This n That

I spent time in the Studio yesterday; I'm starting to think of it as a workshop. I've been finishing a number of projects that have been planned or partially done for months. I'm actually hoping to take them to Arts Visalia, to offer them for sale. Today we'll find out if I meet their standards. A month ago they were interested, but they hadn't seen my wares.

The first thing I did was cover another photo album. I think I have three naked albums left. These are nice albums that hold 4" x 6" pictures, on acid-free paper. :)

I covered this journal months ago, but it needed something. I think the buttons add a nice touch.


This little wallhanging, which Blogger (maybe I should refer to it as Blooger when it tips my pics) tipped, has been waiting for quilting for months as well. Picture it right-side up/left-side down.
It measures 12.25" x 8.5" It's made from leftovers of my "Color Runs" quilts.

Finally, I love these random pictures. Maybe it was the talk of my kids going to see the Treasures of King Tut at the DeYoung, but this sure looked like they were marching a body down the street this weekend. (It's really a Christmas tree.)

And this picture totally cracks me up. I'm disappointed with the glare in the window, but I'll tell you what you're seeing. Charlie was sleeping (of course). Edgar jumped up and started licking him. Then he started biting. Charlie got mad. He hates it when his nappy-time is interrupted. Here he's pushing Edgar off with one back foot and the other back foot and one front paw are poised for action, claws extended. Edgar looks up at the camera. "What?" If you click on the pic, it shows more clearly.

So anyway, that's what I was up to yesterday. I can't wait to see what I come up with today! Have a good one!

Patterns For Sale

I have this friend, named Sharon L. Schlotzhauer. If you've ever seen her quilts or noticed her name, well, I'm sure you remember both. We met in the Denver airport. We'd been on the same plane coming home from Paducah, back in 2006 - has it been that long?

Anyway, one thing led to another, and we get together about once a year (although this year it was twice!)

Sharon's quilts are spectacular. If you've seen them, you probably remember them. But I digress.

Sharon has been teaching a few classes lately, and as a teaching tool, she's written some patterns. She asked me to help test them, and I test-sewed three of the four. She is now offering them for sale.

The first is "Pray For Our Troops," this is her sample.

The pattern looks like this:

And my test-sew looked like this:

The second pattern I tested was this one. Her quilt looked like this:

The pattern looks like this:

And my test piece looks like this:

The third pattern I tested was a butterfly. Hers looks like this:

The pattern looks like this:

My sample looks like this:

I didn't get around to testing this one, but here is Sharon's quilt:

And here is her pattern:

As you can tell - or maybe you can't - Sharon's patterns are exquisite. I am completely unfamiliar with her techniques (I prefer handwork, her patterns use Wonder Under and Steam a Seam 2), yet I was able to produce some lovely quilt tops. (I have to admit that I have not done the machine applique yet. But I will. I promise.)

Sharon is selling her patterns for $7.00. Shipping is $1.50 for the first pattern and $.50 for additional patterns ordered at the same time.

If you are interested, please leave a comment or email me, and I'll pass it along to Sharon.

Hope you like them!!! (Can you believe it's December?!!)

A Bit of Stitchin'

Today I planned to decorate for Christmas. I brought the ladder into the house. Does that count?

Instead, I sat at the computer, then moved to the Studio. I put together two photo album covers, using leftover strips cut for my 2008 Hoffman Challenge. yeah, I know. Why are/were the strips still hanging around?

They are not my usual color combos, that's for sure, but I was
S-T-R-E-T-C-H-I-N-G myself, doncha know? ;)

Here's what the inside looks like. All acid-free and everything. :)

I never did touch my November Step. oh well. Maybe next month...

Keeping Organized?

Wow. Blogger flipped every single picture. That's not a very Christmassy spirit. That's downright Halloweenish. grumble grumble Blogger.

I don't know about you, but I'm one of those people who writes a Christmas letter. I'm not sure if I've always done it, but I've done it for a long time. Our family was in flux for so many years, always adding children or moving or whatever, that it was the one time I made sure to sit down and record what we'd been up to.

A few years ago I was organizing, and put together a container of Christmas "leftovers." It was filled with extra cards, letters and photos.

Last year it occurred to me that it might be nice to put them together in something accessible for all. I stashed them in a binder.

Last night I decided to cover the binder, so that it no longer looked like a generic binder, lying around, seemingly without purpose.

Here's what I came up with. (Tilt your laptop, Kristin!)

The opening page has the oldest Christmas photo card I sent. It's dated 1986...when we only had 2 kiddies.

By 1989, we've got four!

In 1996, we took our Christmas photo in Scotland.

By 2006, my how we've grown!!

Unfortunately the collection is incomplete. I'm missing a few letters here and there, and more than a few pictures. oh well. It's still a lot of fun to flip through and see just how much we've changed.

I haven't lifted a needle on my November Step, but I have been keeping busy. How about you?

Last November Weekend

*sigh* The November festivities have drawn to a close. Thursday started with this:

I forgot to take a picture once it was finished. It was a thing of beauty, and moist to boot. :) Here is one Sleeping Seal of Approval. (The second vetoed my picture posting. He was asleep in the middle of the hall floor. He is not a cat.)

Time to think about Christmas. Does Kris Kringle look in the mood? I'd say so...

Here are the three boys, before the two youngest headed back to Davis. (That would be the two on the right.)

In between, I've been busy. I wasn't going to post this, but then it occurred to me: The recipient most likely does not visit this blog.

I tried it out. It works! I think I need one!

Here is yesterday's project from the outside:

Here's the inside:

If you think it's for you, you're probably right! :)

Things to be Thankful For...

I'm thankful that my #1 son finds things to do during the day that fascinate both him and me.

I'm thankful that the mass mailing of entry forms for our quilt show has been delivered to the post office. If you would like to enter and did not receive a form, you can download the information here. The show is in April, and open to all who wish to enter.

I am thankful that I was able to empty one of the fabric cabinets in my bedroom and remove it. I still need to find a place in the Studio to store my blues, but a small Rubbermaid container may suffice, instead of a larger piece of furniture.

I am thankful for kids who love to spend time with each other. I am thankful for my husband's job, even when he works every holiday. I am thankful for each of you, who take the time to stop by my blog. I am thankful for so many things. I am thankful for a full day, set aside, to focus on giving thanks. "...in everything give thanks..." 1 Thessalonians 5:18.

I don't always remember to give thanks, I don't always feel like giving thanks, but when I actually take the time to stop and think about it? Oh yes. I am truly thankful. God has been VERY good to me.

May you be thankful as well, as you consider all of life's blessings. Happy Thanksgiving!!

Oh, Yeah

Sometimes I definitely want to be a cat. How does he even do that?!!!!

Sometimes I Just Want To Be

a cat.

Lyin' around, soaking up sun...and maybe even taking a 12 hour nap in the middle of the day... What a life!

Keeping Warm When It's Cold...

I'll start off with this picture of Wendy VB and her quilt, "Loretta Lives." This is the quilt that was voted Best Overall in our quilt guild's Circle Challenge. The label reads, "Made in the memory of Loretta White, who lived and died to the glory of God." At least I think that's what it said. I'm "quoting" from memory.

Please be sure to click on the photo to enlarge it and really appreciate Wendy's beautiful hand-quilted quilt. :)

This morning it was cold and foggy. Fog is nothing new if you're from around here. But, since this was the first foggy day of the season, I took pictures. Here's the view from the front door...it doesn't look TOO bad...

And here's the view from the driveway. As you can see, there's plenty of visibility, for about 50 feet. Then it's socked in. It took a while to get used to driving in this, but now it's not so bad. (I can say that, now that I've been driving in it for 25 years!)

And if you're cold, here's how to stay warm. Cat blankets.

This was taken last night. I was sitting there, minding my own business, when Malcolm stole my lap. Edgar thought he needed some lovin' too, and since the lap was taken, he took the next best thing.

I'm always telling the cats (and kids), "If you're sprawled on the floor, you're going to get mistaken for a rug." I guess it follows that if you're sprawled on the couch, you can be mistaken for a couch! It's the warmest I was all day!

Heh heh heh

I've decided that my favorite small-time purchase of 2009 has been the humane animal trap. I never would have believed it. But apparently, as Quilted Time says, we've got the tastiest snacks in the neighborhood, and all the riff raff come here to dine.

If I didn't have the outside cats, only rats and gophers would be an issue. Or, if we were to get a dog (heaven forbid!), freeloading varments likely wouldn't be an issue. But we have cats and the neighbors have dogs. That translates to the animal kingdom as "Free All You Can Eat Buffet, served here nightly!"

This fellow didn't worry about being caught. When we got home at 9:30pm, he was waiting for us. He's so ugly that he's almost cute. Note that I said ALMOST. I shudder when I see these things. I shudder when I type about these things. I will call animal control when their doors open, and request yet another animal relocation. Somehow I don't think I've seen the last of them. This brings my capture total to three...

I spent some time in the Studio yesterday, but it was primarily organizational/sorting/cleaning time. I got a call around noon, which was perfect timing. A client wanted some embroidery done. I was very pleased that she called before I put the machine away!

She's making stockings for her dogs, Foxie and Roxie. She brought by the stocking cuffs, and I set to work on the names. First I type them into the computer...

Then I test-sew on muslin (to be sure it will fit)

And finally, I sew it out on her fabric.

I forgot to take pictures of the finished cuffs. oh well. Trust me. They'll be the snazziest dog stockings in her neighborhood, with the gold yenmet thread embroidered on plush red and green velveteen...ho ho ho

NOOOO!!!!

Last night I heard a noise out the window and looked...


It's another one, the smallest one yet. Leave, little beastie!! You are not welcome here! Today the humane trap will come down from the crawl space and be called back into action. Are we the only opossum magnet in the neighborhood? Or are we the only ones who care? *sigh*

Never a dull moment...

November Step

I'm going to resurrect my May goal as my November Step. Ideally I'd like to have this quilt completed and ready to enter in the AQS Paducah show. I know, I know, goals are good. This one's been pushed off time and again. But I really don't have that much quilting left, despite the photo. I've got leaves and the border to quilt, that's it. The binding and the ruching can wait until December.

So there you go, my November Step: quilt this quilt "for reals"!!! :)