A Carol Doak Week

Because I all of a sudden decided I wanted to put this on my table for Easter, this Carol Doak 8000 member block turned table topper went on the frame.















However, once on the frame I realized I have no idea how I want to quilt it.  But since Easter is only 4 days away, I have got to come up with something, SOON.











And, of course, this is still the Carol Doak mystery quilt with all the blocks sewn together.  Do you see all those points?   I love Carol but, oh those points.  Anyway, after I put the blocks together I cut the inner border fabric and got one side border sewn on.










I have to add that since this is Spring Break week for DH, I have had trouble staying in the studio.  He has had me out to eat (no problem there), out for some shopping as well as bringing me coffee so we can sit and talk. 
We also got our taxes completed so we can stop thinking about it.  For years I did them and waited until the last minute.  Now we have a really great lady who does them for us and it has taken all the stress out of April 15th.





I am getting some rest.  I took this picture last night, right after climbing into bed.  I slid under my Easy Street quilt, turned on the TV for a restful decorating show, looked up and what did I see?  Ms. Murphy, planted not only in front of the screen but also in front of the remote sensor.  And does she look like she is prepared to move?  Not until she was good and ready.  Fortunately she strikes me funny.


Have a great rest of the week,  Gari

Other Stuff

How much fun it is to, once again, be able to work on more than one thing at a time.  I finished my FatCatPatterns.com second fish.  I am also enjoying figuring out which square of the background fabric to use: the colors are so different from square to square. 
















I also completed the February teapot from Rhonda.  If you have seen my feathered star table topper, you will see that I am using some leftovers for this pot.  As I look at it I am thinking that I may applique it with two different threads: I have used only one on the others.  I guess we will just have to wait and see.







And part of the reason for waiting is The Return of the Dragon.  Monday afternoon I pulled him out and began machine appliqueing him down.  I had originally planned, and begun, hand appliqueing him but the batiks are so tight that my hands would give out after three spikes.  Now, it is not easy to machine applique a whole cloth piece, either, but I am more likely to get it done this way.





I am zigzagging with a bright variegated thread so the stitching will have different colors on the different spikes.  I think overall it is going to look really good.  But don’t hold your breath until it is done: it is really a come and go project.








Yesterday was also the “finish up the laundry” day.  So as I was putting a new load in the washer, Ms. Murphy decided to investigate the dryer.  At first all I could see was her tail but by the time I got my phone out of my pocket she had turned around.











Then it was time for her to come out: she refused.  And when I reached for her, she moved to the back.  So I started throwing wet clothes in around her.  It took 5 handfuls of wet clothes before she decided there wasn’t enough room in there for the clothes and her and jumped out.




See, I may live in the middle of nowhere, not have a job, and not get much done in any given day, but my life is just one adventure after another.

Things Are Progressing

My design wall this morning is almost all covered.
As you can see I have completed more Easy Street blocks: I have continued to do one block a day (except that I made two blocks yesterday).  I have 11 full blocks, 5 large triangles and 2 small triangles left to do.  There are only 10 more days in this month so unless I up my work schedule to two blocks a day, I will not have this center done by the end of the month.  We’ll see what happens.




Also on the wall is my completed Fishy block for January.  I love the background fabric but it is a little dark so I will have to be very careful to choose lighter fish fabrics so they don’t get lost.  I think this is going to be another really fun quilt top.



I also have completed 2 of the 4 mini blocks for Carol Doak’s mystery quilt.  I think she said this was the last of the blocks so next we will be getting the setting directions.  I really do enjoy paper piecing so I hate to see this coming to an end.  Maybe I’ll look into a New York Beauty type of quilt to do next.




I did finally start the quilting on my feathered star table topper.  I thought I had made it about 2-3 years ago but was told this week that we got together to learn how to make feathered stars 4 years ago.  So this qualifies as my oldest UFO, soon to be completed.




It’s not very big, about 40” square but is going to look wonderful on the dining room table.






These are the fancy tools I used to mark the squares for circle feathers.  Nothing but the best here. 




This is all the help I have around here.  They were refusing to get up so I couldn’t make the bed.  Of course, I was very disappointed.





And Ms. Murphy is still attempting to figure out how to use the Pilates machine.  Just this morning she was asking “how do I make this thing move?”

Not Quite Half-Way

This is my Easy Street, moving right along.  And I have kept up with my “at least a block a day” plan.













Here is the small triangle laid out, ready to be sewn on Saturday.











And Sunday morning I made another large triangle. 
However, that is about all I got done this week.  Every time I got a block done, DH came up with something for me to do that took the rest of the day. 








I did decide on a paper piecing project to start today and I copied the pieces for new applique BOM.  The problem is that if I can only get an ES block done each day I am not moving forward on any other projects.

For those who read my post last Wednesday, I have been doing great with my new Pilates machine.  And I am even sharing it, with:  Ms. Murphy. 

When I came in to do my routine last night, there she was.  I almost left her there but that would mean I would miss my exercise so off she had to go.  Poor Murphy!


Now, I have a favor to ask of longarmers out there.  I have been asked to meet with 2-3 new longarmers and give them so “tips” on how to get started and things that would make their beginnings easier.  I have to say, I am not a teacher by any means and since I am totally self taught, I am having trouble thinking of what “tricks” I have learned or thought of.  So, if you have any ideas, please share, PLEASE!

Almost November

These are the frogs that are completed: all the applique done and they are squared.  I still have 9 more to square and then I will be sewing the sashing strips to them.








I don’t know if you noticed that one of the frogs didn’t have eyes.  When I was fusing them I found that two of the whites were missing.  I decided to continue with the applique and do these eyes later.  However, while appliqueing those little tiny eyes, I decided that this one frog could be sleeping.  I think he is a really cute addition.








I did get all of the insects squared and ready for sashing.  They were planned to be “in the hoop” appliques but I decided to do them as just embroidery.














Toward the end of last week I had my Christmas 1 quilt on the frame.  Can I tell you that I was really excited when I could see I was almost done?










And then there was the celebration when the quilting was done and off the frame.













On Wednesday I started the binding which I completed yesterday.












Thursday  through Saturday I was in an machine embroidery workshop with Walter Floriani.  This is not a good picture of him but he was constantly on the move so even this was hard to get.  I learned a lot about digitizing and editing embroidery designs and am really looking forward to working on practicing what he taught.









But after three days away I was itching to get back to my machines and projects.  So the first thing I did was to sew the backing for Christmas Quilt 2 and get it loaded on the frame. 









However, I must say that when I first start, and all that quilt is lying out in front like that, quilting it appears to be quite a daunting task.

So I left it like that so I could work on my frogs and insects.













Over that past few weeks DH has been using our Deere to create paths in our woods.  Can you see this rather large one here?  The puppies and I are having so much fun running up and down the paths.  And DH says he is going to make some more so we should be able to get some good exercise right here at home.








And we are not the only ones who are playing in the wood.  Here are Ms. Murphy and Abby at the end of playing hide-and-seek.  What good friends they are.






Now, as much fun as I have had showing you what I’ve been up to, it is time for me to get to the laundry and dishes so I can return to the studio and sew, sew, sew.

Design Wall Monday

Wow, this has been a busy week.

First Rhonda posted this free pattern.  That was right after I had decided that I was not going to start anything new until I was done with the few things I am making for Christmas.









However, isn’t this terrific?  Here he is all fused and I really already have him appliqued.  I will get him quilted and bound today, hopefully, and then he will be hanging around until Halloween is over.














So, what do you supposed are these?  Well, they are a small part of a project I offered to do and that I am not at liberty to share. 












And this is another part.
















In fact, my embroidery machine was hard at work all week.  We made one label that is ready for the quilt on the frame.











In fact I also got another label embroidered, not finished, as well as three insects.  Small things for my design wall but three different projects seeing progress.










Meanwhile the seasons are changing, even here in the deep south.  Here this tree is called a Sweetgum tree and is the most colorful tree we have on the property.









We also have several oak trees.  Here you see the little acorns.  There are now hundreds of them on the ground and on the deck.  They are so small they fit in the cracks between the deck boards.  However, they don’t feel very good under bear feet!











But none of this activity or change is interfering with Ms. Murphy’s beauty sleep.

So, quietly please, hop on over to Patchwork Times to see what other quilters are working on.

A Full Design Wall, Finally

I can’t tell you how excited I am to finally have something new on my Design Wall.  The cats are called Crazy Cats from

syverkstan.net .  After I took this picture I made two more cats: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They look a little funny without faces, don’t they?  I have two more to applique and then I will spend a few evenings getting their personalities on. 

This quilt it for DH as part of his Christmas.  A few weeks ago he “asked” me to make him a quilt for his bed.  I already had planned to use these cats on a quilt for him (he is the reason we have one house cat and 6 outside cats,  but I had not planned a layout.  Then one evening I came up with this.

 

You will have to forgive the image of the cats, drawing either by hand or computer is not my area of expertise.  But I am very pleased that the quilt pieces on the wall are looking a lot like the EQ image.

 

 

And now for some Christmas cat pictures.

Can you find the cat in this picture?  This is another picture of our Christmas Village that is set up on our very large mantle.  Can you see the cat?

 

Here is a closer picture.  Can you see how thrilled she is to be having her picture taken? 

 

 

 

 

And yes, here she is again.  She just laid there, staring at me while I took these pictures.  And when I was through, she put her head down and went to sleep.  I guess I didn’t make much of an impression on her.

Only 6 days until Christmas.  I have one piece to quilt and then all my gifts will be done.  DH will get his quilt in pieces but I will have it done shortly into the New Year.  This week will be quiet and peaceful, well, as soon as I finish with my three WW meetings on Monday and Tuesday.  Then we will be on “vacation” for a week.  DH has projects planned, mostly putting hundreds of slides on DVD.  And me?  I will be in the studio, creating new quilts and working on UFOs.  In fact I found one I had forgotten. 

 

This was a BOM from 2004.  I really got bored with the color, or lack thereof, so I added 1/4” orange borders on the blocks.  then I added darker tan blocks:

 

 

But even then I wasn’t content with  what I had and added embroidery.  Now, I seem to remember all of this but it didn’t become a quilt.  Well, there was a reason for that.  I then decided that I wanted this quilt top to really become a duvet cover for a down comforter.  I stopped, however, when I couldn’t decide if I should quilt the top or not.  I bought two king sized sheets to both line the top and to make the envelope.  And now that I have unearthed this top I have the same question.  Should I quilt the top of a duvet?