mamacjt

Circles #1 a "How to Do"

2012-01-28T05:10:00.000-08:00

See that? That is a quilt that I made as a sample for my LQS's new Kona club that starts next Tuesday. (They don't even know it yet.....unless, of course someone from the shop is reading this.) My inspiration came from the paintings of Georgia Gray. She uses bold solids and I love them! I am going to show you how to make your own.

First, you do a drawing! Just like with most of my stuff, I make the drawing to scale, and when I like it, I bold it out with a Sharpie. (That's so I can see it when I put it under the base fabric.)

You will see that although it appears as though dark blue was my base fabric, it was not. I decided that white had to be the base so I could retain the cool, crisp whiteness of the circles. (Besides, I can see my pattern through white......you'll see that later.) Note that I numbered all the blue spaces and that was so that I could fuse a big hunk of blue and cut the pieces out all at one time, numbering them on the back so that I could place them all at one time. Cut your base white fabric at least 1/2 inch bigger all the way around just in case the quilt is not even when you get done.

See the numbers? I use Steam a Seam and that's so that I have a clean sheet to use as a pattern with one sheet still on the back of the blue fabric. I trace the front of the blue numbered spaces on that clean sheet, place it over the paper pattern, and cut the blue fused fabric from the "front" or top. NUMBER your pieces on the paper back as you go so you know what is what! (I get too confused turning it over and tracing them on the back. Besides, for me, this is much faster!) When you're done, you should have pile of blue pieces ready to fuse.

You'll note that as I was doing that, I put the pattern underneath so I could see what I was doing. You should only do a section at a time and then iron them down. (Sometimes the fusing doesn't stick like it should as a temporary agent and when you get up with your piece to take to your iron, they fall off and then you have a real mess!) DO NOT IRON THE PAPER PATTERN...only the fabric!

When you get all those dark blue pieces ironed down, it's time to start on the colored circles and I really can't tell you how to do that. It's a matter of color preference. I like red, so used the majority of reds and oranges. The trick is to ALWAYS repeat a color somewhere else. The eye flows better that way. (Unless it's in the same color family, and lighter. Sometimes you can get away then only using one of that color. I think I used a pale yellow for one of them.)

So here it is all fused and ready to be quilted. At this stage, I must admit, I let it sit for a few weeks. I really didn't know how I was going to quilt it until I looked at Georgia Gray's paintings again.

Of course, you already know what I did. I sewed down each circle with the appropriate color thread and then just used white to go round and round each white section. Here's a close up of the finished quilt.

It's hard to see the white quilting, I know. I love it! It's already hanging in my dining room and I think it will have a permanent home there. At 19x28 inches, it seems to be the perfect size. Besides, it makes me smile and isn't that what it's all about????

Images and Stuff

2012-01-24T12:16:00.000-08:00

I was thinking the other day about all the e-mails we get, and how neat some of them have been lately with such awesome included images. Since I seem to never go anywhere lately (probably because I'm sewing my life away), and thought that some of you might be in the same boat, I'd include a few that I borrowed. Ah-hem....stole/swipped/downloaded. (All for good fun!) Naturally, I named them.....(like you didn't know I was going to do that???? Please!!!)

The first one, I'm calling, "Show me the way to go home...."

I don't think you'd want to do that at night with a bit of a buzz, huh? Pretty though.....

The next one, I named, "the road to no where".......for obvious reasons:

It might be a nice ride on a warm summer day though.

The next picture I took last week. I call it, "Lonely leaf with a touch of snow"

And finally, the last picture I stole.....borrowed...which I call, "The garden gate". Soooo cool!!

Yeah, I know you're probably saying, "okay lady, the pictures are nice but where is the finished abstract......did you work on it at all, huh....is it done?" Well...yes and no. It is done to the point of sandwiching it together. I do know now what I am going to do with it though and that's a plus. At first, I was contemplating making it bigger by adding some borders. Hopefully, I can show it all finished next time. For now though, I can show you 2 log cabin potholders I made for the Potholder Pass swap. My partner wanted orange, and turquoise with a touch of curry. (Actually she wanted grey too, but I didn't like the grey with the other colors, so I didn't use it.....bad me!!)

Then, I finished the log cabins for the theme of the Jan/Feb STUD swap too. (Log cabins must have been on the minds of lots of administrators, huh? I just realized!! Hello!!!???) Anyway, my partner got the mini quilt I made for her yesterday so I can show you. Do you have your sunglasses on? It's a bright one!!

So, that's about it for today! I'm sewing constantly lately, it seems and even wake up at the crack of dawn with more ideas. I wish I could sew as fast as I think...............'course then, I'd need lots more fabric too. lol

Thanks for visiting and being a fan! You have no idea how I appreciate each and every one of you!!!

Solids........

2012-01-21T10:59:00.000-08:00

I think I told you that I had a passion recently to get out the solids and just "play". I really felt like trying to do something graphic, but still "me" (if that was possible) without any whimsey. (Sorry about that for all you whimsey lovers out there.) Actually, I wanted a challenge, if you will. Lately, I have been seeing so many abstract, colorful quilts that I just HAD to try it too! First I got out all my favorite colors and sewed up a storm trying to come up with a plan:

As soon as I saw that picture, I knew some of that stuff wasn't going to work, especially if I wanted "graphic". So, I cut the yellow strip in half, and made some more pieces:

As of this moment, I am stuck, so I had lunch and looked at it, and looked at it again, and prayed that at this stage, I don't mess it up! So far, I'm really liking it and it seems to be designing itself, in a way. Perhaps, I am getting divine intervention, I don't know. All I know is that I really would like to finish the top today sometime. Only the first 3 sections are sewn together. See:

Now to fill in the blanks and try piecing the rest of this puzzle together! E-gads! Wish me luck!

It finally snowed.....

2012-01-18T06:04:00.000-08:00

I really wished the snow could have stayed away all winter, but I guess I should be happy that it stayed nice outside as long as it did. Toby likes it though.......it's fun to burrow in:

I continue to play with solids and decided the other day just to sew some leftover strips together and see what I could come up with. Once it was done, I had no idea how how I was going to quilt it until I looked at my sewing machine and decided to make it a stitch sampler. I named it, "Stitches". (I never seem to run out of clever names, dontcha know??!! lol)

I have something else in the works and the only thing I can say is that I used a ton of colors:

That was only a few of the many that I used. This wall hanging is taking me an age, so we'll see what happens. If I get a partner who likes color for a new swap that I joined, perhaps they might be blessed with it, who knows? First though, I have to finish it! I go from liking it to not. Sometimes that means I've been looking at it too long! lol So often, I wish I worked faster!!! I don't want to forget so many others in my head that need to come out.

Oh...one more thing. I don't think I showed you a mosaic of all the ladies together. It made a hit with my friends in Flickr:

Cute, huh? Perhaps I will continue with that series when this "solid" marathon is done. Let me know if you'd like to be in the next bunch. Wouldn't that be fun??? Until next time...........

I'm having so much fun!

2012-01-14T04:18:00.000-08:00

I'm so glad the holidays are over and I can sew again! Can you believe that I am having so much fun and I'm so busy that I haven't taken a nap since December? lol (Usually, I take naps when I'm either bored or sick....mostly! I just thought I should throw that in there for clarification.) It's gotten so bad that we hardly have a space to eat, the table is so filled with stuff! (Current projects are done in the kitchen, spare...."immediate need" stuff is in the dining room. You've seen the table!) I do move the sewing machine though. Otherwise Toby might eat the cords. lol He still loves to chew on stuff!! Sweet baby!

Remember, I told you that I was starting 2012 with solids??? What fun! Only.......I sure wish I could work faster!!! I have so much in my head that it's getting to where I am making quilt wall hanging tops only, just to get the stuff outta my brain and on/in fabric! That's NEVER happened before! I think I'm on my 8th project right now. I'm naming my newest series, "Abstracts"! Quite clever, I know! (Hey, I sew, I don't name stuff.............although I must admit that I ADORE naming my work!! (Secretly I always wanted to work in a paint factory so I could name the colors..........honestly!! Not many people know that about me!)

Okay, okay......I know, you probably want to see something. You didn't come here to hear me blab! There are two that I recently posted that I can show you. The others are either being auditioned for swaps or aren't done yet......sorry! First of off, we have ...................."Trees":

It's 9 x 19 inches.....and kind of ZEN like (or so I've been told). In actuality all I was striving for in the beginning was to see if tree limbs would look better if I used my rotary cutter rather than a scissors. Once I got them on fabric, I drew (and cut out) a zillion little pieces and fused them to represent the leaves. It's okay, but rather dull for me, wouldn't you say??? Who would guess in a million years that I would have a background of gold??? Eikes!

I do like this one better! I named this one, "Artsy-Fartsy". (My cleverness has no bounds!!)

And the back (which could be a quilt itself if it wasn't for all the lint and birds nests. Duh!) lol Incidentally, this wall hanging is 15 1/2 inch square!

So, there you have it! I'll get back to work now! It's 5:30 am (on Saturday) and I am ready! Who needs sleep anyway??

A fooler....

2012-01-10T20:04:00.000-08:00

My daughter turned 35 on the 3rd of January and asked if I'd make her a peach pie instead of a birthday cake when she and her hubby came for supper. Now normally this might not sound like a problem, but remember..... I live in Wisconsin and this is the beginning of January. Where was I going to find peaches without jumping on a plane or taking out a mortgage even IF I could find some decent fresh ones. Instead, I decided to use frozen peaches.....BAD IDEA!! Don't do it!! Although the pie might look pretty.....without lots of ice cream on top, it was yucky! Frozen peaches are not for pie making.....believe me! Maybe if you froze your own peaches, maybe, but not the ones from the grocery store. Next year, the poor girl will get a cake and that's it!!! No more peach pies in January for me!

On another note, I have been sewing again and it feels so good. I pulled all (well, not all, but some) of my solids out and decided to give them a whirl. I have some very abstract, arty type quilts in my head that really need to come out and solids are the only thing that will work. I did make a couple already, but I really can't show you until I decide if I'm going to use them for an upcoming swap or not. I have about 3 more in my head that I need to work on first and then I'll decide.

Did you see that picture? Not bad, huh? I took it with my new point and shoot camera! Hubby bought it for me for Christmas, but our local camera store was all out so I had to wait until last week to get it. My old one was 6 years old, only had 5 megapixels and really took crummy flash shots. So far I don't see much of a difference between my old one and new for shots in the sun, but the flash is another story! Wow!

Here's one of Toby:

On another note, look what I bought last week when I visited my local quilt shop when I went with a few friends:

Isn't it beautiful? These are not Kona colors, oh NO! This jelly roll is called, "Fresco" and it's by Patrick Lose. Every single color looks hand dyed......they're gorgeous and I can hardly wait to cut into them! I'm thinking they'll be perfect with the Malka Dubrawsky fabric that I'm waiting to get! I might need sunglasses for that combination.........yippee!!! How cool! Until next time..................

2011 recap

2012-01-07T05:38:00.000-08:00

I'm sure by now, you've seen tons of mosaics from other bloggers recapping their sewing successes in 2011. Unfortunately, I won't be one of them! I made much too much to even begin to put it all on a mosaic (or two or three) so I thought I would instead just list my finishes:

20 "Ladies" Quilts
2 Crayon Quilts
24 Mug Rugs
12 Pincushions
7 Lap Sized Quilts
1 Baby Quilt
44 Doll Sized Quilts or smaller
3 Lap Quilt Patterns
4 Coasters
12 Hot Pads
12 Felted ornaments
4 - sets of Bitty Blocks
4 Size 3 Kids Outfits
1 Magazine Publication

Whew......and then I wonder why I don't read so much anymore? Who has the time????

You might like to share in some of my 2011 favorites:

And last of all:

Wow! There were more than I thought and I probably missed a few in there too! I hope I didn't bore you. Sometimes it's fun looking at that old stuff again.....even for me! lol

I have tons of ideas for 2012! Lately, I have pulled out the solids again, so we'll see what happens! I hope you'll stick with me through this process. I so appreciate each and every one of you!

Baby it's cold outside...

2012-01-03T12:56:00.000-08:00

E-gads, it was only 9F degrees (for all you Aussies out there sweating at the beach) this morning when I woke up. Even with the heat on at 70F in the house, it's still chilly! Brrrr!! Good thing I took some time between the holidays to get out my machine and sew up something that I've wanted for a few years.

Do you remember this stuff?

Well, it didn't take long to cut it up and sew it back together again in simple squares. (A bit simplistic for me, I'll admit....BUT fast, and that was the point!!) I knew that although we had 40's for most of December, it would change fast and we'd be shivering in the living room at night with our high ceilings and that darn ceiling fan supposedly blowing the warm air downward.....(ya, right????) If you ask me, wind just makes things colder!!!

Can't get much easier than that, huh? I wanted something that looked like northern Wisconsin (although I really live in southern Wisconsin) for years. I know, don't ask! My hubby thinks I'm nuts too! It ended up at 62x72 inches so it's a nice size for snuggling under! Good thing I had a reservation for quilting that I hadn't used. My quilt shop got this done in a record ........2 DAYS.......can you believe???? I love that store!!!! And doesn't it look nice hanging over my couch?

And it's toasty too!!! Please stay warm, my friends above the equator! Winter doesn't last forever!!! And for you Aussies who are sweating on the beach.......smile! You have no idea how cold 9F degrees feels! (I know...I have a nephew who works in Perth!)

No one's missing.....

2011-12-31T05:16:00.000-08:00

Do you remember a few weeks back when I was making the ladies? Perhaps you've forgotten that we had two missing ladies.......#17 and #18. Now, these gals weren't missing because of a postal glitch, heavens NO, but rather because #18 commissioned me in October to do two special quilts. One for herself and one for her friend for Christmas gifts and now that Christmas is over, and #17 has gotten her gift of "herself" I can reveal them to you.

I am so pleased to finally introduce you to #17, Lynn:

There's a funny little story that I just discovered about Lynn's eyes. You can read it on Mary's blog post. First, you have to meet Mary, who was the sweetheart who instigated the whole surprise:

a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/35289170@N06/6606241249/" title="#17 in the Ladies series - Mary by mamacjt, on Flickr">

And here is a picture of the two of them together with themselves:

You'll have to read Mary's blog to get the scoop on Lynn's eye color. I was quite surprised when I read it....!!!! LOL And, I guess Mary thought her eyes should have been a bit browner too. Hazel is tricky! Everyone has their own opinion of hazel, I guess. I'm sorry, Mary!

One thing though...... Mary is recovering from having her tonsils out right before Christmas! Poor Mary! I can't imagine not talking, can you? Or eating normal food? Especially around the holidays? E-gads!! I hope you are doing well, Mary, and recovering fast! My best wishes to you and thank you again. I had a ball making you both! I hope Lynn loved herself.

Have a safe and marvelous New Year's, my friends! I've had an awesome year full of surprises and fun! I'm so happy that you have joined me on this journey through 2011. I can't wait to see what 2012 will bring!

Can you say DOTS???

2011-12-27T05:55:00.000-08:00

I always knew that I loved red and white together and I guess I always knew that I loved dots, but this year, I even surprised myself when I realized that I went a bit overboard. First of all, I wrapped most of our gifts in this paper which I found at Target.......and was so happy when I discovered it:

Then, for our big family celebration of finger foods prior to the big day, I picked these to make my life easier so I didn't have to wash dishes:

Now, you'd think that would be enough.........ah....NOT! When shopping at my favorite specialty grocery store one day, I spied this and just had to go back to buy it (even though I can't remember the last time I even drank tea!)

Isn't it just the cutest? Every time I look at it, I think of Alice in Wonderland for some reason. It's just so happy sitting on my dirty stovetop (sorry about that...I should have made sure it was cleaner before I snapped this picture.) Strange how things show up so much clearer in pics.....yikes!!)

Then, there's the tree. Now you see it, and then you don't. I already took it down, can you believe? The temps have been so mild here that we figured we'd get everything put away before the snow falls....much easier that way since we store the tree in the garage off season and it's easier taking the outside stuff down without dealing with ice.

I decorate like I sew, I guess.....sort of funky! So, another Christmas bites the dust! I hope yours was happy! I think the crowning glory of my festivities was making this:

Oh my, it was sooooooo good! And sooooo easy! But, now I need a 6 quart container......cause I surely will be making it again!

Pinterest.....have you heard of it???

2011-12-23T04:47:00.000-08:00

Such interesting stuff!!! It's amazing what I'm finding now that I've taken a sewing break......

How cool, huh? And there's so much more. Good thing I'm not going to get hooked into that too! E-gads, if I spend any more time on this computer I'll never have time to sew!

I do want to wish you many blessings this holiday season! Thank you for visiting with me! I appreciate each and every one of you and hope and pray that you all find peace and fun with those you love in these next few days of joyfulness. Merry Christmas!!

Wow, you guys!!!!

2011-12-19T05:35:00.000-08:00

It was just as good as Christmas.............no, make that BETTER than Christmas...........reading all your sweet and complimentary comments about my big news on my last post. Thank you ever, ever, ever so much!!! You are truly a gift to me!!

While many of us in the USA are waiting to see if our JoAnn fabrics really does carry Australian Homespun magazine, I've found some sources that are really reliable.

First of all, I was informed by a reader that http://www.zinio.com/ can provide a digital copy. (In fact the editor of Homespun asked me to mention that too.) So, if you like your reading material digital, that is the place to go and they already have it!! If you're like me though, and like the paper feel in your hands, these two places in the US are available to order the magazine, BUT they don't have issue 12:12 in yet:
http://www.ericas.com/ and http://stonehouse-publications.com/ (I'm praying that those links work??)

In the meantime, let me show you what I got in the last two swaps of this year. Remember STUD? by now you should surely know that it stands for Swap til you Drop. LOL I sent "momcindy" this, remember? It was her dog, Sophie:

And she sent me this:

She named it, It's a Dog's Life" and certainly depicts my spoiled Havanese, Toby. (Even though I haven't carried him a bag yet, at 7 lbs, I surely could.) Actually, it looks just like him, don't you think? Wow, such talent! That's not an easy dog to copy!!!

Then, I got my quilt in the "Little Quilt - Sew, Vote and Swap" group. It was my first choice:

How festive, right? It looks like Lisa "incorigable2" made it specifically for me, it's so much my style. I love it!

So, that's it for today, my friends. 2011 is winding down and that's a good thing. Before you know it, we'll all be into the new year with sewing machines ready, but for now, it's time to take a break and reflect on the quietness of the season. I hope you are winding down too. Enjoy!!! (And thank you again for making me feel like a superstar!!!) Until next time...............

Tooting my own horn.....

2011-12-15T06:58:00.000-08:00

Have you, ever in your life, read something or heard something and simply could not believe it until it was repeated at least 3 times? Well, that was exactly my reaction when I opened my e-mail one balmy May morning and read a letter to me from the editor of Australian's Homespun magazine asking me if I'd like to be a guest designer for their upcoming December issue.

I think I sat with my mouth open for a full 5 minutes wondering all sorts of stuff, but especially how in the world they ever found me...although the editor did mention that she had seen this and loved it:

So......to continue.....I yell out to my hubby who was still in the bathroom, "Hey hon, wait until you hear this", and proceeded to read the e-mail again (and they as long as I was at it, printed it out so I could hold it in my grubby little hands). Not only did they want me, BUT (get this) they were going to pay me to design it!!! E-gads, can you believe???

Since the design was for their summer issue, the editor suggested a beach theme and after correspondence back and forth I drew 4 possibilities for their review:

I was delighted when they picked #1 which (all along) was my favorite. It had to be fun and colorful and funky (after all, those are sort of my signatures I figured) so I started pulling fabrics (and buttons) and fusing my heart out:

Eventually, I ended up with the finished product:

And here are some close-ups:

And here I am with a nice profile story right in the magazine:

And here is the cover with my wall hanging on the top far right corner:

I'm telling you, this experience was one of the highlights of my year! I LOVED it!!! And how I shut up about it for 7 months I'll never know! I usually can't keep a secret overnight. LOL And, for all of you in the US, someone told me that this magazine is available at the big JoAnn superstores, so in a week or two go get yourself a copy. (It's not there yet...I checked. LOL) Guess what all my relatives are getting for Christmas?????

We have a winner.......

2011-12-11T05:09:00.000-08:00

So, early this morning I say to hubby: "Hey hon.....pick a number between 1 and 99, okay?"

And I get, "What for?"

"What? What difference does it make? Just pick a number! Really, it's no big deal!"

And then he says," Well, if it's no big deal, why can't you just pick it?"

E-gads, sometimes after 39 years of marriage, you just can't win! In any event, after we went through this a bit more, Mr. Wonderful eventually picked #25. And #25 is"

RobinLovesQuilting who said: "I never did see a better excuse to make a table runner than a completely clear table. Love the centerpiece, and thank you for the give away".

I have e-mailed you. Robin, so please get back to me so I can send off your fabric pronto and thanks to all of you for commenting and being so wonderful! I'm truly blessed to have so many wonderful readers.

On that note of table runners, look what I got in the mail from my dear friend, Rett:

Looks like I won't have to empty out my bins now to quickly make myself something. Looks awesome, huh? How cool is that? Thank you, my friend!!! Stick the centerpiece on top and wa-la!!! (I do need some fresh cranberries though....those a looking a bit frazzled already from soaking for 10 days.)

On the sewing front, the only thing I have sewn are these:

I made two of each. One for my granddaughter and one for my great niece. The long sleeved will be for Christmas and since each has birthdays early in the year, I figured I'd make short sleeved ones (with biker shorts) right away as long as I had everything out. The pattern (Farbenmix "Olivia") is simple, simple and goes together probably faster than tracing the size and cutting it out. AND, most importantly, kids love it! I've made them before! Knits are sooooo forgiving and fun!

So, my friends, that's it for today! I have a few more things to show you this year and then I'll have to mess up my table again, I guess. LOL Yeah! I'm already thinking of cool neat stuff! Have a great day!

Told ya...

2011-12-08T04:54:00.000-08:00

I'm sure that you remember me telling you what a disaster I had waiting for me on my dining room table? Well, I wasn't kidding:

It took awhile, and I pondered on where to put it all (since I already look like a hoarder in my bedroom with bins stacked 4 high), but I cleaned it all off and this is what it looks like now:

I think I could use a centerpiece now, don't you? OR....(and e-gads on this one), maybe I'll have to dig out some of that fabric and make a table runner?????

In the meantime, let me show something else I did this week. Remember when I showed you this picture that I stole off of pinterest?

Gorgeous, right? Since I have no canning jars with wide mouths, and really didn't want to invest in any, I visited my local Joann Fabric store and came up with this. AND, believe it or not, with the vase, cranberries, and package of floating candles, it only cost me $6.50. What a deal! ('Course, I had coupons too. LOL)

Now, for the good stuff!!!! Because I'm in the holiday spirit and bought this stuff specifically for this reason, I am giving away this awesome package. You will get approximately 3/4 of a yard of these darling circle prints by Kim Schaefer, (22 circles in all), plus 1 yard of matching stripe (in case you want to do something on the bias), and 1 yard of a matching Kona red fabric. Can't you just imagine the darling pot holders you could make for family and friends?

Here's a close up of one of my favorite guys:

So, no big deal. Just comment here, if you will, and I will have my darling husband pick a number (since I don't know how to use that goofy automatic generator thing) on Sunday. How's that? Make sure I can get ahold of you, should you win. It'd be awful not to find you!!! Until then, happy sewing, or cleaning, or cooking or whatever else fills your day! Love ya!

The cat's outta the bag, so to speak....

2011-12-05T06:08:00.000-08:00

I have been dying to tell you about this, but this will have to do for now:

http://www.sameliasmum.com/2011/12/summertime-issue.html

Stay tuned for the whole story when I get MY issue. (The Australian to USA mail does take awhile, so don't hold your breath!) In the meantime......go sew!

A few things...

2011-12-02T05:25:00.000-08:00

No messy dining room table pictures, I'm afraid.....and NO, I haven't even started tackling that job yet. It's still on my list of stuff to do! I'll get to it though....I really will! Today I'm gathering things for Goodwill so at least I'll get some junk out of here before the snow flies. (I hate snow!) Why I live in Wisconsin, no one knows.

My boys graduated from obedience classes yesterday. Seems strange that although they both had 6-8 weeks of training (I don't remember which), that neither one will still come to me when I call if I don't have treats for them. So what's with that?

On the sewing front, lots of the swaps are coming to an end for the year. Boo-hoo! Yesterday, I got this darling package from Nannette:

It was from the QT Swap and the theme was "Windows and Doors". She noted that I mentioned somewhere that I was in love with the newest Malka Dubrawsky fabric so used what she got at the recent Houston market for the mini. So cute! And the extras were marvelous too!

Then, this week, another one of my newest swaps (and fun one too, I should mention), finished the last round for this year. This is a unique swap. You make a doll size quilt, send a photo to the administrator and she posts it. After the allotted time, everyone who submitted a photo secretly votes and then the administrator sends you the information on where you should send the quilt you made. So.....you have no idea until you get a quilt in the mail on which one you will get. It's very cool. This was my submission for this round which had a theme of "holiday":

I went a little nuts! I think there are 38 buttons and I quilted it by putting a french knot in the middle of each star. Duh! You don't think I was a bit crazy after that???? Actually, though, I liked it so much as I was making it that I decided to make three skinnier ones for my friends using only 3 trees (and, as it turned out,) made up a pattern as a give away for my local quilt shop for their Wednesday night demonstrations:

Needless to say that none of those 3 got ANY french knots! LOL

So, that's it for today. I hope that you are all well, and engrossed in lots of stuff too. December seems to fly by around here. Now, if I could only make the rest of the snowy months do the same thing, I would be a happy girl! Until next time.............

Busy, busy, busy!

2011-11-29T05:45:00.000-08:00

Busy seems to be my middle name lately, as I'm sure it is with all of you. One holiday down and only about 5-6 weeks to go until normalcy returns. Thank God we haven't had any snow yet, that always seems to hamper my plans. It seems there is something I must have immediately as the days go on, or things I think of, or run out of, or something or another, and clear weather makes it easier just to jump in the car and go without thinking.

I do have a couple to things to show you today though. I got my swap package from my partner, Laney (lrmcdonald2000) from the mug rug swap and the rug is already hanging in my kitchen for the holidays. I adore it! Simple and sweet and on a white background just like I like. We agreed that we'd make each other's portrait style rather than landscape style just for this purpose since I have only a tiny wall space that needed to be filled.

If you remember, this is the one I sent to her:

Then, finally I had a chance to make something that I wanted to do for a long time. Months ago I joined the Charley Harper quilt along. I really wanted to copy one of his awesome works for myself, but at the time was just too busy with the "Ladies". Finally though, I was free enough, and inspired enough by this print to make this:

I really had fun doing it, and it too, is hanging in my house for the holidays. I think I'll pack it away every year with the Christmas stuff just so it doesn't get lost in the shuffle.

Today I have to tackle the dining room table. UGH! What a mess! Next time I'll show you a picture (not that I haven't done that already on numerous occasions.) I was going to do it yesterday, but decided to go to lunch and visit with a friend instead. (After all, aren't we supposed to be of good cheer this time of year? Hello! That's what I thought too!) Take care my friends, and breathe.........

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T08:44:00.000-08:00

Enjoy the day, my friends! I am thankful for all of you! Peace!

Are you in the mood yet?

2011-11-21T13:25:00.000-08:00

Personally, I wish I could hibernate from now until about January 10th. Well, maybe make that until spring as long as we're at it! With no food, and all that sleep, just think how thin and productive I would be the rest of the year? And, on top of that, I'd get out of all the holiday hassle. It's amazing to me how my hubby can dictate orders and make suggestions while in the middle of a 847 page novel he started just days ago while I have Christmas shopped, cleaned the house, put up the tree, made one Thanksgiving pie already and froze it (with two to go), and finished 12 different kinds of Christmas cookies (mostly double and triple batches) and all he did is sample them and put the containers in our basement deep freeze. And then, he asks why I don't have any Christmas spirit??? Hello, I've been tryin'! Believe me!

I thought it would be fun though to show you some fun pictures I've swiped from various places to try to help myself:

Are you there yet? No, you say? See, what did I tell you? Me either, although some of that stuff sure does look yummy.......like those chocolate covered pretzel rods? Ummmmmm!!! And I love the floating candle in the mason jar. Too bad I don't have wide mouth mason jars! I'm sure not buying a dozen for just one! I do like these though:

Can't you just imagine all the stares I would get at my age wearing something like that? If I could find a pair of those I'd buy them "just like that"......just for the fun! 'Course I'd have to get me some Converse tennies to go with um......I don't think they'd look too cool with my loafers. LOL

An Exclusive

2011-11-16T04:43:00.000-08:00

For any of you wonderful followers that live close to my favorite quilt shop (Patched Works in Elm Grove) tonight will be special and I think you should go there. Every Wednesday night for the past who knows how many weeks, they have featured fun projects which are simple and creative. Tonight I will be the "feature". No, not me personally, but an applique project (with free instructions and pattern) that I created just for them. (Actually, it is a take off on something I did for a secret swap and haven't shown anywhere yet, but don't tell anyone! That's also the reason I'm not showing a picture of it. Duh!) You'll just have to go and be overwhelmed (I hope!) They're open until 8 CST.

In the meantime, and for all of you who live too far away to go tonight, I can show you two things that I recently made and showed sneak peeks of last time. First was to Mom Cindy for the STUD group. Remember, STUD stands for "swap til U drop".....not something nasty. LOL The theme this time was pets and since we both have dogs, that was the object of both of our mini quilts to each other. This is her "Sophie":

I was really undecided on how to do a dog (in actuality I wanted to do a cat), until I found those flowers in my stash. Once I found them, the whole thing seemed to evolve from there and even after I was done, I had to get out my pearle cotton and embellish a bit with some embroidery. Lately too, I have been enthralled with using buttons in quilts for some reason. You'll see what I mean in the next one.

My absolute two favorite swaps in the world are the doll swap (which, by now, should be no secret) and the mug rug swap. Personally, I wish they both were ongoing because my imagination seems to go in those directions with whimsy and fun. For the current mug rug swap, the theme was Christmas and unlike in times past where we had secret partners, this time partners were assigned. My partner, Laney, (lrmcdonald2000) posted somewhere that she loved color on white. (Which by now, my friends, you should KNOW, is my very favorite to do!) I knew immediately what I was going to make:

With a personalized gift tag, just for her! (Did you note the buttons????? Told ya!) I had a hard time giving that one away. After it was done, (and with the addition of a O ring on the back) I had it hanging in my kitchen for a few days just to smile at it every time I walked by. I hope she is smiling too!

So, that's it for today, my friends. I'm working on something else, but who knows how far I will get. I still have so many ideas for this year, but I'm running out of time! (I did get all 12 double and triple batches of Christmas cookies done though (and in the freezer) this past weekend so I'm one happy girl!!) One thing off the list to do!!! Yeah!!! Hope your list is going as well............until next time........

Eat your heart out!

2011-11-11T11:37:00.000-08:00

Am I mean or what? Look what I was gifted from my quilt shop owner:

She knew how I was coveting this stuff! It's Malka Dubrawsky's newest line from Moda, "A Stitch in Color". Granted, I only have a 2 1/2 inch square of each fabric (for now) but I'm sure I can come up with something wonderful until I get more. Thank you, Julie!!!

On another note, I sent my mini quilt to my partner for the QT swap, and even though she hasn't gotten it yet 'cause she's traveling and I didn't know that when I sent it, I was naughty and posted a picture of it anyway. I don't think she'll mind. (At least I hope not.) The theme was windows and doors and I chose to use a window. This quilt is 9 x 11 inches and I call it "Cherry Pie".

Lastly, you must see my boy in all his glory. My daughter and her hubby and dog stopped over last Sunday and when that happens, Toby and Miya (a 6 year old, female, 45 lb airedale) chase each other all around the house. (Actually, Miya chases Toby, cause he only goes after her when her back is turned and then when she notices and runs after him, he runs under a chair!) This time though, he really wore her out:

Enjoy your weekend, my friends! I think I'm going to start my Christmas cookies and freeze them.

What a deal!!!!

2011-11-08T05:50:00.000-08:00

OMG!!! Did I find a deal and I'm sure you're going to agree after you read this post (which, incidentally has NOTHING to do with sewing, crafts, food, or related items.)

As many of you know, I recently had cataract surgery. Now, after a few weeks when everything settles down, you go back to the eye doctor and get a prescription for new glasses. I was looking forward to that since I hadn't gotten new glasses in about 5-6 years. I also figured it was time to get new prescription sunglasses (which I keep in the car, but need for really sunny days). I went around my town trying on various frames and pricing their lenses prior to getting the new prescription so I'd be "ready to go". What really flipped me out was the difference in cost from one place to another. I wear single vision lenses since I only need my glasses for distance. (I take them off for close work.) One place wanted $158 for those and another only $48 and that didn't include the cost for high index (which makes the lenses thinner). Those prices also ranged from $50 to $100, plus the various costs of the frames. One thing I really wanted was polarized sunglasses and those prices were really unbelievable! I was thinking that this whole endeavor might put me in the hole over $800 for both, if not more. That was.................until I found this:

I had heard about Zenni Optical on the radio once upon a time, but had forgotten about it until a friend of my hubby mentioned that he got his glasses there and was really pleased. So, I checked it out and look what I got for a total of only $62 shipped right to my door!!!!

And they're polarized plus anti-glare! I LOVE them! In fact, I love them so much that I'm going to order another pair and right now the shipping is free!

So, you ask, what happened to my everyday glasses? Well, I ordered them from a regular eyeglass place because I LOVED the frames so much, AND I needed my PD.....pupillary distance (the distance in mm from eye to eye....which you can get from the last place that made your lenses) to order the Zenni glasses.......BUT, it's been over two weeks and guess what? I still don't have those!! Crazy!

Short and Sweet

2011-11-05T10:59:00.000-07:00

Not much going on here today, but I just wanted to pop in a show you a few things. First off, I got this gorgeous quilt from the "Little Quilt - sew,vote, swap" group:

That was made by "jgmehlin" aka Julie and was all paper pieced (if you can believe??) Flips me out because I still cannot, for the life of me, do paper piecing.......'course, I haven't really had the time to try lately, but I don't think I would be any better now than before, so why bother??? (You know what they say about teaching old dogs new tricks!!) My talents go in other directions, I guess, and that's why I so appreciate the talents of those fine paper-piecers. WOW!!

I did finish two other smallish quilts for swaps, BUT because I haven't even sent one out yet, and the other apparently has not arrived to that partner yet, I can only show you sneak peeks. (Bummer, I know!)

So, that's it for today. I'm working on some other stuff, in my head if no where else. LOL I get these crazy ideas and then I pull out all this fabric for one or another and then I have such a mess I don't know where to go, or what I was doing in the first place. EIKES!!!! Does that ever happen to you??? It's not a wonder my dining room table looks like a quilt shop exploded! If I could only stick to one thing, I'd probably be lots better off. Does this sound like ADD???? Kinda, huh? Can you get ADD at my age?

I shudda known....

2011-11-01T21:05:00.000-07:00

I guess I should have known that my Ladies Series wasn't over. After all, there are LOTS of quilters and sewers out in there in blog land, I guess. AND, some even want themselves "forever" in fabric. Who am I to deny them, anyway??? Today we have #19 - Jane! I know that many of you are keeping track and will correct me on my numbering system, but I must tell you that there is a #17 and #18 too and both have made it to their destination, although one of them is a Christmas gift and will stay a secret for many weeks yet. Now, if I can keep track, that's another story!!!! By then, I can only wonder what number I'll be on????

May I present "Jane" to you? First, as always, the drawing, then her pretty eyes and finally the finished quilt.

Besides, "Jane", I have one more thing to show you today. This was my entry for the "Little Quilt, Sew, Vote, swap group". I bought Malka Dubrawsky's book, "Fresh Quilting" some time ago and had to try her methods. I really had fun and can't wait to do a few more when I have some extra time. (Now, if I only had some of her newly released fabric, I'd have a much better time of it, believe me!!)

So, that's it for today. Right now, I've been working on more swaps, and they are partner swaps, which means I can't show you until my partner gets it. Bummer, I know!!! Perhaps a few sneak peeks next time though. Would you like that?

I knew this would happen....

2011-10-28T12:28:00.000-07:00

I think this is the first time in all my years blogging where I don't really have anything to blog about.....I mean I could show you pictures of my messy dining room table (which REALLY needs attention, believe me), but I wouldn't want you to think I belonged to fabric hoarders or some other strange organization. I did take pictures on my way to mailing out some packages on Monday, so perhaps you will be satisfied with those?

And yes, I was driving when I snapped this and luckily I did photograph the street because my eyes never left the road and I had to snap and hold the camera with one hand since I was holding the wheel with the other one. ('Course I did slow down to about 15 mph too.)

And here we are. If you've ever gotten a package from me, this is where I mailed it.

And, then of course, I had to drive home:

And when I got there, I thought it was time to give Toby a bath. Bet you didn't know what he really looked like under all that coat, did you?

And here he is all ready for Trick or Treat:

Then, I found a cute picture of another Havanese on the web. I couldn't help but copy it to show you:

Have a great Halloween! Don't eat too much candy!

Here mousy-mousy.....

2011-10-24T10:01:00.000-07:00

E-gads, I'm telling you, I'm getting to the nitty-gritty with this post. AND......it's not like I'm not working! I have been sewing my fingers to the bone, but everything is hush-hush and Christmas gifts, or secret swaps, or one thing or another that I am running out of stuff to show you. I might have to resort to walking in the park, or cleaning out my basement or taking pictures of something else for next time. Ugh! 'Course, I'm sure I'm not the only blog you read, so your eye candy might have to come from the next blogger for awhile. (At least until I have permission to brag on my new stuff.) OR.....groom Toby and shop for Halloween costumes for him......which, now that I think about it, might be fun too!!!

In the meantime, let me show you my 2-3 hour apiece mice. YES, you read that right, these crazy mousies take 2-3 hours each to make by hand (and you wonder why I haven't been sewing much??) It started off where I wanted ornaments for the Trim the Tree swap, but once I perfected the pattern and got going, I couldn't seem to stop. You'll see what I mean.

I really got a bit crazy with the whiskers.

And here is one, hanging. They are all fully jointed so you can hang them, or sit them, or even make them do the splits, if you want them to.

I posted these on Flickr and the picture made EXPLORE. (That's kind of special in the Flickr world)

And then, when I discovered that my church was having a Christmas bazaar and needed donations, I made some more. After all, I couldn't let my church down, could I?

Problem is though, that everyone who sees these in person wants one. So, guess what I'll be doing right after I finish a few other obligations? I'm hoping the group grows to 24. Two dozen should be enough, I hope!

I'm in a funk!

2011-10-19T07:01:00.000-07:00

E-gads! It's getting to the point where soon I'll have to go to the park and take pictures to show you, I'm afraid. I'm running out of projects. Lately, I really don't feel like doing much and I don't know why. I should clean my house, groom poor Toby, plan nice yummy meals for suppers, clean up all the bags of scraps and junk I have sitting around here, clean out some closets, plus tons of other things I can't think of at the moment! I need some ambition, is what I need! Or a fire! LOL E-gads, I hope I didn't jinx myself there....that would be terrible!

I did finish the Halloween quilt that I was going to give my daughter for Christmas though:

I gave it to her already. I am such a sucker for keeping secrets and I thought why shouldn't she enjoy it for this year too? So now, I'll have to come up with something else for Christmas..........

I did work on my ornaments for the Trim a Tree handmade ornament swap though. First I made an owl:

And a bear:

And I started making some Christmas mice too. This was my prototype:

He is really ugly compared to the new ones which I will show you next time. I could make them all day actually. I was having such fun with the hand work. It's been an age since I've done that kind of thing and I so enjoyed it......BUT, I have obligations. SO..... today I will partake of the ladies again. I have 3 to make and I MUST get myself going on them. The drawings are done, the fabric is pulled so wish me luck.

In the meantime, I must give you a smile. After a week or so of rain a few weeks back, and having one drowned rat of a dog each time Toby came in after doing his business outside, I decided to buy him a raincoat. Problem is that once I put it on him, he stood like a statue for a full 10 minutes until I took it off. The only, and I mean THE ONLY thing he moved the entire time were his eyes. I wish you could have been here. My hubby and I had the laugh of the year! Poor baby!

Just a few things.....

2011-10-14T13:13:00.000-07:00

Do you remember #8.......Susie, my friend?

Well, here she is with herself:

Too bad she got a haircut yesterday and doesn't look like herself anymore. LOL Oh well, too bad!!

Then, the mailman has been good to me this week. First, I got pretty coasters from Tiffany (love2quilt7) for the Potholder swap. How clever to use ribbon and rick rack to embellish, huh? I gotta remember that one! You can' beat that neato black and white binding either. (My favorite binding colors, in case you didn't know!)

Then, I got my mini quilt from the June/July QT swap from Pam (uberstitch). Pam was a bit late, but I was in no hurry anyway, besides she sent some additional minis which really knocked my socks off! First the mini:

And then the awesome surprise additions:

That last one is my favorite! How cool to get my Toby on a quilt, huh? I know this is possible, but not from me. My hubby would have my head if I told him I wanted to put fabric through the printer! Eikes, I can hear it already! "You what?????" "Are you out of your mind??" I think I'll pass, thank you!

So, that's mainly been my week. I've been working on binding my Halloween quilt that I got back from the quilter yesterday and making ornaments for the Trim a Tree Homemade Ornament swap. Next time, I'll show you both! Until then, have a great weekend and enjoy the fall weather (unless you're from "down under" where you lucky people are having spring!!) I'm jealous! I LOVE spring!

Just a reminder.....

2011-10-13T06:10:00.000-07:00

Christmas isn't far away and NOW is the time to start those fun holiday projects. Just a reminder that I have plenty of these patterns for sale:

(It really is a bright and lovely cover.......too bad I had to take the photo outside this morning in the rain. Duh!) Anyway, the tree skirt is completely pieced and ends up at 40 inches in diameter. It looks like this finished for all you who are new to my blog:

I must say this this has been my most popular seller no matter what fabrics are used. My friend, Shirley, even made it in country colors:

So, now for the info. The pattern is $12 plus about $1 for shipping and you can order your copy by contacting me here: turznik@execpc.com. For all you shop owners, wholesale prices are available to you for orders of 12 or more. Your customers will love you!! I must admit that the only tricky part is the bias binding. Everything else is a piece of cake!

Now, back to my crazy ornament making! I'm thinking that I will be back to my normal self by the weekend, hopefully. Right now though, I am having such fun experimenting with felt. Believe it or not, I never worked with wool felt before. Who knows, I just might have a new little pattern for you?

#13 is all well and good!

2011-10-10T05:18:00.000-07:00

Whew! There for awhile I thought my #13 lady wouldn't make it. It seemed like an age since I sent it, but it FINALLY arrived and now I may show you all.

The lovely Kat, from here (in Australia...thus the long postal trip) asked me to do a portrait of her. She told me to do what I wanted, but there definitely had to be a butterfly somewhere on the quilt since it was her trademark. Kat was the lady who was my swap partner in DQS10, so I got to know her pretty well. She sent me three or four pictures, but the finished product is usually different. (Probably since I don't quilt teeth. LOL)

Note the hair difference. When I first drew it, I thought her hair was shorter than it was so I had to lengthen it a bit...thus the double line. (Perhaps I should have made it longer yet. Although it probably grew while the quilt was traveling since it took almost a month for her to get. :D)

And here's a picture of Kat with her quilt:

For sure you can see the resemblance, right? Even though the real Kat doesn't have a butterfly in her own hair?

I do a have a few other ladies to make, but I'm taking a well deserved break from them for a week or so to recharge my batteries, so to speak. I'm kinda "ladied" out and need a breather doing some other stuff for a bit. (Don't worry all you who spoke to me about yourselves......I haven't forgotten you, really!!!)

In the meantime, I made these two blocks to go to a Flickr friend who is going through some wicked cancer treatments. A bunch of us decided to send her blocks of a certain size and design so that she gets some "mail love" for a month or two, and when this horror in her life is over, she will have time to put them all together and remember all the love and prayers that were sent to her.

Can you tell that we're doing birds and windmills? Duh!

Lastly, I joined this swap and I have been wracking my brain to come up with something marvelous. Last year I went through the same crisis, so I'm thinking this might be it. I hate it when something stresses me out to the point where I even dream about it. Ornaments aren't as simple as you might think. (Especially when you're a high achiever, like me!) UGH! I did do a prototype of this mouse, but it needs tons of tweaking yet. (Don't look at the messy stitching. I didn't have any grey pearle cotton.)

Poor thing couldn't even stand on his own, although he is fully jointed. I think I have it figured out though, so stay tuned. This and other cute felt things will be my main project this week. I am having such fun doing hand work for a change! Perhaps I will even make more than my required 3. Who knows?

It's almost Halloween

2011-10-06T05:43:00.000-07:00

I told you I was going to show you my gorgeous new Halloween fabrics and here they are. One is cooler than the next. Funny thing is that I'm really not into Halloween too much. My holiday is Christmas, but I have a daughter who is wild about Halloween.

When my friend, Annie, posted a pic of her awesome Halloween quilt on her blog not that long ago, I flipped. Now, I've seen several Halloween quilts in my day, but none of them "hit" me like hers and that's why I had to run right out and get these. 'Course it didn't take long before I was cutting into them with a vengeance and lookie what happened before I knew it:

Think it's bright enough?

I was going to give this to DD for Christmas (I sure hope she's not reading this), but now I'm thinking it might be a nice addition to my Halloween decorating. Who knows? I might even have to make two!!

In the meantime, I really should think about making a costume for my Toby. I'm sure he's going to love trick or treat with all the kids coming to the door. (Thank you to all of you who talked me into a Havanese........what a wonderful breed! We love him to death.....even though he's not completely potty trained yet. LOL)

Isn't he a cutie?

Be a guest......

2011-10-02T09:43:00.000-07:00

A guest is what I'll be Monday over on "Sew We Quilt" so pop over there to see me and if you want a treat review some past posts to see lots of super talented people with loads of ideas and hints. ('Course lots of you already came from there last December when I was a guest and showed oodles of mug rugs. Smooches to all of you for sticking with me all this time!!!)

Today I want to introduce you to #14 in the Ladies Series (missing from the Sew We Quilt lineup because "she" was traveling). Her name is "Sandy" and you can see the real "her" here on her Flickr stream. Here is my version......as always, first the drawing, then the close up of the eyes and then the finished wall hanging:

If you noticed her heart stud earrings holding the spools, they are supposed to represent all the love that she has for those darling grandchildren that you saw on her Flickr stream. What a bunch of cuties!

Other than that, (and besides the awesome halloween fabric that I'll show you next time), the only thing new are these coasters that I made yesterday for this swap. My partner wanted rainbows:

Check out the backs:

Think they're bright enough? Duh!!! I sure hope she likes them. I asked for Christmas coasters so we'll see what I get.

So that's it for today, my friends. If you're new to my blog, thanks so much for visiting and if you're a tried and true follower.....love, love, love and hugs to you!!! I appreciate each and every one of you! Really I do!

#13 and #14 are still flyin!

2011-09-28T13:40:00.000-07:00

Apparently #13 and #14 ladies are still flying because I've gotten no word that they've been delivered. In lieu of that, I'm going to have to show you #15 and #16. Totally confusing 'cause they're out of order, I know, but that's life! You should only know how confusing it is to me! BUT, on a bright note, I think I might be done with the ladies for awhile. 16 for now is plenty! Besides, I have some stuff to do for a swap or two. So, if anyone wants themselves done in fabric it might be a few weeks. Let's talk!

So now to present #15....."Jen". Naturally, as in the past, I'll show you the drawing first, and then the eyes (my favorite part) and then the whole quilt. And yes, she is a real lady. Check out her blog here. You'll even see her photo on the right.

Jen works at my favorite quilt shop called Patched Works in Elm Grove. #16, "Julie", also works at the quilt shop, but better than that, Julie owns the shop. She doesn't always wear her tomato earrings though so you might not recognize her if you go there. Here is Julie:

You can see a real photo of Julie here. She is the one on the far right. I might have gotten her hair a bit too reddish, but that's how she looks to me and I had to get those curls in there, you know! And, yes, she does have those beautiful big blue eyes in real life!

So, that's it for today, folks! Next time I'll show you a pic of the awesome fabric I bought today. It is so fun, if I do say so myself! I'm going to make something big. It seems like an age since I've made a bigger quilt and I'm missing it! Besides, it's the season here for staying warm (again). Summer in Wisconsin is waaaaaaaayyy too short!! That is, unless #13 and #14 show up at their homes. They're certainly more important than any old fabric any day! Until then..........be well, take care and thank you for being part of my life! I am truly blessed!

Looky what I found........

2011-09-25T04:20:00.000-07:00

Anybody got a skinny wall space? Do you remember "the birds"? Well, look what I discovered amongst my stuff and I'm pretty sure you haven't seen this before:

Cute, huh? I made this in May..................YES, in May! I remember because (1) it said so in my computer when I loaded the photo and (2) I made this right before something really neat happened which is still a secret. YES.......can you believe I've kept a secret this long? My dear, dead mother would flip! She always said I could NEVER keep a secret! ( I tend to believe that she's helping me from above. LOL) You'll find out soon, my friends, I promise......but until then, I have to shut up.......before I blab it all over! Mmmmmmm.........

Back to birdy......! I'm selling this baby so if anyone has a naked skinny wall space that needs a bit of whimsy, let me know. It's 11 1/2 x 25 inches long with a sleeve, dowel, and O ring all ready to hang and I'll even sign it if you want. The first $49 plus shipping takes it home! E-mail me please.

In the meantime, some doggy pics. First off is Miya (my grandpup). Actually the airhead, airedale owned by my daughter:

And then, naturally, we have Toby. What fascinates him so much about the pool cover, I'll never know:

He even likes to eat it:

Wonder what he'll do when it's covered with snow? UGH.......I hate to even say that word!

Until next time, my friends, I hope you have a marvelous week. I'm planning to work on more ladies for the series. Real ones! Just wait until you meet Sandy, Jen and Julie! You'll love them!

A quick catch up!

2011-09-21T20:09:00.000-07:00

Seems I'm really busy lately, and it's not with sewing. I've rediscovered my cookbooks and have been cooking and baking like a crazy woman! Not good for the waistlines, but my husband is really enjoying the change. Tomorrow that is going to stop! I made a list of my sewing commitments and it's time the machine comes out again. In the meantime, let me show you a few of the things I did get done since my last post and the the neat stuff I got in swaps.

First, here are the last two Halloween mug rugs I made:

I think this is the year of the googly eyes! They really make me smile every time I see them, so this Halloween I think I put them on almost everything! Crazy!

Then, I got my package for the "Love of Solids" group and it was a dilly. I got a gorgeous pillow in really bright, beautiful colors from Diane of db by Design. She nailed my color preferences perfectly:

I really should have ironed that cover before I photographed it, but I think I was in the middle of making cookies and the rain was coming, so I rushed the deal. Bad me! Did you note that she also sent me some pretty zippers too? Cool!

Then, I got my quilt from Poppyprint. This was a long time in coming, but Krista is a very busy girl! We did a private swap right after one doll swap awhile back and I sent her this one:

She told me she was going to make me a selvage quilt and I got this beauty:

It really is so much lovelier in person. It's so hard to see the detail with the black fabric in pictures.

Then, I was blessed with one more thing this week. My dear friend, Shirley (the one who lives in Siberia.......not really, but if you've been reading my blog, you know what this means), loves to make bags. A few weeks ago, Amy made up a tutorial with a really neat one and Shirley made it for me to use for a wedding that I'll be attending this Friday. Think everyone will know that I'm a quilter?

So, that's it! Now you've seen almost everything I have left to show you (except #13 in the Ladies Series because it's still traveling), so I better get to work and get off this cooking binge. Hopefully, I'll be back to my old self tomorrow.

Let there be light!!

2011-09-17T09:51:00.000-07:00

I have just one thing to say........If you are over 55 and really believe you have natural blond highlights in your hair, you need to make an appointment with your eye doctor! You have cataracts! Believe it or not, I used to say that to my hairdresser when I'd go in for a haircut. I'd say, "I bet you don't have many clients who still have blond highlights at my age, huh?" And she, (of course) would agree and I would sit there all haughty and proud 'cause I was the only one! Ahhhh......NO! Not so much! Duh....grey, honey....grey! I was shocked! Not only was I legally blind in my right eye, I also have a slight cataract in the left (which will be removed on the 29) but the difference in color between the new fixed right eye and left is amazing! I see so much better now, I might just cook and bake again! Who knows? 'Course that would be less time for sewing.....and I'm not sure if that would work either. I'm sure these next few weeks will be interesting. Hopefully, my quilting colors won't mute.......I was even impressed with myself when I went through my Flickr stream. LOL

On another note, I want to show you #10 lady in the series. This is really neat because when Debra got herself, she took a photo of her with the quilt. Note how alike they look, but first see the finished quilt:

And now the two of them:

Debra was a commission quilt and she told me that she collected miniature sewing machines, bird houses and loved Christmas as well as being an avid sewer. I think I hit all the bases!

I also finished another two Halloween mug rugs before I went in for surgery:

And:

I have two more in my head and then I think I'll be done with those. I did join another swap though. (Big surprise, huh???) It's called the potholder pass, but this time you also could sign up for coasters. I thought that might be fun for a change! Who knows what I'll come up with for that one????

So, my friends, that's it for today. I think I'll head off to the store and get stuff to make Roasted Tomato Basil soup and then come home and sew. You have a fun day too! AND......thank you for your many well wishes on my cataract surgery. You'll never know how I appreciate each and every one of you!!!

Seems I'm confused

2011-09-13T16:23:00.000-07:00

Last time I told you that #10 and #11 ladies were on their way to their new homes, right? Hello! Then, why did I send the last one that I finished Monday off as #13? Duh! I think I am doing too many of these ladies and am losing my mind! It's time to stop! Besides, I have again joined the Mug Rug swap.......(my 2nd favorite swap in the world) and I need to concentrate on halloween mug rugs! First though, I'll show you #11 (Angie) since she has arrived and also another one that I did for the "For the Love of Solids" group swap.

#11 (Angie) you might also know as Retromama61. She commissioned me to do her for a special birthday that's coming up. She wanted something to remember it by, and I am so honored that she asked that I do that "something special". I hope she likes herself:

I LOVE doing eyes!!!

Actually, this whole ladies series started because of this next quilt. I joined the Love of Solids swap and hadn't a clue what to make. Then the light bulb went off and I posted a drawing of an imaginary lady and asked if my partner wanted me to make her. If so she was to give me her statistics. Many swappers responded, and luckily, my partner was among them. Well, I had such fun making her that I continued with the ladies. Finally, today her quilt arrived so now I may show you, Renee from Nellie's Niceties:

I think I'll just pretend that she's #12. LOL That way I don't feel like such an idiot!

Now onto a few other things. I also joined the Bitty Block Committee this month. When I discovered they were doing bugs, I couldn't resist. I had such fun making my "lady bug".

Don't be surprised if I don't change my icon in Flickr to "her". I think she's adorable! Cute, but wait until you see the whole "tribe" of them........you'll just have to smile:

I think googly eyes are so fun!! Because I thought they were so fun, I had to go back to Joannes to get more when I made this mug rug:

Bats have to have them too, you know!

So, that's it for today. I'm having cataract surgery this Thursday on my right eye. It's been blurry for awhile and when I finally dragged myself to the eye doctor, I was informed that I am legally blind in that eye so I guess it's time to get fixed, as the saying goes! I've heard only good things about cataract surgery, so I am hoping that I am one of the lucky ones to join that group. I will be back as soon as I can. Promise!!!

#10 and #11 are traveling

2011-09-10T09:35:00.000-07:00

Since I have no ladies to show you today since #10 and #11 are traveling to their owners via the postal service, I want to show you something near to my heart. The other day I was blessed with a personalized collar for my Toby. Jen, my friend, who works at Patched Works in Elm Grove, has a new puppy too. Hers will be giant sized (maybe medium giant, when I think about it) and mine will stay tiny (I'm hoping.) A few weeks ago Jen got on a kick making dog collars. AND, when I say "kick", I really mean KICK. She was having such fun she eventually made about 60 of them in all sorts of styles and colors and sizes. Go check out her blog. What a hoot! BUT, I can understand! Duh.....the ladies! How many have I made? 'Course, who's counting?

Now, I was going to show the new collar on Toby, but right now his hair is so long that you can't see anything around his neck, in fact his leash looks like it is coming right out of his neck so I thought it better to photograph it alone.

Did you note that it's adjustable? How cool is that? Just a click and it's together or apart, unlike his old one where I'd have to find a hole to put the little thingy into and with all his coat, that was a real trick. SO, the whole point is to thank Jen for this great gift for my little guy and to get all of you over to her blog to check out those collars for sale.

On a different note, I think there is a spook invading my Flickr stream. Let me explain. I have a Flickr pro account. I'm not sure if you can tell without one where your "hits" are coming from or which item is getting the most views in a day, but something weird is going on with mine. Since August 22nd, this mug rug is been viewed an average of 69 times each day. Not 40, or 80, but almost without exception, 69 times each day. So, so far, that is an additional 1242 views since August 22nd and a grand total as of this writing of 1844.

So, I don't get it! This mug rug is in the Wisconsin Quilt Museum. It's in their gift shop, for sale. Can you help me here? Why is this particular mug rug (not even the coolest one I ever made) getting all this attention? Does anyone have a clue?

My "real" friends

2011-09-06T17:22:00.000-07:00

I'm sure you've heard the song, "Stuck on You", right? Well, I'm stuck on making these ladies, I think. I do have some other obligations that I've taken on with more swapping, and projects, but until I get these ladies out of my head, and the ones I promised other people finished, I just can't seem to move on.

Today, I'm going to introduce you to my friend, Susie. Susie is #8 in my Ladies Series and truly is a dear friend of mine. (She's also a dear friend of, Shirley, who you met in the last post.) Susie does not live in Siberia, though (like Shirley does). She actually is only about 5 minutes away from me. LOL

I had a heck of a time with Susie. I drew her 3 times and literally gave up. I could not get her right for love or $$. When I showed her my last attempt, she said she looked better on the drawing and to make her like that so I did. LOL So this is her (or at least how she'd like to look):

That, of course, was in process. I should show you the drawing first, I suppose:

And the finished product:

Susie is a lover of Kaffe fabrics and uses them a lot in her personal sewing. Incidentally, she works at Patched Works in Elm Grove, so go see her and tell her that you met her here. She'll flip! Check out her eyes, which are blue/brown.

Then, next is Annie, who is #9 on our hit parade list of ladies. Annie is really freezeframe03. You probably will find real photos of her in her Flickr stream. But here she is in fabric. First the procedure:

And now for the rest:

Seriously, Annie is really that blond, which makes it hard to see against the white background, but after she received herself in the mail today, she told me that she is going to outline stitch around her hair to make it more noticeable. I can't wait to see what she does. Incidentally, Annie has a blog and it's on my blog list, so go check her out. She's really funny!

So there you have it. More ladies and I know you're probably really getting sick of them by now. After all I'm thinking it's close to a month that I have been making them. Only a few to go, I promise! Thanks for your patience.....really!!!!!

Ladies and Swaps

2011-09-03T15:12:00.000-07:00

Although I haven't really come off my cloud yet after receiving my "Love Quilt" from all my marvelous friends on Flickr last Wednesday, I thought you might be missing the ladies and be anxious to see who was next. I know I'm excited to show you.

#6 in the series is Shirley. Shirley is my real friend. She lives about 30 minutes away from me. She's the one I was telling you about in the last post who lives in Siberia. (Not really, but the drive from my house to hers, just seems like it.) Anyway, I met Shirley (and Susie too - who you'll meet in a few days) in 2008 when both of them were working at my neighborhood quilt shop and I was learning how to quilt. Funny thing is that neither of them work there now, but we all are the best of friends.

Does she look familiar? You might know her as "freidasew" on Flickr. Lots of people call her Freida....too bad her real name is Shirley!

#7 Lady - Gloria is a made up lady although someone in the world MUST look like her, I'm thinkin'! She's really pretty....and has eyes to die over. Just check out the assembly:

And here is the drawing, close-up and finished quilt of Gloria:

I think Gloria is one of my favorite ones yet. If you are interested in purchasing Gloria, please e-mail me at turznik@ execpc dot com. She needs a new mom! LOL

And onto the swaps. I got my mug rug from the same person who I made my mug rugs for. (I know that's a crummy sentence all you teachers, and I'm sorry.) Anyway, she had me and I had her. She used my new puppy, Toby, for inspiration and made this package:

Everything was so nice, but what really got to me was her unique way of sending it off. Sue (beachgirlsews) actually packaged it all together in brown paper and sewed around the insides into the shape of a bone to secure it and put cute stickers all over it. Such amazing creativity! I bet the postal workers were smiling too, just like me!

Did you ever see anything so cute??? I didn't think so!

Then, today I got a huge priority box in the mail and I'm wondering what I did to get all this stuff, but after I opened it, I remembered that I was in a STUD swap too and my partner, Kimmie, was sending me her package. Lately, it seems my brain is out to lunch....or maybe still on cloud 9 with my new quilt! :D

Would you just look at all that stuff! AMAZING! It was like Christmas! A book, a bookmark, a seed pack, a tape measure, jams from Oregon....e-gads! Plus, that marvelous quilt! Love those flying geese!

So, my friends, that's it for today! Whew, huh? I'm pooped too just showing you all this stuff! I've had a fantastic week. Hope yours was just as good! Thanks for all your awesome comments on my new quilt. I do love it so!!!

Love Quilt

2011-08-31T17:37:00.000-07:00

That's not what they called it, but that's what I call it! I had the surprise of my life today when my friend, Shirley popped over to my house for a short visit. She and I get together often, mostly when she's in town on errands since she lives in Siberia (which really isn't in Siberia, but about 30 minutes, way, way in the country.) We just call it Siberia, to bug her! LOL Lots of times when we get together (often with our other awesome friend, Susie,....we will bring stuff to show the others, like Shirley did today. EXCEPT, it was not really HER show and tell, it was a gift for me.......a wonderful, marvelous, most touching gift that I have ever gotten (other than my smocking pleater from my DH one Christmas when we were really broke). Shirley brought this:

It's a quilt filled with 12 inch blocks from 18 awesome woman who combined their time and talents to create a beautiful work of art filled with my favorite colors, and trees, and birds, and houses, and flying geese (I love flying geese and have never made any) that I can't get over it! I am so truly touched at the wonderfulness of it, you can't believe! Not only that, but there are two pillows to match! Again, with glorious designs and colors.

You have no idea how many of those blocks I saw on Flickr and commented on and planned on copying some day. LOL Many looked like they could have come out of my brain. In fact I was wondering how they got so much better than me so fast! And all along, they were combining them in a quilt for me. Thank you ever so much, Susan, Ruthie, Kimmie, cindy, Annie, Helen, Andrea, Julie, Flossie, Lish, Lucinda, Solidia, Kandra, Anita, Shirley (she will be featured here in a few days), Lynne, Krista, and Laura. I love it! Thank you all from the bottom of my heart! I adore it!

Meet Rita

2011-08-29T04:48:00.000-07:00

Meet Rita, everyone! She's #5 in the Ladies Series. Yup, I'm still going strong and have a bunch of others yet to come. It's getting to the point where I have to check their numbers before I post them though. Duh! Do you think that means I am going too far? For sure you've yet to meet Shirley, Gloria, Susie, Annie, Kat and Angie........plus who knows who that might come along. That'll make at least 11. And, I'm sure there will be more. I know of at least two other drawings I've yet to name.

To be honest, I'm not crazy about Rita. She gave me a bit of a fit! Seems whenever I make a longer face, (or perhaps it was the pebble quilting instead of the swirl), the face seems to wrinkle a bit. Usually, I can get around this with the addition of glasses, but I really wanted one without glasses once. I ironed the blue blazes out of her just to take this picture, I'll have you know. Poor thing needs botox!

She looked okay for this photo and at this point I didn't know she'd be a problem!

I was going to flip that picture, so you wouldn't have to see it sidewards, but the whole perspective is off since I actually took it this way. I think she was laying on the ironing board. :D

Here's the drawing:

And a close-up of her face. Note the tiny pencil dots. I even did freckles with knots, but later removed them because she looked even worse. Poor dear looked like she had zits!

And the finished Rita.........(I do love her eyes!) Believe it or not, I finish that part of the quilt first and then continue onward with the rest of the sewing. For some reason they come alive after I have done the eyes.

Oh, and one more thing. I think I was lax in showing you my entry for the Little Quilt...sew, vote, swap entry. It's a fun new group I joined. Check it out, you might want to be in our next swap. I think the next one starts the end of this week and you have a whole 6 weeks to make something.

I already have an idea of what I'm going to do next for that swap.....(if I don't forget...duh!) With all these ladies swimming in my head, who can remember anything?

Maria

2011-08-26T05:12:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my rendition of "Maria" (#4 in the Ladies Series). She reminds me of those alteration ladies that used to be (or perhaps still are in) clothing stores. I remember when I was a young girl how my mother would have some "Maria" come in to let out a few seams here and there for me. (I always was a bit chunky.) She always walked in with pins in her mouth.....or was that just my imagination? I'm sure she wasn't wearing a button necklace.........I KNOW that is my imagination! Come to think of it, I don't think I have seen an alteration lady in ages.......not since my daughter got married and needed her wedding dress altered. (Not that I'm still not chunky, you understand........I just rarely buy dresses anymore. LOL) Target is more my style now!

Anyway, meet Maria:

Perhaps I should have put the tape measure around her neck, as I remember alteration ladies did, but in her hair was just much more colorful and right now, for me, that is the name of the game!

I really like this one for some reason. Things just fell together perfectly and her eyes, well her eyes are awesome if I do say so myself!

The drawing:

Maria is for sale. If you need specifics, please visit the other ladies in the group. Prices are as in the past. I think she needs a new home, don't you? As with the others, it's 14 1/2 x 18 1/2 inches, and all ready to hang.

My friend, Rettabug

2011-08-22T04:54:00.000-07:00

You might have seen a link on my blog to "The Gazebo House". That blog is owned by my dear friend, Rett! You must check it out! She and I have known each other for ages, it seems, although we have never met in person. Sometimes, it happens that way when you just seem to hit it off with a person on-line and eventually you are calling each other over the phone and chatting about everything. That's how it is with Rett and I.

When I decided to put my ladies to fabric, I naturally thought of friends I could copy. Since I never really met Rett in person, (although I have seen pictures of her), I could basically do whatever I wanted as long as it sort of depicted her........(if you know what I mean.) I must admit that I had to ask her for her eye color. He-he......we've never gotten THAT close!

Now, before I reveal my creation, let me tell you a bit about Rett. On the drawing, it appears as though she could be a waitress. While this is totally untrue (although her husband might not agree), she was a critical care nurse in another life and thus the hat. She also is carrying dishes.......(another indication of luncheon help?).......not really! Rett is an AVID china collector! In fact, (and she'll probably shoot me for this)......she has dishes hidden all over her house including under the sofa since she is totally out of room in hidden locations. In addition, she is a wonderful sewer and makes gorgeous creations for her darling granddaughter, Miss C. So, let me present my friend, Rett........

And the finished wall hanging:

I hope you like her as much as (we) do. She told me that she wishes she looked that good. LOL (I did knock a few years off of her!!)

Incidentally, Gwendolyn is still here. The "dear" didn't sell yet, so if you're interested, let me know. Thanks for reading my blog. I hope I'm not boring you with all these ladies, but I am having such fun!

Two things......

2011-08-19T05:47:00.000-07:00

First, I must show you my doll quilt that I received on Tuesday. (Actually, I didn't open it until yesterday because I hate to be the one who is all done first. That happened to me the last time, and it's no fun so I had my DH hide the package until yesterday!) I like the anticipation to linger, and wonder which one I might get. Funny thing is that I thought I might get the one I did. I sorta put a little "hint" in my mosaic. Duh! It was made by the talented Teresa from Lochside quilter:

So pretty and she included so many nice goodies too.

BUT, onto the really fun stuff! I am LOVING making these ladies, my friends! I get such joy just drawing them and then it's very hard to decide which will be put to fabric next. Yesterday, I drew two of my friends, so I'm thinking they might be done next week, but let me tell you a bit about our star of today. We all know, Gwendolyn, or someone just like her. A sweet, sweet, little older lady with her blue eye shadow, overly pink lips, and tons of blush. Can't you just hear her tiny voice calling you, "sweetie"? She was just itching to be "born".

Naturally, she had to have blue eyes......after all, she must match her eye shadow, you know. LOL

I just love the procedure, watching them "grow" to life from the original drawing......oh, guess I forgot to show you that yet......

Funny how the drawing always makes them look younger than the fabric does. I've noticed that this happens a lot. Wonder why?

Did you check out those template earrings? Cool, huh? (I thought that was brilliant, if I do say so myself!) And ta-da......the finished Gwendolyn......(but first I'll show her pretty eyes):

As before, Gwendolyn is for sale. The wall hanging is 14 1/2 by 18 1/2 inches, finished with a sleeve, dowel for stability, and O ring, all ready to hang plus it's numbered (#2 in the ladies series) and personally signed by me never to be duplicated (until I die and my daughter either sells all my drawings or dumps them). The first $79 plus shipping takes her home. E-mail me at my address above right if you're interested. She really needs a new home! (Oh, and thanks for all your marvelous suggestions about future ladies. I will take them to heart!)

Toby

2011-08-16T05:55:00.000-07:00

Lately, between Toby and my imagination, that's all I've been doing. I have drawn some more ladies, so as the weeks go on, hopefully I can put each to fabric. "Gwendolyn" is already calling me to make her next. LOL Francine is already in her new home, hanging on a wall in the state of Washington to oversee her new owner's creations. Thank you so much! I hope she makes you as happy as she made me to create her.

Then there is Toby. My other love.......(I no longer count DH since he's been here a LONG time already, and is nowhere as cute as Toby, although his hair does match.)

Digesting the Sunday paper:

Trying to get his toys since I put them all together in a plastic container:

And chewing on his favorite thing.....a "Flossie"......made by Merrick......a twisted beef talon.....I've already spent a fortune on them at $4.99 each. Whew!

Okay, okay I'm sure you don't want to see anymore. I actually got on the floor to take those, I'll have you know and it was no picnic getting up again. I'm surprised he didn't come over and bite me in the nose. That has happened more than once already too! Oh, the joy of puppies!

Stay tuned for Gwendolyn later in the week......I think you'll love her!

Francine - #1 in a series

2011-08-12T00:43:00.000-07:00

You know me.......the grass doesn't grow under my feet long until I'm engrossed in something new! Since I had such fun creating my swap partner in fabric for the "Love of Solids" swap (yet to be unveiled), I thought maybe a series of ladies faces might be interesting.

I got out my paper and pencils and went to town. Originally I thought I'd capture my friends in fabric (and that still might happen), but it was just so much easier just to play in the beginning and the more I drew, the bigger my smile became! After awhile, it was just a matter of which one should I do first?

"Francine" just begged me to make her though! (She told her her name as I was doing her......you know how these quilts speak to us!) She seemed to be the epitome (at least in my head) of fun quilters everywhere, always ready with pins in her mouth and tape measure ready:

You know the process........a new package of Steam a Seam ready and able, plus scissors handy!

Little by little, I just plugged away:

I LOVE to get to the end though........it's so exciting to see the difference between the drawing and finished quilt:

And check out those eyes:

Incidentally, Francine is for sale (as will be all the ladies in the series - except the renditions of my friends, you understand). She is 14 1/2 x 18 1/2 inches, finished with a sleeve, dowel and O ring, all ready to hang, plus numbered and personally signed by me.....never to be duplicated! The first $79 plus shipping takes her home. E-mail me at turznik@execpc.com if you're interested.

Whew.....

2011-08-09T09:00:00.000-07:00

Because we have this:

and I can whip up these like nobody's business:

I have been feeling like this lately with all the company and running I've been doing:

So, who has time for sewing? Then, someone told me that getting a puppy would keep me young. I wish I could remember who that was so I could "bop" them on the side of the head because last month I surely wasn't taking 2 hour naps everyday! (That time is cutting into my sewing time too, you know!) I'm hoping that my family and friends obligations are close to being done for this season. I know it's been hot, but e-gads! Enough is enough already!

On another note, when I can take pics like this of my DD and Toby, life is pretty good!

I sure hope you are enjoying your summer too. Around here, it surely doesn't last too long so I have to take all the advantages I can. Maybe I'll take a ride to the quilt shop this afternoon for inspiration! I do have some new ideas!

Another one?

2011-08-06T05:10:00.000-07:00

Yes, another one! I joined another swap! Big surprise, huh? Then, after I signed up, I was perplexed on what I should make. This swap "For the Love of Solids" require that everything be made with only solids...duh....thus the name (hello)! We had our choice when we signed up to request things like a sewing machine cover, a wall hanging (mini quilt), tote bag, table runner or perhaps a set of placemats. Who knows what I asked for......I don't remember, but my partner was open to whatever I wanted to make.......how nice of her!!! Naturally, I wanted to do something different, something no one else might think to do and so I drew a drawing of someone and asked if my partner might like herself in fabric:

I asked in the Flickr post that if she thought this might be cool, to list her hair color, style, eye color, and if she wore glassed, etc. so I could get an idea of how to make her. I did do my stalking homework prior and sort of knew her general age so that was the easy part. Thankfully, she thought it might be a fun idea too and responded with all the information I needed. I must say that I am super in love with the results, but alas, can't show you 'cause she will know immediately that it's her if I reveal the whole thing. Surely don't want to wreck the surprise!! I can show you the sneak peek though........

Too bad I have to wait until Sept 1st to send it. That's a long wait!

You're gunna be mad at me!

2011-08-01T04:37:00.000-07:00

Oh you guys, I'm so very sorry to tell you that I (actually it was the lady at the quilt shop, but don't tell anyone) found 2....YES TWO.....mistakes on this pattern:

So, if you bought one from me, please get it out right now so you can fix it. On the bottom of the first page, last sentence #4 should read 44- 2 3/4 pieces.....NOT FOUR 2 3/4 pieces and the first sentence on the reverse side should say, "Note that the 11-6 1/2 red squares and (22) -6 1/2 white squares (NOT 11- 6 1/2 white squares). I'm so very sorry!

On a brighter note, I finished the mug rug that everyone asked that I do and I had such a ball yesterday doing it. I didn't realize how much I missed applique until I started and was (again) in my own little world. I didn't make up a haiku to go with it (as are the rules of the swap), but let some of my Flickr friends have their hand at it. Click on the picture to take you right to Flickr to read some of them. We have a very clever bunch!

Last, but not least, my Toby got a bath yesterday (and had his ears cleaned for the first time without incident, I'll have you know!) What a sweet and wonderful puppy he has been (except for this housebreaking thing....UGH!!)

Have a fun week, my friends!! Stay cool!

Mug Rugs again....

2011-07-29T05:31:00.000-07:00

I adore swaps! I suppose that's pretty apparent, huh? I was really going to take it easy now that I have Toby and entertainment of my own, but I just can't seem to help myself when I read of a new swap starting. Alas, the mug rug swap is not new, but one of my favorites! This time it has a new spin. We must write a haiku to accompany our mug rugs which pertain to our partner. Now.....you KNOW I can't tell you who she is, but I will tell you that she has a very unique Flickr name. She also wanted something simple.

I wanted to really do a raw edged applique (and I just might do this one anyway and enclose it just for fun):

But then, I thought maybe I should do something more to her liking so I did this. I took a picture of the process cause I thought you might like that too!

And all finished at 6 1/2 x 7 1/2 inches:

I threw it in the middle of my Rose Tree of Sharron to try to get the blooms to show....but it didn't work. The coolest thing about that mug rug is that I pieced the letters of her name on the back and that's the big surprise! I sure wish I could show you, but that would ruin the fun! (I will give you a hint though and admit to contacting the administrator of the swap ahead of time to ask for a partner with a name shorter than 6 letters.) How sneaky of me, huh?

Two things......

2011-07-25T05:52:00.000-07:00

First, I want to show you the little quilt I made for Kimmie who was my partner this month in the STUD group. The theme was "Rainbows-one shape".

I actually made her two, but the other one was the original that I copied for an angel quilt for the new DQS group. I'll show you anyway:

Now for the good stuff. I reviewed all your marvelous comments and suggestions on what you all would do with the leftover flower circles and I'm sure you will agree that I have picked a very unique winner. Thank you all ever so much for commenting. It was really fun. I'm thinking that as soon as I get back to my LQS, I will pick up another surprise in the same vein for another giveaway real soon! (Right now, they probably think I'm dead since I haven't been there since getting the puppy. LOL)

And the winner is: martinmosaics Ta-da! Here is the comment:
"I would love to use them to create a village! I would put roof tops on them and create roads and trees to go around them. It would be so fun to make houses from something round. My mind is running with creative ideas right now."

Now....how fun is that? Who would think to make houses out of something round? Not me! I can hardly wait to see this village come to life so please, "martinmosaics", please e-mail me with your name and address so I can send out your circles to you pronto.

Christmas in July?

2011-07-22T13:09:00.000-07:00

I'm telling you, lately I have to strike when the iron is hot! My little guy doesn't give me lots of time, so when I get a "fire", I go! A few weeks ago, I bought some awesome fabric by a local artist, Kim Schaefer, who designs for Andover Fabrics at my LQS. I thought the flowers would be perfect to add to a solid and make them into pot holders for hostess gifts for the holidays.

I got out my solids and a bowl (in this case 7 1/2 inches) traced some circles on some solids to match the flowers and started. I applied steam a seam to the flowers, and ironed them to the middles of the solid circles. Then, I found the coordinating fabric I bought for the backing, doubled some batting, made the quilt sandwiches and went to town. I button hole stitched the flowers down, cut the circles and applied bias binding to them and in no time I had 12 done. Pretty cute too if I do say so myself. What do you think?

The cool part of this whole thing is that I have 10 flowers left. Anyone want them? They're up for grabs. Just tell me what you would do with them and I will pick a winner on Monday!

Guess who's running the household?

2011-07-19T07:15:00.000-07:00

There is a reason that God doesn't let old people have babies! There should also be a reason that old people shouldn't get puppies! E-gads, we are tired! Our legs feel like jelly from hurdling all these dumb baby gates all over and doing it while carrying a sewing machine, is even worse, believe me! AND, once I am in position to sew, I have watch this little guy every minute so he doesn't "eat" my cords. My computer cord already has teeth marks! I'm wondering when I will be out of "juice" because of that. Perhaps I should go to the Apple store now and buy another power cord, just in case.

We do love him though. He has brought such life (if that's what you want to call it when you fall asleep on the couch at 7:30 pm from sheer exhaustion) to this household. Last night we thought we wore him out. He was sleeping at 8:30 and we sighed a sign of relief just to have our eyes free for a minute. Needless to say, we had no idea he'd wake at 11:30 and howl and cry until I finally came in the kitchen to get him at 2 am to bring him to bed with us. Then, not a peep out of him until 6:30. Can you say, spoiled?

What fun to watch an ant crawl across the floor, huh?

Mr. Rip-roaring 3 lbs 12 ozs! (We've eaten chickens bigger than him.) LOL

I think I forgot.....

2011-07-15T12:28:00.000-07:00

I think I forgot to show you these t-shirts that I appliqued for my granddaughter and great niece last Christmas........(yes, Christmas!!) Duh, where is my brain????

Probably the only reason I remembered is because I've been seeing them on the kids this summer!

THEN, I've still been sewing for the doll swap. I so do LOVE, LOVE, LOVE making doll sized quilts AND because my partner never commented on the pinwheel one, I figured I should try to make something she "might???" like. Thankfully, this one made the grade, so I'm pretty sure this is the one she will get:

See all those crazy knots in all those different colors? Just about put me over the edge, let me tell you!

I shoulda counted how many and then had a contest. That might have been fun! I'll have to remember that for next time!

Mini Pinwheel

2011-07-12T07:14:00.000-07:00

I might have a few pictures mixed up here, so please forgive me. I'm not quite myself with the crying during the night from our new baby, you know! And, I thought you'd appreciate this before I take my afternoon nap!

As you might have heard, the doll swap is well underway and this time the rules state that all quilts must be pieced or needle turned applique to try to resemble a mini type bed covering. Since I am not, and I repeat....AM NOT, the worlds greatest piecer, I tried to devise a way to impress and get tiny without sewing my fingers off. Squares have never been a problem for me, but half squares is another story. I thought a mini pinwheel quilt might be fun so I started with 2 inch squares in the typical fashion with a line down the middle of the white one and sewing down the sides of the line. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about! I got all done and trimmed and cut the tiny corners.......

Not a bad macro shot for my 6 year old Canon, don't you think? Anyway, I continued and discovered that if I'd make the pinwheels in a normal size, I could always take my 2 1/2 inch template square, find the middle, and trim them down. Duh!

Seams aren't the best when you sew these little things together, but you do as well as you can and spray them and press them until they behave!!!

And when you're done......wa-la............

12 1/2 by 14 1/2 inches with 2 inch finished pinwheels! Problem is that my partner didn't comment, so I think it's back to the drawing board for me. Poop! I guess this might end up as another angel quilt. Good thing my new baby, Toby, is letting me sew without chewing the cords. That's a miracle in itself!

Not only is the 2 ltr bottle of Pepsi bigger than him, it weighs much more too!

Who'd guess?

2011-07-08T08:35:00.000-07:00

Yup! Who'd ever guess that a 3# 4 oz puppy could so completely exhaust me? I am pooped and we

are only on our 3rd day together. Actually, on Tuesday, we came home with two of them......a boy and girl and thought they could become great friends. She was the assertive one. On Wednesday morning when I thought perhaps I should comb them out and perhaps trim the bottom of their pads (the breeder didn't even cut their nails once and I figured she didn't teach them the fine points of behaving for grooming either), I picked up the boy and combed him out and he made nothing of it. When I did the girl though, she fought and scratched and growled and that's when I knew I'd have a problem on my hands if she stayed. I put up with one dog like that for 12 years and never again. Originally, when we took them home, I told the lady that I didn't know if 2 would work and she told me to see how it went for a few days since she had tons of calls and would let me return one if I wanted. A wonderful gesture to be sure! So, the girl is gone and my baby boy has grown into his own without her just fine although I am the new playmate instead of her.

A bit of runny eyes, but he's teething so I'm hoping that will stop, especially when I give him filtered water which makes all the difference in the world sometimes:

I'm hoping he won't get much bigger than 10 lbs. As you can see, he loves laying in the sun.

Say "hi" to Toby! The newest member of our family and hopefully not the death of me! LOL

So how much sewing do you think I'll be able to do now???????

Happy Birthday America!

2011-07-04T13:10:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone in America has their flag flying today! It is a marvelous thing to be an American in the home of the free and land of the brave. So many people in the world would give their eye teeth to live here and so few of us really understand how good we have it. This day has always been special to me just because of that! I am blessed and I know it! Here is our flag proudly displayed on our garage. (Had to throw a picture of my day lilies in there too though since they're really looking pretty now.)

Well, the trial is over and now we just have to wait for the verdict and it's none too soon. Even my charge card company misses me. The other day, my Yahoo Flickr pro account was due and when I tried paying for it with my charge card, it just wouldn't work. I thought that odd, so I asked hubby for his and sure enough, it worked like a charm! Well, what's up with that I thought! So I called my charge card customer service line to complain (although I didn't really know if it was yahoo's fault or my card since I'm a real dummy on this goofy computer) and discovered that my card was on a fraud alert due to non use. Non use? Get out! You have to be kidding? Me, the MasterCharge mama? So, I thought back and since this goofy trial started 4-6 weeks ago, the only places I've really gone is the grocery store and the quilt shop where I wrote checks in both places. Too funny! Well, Mr. India (I'm sure he was from there or Pakistan) fixed it pronto and I'm happy to say that the next day when I put gas in my car, I had no problem! Too funny though! Fraud alert!!??

You'll never guess where I'm going tomorrow. Last week Sunday there was an ad in our local paper for Havanese puppies for $1100 and they were ready NOW! So, I called, and had to leave a message because no one answered. So, by Wednesday, after I hadn't heard from anyone, I'm thinkin' that either they sold all the puppies or their kids really didn't want them to leave and erased the message so their parents didn't hear it. So......I call again, and again I have to leave a message. By now I'm wondering what the hell is up! So, this Sunday, again in our paper is the SAME exact ad only now they are advertising the pups for $900. Hey, this is getting better and better and now I'm wondering if perhaps I should wait until next week to call because maybe they might only be $700? I can use a deal just as much as the next guy, ya know?! What I didn't tell you was that after Wednesday, I got curious and did a reverse search on the internet and discovered their last name and address. I thought of stalking, but know the neighborhood and figured they'd never have the puppies in the front yard anyway so why bother? So, yesterday, I'm intent on watching the closing arguments of the trial and low and behold what shows on my TV when the phone rings but their last name. Well let me tell you, I flipped that TV off like nothing flat! Long story short, the lady is sad to see the 6 (yes, 6) puppies go, so she ignored the calls from the week before. Problem is though that her DH got wind of the new price and had a "royal" that she never followed up on the original price. (I think my DH would do the same thing.) So.......tomorrow at 10 am CST, my hubby and I will be playing with 10 week old white with tan Havanese puppies. AND........I just might bring one home....maybe 2, who knows? I hope I'm doing the right thing. Ya know, if my DH was more entertaining, I wouldn't need a dog......but he's boring as heck, and I've had him close to 39 years already. A new man in my life might be fun!

I'm hoping that they'll be as cute as those babies. Ever since yesterday, it's all I can think about! I'll let you know!

Sewin' and Stuffin'

2011-07-01T03:28:00.000-07:00

Yup, I'm still sewing doll quilts! (That's 'cause the televised capital murder trial isn't over yet, although I'm thinking that there are probably only two days left.......and then what will I listen to while I'm sewing? I might have to go back to the "oldie tunes". Heavenly days!!!! LOL) I think I'm going to make one more quilt today and tomorrow and then I'm thinking I will have plenty in case I need lots of angel quilts for the doll swap (like maybe forever???) I think I'm up to 6 now.

Here's a cool 13 x 17 inch one:

Then, yesterday I didn't have much time, but wanted to sew something so I made a miniature checkerboard 8 inches square, but with 64 3/4 inch pieces:

You might actually be able to play checkers too if you use different colored popcorn for pieces. LOL

Then....................wa-la! Something many of you have been waiting for:

Yup, the new patterns are done and waiting to be sold. And I have plenty:

The pattern includes both lap sizes and 40 inch square baby quilt size and can be adapted for smaller things too once you realize the procedure. It's really simple and you will love it! Actually, my quilt shop talked me into writing this pattern because many of their customers couldn't figure out the simple solution when my quilts were in that gallery showing a few weeks ago.

Just like always, when I release a new pattern, these will be on "special" for all of July at a reduced price of $10 and I will pay the shipping right to your door. I take paypal or will wait for a check once you get the pattern so there is no reason you can't have one as early as next week. Send your request to: turznik@execpc.com with your name and address and how many you might want. I can't wait to "talk" to you! Thank you ever so much! I know some of you have been waiting for this one, and I'm pretty sure that this is going to be "it" for this year. Nothing else is swimming around in my head bursting to get out! LOL Happy sewing, my friends!

I promised

2011-06-27T17:04:00.000-07:00

I told you that I was going to work on this:

Remember that it was only 7 1/2 inches and needed to be at least 9 inches square? Well, it took me awhile, but here it is, now 15 inches square, waiting for a new owner someday:

Then, I want to show you the mini I sent to my partner, Pam (uberstitch) for the QT Mini swap. The theme this time was "true minis". (I'm sure getting a lot of practice lately on all this true mini quilting stuff, let me tell you!!) In reality I could have used this 9 x 11 inch quilt for all three swaps that I'm in. Wouldn't that have been a hoot?

Don't tell anyone, but I think I'm going to make another one like this maybe for me. I really like it! OR....maybe for my DQS swap partner if she likes rainbows? Who knows? It's just "so" me and I had such fun matching those tiny seams. Each little block is only 3/4 inch by 1 inch. Eikes!

The trial....

2011-06-24T05:10:00.000-07:00

Lately, I have been having a ball listening to the Casey Anthony trial and sewing my days away. What a life, huh? I'm hoping that they have a mistrial so I can continue my whole summer this way. LOL I am learning a lot about so much (not that I will ever have to use it, I'm sure). I mean what do I need to know about botany, decomposition, and bugs? Actually, I'm waiting for the good stuff. I have read plenty of mystery/lawyery type novels in my life to know that it's coming if I just wait patiently and I'm ready! LOL

I'm trying to catch up on doll quilts. I know, I have made them forever, but this time the DQS rules are different and since I am mostly an applique artist/sewer type person, and they are not allowing any art type quilts and only needle turned applique, I have to build up my supply of pieced quilts since I am the designated "angel" mama and send quilts to those swappers who's partners have flaked or for those quilts that get lost in the mail. Seems I have to send out about 4-5 for every round so I want to be prepared. So far this week, I have made this 11x14 inch one:

And this 10 1/2 by 12 1/2 inch one:

Today I am going to see what I can do with these stars that I showed you once before:

Right now they measure only 7 1/2 square and the size for the swap is anywhere from 9 inches to 18 inches so I have a bit of sewing to make it bigger. I got some ideas last night while I was looking at it, so we'll see what I can come up with today. Wish me luck! Hope you are spending your days doing pleasurable things too. Life is too short to not have some fun! Incidentally, thank you all soooo very much for all your kind and wonderful comments on my posts. I try to answer all of you, but sometimes life gets in the way (or the trial...LOL). Seriously, I really appreciate all of you and I hope you know it!

Surprise!

2011-06-20T17:47:00.000-07:00

Sometimes life can be so full of surprises that it just shakes you to your core. I had a day like that last week that completely blew me away. Let me give you a little history. During the last doll swap, there was a quilt that was being made by an awesome quilter who I have always admired. Her things are colorful and so precise that I know I'll never live long enough to get to her level. So, as the weeks went along, and the doll swap continued, she would show her progress and I would be more and more marveled at her skills and the beauty of the quilt. (And wondering why I never got a partner who was that good. LOL) And that is no lie!!! I was so envious of her partner until we started corresponding and she mentioned to me that her partner hadn't commented once on any of her pictures. I was shocked, to say the least! I knew how she felt after spending so much time and love on that project. Shame on me, but I talked her into making a different quilt and keeping that beauty for herself, or gifting it to someone who would appreciate it.

So guess what? I bet you guessed, huh? Yup! I got a surprise last week and it was MY quilt! The one I coveted all along! Helen wrote me a wonderfully sweet note and told me that halfway through the sewing process, she knew the quilt should be mine. Look at how gorgeous it is:

Isn't it amazing? I can hardly wait to hang it. I've gotten so many beautiful quilts lately, I think it's time to "make a wall" and I'm thinking my guest room would be the perfect place. It would be great to have them all in one spot. I'm still smiling over that package though! I love it, Helen...thank you soo much!

I have been sewing, but again, there is not much I can show you yet. I sort of cheated and made an angel quilt for the next doll swap already. I know that they are going back to their "roots" with pieced, smaller quilts for DQS11, so I had to practice. Call me crazy! I have a ton of ideas and I'm anxious to start. Besides, it might be time to take a break from applique for a change.

I actually cheated and matched the solids to the binding fabric I had. Looks like I was brilliant and did it the opposite way, huh? Whatever! After it's done, what's the difference?

So, that's about the news....except this:

Yup, that's me! DH took that picture. I needed a shot of myself for something else, so I thought I should show everyone what I really look like. My daughter told me to re-take it and put my head higher to get rid of the double chin and open my eyes. Kids! It is what it is! If I hadn't gained 60 lbs when I quilt smoking 6 years ago, I'd look much better too, but that's life! I'm trying, but when you sit and sew all the time, how do you lose weight? Got any ideas?

Were you wondering?

2011-06-17T04:41:00.000-07:00

Do you remember a few weeks back when I was asking about dogs and which kind I should get? Then, I sort of decided on a Maltese and searched and searched for a good breeder? Well, I found a lady not too far from where I live who had two adults to visit...just to see if we liked the size and breed. Well, she also had a 155 lb Great Dane and my husband was enamored instantly and looked at me with "puppy eyes" as if to say, "let's get one of these." Needless to say, I was NOT in the market for a horse! I poo-pooed that immediately and decided to continue my search. Next, I ran across a breed I never heard of before called Bolognese. They are from Italy and not even recognized by AKC here in America yet, although there are a few breeders. They are a bit smaller than a Bichon Frise, not as tiny as a Maltese, and are non-allergic.

And here's what they look like as adults:

Kinda like miniature white sheep dogs, don't ya think? I guess the hair gets to a certain length and just stops growing. But, you can cut them shorter for ease in grooming. Cute!

My friend has a Havanese and told me to look into that breed:

How can anyone resist those faces? There was a black and white 9 week old puppy in our newspaper for sale last week, but when my hubby discovered that the cost was $1500, and we are in the process of replacing all 34 windows in our house, he put the kibash on that in record time. I guess we're waiting now.......maybe forever? I hate to admit it, but we are getting more and more used to being dog free. Besides, how could I sew with a puppy around? I'd have to take at least a year break.

Speaking of that, I have been sewing, but alas can not show you anything yet. I am trying to catch up for upcoming swaps since l already know the themes. I did sew some stars though.....but haven't a clue what I'm going to do with them.

Here's a better picture:

Got any ideas?

Sewing and Shopping both start with "S"

2011-06-13T02:14:00.000-07:00

It's almost the middle of June and I JUST got my flowers in the ground this weekend. Our weather has been so crazy that it's either raining, or freezing, or so hot, you could cook an egg on the concrete that I just let everything go. Besides, I had some windows replaced so I didn't want my stuff to get trampled by the window guy (and then he did it from inside the house anyway. Duh!)

Don't you just love going to your local nursery in the spring though? Everything smells so good and looks so gorgeous? I just had to take some pics of mine to share with you:

And those don't even include all the gorgeous stuff they have outside. I should have snapped pics of that too, but didn't 'cause I was too busy filling up my cart. I usually only do simple things, like petunias, and tomatoes, and herbs, etc. Nothing fancy! I'm too busy sewing to prune, or water all the time, thank you!!

And then, guess what? My LQS got in ALL the Kona solids. Yup! All 221 of them and I am happy, happy, happy! I LOVE solids and you will be seeing more from me in the coming months using them. right now, I should talk them into putting them all on one wall though. Too hard to take all these pictures this way. LOL

Yummy, huh? It was so hard deciding which ones to buy first.......and now I'm thinking another trip is in order for this week. I think I need some more!

Haunted......

2011-06-10T06:16:00.000-07:00

On occasion, as I wake up in the morning, it seems as though I was haunted during the night by a quilt monster putting stuff in my head that MUST come out. Funny thing is that sometimes, it's some of my best work! LOL I had a day like that this week, so I figured I should "go with the flow" and get it out of there as soon as possible so I could move on. I started almost as soon as I woke up, and finished it in one day. I must say, it's even a bit too modernistic for me, but it seems that others like it. Now, I wish I had put on a black and white striped binding instead of the plain black...oh well!

It's even featured here today! Imagine that?

I just gotta show you....

2011-06-07T06:11:00.000-07:00

You know, (or maybe you don't) but in the swapping world, it's almost a requirement that you "gush" over what you receive from your partner no matter even if you hate it! (Kinda goes against my "tell it like it is" theory in life, but what can I do?) Everyone's gotta play nice, I suppose! Problem with that is that when you do get something you absolutely REALLY love and adore, how do you express it? You can go on and on, and hopefully express your true joy, but what else? I wish I knew because last week was probably my BEST week of swapping yet! I got two really awesome things and you MUST see them! First off, I got a darling mini from "bouncypoodle" alias Patti for the STUD swap. Remember, she was the one who decided on Disney songs for the theme rather than just plain Disney? If you go back a few posts, you can see what I made her, but here is the marvelous beauty she made for me:

Check out that detail! Did you see the tail feathers on the birds? They are 3D! It is so amazing in person, that I am overwhelmed! This lady has only been mini quilting for a few months too. I actually had her call me on the phone for some tips! Too cool! And the label? Another piece of art, believe me! I usually just write something on the back. No fancy stuff for me.......but look at this:

Now, that was perfection! I should take lessons (although I probably won't!) My feelings is that the label is against the wall anyway, so why jazz it up, and besides, by then, I want to move on to the next project anyway! LOL

THEN, not only was that awesome, but I think I got the BEST mug rug in the whole swap this time on Saturday! I'm thinking it's maybe the best mug rug I ever got? I adore it and it's already hanging in my kitchen so I can see it everyday! I gushed up and down (in truth) when I thanked her and I hope she really knows how much I cherish this piece of art!! "Littleloops" alias Lynda, really went all out for me! When I first saw it in the Flickr swap, I was so impressed, that I couldn't get over the work she put into this little 8 1/2 inch square beauty, but then when it arrived at my doorstep and I had a chance to see it in person, I was more awed! True perfection!!

Check out the individual corners:

Did you see all the additional embroidery? Tons of work!! And what a beauty! I am truly blessed and hurray for my swap mama who gave me such a great partner. I wasn't too keen on what I had to make for my partner considering she wasn't nuts about raw edged applique, but I sure got a good one making for me!! Sometimes that happens! Now, I'm all raring to go again! For awhile, I really had my doubts about swapping.........but these beauties restored my faith! Thank you! Both of you! I LOVE them!

Gallery Showing??

2011-06-03T17:29:00.000-07:00

Did you read that? Gallery Showing from my Local Quilt Shop at the exclusive Watermark Condos?

Featuring who? Local Wisconsin artists? Me? An artist? Guess so........see it in set up mode:

And here my stuff is in another view the night of the opening. With wine and snacks too, l"ll have you know.....and a showing of their $500,000 condos. Whew.....a bit beyond my blood, thank you, but beautiful!!! Gorgeous high ceilings, windows galore, and amazing kitchens.

I suppose I should have taken pictures of that instead, huh? After all, you've seen most of my stuff already anyway. LOL Next time, I will......promise!

Remember this?

2011-05-31T10:53:00.000-07:00

Do you remember when I made this:

Well, guess what? The patterns are done!

And.......you'll note that I have plenty:

So......if you want one, I will discount them thru all of June for only $7 each, just for you, my loyal blog readers, and I will pay the shipping!! I so appreciate each and every one of you! You can either PayPal your payment or write me a check. E-mail me at turznik@execpc.com. With your request, don't forget to give me your full name and address so I can mail it out to you. You will love it! It's super easy!

STUD is really not a cool dude.....

2011-05-27T04:10:00.000-07:00

Actually, STUD stands for "Swap 'til U drop". Clever, huh? I joined this Flickr group awhile back and it is ongoing every two months and you can join at will, which means if you want to, it's okay, and if you're too busy or don't like the theme, that's okay too. (Talk about run-on sentence there...whew!) I'll try to behave! So....like I was saying, I've been a part of this group for awhile, but seldom join in any specific theme. I really prefer when they used to have it every month instead of two. It drives me nuts having my stuff sit here so long without showing anybody. LOL My mind goes in so many directions, that often, when it's time to send out my stuff, I'm not even crazy about it anymore. Not good!

Well, this time, we had a Disney theme. Now, my original idea was cute and I really thought that I could be creative using a Disney coloring page from the internet as my inspiration, but after I got my swap partner, "Bouncy Poodle".........(who incidentally is marvelous at these little quilts), she threw me in a completely different direction. She wanted to do Disney music. What? Hey babe, I'm old....I don't watch Disney movies.....please.........???!!! Music? So I started thinking and the ONLY song I could remember right off the top of my head was, "When you wish upon a star"......from Pinocchio. Well, actually it was the theme song from the Disney TV series from the 50's, the show that was on Sunday nights. I remember as a child going to bed and looking out the window at the stars and wishing something or another....who knows what???

Of course, I got out my fabric and started going to work. You have no idea how many star fabrics I had out before I choose this one:

It's hard to tell, but I wanted all the noses to be looking up at the biggest, brightest star. You'll note that I sort of chopped all little green pieces first for my grassy hill and fused them first. I wanted interest in every aspect of this little quilt. I can't remember the exact size, but if I recall, it's somewhere around 10x14 inches. (Dummy me forgot to measure it before I sent it out.)

Well, when it was all done, fused and sewn, this is how it looked:

Note that I raw edged the applique, but......and this was the time consuming part......I hand quilted the background by putting a single french knot (actually it was a colonial knot 'cause they're so much easier for me) in the middle of each tiny star. Each knot is tied off on the back. Here are some closeups:

Did you see all the noses up in the air? And the ladybug and worm buttons too? Oh this was a fun one! I'm sure glad that Patti, alias "Bouncy Poodle" changed the direction of the theme. This was so much more fun and really brought me back to my childhood! 'Course, I never really sat on a hill with all those animals looking up at the sky......but in those days, that might have been what I was wishing for all along.

Almost there!

2011-05-23T16:57:00.001-07:00

I promise that this will be my last post with various pictures of dogs and puppies. I am smitten, for sure, but I also know that I might be boring you to death and I truly am sorry about that. Last week, I hardly did a thing in the sewing department. I was on a quest, and I think I'm close to deciding. Believe it or not, I did sew today.......not that I can show you anything though since I made it for the June/July QT swap and I don't even have a partner yet. Nothing like working ahead, huh? Actually, I did it in between waiting e-mail return inquiries on puppies. LOL

Sometimes, I really think I must have a bit of ADD. My DH says I'm too old, but I wonder. When I get something in my head, I am almost obsessed until I get it done, or make a decision on what is best for me. This is what happened. While I was searching the web for maltese breeders, I ran across this picture:

Did you ever see anything so cute? While I have discovered other litters for sale, I was needing to fulfill my desire to get one that looked exactly like that picture. (Not easy when some of the litters I had inquired about were only days old.) In fact, I did find one male puppy about 30 minutes from my house which I will be checking out before doing anything else, BUT........low and behold, today I found the breeder of that puppy in the picture and you won't believe, BUT she did a repeat breeding and a litter of 4 was born....ta-da...TODAY!!!. Amazing, huh? Here is what the litter last year looked like:

And in this one, you might be looking at my "someday" son. These are the boys only hours old! How exciting, huh? The more I look, it seems the more expensive they are getting......although I think I am finding better breeders.

I did bind a quilt last week...like I told you. This is called, "Easy Wonky Squares". Super simple but time consuming piecing all those peices. I am going to produce this pattern too which also has instructions for a baby quilt using the same method. My quilt shop talked me into it.

Here's another picture with my pretty crab apple tree in full bloom.

So, that's it! I sure hope I know what I'm doing. I'm no spring chicken anymore and I'm really wanting a puppy, but at the same time, wonder if I'm too old to keep up with one. E-gads!!!

By George, I think I've got it!

2011-05-20T05:09:00.000-07:00

If you're here to see sewing stuff, X me out right now! I haven't sewn a stitch all week other than sewing a binding on last night and since hubby wasn't home, I have no pic. He's my holder, you know! LOL (Much to his dismay too, I might add! You should hear the complaints about his arms getting tired. Poor baby!)

No, I have been waaaaaay busier deciding what kind of dog I should get since those two baby poodle/maltese I showed you last time were adopted under my nose in record time! Guess I'm not as "johnny on the spot" like I used to be. Gee, you get busy with household duties one day, and poof, everything changes!

I decided to do some soul searching and came up with something that I've always wanted and think that it's about time I should have. How about a maltese? I love white anything, they're tiny and easy to groom, they can't break the bank in food costs cause they're so little, and because they're so little, I can eventually get two! Won't that be fun?

I ran the gambit calling well known bichon breeders this week, and even got some offers for older champion lined puppies, but after much thought, I've been there, done that and I need a change. Besides, have you ever seen anything cuter than the following pictures?

I can't resist! I have to get one! 'Course, I won't be putting a hat on mine, that's for sure! Cute, though, huh? Last night, I discovered someone within my area who has a 1 1/2 week old boy who might be selling. I figure I have about 10 weeks to sew until I'd get him...if she lets him go. He was the only one in the litter. I haven't even called her yet........but I have about 2 or three other options, if she keeps him, so I'm safe. Stay tuned! Oh, and thank you all ever so much for your input! You are all such great helpers! Because of you, my DH even agreed to one at a time! Whew! So, if you have any other suggestions, PLEASE let me know. I need all the help I can get!

Oh my, what to do?

2011-05-17T07:27:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, we lost our 12 year old bichon frise, Emmy on March 18th. She was a gorgeous dog, purchased from a renowned multi-champion breeder, with a solid champion pedigree, but in many ways she was weird. She hated other dogs! She hated going for walks! She also hated to be groomed! Now, with some breeds that wouldn't be a problem, but with bichons, they require constant upkeep. Every month since she came to us, I would groom her and every month since she came to us, she would fight the grooming like the devil. She bit me and scratched me! She hated it! I hated it! Bichons are supposed to be loving and cheerful! Not Emmy! I bought her to show and to breed. Wrong again! I had her with my breeder/handler for 5 months in 2000 and she only got to 1 point. She hated the ring! I hated the fact that I spent so much $$ for nothing. Then, on top of it, because she hated other dogs so passionately, I couldn't get another one to keep her company and to make our lives more fun. I was stuck! I had her spayed! No way was I going to pass on her personality to some poor puppies. 12+ years I lived like this and when it was over on March 18th, I felt as though I gave her a great life, and surprisingly, I did miss her. But, and it's a big BUT, I didn't want another dog like that!! What to do?

Well, last Saturday, was a cold, miserable, rainy day here. It was the PERFECT day to visit a rescue shelter just for lack of anything better to do but possibly take afternoon naps. Hubby and I were both excited since we discovered that this shelter was known for their love of bichons and since we're over the showing/breeding stages of our lives, we thought we might find an older/in need dog. Well......we (or I should say, I) found the perfect dog alright, but it was never what I expected............lookie:

Have you ever seen anything so cute? I was in love! He's a 9 week old poodle/maltese mix. Problem was that I hadn't filled out any paperwork, nor been "checked" out by the owner and/or staff. Let me tell you that adopting from a shelter is probably as involved as adopting a child. I filled out paperwork for that other rescue a while back, but not this one. And the adoption papers were only online, not at the shelter. Besides, did I really want a puppy? Actually hubby wanted two at once. That might have been why I was hesitant.

So yesterday, after I talked DH into getting one dog at a time, we called the shelter and POOP, that baby has already been adopted. I'm sooo bummed! So now what? Should I settle for a litter mate? One's a boy and the other is a girl. We've never had a boy dog.

Or, should I keep looking? I think I'm ready for a new baby in this house before I'm too old to get one. What do you think?

What was all that about?

2011-05-13T10:15:00.000-07:00

E-gads, what was that all about? Does anyone know? I don't think I have EVER seen "Blogger" broken before. Scary! I couldn't even comment on some blogs. I sure hope it's fixed for good now. I'd hate to loose my stuff.........it's bad enough that I'm an idiot on all this techy stuff without blogger getting all goofy too. LOL

Besides, I promised I'd show you the latest wall hanging for this post. Do you remember what I told you that it was? No? Yes? Hummmm......don't remember, huh? No big deal, you see soon enough. First, I started with the biggest section first. I fused that down and continued:

Are you getting a hint of what it could be? I'm sure you know now, right? Look at the next picture and take a gander:

Strange position, huh? I remember when my kids used to sleep like that and I couldn't for the life of me understand how they'd be comfortable.....!!! Naturally, they didn't have a bird on their head though!! But, you know me......I'm a real bird brain from the word GO and had to add a bird into the mix.

Here is the original drawing. Does it make more sense now? Needless to say, I am still doing what I want. (Such a rebel!!)

It's probably one of the biggest wall hanging quilts that I've done at 17 x 24 inches. AND.....it's for sale! Lets see if you like this one any better than the last. Lord knows if you don't this might be the last cat with bird.......unless one has the other for lunch! Yuck! LOL Let me show this to you all finished. First the faces:

And now the whole thing:

Cute, huh? Okay....like I said, it's for sale. $85 with a dowel, and O ring, ready to hang. One of a kind, never to be reproduced (in any color) by me. My e-mail info is on the right if you're interested. Thanks so much!!! I'll keep trying even if you don't like it 'cause I'm having a ball!! :)

Back at it....

2011-05-10T04:13:00.000-07:00

Well, too bad no one liked the cat with the bird enough to buy it. I guess that will be the first thing in my Etsy shop when the time comes. Unfortunately, I made another big wall hanging with a cat and bird. Bummer! I'll show you that next time.

Today, I'll show you what I did yesterday. I think I told you that my mug rug partner doesn't like raw edge applique, right? Well, tough! Just cause she doesn't like it, doesn't mean I can make it, right? I mean, I don't have to give them to her.....I can give them to whoever I want! Who says I have to give up the whimsy of my life just because of one person? What was I thinking????

So, what do you think of this:

I must say I was thinking of the royal wedding. Her hat actually started off rather plain pink, but low and behold, pinned to my pincushion was two white flowers that I had planned for something else just sitting there staring at me, so wa-la, I added one to her hat and I think it just did the trick! She looks so much more whimsical now drinking her tea with her "pinkie" proper.

Then, I remembered that I had seen a pillow, or something with just plain flowers in solids with straight black stitching, probably on Flickr a long time ago. (I do tend to jump around a bit and get lost in Flickr on occasion and get ideas and then wonder where they come from.) I thought I'd try it:

Looks a bit Norwegian to me but I think it's because of the bright clean solid colors and plain design. ('Course I'm not Norwegian, so what do I know???)

So, that's it! Not very exciting, I know. Sorry about that! I can't sew all the time. In fact today I think I will clean some stuff out of my basement. I have tons of smocking stuff I'll probably never use again, so it's time to donate it to (hopefully) someone who can use it. Have a great day, my friends!!

Are you Ready?

2011-05-06T03:53:00.000-07:00

Boy oh boy! Once I made up my mind to do some fun stuff, it sure didn't take me long, huh? Does that tell you that some of this was in my head all along? I'd say!! And guess what? There is more in there!! Lots more! If only I could work faster.....or could send DH away on a short vacation (alone) for a few days (weeks....LOL) This cooking, cleaning and laundry really cramps my style!!

Well anyway....you know the drill. First I start off with a drawing (which I never photographed this time figuring you've seen them all before so why bother?) It's here though. I can't applique without them. The biggest appliques come first, or backgrounds. In this case, it was the cat.

I just knew he/she had to have green eyes. After all, if I remember correctly, all the cats I ever had seemed to have green eyes (or yellow....but I never thought of that color then....ummmm). Then..... NATURALLY...... I had to make the birds.........!!! What's a "mamacjt" applique piece without birds? (At least that's what I've been hearing lately!) I thought pink and green would be fun.

By now I was having a ball!! I already knew what this was going to look like finished and how I would quilt it and bind it. Besides, who can tire of cats and birds together?

So, here are two close-up pictures of the finished piece:

Did you see the little charm on the cat's collar? It says, "Made with Love". I also found a cat charm, but I liked the Made with Love one better.

So here it is, all finished and guess what? It's for sale.......one of a kind, never to be made again!!!

I'm calling it, "Friends". It's 15 1/2 x 22 inches with a sleeve, O ring and dowel and ready to hang. $80 E-mail me if you want it (my info is on the side).......I'll sign it on the back for you!! LOL Oh and....thank you ever so much for all your support! Your comments last time were so heartwarming, and wonderful......I was overwhelmed!! Smooches to you all!!!

Time for a Change

2011-05-03T05:18:00.000-07:00

You know, it's funny.....or maybe not so much. I have seen people come and go in blogs. Some quit and come back and some stay away for months and then re-appear like nothing ever happened. I used to wonder about that and question what happened in their lives to make such a change. BUT, maybe it wasn't that at all. Maybe it's because they ran out of steam......maybe their creativity left. Can you imagine? Glory be that should ever happen to me!!! AND, because of that, and because I have felt lately that I have been somewhat pressured, I have decided to start doing what I love and not what everyone wants me to do. (Talk about rebel, huh???) I suppose I'll still join in some swaps......after all, I really have trouble staying away, but after wondering if I should join this round of the Mug Rug swap and then joining but then getting a partner who really doesn't love what I like to do best, I've sorta re-vamped my thinking.

So today I am going to show you the last (or maybe not really the last...but close to the last) obligation projects. Then, from now on, or until the crazies are out of my brain and on fabric, I am going to do doll quilt sized wall hangings of various things that I have wanted to do. Some of these creations might be for sale. After all, I can't keep them all....what in the world would I do with them all???? They will be a one of a kind creations, never again to be produced by me. (Remember though that the original drawings are here and some day, after I'm dead, my kids might sell those. LOL) With that being said, let me show you some of what I've been doing:

First, two blocks for a very special project that a Flickr friend is organizing for a special lady who has been going through some tough times in her life. She asked for flower and/or heart blocks:

Then....another mug rug. I should have named this, "Sea Glass". It really reminds me of it. First, I strip pieced various colors of solids to a 1 1/4 inch strip of white. I later trimmed this thinner once I sewed it to the block:

I haven't the slightest idea which mug rug my partner will get yet. Maybe this one, or perhaps the one I showed you on my last post. Too bad I can't make something of whimsy though. :( I really love making those the most!!!

So, that's it for now. I sure hope you like the new "ME". I'm excited and anxious to have fun again. I've really missed it!!! I hope you've missed it too!!

Didya watch too?

2011-04-29T08:00:00.000-07:00

I'm up for the 2nd time today. I really wanted to watch the wedding, and since my body clock didn't really know what time that was, it seemed to wake me a lot last night. Finally, at 4:15, it got it close enough so I grabbed my clothes, socks, and shoes (no fancy hat though) and hightailed it to the TV to take in the festivities. I figured I did it for Diana, so Kate should have equal billing! LOL I really started yawning about the time they were to make it outside to the balcony, so I crawled back into bed instead figuring they probably wouldn't make a huge deal out if anyway.

Now, I'm up for good, I think, and I really need to get something done. The Mug Rug swap has started and you won't believe this, but they gave me a partner who does NOT like raw edge applique. Yes, can you believe? What were they thinking? I've had a few things drawn for that swap for days already and now I can't use them. Instead, I made this early yesterday:

I made that as a spoof! There were so many "too simple" quilts in the doll swap, that I thought I'd bring up the bar (so to speak) immediately for the Mug Rug swap. I sure hope everyone got the "picture". No one really said much though since they have a rule of no negativity. Bummer!

Right after I did that one, I got going on something that might please my partner though. Her favorites are filled with tons of pieced blocks and quilts so I did this one:

I really wanted it to all work out math wise, but with my tiny colored squares being 3/4" I was having a time of it working it all out mathwise, so I thought I'd just make the darn thing and let it go. I'm sure I'll come up with something else by the send date anyway. Here is the back:

Last time, someone suggested that I should try two layers of batting, so I did, but I'm really not sure if I like it. Too poofy, I think!! Look at that back binding. I had to pull my brains out to get it straight and now you can see all the stitches. UGH! Besides, now it feels like a potholder! Double ugh! What do you think? Do you make mug rugs? How many layers of batting do you use?

I'm sorta all caught up.......

2011-04-26T04:55:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it's a wonder I get anything done!! With my hubby retired now, and by the time he gets up and showers and makes his breakfast, and I do all my morning errands, it's almost time for him to bug me in the kitchen again (where I sew) to make his lunch! And, naturally, he has to have the TV on. By then, I'm so frustrated that I've not done much all day, that I go lay down on the bed just to get away from him and often fall asleep (unintentionally) for 2 hours, so most of the day is shot! Boy oh boy, I remember the olden days when he was working and traveling for days and all I'd do is sew. I used to really pump stuff out then!

I did get a commission wall hanging done over the weekend though and mailed it off to it's owner just yesterday. She wanted the name of her blog on it and told me that she loved Kevin, from the movie "UP". (That was one of my favorite movies too.)

At this point, Kevin wasn't looking to "Kevinish" yet, but he was on his way. I knew I had to get the crayons out to make him look a wee bit more realistic.

The birds all finished:

And Kevin:

And the finished 20x17 wall hanging. I call it, "Footprints" 'cause Kevin's footprints spelled out her blog name. (I thought I was being clever???)

And yesterday afternoon, I started something new.............! Doesn't look like much yet, but wait!

Now, if I'd only have time to write those patterns for those new lap quilts, I might be completely caught up......

If only....

2011-04-22T04:58:00.000-07:00

Now that I'm done doing my morning exercises, I can write with a non-guilty conscience:

(LIKE I WISH!!) I don't think I've ever been that skinny.....or nimble.....even when I was 9!! I did take ballet once if that counts? Not that I can even do the splits anymore though. 'Course, I can't do much anymore...except sew, and cook, and eat and sleep. In reality, that is my beautiful daughter in that picture. She is quite the renowned and respected yoga teacher as well as being a certified Rolfer and she's always loved exercise. When she was little, she used to watch Richard Simmons on TV every day and when we took a trip to Disney World, she got more excited at seeing Richard there than Mickey Mouse. (And she was only 3 at the time!!) Funny, isn't it how what you loved as a child affects you even as a grownup? I could sit for hours and draw when I was young...........(thus the non-skinny me, I'm thinkin')......and to this day, I still love it.

Too bad I'm not faster at it though! For the last two days I have done nothing! (Except take a 3 hour nap yesterday afternoon.) I think I am pooped from all the piecing. E-gads that is boring! I don't know how some of you can do that day after day. I can't wait to get back to my applique and fun drawings. I have ideas, now to just DO them!! I joined the new Mug Rug swap (although I wasn't going to because of so many other obligations)......but how long can one itty bitty quilty thing take anyway? Besides, it's not due until the end of May. I did get a lovely mini from "contented be" (Rachel) for the QT swap. The them was circles and curves. If you remember, I sent her this one:

And this is the beauty she sent to me:

Did you check out all that hand stitching? E-gads, what patience! (And strong fingers!) Beautiful!

I did make a binding for the wonky squares lap quilt that is now waiting it's turn for quilting at my local quilt shop. I think this will be perfect:

I know, I know......you're all saying, "Enough woman, show us the good stuff!!" And I really wish I could......next time (hopefully). I promise I'll start today! Really! Believe it or not, I even drew something before I sat down to write this...........so soon! In the meantime, have a wonderful holiday and enjoy everything whether it's for Easter or passover. Peace!

The past returns

2011-04-19T05:55:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it's amazing how the past comes back into your life when you least expect it. That very thing happened to me recently and I thought (since I've been busy aimlessly sewing new possible patterns and don't have anything exciting to show you) that you might like to see stuff that I used to do before I was a quilter.

Our church has a fund raiser once a year showcasing the wares of it's members and using the money gotten from the sale of the donated goods for the kitchen renovation fund. In the summer of 2008, I decided to make dolls for it. Needless to say, I didn't know how many to make, or how they'd go over so I started with a few.

I made them as cute as I could and dressed them in all sorts of different patterned fabrics and gave them various hairstyles, etc. The first ones didn't have much of a smile, but I changed that as time went on.

Here are a few from the beginning months:

As time went on, it seemed as though I couldn't stop. I was making some that looked like Chinese babies, African American babies, and everything else. (I do tend to get carried away!!!) Here's a picture of 18 of the 60 I eventually ended up making. When I dragged them all outside to the front porch to take this picture, my neighbors thought I was nuts!!! They said it looked like a kindergarten photo. LOL

Well anyway, onto the story. So, you ask, what has this got to do with NOW?? Needless to say, my church NEVER sold them all so I got lots back. I sold a few at my LQS, and saved my favorites for gifts, but I still had some left. I thought I might give them to our local police department for help with children problems, but was afraid that I couldn't provide them with enough, and I surely didn't want to start THAT doll making marathon again.

I live in a white community, so no one wanted the cute little African American dolls until I talked to an old online friend one day and she was telling me that her daughter teaches special education at a school in the poorest county of Alabama and they hardly have any toys for the kids to play with. Well, let me tell you, I knew right then where those babies were going to live so I sent them right off to her.

A week or so later, I received this picture with a heartfelt thank you note telling me that the dolls are the favorites of the kids and even the boys play with them.

Happy ending for everyone! Look at all those smiles!! Even the dolls look delighted that they now have someone who loves them! So, the moral of this story is "you just never know" and sometimes it just takes a few years to discover where something really belongs. So now, I will just continue to piece my brains out until next time................

I'm almost done......really........!!! Thanks for your patience!! I'm just as anxious to make something fun as you might be to see it......but I have to finish this stuff first. Two more patterns in the making!!

Wonky Squares

2011-04-16T05:52:00.000-07:00

Do you remember that pile of scraps from last time? Well, here is the result:

And here is the back:

I don't know what it is about primary colors that I love so much.......I guess it's just that they're so fresh and clean looking. And besides, my quilt shop needs to sell solids so I'm helping them out by designing easy patterns for beginners for their new Kona club which will be starting soon. Not only did I make this in a baby quilt size, but I also have one going in a lap sized which I'll show you soon. That one will need to be quilted though since I only do baby quilts. (Just call me chicken!)

Besides these, my swap partner in the UK did receive my quilt that I made for her in the QT swap so I can show you that. The theme was "circle and curves" and I think I managed to pull that off:

The first thing I thought of when I heard the theme was an ice cream sundae. Isn't that strange? The real crazy thing about that is that I'm not even a fan of ice cream.

Too bad that I didn't use a heavier steam a seam product on her face and hands though. Poor thing looks like she has chicken pox 'cause the background fabric is showing through. LOL Oh well, at least they're round. LOL

So, until next time.......I'll be sewing away. It's amazing how long this crazy piecing is taking. E-gads, all I've been doing is thinking of stuff to make next while I sew and iron away. For sure next week, I'll be creative again.......I promise!!!

It's here!!

2011-04-12T04:56:00.000-07:00

Yeah!!! I REALLY love how this turned out and I think you will too. Remember this:

With the fancy back that looks like this:

Well, guess what? I FINALLY got the patterns yesterday and they're ready for sale.

Think I had enough printed?:

I do tend to get carried away! OR.....maybe I'm dreaming of tons of orders? Who knows? Anyway, I'm having a sale until the end of April. The normal price of these patterns is $12 retail, but for the rest of April I will sell them for only $10 apiece and I will pay the shipping. How's that for a deal? If you are interested, please write me at turznik@execpc.com and we can work out the details. I take checks, cash, money orders and Paypal. (Can't get any better than that, huh?)

In the meantime, I'll continue to work on this:

It's a pain......all the piecing and trimming is driving me batty!! AND, I'm not done! I think I'm going to make a big version too.........(after I place an order for some fabric!) That one will probably drive me over the edge!! Stay tuned...............

Lots of Happy Birds

2011-04-09T06:30:00.000-07:00

Do you remember when I showed you this:

That was the mini quilt I sent to bahamadawn (aka Kim) for our private Easter swap. Well, yesterday I got the one she sent me:

Isn't it the cutest? I had seen a similar quilt on a cover of a journal that she was selling at some craft fair where she lives and made a "hint" on the photo in her flickr stream, hoping that she would make me something like it and she got the hint. I just love it! We have very similar styles and both love color, and whimsy! She also gave me some hints on her quilting which I must try soon. Thank you, Kim!!

Then, I finished another commission wall hanging this week. My client wanted flowers and birds and told me that her favorite colors were blue and purple. (Neither of which was too prevalent in my color palette of fabrics, I'll have you know.) Needless to say, I fixed that with a quick trip to my quilt shop! Oh geeze...what a shame!! LOL (I am always looking for an excuse anyway!!) I drew the concept and had everything but the middle object......my husband told me that the 4 birds (which were already drawn) should be looking at the sun. I must have looked at him like he'd lost his mind, because he left the room sulking....LOL! Hello! Where is the fun in that and besides, who looks at the sun? No, I had to come up with something way more fun so I slept on it and the next morning knew exactly what they were looking at:

They were looking at "LUNCH!!!" And that's what I called it:

It ended up at 20 x 16 inches and my customer is happy! Believe it or not, she doesn't even have it yet. It's on it's way to Norway but she was kind enough to give me permission to show all of you. Wasn't that nice? I guess it will be hung in her sewing room so she can smile everyday! How fun!

I'm already sewing something else. Nothing too exciting, but it's keeping me busy for now. Until next time........stay happy and be well and thank you ever so much for being a part of my creative world. I cherish each and every one of you!!!

All sorts of stuff today.......

2011-04-05T06:05:00.000-07:00

I just love tulips, don't you? I so wished I could have picked these outside, but alas, like I told you last time, I live in Wisconsin. Tulips don't pop here until sometime in May (at the earliest). No, I got these at the grocery store. Pink and white is my favorite!! (And I deserved them!!)

I'm a bad friend! (Actually, that's not true....but this time I'm so ashamed, that I could be a bad friend.) So often I show you things that my internet swap friends make, but this time I completely forgot to show you this awesome fabric bowl that my dear, real live, living close to me friend, Susie, made me for my birthday last month. Where is my brain???

Isn't it cool? Apparently you twist fabric around clothes line and sew the whole mess together somehow. Don't ask me! But check it out....it is perfectly round, and wonderful! Right now I have it on my cocktail table in front of my couch in the living room, but it was too dark in there this morning to take pictures, so I took it in the dining room (and I see the dust on that table...shame, shame on me!!) Thank you, Susie! I love it!!

Last time, I told you that I would show you the awesome mini quilt that I got from Ruthie for the STUD (swap til U drop) group. The whole thing contains my favorite things. Little did I know that she would blow me away by paper piecing all the items. I don't know (can't/never learned/no patience for) paper piecing.

Ad here are some close-ups. She embroidered the bottom two items from Alice in Wonderland......so cute!

And put my name in the top stars......how clever!!

So, that's about it for today! I'm working on a commission quilt and hopefully will finish it today or tomorrow. Here is a sneak peek.............

As you can tell, it's not even quilted yet. So, until next time........be well, and have fun! Life is too short not to try to enjoy yourself at least a little every day!! Go buy yourself a tulip!! LOL

Happy April!!!

2011-04-01T11:46:00.000-07:00

I love April 1st! Actually, I probably love April 1st better than most other days of the year, except for (of course) my birthday, Christmas, etc. Know why? First, you have to know that I live in Wisconsin...hello!!! Wisconsin is damn cold! Like, Wisconsin is damn cold probably 9 months out of the year. Seriously! So, even though we probably have better weather in October than we do in the whole month of April, in October you REALLY know that there is only BAD stuff coming whereas on April 1st, you realize the best is yet to come. Get it? Ah-huh! I knew you would!! :D

To celebrate, my wonderful hubby bought me these darling guys to decorate our living room. I had seen them at our speciality grocery store and admired them and he decided that they looked too much like us (big bellies and all) for him not to pass up. Besides, I LOVE tulips!! They stand 18 inches tall.

I must admit that I haven't been sewing much. I did complete a lap sized quilt top this week of this one which I dropped off at the quilters this morning. Dummy me forgot to take a picture. Duh! I think I am losing my mind lately!!! I'm backing it with flannel and having it quilted with wool batting for warmth. I'm thinking it'll really be toasty.

I did get a marvelous creation from Ruthie for a swap, but I really need to take better pics before I show you. Her work is so marvelous.....you MUST see every little stitch. Next time!!

I have been obsessed with this dog thing.....so yesterday, I decided that I need to back off and take a rest. There will always be rescue dogs for adoption and it's only been two weeks today that we lost our Emmy, so what's the rush? All I was doing was scouring the internet every spare moment. Crazy! I do tend to get carried away sometimes........I think I will KNOW when the time is right and when the dog is right. Until then, I need to get myself in order. With that in mind, next I will be working on a commission quilt for a marvelous reader in Norway. It's all drawn so now I just have to choose the right fabrics and get to work. Stay tuned!!!

Sometimes , it's just the little things....

2011-03-29T05:26:00.000-07:00

I think this is the first time in forever that I have gone 5 days without sewing a stitch. (Not that I don't have obligations, you understand......it's just that, for some reason, my heart isn't "in" it!) I'm hoping that I can change that today. I think I am going to write a pattern for "Confetti Squares" for a lap sized quilt. Just wait until my graphic designer gets wind of that. He still hasn't finished "Color Play". (Although I did get a preview of a possible cover which I asked to be changed a bit, so he's working on it.)

In the meantime, I must show you something which as always thrilled me. (Call me weird!!) I think double yolks are the coolest thing on the planet. It's almost like twins.....and how often does it happen? Heavens, I rarely even make friend eggs anymore and then to have two double yolked eggs on the same day? I thought it might be like a "sign" of some type....but NO! The rest of the day was pretty mundane. LOL

What I have been doing lots of lately is searching out bichon frise rescue sites online for a possible new dog. Hubby and I think we might just like a boy this time since we've never had a boy. How do you like this little guy? Isn't he just the cutest? His name is Rocky and he's 9 months. Problem is that the foster mom thinks he shouldn't be an only dog so he'd have to come with the next one.

Meet Isabelle. She and Rocky apparently are best buds! Isabelle is 4 years and they both are puppy mill rescues and not real sure of human companionship yet. Both are "fixed" and microchipped, and have had shots and vet checks.

Then there is Roscoe. Roscoe is 5 and also up for adoption, but he would be available as an only dog. He too was a mill dog, but prior to that was owned by a couple who had gotten divorced. From what I read, he is a little lover. So.......that's where my head has been lately. I don't know! Should we get another dog (or two) or not? I go one way one day, and the other, the next. If I wasn't allergic to cats, I might go that route instead, but that's OUT!

Oh, there is one really nice thing that happened lately though. My swap partner got her doll quilt and the goodies I sent her and said some really wonderful things in her blog. You must read them here. I was so touched!! Thank you, Kat!!

So there you have it! My last 5 days in a nutshell. Whatcha think???

More stuff.......

2011-03-25T10:08:00.000-07:00

My friend, Shirley knew how broken up I was about losing Emmy, so she made me a sweet little quilt to remember her. Note the doggy on the left:

She even painted that button white to make it look like her. BUT, did you note that quilting? Isn't she fantastic? I am in awe with every single thing she makes. One is more beautiful than the next!

Then......I got my 3D quilt from "uberstitch" (Pam) for the QT swap. Note all the goodies she sent to me too. E-gads, it felt like Christmas.

And last, but not least, I followed a marvelous tutorial here to learn the D4P trick and made my own quilt to show it off. Needless to say, I started with lots smaller squares and I did square them all up to 4 inches before I sewed them together. I love the wonkiness of it! I think this might be used as another angel quilt for DQS10 if we need it. I surely will be using that tutorial again though....so fun!

Hope you all are keeping busy too. In between sewing, I've been researching Bichon rescue sites so who knows????? Eventually, there might be a new family member here......we're thinking boy this time. We've never had a boy dog before and I understand they are oh so sweet. We'll see.....

LIfe goes on....

2011-03-22T12:48:00.000-07:00

Before anything, I must thank all you marvelous readers on all your blessings and exclamations of sympathy for our loss of our sweet, Emmy. Saturday was a tough day, and although it has been exceptionally quiet in this house, it has been raining constantly since Sunday and I'm not unhappy about letting a dog in and out of the house all wet. Nor, am I upset when our bed is not shaking because our dog (who slept with us) was afraid of thunder and lightning and NO ONE dare sleep while that is happening! I do however, miss the growl every time someone sneezes. Sneezing was not allowed in our house, you know!! LOL She didn't like that at all!! I also miss so much else......much too much to mention. I'm sure you know what I mean. Seems every loved pet has something special that makes them unique. At this point we aren't sure if we will adopt again. It's too early......but if it happens, I will be sure to let you know.

In the meantime, I have been sewing. I sent out a STUD mini quilt to Ruthie who was my partner for the theme, "favorite things". Ruthie likes: Wizard of Oz, owls and birds, schrooms with rooms, embroidered/embellished, and bird nests and branches. No schrooms with rooms, but the tree has one, and please note the lions tail on the right side of the "golden brick road". Everything else, I think I nailed. She loved it.

Then, I was the first one to be done with the doll swap. I had sent my quilt to my partner earlier in the week, and yesterday received mine from "boutiquenutmegdesigns"..(Meg). She nailed my likes to a T.

Then, just for fun, I sewed this little number. It seems I'm really into red and white lately......I'm thinking it's my sympathy for the Japanese people, who knows, although I do love red and white anyway. I even think the next thing I make is also going to be red and white. Why I'm thinking in only those colors is beyond me.

I showed this to the owner of my LQS this morning and she asked when I was going to write a big pattern for it. ???????? Good question, and perhaps that might be in the cards too. I better do it soon though so I don't forget what I did. Duh!

So, you see, I'm still alive and probably working harder than ever. At least for now......thank you all again for your sweet words and love. It means so very, very much to both me and my DH!! I've read every one of your comments to him too. And we cried together. But, that's good......

Smooches to all of you!!!!!

Emmy

2011-03-19T07:28:00.000-07:00

January 1, 1999 - March 18, 2011

Goodbye my precious baby! I loved you so much!

Always something!

2011-03-18T05:23:00.000-07:00

Yes, with me, it's always something. Sometimes, I'm not even really sure what will happen. LOL See the image below? Those are the embellishments for my next project......which is in the works, but still a secret so I can't show you until my partner gets it.....when it's finished, naturally! I made those cute mushroom buttons. They're not perfect...actually, my first ones were better, but the color was off so I had to redo them last night. They match much better now.

The mail has been good. I am getting some of the swap items that I have coming lately and it's so fun! Remember when I sent this mug rug:

Well, this is the one I got from my partner, Amy Crane Designs:

She had all sorts of neat stuff in the package she sent. I think I just sent some small packages of coffee.

Then there was the Scrappy Pincushion Swap, remember? I sent this (plus some pintoppers):

With all the ones I made, I was somewhat torn on which to send, but I noticed that she did like rainbow things, so I went with that one. In return I received this beauty from Mel Sews:

It was so nice of her to include extra fabrics that she used....plus those pretty magnets (which are on my refrigerator at this moment.)

Lastly, I think you might like to see my latest wall hanging that was sent to it's owner this week:

I covered the banner flags with dimes to protect the privacy of the owner since they spell her last name. I hope she's pleased. That was a fun commission quilt to make. I have a few to go yet, so if you are one of the ones waiting, my thinking cap is still on.....I have not forgotten you! So, that's it for today, my friends. Hope you are all well and happy.....after all, that's the main thing, isn't it?