The Prince & the Pea

Here he is, my little prince.
This is the quilt upon which he is seated. My green zipper, quilted & bound! (The binding is a dreen that is not in the quilt body!) This is an example of how when you use a lot of different fabrics from one color in a quilt, it works! As you can see these go from mint to blue green to lime, to forest green!
This is supposed to show the quilting - it is a cat, you can see the paw in the solid large rectangle and two more paws in the lower solid small rectangle.
Another quilting shot of a different kitty, you can see the ears in the lime green rectangle.
This is the back, it is flannel. It "goes with" the border on the front. I wish the fabrics were reversed (I like the look of a border print as a border), but I used what I had.
Equal time for Rhapsody, sitting on the brown couch. That will be replaced with the Straw couch that we ordered to begin with on November 11th, so hopefully on November 13th, I will be able to start showing "after" photos of the condo! I like the brown couch just fine, but her blond fur gets stuck on it & it really shows on the dark upholstery.

Quilting MEME

Bold those that you have done! This one is from Shelina. (because I am not one to follow rules, I am also adding comments as I feel the desire...)
Have You Ever?
1. Taken a quilting class My first class was with Karen Kay Buckley - a master appliquer - I did not even know how to keep the needle on top... (I had been a cross-stitcher)
2. Paper pieced Hate it - but I have a few more "to-do"
3. Hand quilted I want to....
4. Hand pieced I have a pre-cut pattern waiting for me to learn this technique.
5. Created your own pattern I saw a technique using a shoo-fly block, I did my own using a maple leaf.
6. Published a pattern in a magazine or book
7. Gone on a quilting retreat
8. Gone to a quilting convention
9. Met someone who wrote a quilting book
10 combined your quilting with some other craft
11. Done any three dimensional quilting - like fabric origami
12. Made something using Thimbleberries fabric Not 100%, I have used them in scrap quilts
13. Made something using batiks
14. Dyed your own fabric
15. Made a landscape hanging Still being planned
16 Made a New York Beauty quilt
17 Made a baby quilt
18 Made a wall hanging
19 Made a journal quilt
20 Submitted your journal quilt for viewing
21 Made a fabric postcard
22 Made a artistic trading card (ATC)
23 Exchanged artistic trading cards
24. Mailed your own postcard
25. Made a lap quilt
26 Made a twin size quilt
27 Made a full size quilt
28 Made a queen size quilt
29 Made a king size quilt
30 Donated a quilt to charity
31 Sent a quilt out to a quilter ALL THE TIME!
32 Thrown away a UFO before I knew someone would take it from me.
33 Given away a UFO Several
34 Cut up a UFO and made something else with it
35 Ripped fabric instead of cutting it
36 Made a quilt exactly like the pattern, with no changes whatsoever
37 Done any Sashiko
38 Quilted your own quilt Now I use long armers....
39 Did free motion quilting
40 Put any embroidery or beads on your quilt
41 Given away your quilt to a stranger Ex-Boyfriend's friends went to Poland to adopt children...
42 Swapped fabric
43 swapped blocks
44 participated in a round robin
45 participated in an ostritch round robin
46 kept a journal about your quilting
47 written a letter to someone who made an antique quilt
48 Made a quilt using novelty prints
49 kept a blog about your quilting
50 participated in a gift exchange
51 sent a quilting random act of kindness
52 joined a newsgroup about quilting
53 made a quilt using a pattern from quilterscache (Probably only a quilt block)
54 joined an online block of the month Did not do the quilt...
55 made a block of the month quilt I don't care for samplers, but I am liking the sampler-ish quilts that have different sized blocks and mix applique with piecing - not that I plan on doing one - i have too many planned project already
56 subscribed to a fabric of the month club
57 bought fabric at an online store equilter is my friend
58 bought fabric from ebay I got a great deal on cotton sateen, but got the short end on postage - still I did better than I would have at the LQS
59 own more than one sewing machine
60 have a room dedicated solely to sewing
61 hide a fabric purchase
62 finished making a holiday gift before July It has been in my closet quilted, bound & Labeled for a few months! (I finished piecing the top before July!)
63 spent more than $200 in one quilt shopping trip The guild that i used to belong to goes to Lancaster County, PA once a year - GREAT DEALS!
64 made a quilt using a book from the library
65 worked with someone else to make a quilt I have made a few blocks for group quilts.
66. joined a quilt guild
67 become president of a quilt guild
68 taught a quilting class
69 helped someone else get the quilting bug
70 taught a child to sew
71 made a Dear Jane block
72 Made a miniature quilt Not quite yet - definate "soon" plans.
73 watch QNN - quilters news network
73 subscribe to a quilting magazine from your own country Quiltmaker
74 subscribe to a quilting magazine from another country Australian patchwork & Quilting
75 buy fabric from another country Australia - by mail after my trip!
76 swapped completed quilts with someone else
77 asked for quilting help online ALL THE TIME!
78 gone to a quilt shop to ask for quilting help on occasion
79 bought fabric at a local quilt shop
80 traveled more than 100 miles to go to a quilt shop I went to Road to California & quilt shops. I also went to Australia and a quilt shop! More frequently, I have been to Lancaster County, Pa. & assorted locations in Virginia
81 used nontraditional fabric for a quilt - something other than cotton or flannel
82 made a quilt using instructions given to you on a blog Violet Crumble is based on a pattern by Be*mused.
83 make comments on someone's quilting blog
84 meet a quilter in person after only having talked online
85 had a quilting retreat in your home
86 own quilting software
87 made a quilt you designed on your quilting software
88 done any quilt research - history, interviewing quilters, etc.
89 had any quilt related subject published anywhere
90 donated a quilt to a museum
91 bought a quilt from a thrift store
92 made a quilt using fabric from a thrift store
93 made a quilt using photos
94 made a pastel quilt Before I had a clue about value, etc.
95 made a quilt using brights
96 made a quilt using ethnic fabric from another country - African, Asian, etc.
97 made a quilt using leftover blocks from other quilts
98 had your quilt in a magazine, newspaper, newsletter, TV, etc.
99. submitted your quilt to a quilt show
100. won any ribbons with your quilts
101 had more finished quilts than UFOs
102 made a quilt using reproduction fabrics Still a UFO...
103 took a break from quilting that was longer than a year
104 made money with your quilting Once!
105 had a job in the fabric / quilting industry

Arty MEME

I am so inspired by Debra's Arty MEME that I am joining in! (Something has to get me out of this slump!)

http://debraspincicdesignstudio.blogspot.com/2006/10/arty-meme.html

BTW all quilts to me are art!

Bottom line, if you want a piece of quilted art from me all you have to do is be one of the first 5 to ask! (And ask me a quilty/arty question...) It is not halloween yet, you don't get a treat just for asking - at least not from me...

AND (there you knew there was a catch.) You have to do this on your blog too. (This = offer up a piece of quilted art to the first 5 responders on your blog.)

Be sure to link back to my blog, so that everyone can see who is participating.

(I know exactly what I am going to do!)

The photo, the quilt & the story...

Here is the photo that I mentioned in my last post. My husband took this photo of the kitties on my lap quite a while ago by now... RB on the left & Rhapsody on the right. This scenario is only o.k. when it is Rhapsody's idea, she does not trust RB enough to allow him to decide to cuddle. >^..^< This is the oriental Charm quilt. 5 inch squares, no repeats. I wanted to have the lights in the middle, so I sorted the charms into 3 piles. I sewed the darks to the setting triangles, which are light to create those sharp triangles. From there I kind of sewed with the flow, having a general idea how many charms in each value and general ideas onthe lengths of the rows to get the lights in the middle. There is an easier way, you say. A design wall? I have never (take that back I have a UFO pinned to a flannel table cloth back) used one! Here is the back, the same fabric in two different colorways. Both UGLY & Both USED UP! RB by himself on the Oriental Charm quilt. I use the quilt as decoration, so it lives on the chair... One final shot of the Oriental Charm quilt & some cute kitty toes. :o)

Focus (edited)

I am so out of focus...

I have a couple photos in my camera that I want to share, but first I let all three sets of my batteries die. I finally inserted a pair of the non-rechargeable variety & then was not sufficiently inspired to take any pictures at the quilt show that I went to on Saturday.

The two pictures in my camera are of the cats on my Oriental charm quilt - which I have yet to share, but I also have not enlisted my quilt holder to hold it up for a photograph either. My excuse there is that I want to share my new furniture, but they sent the wrong things & we won't get the right stuff until November 11.

And in the mean time, my zipper quilt is back from the quilter - no new photo of that yet....
My purple quilt is enroute from the quilter also....

Did I ever share a full shot of the funky fish quilt? (I don't think so...)

Michael & I are having a couple couples over for dinner tomorrow night... So I need to get some stuff from the store - like the chickens that I plan to roast, the mushrooms I plan to stuff, the cake stuff for the cake that I plan to bake, etc.

So as I started out saying, I am out of focus...

But if you read Nancy's blog - she stole that from my brain! (Maybe that is why I am out of focus! Nancy stole my thinking.) I know you can read my comment yourself, but we both love brights, but are drawn to the pink/brown combo., we both are smitten with out cats & our cats share traits.... (It was VERY odd reading her post this morning.)

Have I mentioned lately how out of focus I am?
Here is yet another example....
I got a great kitty fat quarter RAK (Random Act of Kindness) from Laurie Ann at Quilting Rush. (I wanted to photograph it & share it, but...)
I also got a super cute kitty applique pattern from May Britt of Abyquilt!
(ditto the wanted to photograph & share, see note above.)

Bottom line, we have all heard and we all know that quilter's/blogger's are generous great people - here is another example!

quilt show recap

No photos from that quilt show that I went to on Saturday...

I have taken a class with one of their members and was really impressed witht hte work of another at last years show, but this year I was left with a "that was nice" feeling rather than an "I need a picture of that" feeling. (I that makes any sense at all!)

But they did have a peddlers area & I did pretty good - several book, magazines and a grab bag full of fabric scraps & since I was there near the end of the show yardage all for $7.

After doing so good there, my husband & I went to an outdoor art thing in Bethesda - where I spent too much money on wooden bowls, salad tongs, & a new silk scarf!

Oh well...

How was your weekend?

I've been tagged

& I love to be tagged!

May Britt of Abyquilt fame tagged me to share my favorite spot!

Here it is my Stewdio. I have been in there cleaning a bit so it is getting more comfortable. I am trying really hard to be self contained in that room for my crafts! Don't you love my big helper! I wasn't the most comfortable keeping my lap still and level, but he was happy!

Go ahead, consider yourself tagged and share your favorite spot!

All good plans...

What do they say about plans? Well all of mine got messed up! I don't recall any particular plans for Saturday - but all I accomplished was sitting around with two cats ALL DAY! I kept thinking, "You should be sewing." (Oh wait a minute - the Plumber was supposed to replace our heating & cooling unit on Saturday. Turns out that he has to turn off the water to the whole building - not just our unit... Not a good thing on a Saturday when people are home from work... Has to be done M-F... I am taking tomorrow off so that he can accomplish this task.)

Sunday - was supposed to be my regularly scheduled Sew-n-tell mini-group get together in a class room at a LQS... Apparently when the first Sunday is the 1st - we meet on the 4th Sunday, UGH. So I went over to see the grands - had a lovely visit. Did no sewing even though I had my sewing machine & the correct mind set to do some sewing... Also reordered my upholstered furniture - hopefully this time when it says straw it will be straw & not chocolate...

Meanwhile in kitchen, (The installer was supposed to show up on Saturday to do the waterline for the fridge - he supposedly called my husband's office on Friday after he left to schedule a time - we did not get the message, so he did not come - next Thursday, meanwhile leaky fridge in the kitchen & new - still has plastic coating on it - fridge in the living room!) I baked for the first time in my new oven (mine is stainless steel). Oh she is NICE & purty! I baked a chicken - a lemony recipe (everything but the gravy) ohh lala. I also made acorn squash with apples - sneaky way to get picky eaters to eat squash!

Next up to cook in my oven - Jeanne's fontina & grape torte. (I finally have all of the ingredients!) On Thursday? (My evening classes are taking far more time than I thought they would!)

I am also going to make this cheesecake with apples my husband is sure to hate it as he is from NYC; therefore, very picky regarding cheesecakes! (Oh well!) This will also be my first time to use my brand new grown up should be in a professional's kitchen kitchen aid stand mixer! (That should last my lifetime & I am worth it!) This weekend - maybe?

The week in review & the weekend in preview

Nothing much to report except that I did some "real" exercize last night - thanks to my cheerleader, Melzie!

Nothing done in my stewdio...

Which brings me to the weekend, this is the Sunday on which my sew-n-tell group meets. If I pring my hand applique will I work on it? Doubt it - as in SERIOUSLY doub it. Sooooo I am going to to bring my machine - should not be hard, as of yet, I have barely taken her back out of her box. (The cord is still in my "sewing stuff bag.")

I was going to start something new & fun, but after reviewing my October list - I am going to attach the borders to my Wedding Signatures quilt so that I can mail that off to Judy!

I was going to do an Arty quilt to interpret The Great Barrier Reef from my honeymoon trip. I am going to do a Ricky Tims Convergence Quilt ala Tango & Bolero. Roughly like the one shown here: Convergence Quilt. (The main page - include other quilt photos for your enjoyment.) Except that I am going to merge 3 fabrics - A commercially dyed underwater print like this ocean print, a Rowan print, and a hand dyed piece of fabric.

4 hours

not too bad to read all of your posts from my 4 day weekend. Don't be envious, we are knee deep in renovations & deliveries...

Without too much detail we had a range delivered & installed (two different days) a refrigerator delivered (yet to be installed) a plumber show up to look when we were very specific about wanting a replacement without a look, an electrician, a general handy man...

Still no faucets (they were ordered early September) Still no cabinets (also ordered early September)

Living room furniture was delivered - 3 upholstered items - 3 different fabrics - they were supposed to all be the color of the ottoman... The paper work was o.k. it ONLY took about 8 weeks to get what we got (they will "try again" and we get to use what we got in the mean time...)

Hung several framed items & several quilts.

Decided on my first "arty" Australian quilt & where to hang it once it is completed.

Wrote a paper - don't feel good about it, but it is done.

Have not done anything quilty... Not even unpacking...

It was nice to read about everyone elses productivity - I am a little motivated...

TGIF

I haven't felt that way about a Friday in FOREVER! (Too bad there are 8 hours in the work day... Even worse that I have a paper due on Tuesday that I have yet to start!)

Have I shared this quilt before? (I don't think so...) This was made for me by my sew-n-tell group for my 30th birthday... The block in the middle on the bottom is the last block that my friend Lynn made.... She died several years ago. When I mention that I inherited some of my fabric - I got them from her, actually the whole sew-n-tell was given her stash... I have that quilt hanging in my bedroom - it goes so well with the paint color that you would have thought that it was made to go there! Yay...

By special request

My stash (at least part of it) and how it is "stored."
This is the right side of my closet. I have filled that empty space taking the photograph with a lot of my blue & yellow "collection" and with a PIG/WIP/UFO that uses yellow, orange, green, & blue & a koi print. What you see here starting on the bottom is the fabric for a quilt from a Spring 2006 magazine - pink background with dark burgundy, brown & green & a shoo-fly variation. Above that is my cat fur fabric stash and my reproductions (there are more repro.'s in the pink/brown pile & more light repro.'s have been added to the light pile...) for baskets &???? (small authentic-ish pieced quilts). Above those are rainbow prints for another rainbow log cabin - with novely centers (wanna guess the novelty type?) and for a Jan Krentz spiral lone star. Next to that is my Oriental (non-taupe & non-cotton sateen) collection, then black & bright/white & bright collection - the lastiny bitin the upper left corner is my batik collection.
The same closet on the left side... Starting on the bottom - each pile holds 3 or 4 Pigs.... (Some of which have traded places with stuff on the top shelves - I think - I am not done un-packing...) For sure on that shelf are my Austrialian fabrics, a couple Judy Martin books & fabircs, fabrics for a blooming 9-patch, pinks and oranges for an Irish Chain variation & 1/2 log cabin variation... Middle shelf - two pink & black quilts - one with a touch of lime the other without & my taupes ending with the light repro.'s again. Top shelf - an all purple gradiation PIG with other PIGS next to the batiks again.

Out of sight of both of these is the very top shelf that has batting/backing/timtex/fabric for photo transfer, & other stuff.

Very bottom - aka floor (unassigned, but unpacked stuff resides there at the moment including a few flimsys.)

Do you want to see my cat stash too?
I though so....
The secondshelf is now full to the top as well - the photo was taken before I took out my black & whites & some of the cats were in with my "other" novelties...

Slightly embarrassing, but I console myself with the though that is could be worse...

My great granmothers quilt - edited

This quilt was made by my great grandmother. The pattern is Drunkard's Path. (I think that there may be another name for the block arrangement.) My grandmother can pick out fabrics from outfits that she wore. (I think these are scraps from the material purchased to make the dresses - not the remains of the actual dresses. Those would probably be more worn and faded.) The condition is near mint - my own appraisal - no popped stitches, not frayed areas, original binding intact...

Here is a shot of the block - this must be where I got my "done is better than perfect" attitude from. As you work around the path you see a pattern and then - oops. But she kept going rather than unsewing and "fixing" it. BTW I don't think any of the block arrangements are as you would expect the to be...

This is the border. It is a variation of cable quilting. (Only the overs are quilted - no unders. If you know what I mean.)

This is the back (it does not have any blue on it in real life...) so that you can possible see the quilting. Circles with "seeds."

I made this label for the quilt several years ago. She died in 1940 when my grandmother was a young lady, so my grandmother was never "old enough" to learn to quilt from her mother. I am not sure about why it is "maverick", but I know one thing it is not because there were small children under foot. She was not that kind of mother.

I made the label on an old laserjet printer - printed onto June Taylors "printer fabric." I seriously doubt it is "stuck forever" - like I would not be washing it anytime soon. I scanned the photo and added the text around it in a word-processing software package. I am 99% sure that there are better ways to get the same effect.

I plan to get one of those glass chests for storing it - complete with stuffing the folds with acid free tissue paper. (It has minimal creases now - I folded it in 1/3rds after photographing it to help...) You see she was a prolific quilter, but this is the only quilt in my immediate family. Most of them ended up in an in-law side. (My great grandfather lived with his deceased son's wife until he moved to Florida. She would not let anything leave the house unless he took it out of the house. He never returned to take anything out of the house.)

Thanks for all of the lovely comments. You made my morning.

Guess what...

I can't blog on my MAC at home... Oh sure, I can sign in - I can even type (Although the only "editing" options that I have are the photo one - that barely works anyway & the spell checker...) but I can't "Save as draft" or "Publish" not even by using the shortcuts.

Not sure if that is a MAC problem or not...

The way my brain is working, I can't even remember what I was blogging about yesterday... Wait a minute (My memory is coming back) - I do recall the bloglines were not working so I was reading the old fashioned way - through the stash busters ring & feeling bad knowing that quite a few of my regular reads are not on the ring. & Feeling guilty that I was reading Judy's blog (& commenting about how I could not hyperlink on my MAC) when I should be attaching a border so that I could mail out my October appointment quilts.

Kim's Chicken & Dumplins were real good - what a great way to cook a frozen bird! (I added carrots, celery & onions - couldn't help it!)

Well, my border is still not on, but I finished 1 of 2 gift blocks - including hand button holeing & I got more of my stash unpacked.

(I'll share a photo of my working on it after it is given...If I remember - I should because I have a great helper!)

One photo to share is an authentic Pennsylvania Amish Quilt.

The pattern is Sunshine & Shadows. It is not antique, I paid $300 for it, which I though was a steal... Especially since I saw similar wall quilts that were selling for $500. & this one is in my colors.

Better late than never...

My pincushions

a closer shot of the "Norwegian Cat."

For those of you familiar with the Norwegian chicken, the right ear would be the beak.... You can see the end of the tail on the green cat in the first picture - it is tucked into the seam in the back (Above where the prairie point tails would go.)

I also have one of those thread catcher pincushions - also cat themed & a boiled wool pin cushion.

Blogwork (kinda like house work only for the blog)

It is October 1st & the weather could not be any nicer!

I am making Chicken & Dumplings for dinner - could the blogger who shared the recipe complete with pictures chime in - I failed to save the "credits."

October fabric diet - count me in!

October goals (Anything has to help me get on track so here goes.):
1 - two gift blocks
2 - borders onto wedding signature quilt & off to Judy (send Judyone or two "other" quilts that I can not name right now - brain fart!
3 - unpack ALL of my fabric.
4 - make a list of UFO's & PIGS.
5 - make give away boxes - please stay tuned for those...
6 - Oh heck - I'll have to come back to goal setting later, after I have appraised what should be on my "to do" list... (Maybe after goal number 3 or maybe 6 is a good number...)