I’m On A Roll

Here we see the beginning of my interpretation of Deck-Aid The Halls by The Fat Quarter Shop.  These are my gingerbread men, the first step.






And this is the second step, stars.  They are only 4 1/2” and are supposed to be attached to additional strips of white.  However, once again I am already thinking of ways to make changes, to make this my own.  In fact I am thinking of how I can make it very personal for someone else.  Think, think, think.








Then, as a complete departure, I made this pillow for DH.  The “newspaper” page was quite long so I wrapped it up and over the inner pillow.  DH picked out the fabric and asked for a pillow: it is really nice to be able to make something for him that he really wants.






I also started stitching the applique on my owl blocks.  I am appliquéing them with black thread and a new, to me, stitch.  I am not sure I like it as it is 4 stitches forward and then a bite into the applique.  I may go back to the one I have been using. 






The last thing I have worked on so far this week is the beginning of the backing for the Funky Chickens top.  I am doing it in strips and hope to have it on the frame by Friday.

I don’t know how long this surge of energy will last but I hope it keeps going for a while longer.

Have a great week,  Gari

Edit:  I am "claiming" my blog for Bloglovin.  I should also say that I have been reading blogs through Bloglovin for a couple of years and really like it.  Follow">http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/1513267/?claim=gzb52fpg7v3">Follow my blog with Bloglovin

BOM’s and a Finish

The first thing I got done was this month’s teapot.  I was really excited to get this done because when next month’s comes out I will have them all and be ready to plan the quilt’s setting.















Then I looked at this temp. wall I have set up so I can make sure I don’t use the same fabrics over again.  And I counted and only came up with 9 finished teapots.  Now, I have looked “everywhere” for it but can’t find it.  I couldn’t believe I had not made all of them but finally went back through my blog to find which one wasn’t on my wall.





After a blog search I found this picture of the missing pot.  At least I know I made it, now I just have to figure out what I did with it.  I am usually so good at keeping everything together, I wonder what happened.  Anyway, I will keep looking until the next one is done and if it hasn’t been found, I guess I will make it again. 







The next thing I worked on was the binding for this Jelly Roll Quilt a Long quilt. 











I am so glad I decided against borders.  I think the binding right on the blocks is just right.










And it even looks great with the backing fabric.  And now it is ready to give hugs to a teen girl in foster care.











This is a fuzzy picture of my next project.  This is a “BOM” being featured at the Fat Quarter Shop.  Actually, I think they post a new segment every other week, but I am three weeks behind so I am not really sure. 






So here are all of the parts cut for the gingerbread men.  Mine will all be the same fabric with some differences in the bows.  All that being said, I really don’t like having to cut up all those little pieces (1 1/2” squares), but it had to be done.





Now with all those little pieces in hand, I started sewing gingerbread men.  This is how far I got yesterday but I hope to actually see gingerbread men by the end of today.












Part of the reason I didn’t get more done was because Sadie made me spend time on the hammock with her.  Puppies can be so pushy. 






And the most important thing this morning is that today is my mother’s 91st birthday.  And I am hoping that she has received my package because I am going to share her gift on the post.  But first I must tell this story. 

I had a plan for her Mother’s Day gift.  I got ready to make it and the device I needed to make it all work, the printer, didn’t work.  It took me a month to get it working well enough to print pictures with the right colors.



So finally the pictures got printed, first on paper and then on fabric.











What I made was this little pillow.  It is to be an attachment to a pillow I made for her a few years ago that had pictures of her two children, our four children, our then six grandchildren, and one great grandson. 






And I put pictures on both sides because I just love this one.
The bowl is a chicken and is her birthday gift.  Mother collects chickens and this seemed perfect for morning cereal and/or lunch/dinner soup. 

     Happy Birthday, Mother!

Studio Time Found

But first I must share the fabric I bought at the quilt show in Atlanta last weekend.  These are half yard pieces of batik that may be used for owl blocks.







And my coolest purchase was this basket.  The maker put that stick in the handle and I immediately saw that it would make a great binding basket.  The lady that makes them is not a quilter and really liked my idea.  Since I already had the binding ready for the quilt on the frame I was very excited to see that my idea will work. 












Then I got busy and finished the blocks for the backing of my Funky Chicken top.

















 Next, while shopping for something else, I found this fabric, on sale, that I believe will be perfect for the rest of the backing.  I am hoping I will be able to get this put together next week, I just have to plan it out.








Then I returned to the HQ to see if I could get this quilt finished.  



















When I last left the frame it was breaking thread both from the cone and from the bobbin.  I spent quite a while playing with both tensions until I finally got them to work together.












So I was back to quilting and now only have 1 1/2 rows to go.  I find that if I quilt only one row and then go on to other things I get several things done, just not as fast.  And, I don’t get bored.








So I put together this month’s owl.  Right now he is on wax paper but later this week he will be on the background fabric.  I still need to start stitching these owls down before I get too far behind on them.










I also drew and cut the fusible for the latest teapot BOM.  Right now I am auditioning fabrics so I have nothing more to show here.











The last thing I worked on so far this week is this pillow for DH.  He picked out this fabric and said he wanted a pillow so a pillow he is getting.  He doesn’t read my blog so it is easy to talk about it here. 

I did finish one other project but can’t show it yet.  I had a great idea for Mother’s Day this year that involved printing.  Well, my printer decided to not print red and it has taken me all this time to get it to do what I wanted.  Yesterday I finally got it to work and today I completed my project.  Mother does read my blog so I can’t say what I was making but it will be in the mail tomorrow and should be with her on her birthday, Monday.

Well, that has been my week so far.  I’ll probably nap for the rest of the week. 

Mostly on the Road

Starting on Thursday we were mostly on the road.  We drove to Atlanta Thursday afternoon and spent a great evening with our oldest son, his wife and his youngest son.  We had dinner at the Cracker Barrel and were there almost 2 hours, talking and laughing, until the sirens went off.  Seems that the storm, which we were not paying any attention to, was spawning tornados.  Fortunately for us none came where we were but there were others in the Atlanta area that were not so fortunate.

Then Friday morning we got up and went to the quilt show put on by the Cobb County Quilt Guild.  It was in the Civic Center and the quilt show was laid out on the lower floor.  Oh, my, what a wonderful display of quilting.  I didn’t take too many pictures because I plan to buy the DVD, but we did spend a lot of time looking.  And the guild had a lot of their members there to help with information and lifting up the quilts so we could see the backs and the quilting even better. 



This was one of my favorites: it was done from a photo.










And both DH and I liked this one because it reminded us of our great grandson when he was playing T-Ball this Spring.

In the area above the show itself (see top photo again) that runs around the whole room, were the vendors.  Well, DH sat down while I worked my way around all of them.  I had a great time and spent a little bit of money.  I will be getting pictures of my finds for Wednesday’s post.

By early afternoon we were tired and hungry so we left.  We were initially going to try to find an antique mall but after following one highway until it “dead ended” with no re-routing us to stay on the highway, we decided to get back on the interstate and head for home.  Of course we did find an antique mall (read $$) just inside Alabama so we had a good time traveling as well as the quilt show.
Saturday DH picked up our eye ailing puppy (she was boarded with the vet) and then we hit the road again.  One of the major stores in Pensacola was having a suit sale and since DH hasn’t had a new suit in over 20 years we decided it was about time.


While there we tried out a new, to us, place called Cheddars.  Well, this is their spinach ‘n cheese dip and it is wonderful.  The red stuff is salsa which DH loves and he said it is the best he has had.




Then came Shepherd's Pie.  He had never had it before and said it was great.











I had a grilled salmon steak, broccoli casserole, and an apple salad, all of which was delicious.
We did not try to have any dessert: way too full.




Then it was suit shopping.  I don’t pick out his clothes nor do I voice much of an opinion.  I feel he needs to like what he is wearing as well as feel comfortable.  He, on the other hand, feels I should be more involved.  Funny man.




We also picked up supplies for me to make new cushions for our porch swing.









And this is the fabric I bought for the cushions.  I do have to say that I have never made cushions before but that is on my project list for June/July.














But first things first.  Sunday I finally got into the studio and did some sewing.    On the Design Wall are the 5 barn blocks for the Funky Chicken top.  Only one is complete: the other four have most of the parts done.  I didn’t get through because I started to make sewing mistakes so I decided it was time to stop before I really screwed it up. 



I spent about 20 min. in the pool to de-stress and then DH and I went to DD’s house for a seafood dinner prepared by our DSIL.  He is a great cook so we love being invited over.

Today is laundry day but I hope to get the barn blocks finished so I can figure out what fabric will go with them to make a great back for my chickens.  Then I hope to figure out my thread breaking problem on the HQ and get the current quilt on the frame done.  Oh, and did I say I am also moving furniture on the deck?  Going to the quilt show has really inspired me in so many directions.  Whew, I’m tired already.

Everything Except Quilting/Sewing

Well, except for these little blocks.  These are the sides for the next 4 barns.




And here are all of the pieces for those barns. 







I didn’t get to start sewing them: it seems that there was very little “studio time” this week.  Every time I thought I had time to play in there I would get a call from DH saying he was coming home early and inviting me to go to lunch, go for a swim, and/or to do some shopping.  It’s a good thing we enjoy each other’s company.

We will be doing some visiting for the next two days so I’ll be doing some barn raising on Saturday.  Hope the rest of your week will be as much fun as we plan to have.

Barns and Blocks

There is something new on my design wall.  As I have said before, I am planning a stripe of barns for the backing of the Funky Chickens quilt.




So this is block 1.  It is 6” and I am using leftovers from a quilt called Going Dotty.








This is block 2.











And today this will be block 3.  With any luck I will have two more made before the end of the day and will be able to begin cutting the barn fabric.










I got this one block done so I could see how they went together.  It didn’t take me long to remember the reason I haven’t made houses or barns before.  Lots of little fiddly parts.  But now that I have one done I will do the last 4.  I think I will cut all the fabric and chain piece them.  But I still have not decided what fabric I am going to put on either side of the barn strip.








I did “have” to go on a fabric hunting trip.  I only had one barn roof fabric and I wanted a different roof on each barn.  It took visiting 3 different stores to find these but I am very happy with them.







And, of course, while shopping for roof fabric, I happened upon these two fabrics.   The first is a newspaper fabric featuring cats.  DH saw it and decided he needed a pillow made from this fabric.  I told him I would “right on it.”


I got the brown fabric for two projects.  Of course it will find itself on an owl at some time but first it will be 3 gingerbread men for a BOM I hope to start this week.





I don’t know if you can see this but we have had better than 4 1/2” of rain this past week and I can say that everything is really green around here.  The rain has also kept the temps below normal, perfect times for sitting on the deck and reading.  It is a wonder that I got any sewing done at all.





Today we have an appointment with the vet.  Seems one of our dogs has an ulcer on her eye.  We have been doctoring it all weekend and today we will find out if our efforts have paid off.  If not she will have to have surgery.  However, if she is better we have more fun plans.  We have been planning a trip to Atlanta to visit the Cobb County Quilt Show.  Wish us luck, either way.

Have a great week!  Gari