Snow Days Block Three!

I just pulled the last stitch and

Snow Days Block Three is now complete. 

YAY!

I am loving everything

about this quilt in progress!

The floss,

the simplistic scenes,

the Kona cotton in Bone background,

the relaxation of stitching,
and the awesome fabrics I have
for the pieced blocks.

Sharon, of Moosecraft USA,

(the one who got me into this stitchery quilt),

suggested that we put crosses on our churches.

What a wonderful idea!

The pattern had a spire atop the bell tower.

I continued the lines of it to form the cross...
I am very happy with it.
I think it fits with the overall feel of this block.

Thanks for the suggestion, Sharon!!!

block three...

(be sure to click to enlarge)

 Next up, the General Store.

YIKES...loads of detail in that one!

What are you working on this weekend?

Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might. - Ecclesiastes 9:10

T-Shirt Quilt Done!

Well, I did it.

I finished the big bad t-shirt quilt!

My first commissioned quilt.

Here are the stats:

56 9" t-shirt blocks.

24 4" t-shirt blocks.

Sashing & border of Kona solid in Navy.

Denim backing.

Warm n' Natural batting.

Tied with perle cotton (~ 170 ties).

75 x 90 inches.

 

I apologize for this next photo being blurry.

But, you can see it well enough to see

that I did a pieced backing.

Now that I crossed this off my list,

I can move forward.

On to the next batch of projects.

Mother's Day is coming.

A special little girl's birthday is coming.

 Totes are waiting to be made.
Charity blocks are waiting to be made.

I am itching to start a quilt.

Just you wait and see.

Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might. - Ecclesiastes 9:10

Dog Meets Cat...Part Three!

Tag is a Labrador Retriever.

He loves water!

However, he does not love water

when it is squirted in his face.

Go figure.

{grin}

Julie brought Kisa out.

Julie sprayed Tag one time.

Yup, just once.

He stayed away from Kisa.

Even when she started roaming around the living room.

He didn't bark at her, either.

In the photo below...

(taken by Julie with her phone)

Tag = very alert, watching Kisa.

Kisa = laying in front of the ottoman, 

watching Tag watch her.

 

Stay tuned!

He Is Risen!

May you have a very Blessed Easter!

Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might. - Ecclesiastes 9:10

Aqua & Red...

So.

I joined a bee.  

Why?  Cuz they're fun.  

And, because I have nothing else to do.

It's called the 'Aqua and Red Block Bee'.

(See the button on my sidebar.)

I love the aqua/red color combination

and have yet to make anything with those colors.

When Erin, of Why Not Sew? started up this bee,

I quickly joined.

(You may remember Erin from the "we double rock swap"

she & I did 2 years ago...click here & here).

I have no red and aqua fabrics in my stash.
Really.
Well, perhaps a few pieces.
But nowhere near what I'll need.
I have plenty of time to pick some up here and there.

I stopped at my LQS today to
drop off my 'Just One Star' blocks (2!).
My LQS gathered a total of 44 star blocks
from its customers...woohoo!!!

While there,
I looked around to see what they had
for aqua and red fabrics.

I found these...

Yes, I bought them.
Are you surprised?
Don't be.
You know I have no willpower.
(Won't that red stripe make the best binding?)

I think that's a good start, don't you?

I have no idea what type of blocks I'll want...

stars or log cabins or what,

but that part doesn't need to be

decided for a few months, yet.

I also picked up one of these charm packs...

It's scrumptious.

It's for a future project.

That's all I'm going to say about it.

Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might. - Ecclesiastes 9:10

T-Shirt Quilt...

I gotta tell ya,

this is looking better

and better all the time.

I have the back and front pieced.

Yes, a pieced back...how could I not?

front sneak peek...

 back sneak peek...

Now to sew it all together.

Then on to pinning and tying. 

I may not use batting.

Waiting on word from the commissioner.
edited to add:  yes, she wants batting, so batting it is.

Is that what one who commissions the quilt is called???

Then, would that make me the commissionee???

Yes?  No?

{grin}

The back is denim,

which is a lot heavier to work with

than what I'm used to handling.

It's hard on my neck and shoulders,

so I'm having to take a few

more breaks than normal.

It's a dreary, dismal day.

Perfect for spending time

with my Naomi Janome.

Though, gotta tell ya,

she was acting a bit

temperamental earlier.

Breaking thread every 3-4 inches.

huh?

Once I changed the needle,

she was back to her sweet sewing self.

I'm anxious to get the quilt done.

Some fun projects waiting.

Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might. - Ecclesiastes 9:10

Good Sunday Morning!

Before I write anything else, I need to apologize for not replying to your comments.  I've just been very busy and distracted (it's more the distraction part that keeps me from getting at them).  It'll get better.  Thank you so much for taking the time to read/comment.

So.  Julie is still here...we made it to the one week mark without hurting each other.  {grin}  I guess that means she's staying!  She has been very busy unpacking.  I've been busy as well, working at my job (only 3 days this week, though) and moving my stuff around so she has room for her stuff.  And, let me just say...she has a LOT of stuff!  So much for decluttering.  At this point, there is not one room in this house that is entirely the way we want it.  It'll get there...slowly but surely. 

I've been working on the t-shirt quilt (no photos yet) and need to finish that up...the deadline is fast approaching.  I am really looking forward to getting it done, as I have a ton of things waiting for me...and that I am very much wanting to work on.  Quilts to start, blocks to make for charity quilts, quilts to quilt (6 are waiting to be sandwiched, basted, and quilted...can you believe that?), tote bags to make, fabric to organize, etc.

In the evenings, I've been working on my stitchery for the Snow Days quilt.  I'm on block three.  Still haven't put any of the fabric blocks together.  I'll wait until I have more done...better to plan placement of colors.  Here's what I have done on this one...

I started this block on Monday night...and stitched some on it every evening.  I am really enjoying having this to work on! It relaxes me more than I thought it would.    

The dogs are getting along fine.  We weren't really worried about them.  There have been no more dog/cat encounters.  Julie has a gate in her bedroom doorway that is several inches off the floor so that fat cat Kisa can get under it should the need arise.  So far, Kisa hasn't ventured out on her own.  She seems perfectly content right where she is. 

I think that's all I have.  Have a great day!

Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might. - Ecclesiastes 9:10

Other Things...

A few things that I thought 
I should catch you all up on.

I have actually gotten a few things done...besides

moving all my stuff so Julie has room for her stuff.
We're a long way from being done, though.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Be sure to click on all the photos to enlarge them.*

I finished block two of the Snow Days quilt.

Kinda wrinkled, I know.  Sorry.

oops!...I missed a spot on the right side of the roof.
Best get that done tonight!!!
Done...but no new photo!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Vicki, over on Sew Inspired  blog,

celebrated the 5 year birthday

of her blog by having 5 days of giveaways!

The giveaway was for two charm packs...
Sherbet Pips and Modern Workshop!

I won!
YAY!

How fun will these be to work with?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I mailed the DQS10 package...

Tami received it today.

Here's what I sent...

the doll quilt,

the mini-bargello quilt,

the cairn terrier fabric block

(found it on eBay...

Tami has a cairn named Fearghus!)

and two teal fat-eighths.

I know you saw some of these,

but I never showed everything together.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One last thing.

Here's the fabric for the next tote...

I think that's all I have for now.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

American Idol is on tonight!

Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might. - Ecclesiastes 9:10

Dog Meets Cat...Part Two!

Julie brought Kisa out yesterday afternoon

(her fave place to sleep is under the bed).

Tag just wanted her to play with him.

She, however, declined.

He gave her many kisses

but Kisa did not change her mind.

She did her best to ignore him.

Thinking that if she turned her

back on him, he'd go away.

Fat chance of that happening!

Tag was just way too interested.

He finally laid down on the floor

where he could keep an eye on her.

And, seriously...

he did not take his eyes off her.

We'll put them together again...

perhaps later today.

Dog Meets Cat!

Tag met Kisa today.

We tried the slow intro,

which is the best way to 

introduce new animals.
You know...
with one on each side of a closed door.

Not so with Tag.

Made him all the more anxious.

We then tried crates next to each other.

Nope.

Finally.

Tag meets Kisa - nose to nose.

Well, it would have been if she'd been interested.  

After pausing to let him sniff her a few times, 

she walked sedately behind the sofa.

Tag's looking for her..."I know she's back here somewhere!"

She is not afraid of Tag.

Not. At. All.

She did swipe at him a few times.

I would have, too.

He was barking right in her face. 

And, when she did that, he backed right off.

What a good boy.

In this photo,

he was kinda bouncing around, wanting

her to play with him.

Yeah, like that'll happen.

 

 All in all, I'd say it was a successful first meeting.

They've Arrived!!

~1300 miles,

3 days,

2 overnights,

25 hours driving,

1 Rav4,

1 U-Haul trailer,

1 dog,

1 cat

1 sister.

They got here last night before 6:00...

 

Manley...the original Doodlehead.

This new chapter...
our new adventure...
begins

NOW!

Allegra

Yesterday would have been Allegra's 13th birthday.  She died almost 18 months ago.  Gosh, how I miss her still.  I can now finally talk about her without a catch in my voice...without tears...most of the time, anyway.  As a tribute to Allegra, I am repeating the verse I wrote and posted over a year ago because it holds true to this day.  If you'd like, you may read that post in its entirety here.

Without You

My breaths are filled with sadness.
My pillows are tear-soaked.
The house seems so much larger.
The days so much more quiet.

There is a huge hole in my heart.
An emptiness that cannot be filled.

It's as if part of me went with you. 
Because...
I feel no nudges from your petite collie nose.

I see no expectant looks or wagging tail.

I hear no welcome home bark, no story of your day.
I have no tiny feet to trim, no beautiful long coat to groom.
I miss your warm body across my feet as I awaken.

The sun no longer shines just for you.

Oh, how I miss you, my baby girl, my Princess, my woo-woo girl. 

The Last Chance...

This is the last night...the last chance for Tag and I to be completely alone.  The brown dog and I are snuggling in the big easy chair...watching "The Next Three Days" with Russell Crowe.  A very quiet and relaxing evening. 

Julie, et al., will be here late tomorrow.  I'm excited.  Tag has no idea how much things will change, though I keep telling him all about what's coming soon to our house. 

By the way, Tag is completely back to normal.  Bringing his food bowl, pestering me at feeding time, looking for crumbs from my plate (not that I give him any, but he is ever hopeful!), carrying his toys & wanting to play...and all the other stuff he does on a regular basis.  I am very relieved. 

I have the next 4 days off.  Julie and I will be working hard getting everything sorted out and moved around and put away.  

I'm sure I'll have at least one good Tag story to tell you about very soon.

In the meantime, have a great weekend!

Cyndi's Tote...

I finished another commissioned tote.

This one is for Cyndi.

I met her on Wool Snippets,

a rug-hooking forum that we

belonged to for several years.

(still do, I guess.)

While I had my rug-hooking business, 

I think that Cyndi bought almost

every single pattern I sold.

She even commissioned a custom pattern,

showing the two new pups she got

after her beloved Jagger died.

She was definitely my best customer

in my rug-hooking business!

Here is the other side...

Here is the inside with pockets...

 Made with Iced Mocha, of course.

Except for the lining,

which is my all-time fave neutral.

I used it on Kashmir, shown here & here.

I don't use a pattern for these totes.

I take my fabric and do with it

whatever comes and it all works out.
On the last two, I have sewn
binding around the top of the tote.
You know, binding like I use on my quilts.
I think it gives the tote a more finished look.
Don't you?

This tote measures ~11.5 x 12.5 x 3.5 inches.

A nice size to take with you

full of whatever you wish.

I think she'll like it. 

Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might. - Ecclesiastes 9:10

This and That...

 Tag is feeling much better.

Thank you for all of your

good thoughts & prayers. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here's a watercolor print I had made
(several years ago...one for me & one for Julie)

depicting Manley and Tag at play.

This is how they actually played

together when they were pups.

For some reason, I never got

an actual photo of them like this.

They are 6 months apart in age.

art by Jenny McMurtie...find her here.

 

 This is Kisa, Tag's feline cousin.

Tag's cousins, Manley and Kisa,

will be here in a few days.

And, of course,

sister Julie will be here, too.

I am so excited!

I keep telling Tag that our

lives are going to change.

Drastically.

But, all for the better.

He has yet to be convinced.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A bit of trivia:

Manley was named after the football player...

Dexter Manley.

Just so ya know, before Manley,

Julie had another golden retriever

whose name was Dexter.

And another bit of trivia:

Tag was named after Rachel Green's boyfriend.

Tag Jones.

Ya know, on "Friends".

Real name, Eddie Cahill...

he now plays a detective on CSI: NY.

Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might. - Ecclesiastes 9:10

Too Soon...

Carole L. Vick

July 17, 1947 - April 1, 2011

 

In her words, "Life is a gift-unwrap it."

DQS10 Quilt Received!

I am dancing on the ceiling!

I love it so much...

who wouldn't??

The circles fascinate me.

The quilting is awesome.

The colors are perfection!

I love it!

And, here, Reene was afraid

I would be disappointed.

Not hardly!

front

back

 And, it came from England!

That means...

I have placemats from France,

DQS9 quilt from Germany,

DQS10 quilt (this one) from England!

Reene also sent a small bundle of

the fabric for me to play with.

I love participating in the doll quilt swaps.

But it definitely can be 

a bit nerve-wracking.

Will the partner you get from

send something you'll like?

Will the partner you send to

like what you made?

So far, I think I've done

more than okay.

If you have a few hours...
or a few days...
go here and see all the doll quilts.
You will be amazed!

~~~~~~~~~~~

As for Tag...

I think he is perhaps doing a wee bit better.

Please keep your good thoughts coming.

DWTS tonight!