Tall and Slim

I always wished I was tall and slim.
I'm not.
So this is a "feel good picture of myself"!
I do not feel good today.
If you want to know how I feel you must go to Sylvain's comment and my response to his VERY VERY FUNNY comment under spooky, creepy sewing machines or something like that...I'm too pooped to go look for the exact name, but it's a sort of recent post.
I do not feel good
because
I woke with a sore throat and head cold.
I am not a good patient.
Godforbid I ever get seriously ill...stand back world!

But if you read Sylvain's comment and my response to it you will know why I feel the way I feel beyond the head cold stuff.
******
I got started on my homework assignment for the French Rose Quilt today.
I did way more that I was supposed to.
Instead of cutting out just two squares I cut out all 25 squares.
Instead of cutting out 2 roses (just the large part of the template) I cut out all four layers of four roses.
The roses are so pretty.
I know Jane, the teacher, told me she was going to teach us how to conserve fabric...probably why she did not what us cutting too much to start before class.
But I am a bad girl/rebel student
and often march to my own drummer.
So march I did and I have four completed roses on four squares all very pretty and pleasing to my eye.
I hope I didn't waste too much fabric.

I'll stop now because I don't have a reliable sewing machine to sew on anyway!
Drats!

It's fun being tall and slim
in shadow.
I feel a little better already just telling you this.

I might cheat and make more roses before class on Saturday!

Part of Diane's Sukkot wall

The traditional four species for celebrating Sukkot by Diane Moore.

If you are curious and want to know more about Sukkot go to this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sukkot#The _four_species

The four species are: lulav (date palm frond); hadass (bough of a myrtle tree); aravah (willow branch) and etrog (a citron, a lemon-like citrus fruit).

Diane has done beautiful hand work to depict each one here.

Be sure to double click on the photo to see the intricate raised work.

Meet Diane and her wonderful artwork

Today is Sukkot.
I was invited to lunch in the Sukkah of friends Diane and George.
Diane is a quilter par excellence of some 32 years. She does most of her work by hand and it is exquisite.
The photos show a small sampling of the many works of art in her home.
Top left is her work in process on a large hoop. She said she always has at least two pieces going at once, one being pieced and the other being quilted. The middle top photo shows another friend, Karen, looking at the beautiful hanging quilts that made up the
walls of the Sukkah (outdoor hut) under which we ate our lovely & delicious lunch. The far right piece shows a close up of her hand stitching and it is perfect.
Middle left is a piece of the same quilt honoring Faith Ringgold, a famous artist and quilter of great renown and one of Diane's teachers. Center photo shows the back of this quilt and the details of her hand stitches. Right center you can make out Diane between the two panels. Lower left is a part of another beautiful quilt denoting a summer beach scene.
Center is a striking piece and I regret I cannot recall the name of the artist of some of this fabric designs, but it was extremely interesting.
The final bottom right photo is Diane holding another beautiful quilt she made for her grand daughter. Each piece so significant and so beautifully done.
How lucky am I to know such an artist and to be able to see first hand what she creates!

Thanks for having me Diane and for sharing all your wonderful art work.

Creepy, spooky sewing machines

Before you read this, go down several paragraphs to the beginning of today's posts and start reading from there up...or you'll have the story backwards! Start at "Frustration City..." You are NOT going to believe this! Okay, I brought the brand new still in the box sewing machine home (just like the top of the line machine I already had for the past month, not even received the first bill on yet machine)... and I started doing the "free style stitching" with the free motion spring foot...and guess what? It did the same gathering of thread on the backside just like the other machine I brought back to the store! Then it straightened out for a while. I was able to finish the side I'd been working on in one direction and almost got done going in the opposite direction with my super-dooper awesome self designed stitching...when bang, crash, bing it did it again!!!!!!!!!! @#$#@%@ I said loudly, probably loud enough for the neighbors to hear even though my windows were all shut! I stopped, I re-thread the machine, did all the checking steps I'd done before, but no go...it was just as bad as the original machine. I got on the phone to Becky to report my woeful findings. While on the phone listening to her say she'd have to call Corporate Office in the morning...too late today, I said I'd try sewing regular stitches with the A foot. Good she said the more she had to tell them the better. Got off the phone and tried A foot...straight stitch and immediately it did the big darn gathering on the back side again! So I called Becky one more time and while I was talking to her, while I was relaying this terrible tale the machine started sewing all by itself. I was NOT touching anything. My foot was not on the foot peddle. My hands were on the phone, not on the machine in any way, shape or fashion. But that machine was sewing down the fabric I'd left in like a ghost had taken over. It's possessed! I told this to Becky and she did say "Machines seem to have minds of their own." Well, yeah, but ohmygosh...this was spooky! Not yet October, not yet Halloween...but a sew-ing machine sew-ing allbyitself? Made the hairs stand up on the back of my neck I'll tell you right now! @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ So...after going down and eating some much needed ice cream...and watching a rather provocative new show on TV...I went back upstairs to the unplugged sewing machine, plugged in my iron instead...and ironed the new fabric for the French Rose quilt I hopefully will have a machine to make next week when I go to that class. It was relaxing to press the fabrics and they are so pretty. They are called Hannah Sentimental by Moda and are all 1940 era floral designs and reminded me of my mothers' old house dresses of that day.

Sewing Problem Fixed?

I have just returned from the Viking Sewing Center here in town. I have to praise Becky who works there, manages that department in the middle of the Joanne's fabric center. She sat at my machine and fixed the needle threader device, but could not fix the tension problem in the bobbin area after doing everything I had tried. She said I had two options. 1] She could send my machine in for repairs or 2] she could swap it out. What did swap it out mean I asked? She could just GIVE ME a brand new machine still packed it it's box! OHMYGOODNESS! Such a choice. Of course I opted for #2, the new machine. So she did the paperwork and I am home now with the brand new sewing machine. She said sometimes these things just happen (meaning the problem)... So now I'm going upstairs and see if I can finish my quilt as planned today! I hope your day is going as well.

Frustration City in the Sewing World

All is not right in my sewing world! I am using my "wonderful" "Fab-U-Motion device to free-style sew around the border of my lastest quilt project. It worked for one end/side. HOWEVER, last night it or the sewing machine, and I think it's the latter not the former, started to balk. The result of balking is that on the back side of my fabric the threads have all gathered up into a huge mess of loose threads, as opposed to lying flat on the surface of the material. I have: taken apart the bobbin housing and cleaned it maticulously with the little handy brush. (twice) I have: changed the needle I have: adjusted the tension (doesn't matter) I have: re-programed the machine...made sure the computerized part is showing "free motion spring sewing" and nothing else I have: changed the thread I have: re-threaded the machine multiple times I have: cut away a lot of extra lost thread from the back of my material!!!!!!!!!! I have become VERY FRUSTRATED because I cannot finish this quilt which was my plan for today! Unless someone sees this and can think of another something I can try (this has happened before and I somehow fixed it but I can't remember what I did that I have not again tried as mentioned above) I guess I will drag the heavy machine down to the sewing machine store and have them take a look at it. Oh, and the automatic threader is not working all of a sudden either!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OY!

Hopping frogs

The frogs have landed! Thanks Kelly for telling me how to delete cookies. That seemed to have done the trick allowing me to continue to upload photos.

I have suggested to Mommy frog that she apply green face paint to faces and arms for that complete frog look! The "eyes" are worn on the head!

PS. The missing quilt photos in lower post are now in! Go see! And you can rest assured that you have finally seen the last of this quilt.

The update is that it went to my office today, and it hangs across a room divider and looks quite nice behind the wing back chair with colors that blend with it. It also got several positive comments from a couple of clients!

I am full of beginner quilter's pride!

Frog Costumes Done!

I am crossing my fingers that I can get a photo or two in here today. I had great fun making these two frog costumes for my three year old grandkids. Their request to be frogs! The "eyes" are on lime green visors with big plastic doll eyes, the kind with the black centers that move around. The fabric for the Kermit collars and bellies is a very very soft brushed fleece, got cheap t-shirts at Michael's and pants at Target (the most expensive part). Felt for the spots and trim around the collar pieces. Halloween socks for a buck and made the feet from the same material the visor is made of. Not sure what its called, foam I think. They will look cute! Now lets see if the photos will upload. Nope, they still wont upload. If anyone wants to see the photos send me your email in comments and I'll send it to you that way. Hope to get this problem resloved soon.

No photos

If you are also not seeing photos on my most recent post before this one I am sorry. Neither am I. I am also at a loss as to how to pose a question to Blogger help. If anyone has ideas that might help I'd appreciate hearing. One note says I am using 3% of some 1000 mb of photo space. Doesn't that sound like I still have a lot of room to go? In the meantime, I continue to sew morning and night around my work schedule and the #2 quilt is coming closer to completion. It's larger than the other #1 quilt so is taking longer to do. The #1 is in the washing machine now getting a fresh look after all the handling it took during sewing. I may take it to my office tomorrow for a showing. Let it see if that is to be its new home or not. I'm sorry I cannot show it to you with its binding in place and cut to size. I'm going to go sit with the #2 quilt now to tie off threads. A number of squares yet to quilt and then the border. And then the binding. It's a steady process and leaves me feeling accomplished and satisfied.

Completed Quilt #1 in series of two

Quilt #1 is completed

Double click on photos to see close ups.

I love what I was able to do free motion sewing on the border (top photo)
with variegated thread, the round curves seemed to balance out
all the rectangles in the quilt. The backing is a good quality fabric and is very soft. (middle photo) and the completed baby (bottom photo)!

Quilting IS FUN!!

Another day, another quilt!

Last night I sat and sewed the binding onto my #1 quilt and now it is done! What an accomplishment. I pointed out to my husband all the little puckers and stitches that show, and he so encouragingly pointed out that there were hundreds of women/people who could not do what I had done! I argued that there was a world full of quilters far more talented than I, and he again pointed out that there were tons who weren't. So I finally had to accept that I'd done darn well for a beginner and be done with it. I do like what I accomplished (with all it's imperfections) and am proud of myself! Then I got more green foam and went on line to look at frog feet. Then I cut out frog feet for my grand kids frog costumes and then I added lighter green paint to them. Now to figure out how best to adhere them to the bottoms of the pants, or to the tops of the socks as DH suggested. And now I have also been quilting on the top of quilt #2. There's a ways to go on this big one. But I shall persevere. I did go out and buy the needed "plastic template" sheet for the next floral quilt. I am very excited about doing my "homework" for that class (two weeks from last Saturday). And I realized some green scrap fabric from quilts #1 and #2 will work well for leaves on this next quilt. It's a good day when I feel I've accomplished so much. I also got the Epsom printer for future labels on quilts, as I believe it was in Karen's blog that I learned the ink is one that will not wash away as my HP ink does. Thank you Karen for that tip. Got an all in one at Target on sale for $59. Wishing you all a very good day!

Making Connections in a Small World

When I was a young teen I used to write letters. I wrote to an aunt in a city an hour away, I wrote to girl friends I met at summer camp who lived further away in the same state, and I wrote to other teens I did not know in other countries. We called each other "Pen Pals". It dawned on me today when I was marveling at the fact that I have gotten comments in my blog from people who live as far away from me as Canada, England and The Netherlands, that I once again had "Pen Pals" but this time I use a keyboard and a computer, two things not yet invented in "my day"of paper and pens. It is a small world isn't it? A nice way to be connected. My Sacred Part of my day was spent in our temple again, as today is the Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur. We are graced with the most marvelous cantor, a young woman member of our community who is a trained singer and to me sings like an angel. I think I went to sit and soak in her voice chanting blessings that have been heard by our ancestors for centuries. It's nice to have a thread that continues from then through my childhood to my present time and one that I know will be passed on to my grandchildren and to their grandchildren and so on. Another way to "be connected". And then for fun I came home and finished the frog costumes! (I'll take a photo of them to share soon). And I finished the sewing on the boarder of my #1 quilt. I plan to go back upstairs and make the binding and put it on. Then I can sit in the living room and sew it on to the back by hand, something I find relaxing to do. I did stop by the quilt shop on my way between temple and home. I purchased the beautiful floral fabrics for my next quilt. The class is two weeks away, but we have homework to do to be prepared for the class. I got an early intro from the teacher who helped me pick out my background fabric and shared helpful information for getting started before the class happens. I peeked in the back room and discovered a room full of women and their sewing machines, all wearing pink. They are either cancer survivors, patients, or friends who are all working together to create a quilt to sell to make money for a cancer foundation working towards finding a cure for cancer. Yet another way of connecting.

And she can knit too!

Meet my doll family
I knit these dolls and their outfits in the early part of this year. From left to right meet
my grandson doll, grandpa doll and granddaughter doll.
They all feature characteristics of the real people. There is a grandma doll too, and I'll keep looking for her photo. [you can double click on the photo to see it larger and in more detail]
There's also a teen doll for my 14 yr old grand daughter, who saw these and said "I want one too." Hers had to be wearing a bikini!
I carry a big "grandma's bag" of toys and books when I visit my grand kids. Been doing so from their birth.
They look for it and love to rummage through it for old beloved toys that have always been there (for the past three years) and the occasional new surprise.
The dolls traveled back and forth in the bag for several months. But about a month ago when it was time to pack up my bag, to put 'grandma's toys away' my grand daughter gave me a look when the only things left out were the dolls. I asked if she wanted the doll to stay at her house now. She nodded "yes". So now the grand kids' dolls live at their house and just the grandparent dolls travel in the bag back and forth!

Let the Quilting Begin...

The work goes on. Because I am a beginner quilter I am journaling my progress through the maze of steps it takes to create a quilt. (Maybe a grandchild will benefit from my doing this some day...mine, yours? Who knows?)
These two are my largest to date (of three!) not counting the two little nap time mat/quilts that hardly count because they were just large sheets of fabric with borders, not really pieced with lots of pieces! Unlike these monstrosities!

The top photo shows the pinning of the "sandwich": the pieced top, middle batting (brand: warm and natural cotton) and the backing fabric (which I'll show later).

The middle photo is obviously the "quilting"on my machine. I am using a special foot on my machine made especially for "stitching in the ditch" or in the seams for those who do not yet speak "quilt talk". This foot helps although I am still far from perfect. Some stitches are really well hidden and some show. (They are not supposed to show). I am using a variegated thread that has burgundy, blues and greens. So if it shows on the lighter pink, well it SHOWS! Oh, you can see a bit of the backing on this shot too in the far right side.

The third photo shows some of the parts that are quilted. The pinned square is not yet done but all the squares without pins are done. Of course I still have to pull threads to the back and tie them off. I think my teacher would have me hand needle thread them into the fabric to hide them, but I like to tie and cut. (I have always been some what of a rebel when it comes to instruction from teachers. Probably to my detriment.)

I got up early so I could sew for at least an hour this morning before I have to go to work. Tomorrow will be a big sewing day as I do not work on Fridays! This is really fun, but I am really also tired of these quilts and want them done. I'm more excited about getting the fabric for the appliqued Rose Quilt I will learn to make in a class in another two weeks from now. But, patience Lynn, one thing at a time!
Some people send their quilts out to be quilted. And some do them by hand themselves. I prefer to do it myself, but using the machine.

I might also add that my sewing machine sits on top of MY GRANDMOTHER'S card table. A lovely thing in itself (light wood, with lime green top). My grandparents played cards on this table. I have the chairs that go with it too with their carved wood backs in a leaf pattern. And my grandmother was a seamstress in her own right, who made many of her own dresses and suits and coats. My cousins tell me she also made them doll clothes and matching dresses for them. She knit clothes for my doll. I used to love to sit in her sewing room on the floor and play with her boxes of buttons and threads as a child.

Eyes need a new resting place

I have been looking at my quilts for so many hours/days/weeks now that I am TIRED of them. I needed something new to rest my eyes on.

This pomegranate is in my friends front patio on a tree laden with them. They are beautiful. I can only imagine the juicy red juice inside that would drip out all over my fingers if I cut it open with a sharp knife. And I can almost taste that juice, the acidic tart flavor of redness on my tongue.

But in the name of you know what (sewing/incase you did not know what) I did have a free hour and went to the Q-shop today and got instructions for cutting my backing fabric (remember I am new at this). No time to sandwich them there.

Went instead to Michael's to get Frog Costume stuff for 3 yr old grandchildren's Halloween: lime green t-shirts (size small); lime green visors, big plastic doll eyes with blacks that move inside the white ovals; green, yellow and black felt for frog spots. And Halloween stickers of all sorts because my grandkids LOVE stickers.

Came home tonight after work and sewed the backing pieces together...ironed them. Now they are neatly folded waiting to see if I can do the sandwiching on my queen sized bed (tomorrow morning the plan is to get started).

Corrected piece

Can you see what was changed? It's better now. Off to make "sandwiches" of the two quilt tops.

Mostly Green with Borders

Quilt #2 with borders on.

Tomorrow I'll have some free time around noon. I plan to take both quilt tops to the quilt shop along with my new backing fabric, batting and safety pins and use the large tables there to sandwich both quilts. Then I will be ready to quilt the tops. I plan to do "stitch in the ditch" with my new "stitch in the ditch" foot. It's not a "walking foot", so I hope it works on the thicknesses of these pieces.

I was so tired tonight (all day really from my weekend of non stop sewing) that I could hardly keep my eyes open. But I wanted to get these ready so stayed awake to do it. Now I can still get to bed early. There is something very rewarding about watching these quilts taking shape. We can call this one "mostly green"!

Second quilt top finished

Quilt #2 in series (of maybe just 2)
Center without borders yet.
I like the squares with the narrow stripes.
Good use of my left over scraps!

Yesterday I went to the quilt shop to "show off" my completed tops. My teachers eyes nearly popped out of her head she was so surprised. Up until then I had been complaining that I couldn't bring the pieces together and now I had...finally. She liked them. The tiny narrow stripes got rave reviews too. I call them my "Gees Bend/like Squares". I got fabric for backing for both on sale for $4 a yard! What a deal. And more border fabric for the second quilt. I need to wash it and then I'll be busy sewing again. The second quilt is very green and will have a green leaf backing. The first quilt is predominately rose with greens and blues and I got fabric with all those colors in very small squares that look like brush paint strokes.

I have enough squares left over for a six rows by six rows of 6" squares. Am thinking of cutting them up like the narrow striped squares and making something with that. A small wall hanging maybe or a pillow top? Ideas churning.

I had to come home and take out two squares one on each quilt. The #1 had a stripe that made a "star" look like something else and needed to be turned around. I did that. The second had a square that was too big and made puckers and that came out too and was trimmed down to be returned for a smoother look. That's why we need teachers. They point out the flaws and people like me who might have just left it didn't and got a nicer outcome.

The top is finished

The borders are sewn on!
I like it!
Tomorrow, batting, and quilting!
This is my second large (throw size) quilt.

Rails Quilt top #1 in a series

Quilt top sewn together
The finished quilt will be around 46" X 58 "

You may recall that I started out making a huge quilt (70.5" X 94.5") and cut out enough squares to do that. But I was not at all happy with how the colors came together.
So I made a decision to make three smaller quilts using all the squares already cut and sewn (into six inch squares/rails).
This is the first one. The squares are all sewn together so there is no going back. The border is just laying there for now on two sides.

The top is not yet quilted. That's next. I think I will just "stitch in the ditch" on this one. Nothing fancy. Let the rails make their own design(s).
There are a few duplicated "mini patterns" in this design of my making. But not an over all pattern. The only thing I did that followed a pattern at all was to cut out strips and sew them into the blocks. I did not follow QT (quilt teachers) instructions for lining them up according to color values. And that probably shows! But I am learning and determined to play with it until it suits me, not a cookie cutter version of someone else's idea of what a quilt should look like. (With due respect to my teachers and all those who know way more about quilting than I'll ever know)
I will probably finish this one (maybe tomorrow) before I start the next in the series.

Feeling fulfilled in so many ways

A New Year, a Year of Peace...prayers said for healing, renewal...afterwards time with friends over lunch...feeling filled up, fulfilled,
satisfied, fortunate, grateful.

Fourteen year old grand daughter wrote a thank you email for her birthday gift, the fish quilt! She said "It's beautiful and I love it" and that she was "overjoyed that I had spent so much time making something so beautiful just for her". Talk about feeling appreciated.
I could not have asked for anything more.

Life is good.

Shana Tova

Today is Eriv Rosh Hashana or the eve of the New Year for Jews all over the world. Today we go to temple (if we are at all religious) and pray and give thanks for all we are grateful for in the past year and to look forward to what is to come in the year that follows, that starts at sundown tonight.

I am incredibly grateful for my life, my health, my family and friends. I pray for peace in the world for every living soul.

To all I wish a "shana tova", a good year!

Woke up feeling alive and well and grateful for that!
It's 9/11.

I got out my black letters on gold pendant that says "War in not healthy for children and other living things" circa 1969. Feels right today too. I like Annie's blog with the sign that says: "Wage Peace!" A client is leaving for Iraq on Monday. I hope he'll be safe. He looked proud in his spanking new ironed camoflague fatigues. It made this war all the more real for me. I pray for peace and safe return of our armed forces!

Sacred Life

I have joined the "Sacred Life" bloggers. I just want to say that the "art" I am attempting to create is my "sacred work" today and tomorrow and all the days that follow, as it feels special coming from some inner part of me. Even when the place feels stuck and ungiving or displeasing to my eye. It's a challenge to create and hopefully in turn to please. I wonder if this latest quilt piece is the hardest so far because I am making it for myself? Other earlier quilts were made with love for others. Hum? Okay, I hear you, love myself the same as I love those others (and maybe the spirit will flow the same as it did for those pieces and for them).

New HUGE quilt project Fear sets in

Oh myG_d what have I done? My double closet door is covered in "auditioning" pieces of cloth, hundreds of 6" squares, three bars each/rails they are called in quiltdom. My bed is covered in as many as will fit over a queen sized bedspread. And I still have rows of squares to place somewhere? The floor? The ceiling? Parts of it I like, some are so-so okay, I think I like them/how they look placed next to each other, other parts I hate, my stomach turns wondering if there is a way to pull this one off, bring it together to something I can live with. The plan was a quilt for my office. Something to throw over a 16 year old high back wing chair that is in need of a sprucing up. But this thing looks huge. I'm not even to the place of worrying how it will fit in my sewing machine to quilt the top once (if it's ever pieced together). Even my new much roomier sewing machine! I like the fabrics each by itself. The batiks are attractive. I like the colors. But now I'm not at all sure my choices for joining them together without much rhyme or reason while doing it was such a good idea. Me not wanting to follow an exact someone elses' pattern. Me wanting to be "outside the box" (again). Oy. I'll bravely post a photo/oops I already did/and wait for honest feedback that may be helpful. I saw another beautiful quilt that the creator did in quadrants of colors and I sort of thought I might follow that idea a bit here. Okay, I am helplessly lost. LOL It's not easy airing ones stumbling efforts for all the world to see even if just a very few are looking in.

The birthday capes were a huge success!

The birthday capes were a huge success! The kids both wore them and flew around the park where their party was held. One invited guest, a little boy, wanted a cape too. His mom tried to improvise with his sweatshirt and hood, but he pouted so my grand daughter shared her cape with him and the two boys ran and flew all over the park together. It was a delight to me to watch them looking behind themselves as best they could to see if their capes were flying behind! What a fun day we all had!

Fini!
Two capes for tomorrows 3rd birthday party are done.
I like the way they came out...cute.
Now, if to find out if my idea works with sewing them onto the backs of the t-shirts
or not. I also hope the inside threads on the fronts of the Ts won't be too scratchy.
I noticed after I got done that the white T's original applique with the crown and rhinestones has a backing
that is smooth on the inside of the shirt. Is that called "sizing"? I'm learning.
They can always wear them over other shirts if they notice the rub.

Now off to Good Will to drop off a load of stuff in my car, and then...
back to sewing on the quilt #4.

Grand daughters birthday quilt front view and back view

Birthday Capes

For the past two years I have made birthday crowns for my two twin grand kids. This is a "family tradition" from when their mother was a child and I made birthday crowns for her early birthdays. This year said daughter said they'd do an art project at the kids party in the park and let all the kids make their own crowns. They are turning three and can do this now themselves! So I came up with the idea of sewing birthday capes instead! "Super Boy" and "Super Girl" capes with the insignia being a heart with the first letter of their names in the center of the heart. They can identify these letters as "theirs" now. Then I made big 3's and a cake with 3 candles to applique on to the backs of the capes on either side of the hearts/letters. Grand daughter's cape is a pink fabric with sparkly white snow flakes and sliver sparkles all over it, and the heart and 3 are on dark rose with lady bugs and bees print. The cake is some Mexican looking cloth in stripes like a layered cake, and the candle flames are yellow fleece. (Left over from their butterfly rug, my first reason for needing a sewing machine and how all this sewing got started in the first place!) Grandson's cape is on bright striped cloth with dark green heart and the letter 3 in the striped material again. I have yet to do his cake and 3. After they are sewn I sewed them to the back tops/shoulders of T shirts. My thought is this way nothing need go around their necks (a possible hazard while running and playing). I hope they won't be too heavy to pull the shirt necklines up under their chins. They can tuck in their shirts and be just fine...is my hope anyway. The party is tomorrow and I am looking forward to giving them their capes along with their other gifts! It will be a very fun day!

Charlie Horses from standing too long?

I just finished cutting eighty-one 2 1/2"X 42" strips of batik and other thicker cotton for my "office quilt", plus eight strips for outer boarder and eight strips for binding. I was going to stop at 10 PM. I stopped closer to eleven. I think I started around 9:15. I only have one more piece of fabric to cut into nine strips! But decided to wait till morning when my feet started cramping. This does not bode well for a good nights sleep. Is this a common problem or is just my feet? Tomorrow I'll start sewing strips together in threes and then cutting them into six inch squares. I am going to mix up the colors. The WIQS (woman in quilt shop) helped me pick out light, medium and darks in each color group. (Three shades of turquoise-dark blue, 3 shades of light green to dark green, 3 shades of light peach/rose to dark ruby rose). Well one of the "blue strips" has rose in it and green too so why not mix it with rose strips some times and with greens sometimes and with blues sometimes? Did she mean the three related shades had to be in one square only? I know I can do this anyway I want to ... right? Yes, okay! Right! I will. I'll let MY EYES be the judge of how to put the colors together!

What do you do when you finish a quilt?

What do you do when you finish a quilt? You rush down to the local quilt shop, show off your finished project, and then you buy fabric for the next quilt! That's what I did when I ...well, you get the picture!

The photo here is of a new chair in my office and the fabrics picked out for an office quilt. I need it to cover another older high back chair.
The new area rug has the greens and blues in it. The roses go with this pillow and my other chair. It will work.

The woman/owner/teacher at the store was very, very helpful. I went in with one idea and came out with something totally different.
She taught me how to match colors and to pick different "levels" of them. I'm not sure if level is the right word. I needed darks, mediums and lights in each color group. I came out with three different color groups with a total of nine fabrics and a tenth for the boarder, which my pattern did not have, but she decided would make it nicer. I LOVE the color we decided on for the boarder~ The majority of the fabrics I am using are Batiks.

This will be my biggest quilt to date (given I've only made three). The Fish being the largest till now. This one will be a good ten inches longer and just a bit wider than that one.

I also set up my new computer at work. Tomorrow will be like going into a whole new office. New computer, new chairs, decor etc. and the promise of a new quilt in the making! Onward!