Midweek

Sunday I quilted South Seas and Monday I sewed the binding on. This has been one of the easiest quilts I have ever done.

Last night I took South Seas and Alabama Escargot to guild to show off. I love showing my quilts but the guild has so many excellent quilters that I usually feel a little intimidated and “less than” when I am showing mine.

The guild had a challenge this year and yesterday was the judging. Only 9 members participated and, no, I did not win. But this was my entry.

The challenge rules: no more than 30 x 30, two required fabrics (ucky green at the bottom and a butterfly print – see seaweed), plus up to four fabrics of your choice. I had this fish fabric and the ucky green reminded me of the pool when it begins to grow algae so it was a no brainer. LOL I did the “birthing” technique rather than a binding and quilted it with metallic thread, not an easy task. I still need to make a label for this and South Seas but am already moving on to new adventures.

This week I am concentrating on catching up on all my BOMs and then I will concentrate on two gift quilts and possibly working on another UFO. I did start cutting out a charity quilt yesterday but it is a D9P so should not take too long to complete and then I will have something on the frame: I love the quilting process.

Oh, I forgot to show the pictures of the guest we had on Sunday.

She didn’t seem to be concerned with the multi-dog barking that was going on inside the house and came within 10 feet of the back of the house. I have to say that I didn’t see her as I was in the studio, quilting, but DH and the dogs did and fortunately the camera was in the house with them.

Well, it is time, again, to get off the computer and get to work. Have a great and productive rest of the week, I will!

Little News and Bigger News

This has been a week of working and a weekend of accomplishments. I embroidered, pieced, pressed, cleaned, washed, read, played, and rested Wednesday and Thursday. And, I did get the Eleanor Burns BOM block done.













Then Friday I was off to NWFL to visit with friends. My friend, Nita O’Keefe, was in Ft. Walton Beach, at the LQS doing a trunk show of her embroidery designs.

See that table? That was 1/3 of the samples she had to show. She and Holley Pike have formed a union with Becky McNeal, Gal Pals, to sell their designs. For the last two years their designs, along with thread, have been part of a subscription so I already have most of them but it was great to see them stitched out. And did I get pictures? No, I forgot to lift my camera I was so entranced with what she had to show.

Also while there I got the swap blocks I completed in March. It seems that some people signed up for the swap but didn’t do their blocks so others had to be recruited in order to complete the swap.


These are the blocks that I now have to work with. They range in size from 11 ¾” to 12 ¾” I see this as a challenge but as of right now I have no idea what I will do with them. As you probably have seen, I really like bright fabrics but I also like a challenge so we will have to see what my fertile imagination will come up with: a UFO all ready for next year.

After the show I was able to go out to lunch with another friend, Jeannie no blog (a wonderful seamstress), and then spend a little time, and money, at Joann’s and one of my favorite quilt shops, Margie’s.

The big news:


South Seas is quilted. The panto came in on Thursday but, except for setting it out on the frame, there was no time to quilt. However, this morning I was in the studio, ready to quilt. This is the panto, a 9” swirl.

I guess I have been spoiled by the pantos I have been getting from Urbanelementz. They come with 2-4 rows printed and nesting designs. As you can see, this is only one row and I would have to move the panto for every row to make it “nest” with itself. So, I quilted the rows as you see them and then was left with large blank spaces. So this is how I decided to cure what I saw as a problem: click to enlarge.



I quilted a water-like meanter between the swirls and I really like the effect.

We had an uneventful weekend. A movie, quilt piecing, quilt block embroidery, and a visit from the folks who live on the back half of our property. I had just seen them out the window (too dirty to take a picture through) so I ran out the front and around the deck, just in time for them to hear me and high tail it into the woods. I didn't see the mother anywhere but this was the first time I have seen two babies. I should tell you that I have told my SIL that he is NOT ALLOWED to hunt on our property.

I have the South Seas top done and basted on the frame, waiting for the new panto to arrive.

See, even Hungry is wondering why we aren't quilting. LOL

The embroidery blocks are coming along slowly: 18 color changes times 12 blocks is 216 color changes. I have come to really dislike this design. However, I have only one more to do and then I can finish the blocks. I plan to turn them in Friday when I go to NWFL to visit friends and use my 40% coupon at Joanne's.

Great Week

Quilting work: My South Seas top is completed.


And yesterday I found the perfect backing fabric but I forgot to take a picture so it will have to wait until I get it off the frame. I just ordered a new panto for this quilt so will not start on it until sometime next week.

Pool/Stairs: All of the stairs are moved and today I had help with the last set. It seems that DH thinks I abused his reputation in my recent posts so he was “eager” to help. He even volunteered to have his picture taken, helping.

Have I ever reported that he teaches drama? Oh, my, what a ham!!

Anyway, now all those who expressed concern about me and my physical exertion in moving the steps can stop worrying. I did wind up with interesting bruises.

And there is even a knot under that yellow mark. But it only hurts when I touch it so I am not touching.

Giveaways: A couple weeks ago I won, from Pam at Mama Sparks World, a $50 gift certificate from Bunny Hill Designs. I was given a coupon code and only two weeks to use it. And, that was while we were on our MD trip. So when we got home I spent time on the Bunny Hill web page and this is what I ordered.

I am thinking that I will make the Christmas one for us: will work on it all next year. The other will be a gift but who knows when that will happen. I really like doing fusible machine appliqué but it does take me a long time. I have, however, been really enjoying the Bunny Hill basket BOM so I am sure I will enjoy these, too. Thanks, Pam.

Entertainment: Friday we went to see Julie & Julia and it was GREAT!! How uplifting to see two women, decades apart, finding what made them feel creative and fulfilled. Now cooking would never do it for me, but it was fun to watch each woman struggle with their challenges, much like I do, and then the sense of victory when it turned out great. I started smiling when the movie started and didn’t stop until it was over. Both actresses were perfect: as has been said by many before me, Meryl Streep was Julia Child.

Wow, as I write this I can see that I have had a great week. Thanks for letting me share.

Back to Quilting

It is hard to believe that a week ago we were buzzing down the highway, working our way home. Most of this week has been catching up and napping but finally by Friday I was able to begin to get back in the groove. Friday I spent the morning doing some cleaning up in the studio so I could begin working on a couple of UFOs and some swap blocks. And Friday afternoon we traveled to Montgomery, AL, where I attended a leader’s meeting for Weight Watchers. Yes, I said Leader’s Meeting. I was asked if I would be interested in becoming a leader so I went to a training meeting to see if I was: I still don’t know if I am or not.



Saturday DH was off judging a Jr. Miss pageant so I spent part of the day cleaning the pool and swimming and the rest in the studio. I did spend some time redesigning the layout for these blocks

and then making the additional blocks to complete the picture. After I cut the strips and sewed the first strata, I cut it into 4 blocks and set them together with one of the Thangle blocks to see how they looked.

This morning I completed sewing all the strata and cutting the blocks and got them up on the design wall.

And I even have four of the seven rows sewn together. Yea, me!

While working on the above, I also was embroidering the centers of the swap blocks I started a couple of weeks ago.

I have gotten 5 done: there are 18 color changes in each square so it is taking quite a while to complete each one. But I did put one block together, again to see how it looks.

So, no completions this week but two well on their way and, if I get off this computer, I hope to have Alabama Escargot bound and done soon.