Remember this?

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.....

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!

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!

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?

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?