This Is A Good Day

Up early and finished quilting Dee Dee's Birds and Birdhouses quilt she designed using the stack slice and shuffle technique.



Best part of today however is spending it with my granddaughter Kylee.  She came to spend the day with grandma, and so far we ate pizza, went to visit my other granddaughter Brittany and her son, my great grandson Tavyn in their new apartment. Looking Good Britt.

Now that we are home Kylee and I are baking a chocolate cherry cake.

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We had a fight as to who got to lick the bowl, spoon and beaters.  Hehehehe, We both won.

Its nice spending the afternoon with my Ky Ky.  

Cake is done, waiting for it to cool and then frost with a cooked choc chip frosting. 

Finally Its Quilted

Have you missed me?????

Been pretty busy last few days so haven't posted any new blogs.

The good news, finally quilted the Black & Red Lightning Strike

I used a small meandering stitch on this and it turned out beautiful.  I just cant get a good picture of this quilt.  Tried hanging from my deck but wind kept blowing it around, so then I put it over a couple of chairs for close ups, but really need to get a decent picture to use for the cover of the printed pattern.  Next I will try hanging it inside on my curtain rod over patio doors, to see if I can get a better picture.

If you could only see this for real, the red is a deep dark red with swirls of reds and hints of black swirls, its so pretty.

Finished this a couple of days ago, but as you know, black just loves to pick up any little piece of lint, thread and whatever.  I actually had to lay on floor and vacuum it to clean it up.

Since finishing this, I have now started my Barn Chix challenge quilt. Wow is this one a head twister.  Manged to do 5 of 20 blocks so far.  Need to have this done for July showing at Loose Threads.  Time is flying by.  Going on vacation Wed and returning Sunday the 5th.  Then its time to get the house ready and the cooking done for the Wedding June 11th. 

In between all of that, I do have another beautiful quilt to get quilted for my sister in law Dee Dee.  Want to do this before vacation.

Today is not the day for quilting, helped our granddaughter Britt move yesterday and I threw my back out. Ouch.  Rested it all last night with heating pad, better today, but pretty tender so gonna take it a little easy.  When am I gonna learn, not as young as I used to be and the body parts don't work as well either.

As Scarlett says, "I'll think about that tomorrow".

I am at THAT step in my quilting, three projects going all at the same time.  I swore I would always finish one before starting another.  Well that's not happening. 

1. Trying my level best to finish the pastel Lightning Strike

2. Complete Barn Chix Challenge

3. Work on Stepping Stones using greens and red, started as a practice before my workshop.

"I'm late I'm late for a very important date".

North Woods

How many times have you purchased a "Kit" including pattern, and when you get it home the only thing that attracted you was the material.

This is what happened to bff Nettie, she like the material so much she bought the kit and when she got around to making the quilt she didn't like the pattern.  I didn't think so much of it either.  So like so many times in the past we designed one together she did like using the material she liked so well. 

This is what we came up with:

She didn't want anything too detailed, going to a man for Xmas, so we did basic strips and rows. 

I stitched with landscape/rippling water stitching.  As usual I machine sewed the binding on for her, Nettie, always forgets how to miter strips and corners for binding, so I just do it for her. 

She does so many favors for me, don't mind at all doing this little extra work for her.

I Love Spring Flowers

This is another one of Vicki's.  I just love the colors she puts together in her quilts

back

The colors aren't perfect in my photos, the blues are lighter and the (gold) is actually yellow.  So Pretty.

Just for fun I counted from my photos all the quilts I have done so far.  As to date 97 and will hit 100 by the end of this week.  I know there are a couple I forgot to take pictures of.  Not bad for someone that just started in 2009.  Wish I had been smart enough to take pictures of all the quilts I made prior to getting my own long arm machine.  I tried thinking back over the years and keep losing count but I do know for sure the number is well over 40 of my own.   WHERE ARE THEY NOW??????   I have 10 here and the rest have all gone to family and friends.    I do know Stacy ( the big quilt hogger has more than enough) but if she wanted another one I would do it. Bert has one that I think Stacy has stolen from him.  Kylee has quite a few, Ken and Deena have 3 or 4, Brooklynn and Emma have 2 each and Luke has 1, Lexi (baby girl) 1.  Toby I think has 2 and my soon to be daughter in law Sarah has 2.  Then there is my bff Nettie, and our friends Lenny and Mary, my neighbor was given one the first year I started. Oh I know I am forgetting more.  Oh yes Bill and Donna have 2, nephew Johnny has a baby quilt for his new baby last year. And the list goes on. Sister in law Dixie Jo.  Debbie if you read this, I'm gonna do one for ya honey I promise.

Nothing I love more than making a quilt and giving it to someone who appreciates it.

I am sending a big Thank You to all my customers.



My First Workshop

Never taught a workshop before, today was my very first and I must say it was so much fun.  I think its because of the students, they were a great bunch of quilters and we had a ball.

Had five students, 4 did the Stepping Stones pattern and 1 did Lazy Hour Glass.

I don't care what you say, quilters are the friendliest people around.  You can take total strangers put them in a room with fabrics, cutters and sewing machines and you have a party.

Everyone so busy, but talking and laughing the whole time.

Robin

Nila (Lazy Hour Glass)

Jean

Gail

Mary Kay (she is doing a table runner )  I have a feeling maybe she might do a whole quilt with this pattern some day.

 It always amazes me how you can take one pattern and change the entire look of a quilt just by changing the color scheme. 

They are all beautiful, I am not kidding when I say I love each and every one of them.

Thanks so much girls, you made this workshop so fun.  I'm ready for another one anytime.

Instructions were given to all, "I want reports and updates and pictures of the finished quilts", and yes Mary Kay the table runner too.  I have all of your names and numbers, so hopefully we can keep in touch.

If you are looking for someone to do the quilting on these beautiful quilts, please give me a call.

Oh Gross

Dog, Belle, woke me this morning around 4 am, she had gotten sick and I had to clean up 2 Hugh piles of yuck.

She had not been feeling well for about 2 weeks.  She was scheduled for a wellness checkup next week, but I managed to get her an appointment today.

$337 later, she is OK, and has an upset stomach. YOU THINK? So a couple of shots for this and that and her regular shots and blood work and I am broke, but she is one of our kids so ya gotta do what ya gotta do.

Now I have to buy her Yogurt of all things, doc said its best thing for their digestive system.

Tomorrow I am doing the workshop at Loose Threads for my patterns.

No time to work on any quilting today.  Went to exercise class this morning and on Fridays we do Puloxing.  What a work out.  Came home and cleaned house, thought better get this done instead of quilting.  Why did I think that was more important than my quilting, I don't know, but I did it.  Wayne and I off to Menard's, which I believe by now I must own stock in this company, to pick up landscape bricks, and lattice for more yard improvements.

You know ya gotta love a guy that loves doing yard work and home improvement.  I just had to tell him today how much I appreciate him and all the hard work he does around here.

Since the day we got married, I have never seen a young man and now older gentleman who was so obsessed with have a good looking yard.

But I am so glad he is this way.

Pictures are from my upper deck of back yard.  Will get better pics as the flowers start to fill in.

Fire Pit Patio, looks like a quilt pattern huh?



Flower garden center and to the left hanging tomato buckets which he had me plant flowers on top to make them pretty



Small patch waiting for grass to grow this is where we had a swing set for the grandchildren

vegetable garden he planted last night



self explanatory




between the trees he made a shade garden of ferns and hastas

 And he is not finished yet.  Still has to put landscape bricks around his shade garden, and lattice  covering the space between upper deck and yard, oh and more lattice around his vegetable garden to make that look pretty.  Then he has to power wash both decks upper and lower and stain, all of this has to be done by Wedding June 11th.

You would never know this man has a heart condition would you?

Having A Great Day So Far

Went to exercise class this morning, where we worked on stretching exercises.  Boy did I need that.

This morning while doing Ugh dishes, I got a catch in my hips and went all the way down both legs, I thought I was going to collapse before getting to a chair.  I HATE GETTING OLD, wouldn't mind it so much if it didn't hurt so much.  Once I got the feeling back in my legs finished dishes, showered and went to exercise, and it really helped to get the catches, and kinks outta the old body.

Off to coffee with the girls and then home, where I finished another quilt for Vicki.  I love working on her quilts, she always chooses great colors and patterns and she puts her quilts together so beautifully.   She is in Europe for 2 week vacation, should be home next week.  Have another one of hers to do before end of this week.



Bright Spring Colors:

Stitched with loops and stars for a free flowing design.

Now going to have lunch, then off to grocery store and few other errands.

For whatever reason I am in the bestest ever mood today.

Getting Back Into My Routine

Would you believe it took me 2 days to get over the 2 day quilt show weekend.  I must be getting old (naw) but definitely not used to sitting and talking to hundreds of people for hours on end. It was a good 2 days I must admit.  I enjoyed most of it.

Now getting back to my routine.  Yesterday I sewed together 2 totes/bags for customer.

Today I finally got back to doing what I really love. QUILTING on my  Tin Lizzie long arm.

Here is the pics of newest quilt for a customer.  Terri is new to quilting but she is doing great.  Keep it up Terri.

This is a 90x93 and I did an overall swirl pattern of various sizes.  Pretty huh?  No this is not my Peacock Feathers stitch, as the swirls are left open. For Peacock Feathers I close the swirls with a tear drop.

Nettie brought a few of her quilts to do this morning, and I have 2 of Vicki's to do.  I love being busy and I love the quilting part.  I never know what pattern I will use until I see the quilt all spread out over the quilting table.  Then I just jump right in and it usually turns out the way I imagine it to be.

I was just telling a friend the other day, when I lost my job due to layoffs in 2009, I never thought I would come to realize it was the best thing that could have happened to me at this time of my life.

As they say when ONE DOOR CLOSES A WINDOW OPENS.  I am now true believer of this.

2nd Post for Janesville Quilt Show 2011

I felt Pam deserved her own blog post, so here is my second post with pictures from the rest of the show and vending area.  But first a special shout out of thanks to Alice (my sister in law) and her husband Dick.  Dick helped carry in and carry out ( and oh yes my hubby Wayne did too) and Alice bless her heart stayed with me all of Saturday and came Sunday to help with breakdown and carry out my display.  Thanks so very much.  Now here are the pics.  I wish I could have taken all of the quilts pic individually, but there were 240 entries, so I did indvs on some that really caught my eye and I grouped some.  Enjoy the pics.

me

Dee Dee (Alice)

Whew I'm tired