Another week begins

I spent most of Saturday stitching . . . 

This is the center of Good Morning Purple

(you can read the story of the quilt here).

This the crumpled front flimsy with borders.

I had two other pieces pulled to use for the back ~

but those are going with me to class next month so

I shopped my stash and used up several companionable purples

to piece a wonderfully scrappy back.

Chris and I met Sunday morning for a quilt swap

so Bits and Pieces AND Good Morning Purple are at her house now.

Chris brought me one of Lynne's two quilts ~

not saying which one or how it was quilted!

I will say it is AMAZING and I can't wait to get the binding stitched on.

(I'll take photos, but they won't be shared until after the quilt reaches New Hampshire.)

We had a surprise visitor over the weekend,

so Hugo did get to meet Tippy

and share a meal before heading off to Florida.

Here's to the week ahead!

Quiltdivajulie

Report From Camp Sefton

Tippy here reporting from Camp Sefton

(my people went to Florida for the long weekend).

I've had plenty of attention . . .

but there sure have been a lot of boxes being unpacked

and arranging activity going on!

Mr. Larry drilled holes in the back of the quilt cabinet

so Ms. Julie could set up her mom's lighted Christmas village.

The nutcrackers and a ceramic tree went on top.

Ms. Julie put her nativity scene on top of her grandpa's old radio.

That's the vintage table runner Chris quilted underneath.

Mr. Rick came over to see Mr. Larry and brought these.

Mr. Rick works for a custom shutter company 

and they were going to trash a whole lot of sample books.  

He figured since they were fabric,

maybe Ms. Julie could use them.

I heard something about pillow covers 

and needing some other ideas . . . 

I had to protest loudly when Mr. Larry and Ms. Julie were

outside hanging green stuff and red bows . . .

they finally let me come out but I had to stay on a leash

(I was pretty annoyed by that).

Then Ms. Julie started unscrewing light bulbs ~

she ended up with a laundry basket almost full of bulbs!

I walked around a little while ago and counted.

There are 9 table top trees and one great big one . . . 

I'm just glad all ten timers are finally set ~ 

some of the lights on those trees

 stayed on waaaaaaaaaaay past my bedtime last night.

I get to go home Monday afternoon ~

hanging out at Camp Sefton is always fun, 

but I'll be glad to get back to my own bed!

Tippy (for Quiltdivajulie)

Good Feelings

Here's my working list of odds and ends
that need to be done in the studio:


Finish piecing the last of the 2010 PIF quilts  (see below)
Make binding for last of 2010 PIF quilts

Change blades in rotary cutters

Take Dancing Star fabrics off design wall so I can work on Stars Over Leehaven
Work on hand binding of Blue Moon

Sketch ideas (process notes) for Dancing Star

Cut fabric for hanging sleeves for Spirit Song

Cut binding strips for Spirit Song 

Cut batik segments for Stars Over Leehaven

Choose fabrics for Priority Quilt using Empire Guild block idea

Send high-res photos of Amish Challenge quilts to Tonya
Deal with bead stash

Create Quilt Album entries for Milestone, selvage placemats, Blue Moon, and Spirit Song

Print and file Quilt Album entries in 2010 notebook

Review Gestation notebook, adding new entries and deleting those I'll never use.
Stitch binding third of three satin runners.
Finish 2d pillow sham for Ochenta (stalled after MIL's passing last fall)

And these are just the quilty thoughts.

I know I'm not the only one . . . 

when I try to sit and sew, 

thoughts like the ones above push and shove 

and demand that I pay attention to them

when what I really want to do

is play with my fabrics in peace.

BUT ~ a lot of things did get crossed off
which makes the rest of the list tolerable.

Progress feels good!

Now, about that final 2010 PIF that was lined out above:

A lot of scrappy browns created Warm and Cozy's top.

More pieces from the stash became the back.

These will be off to Chris for quilting

and then, later this year,

Warm and Cozy will be off to USC

and an Alzheimer's Study participant.

Tippy's last afternoon at Camp Sefton . . . 

Quiltdivajulie

Wonderful New Book

This book was published in 2007.

Not sure how I missed seeing it until now

but I'm very glad I have a copy of my own.

Can't wait to try out several of her techniques!

(Thanks to those on the Liberated Quilters webring

who mentioned her work!)

Hoping to get the hanging sleeves made for Spirit Song this week.

Then I can finally start on the binding ~ 

the unfinished quilt has hung over the balcony for too long!

Also need to hang up the satin name banner that Chris quilted for me

(satin from the skirt of my wedding dress).

And for those who've asked about Tippy's stay at Camp Sefton  . . . 

Intrepid camper that she is, exploring the mulch bed 

was more important than staying indoors

to avoid the 112 degree heat index.

So much yard to investigate!

Quiltdivajulie

Friday Finish ~ French Roast

I'm delighted to share that I have finally come to terms

with this machine binding business.

MANY thanks to those who have offered suggestions, links, and advice ~

or who waited while I struggled through all this.

Your help HAS made a difference!

My method incorporates the approach I showed a day or so ago from Hilda

along with elements of Judy L's tutorial that Paula clued me into.

I cut these strips 2-1/2" to make my binding.

There is matching thread in the top and invisible thread in the bobbin.

I increased my stitch length just a little.

The binding is stitched to the front.

On the straightaway, I stop and pin 6-8" ahead of myself

just to keep things tidy as I work my way around the quilt.

As I approach a corner, I use three pins.

(photo shows the back side of the quilt)

I pin before and after, then pin the corner fold.

I do the back tack as Judy L. shows in her video

as I turn the corner with my needle down.

Ta Da! 

A finished corner!

There will always be quilts that I slowly lefty-hand bind,

but this method certainly works for all the others!

Here is French Roast draped over the rocker in my studio ~

a second PIF finish for this week!

Don't you just love the swirl design

 Chris chose for her quilting?

I do!

(the fabrics for this quilt came from her stash, too)

And here's Tippy 

(our grand-dog) 

quality testing the finished quilt.

Camp Sefton is way better than the kennel!

Here's to the weekend  . . .

Quiltdivajulie

Furry Friday

Guess who got a Snuggie for Christmas!?!

(Keep in mind that Tippy weighs all of maybe six pounds...)

And guess who is back in her favorite spot under the tree? Miss Angel circled the entire time I was decorating, waiting for "that" moment when the skirt was put under "her" tree...

Here's to a restorative weekend ~

Quiltdivajulie

Weekend Thoughts

One of my photos - taken in St. Louis - Chiluly in the Garden exhibit [yes, the blue and purple pieces are GLASS and the vintage rowboat is really in water ~ one of my favorite photos from our visit]

Time for a weekend ~

On Saturday, a group of us from work will gather to see the latest Harry Potter movie.

DH and I have several re-arranging plans (#1 is shifting the treadmill and recumbent bike from the bonus room where they do not get used to the guest room where there is more natural light and we hope they do get used plus the inevitable 'if you touch this, then that needs to move, too' items).

Special side note - please think good thoughts for Chris, my long arm quilty friend. They had some sort of power surge at their house after the severe storms went through Thursday night. Her computer is 'dead' and Iris, her long arm machine, is not working either. She'll be on the phone with Nolting Friday!

I have the top for my scrappy basket quilt partially stitched together, but the pinched nerve in my neck is acting up again so I don't know how long I'll be able to sit and sew for the next few days. This quilt has had such a long gestation ~ I'm excited by the way the top continues to evolve.

Camp Sefton remains open through Sunday when Miss Tippy will go home. One thing we've learned during this session ~ she does NOT like thunderstorms!

Have a great weekend . . .

Quiltdivajulie

The Weekend

Here's Tippy  ~  hard at work  ~ snuggled between the Gizzy Quilt made for Angel by Lynne and her own new Kaffe quilt . . . being at Camp Sefton is tough!

Later, I found her curled on top . . . reminds me of the princess and the pea . . .

Glorious blue skies and puffy white clouds ~ temperatures in the 80s instead of over 100 and NO humidity . . . ahhhhhhhhh.  Lots of errands on Saturday ~ MIL and I went for haircuts (with the much-anticipated monthly visit to the local bakery afterwards); trips to the big box hardware store to get sand, mortar, and other assorted necessities to repair a cavity beneath the driveway; a Costco run to lay  in supplies for our upcoming retreat here at home (instead of going away for a vacation or classes); a pedicure; etc.

Chris dropped off Jazzberry Jam this morning and picked up a special rush project that I put together this past  week ~ one of my co-workers starts chemo on Tuesday for lymphoma (advanced stage).  Once quilted, I'll take the prayer quilt to the office and encourage each person to take a few stitches on the binding as they add their well wishes and prayers for her as she endures the treatments.   

Off to deal with the rest of the to-do items and enjoy this glorious break in the weather!

Quiltdivajulie

A Quilt for Miss Tippy

Princess Tippy has returned to her house for a few days but she'll be with us over the weekend and then again for a week near the end of the month.   Summer = Camp Sefton and a second quality assurance manager in the quilt studio.

So what does that information have to do with the small almost-quilt above?  

I love looking at Kaffe Fassett fabrics ~ their joy, exuberance, and glorious colors delight my senses.  But I have a hard time working with them (go figure).  So, I ordered a set of 36 charm squares with the promise to myself that I would complete a small project.  

They quickly  (before I could think too much) became half-square triangles which became pinwheel blocks which became what will be a quilt for Tippy (ala Angel's Gizzy quilt).

And there was just enough of the fabulous fabric from Jazzberry Jam to piece the back and create the binding.  

Truly a riot of outrageous colors for a small dog who thinks she's a Great Dane (if you aren't sure, just ask her!).

Quiltdivajulie

Sing the Sun Down

Here's a photo of my scrappy, liberated basket quilt Sing the Sun Down on the design wall.  None of the pieces are "quite" lined up the way they should be and there are more background pieces yet to cut, but this was enough to let me know how I wanted to balance the color distribution.  [The quilt's name is a lyric fragment from one of the songs on Carly Simon's That Kind of Love cd.]

I need to finish stitching the hanging sleeves on Dave and Friends before I start piecing the basket blocks.  My co-workers know the black and white kitty quilt is almost ready and they're pestering me to hurry up.

Larry was playing with the video feature on my new canon digital camera Sunday afternoon ~ you can see Tippy twirling for a beggin' strip (and my foot) below:

One of my neighbors is shooting off lots of noisy fireworks as I type (it is July SEVENTH already) and Tippy is NOT a happy dog!

Quiltdivajulie

--------------------------

"If you think dogs can't count, try putting three dog biscuits in your pocket and then giving Fido only two of them."  (Phil Pastoret)

Camp Sefton

Guess who's coming to stay at Camp Sefton for a week?

And then again for another week later in the month?

TIPPY!

I promise you, there is no way you can stay grumpy when she's nearby ~ the chatter of tiny toenails on hardwood floors, belly rubs, walks around the block, dancing for treats, naptime snuggling . . . and a tail that never stops wagging!

Here's to grand-dog visits!

Quiltdivajulie
--------------------------
p.s. If you get a chance to see Wicked, GO! It was AWESOME!

Happy, Hopeful Signs

When I had Tippy outside earlier this morning, I discovered new growth buds on my hydrangea bush (it had a rough first summer last year so we weren't at all sure it was going to survive)....

And then, I discovered that my daffodils are clearly visible through the mulch and leaves....

Marvelous sights to behold on January 1 !!

Family dinner with both boys and Lauren (loaves of banana bread baked early this morning & the crock pot is working hard while I concentrate on the un-decorating process and DH continues his assault on the bonus room, aka giant storage closet, upstairs).

Quiltdivajulie

-----------------------

"Start by doing what is necessary; then do what is possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible." (St. Francis of Assisi)

Possibilities

Last night I pulled fabric from my stash for what will be a special 'just for me' quilt. I recently received a copy of the huge Gee's Bend quilt book (truly awesome if you've never seen it) and Chris has been playing with a very special quilting panto that I picked out two years ago (neither of us have been ready until now). They will all come together in this new project...

Spent a couple of hours working on the scrappy back for Dandelion Detour - I hadn't planned on a largely pieced back, but when I measured the fabrics I had in my stash, lots of piecing was the result... still have a ways to go, but this is going to be almost as much fun as the front.

Another Blast From the Past:

This was my donation quilt for the 2006 Hancock's Fabrics - St. Jude Quilt of Dreams program. Named Possibilities, it was delivered to a local Hancock's store in July. Never heard another word, so I am guessing that it was given to a patient (not a prize winner, not used in their promotion materials, not sold to raise funds). I hope it brought/brings a child comfort and cheer!

Tippy was visiting Camp Sefton at the time, so she helped model the quilt...

Wish I could stay home and play with fabric, but have to go to work...

Quiltdivajulie

SO glad it is the weekend!

SO very tired... with the helping hands of 6 other volunteers and co-workers, we sent out 900 3-page book announcement letters for a local history group (my boss is the book's editor) this afternoon.  At least the vintage ballplayer stamps were reasonably easy on the eyes!   There are 500 more to go on Monday... but there are 2 days in between and I am planning to stay as far away from Excel and databases and merging mailing labels as possible!!    I am mentally and physically exhausted after this week of mailing mess (merging disparate spreadsheets of names/addresses from 3 organizations, incorporating info from handwritten lists, plus typing in 2 membership rosters ... waaaaaay too many keystrokes and toooooooo much eyestrain!)

As promised, DDIL participated in three college fairs in Tokyo today ...  Through the wonder of the web, we can journey along with her!  The pace they're keeping is exhaustive, but I know she'll squeeze in every moment she can to savor the different cultures!

Tippy is here at Camp Sefton this weekend ... she is the happiest little dog!

Quiltdivajulie 

Saturday - one week later....

I actually did some hand stitching yesterday ~ during all of this time in the recliner, my brain finally sorted out why I've been so completely stalled on the Ice Cream Roses project. Thanks, Jude ~ your body of work has inspired and motivated me to do the soft edge applique by hand instead of with the sewing machine. I will feather the edges as I go... and I doubt seriously that the final layout will resemble what had been contemplated originally. This is the first block ~ sunning itself atop a log.
For those who have asked where DH gets the wood for his turnings ~ here are photos of the most recent additions to his stash. All but the tallest one are from a huge cherry tree. The single tall piece is holly (very rare to find one this size).

Stash acquisition note: DH and one of his woody-type friends were crawling about in a local mulch yard just before dusk (after business hours) retrieving these treasures when the local police came by, ran the plates on our car, verified ID, and waited while the guys called the owner of the yard to confirm for the police that the guys had his permission to remove the logs. You can imagine the funny versions of this story that are evolving!

To give you some idea of scale ~ Tippy (upper left corner) weighs about four pounds...

Taking it easy today ~ finally appear to be fever free ~ while you can "survive" on Gatorade for 5 days, you have very little energy or stamina...

Enjoy your weekend!

Report from Camp Sefton

"I'm watching you...." ~ Camp Director Angel hard at work keeping an eye on our weekend camper from her perch on the kitchen table (where she is NOT supposed to be)...

"Who, me?? I'm just curled up in your bed being a good camper."

[Tippy is spending the weekend at Camp Sefton while her people attend a wedding in Alabama.]

Me? I'm scattered about the quilt studio with WAY too many loose ends! Here are my goals for right now:

1. Wash yardage and stitch back for Rabbit Hole (top finished). [in the dryer]

2. Trim and bind Priority Quilt (kantha stitched orphan block from Vortex). [underway, ready for final hand stitching]

3. Trim and bind Priority Quilt (selvages). [underway, ready for final hand stitching]

4. Order batik backing fabric for DNA quilt. [done]

5. Refold and stack batiks neatly. [done]

6. Stitch together orphan squares from Rabbit Hole to make Priority Quilt top. Pull fat quarter for backing. [this much is done.] Mail to Chris for quilting. [will do this afternoon when I go out.]

7. Laundry, laundry, more laundry. [underway -- sew, swap a load, sew, swap a load, etc.]

8. Make binding for DNA quilt. [strips cut & stitched, need to press & hang up until quilted quilt returns home.]

9. Take the dog out, bring the dog in, take the dog out, bring the dog in... [ongoing.]

10. Begin assembling Serendipity.

11. Cut strips for Serendipity's inner and outer borders.

12. Make another mug of hot tea & go update blog. [almost done.]

Here's to the weekend...

A 2-hour mini-retreat

I spent the evening in my studio piecing 3 rows of a springtime quilt top. I've had these segments cut for a couple of months but have been working on other projects (notably my journal quilts for November and December). With my Diana Krall Live in Paris cd playing and the whirr of my machine (the 440 is in the shop so I'm using my trusty 153 for now), it felt good to be in a non-holiday world for a couple of hours. The 6" finished blocks laid out 9 x 11 plus borders will yield a generous lap quilt. The photo above just doesn't do the fabrics justice... but it offers a hint of things to come. And, not at all like the usual procedure, this quilt was named before I ever cut into the yardage ~ Brenrich Cove. It was inspired by a two-block stretch that I drive every day going to work. The gated-neighborhood is bordered with a hedgerow of the most beautiful mature crape myrtles ~ their rich lilac shades are nothing short of spectacular during their prolonged spring and early summer bloom season. For many of the quilts that I gift, I include a haiku written inside the gift card. As of now, I plan to keep Brenrich Cove but the haiku has already been written:

Weathered picket fence

Summer evening crickets chirp

Drowsy blooms caress

But, for now, it is back to December and off to work. Tippy has made her holiday reservations at Camp Sefton (she'll be with us for a week). There are only a few gifts still to be wrapped and just one more trip to the grocery store... then these last few days will pass by in a rush. I hope that you find moments to remember mixed in with all of the "to-do" items on your lists!!

Weekend Visitor

Tippy (all 4 pounds of her) spent Thanksgiving weekend with us at "Camp Sefton" while Lauren and Eric met up with her family in Charleston.

. . . and Tippy wore herself out "helping" as I pulled out and started setting up the Christmas things!

Taking a break

Here's what I did today at Camp Sefton ~ just in case ya'll check in on me from Hawaii . . .

Camp Sefton

When Tippy stays at our house while Eric & Lauren are away, they tell her she's going to Camp Sefton! And after Tippy gets home from camp, she goes straight to sleep. Soooo, if our house is Camp Sefton, then Angel is the Camp Director... and this is how Angel spends her days off...