Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Waiting to be Quilted

Recently I took a break from customer work and decided to spend some time moving another one of my UFOs  to join the other projects patiently waiting to be quilted.

Baltimore Album Quilt started in 2011



I just needed to make the time to assemble the rows and add the borders.  I really like the way it has turned out.








Snowball quilt made with Civil War Reproduction fabrics in 2011










There are two wall hangings designed by Pat Sloan....  I'm debating adding borders to each of them so that they better fit my wall space.

Sampler Basket started in a class with Pat in 2011
Lucky Charms started in 2010.  Pattern can now be found in her newest book "Focus on the Center"



I have made many new online friends thanks to Pat's Quilt Mashup forum.  You can join us here:

 http://quiltmashup.com

Last year we did an Improv Block Swap...  making and sending blocks to the swap leader (who happened to be me) who then repackaged and returned one block from each participant.  We all had lots of  fun and I completed this quilt in January with some blocks remaining for another project.
Improve Block Swap started 2011


We had so much fun we decided to do it again.  This time, because several of us did not own a Christmas quilt to decorate with (shocking to realize that I was one of them!) we chose a simple Ohio Star block pattern to be made with Kona White and red and green Christmas fabrics.  I found this lovely Christmas "doll" fabric to symbolize all my new friends and completed this flimsy back in February.
Christmas Ohio Star Block Swap started 2012

Here is "Scott's Squares", a design I came up with for my nephew using men's shirts. He'll get this for a Christmas present this year.
Scott's Squares started 2011


It won't be long and my half-square triangle (Thangles) project will be ready to quilt also.  I've started assembling the rows and cutting borders.  Here are some of the rows laid out ready to sew.
Half-Square triangle project started 2010   
I have many more UFO's in various stages of completion that will all eventually end up on this list.  Hopefully this list will get smaller before I add too many more!



Saturday, May 26, 2012

Daily Walks

I try to walk the neighborhood at least 4 days a week.... about 1.5 miles per lap... 2 laps per day.   This week is more challenging than most because not only do I have Toby (my Blue Lacey)  I am dog sitting Baby Girl... my daughter's dog,  while my she is off fishing with her brother and father in Canada this week.  She is  wary of me and tends to pull as far away as the leash will allow... and of course in the opposite direction from Toby .  I am really lucky that Toby is so well behaved.  Baby Girl and I are still getting used to each other and she is warming up to me as we spend time together each day.
It's a beautiful sunny morning and we're walking along, and a new challenge presented itself.... an escapee convention at the back of the neighborhood.  Two yapping poodles and a barking wolf hound escaped their confines and decided to play with another neighborhood escapee this morning...  then we came walking along.  I'm sure if someone had taken a picture it would have looked quite comical to see me trying to to stay upright as dogs ran circles around me barking and trying to sniff each other all the while trying to keep from tangling in the two leashes.  I was about to let go of the leashes or go down, when, thank goodness, the owner of the three came by and called them off.  The other loose one ran off with them and we went on our merry way.

A little farther down the road is a cat convention!  Five cats lined up at the end of the driveway just sitting there daring the dogs to mess with them!   I wish I had a camera to show you how they lined up... first a white one then a white/brown then a white/brown black,  then a solid brown and lastly a solid black.  I found it amazing that they would line up in color order like that. What was more amazing to me was that they didn't move a muscle as we went by with the dogs pulling and whimpering to go investigate.

Another obstacle was the neighborhood AARF volunteer (with four foster dogs and two of her own)  I don't know how she could stand her ground and hold on to 6 dogs who wanted to come investigate us.

We passed by two more neighborhood escapees walking through the empty lot area.  Toby and Baby Girl whimpered to go check them out but  I managed to keep them moving along.

The scariest encounter was when a neighbors doberman came sneaking up behind us.  He is so quiet and before you know it he is just a couple feet away.  Both dogs noticed him a millisecond after I did ... just enough time for me to plant my feet and keep from being pulled into a barking chase as he took off running as soon as my guys started barking.  I think he startled Toby and Baby Girl too.  I am told he is a very friendly dog, but I don't like the way he sneaks up close and it's just plain scary to suddenly see this mean-looking dog so close and staring at me. 

The morning's adventure is done and I'm ready to spend some quality quilting time before my grandson arrives this afternoon.  He will keep me busy over the next several days.   I can't wait to see what will happen on our walk tomorrow with him added to the mix.... NOT!










Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Give a boy a ball....



 .... and there is no stopping him... especially when he has just turned 3!











Give him three balls and the fun never stops!

Add a Scooby-doo singing, candle flickering card...

He is trying to blow out the candles!

and birthday cake with candles......

I have 1... 2... 3! candles... I'm 3!

Happy Birthday to my grandson!

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Bell Buckle, TN

I recently went on a day trip with a group of ladies from church to Bell Buckle, TN.  It's an historic town that has organized itself and downtown into a tourist attraction of antique shops and crafts.
For more info go here:  http://www.bellbucklechamber.com


We enjoyed a wonderful lunch at the Bell Buckle Cafe. Then just enjoyed the antiques at the Bluebird Antiques & Miss Jeanne's Ice Cream Parlor.  The homemade waffle cones and hand dipped ice cream were tempting, but our meal was more than enough to eat today!

Here are some pictures of a fun day.   I've uploaded the remaining pictures (quilts and sewing machines I saw) on my Flickr page as I am having a difficult time working with blogger since they changed a week or two ago.
  http://www.flickr.com/photos/37794595@N06/sets/72157629571214950/