A Quilter Awakens

January Weekend

2012-01-28T11:21:00.001-05:00

Mom and I played with Fresh Market (Brannock & Patek for Moda). We used a layer cake and a pack of charm squares. I didn't get the circles stitched down before I left Mom's studio, so I ran to JoAnn's for some fusible web. I bought the wrong kind (it was not paper backed), and I ended up cutting little pieces of the fusible to place behind the circles and anchoring them so I would not have to fold it with a lot of pins to take on the airplane home. Why did I think hand appliqueing the circles down would be a good idea?

I took another look at it once the circles were sewn on, and I didn't like all the space around the edges, so I sliced off 3 1/2 inches all around and re-sewed the pieces onto the opposite sides. Since it was me doing it, and I didn't think of math at all, I had a little issue to fix, but the fix went well, and I won't bother you with the details. (I pressed the quilt before I took it out for a photo. The angle of the early morning sun makes the top look all wrinkly; that's a good thing when you photograph a finished quilt, but not so hot for a quilt top.)

The other thing I accomplished this week is I added a magnetic strip to my peg board. I like having my tools where I can find them. I spent most of my holiday vacation (besides going to Mom's) cleaning out my sewing room. I swear it now feels like an alien planet. I go in there and sit, and I cannot find anything. Not a thing. It has taken me a while to get things going in there again. I will persevere, and eventually I will get something going I feel passionately about, but right now the quilting mojo is low. I have been reading the same thing on other blogs, so perhaps it is post-holiday normal for a lot of us.

I have discovered, for the first time, Downton Abbey. I am finally enjoying the Masterpiece series with the rest of you. Looks like I will have to get season 1 and catch up!

You can see what the kitties do all day. Joey gets to be on the bed, but not on the quilts (they are on the quilt rack at the base of the bed). I keep washable old blankets and towels on the bed.

Of course the little devil follows me around the house. Here he is in a box left over from Christmas. I sat it on the top of my computer armoire (a hulking piece of furniture) not realizing Joey would make it his favorite hiding place. But, of course, he has to keep an eye on me while I type.

The most wonderful thing happened on New Year's Eve. My son, Eron, and his girlfriend, Meredith, became engaged. I am so happy for all of us (especially them)!

TV sewing

2012-01-14T08:58:00.001-05:00

One thing I love about my job at the technical college is the diversity of students I get to meet and help. The students who are originally from Africa are so kind, caring and generous.

One of those students gave me a package of this fabric. It is very different from the cotton I am used to for quilting. The package contained between 4 and 6 yards. The fabric feels papery and is very shiny. I could see it would make a wonderful traditional African costume. But what would I do with it?

Yo-yo girlfriend!

(looks so different; doesn't it?)

I like the crispness the fabric gives the yo-yos. I am putting them together with bright colors of embroidery floss.

Scooter (now 13 years old) likes when I am hand sewing (making yo-yos) in the bedroom. It is cozy there and he can sleep.

I tried and succeeded

2012-01-13T08:38:00.000-05:00

I did not sew a single stitch over the holiday break. I made the mistake of trying to organize my sewing room by pulling everything out of it, so it was a big ole mess; not conducive to sewing!

But I did install a peg board to hang up my rulers. After this shot I added a magnetic strip to the top of the peg board. Hah! I knew I could do it. The stud finder was a big help as was the electric drill. I was formerly afraid to use the drill, but no more. Look out world. Who knows what I might try next?

And LOOK what I found in Mom's studio attic! It is not at my house yet, but you know I will be keeping an eye on it. This quilt just has to end up at my house. It just has to. Yes it does. It has to.

A short visit is better than none.

2012-01-12T18:22:00.004-05:00

I got to spend a few days at my folks house in Missouri. Mom and I played with Brannock & Patek Farmer's Market fabric.

We got a quilt top together, but I am going to hand applique the circles down, so it is not finished yet.

Quilts make a bed cozy. I was totally spoiled with Dad bringing Mom and I breakfast in bed every morning.

Mom's hand-hooked rug at the base of the bed.

Hallway from Mom's room.

A wall in Mom's library.

I love Mom's hand hooked rugs.

And Dad's apple pie. This was his best. I don't know how he does it. This one was beyond sublime.

On the way home from the Atlanta airport Saturday night I related to my husband how spoiled I was at (my other) home, and he added "oh yeah, there's nothing to eat at (our) home."

Marvelous.

2012-01-01T13:39:00.001-05:00

Now that all the Christmas stress is over, it is time to focus on making the future the best we can. I suggest no package wrapping. Have a professional do it; or, better yet, GIFT CARDS! (Thank you, Karin (Life in the Slow Lane), for sending me the link to this video. I watched it three times and LMAO each time.)

In the best thing to happen ever category my son Eron's proposal

was accepted by the adorable, wonderful Meredith.
Major happiness vibe all over the place! Her favorite color is yellow, and I have already purchased two yards of a nice toile.

Vaca week

2011-12-29T17:51:00.004-05:00

I don't have to work this week, so I am looking at books:

Finding some cute possible projects:

Watermelon. I love it.

I reading some serious stuff: Doris Lessing's The Fifth Child and the two tomes in the photo below. I find psychopathy and mental illness very interesting subjects and these are must reads.

Joseph James found a lady bug while I was reading. I put an arrow on the photo pointing to his friend the ladybug (see at the top of the window frame?). I don't know how he knew she was there.

He kept pawing at the shutters until I opened them. Don't worry; I let her go outside. I didn't let Joey hurt her.

I am trying to organize my sewing room, but it is a big ole mess. I don't know when it will be usable again. I am getting one of those nasty colds, so I'ma just gonna chill for a while. I have to get better to fly to Missouri next week for real vacation. I wish I had the sewing mojo of the girl in this video:

Scrappy Nines, Baked Pears and Joey

2011-12-19T11:57:00.000-05:00

I am having so much fun working on Scrappy Nines, especially when I am in the company of the Thimbles group. I love seeing what everyone else is working on and sharing the holiday spirit.

Mercidene (fellow Thimble) has all her nine-patches stitched together for her Scrappy Nine quilt. I am doing them as I go, but I sure wish I had them all done waiting form me to use. I am not very good at assembly line production; it would sure make quilt top assembly much faster.

Saturday I made some baked pears. The recipe is simple: pears (seeds removed), raisins, 2 almonds (each pear), a shake of cinnamon and a half inch of water in the bottom of the pan. I used the foil bits to keep the pears upright. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes. The same recipe works for apples too.

Yummy and no guilt!

Joey has been in rare form. It is difficult to get a shot of him, since he is seldom still. Yesterday I was putting things in the attic; he followed me up there, and he was lost for a short period of time (seemed like an eternity). I feared he'd fallen down a wall or something, but I kept calling him and he finally came to me.

A week ago Friday, when I was dropping off his birthday cake (happy 27 years Andy!), I mentioned to Andy that Joe jumps into the refrigerator every time I open it. Every single time. Andy laughed and said that when Joey was a kitten he (Andy) used to put him in the fridge to keep him out of trouble. Wow. Really explains a lot.

And now Joey has learned to open the kitchen cabinets. He runs through the house, grabs the cabinet doors and swings them open and runs off. We are "baby-proofing" with rubber bands. Seriously.

I love taking pictures of him, but his constant exploration and motion makes a good shot difficult. I know my fancy-ass camera can capture motion, but I used my little point and shoot. Here is what I got this morning:

Joe clearing out my clipped threads.

Joe wanting in the bookcase to rescue the "cats" trapped there.

Joe wanting to scatter Scrappy Nine parts stored in the box, but Kitten forbidding him.

She looks a little annoyed; doesn't she?

Someone told me that her kitten was uber explorative like Joe, and he never grew out of it.

Oh dear.

Thank you and Joey mischief

2011-12-13T08:53:00.003-05:00

I had a request from Diane for a copy of one of Mom's (Linda Brannock's) old patterns (Dresden Hearts). It took me a lot of digging in the studio attic, but I finally located the pattern and sent it to Diane. I didn't expect her to send me these beautiful fat quarters as a thank you. They are so my palette.

Thank you Diane! I love these fabrics.

While I was in the attic, I found a "vintage" Angler. You see the date? It says 1993. That's probably when Mom bought it. It finally got used this weekend.

I got a couple more blocks done on Scrappy Nines from the book Spotlight on Neutrals by Pat Wys. You learn a lot about color value and print scale as you work on this quilt. I always learn better hands on. You can tell me something until you are blue in the face (I feel my mother nodding as she reads this), but put me to work on it, and things finally make sense. They call it kinesthetic learning (from Gardner's Multiple Intelligences Theory).

I think cats learn the same way.

I was cooking when I spotted something out of place in the dining room.

Okay, my dining room has lots of stuff out of place; it is a mess, but do you see what I am talking about?

Joey has decided his favorite daytime hiding place is on top of the china cabinet, and I caught him readying to jump up there. Sheesh. I think the Tiffany Lamp needs to be moved; his return trip could affect the lamp. I've already moved the figurines from atop the sconces. All glass and ceramic items that can be damaged are sitting on the floor waiting for Joey to grow up. I learned not to take a chance with breakables when Kitten broke that precious bowl the Arts & Sciences division gave me as a wedding present.

Joey is a good companion when I am sitting and reading though.

The doctor's office called me twice last week to come have another blood test. The one I had December 2 showed my kidneys are messed up again and my potassium level is too high. I am now keeping a health journal to see if I can identify things that are harming my kidneys and to keep an eye on my blood pressure.

Cat's paws (still attached to the cat) are good luck.

I can believe that if I want too.

It is the season of believing.

"As in mind, so in manifestation."

Workshop, yoyos and animals

2011-12-06T12:51:00.000-05:00

Saturday I had fun with the Spirited Quilter's bunch and Pat Wys. Pat has a book out (pictured), and we worked on making the cover quilt. I love it. Love, love, love it!

If you are a Silver Thimble Club (Pat Wys' club) member, you may have seen me working on un-sewing some yo-yos a friend of mine made. I gave the fabric back to her, all ironed flat, along with a Clover yo-yo maker, and we had a little lesson. Now she makes perfect yo-yos every time and she made this lovely pillow (above). Good work Sarah!

I had a doctor visit on Friday at which he pronounced my cowboy boots unfit apparel for my feet. He wants me to wear only tennis shoes. I bought "comfort shoes" to wear to work as I can't seem to wrap my mind around wearing tennis shoes all day unless I am on a tennis court. (but that's just me)

Joey is getting too big for my lap. His cuddly baby kitty days are over. He likes to explore and play out big adventures.

The boys (below) are getting old, so they just chill most of the time.

That's okay by Joey.

So much stuff

2011-11-27T15:33:00.000-05:00

You ever have so much stuff in your head that it drives you crazy, and then you sit down to make a blog post?All gone. All of it. I need to start taking a notebook with me when I leave the house, since I usually think of things to write when I am out walking. (Although, I am pretty sure nothing of profound gravity will escape the vaporous confines of my cranium in any case.)

Oh yeah. Walking. Thursday morning I went for a run/walk. Then I could barely walk the rest of the day. Seems whatever is going on with my left foot gets WAY worse when I run/walk. WAY, way worse. Like crawl to the bathroom if you have to go kind of worse. Friday I went swimming. Yesterday (probably today too) I rested. I see the doctor Friday.

I put the pedal to the metal to get this lap quilt done for my MIL. Nothing fancy. I used my walking foot on all the quilting and quit when I finished the 4th bobbin. I finished the blue linen binding at 4:00 a.m.

I like the way it came out. Simple though it is.

Joey likes it too.

Good for rolling about.

Until Kitten shows up.

Don't work to hard this week. Next Saturday I am going to a workshop with Pat Wys. I have no idea what fabric I will use, but I intend to start the Scrappy Nines from the cover of her book.

Sunday Slow Time

2011-11-13T08:18:00.001-05:00

I got a few magazines to browse through while "watching" television in the evening.

And spent some time working on this quilt until my Joey fell asleep on it which made me have to change thread so I could zig-zag more karate belts together.

Kitten slept on the already-stitched belts. I am still not sure what the belts will end up being, so I will put them away for now.

Today is swimming and shopping day. I may sneak off to church too.

Other things going on

2011-11-11T08:39:00.000-05:00

Mom took a class from Karen K. Stone some 6 or 7 years ago. Paper piecing was not Mom's idea of fun (even with Robyn Pandolph fabric), so she put the project away. I never saw it until last year when Mom was cleaning out her studio.

The light was not quite right, and the whole quilt photo was not good. I will try again soon.

I strongly suggested we finish Rattlesnake, so we commenced working on it whenever I was able to fly up to visit her. Last visit it had come back from the quilter and Mom had a binding choice picked out. I suggested another binding that she already had cut and was the same fabric as the inner border. Finally, she let me bring it to my house to finish up the binding.

I am liking this quilt (that sounds ridiculous; I totally love this quilt). It is the only one Mom and I have worked on together. I wish, wish, wish I lived closer to her so we could work on more projects together.

Meanwhile, at my house, the karate belts got a good washing and hung up to dry; then I started zig-zagging them together until I ran out of thread.

On my run to the store for more thread, I stopped by the thrift shop. It was my lucky day. I was getting into the check out line to purchase a novel when I spied a colorful jacket.

Oh dear, five dollars worth of heaven on a hanger!

Ellis Island is the novel I picked up, and then I stopped at the library to pick up a reserve they had waiting for me. I am reading The Warmth of Other Suns first, since it has to go back to the library. I may not be doing any sewing this weekend. You absolutely cannot put "Suns" down once you start it. I am not going to say more about it except this: Get the book. Read it.

And thank God for all the blessings in your life.

Amen.

Good Sunday

2011-11-06T08:17:00.001-05:00

I bought this vintage gem of a New Home machine at a garage sale a couple of weeks ago. When I got home and plugged it in it ran, but would not stop. A friend in the HVAC department at work thought he could fix it, but we needed to work out a time for him to come get it with his truck. This morning I decided it must be able to come out of the cabinet, so, armed with a screwdriver, I set to work getting it out of the cabinet. Long story short; the motor now works with the knee bar! Yeah me! Now I have the challenge of finding a bobbin case for it.

I had made some last minute purchases at the Georgia Quilt Show when it was here. I couldn't let Primitive Gatherings and Auntie Ju's booths leave Atlanta without buying something.

Okay, let me explain this picture. Remember I was cleaning out that storage unit? I found a box of old karate belts that I'd collected from the karate school where I used to work in the 90s. I'd made a pillow case from karate belts back then, and I'd wanted to make something else too, but never got around to it. Last night I washed all the belts and hung them (all over the place) to dry. What am I going to do with them? Huh. I still don't know, but pictures will record whatever happens to them.

Kitten is just glad her favorite quilt is back from hanging in the shows.

Good Trade

2011-11-01T08:54:00.000-04:00

I gave Dad his airplane quilt. He gave me a gooseberry pie. Good trade in my book.

Mom is doing well. She looks wonderful. I am concerned she is not doing enough exercising that new knee; she is also supposed to be checking her blood sugar, but that is not something she is interested in at all. I motivate students all day long at work, but I am at a loss how to motivate my mother. Actually, I don't motivate anyone. I take the little sparks of effort a student makes and fan them to flames. Students do all the work. I guess I am somewhat of a bellows?

While I was in Missouri I spent some time in the sewing studio adding binding to the Rattlesnake quilt. I heard tap, tap, tapping outdoors, so I went to investigate and found a companion. This little woodpecker was busy enlarging the "door" of the birdhouse.

My great-grandmother, Stella Mae Irvin, who, with her husband Frank, lived on a farm in central Missouri near Versailles, made this baby quilt when my mother was pregnant with me. I love this little quilt. None of the knots are buried. It represents my great grandmother's fearlessness and determination in quilt making, and, most of all, her blind, steadfast love for her family.

It is the most beautiful quilt in my life.

Sunday's work

2011-10-23T16:40:00.000-04:00

This October I have Photography class each Monday night (including Halloween), so Sunday ends up being photo catch-up and get-them-printed-for-class day.

All our assignments have been for outdoor photos, and I find I am not all that creative. I should probably go to a park or sculpture garden or something. Honestly, on Sunday I just want to stay home. (Please let me stay one this one day of the week!)

So I limit my subjects to what is around my own yard.

This week's assignment included getting a "panned" shot. That means something moving which is in focus because you also move and the background is blurred. I thought I might be able to get my Joey to move on queue and in a predictable direction. Ah shucks, aren't I the naive one?

After squatting (think really deep plie') in the yard with a camera steadied between my knees trying to rotate in the same direction as his spurts of motion AND have the shutter and f-stops correct for the light AND remember to pre-focus where I think the little booger will run, I decided that real photography is real hard work.

That's the best shot I got.

I am too old for stressing about homework.

It is what it is.

(I like my other shots of the little fur balls. I think Joey and Kitten like to be outdoors, but hubby freaks out thinking they will get hurt or fleas or lost or something horrible will happen to them. Sheesh, for a man who wanted no "damn" cats, he sure has gotten possessive of them.)

I have to have some dental stuff done on Tuesday. They told me I will be in the chair 3-4 hours. YIKES! Not looking forward to that. Then I am going to Kansas City next weekend to see my folks. I need to witness for myself my mother's recovery from her knee replacement, and give dad a break, if he needs one.

I will be back soon!

Georgia Quilt Show

2011-10-22T11:28:00.000-04:00

As of the time I hit "publish post" there are a couple of hours left for you to enjoy the Georgia Quilt Show; here are the highlights, for me, of the show this year.

Me and Mary Fons; she is holding my mother's signed copy of her mother's first book. I am holding a letter her mother wrote to my mother dated April 7, 1982.

Inside the book, see the photo of the two little girls? That is Mary Fons on the left (with her sister and mother) wearing a vest with my mother's pattern "Star of Hearts" on the back thirty years ago. I figured one of the little people might be her, but I was not sure until yesterday. Mary is a sweet, talented young lady, and she has a great (and unique) understanding of the industry and its most critical challenge: building future markets.

And my second machine-pieced (on my Featherweight) and machine-quilted (on my old New Home machine) quilt was hanging in the show. It is fun to have a quilt hang in a show, if you have not submitted an application for a show, I highly recommend it.

Other things I love at the show: Lisa Bongean and Primitive Gatherings, Lynda Hall from Primitive Pieces and the lovely sisters from Auntie Ju's Quilt Shoppe.

I took two classes; one involved color discharge and dye and the other was trapunto. Somehow the third class I wanted to take was "unavailable," so I am free to update my blog this morning (among other things).

Finally, someone asked about those emergency shoes I bought at the thrift store.

You have to have shoes, and sometimes for $5, you can get what you need. Looking at the photographs of me I can see what I really need is to have my hair done.

I am going to run to Thimbles now.

Streak of Luck

2011-10-19T08:15:00.000-04:00

My day started with a bit of bad luck; my shoe broke as I was walking into the building to go to work.

I ran the shoes over (not with my car; for goodness sake I wouldn't do that to shoes) to a local repair shop and then puzzled over what to do about footwear for the day. I had some crazy-ugly-hard-to walk-in emergency flip-flops (UGA type) in the car, but really not suitable to wear to work. Goodwill was next to the shoe repair shop, so I browsed through the shoe racks and found a new pair of fancy decorated mules in a brown satin-ish fabric. Perfect. For five dollars I was hooked up with some suitable kicks.

Then I quickly browsed the textile area. Goodness, gracious; look what I found! I was not even sure what I would use it for, but when I got home I figured it out.

I think it will work for the backing to my Irish Chain. I started it as a guild challenge quilt, but didn't get finished in time. I think perhaps we were just waiting for the right fabric to appear.

Let's go slow

2011-10-18T11:24:00.000-04:00

This is what greeted me when I went back to my sewing room after taking a break. Little Joey finally taking it slow. At breakfast Jojo noticed the blood pressure cuff on the table. He went into stalker mode, lined himself up with the circle of the cuff and dove head first into it. His little head was all that made it into the blood pressure cuff. I laughed my butt off. He is so funny.

I decided he needed a collar especially for him (instead of Kitten's hand-me-downs). He looks good in baby boy blue.

I will let him rest for now, but he is lying on Dad's Airplane Quilt. The one that has been UFO for a couple of years. I finally quilted it, and now I am getting the binding stitched down (when Joe lets me). I am leaving some of the binding to stitch at Thimbles this weekend in Grayson.
Mom (Linda Brannock) is doing well after her knee replacement surgery. She is home now and has a physical therapist visit every day; she thinks the only thing he doesn't schedule her to do is sleep, but the pain meds are taking care of that for her. I will be up to see her in two weeks.
THIS weekend is the Georgia Quilt Show. Yippee! I cannot wait. I have one quilt hanging in the show, AND I am taking classes. I always get so darned excited when I get a chance to learn new stuff!

Catch up time

2011-10-14T08:13:00.001-04:00

Thank goodness Mom's surgery went well. She sounds great and is looking forward to coming home on Saturday. I had a killer week at work, since students were having mid-term exams and the demand for math help was incredible (exhausting!). Perhaps, once I finish getting that storage unit cleaned out, I can catch up on rest this weekend. Here is a photo of Jojo (Joseph James Grey). He never rests.

Crazy cat loves to splash about in a bowl of ICE water. Crazy, and he will play in it for an hour.

Storage unit clean up

2011-10-08T19:43:00.002-04:00

A couple of years ago my middle son asked me if he could store a few things with me. I don't exactly remember how we ended up with a storage unit, but we did.

Auto billed to my AmEx, of course. I am sick of paying for it. I asked my son if he can come get his stuff out, and he doesn't remember what is in there, so "Mom, just get rid of it" was the gist of his reply.

I was going to load it all in a truck and deliver it to Goodwill when one of my friends from work suggested I look through the boxes to be sure I wanted to give it all away. Guess what we found?

Yup. Two very worn and well loved quilts my mother, Linda Brannock, made. I adore my friend for suggesting I look into the boxes. She will always be the one who rescued these quilts back into the family.

Backside of the star quilt.

My husband and I didn't get anything loaded into a truck, so I still have to figure out who to call to come get some of the big stuff. I got so mad at my husband's lack of helpfulness that, when my cell phone rang with him calling me yet again, I got out of my car at a stoplight, installed said ringing phone in front of my tire, and, when the light changed, proceeded to run over said phone. Really, some days you just can't take anymore of some people. Just sayin'. So today I ran errands, bought a bottle of wine and think I will just chill out on the sofa and watch the Georgia game. Who are we playing? Georgia football never mattered much to me before; after a glass of wine it won't matter again (I am a true light-weight; read "cheap date").

Scooch over babies; mama needs a cuddle.

Maybe tomorrow we will go outside and enjoy the cool sunny weather.

Jackets of Many Colors

2011-10-01T15:16:00.001-04:00

Straight Jacket from Asylum by Christopher Payne
Last week I was attempting to finish my Vintage 9-Patch (Lisa Bongean pattern), and my Bernina acted up, so I switched to my New Home sewing machine. The result was this mess which took me a couple of days to pick out.

I had to walk away from my sewing room for a spell, so I went to the library and found this wonderful book:

These two, Helen and Scott Nearing, lived an amazing journey through life guided by good sense, moral conviction, determination and hard work. I had to go buy a copy of the book because I want to savor it.

I also happen on Asylum by Christopher Payne. His collection of amazing photographs of America's decaying state hospitals is accompanied by Oliver Sack's essay on the history of the system that created them.

St. Joseph, Missouri State Hospital (Kirkbride building) from Asylum by Christopher Payne.

I was amazed at the scope of state hospitals before litigation took away residents' right to livelihoods (most state hospitals were self-sustaining communities) and the self respect residents' may have been able to gain from meaningful contribution to the community in which they lived.

From the book Asylum by Christopher Payne.

I had no idea straight jackets came in colors. I find them beautiful lined up like this. They may have been made by hospital seamstresses (residents) working in the hospital's sewing room.

Picture from the book Asylum by Christopher Payne.
After the reading break, I went back to my own private sewing room where I got a little help from my Joey.

"We" got the quilting done.

(No animals were harmed in the creation of this quilt.)

The binding cut and sewn on.

In time to take to Spirited Quilters' on Tuesday night.

One UFO down!

We are so happy!

Goodwill

2011-09-24T09:57:00.000-04:00

Goodwill opened a new store this week, and I have to pass it twice a day when commuting to work.

Since I don't have to be at work until 10 on Fridays, that gives me a little time to browse.

I found this fabulous Indian cotton print in the curtain section of the household-textile bin. It was love at first sight.

On another subject: Last weekend I started machine quilting my Vintage Nine-Patch. Joey took a flying Spiderman leap at the quilt hanging on the wall, found out the quilt was not firmly affixed to the wall, and came crashing down.

Here he is resting after his adventure.

Sweet.

Tuesday morning I resumed quilting the Vintage Nine. Part way through I examined the back and found the tension on my Bernina was misbehaving. Re-thread, re-bobbin, adjust, etc. No luck. Picked all the quilting out. Figured I may as well take out all the basting pins too. Used the 505 (spray basted) this time. I am ready to go using the New Home machine Mom gave me back in 1997.

Speaking of Mom; I posted photos of her and Jan's (Together by Brannock and Patek) newest fabric line on her Linda Brannock blog. I just love the florals (especially the small wispy one) and the blues!

Weekend fun

2011-09-18T14:05:00.000-04:00

This was my favorite quilt at the East Cobb Show. It was so hard to choose; so many had beautiful technique and some had touching back stories.

Granddaughter's Flower Garden by Jan Cunningham and quilted by Shannon Baker

I love the unusual colors she used. She stitched her four granddaughter's names in the center of the corner flowers. I have 6 blocks of this Piece of Cake pattern appliqued, but not sure I will ever get the quilt done.

Me and my Joey have a standing date for Saturday mornings at 5:30 a.m. That's the time I finish feeding the dogs and making coffee. We sit down to watch Quilting Arts.

Doesn't Joey (a.k.a Jojo, Joseph James, etc) look comfy in his male TV watching pose?

Then the show came on. Bleh! The title of the show was "QA: Gone to the Dogs." Bleh, bleh! We get enough of dogs around here! (Actually Jojo loves to head-butt Rosie; I think they are friends.) Scooter, my oldest dog, had been grouchy since 3 a.m. He kept growling and snapping at DH, so I had to continuously pet him to keep the peace. Two hours of consoling a grouchy dog did not put me in the mood to watch creative dog-bed construction techniques.
Off to better things; like Silver Thimble Club!

Sarah, one of the most prolific quilters, made some journal covers (along with quilts and bags), but this is made with Lilac Hill, so I just have to post a photo. Isn't it beautiful? I love how she finished it with the contrasting colored pull on the strap.

This is a bit of the magnificent quilt Pat Wys made for her daughter who was moving into an apartment as Pat was finishing the binding. The greens and purples were accented by the fabulous binding fabric. I spied some Lilac Hill in there too.

If I hurry over to my sewing room, perhaps I will get a few stitches in before the work week. (I can always hope, but I need blinders on against the ever neglected housework that is calling out to me. At least my checkbook is balanced.)
See you on the other side,
Karmen

Forward march

2011-09-16T09:09:00.001-04:00

I am excited about 4 things:

Hats and Wool

1) Biopsy was B-9 (BINGO).

2) East Cobb Quilt Show

3) Brannock & Patek Together

There was something else, but it has slipped my mind. TYPICAL!

This weekend is going to be run-aroundweekend.

4) Silver Thimble Quilt Club

Maybe that was it, but I think there was something else too.

I have to go to work this morning first, and then the weekend will be full blast run all around town. Some time in the future I hope to get back to my sewing machine(s).

Mom says this is back from the quilter. I don't remember what she chose for borders, but here is what we were considering at one point:

And here is one I want to finish.

I also have those UFOs on my list to finish for Spirited Quilters. Boy, I sure haven't been very focused on those.

I sent a quilt off to Ohio to travel with The Original Sewing and Quilt Expo folks. I confess, since this is the first time one of my quilts has been traveling without me, I had a touch of anxiety watching the FedEx guy taping the box shut and taking possession. Remember, I drove my quilts 3 1/2 hours to the Alabama show. I am kind of like an over-protective mother when it comes to something I've put so much work into.

Benign. Happy word of the day.

Patterns, etc

2011-09-11T13:24:00.002-04:00

Mom asked me why I didn't blog about the bag I made while I was at her house in June.

This is Amy Butler's reversible sunday sling (in two sizes). Mom and I had the idea of making two, but in 14 hours we completed one.

MINE (Mom's stash fabric).

I have not gone back to my heavy leather Brighton handbag since. Even though this bag seems a little heavy, I don't really notice the weight. Perhaps it is because it is all soft cottons.

This is usually the inside, but it could be the outside (I love reversible!). I put the little bunny pin on the pocket where I keep my wallet (bunny-money; get it?). Otherwise I have to dig forever to find it.

The bag is so big you can stow a joey in there.

Though he might not stay for long.

I was asked about a pattern for the doll I wrote about a couple of posts ago. Her pattern is by Lynda Hall of Primitive Pieces and is in the package called Play Date Bundle (scroll down on the page to see this pattern).

Have a great week, and I will see you on the other side.

(I hope my eyebrow biopsy turns out to be a non-issue!)

Karmen

Bear-y so-so

2011-09-10T18:39:00.002-04:00

Yes, yes I can make a bear. I could not find 10mm glass eyes and didn't want to search a hardware department for jointing parts, so I used what I had on hand.

Bumby the Bear (I am reading The Paris Wife) got wool felt eyes and buttons for joints. He is okay for a first attempt, but, along with cake decorating, bear-making might not be my thing. Apologies to my grandparents, but they did not pass down their master bear-making skills.

I think I will RUN back to quilting.

Below is a photo of Jojo (now Joseph James) in my lap in the car. The little guy likes to curl up in my lap for a ride in the car. Have you ever heard of such a thing?

(He went to visit MIL in the assisted living facility; the next week she remembered him. We were shocked.)

Yesterday I had a seven a.m. doctor appointment, so I left the house (minus the cat) at 6:30 to have enough time to go the 26 miles or so. I got to the doctor office at 7:45. That's Atlanta traffic for you. I really had no idea morning traffic was that bad. My commute to work is 7 miles, so I have it pretty good. I was at the office for my first "body scan." You know, where they check for suspicious moles and stuff? Well, to my surprise, Dr. S. was concerned about a dime-sized spot on my eyebrow. I didn't look at the biopsied spot until I got home last night. Yikes! Holey hole in my eyebrow! No morning swim for me this morning.

Ya gotta take care of those eyes, ya know?

Jojo is now being called Joseph-James Grey. I dunno why; Joseph-James just rolls off my tongue with a funky Irish-type brogue (where the heck does that come from?).

I can't get a good shot of him unless he is asleep. Look at the size of those feet! He weighs in at 5.5 pounds now. I wonder how big he'll get? He has discovered he can climb up my bathrobe and sit on my shoulders. Can we say "ouch, ouch, ouch, damn it!" He will grow out of this manic kitten stage, right? I love him though; that's my grey leg on the left in the photo.

I got a nice e-mail yesterday accepting one of my quilts for the Georgia Quilt Show in October. The East Cobb show is next weekend. East Cobb is a don't-you-dare-feaking-miss-it-and-call-yourself-a-quilter-in-Georgia kinda show. But, even though I will attend East Cobb, I missed the entry deadline, so nothing of mine in there. That's okay; I am new to quilt show stuff.

I am excited about having "Nests" hang in the Georgia Show (put on by the Original Sewing and Quilt Expo folks), and they have asked me to send it early so it can join other quilts going to Chantilly, Virginia and Kansas City, Missouri first. I like The Georgia Quilt Show because my favorite online vendor is there. Check out Auntie Ju's website, and then visit their booth; they are really nice, and maybe they still have their make-it and take-it punch needle projects.

Fun stuff!

Can I make a bear?

2011-09-06T08:58:00.000-04:00

I have always wanted to make a bear, and this issue of Primitive Quilts has a pattern, so last night I dove in and gave it a go. I wish I hadn't used the left-over fabric from my Amy Butler bag; it ravels too much, but there you are. The head gusset was frustrating, so I quit at 3:00 a.m. This morning I took out one of the bears my grandparents made and took a look at the head gusset. Hum; it squares off at the nape of the neck. I am going to try that next time. This morning, if I have time to run to a store before work, I will get stuffing and "jointing" supplies. Can you find the joint stuff at a craft store? Or do you have to search a hardware store? Frankly this jointing process has me flummoxed. It doesn't matter how many times I read the directions, I have no confidence that I will be able to pull it off.

Meanwhile Jojo is circling my chair with a stuffed kitten (the one I bought Kitten) in his mouth. He loves to carry it around; it's nearly as big as he is!

Margaret goes on an adventure

2011-09-05T13:37:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Margaret at Cosmos and Chrysanthemums this Margaret is ready to embrace her life.

She has packed her bag and is headed to Alaska to substitute teach math for 2 months.

She read about the job on the internet, and thinks it will be a great adventure. She had to load up on lots of food, since there are no grocery stores, or any other kind of shopping.

And since the sewing machine won't go on the small airplane that will deliver her to the fishing village, she is taking lots of hand sewing to do.

I would love to go with her.

Not much sewing here

2011-09-04T17:05:00.000-04:00

I got this little girl out and finished her face. It was kinda creepy to have her blankness staring at me. She still has not gained a name, nor have I really bonded with her. (I started her in Lynda Hall's class back in June.)

Perhaps I have created a RAD child. You know, one with attachment disorder? I am putting her on the shelf above the computer to see if I grow to love her or not. On the other hand, I have bonded with this little devil:

Jojo entertains himself by playing with cut bits of fabric, buttons on strings, and anything else he can find. June at She Spins Wool mentioned, in a comment, the Joe Grey Mysteries. I'd never heard of them, but they look fun to read. I have checked a couple out of the library. Now I refer to little mister as "Jojo Grey, PI," and you know he investigates everything. Jojo had to go the vet on Friday for the rest of his kitten shots. He has gained 1.5 pounds since he was fixed 4 weeks ago, and is in very fine health. He sat on the counter at the vet's office and kept an eye on the dogs in the waiting room and then rode home in my lap purring all the way. I've never had a cat be so calm. Ever.

(Switching topics here.) Mom asked me the other day why I have not blogged about the Amy Butler bag I made. I have not gotten a picture of it yet, since I use it all the time.

When I don't have it on my arm Jojo will make it a napping spot.

I am seriously in love with Jojo and with the bag (the bag doesn't reciprocate though and Jojo does). I may never carry my pricey leather purse again.
Oops, now we woke him.

It is the holiday weekend, so we are just chilling out. I have a copy of The Paris Wife, so I think I will find a place on the sofa to read a bit.

On a personal note: I am sad about my friend Gretchen (Stella Bella Quilts) losing her beloved Morpheus after 17 years of companionship. It makes me hold my new found friend (and Kitten) a little tighter and kiss them a little more.

This weekend

2011-08-28T11:02:00.000-04:00

I've spent most of this weekend sleeping off a three day migraine. I am not sure what triggered it: perhaps tension, maybe salt or could it have been that chocolate bar? I'll never know, but I did get some sewing done since my last post.

I chose some fabrics from my stash to finish the last round of the Lisa Bongean Vintage Nine project I'd started a couple of years ago.

Ta-da. Finished stitching on the last row at Thimbles last Friday.

I think I will use this limey green and tan brushed cotton check for the backing.

Mary Ellen Von Holt from Little Quilts visited Thimbles; she had some charm packs of Curio by Moda's Basic Grey . Seriously yummy. I bought all four charm packs, and, since I love the Vintage Nine pattern so much, I started a new one yesterday.

Never mind it has taken me three years to NOT finish the first one.

I just needed to stitch, and I already had a pack of coordinating wool bits for the flowers. It made sense to me at the time.

And I spied this pattern on a website (scroll down the page to see it); just had to have it. Don't you know I cannot wait to start it. Hey, what about my UFO list for guild? Shoot! I will have to make a list of priorities.

Little Jojo doesn't have a problem setting priorities. He plays hard and just crashes whenever and wherever he needs to. That's what I call freedom.

Still plugging along

2011-08-21T19:29:00.000-04:00

Kitten helps me put the last border on Vintage 9 Patch (pattern/wool kit by Lisa Bongean). Vintage 9 is number one on my 2011 UFO list.

She picks her favorite block. Red, of course, she always picks red if black and white are unavailable.

Little Jojo has staked his claim on the ugly orange thing (number 2 on my 2011 UFO list).

Looks like Sunday is good for snoozing around here.

We have made good progress on making everyone friends.

Jojo goes nose to nose with Rosebud.

It appears we have a peaceable kingdom.

Kitten makes sure Jojo knows his place, and he gives her a wide berth, so as not to disturb her rule.

Computer trouble

2011-08-14T20:37:00.002-04:00

I am afraid I will be bumped off the internet at any time. Perhaps it is time for a newer computer? Apple this time? Or maybe dump ATT DSL? I am not sure what I am going to do. Another thing taking up my time, and making typing difficult, is this little green-eyed grey flannel kitty we are calling Jojo.

He is such a lovable little purr box!
We (Jojo and I) are working on the Vintage Nine Patch quiltlet I started a couple of years ago. It is number one on my declared UFO list for 2011.

I may not have enough of the vintage fabric to make the final round because so many of the blocks I made at first were off, so I needed to practice making some. The practice yielded this little project.

I was going to square it up by wacking off the yellow blocks until I realized that would make bias all the way around the edge of the top. Oops! Darn, so that is why you cut the side and corner pieces out. You gotta be on the straight of grain on the side.

I have been a little distracted trying to keep up with this little fur ball. I think I am totally in love with him. Sorry Kitten.

We're gonna keep him.

The best laid plans

2011-08-07T12:10:00.013-04:00

The best laid plans get trashed. That's what happened to my weekend. Hell, that's what's happened for the past month or so. Wait a minute; have I ever had a plan for my life? I guess I will tackle that question in my uber early morning counseling session tomorrow. It seems I need a little help with this thing called depression.

Sweet little Sacco.

Blogging has been very good for me though. When I feel low, I go to my blog and scroll through all the pictures I've posted and I am reminded there are pretty things all around and around me in particular. I have fun on occasion, and sharing those occasions on my blog gives me a journal of pictures to relive the experiences. I am sure a written journal would not be near so effective for a person as visually and kinetically oriented as me.

And her brother Vanzetti.
So what's up? Of the three kitties I am helping my son with, kitten Vanzetti got adopted out on a trial basis (birds were involved). I sent the mother cat, Ondelay, and the sister kitty, Sacco, back to my son. He, Andy, says he has a home for the sister kitty. So I thought I would go back to life-as-usual. For some reason I could not move forward from having the kittens at the house. I wrestle with stuff and it is not really about the kittens. Is it my marriage, my job, or just me? During the initial counselling session, the therapist said "all your friends can't have fur." Huh. Go figure.

He likes to wave.

Friday morning I packed my suitcase for the flight to Kansas City to spend the weekend and attend my 35th high school reunion. My car was loaded for the trip to the airport after work. And then Vanzetti came back to my office. It was not working out with the birds and he'd gotten an abscess on his belly, and his skin was, for lack of a better word, crusty. So I cancelled the trip and spent the afternoon with a little grey kitty at the vet's office. He is free of feline leukemia and FIV. He had no parasite causing his skin issue, so he got a bath which greatly improved his abscess and his skin. When I picked him up from the vet he looked shiny and soft again. Now we just have to get some meat on his bones. He'll start kitten shots Friday next.

He is a lover.

So I got the kitten settled back in my home office, since I have to keep Vanzetti separate from Kitten. I sat down to watch TV, but I got really cold. Funny, the thermostat said 80 degrees in the house. I curled up in bed under bunches of covers, but I get curious so I take my blood pressure and temperature. Both were up. I have rarely had a temperature as an adult, so I go to Wikipedia where I see that the symptoms of Bubonic plague are indeed similar to what I had (minus the "bubos" and swollen glands). Well, the kitten had had fleas when I brought them down from Gainesville and the first 24 hours of infection are crucial and 50% of people infected die, so I went to the emergency room. Wouldn't you? Seriously? Someone else think like me? Anyone?

My temperature got up to 101.5, but they never found out what was wrong. Could have just been a virus. So Saturday (yesterday), my husband's blood pressure spikes, and off we go to the ER the again. His doctor told him to go. He, my husband, has a history after all. They gave him anti-anxiety medication and sent us home after 6 hours. Lovely weekend so far. (And I could have been partying at the reunion.)

Kitten: Queen of everything and not intending to share anything.

So now it is Sunday, I have a kitty in my office, one in the main part of the house and 3 dogs in the kitchen. The "introducing your cat to your kitten" section of the literature the vet gave me said "when the cats are playing footsie under the door" you can introduce them to each other. Kitten was watching Vanzetti through the French doors of the office, so I thought if I petted her (Kitten) and talked softly to her, she would stop and think how nice the new kitty is and not hiss at him. She gave me 5 puncture marks on my right arm to remind me she is not easily won over by soft grey cuteness. Oh dear.

Nope. Not going to share even if he's cute.
Did I mention free to good home?

What's up in real life?

2011-07-29T21:32:00.001-04:00

Apologies to my mother (who probably won't enjoy the bike picture).

HONDA FURY

Some things just catch my eye, and I have to stop and admire them. This motorbike is one of those things. I saw it in Walmart's parking lot. No, I don't want one. I don't even want to ride on one; I just find it beautiful. It says "Honda Fury" on the rear fender. A work of art in my book.

So what have I been doing this week? Kitten drama mainly. Middle son, Andy, needed some help getting his latest rescued kitty (and her two babies) fixed and relocated, so I volunteered. The best way to get something done is do it yourself (Grandmother Stockton quote). So all three have been "fixed" and got rabies shots, etc. I still have the mother and daughter here. The little boy is staying at a co-worker's home this weekend to see if a cat will be okay with the birds her mother gave her. Keep your fingers crossed for us.

This is what happened at work when I took Vanzetti with me. He totally crashed in my lap. I scooted all over the office in my chair, answering phones, talking to students, etc. He never moved.

Eventually, I had to move, and when I came back, this is what greeted me:

He is so laid-back. Nothing fazes him.

Though my son named the kittens Sacco (the female) and Vanzetti (after Italian immigrants who were hung for anarchy- I had to Google it), I call this little guy "gooseberry." Can you tell why?

Sacco looks like her formerly feral mother.

Both kitties are super sweet and my husband says "No" every time I look at him. My allergies are bad enough with Kitten. I would trade all three of my dogs for the nice quiet kittens though.

At four months old, they are very leggy and long.

I hope I get them good homes. There are so many sweet kitties out there. These, however, have been "fixed," had rabies shots, been wormed and have NO ADOPTION FEE. Sweet deal. You are welcome, son (DO NOT BRING HOME ANY MORE KITTEHS!).

Wool, rulers and kittens

2011-07-24T11:01:00.000-04:00

I am getting back to the Vintage 9-Patch, since it is first on my list of UFOs to finish in 2011.

There are a few more wool flowers to applique.

I happened on this little red letter organizer at Marshall's.

Just what I needed for my rulers.

Now that I am back in my routine here at home; I am getting filled in on pet news.

Remember the kittens from last year?

Happy Birthday!

This is Smokey.

And here is Cow.

The little silver kitten found a home, but Smokey and Cow became permanent residents at their rescuers' home. Speaking of rescue: My son rescued a kitty from downtown Atlanta; unbeknownst to him she was pregnant, so she subsequently had kittens at his house.

I forgot to take pictures of them yesterday when I met them. They are now 3-4 months old, and their momma is in heat again. I will be taking them (all three) to be fixed at Planned Pethood in Duluth, Georgia this week. My son is having "an employment issue" and is currently without a paycheck, so I need to help with the kitties because they cannot wait, but I cannot have another cat; my allergies are really problematic here in the house since he brought Kitten home. These kittens are sweethearts; they have been played with and held by many different people. If you have have an interest in giving one (or both) a home, please send me an e-mail (karmensunshine@gmail.com). By Thursday afternoon they will be fixed and have had a rabies shot.
Think about it. Please. Room for one more?

Last of my Illinois pictures (promise)

2011-07-23T11:27:00.001-04:00

I have a passionate love of all things glass and ceramic, and the Art Institute of Chicago is full of eye-candy.

Ornate and fussy, or simple and elegant.

In ceramic vases and in glass lamps.

Fancy cut glass and elegant brass.

This outdoor sculpture reminds me of the thread guides some quilters have (not me though).

After the Institute I headed to Union Station. I found the Station deceiving.

Looks like plenty of space, but the bowels of the building are crammed with hoards of ticket holding soon-to-be train travelers. I rode the BNSF to Naperville.

I had to walk a few blocks to the College campus. Charming, charming city/town.

This salt-box building was for sale. Looks like a perfect home/business for a prim quilter/rug hooker.

Anyone interested in moving to Illinois?

The building below was an out-building on the property of a rather lovely home. I was wondering if it was someone's studio.

This stone home was at the corner across the street from the train station. How lovely!

It was pretty hard to stay vegan while I was in Naperville until I found the Moe's restaurant.

I got my order to go and ate on a bench on the campus.

Ah, but it is good to be home again.

Can I get a stitch in?

2011-07-19T16:23:00.003-04:00

These two have been on my wall for a while. I finished the M.Bonanomi piece before I left for Chicago, but the L.Bongean piece above it is about two years old now. I am admiring my finished work.

And trying to get going on the Vintage 9-Patch.

Really, this should not take too much longer. I just need to find the motivation.
On another note: while I was at The Art Institute of Chicago, I saw a sculpture I thought my Aunt Katie would like.

So I took a quick snapshot, and then got a close up of the sheep.

He is cute and curly. I am sorry I don't have more information on them.

I made sure to get a photo of these boxes from the primitive wing. They come from Massachusetts and Rhode Island around 1650-1675. I would just love to open them to see the insides. Grandpa (who would have been 100 years old next month but died last summer) always told me "curiosity killed the cat." I was a smart mouth kid and replied "but satisfaction brought him back." As an adult I see the faulty reasoning behind that; after all, a cat might have 9 lives, but we don't. It was a fun exchange with Grandpa.

Last Sunday at the Art Institute of Chicago

2011-07-17T10:08:00.001-04:00

I first thought I wanted to see the Field Museum. I looked online, and they had an exhibit about horses and one about whales, but I changed my mind and decided to head to The Art Institute of Chicago, since they were advertising a special exhibit of kimono.

The building is beautiful on the outside.

I soaked in every element.

When I got inside and paid my admission, I also checked my bag. I left my traveling camera in my bag, then went walking into the exhibit area. When I saw these Korean vessels from about the year 1000, I stopped dead in my tracks. I was overwhelmed and needed my camera in a bad way.

See, the rule is you may take photos of the regular exhibits, but not the special ones. It is important to ask each room's curator if it is possible to take photos there.

I, in error, thought it would be easier to skip the photography altogether. Me. Yeah, right.

I stood in wonder at how these works of art survived, and at

the talent of the artists who created them

The sense of wonder never left me.

I asked about photography in the kimono room.

The answer was "no."

I was so overcome with emotion at three of the kimono that I had to hold back tears so I could read about them. There were not many in number, but they were magnificent in their simple design, yet the technical aspect of the print creation is remarkable and the result stunning. I wish Mom had been with me. If you Google "Kimono 1920" or "Kimono 1930" and choose "images" you will see something of what I mean about the beauty of these kimono.

Then I proceeded to the paperweight exhibit. The description of how they are made impresses me, and makes them very desirable. I don't have one yet, but I am on the scout for a little gem.

I love the botanical ones that have roots. But really, who could choose just one?

AND then there are the Thorne Miniature Rooms. Please go to the link to view more of them. I put my thumb in the picture for scale. There are 68 rooms total. As in this one, you can see one room from another, or sometimes the exterior of a room has gardens.

There are so many famous and stunning works at the Art Institute.

Here is Guido Reni's Salome and the Head of John the Baptist.

I wanted to see the "Primitive" room in the American wing, so I hurried down there. The Curator there said he didn't get much traffic, so he was actually waving people in.

There was only one quilt, and its lighting was not good enough for a picture. Here is "Sister Tuesday" by Leslie Bolling. He is a self-taught artist who worked with a jack knife and then used gold pigment to make it look like bronze.

She was created in 1934.

Also in the primitive wing is this Mexican jar from around 1700.

As I was leaving the Institute for the day, I spied this German bowl with lid (1905).

At this point, I may have been missing my Kitten!

Chicago Walk-About

2011-07-15T22:31:00.000-04:00

Last Saturday I flew to Chicago. I struck out on my lonesome. At the airport I spotted the directions to the "orange line" and headed to the train. After one (45 minute) circle around the city, I walked back up the ramp to the gate attendant and leaned through and asked "may I have a map please? I didn't know at which stop to get off." So around the city again (this time I made friends of three little boys ages 6, 5 and 2). They were so cute jumping up waving so I could see them as the train pulled away. One older woman took me under her wing and discussed with the train operator what stop I should take. Finally I found myself on the street walking toward the Art Institute and then along Michigan Avenue.

I detoured through the park area to see the famous Buckingham fountain (top photo) and some of the gardens. I stayed at the Hilton and was able to view the fireworks over Navy Pier from my room.

Many famous people have stayed at the Hilton on Michigan Avenue. It is the most beautiful hotel I've ever been in.

I took quite a few photos of the grand ballroom.

Beauty all around

Can you imagine an event here?

Sitting in the balcony watching people dance?

The outer gallery.

Staircase at the end of the gallery.

Detail of the carpet.

Ceiling of the inner gallery.

Kitten stayed home and waited for me.

Annoyed Kitten

2011-07-09T05:55:00.002-04:00

She sees my suitcase out again.

I am heading to Chicago for a seminar that begins Sunday evening. The Field Museum looks interesting and is near my hotel.

The seminar is in Naperville, so I get to ride the BNSF train.

See you next weekend!

Missouri Town 1855

2011-07-04T16:30:00.001-04:00

I was lucky enough to work at Missouri Town 1855 summers while I was in college in 1976-78. I went back to visit while I was home last week.

I met the blacksmith. He is one of two full-time employees of Missouri Town.

The anvil and grindstone are important tools for him to use.

The fire was not going in the blacksmith's. Good thing; it was nearly 100 degrees outside, and look at his clothing! Can you imagine wearing wool pants all summer?

When I worked there I was responsible for currying the oxen and keeping their pasture free of thistle.

I was terrified of them at first, since the ones we had back then did double duty as rodeo rides.

Here is the herb garden. I remember we had lemon balm and made tea in the fireplace at the inn.

Here is one of the cabins.

I leaned in and got some photos of the inside. Guests of the park are not allowed to traipse through the buildings. See the keyboard instrument at the left of the previous picture? I don't remember if it is a clavichord or a harpsichord, but I used to play it while I was at work. Okay, maybe "play" is too strong a word for me tinkling the keys with "Alley Cat" and "Do-Re-Mi."

This is the Inn.

And the kitchen next to the dining room in the Inn where I learned to spin wool into yarn.

Another bedroom.

And the woodsman's cottage. The must have made a lot of those little coffins back then. The woodsman's workshop was on one side and his family's living quarter on the other. Can you imagine living (along with your family) and working in a two room dwelling?

I found the little lambs at the far side of the Town's property.

The bedroom below is one I hated to clean because it always had the most spiders. The loft area was especially creepy with crawly things.

Here is the other side of the same room.

Pretty cool place to work.

Hay?

Pictures to enjoy

2011-07-01T10:01:00.002-04:00

There is a house near my parents that has this unusual art-piece in the front yard. I'd always meant to get a photo of it, and this trip I went to the door and asked permission to snap a few shots.

I just love it!

I hadn't realized, from driving by, that there was more to be seen in this yard than just the ball tree.

Wiffle balls too!

I wanted to give you some visual entertainment before I start doing the blah, blah, blah thing. So now here goes. When I got home from Missouri, my husband was all happy to show me how he had been cleaning, changed out some burned out bulbs and bought hand soap for all the sinks. He even changed the cat box. Yup. He changed the cat box all by himself. Filled it with cat food. Yup that's what I said. He filled it with cat food. After apologizing to Miss Kitten, I dumped the food, and replace with litter. Poor Kitten jumped right in and peed for 5 minutes.

This morning I wanted to stash some stuff in the attic, so I decided to change the furnace filter while I was up there. It was installed backwards (by guess whom), and had folded in half and was blowing dirty air into the furnace and back down into the house. Ugh.

Oh. My doctor visit? He says "good job" and keep doing what I am doing. I am totally off all allergy medications and blood pressure pills. His new prescription? Fifteen minutes of sitting in the sun every day. You gotta love that.

I'm Back From Missouri

2011-06-29T20:34:00.001-04:00

I got back last night, but had a full day out of the house today.

At Primitives of the Midwest last Thursday I met Maggie Bonanomi and started working on the project in the photo below. (She is delightful; if you ever get the chance to take a class with her, do!)

Friday I spent the day trying to stitch with Lisa Bongean. I love Lisa, and the little quilt we worked on is adorable, but not so much the Featherweight machine I took to sew with. It seems the shaft may be bent, so accurate seam allowances for the little blocks we were making were just difficult. I did manage to get 4 blocks constructed, but at one point I felt defeated. Lisa encouraged me to try the Juki machine. Wow, does that baby fly!

Lisa Bongean at work.

Happy piecers!

And on Saturday I had class with Lynda Hall. We worked to make a doll similar to her little primitive baby. Poor little loved-too-much stuffed doll.

Tana (in the middle) is holding mine in front of her naked baby. Lynda is on the right.

I had a big day today, but I will write about that tomorrow after I see the doctor for a follow up visit.

Kitten's no Featherweight

2011-06-24T07:31:00.002-04:00

Kitten watches the Sashiko progress.

Kitten sits with me while I sew.

She did not like the lavender, so we tried plum.

Much better.

Then little missy decided to try the Featherweight case on for size.

Nope honey; youse no longer a Featherweight. It happens with age; ask me how I know.

Walk About at St Bernard's Abbey

2011-06-22T08:00:00.003-04:00

Before I left Cullman and the St. Bernard's Abbey property, I did a little camera walk-about.

It is so peaceful here.

With so many lush green trees. I don't know what type this one is, but it has baby pine cones.

Itty-bitty pinecones.

And then I saw horses.

Love this little one.

Sorry, I took a lot of photos and couldn't pick just one or two.

It was such a beautiful day.

The light was all dapply.

And this old house, now storage facility, has captured my heart.

I always wonder what's at the end of this lane.

More beauty.

And quilts.

Irish chain quilt shown in the QSAI 2011 show.

I am going to Kansas City tomorrow to visit Mom and Dad. Oh yeah, and also to participate in Primitives of the Midwest.

(can't wait!)

More on Alabama

2011-06-20T21:08:00.001-04:00

When I got back from Alabama I was sick. Real sick. I went to the doctor on Monday and went back again on Friday. Turns out I have trouble with a strange type of asthma and gotten a viral or bacterial infection along with it.

"Wee Rings" earned a second place ribbon at Quilt Symposium of Alabama.

While I was sick a storm knocked out my home internet service.

I didn't care (more time for sleeping).

My Sue Spargo "Michelle" pillow won a first place ribbon.

Cullman, the town near the Symposium I attended, had been hit really hard by a tornado in April. This tree was on the Abbey property where the Symposium was held. I heard the trees that were lost were over 100 years old.

Last year, as I left the Symposium, I stopped to read this historic marker. I wish I'd take a picture then to compare with now.

The damage in the area is jaw-dropping. I can't put it in words.

And I couldn't take photos of it either.

Not beyond what I captured here. It was too raw; too personal.

I felt my presence invaded peoples' privacy.

So I drove on and happened into the cutest little shop where I was able to make a small contribution to the commercial recovery efforts. We should try to help any way we can; right?

Don't you love the kitty has her very own FISH chair?

During the Symposium I took a class with Pepper Cory. In the class we were introduced to the art of Sashiko.

Pepper Cory's sample of Sashiko stitching.

And my sample stitched in the class.

I loved this class.

I will show you my completed top soon.

Report Card

2011-06-12T21:02:00.000-04:00

I brought home 4 ribbons!

And had lots of fun at the Quilt Symposium of Alabama with these lovely Spirited Quilters (plus one).

Left to right: Gail, Cindy, Pat, Debbie, Deneise, Susan, Ginny and Diane with me in front.
More to follow.

Quick stuff before I go

2011-06-07T21:24:00.001-04:00

This gorgeous kitty is named Bullet, and she belongs to Susan, a co-worker, friend and wonderful mother to two beautiful girls. Bullet is lying on Susan's desk and watching out the window as Susan is gardening. Notice the different colored eyes? Bullet is deaf, and the family takes amazing care of her. Remember the kittens they (the family, not Bullet) had?

I wish I had some delicious quilty news to share, but I am still trying to get myself together. I came home from work early today and went straight to bed and slept from 4-7:30. Tomorrow I drive to Cullman to attend Quilt Symposium of Alabama. I promise to take pictures, but don't look for an update until Sunday the 12th, since I am going technology free. The Abbey where we stay is blissfully free of television, and I am not going to lug a laptop (and I don't have a tablet or "smart" phone) along with the contents of my sewing room. I am looking forward to long walks on the property and uninterrupted nights of slumber (oh yeah and taking a few classes).

Peace, love and joy.

Tea for Two

2011-06-04T23:13:00.003-04:00

The project I was working on at work is concluded

with these two newly retired faculty off to Prince Edward Island. That's where the author of Anne of Green Gables grew up.

I'd never watched the show, nor read the books, so now my interest is piqued. Most of the pictures of Anne show her with a hat, so I made sure these two had hats to wear. My friend Penny and I decorated the faculty lounge to approximate a cozy place to have tea.

Penny did the fancy sweets and best sandwiches. I contributed cucumber sandwiches with the crusts off. Penny said they were imperative items at tea.

My skills are off due to a decade of kitchen avoidance, but

I did my best.

It ended up being a good bit of fun for all of us.

Once the tea was over, I turned my attention to the quilt hanging sleeves and labels for items I was to deliver to a quilt show (more about that later). I didn't like the labels I was putting on, so I called Mom for a little emotional support. I say "Mom, my quilt labels look horrible, a real mess, but they are labels; no one cares about them, right?" Boy. Oh boy. The silence was deafening. "I have to do them over then?!" And a big oops here. I let a bad word slip out. A really bad one. Followed by a real, real fast apology. It is impossible to cuss around my Mother, no matter how old I am.

Last night Kitten and I were up until 2:00 a.m. stitching new labels.

Gone are the stinker labels (seen here).

The new ones went with the quilted items on a 3 hour ride to the drop off spot this morning.

BIG CHECK on that to do list item.

Kitten and I enjoyed the late afternoon sun on the patio.

Sheesh. It's just caught up with me.

I need to get some sleep.

Vacation starts Wednesday.

WOO HOO!

Good things

2011-05-30T15:34:00.000-04:00

Please read the story at the end of this post.

Play it forward, if given the opportunity.

It is not quilting related, but Memorial Day related.

I am still playing with my pastel yo-yos.

Fun to see them lined up.

Try different fabrics with them.

Design wall today.

And the living room floor.

But the hats are just going to stay hats.

I had a wonderful opportunity yesterday. I had taken myself out to lunch at Waffle House. After more than a week of eating right and protecting my kidneys, I just needed a plain omelet and steamed hash browns. Need being relative, of course.

I noticed a young man in desert fatigues sitting in a chair back up against the windows. I wondered why he was not sitting at the bar or a table. Then the waitress brought him a bag containing his to-go order. He handed her his credit card and she got in line to use the cash register. I crooked my finger at her, she leaned over to me, and I whispered "could you add his tab to mine?" She gave his card back and said "it's taken care of," and she pushed the bag toward him. He looked puzzled, but took the bag and left.

I was happy to take the opportunity God afforded me to thank a soldier. It was a very small thing, but it felt really good.

Memorial Day weekend.

Nice.

Little sweet hearts

2011-05-29T02:43:00.001-04:00

I am working on this now.

I like these borders better.

The black was not right. Plus, I love flowers.

Hubby says perhaps the basket should be another color.

"Nah, nah, nah. I CAN'T HEAR YOU!"

Just sayin.

Magnolia walk about

2011-05-27T20:45:00.002-04:00

I spied some blooming magnolia trees on my way to work last Friday.

I want to share my favorite snaps.

I love the glossy leaves.

And silky white blooms.

That fade into brown.

And spill seed over the ground.

When I finished shooting the photographs, I looked up from my camera to see the entire landscaping crew standing around me waiting for me to finish so they could blow off the area under me.

This morning started working a on my front planting area. I think maybe I want some purple and white petunias here.

Kitten played the tambourine while I was pulling out the plants.

After washing up, I began work on a gift I was making. I had thought up a hat idea. When hubby came home he saw me modeling my creation, and he laughed. I threw my work in the trash. I guess my friends will get un-adored hats. Better to be laughed at by one than a whole room of co-workers.

Ah well.

On to something else.

Excuse me please

2011-05-20T07:35:00.005-04:00

While I hunker down and gather my thoughts.

The doctor diagnosed me with chronic kidney disease yesterday; I am in stage three (of five). It means I need to change a lot of things about how I eat. He assigned me a lot of reading.

On another note: I would REALLY, REALLY like to win the Bernina makeover. Please, if you are a Facebook user, go to this link (Bernina makeover contest) and VOTE for me!

I am not proud. I will take a pity vote. I really need shelves.
(Update: I did not win, but thank you very much if you took time to vote for me.)

Marking Pen Test

2011-05-15T18:02:00.002-04:00

I am working on a gift for a friend.

This is my inspiration. It is small 22"x35".

I found it in this book published in 1997.

The muslin border has words in it, as do some of the pale hearts, so I tested some writing utensils.

Before (above) and after (below).

I didn't actually hand wash the sample; I tossed it into the washer on warm setting, then ironed it dry. Thus avoiding the dryer Kitten will not go near after she took a tumble in it last year (click here for story).

I will probably use one of the Zig products, but the Sharpies tested positive in my book (they bled a little as I wrote).

Let me introduce you to my new favorite diet drink:

RED and GINGER! (I really like saying red & ginger.)

I mix a little heavy on the ginger side.

Kitten doesn't care eye-oh-ta.

Just keep the dryer away!

On my design wall

2011-05-13T22:09:00.000-04:00

I want to finish this so much.

It is a Lisa Bongean topper that I started 2 or so years ago. I took it out to see if I could find all the instructions and such. I have everything I need to get it done.

I had enjoyed stitching the wool appliqués; choosing different colored thread each time. But I started playing with silly yo-yos again. I liked these fabrics at first.

Then I liked this better.

But really want to use this super bright pink.

It doesn't look that good though.

Maybe something simple? Or use up some scraps?

I will let it rest (and maybe try something yellow?). There are two other things on my mind. First, I went to the doctor this week, and, based on my blood work, he wants to see me again next week to discuss my kidneys. Wah? This is a new (to me) primary care physician recommended me by a co-worker. I like him so far. He is very health and nutrition focused. He asked me to read Eat to Live by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. And second is a little project for work. Yeah, I said little. By that I mean little else will get done at home for a while, but once I get started on it, I will give you a peak.

2011-05-10T04:21:00.001-04:00

Thank you Jaegyoo, for sharing this with me.

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T03:20:00.008-04:00

Love you Mom.

I will be home to see you (and Dad) in June.

(Photo of a photo taken in Germany. I was about three.)

And here are my three, since Mother's Day is about celebrating being a mother as much as having one.

Eron asked me what I wanted for Mother's Day, so I asked him to please come play Frisbee with me. It is so hard to find someone to fling a disk with when you are over 50.

(I stole this shot from his Facebook page)

Here is Eron in a swimming pool.

Maybe Andy will join us.

(My favorite shot of Andy. Also stolen from his Facebook page.)

I hope to see Adam too.

(This is Adam in a hammock on my patio last weekend with his Arlo.)

Kiss it and make it better

2011-05-07T09:20:00.000-04:00

My work week started with this beast barreling full speed into my knee. This picture was taken after I gave him an "I forgive you" kiss on top of his muzzle.

Arlo is a really sweet dog; he is just too big to stay at my house, so he went back with his boy.

I will miss him. A little.

On Tuesday Kitten got out. I couldn't find her for a couple of hours. I ended up going door to door asking for help. Finally, as I was driving down a neighborhood street, I spied her coming from between two houses.

Why would she want to be anywhere else?

Wednesday I dropped my quilt entry form for Quilt Symposium of Alabama in the mail. This is my first juried show. Since I hadn't heard Cullman, Alabama mentioned in the news, I figured they'd gotten through the tornado disaster unscathed, but I thought I'd check the internet to be sure.

Oh, holy mess! I am an insensitive dolt! What those folks must be going through trying to recover from such devastation. A dang quilt show would have to be the last thing on their minds.

So I checked the QSAI website.
The show will go on.

Dog tired here

2011-04-30T22:47:00.003-04:00

The week was an off-kilter one. I don't have much to show for my time. I am okay with that; like I said: off kilter.

Please visit Gretchen's (Stella Bella Quilts) blog for a link to a book about a blind kitty named Homer and a link to the website set up by author Gwen Cooper to collect funds to help with animal care in Alabama. I cannot even imagine what the people and their pets went through when the storms and tornadoes tore across their land. And what they are still going through trying to piece back together what they can. I just can't imagine it.

I took these photos last week. My iris are getting near the end of their display. I think I got some pretty good shots of them.

I especially love this one. You can see everything!

Peace and Love.

Karmen

What to wear to the wedding?

2011-04-28T20:40:00.000-04:00

I still haven't decided what to wear to the wedding.

Brown with a little train (this is the back),

a little floral number,

or my favorite pink satin?

I have a front row seat in front of the big screen.

None of these dresses will actually zip up, so it is lucky I will be viewing from the sofa, and not in public.

I made it home from work today just in time to bid adieu to my youngest son as he was leaving. Then I noticed he left his traveling companion behind.

This is Arlo.

Arlo whom I did not know I was sitting for this weekend.

Arlo who has already started holes in the yard.

Arlo who has not been taught to walk properly on a leash.

I have my work cut out for me.

I envision lots of walks.

Quiet Easter

2011-04-24T19:22:00.000-04:00

It is pretty quiet at my house. I found this bird's nest; it must have blown out of one of the trees during a recent storm.

I also found my youngest son asleep in his vehicle in my driveway this morning. He left Tennessee Wednesday, and I had not heard from him, so it is good to see him safe. He had been "couch surfing," but now he is sick, so he needs some real sleep. I had to quickly clear a path to the guest room bed for him, so my recent fabric acquisitions had to relocate to the dining room table.

Kitten made herself comfortable amongst them.

When we moved into this house 10 years ago I had argued for a basement but was over-ruled. I have a lot more credibility for the argument now, but we are not likely to move any time soon. I need to severely edit what I have. And, you know, keep an eye on any more purchases.

I have quite enough to keep me busy for a long time.

Oh, and Adam brought his dog Arlo with him. Arlo is huge and not used to cats. Kitten is certainly not used to huge dogs, so she is keeping a low profile and a watchful eye.

See you on the other side of the work week.

Karmen

Friday Evening at Thimbles

2011-04-16T12:04:00.004-04:00

Pat Wys is the heart of Silver Thimble Quilt Club.

This is not her quilt (though I'm sure she would run off with it if there were not so many witnesses in the room); we let her hold it because her shirt matched. Pat's book, a Martingale publication, will be out soon. Can't wait! Can't wait! I feel like a kid with "are we there yet" anticipation.

Even though I got to Thimbles really late in evening, I got to see some amazing work by the other women. Karin (Life in the Slow Lane) has been working on a quilt using Lilac Hill (Brannock & Patek). I was blown away by how beautiful it is. When he saw the picture my husband loved the quilt. And I have to tell you, quilts are not his thing (tragic but true!). I can't wait for Mom to see it. I'll call her as soon as I get this posted.

See? See what I mean? Gorgeous.

I hate to post a picture when I don't have information to credit the quilt-maker, but I love the neutral colors in this pine tree quilt. The background fabric is delicious.

And this is one of Sarah's (previously wrongly credited-I am so sorry) works in progress. Obviously she does amazing paper piecing! The pattern is by Karen K. Stone

Mom and I had just finished piecing another Stone pattern called "Rattlesnake."

I think it is time I participate in a Silver Thimble project. This one (below), using that "Twister" tool or technique (what ever; it is "need to know" for me; I'll know when I need to know).

I may not do batiks. The group is going to exchange fabrics, and I signed up for the traditional group. If I find I have more batiks in my stash than I thought, I may add batik to my cutting task list. The exchange calls for 40 ten inch squares (like a layer cake).

For today I have 3 more hexagons to sew together for my One Block Wonder (makes 110), so I may just start sewing strips together. Who knows?

OBW Play

2011-04-10T22:08:00.001-04:00

This is the fabric I started with.

Now I am playing with the 55 blocks I have sewn (50 or so to go).

I was thinking of adding some gold strips to break up the hexagons.

Then I played with some other colors.

Beige and pink.

Maybe I should leave it alone?

When I was at the workshop, I took my fancy portable (pain in the ___) design wall. I saw someone else using a design wall she made herself and I loved it, so I recreated it for myself.

Get one of these from the J-store.

Two of these (1"x3") from the lumber store (I bought 7'). This was my first lumber purchase; here is a hint: Don't believe the shelf tag! That price is per linear foot, not for the whole piece. Good to know.

And a package of really big binder clips from an office supply store.

You will need an old vinyl table cloth too, or some flannel cloth or batting. Lay the fabric (or whatever surface you want to use) on the floor, the cardboard cutting board on top, pull the fabric round the long sides of the cardboard, lay the two pieces of lumber along the long edges and secure with binder clips. I love the fact this design board takes up less floor space than my fancy portable one, so I made two, and I am using them while working on the OBW quilt.

See you on the other side of the work week,

Karmen

Photos from the One Block Wonder workshop

2011-04-08T23:21:00.000-04:00

These blocks belong to the student (Gail) who sat next to me at the workshop. Not one of us could visualize what her fabric would look like after she cut it up.

Here is Gail with her fabric. Can you imagine she would get such beautiful blocks from her it?

I wish I'd gotten before/after photos of all the fabric/blocks. I just took a few snaps of the work we were doing. Our instructor, Jan Chesnik, brought along a beautiful quilt (from her many). I took this photo of the border detail:

Here are some more photos of students blocks:

Christie's is amazing. She started with dragon fabric.

This is my personal favorite; made from Moda's Kashmir V Brown Antique Garden (one of my favorite fabrics).

And here is mine so far:

I will take a picture of the original fabric so you can see what I started with. I purchased the 4 1/2 yards of fabric right after I signed up for the workshop. I picked something from the sale table, and didn't really like it all that much. Then I got the book One Block Wonders . I started questioning my fabric, so Mom and I looked at Jo Ann's, Quilter's Station and her stash. It was tough; we couldn't decide what I should use. It turned out I used the original fabric I bought. I am happy with the results so far. And I have to say this was just about the most fun I'd ever had in a workshop. Each hexagon is different; you don't know what you will get. I just love working on it.

Spring Images from Bulloch Hall

2011-04-07T17:01:00.000-04:00

I took these photographs the day I picked up my quilt when the show there ended.

The front porch of Bulloch Hall.

I like the tree and pillar in the same frame. Kind of a before and after photo for wood.

Looking up into the branches of a cypress tree on the property.

And down at the violets below it.

The Bulloch Hall property.

And my favorite tree near the parking lot. It is a wiggly (or squiggly?) tree.

Images of Spring from my Yard

2011-04-05T17:00:00.000-04:00

Rose buds from a plant my son, Andy, rescued.

Same ones.

Azaleas that had fallen off a landscape truck and were left abandoned in the road.

The evergreens are growing over it, so I have to search it out under the branches each spring.

Hosta sprouts.

And my bowling ball (along with sedum).

Quilt for Colette's baby girl

2011-04-04T13:00:00.002-04:00

One of the students at the college was in labor while she was doing her online homework in the Learning Center I run. When I turned around and saw her doing that labor breathing thing (I remember it from all those years ago), I suggested we call her ride.

I saw her safely to the car. Her family was pretty excited (as was I).

She had wanted to stay and take her final exam.

But a few hours later she had a baby girl. I am glad she had it at the hospital, and not at school.

She likes the little quilt I made for her baby girl.

What? MORE? Am I Insane?

2011-04-03T11:41:00.002-04:00

Why yes, I am, in fact Insane, and who might you be (since I know I am not alone)? I ran all the way over to Dunwoody, to an address not recognized by my Garmin. Got lost twice (even after calling for directions); finally asked for directions at a vet's office (thank you Larkin and tuxedo friend) and made it to an estate sale which featured craft items (including cotton fabric). And you KNOW, without a doubt, more fabric is JUST what I need.

But a friend had sent me a flyer for the estate sale. So I felt compelled (compulsed is not a word) to go. I found some fabric (above) and books.

The fabric needed airing out.

I am in love with lime green right now.

While I spread it out on the patio, I examined selvedges.

And found a couple of gems.

I love goofy stuff. (Groove on these colors.)

Kitten found a couple of favorites, too.

Perhaps I've over compensated for missing the ATL Shop Hop?

Or maybe I'm a fabric hoarder who needs an intervention?

I don't even want to know what my mother will say about this. She has very little room ~~left for fabric~~ to talk.

APRIL FOOLS!

2011-04-01T21:37:00.001-04:00

If you read the previous post, you couldn't possibly believe it. REALLY? Seriously? Me not find anything worth blogging about or bringing home from Mom's? Goodness! I took two empty suitcases with me, and they were both 10 pounds overweight when I tried to check them through for the return trip to Atlanta. My idea, when I left home, was to upgrade to Business Class for the return trip so my uber-loaded suitcases could travel without a surcharge, but when I went to check in online all seats in b-class were filled. Woe was me. Later, at the airport the check-in clerk says to me "don't you wish to upgrade so your suitcases can go free?" Well, yes ma'am, I sure did. She told me I had to call an 800 number and upgrade over the phone, if I wanted to use my points. So I called, got hung up on twice, and finally got through. Once the upgrade was done, the clerk asked me "row one or row three?"

Row one was the correct answer. I had a great flight home sitting next to someone enjoyable to talk to. I Googled him when I got home and he quickly ascended to the realm of unapproachable in my real life. Who he is is totally intimidating, but how he is is warm, inquisitive, intelligent and (duh!) creative. I have rarely enjoyed conversation so much.

Okay, now for the fabric. Above is the bag of fabric I picked out at Quilter's Station in Lee's Summit. Rita always has a lot of sale fabric, and all I bought was 50% off. I loaded up on some Hemming House. I just couldn't help myself. Mom said "Happy birthday" to me when the total was announced. Yippee! (the actual day is April 23, but I am happy to take the loot now).

Back at Mom's studio I rummaged around on the second and third floors. I'd never known there was a third floor (attic), so I was surprised at the vintage Brannock & Patek fabric I found there. I'd never seen these prints before.

I found Eagles,

sheep,

and grapes. Grapes for goodness sake!

And another little orphan.

Mom also had some bright stuff she was willing to part with:

I love when she buys crazy stuff.

I adore these teapots. Love, love.

And who can resist roses? Not me!

I will be sewing my little fingers off tomorrow at the one-block wonder workshop. I love learning new techniques, but hate packing up my sewing room to tote off to class. The New Home machine is a good traveler though.

(Larger photos suggested by Suzan; large text my own experiment. Do you like the larger text/photos? Let me know what you think.)

Quick post before work

2011-04-01T09:23:00.002-04:00

I was at Mom and Dad's house last weekend, and I rummaged around in their attic. I found this cute quilt block. It's a poor little orphaned block.

But I didn't find anything else worth blogging about.

I will be at the One-Block Wonder workshop all day tomorrow with Jan Chesnik and the Spirited Quilters.

Finished Border on the Fan Quilt

2011-03-24T02:30:00.003-04:00

I finished the borders on the Fan Quilt.

Ahhh. I like looking at it.

The fabric is delish. I love buying kits; I could never put these fabrics together on my own!

Kitten has a new collar, but try as I might, I could not get her photogenic side(the side with the eye) and the little tiny buttons on the collar in the same frame. Maybe next time.

Did I say I was going to Mom's? I should be there now. I discovered I can write a series of blog entries and then have them post while I am at work, or even at Mother's. So I wrote this Sunday when I had time, but you should see it on Thursday. I love learning new things!