WIP WEDNESDAY a lot going on!

I've been busy this week! Quilting, sewing, designing, the works!
I'm busy quilting stuff destined for Etsy.

I loove this backing and can't wait to see how it looks washed.. Then I will really know how much I like it. fingers crossed. I am loving the quilting on this project. It's headed for Etsy. I'm working on a big charity quilt and then Mothers day Quilt needs quilting(it isn't finished yet) and then more Etsy.

Working on an Ikea hack for my Mother. she has a wide window that is not long, so I bought Ikea curtains, removed the tab tops and we are going to hang them sideways.
Speaking of Mom, I'm working on a Mother's day Quilt. ZigZag RailFence. In batiks, Mom is gonna love it.



In closing, here is a little detail of somethng I am working on.
This one may not go into Etsy, or may go in cheap, I'm not crazy about the pink.
I like the center fussy cut and the blue cherries. we'll see.

Quilters Rock!

Stash Sunday On Tuesday or the ties that bind

So I know it's Tuesday but I didn't post on Sunday a picture of my stash so here's Stash.
My FIL sent me a box of ties, silk ties, cotton ties, designer ties, homemade ties. There is even a Liberty of London silk tie! How great is that? My BIL finally got married ... been with his partner 31 years! I know FIL wants me to make a quilt but I seriously don't think I am a good enough quilter. His family makes crazy quilts but I am hoping to make a string quilt or 3...
A couple of years ago he sent me a box of shirts, like wild 70's cotton shirts. Also, destined for quilts... at some point I will totally make some "family clothes" quilts. I think my step-kids will be happy about it. I hope so anyway.

The red with polka dots and that blue floral are totally homemade. What a guy making his own ties! gotta love him.
In other news, I am totally waiting for my bias tape maker and electric strip cutter. I'll keep you posted.
A new load is in the works for Etsy, and I have a couple of tutorials in the works.
Quilters Rock!

Fiberless Post.

Its 5:30 in the morning here. I'm still up! We are spending the night Friday night as "security" at the guild quilt show. Getting a little practice in ahead of schedule, so I don't fall asleep at the show.
*Rachel rubs her sleepy eyes "what do you mean somebody stole all the quilts?"*

This is my earth day bench. Its made from recycled fence and some great concrete blocks I got from the Rebuilding Center in Portland. Its an awesome place! The bench sits in my garden space so I can park my behind and watch the lettuce grow.

The perfect shape a circle in a square. I thought they were simple and modern. I think they were used for sewer pipe back in the day. idk.

A little radish. teeny tiny . How cute is that? I love spring in Oregon.
Friday is always a tough day for me. I volunteer ,thru my guild, with a group at the County Corrections. Details withheld. I really like being there and I get a great deal from these ladies, but Friday is my day to recover. I grew up really poor in Los Angeles County, around people shooting drugs, sadness, hopelessness, despair and crisis. I made it out, and I am grateful, but Friday is my day to process and recover.
I also get a chance to teach beginners how to sew/quilt. Excellent experience for me. It's a win win.
Proof of Spring; this is my Mom out in the sun, reading and soaking up the heat. She is such a little old lady; tea drinking, pillow punching, and boring story telling. I love her, when I grow up I want to be just like her. But like my dog Stella I hope to be in the shade.

Yawn...
Quilters Rock!

Project Improv Completed!

The Bitchy Stitcher gave away her Quilt with a contest and I got the answer right.
and I quote
"You are correct! It is actually called a "dangling participle"
which I believe is the funniest name for a grammatical error ever.
You have 2 entries - good luck!
Megan"
SO really, I feel like a winner. I didn't win the quilt but I guessed right. Silver lining and all that.
English is the only language I know , well I've got a bit of Menu Spanish and can order beef and swear in Vietnamese, but really this is it. I speak the english. According to those who know me, my written grammar sucks. My speach isn't much better. I have endured grammar lectures from what feels like every member of my family.repeatedly. Even my FIL who has a masters. Thanks Poppy. I must have learned something. Or it was dumb luck. Either way.... I got it right!

Back on April 1st Jackie from TallGrassStudio sent me a Project Improv quilt top and back to quilt.
I added Warm and Natural batting and quilted it using a style I have been working to learn. I call it swirls. I used it on my Spare change quilt and lots of folks mentioned they liked the quilting.
Don't mess with success, that's what I say.
Because the sashing/borders is so dark, any quilting I did with light thread (I thought) would be too contrasty and weird. If I used dark thread, it would show on the back and not be good. or rather might show on the back.
I left the sashing /border with out any quilting, I think it looks great. I then added polka dot machine binding which plays up the red in the blocks. I think that binding is the perfect choice. It's a Maywood Studio, just crazy about dots. From my stash.
I quilted with Bottom Line thread on top and in the bobbin.
I hope you all like it.
Ta Da....


See my full Project Improv Set over at Flickr.com


Im moving Project Improv Quilt over to the Completed in 2009 column!
Quilters Rock!

bloggers quilt show

This is one of my very first quilts. I quilted it at StoryQuiilts in Beaverton before I got my own machine. Its a 3-D Bow Tie in batiks. I staggered the rows so it looked kinda like a tile pattern.
I love its color and how it feels. Sometimes I think it's my best work to date. When my husband was sick and I had to take him to the ER ... I took this quilt and unpicked a bunch of bad quilting and tucks. This quilt was a good friend to me that day.

Susan Boyle! I love you!

I just posted a pic from days past because I like my posts better when they have a photo.
I have been saving this till I was a better quilter. I may be ready to quilt this. hooray! Im putting it in the queue.
Have you seen the video of Susan Boyle on You Tube?
It's a must see. check the side to hear her sing "cry me a river".

WIP Wednesday with Words

Yeah finally!
I need to get on the quilt for Project Improv. I have been thinking about it all week.
I decided to quilt the squares and not the sashing. Jacquie told me she liked the "swirly quilting" in my spare change quilt.

I didn't think that was the way I wanted to go. The sashing and border are dark brown and I would have to switch threads and then it could show on the light back, so I needed to be careful.
I decided to not quilt the border and sashing , just the light blocks, using the swirly pattern Jacquie likes.
I finally got it on the quilter.

I'm on my last row of blocks. I have made my binding. I'm almost done!
On a lighter note:
Today is Tax Day in America. Some folks who are upset with how things are going and who won the election are out today publicly teabagging. It's too dang funny for words. When I see photos of some guy holding a sign that says "tea bag obama" - I start the giggling!
The other thing I LOVE about the photos of these protests; It's like a "Where's Waldo". The folks ALL white! I like to try and find the "person of color". It's fun.
So here is me "teabagging" on Tax Day.
If you don't know why I think this is funny, or why your kids and grandkids love to use "tea bag" as a verb.... see this link and stop writing anti-semtic comments that I have to delete and even you are so ashamed of , you can't sign your name. Happy Teabagging!


Quilters Rock!

The Bitchy Stitcher Rocks!

Have you gone to enter the giveaway over at this blog?
The Bitchy Stitcher: Because I care. And I'm lazy.
She is giving away a full size quilt - like twin size! Holy cow!
This is so big, you have to declare your winnings to the IRS!

WIP WEDNESDAY /wordless wednesday

Hey Buddy! Is That Kleenex In Your Pocket or are you Just Happy to See Me?

I have allergies. Seems like every tree in Metro Portland is blooming. I take meds and use my Neti pot and get much relief but... for a couple days, at least, every year the pollen is so bad I just want to hide in my highly filtered, home bubble. My husband has super bad allergies as well, so when we got the A/C, he also got an electronic air filter and some kind of germ killing light bulb thingy... this is me shrugging and walking away because DH has it covered. what ever. It really works. Yesterday we set up Mom's new tree and her patio display of flowers. It was lovely and sunny, and we're all now suffering from too much outdoor time today. itchy eyes.
Project Improv:
Err.. so, yes I have a top I am going to quilt. But I had also promised that I would make some wonky log cabins, which I never did. Today, I got one of those dreaded "hey bum where's your blocks?" emails along with 20 other losers... okay I'm projecting, but I did get an email.
I can admit when I suck!
Okay so here's what happened... I tried to make them, they sucked, I spent like days on them on and off ... lame. Then I sent postage, this was an impromtu action on my part to assuage my guilt. No star magically appeared by my name. damn.
Then today I mentioned something to my husband as he was leaving to go off to work and he got that weird slightly disappointed look on his face like " you signed up to do something and now your gonna blow them off. not cool." ouch.

I made 4 blocks ... in 7 hours! I am not a wonky log cabin maker. Just not.
Ta da...

I went to Art School dang it! I'm trained. I should be able to do this. Anyway, it's over, in an envelope and ready to go to post. Wiping brow. wheew!

Lilac buds. interesting.
I'm gonna think about which books I can be rid of so I can go buy some quilting books. Must have Simple Comtemporary Quilts. Thanks to chickenfoot.
Quilters Rock!

Project Improv Is In the House

I got my Project Improv quilt top to quilt. I am looking forward to it.
But today I went spring crazy!


We have a couple of feeders and last week we even had a stunned hummer in our hands(what do mean my camera is charging in the dock???) spring is also in the house.

My radishes are growing, they sprouted. hurray, I always worry.

Stella says check out the flowers for the patio!

My Mother and I planted up stuff for the patio. You know its spring!