutting for the OC mystery quilt step 2 when I discovered, lurking in an old apple crate, a stash of UFOs that I didn't know I had because they were not on my purple index cards!!!! I was shocked, shocked I tell you. Where did these come from???? Perhaps they were purchased and partially started by a doppelganger who has the same taste in fabric that I do. I also discovered fabric still in it's original bag that had somehow snuck in there also (this is not so unusual).

So I did what every other self-respecting quiltress would do, I put the inexplicable bags back where they came from, found my scraps, turned off the light, and left the room. That doppelganger better get working on those quilts, I have enough to do.

One UFO done

Yea! Finished a quilt top

The pattern is called "Road to Romance" by my friend and quilt designer Pat Wys (see the pattern and the quilt made in 1930s prints here: http://silverthimblequilt.com/ and check out her other designs too). I started this quilt in 2007 and the focus fabric is a special dogwood-patterned batik that was printed for the 2007 Atlanta Shop Hop. This quilt makes me think of Ireland since it's so bright and green. Here's a detail.

Worked on another UFO (from 2006) at our sewing group on Saturday. Great day sewing with Karin and Becky. My decision on which quilt to work on went like this: pick up nearest bag off the floor of the sewing room and take it with you LOL! I think I'm going to pick projects this way and maybe at some point it will work up to: pick any project from on(e of several big plastic bins (as soon as I get the ones off the floor done). How's that for a plan????

Also worked on step 1 of the Orange Crush mystery quilt. Karin is way ahead of me and has her 4-patches done. I have some 2-patches and am really glad we have more time for this step. I am jealous of Becky having Spring break and time for quilting and blogging this week. I expect grand things from her LOL!!!!

On Friday, I took 2 cats to the vet. Morpheus went for his annual shots and geriatric blood tests. He is doing good and lost a little weight (which we all need to do here at chez crazy cat lady....) Also took Morticia, who now has a large lump on the side of her nose near her eye. The vet is very concerned about it and I am taking her in on Wednesday for anesthesia, X-rays, and testing. Probably not good and that is what I am expecting. Will post an update when I know something.

Reviews of books and movies I finished over the weekend in another post. It's time to watch John Adams on HBO (yes I am a history geek!)