Design wall Monday 3/28/11

Does it count as on my design wall if I crop the photo so closely that you can't actually see my design wall??

 

This is the last time you'll see the mynas until the little quilt is done.

I chose this bright batik for the last border that the challenge calls for. It's not cut yet, the center is just set on top for a trial run.  I decided to use  "Wait till you hear what Edna said!" as the words that need to be on the last border per the challenge instructions.  It's turning out cuter than I imagined. Let's hope I can get it done by the next guild meeting.  

I was at my friend Patti's house to quilt my March UFO (WHAT?? it's almost APRIL??) and she showed me her challenge quilt.  It was done and she even HAND-QUILTED IT!!  It must be hard to be such an overachiever, I imagine.  I have no concept of what means.

See the band-aid on her tail?

Izzy is such a BIG, STRONG dog that when she got excited and wagged her tail too hard in the house the other night, she somehow injured the tip of her tail.  It must not have hurt because, based on the blood splatter (thank you CSI and Dexter) she must have continued to wag it for a long time.  I spent an hour cleaning up what can only be described as a murder scene.  It keeps reopening.  The only thing that will stay on it is bandaids.  Does anyone have a suggestion for helping it heal and keep this from happening in the future?

You all have a great week and think about this:

The way you perceive a specific situation 

is determined by your frame of mind. 

If your mind and thoughts are positive, 

you will always be in a position to

seize the opportunities that are before you.

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"I Am"

DS#2 and I went to the movies yesterday.  I can't decide if he is an actual intellectual or just wants to be one.  He's very smart, very thoughtful, and fully committed to the environment.  So much so that he refused our offer of 1/2 a car.  He rides his bike or ride-shares when he needs to.  He buys his clothing at Good Will ("It's sustainable.") and I don't want to talk about his eating habits.

So, it was no surprise to me that he wanted to see a documentary instead of an action movie.  SIGH.  He chose to see "I AM" a documentary by directory Tom Shadyac who also directed "Ace Ventura," "Bruce Almighty," and "Liar Liar" among other films.  Tom had a bad biking accident with a long recovery that gave him lots of time to reflect on his life and the world.  In the film he interviews more than a few of the world's most interesting thinkers, scientists and peace-makers.  Warning: it is very touchy-feely.  Here's the film's webpage.

Here is what Ellen DeGeneres had to say about it.

I recommend it highly.  I want to rhapsodize more about it but I have erased each of my many thoughts because each one just sounded so hokey and I didn't want you to think I had "drunk the kool-ade." Just watch it and come to your own conclusions.

Thanks for reading.

Design Wall Monday 3/21/11

 

Well, this is where my butterfly quilt stands today.  My artist sister came over and approved of my sashing choice and helped choose a border - once again, she went with a perfect piece of fabric but one I would NEVER have considered.  You'll have to wait till next week because I am sure it will be all together by then.  Stop laughing, I can hear you and it hurts my feelings!  I will too get it done.  I will.

On the home front, DS #2 came home for a few days of his spring break.  It has been great to see him. He is my snuggly son, even at 23 years old.  He wanted to go sailing.  It's never hard to convince my DH to go sailing and since it all sounded like so much fun, DS#1 came down and brought a good friend.  So, while I was fusing away in a Laura Wasilowski class (that's another post for tomorrow!) the four of them were out sailing.

We all got home at about the same time and DS#2 was desperate to cook some Indian food so we went off in search of an Indian market.  We managed to find everything we needed and he made us Dal and something with spinach and a most amazing cheese.  YUMMM.  Luckily, DS#1's friend is Indian and he added some pertinent advice that made the whole meal even better and more authentic.  I have to thank his mother for being such a  good cook and teaching Harnik to cook.

I wish I'd had my camera ready when DS#1 came home.  He is Izzy's favorite person in the world.  We always make them have their reunions in the backyard because she gets CRAZY when he first arrives.  Yesterday was worse than usual for some reason.  She jumped all over him crying the whole time like a wounded animal.  Which, I suppose is an apt description because I think she was wounded that he has stayed away so long!  Enjoy this example of their close relationship.

 

She just can't get close enough to him!!  She put herself there -- he didn't force her to sit with him!

I hope you all have a wonderful day.

If you want to see more design walls, check out Patchwork Times.

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Memorial Quilts

Last year I was honored to be asked to create two quilts from the Hawaiian shirts of a friend's deceased husband.  My friend wanted me to make a quilt for her daughter and her sister-in-law so each would have something to remember him.

She brought over a large box that included 20 or so shirts as well as some Hawaiian yardage.

At first I thought I would just put together large chunks of shirt fabric but none of it played well together and my design sensibilities just wouldn't allow it.  A search of the internet gave me many ideas.  The quilt shown above is a pattern from Maple Island Quilts called BQ.  I am very happy with how the separation makes all the prints work together while also making it very interesting.  Gretchen was thrilled with it.  I like an interesting back so I used many of the larger shirt pieces on it as well as adding a bit from my stash.

 

The second quilt came about from some inspiration I gleaned while surfing the net.  I wanted something very graphic to showcase the shirt fabric.  I lucked out with the border fabric, I was able to fussy cut enough strips from some yardage she had in the box.  The center sashings comes from the same yardage as the outer borders.

I used the same soft yellow as background on both quilts.  It seemed to set off the shirts better.

I didn't realize that Izzy had inserted herself in the photo until just now!!  Camera hog!




Here is the back which I also tried to make interesting (in a wonky sort of way).

I hope everyone is having a good week.  Try to remember

"The pain passes, but the beauty remains". 

                 --Pierre Auguste Renoir (1841-1919)

Fun in the mail

I received a wonderful gift from my new blog-friend Impera Magna.  Our packages to each other must have crossed somewhere in Texas because we both received them the same day.  I sent her a priority mail envelope stuffed with some of the scrap strips I've been whining bragging about lately and she sent me a jar of HOMEMADE peach jam and a darling mug rug (is that one word or two?).  I think I got the better end of the exchange.  What do you think?  Doesn't this look like the most delicious and prettily displayed snack ever!!

Thanks, Impera Magna.

Your royal subject,

Home Sweet Home

I actually wanted to post something different but I forgot to take photos so I will get on that tonight.

Instead, I thought I would make everyone laugh with my first attempt at free-pieced letters a la Tonya at Lazy Gal Quilting.  Don't blame her for how this looks!  I have serious trouble with being wonky!  Anyone who knows me well would be completely shocked (I hope) that I have trouble being freer with my piecing.  It is something I want to work on because the next border on my guild's challenge quilt needs to incorporate letters or words and I want to put some seriously wonky words on it.  I am completely open to ideas for what it should say.  Here's the piece I am working on:

The border must be 3 inches finished.  I am also adding another piece of vine to the left upper corner because I think it looks too unbalanced and I want something for my flowers and leaves to cling too.  The new border doesn't have to go on all four sides so I am thinking of adding words to just the top and bottom or one side.  What do Toucans say?
           "Let's Party!!"   OR  "Listen to what Edna told me"  OR  "I'm CooCoo for Coco Puffs!"

Let me hear what you think.

Meanwhile, ponder this:

The only reason people get lost in thought 

is because it's unfamiliar territory. 

                  http://www.coolfunnyquotes.com/

Design Wall Monday

I  finally put all the butterflies for my March UFO on my design wall. I am trying out a bunch of sashing strips to see what I like.  Impera Magna gave me the idea to sash each with a color that complements the butterfly on that block.  I had a lot of fun going through my strip bins and pulling out various fabrics.  I have some more work to do but I think I will have to wait till next weekend when I can pull fabrics in the day light.

This photos also includes more of the clutter that is always on my design wall.  It has become the "Junk Drawer" of my studio. It has little bits of things to give me inspiration, photos of people I love, and tickets, itineraries, just STUFF! Does that happen on your design wall also?

Go to Judy's Design Wall Monday post to see links to some more excellent photos.

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My next UFO

Judy at Patchwork Times pulled the number for the March UFO.  She pulled #1.  Whew!  Not the applique one yet.  Here is what I will be working on finishing this month.

I won a pile of butterfly blocks at my guild two (maybe three) years ago.  I am glad for this kick in the backside to finally finish what I think will be an adorable quilt.  I'll keep you all posted.

Somehow this quote seems fitting.

In hell there is no other punishment 

than to begin over and over again 

the tasks left unfinished in your lifetime.

                                                                                       ~ Andre Gide

           

I told you I had a lot of projects

 

Does anyone else have a Hall Of Shame like this?

I keep a lot of my UFOs on hangers in the doorway to my Quilting studio so I will become annoyed enough to finish them.  The ones on the right are completed tops already paired with backings.  I am just waiting to get to the Tin Lizzie I share with two friends.  It is kept at Patti's house and I can't always get there to quilt.  In the middle of the bar are several hangers full of fabric for a quilt for my niece.  It will be the next new project I start.  Then, on the left hang the UFOs for Judy L's UFO challenge that are waiting for their number to be pulled.

BTW, isn't that miniature Sunbonnet Sue adorable?  The third friend I share the Tin Lizzie with made that for me for my birthday last year!!

How do you keep track of your UFOs??

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