True Confessions

Not only did I buy one pair of new shoes, I bought two.

I don't buy shoes very often, as I'm very difficult to fit.  When I DO go into a shoe store, I buy whatever fits.  So far, so good.  :)

Yesterday was exciting both indoors and out.

Indoors, I made these two postcards.

Outdoors, this guy swooped through my backyard (which really, isn't all that big), grabbed a bird (maybe a dove?  Not quite as big as a robin), and landed on the neighbor's roof.  By the time I ran inside, got my camera, and got back outside, the prey was gone.

I think I finally have my answer to the bird parts that have been found in the yard for the past couple of months.  I thought it was Edgar, but Edgar spent the bulk of winter sleeping on my bed.  I didn't know when he found the time to hunt.  Apparently he's no longer the primary hunter back there.

Pixel, beware.

2013 Goals

My goal for Week #8 wasn't very grand, yet it did not come to pass.  I made a single postcard.  *sigh*  Not much progress, that's for sure.

Instead of sewing, I bought some cute shoes!

 This week promises to be full of quilt show duties.  We're on the 6-week countdown, and the clock seems to be ticking faster.  We've passed the entry deadline.  On Friday we jury, then I have about 150 letters to write to the entrants about the results of the jurying.  Between meetings and paperwork, if I can squeak in any sewing, I will be a happy girl.

Goal for Week #9?  To still be standing on Tuesday.  :)

Think the new shoes will help?  ;)

Signs of Life

(mini-peach, fruitless pear, peach, peach - close-up)

A Lovely Day

On Thursday our Itty Bitty Thursday group took a field trip to Porterville.  Our first stop was the guild meeting of the Porterville Quilters.  Their February meeting was given over to honoring one of their own, Lois Hummel.

Lois began quilting a year or so after I did, only Lois started doing her own thing immediately.  She joined the Porterville Quilters in 1983, and helped found Valley Oak Quilt Guild in 1986.  I joined Valley Oak in 1987.  That's when I first met Lois.

At 91, Lois is no longer quilting.  She may not be active with needle and thread, but she still attends the Porterville meetings and has a lot to give.  She was the first quilter I met who didn't need permission not to follow a pattern.  Design your own quilt?  Not a problem.  She was an art quilter, before there was such a thing.  Such an inspiration!

I felt her special day was in need of something tangible, so I made her this postcard:

 Silly Blogger.  It shouldn't be tipped like that.  :(

The card was made from trimmings of my "Texture" postcards made in early December.

From the meeting, we went on to Calico Mermaid.  I would say it's a new quilt shop in Porterville, but I think it's already been there 2 or 3 years.  I was so busy digging through her button collection that I forgot to take pictures.  Lovely store!

From there, we went to Totally Tina's Fabrics, another "new" quilt shop in Porterville.  She's also been in business for at least a couple of years.  In fact, she's been in business long enough to relocate!  It was there that I saw this on display:

 Isn't it fun?!  Tina said that it was an on-going art project for her kids when they got bored.  They were handed the button box and a hot glue gun.  Love it!

She also had a selection of loose buttons for sale that I had fun digging through.  I came home with lots of new-to-me buttons from both shops.

All in all, it was a delightful way to spend the day.  Thank you, Itty Bitties!!

Some Postcards

I've mentioned more than once that I am a member of Postmark'd Art.  It's a group that exchanges postcards on a regular schedule.  This time I signed up for three themes: texture, houses, and landscape.  I already posted my texture and houses contributions.  Over the past couple of evenings, I've put together my landscapes.  Today they went into the mail.  They look like this:

wow.  Blogger didn't flip a single card.  I am speechless.  In a good way.  :)

Sometimes I am asked my process.  First, I free-pieced the fabric.  Next, I used perle cotton to put running stitch currents in the "water."  Then I layered the fabric on batting, and machine quilted more currents.  Then I fused the front to ... oh, I never remember what the stuff is called.  Is it peltex?  It's stiff and fusible on both sides.  Then I fused the back, and I zig-zagged around the border.  voile.  c'est fini.

Another thing finished is last week.  We're on Week # 8 of 2013.  Talk about high speed rail, I feel like I'm on the fast train to 2014!

I didn't even touch the quilting of my happy Log Cabin.  *sigh*  But I did finish the binding on the blue and gold, and I submitted my entries for BOTV.   And I completed my commitment to Postmark'd Art.  whew!  The trade-by deadline is Feb 28, which has come faster than Superman.  sheesh!

So, Week #8.  What are my quilting goals for Week #8?

I'm very late on several birthday/event cards, that I'd like to finish up and deliver.  Also, Penny has a birthday coming up in March.  I have something special in mind for her, and I'd like to get started on that.  No, it's not a quilt, but it's something that I think she will enjoy.  :)  I think I'd be happiest, if I finished the quilt-for-hire that has been on my sewing table for months.  If I can make good progress on that, I will be a Happy Quilter.

Last but not least, this is a reminder (not a nag), that the postmarked deadline for Best of the Valley is Friday, 2/22.  That is two days from now.  Thank you so much for sharing your work!!

Now You've Had It!

Sheila stole Pixel's rawhide chew.  Then Sheila buried it.  And wouldn't let Pixel near it.  Pixel was displeased, and proceeded to let Sheila know exactly how she felt.

Before:

After:

 grrr

 rowf!

 pounce!

"Say 'uncle'!"

 grr!

 grrrrrrr!

 "Sheila!  Leave my things alone!"

 "There now.  I'm not mad at you, I'm just mad at what you did.  It's okay.  But I still think you might need a time out."

Dogs.  They're almost as entertaining as cats.  :)

Too Early?

I spy the promise of spring:

Orchids:

 Tulips:

 And daffodils:

Happy Valentine's Day

It's been another productive day.  I made a valentine for my valentine.

I finished another UFO - the Log Cabin made from leftover blocks from my daughter's quilt, made when she graduated from Cal...in 2005.

See?  Even the binding is finished.  Blogger must be jealous.  Blogger flipped the picture.  arg!
 

I have to say I am pleased with the feather plumes.  They are not perfect (not by a long shot), but they were quilted free-motion, without marking, and in contrasting thread.  A brave (or foolish) move, but one that I am not unhappy with.

And that's a wrap.

Busy, Busy, Busy

So much is going on, I didn't make my Tuesday/weekly update on my goals progress.  So much for best efforts.  The Log Cabin is not finished, the entry forms have not been submitted.

Instead, I almost finished a different Log Cabin.  I still have about 60" of binding to stitch down.  Or maybe it's 50".  I'm almost there.

I should have all of my entry forms done by tomorrow.  Goals are good.

I've spent the last two days at the World Ag Expo, aka the Farm Show, hand quilting.

 Today I wore a tshirt, that my son won yesterday.  It was his prize, for ringing the bell with the strongman hammer.  He told me that if I wore it, and the right person saw me looking at tractors, Massey Fergusen would give me $100.  I was skeptical, but I did as he suggested.

 While I was on my lunch break, I was looking at tractors.  There was a tap on my shoulder, I turned around, and was awarded a $100 gift card for wearing the shirt.  wow.  See me smile!

I gave the gift card to my son, so he could purchase some small gauge fencing, to Pixel-proof the backyard at his house.  Let's hope it works!

In addition to all of the hand quilting and binding that I've done in the last 72 hours, I also finished and delivered a birthday card.  The birthday was in January.  oops.  SO late!  Sorry that Blogger tipped the picture.  :(

And for this week's goals, I'm aiming to finish those last few feet of binding, and quilt that other Log Cabin.  Submitting my entry forms is a given.  Anything else?  I think that will do it.  Quilting that Log Cabin will most likely take the remainder of the week.

Happy Quilting!

Feeling Foolish

So last time I went on and on and on about this supposed binding that I supposedly made and supposedly lost.

*sigh*

I looked high and low and hither and thither, and nothing.  No binding to be found.

And so, I went to my batik stash, hoping for something like-enough to pass for acceptable.  What should I find, but a piece of batik that measured 2 yards x 21".  Really?  I remembered cutting the borders lengthwise.  I guess I assumed that I also cut binding, because who would cut lengthwise slices and then fold the yardage and put it away when more slices needed cutting? 

groan.

I guess it's better to be foolish than losing it?  Or so I tell myself.  :)

My entry forms are almost complete, and I am printing out my photos.

My quilt just needs the now-made-and-attached binding tacked down.  (And a sleeve, and a label.)

And as a bonus, these crazy quilted Christmas cards, which were not embroidered until January, are now ready for December.  woohoo!  At least one thing is early!

I promised pictures of the UFO Log Cabin.  I quilted feathers.  Once it's bound, I will share pictures.  woohoo.  Knocking off weekly goals seems to actually be almost working.  This is good. This is very good.  I may not be hitting exactly what I've listed, but my list is shrinking, and this week doesn't end until tomorrow.

hip hip hooray!

Where Is It?

I know I made it, I know it's here somewhere.  But where?  That is the $100,000 question.  Okay, so maybe it's not really worth that much, but I need it, I want it, NOW.

I'm talking about a piece of blue binding that I made some time last year, for a UFO that is finally getting the border quilted.  arg!  Where is it?  It used to hang on my design wall, until we got the carpet and I took everything down.  I have no idea where I put it.  oh wait.  Maybe it's in that one place where I put the buttons that held me up for 2 days while I hunted them down.  I'll have to remember to check there.

Scattered.  Everything is scattered.

I went to three guild meetings in two days.  Valley Oak, Common Threads, and Kings River all met.  I stopped by to remind them that the postmark deadline for Best of the Valley entries is coming up soon, on February 22.

And that's why I need my binding. 

Today I had 2 hours.  Should I begin the quilting of one quilt?  Or finish the borders of another quilt?  I went after the borders, am halfway around.  When I finish, I will need the binding.  I was actually thinking of attaching part of the binding now, so I could start some of the handwork.  oh well.  That didn't happen.  Instead, I have to hunt it down.  That elusive binding!

I've also been filling out my entry forms.  I thought I was much later than last year, but apparently I'm a day ahead.  Last year I filled out my entries on Feb. 10.  :)  I have two quilts to finish (hurry, hurry!), but even if I don't?  I found two other quilts that I'd forgotten about.  They are now officially being submitted for consideration.

How about you?  Have you filled out your forms?  Taken the pictures?  Mailed your entries?

The clock is ticking, and time is running out.

Next post?  Hopefully something will be FINISHED, and supply you with picture proof.  Goals are good!

Keeping Busy

check.  check.  check.  double check.

My To Do list is long.  And numbered.  And itemized.  There is so much to do, I'd be a fool not to write down every thing that I remember that needs to be done.  whew.

The list doesn't leave a lot of time for creativity.  But then, a creative outlet is the one thing I can count on to keep me going.  go go go.  So I try to make time, to be creative.

Last week I set a goal of " finish one of the quilts-for-hire and my Log Cabin, and get back to work on the last QFH."  hmmm.  One out of three ain't bad.  I finished the first QFH, as seen in my last post.  I knew that I did not have enough consecutive minutes to get any serious work done on another full size quilt, so I took off in a different direction.

I'm part of a postcard exchange, called Postmark'd Art.  I know I've mentioned it more than once.  For some crazy reason, I decided to sign up for three exchanges this quarter.  My time is almost up.  I've shown you my first group, "Texture," here.  On Sunday, I finished my second group, "Houses."

Everyone needs to live somewhere, right?  Why not by the ocean, in a grass hut, on an island?

Well they didn't say it had to be MY house, now, did they?  I don't think so.

They'll be in tomorrow's mail.  I had to buy some 1 cent stamps, to accommodate the postage increase.  *sigh* 

In other news, I've got a photo op here.  "Who me?  WHY do you insist on accusing me of putting my nose in cat litter?  I never!"

There's never a dull moment when Pixel is in the house.

We're beginning yet another week of 2013...I do believe we're up to #6.  whew!  For a minute there, I thought it was #7!

Time to set more goals.

As we inch closer and closer to April, Best of the Valley looms larger.  More time for quilt show means less time for quilting.  yikes!  I still have a quilt to finish.  I think my quilting goal(s) for this week will be to 1) finish my Log Cabin and 2) fill out the entry forms for my BOTV entries.  I can't start hounding anyone else until my own are in the books now, can I?  But you've been put on alert.  I WILL get my entries submitted, and once I have, well, I'll be on you to get yours together as well.

Remember:  If no one entered their quilts, there wouldn't be any quilts in the quilt show.  Please check out the website, download your entry form, and be brave.  If you've never entered a show before, enter one quilt.  It really doesn't hurt that much, I promise.  Then come see the show, and bring your friends.  They will ooh and aah and admire not just your quilt, but you, the brave one, the one who took the plunge and entered.

And on that, I am hoping that my mailbox fills to the brim with entries.  In fact, how about if we try to wear out my mailman?  He'd love it, I'm certain.  :)

Happy Quilting!

Possibilities

I finished a quilt-for-hire last night.  Want proof?  Here it is, all folded and ready to deliver:

I delivered it this morning.  When I returned home, I found my table almost cleared off, just waiting to get back to work.  Oh, the possibilities!

What should I do?  Should I quilt the border of the yellow/blue Log Cabin?  Or quilt the body of the Log Cabin that I want to enter in the quilt show? 

Or maybe I should finish some Christmas cards, that I started in December and embroidered last month?

Or maybe I should get to work on my postcards, for the Postmark'd Art exchange?  I need to make "houses" and "landscapes".  I have my ideas, I just haven't started yet. 

Or maybe I should just take a nap. 

Unfortunately that last option is the most enticing.

Instead of deciding, I'll watch Pixel.  What a silly little dog.  She is endearing, in the most round-about, obscure teeny-tiny dog sort of way.

When she's naughty, she hides.  If she hides, she's invisible, right?

What?  You see me under the chair?  Well I'll go under the TV.  Then you won't see me!

I suspect she's even holding her breath.  In the next picture, her eyes closed and she fell asleep, but it was too blurry to include.  Becoming invisible is exhausting, doncha know?

And now I'd better reconsider the possibilities, and see if I can have some fun this weekend. Happy Quilting!