I don’t know what has come over me but I have been working steadily and even getting stuff done.
I continued to follow my one BOM a week and began working on the Alphabet BOM. The first of the two blocks for March was this house block. I did change some of the colors: I really like the coral house.
Then I prepped the second block. I have always wanted to make an Irish chain quilt but for some reason thought that it was too difficult for me.
But it really was very easy. As you can see, the block came out just fine and I am now completely caught up with this BOM.
So this is all of this BOM, up to date. The instructions have the sets of blocks with sashing completed but since I never know if I want to set my blocks the same, I am waiting until all of the blocks are done.
I know I said I was going to get back to the Celtic Solstice quilt but then I remembered that DH has a birthday this month and I had planned to make this quilt for him and his Cowboy Family Room. The blocks are from a BOM in 2012 but, again, I was stumped by a setting. I really wanted to set them this way but couldn’t figure out what to put in them. But this week I found just what I want and the fabric to go with it. I hope to start working on that part tomorrow but will hold off showing it until after March 22.
For those who read my blog regularly might remember that Fred came inside after being attacked by our new dog. I still haven’t fixed his foot but you can see that he is using his inside time well by holding my mess together. I kind of enjoy having him in my sewing room, he just laughs along with me when I make mistakes.
I am closing today with these flowers, a sure sign of Spring. Actually they were table decorations from a play DH directed for a dinner theater last night. It was a mystery: see the spy glass, question mark, and Poirot mustache stuck in the flowers. The play was a success, DH is happy, and I get to have these flowers in my house. Life is good. Gari
The owls are back on the wall.
And these are the newest ones to be completed. I still have one small one to do but I think I will wait until next month and do two of them together. These three were lots of fun and required a really long tree branch.
Most of my time this week was taken up with this. DH and I did some antiquing/shopping early in the week. He saw this and said “Here is your desk” as I have always wanted a big old roll top desk. Of course we couldn’t afford it even though it was less expensive than I had thought (not an old desk). Then a couple of days later he offered to share the cost if I wanted it. So I called the store and found that it was now 25% discounted ….. so I bought it. However it was 100 miles away and way too big for our already overcrowded house.
So we drove down, completed the paperwork and I measured it upside down and backward. Then home we came and I began measuring everything else in the house.
Saturday, while DH and our SIL went to get it, I moved every big piece of furniture in the front and dining room. By the time they gone back with my new “birthday” desk, I had the puppies completely confused and I was ready to collapse. But it was worth it: isn’t she beautiful?
Look at all those little drawers. I have been filling them up but there are still several that are still empty. 
She is even beautiful from the side, isn’t she?
After all that work even Fred was tired and felt the need for relaxing.
And Stubby, afraid she would get sucked into the work, took refuge among the plants on the deck.
I have been knitting but partial socks are not very interesting so I will show them later.
I did start a couple of small projects. I had decided to not make Christmas gifts this year but changed my mind when I couldn’t think of or find anything I wanted to gift for a couple of people. DH has this week off so he will be watching football and taking care of the puppies giving me more studio time. All of this needs to either be completed or almost before Bonnie doles out Part 1 of her Celtic Solstice Mystery Quilt on Friday. My plan is to put last years completed mystery quilt, Easy Street, out in the studio to remind me, when I feel overwhelmed, that it can be done cuz I did it before. 
For all of my US readers, have a great Thanksgiving. As it is my birthday we are going out to eat, something we have never done before, and then plan to spend some time at the beach (if it is not too cold).
And for everybody, have a great week. Gari
Isn’t he cute? It took a while but I finally found a white fabric that doesn’t shadow the black wings. He is all stuck together but is currently resting on wax paper, waiting for me to decide on a background fabric.
Somehow I seem to have let my owl BOM blocks (Fat Cat Patterns) fall by the wayside. So this weekend I pulled out all the put together blocks, I am at least 2 months behind, and got this one appliqued. I hope, by the beginning of November, to be ready to start putting the newer blocks together as well as appliqueing the ones I already have ready. This will be a beautiful quilt, someday. 
I did do some quilting on my Halloween tablerunner. I am using this as a learning tool for McTavishing but sometimes it is a little hard to see where I am going when I am quilting purple thread on purple fabric. I am having some thread breakage problems but I think it is the thread and not the machine……I hope.
And I knitted. This is the first slipper: it is made using alpaca wool, oh, so, very soft. I already knew that reading and following a pattern would be difficult for me, I have never been able to do it in quilting. So I think I pulled this apart at least 10 times before I could finish the heel/gusset. This is very chunky yarn and some of the slip stitches became holes but they have been grafted shut and this slipper is done.
And the second one is started. After reading how so many knitters complete one sock and then have difficulty getting the second one done, I decided that I must begin the second sock immediately on completion of the first. So far this has been working. 
Several times this week I have had knitting buddies. Here we are all three sitting on the deck swing where I have spent several happy mornings knitting.
While out on the deck I decided to update Fred so he could cheer for Auburn’s football game on Saturday.
And it worked!! With Saturday’s win they/we are ranked #11, pretty good from being completely out of the rankings.
So, now that all the excitement is over I will retreat back to my little studio and see if I can get a little more done this week. DH came home from his weekend away and all last week dropped in so many times it seemed that I had installed a revolving door. But I am so very lucky, he really likes being with me. 
I will be linking up with Patchwork Times and What a Hoot.
Have a great week, Gari
A few weeks ago, while going through the many catalogs of “stuff” one can buy for Christmas I came across this mannequin. I set the picture aside and decided that when the holidays were over and my bank account was somewhat replenished, I would get him for our front porch. Then later I was telling my mother about him and she offered to buy him for me for my birthday. And I jumped on that offer and here he is. I have already been shopping for clothes for him (he is 6’ and slim: doesn’t fit in our family at all). Anyway, I was going to get him a Santa suit but this isn’t the time of year to find one in the second hand shops so all he got was a hat.
Then last evening DD and SIL came over with an older suit he no longer is using when he plays Santa for the groups and kids around town. Of course they forgot the pants so I am calling him a Redneck Santa, at least for now. He really looks great welcoming us home.
DH even contributed some reading glasses in case Santa gets bored sitting out there watching the birds. This new man in my life is called Fred: I’m not sure why but it just seemed to fit.
In addition to getting Fred set up on the outside, I have been wrapping gifts on the inside. Almost every surface was covered with wrapping paper, boxes, and gifts: what a mess.
And help was always there when I needed it. But I did get the job done and gifts were even put in the mail. I wrote on Facebook that I love making gifts and even enjoy shopping for them but I really don’t like wrapping them. I am always glad when that part of the season is over.
Last night we had a visit from our great grandson, Sky. He is 4 and just the right size for our miniature daschund,
Sadie.
And, finally, I was able this morning to get back into the studio. This is the beginning of two placemats from the same designer as my Funky Chickens. I really am a little further done than this but I didn’t get a picture so will show more on Monday.
Have a great week and weekend. Gari
I continued to follow my one BOM a week and began working on the Alphabet BOM. The first of the two blocks for March was this house block. I did change some of the colors: I really like the coral house.
Then I prepped the second block. I have always wanted to make an Irish chain quilt but for some reason thought that it was too difficult for me.
But it really was very easy. As you can see, the block came out just fine and I am now completely caught up with this BOM.
So this is all of this BOM, up to date. The instructions have the sets of blocks with sashing completed but since I never know if I want to set my blocks the same, I am waiting until all of the blocks are done.
I know I said I was going to get back to the Celtic Solstice quilt but then I remembered that DH has a birthday this month and I had planned to make this quilt for him and his Cowboy Family Room. The blocks are from a BOM in 2012 but, again, I was stumped by a setting. I really wanted to set them this way but couldn’t figure out what to put in them. But this week I found just what I want and the fabric to go with it. I hope to start working on that part tomorrow but will hold off showing it until after March 22.
For those who read my blog regularly might remember that Fred came inside after being attacked by our new dog. I still haven’t fixed his foot but you can see that he is using his inside time well by holding my mess together. I kind of enjoy having him in my sewing room, he just laughs along with me when I make mistakes.
