Cats and a Class

I'm tired.

I spent the day in a class with Bead Master Thom Atkins and 14 other students, trying to absorb everything he knows about beading. I can't say that I had much success. I can say that when I did fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants beading in 1991, I did it right. In more recent years, when I tried to "do it right," I did it wrong. Live and learn. It's the story of my quilting.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Thom's work, you might want to click here. He has a sister, Robin, who does bead embroidery. Thom combines beading with quilting. There's a difference.

You may remember the rain in the window quilt that I was fascinated by at PIQF? He's the artist. He had a rain quilt sample in class today. Doesn't it make you want to get an umbrella?


Dyanne wanted a picture of his fireworks sample. As always, you can click on the picture to see an enlargement.

Here he is, demonstrating a technique. Notice the spiffy spoon bead shovel at his elbow. It was made from a piece of Grandma's silver, cut with a jewelry saw, beveled and pounded flat. I want one.

Here is my class project, after 7 hours of class. I have to say I was discouraged, despite his encouragement that "You are only limited by your imagination." My imagination, art-wise, is severely limited. Now if I could bead words, I might be in business!!!

The cat who is NotMyCat is still hanging around.

In fact, last night he was caught sleeping in Charlie's bed!!!

Charlie was not sure he was happy about that, but he didn't complain. That is, he didn't do anything, until NotMyCat decided he was going to munch on Charlie's food. That was going too far. Charlie is the most laid back, patient cat I know, but steal his bed and then go after his food? NOT gonna happen!!!

Charlie went on the attack, and fur literally went flying. I've never seen anything quite like it. NotMyCat did not even pretend to be in the right. He deferred to Charlie.

Here is Charlie, all hissy and hunching and GLARING at that interloper. How DARE he?!!!

After Charlie had breakfast, I brought him back in the house. You can barely make him out on the rug, watching to make sure NotMyCat does not get breakfast. I had to post this picture because it's a good one of Hecate, and shows still more of the fur that was left on the patio.

And that's it for the pictures. I don't think anyone got hurt. It's winter, and their coats are about 5" long.

Quilted Time asked about the quilts. "Be Still Psalm 46:10" is going to Chicago, "Window of Tradition" is going to Virginia, and "Encompassing Tradition" is off to Indiana. They are all hand quilted, and the two with "Tradition" in the title were past entries in the Hoffman Challenge.

And now I'm off to work a bit more on the Show, before heading to bed. Enjoy your weekend!!

Yes and YES!!

THUMPA THUMPA THUMPA THUMPA

Can you hear it? Is my pounding heartbeat coming through the internet? It's been 3 hours since I opened my mail, and I still can't believe it.

My quilt was accepted into "Celebrate Spring," the IQA show in Chicago in April.

oh. my. gosh.

This gives new meaning to my insistence that "if you don't enter, you'll never get accepted." Wow. After multiple rejections from multiple shows in the past 6 months, I'd almost retired it. I am so thankful I didn't.

I've always said that my purpose for this quilt is to bring God glory. And now it's off to Chicago, where I pray it will do just that.

I have a second acceptance for a second quilt, from MAQF.

A third quilt is off to Indiana in a couple of weeks.

So far 2010 is a good show year for this particular quilter. I got in!!! I can hardly believe it!!! The letter said they accepted 44 quilts. Forty four? I'm one of forty four?!!! Truly, I am blown away. You could knock me over with a feather.

While I've been sitting here, waiting for letters from quilt shows, I've been stitching. yep. Count another baby quilt as FINISHED!

Now I've got to work on my entries for Best of the Valley. If I don't enter, I won't get in, even though I know the chairman. ;)

oh my gosh. I got in. I may have to fly to Chicago!!

A Bit of Stitching...

In between my daily run-around, I've had a few minutes to sit and stitch. I'll share this birthday card, just to share something. I'm putting it in the mail today, and am pretty sure that the recipient is too busy to check my blog. You don't have to remind me what happens when I assume...

I made the card last week, when I made Gwen's card. The tree is leftover steam-a-seam scraps from a project I worked on last year. The card was on my wall as "finished," but I thought it needed something more. One of Janet Farris's little polymer clay flowers from the Bakersfield show was just the thing. Now it is done, and ready to mail. I think I like it. :)

This is one of the baby quilts I basted on Monday. I finished it completely on Tuesday. It's your basic 4" squares combined with 4" 4-patch blocks, all leftover from other projects. I still have a box of 4" squares, this barely made a dent.

It's almost too simple, but I really like it. I think the little boy it's destined for will like it too.

And now I'm off and running. My goal is to quilt another quilt today. Goals are good and all that.

This n That

Who is this cat? This is my yard, this is my mossy pillar, this is NOT my cat. Charlie has more white. Charlie has more hair. Charlie has more fat and less muscle. Who is this cat? He showed up on Sunday, and has proceeded to make himself at home in our yard. Sorry Cat, we have enough cats. We don't want any more. People already think I'm a crazy cat lady. You are NOT my cat. Please go home and stop hanging around. You're making Edgar nervous.

Over the weekend, I went to the quilt show. While I was gone, the menfolk were busy. They cut down the slide. Doesn't this look nice? I took the picture just as the sun was coming up. I should have waited until the afternoon, but I liked the reflection in the pool. I thought it was very nice.

Yesterday I put up my basting tables and got to work. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5: All basted and ready for quilting. The one on top is for-hire, the other 4 are for moi. In Perfectland, 1, 2, and 4 would be quilted by the end of tomorrow. #3 would be finished next week, and #5 would be done whenever. (I'm counting top to bottom.) Goals are good and all that. I'll let you know how it goes...

And on that, I'm going to meet again with the Landscaper, to see if we can so something about the eyesore we call our front yard...

I Visited the Vendors

I wish I could figure out Blogger. Sometimes the photos load perfectly. Sometimes they do not. Tonight was one of those times when most of my pictures ended up wacky. Now I'm growly. And I had a perfectly equitable day too...In fact, I had a most excellent day, thankyouverymuch.

I went here:

...to the quilt show sponsored by the Cotton Patch Quilt Guild of Bakersfield, CA.

I had every intention of taking pictures, really I did, but I got distracted. There were so many beautiful quilts to see and so many vendors to visit, I just dragged my camera around with me for the exercise. I didn't take a single picture inside the show. oh well.

But I did go shopping.

I visited my favorite yarn vendor and asked her what I could make with this that I would finish. Can you believe everyone in her booth laughed at me? I was serious. ;) I already have 2 knitting projects in various stages of completion. I don't need a third. But I couldn't leave this rayon there, it was TALKING to me.

These little packets were also giving me an earful, so they also came home with me.

My favorite book vendor was there, so I bought a bit of reading material.

Okay, so it was more than a bit...

And Janet Farris was there, with her beautiful hand-sculpted jewelry. I bought these flower beads. Don't ask me what I'm going to do with them. They were talking to me!!! ;)

The last "booth" I visited was "Country Store." I guess it's a clean your closet booth sponsored by the guild? There were all kinds of abandoned craft materials behind the drapes. I chose these two bargains. On the left we have some yellow virgin wool for crewel. (I have a piece of crewel work that I did years- decades - ago. Moths ate some of the yellow. I'm hoping this will be enough to replace it. For 5 cents, it was worth chancing it.)

And who doesn't need a bag full of jingle bells? You never know. They always seem to come in handy. And they usually cost $1 for 6, not 75 cents for dozens.

And that's all I have for you from the show. The quilts were WONDERFUL. Bakersfield has some VERY talented quilters! Congratulations to all of my friends who found those lovely rosettes and ribbons hanging on their quilts. Awesome!!

I Promised Pictures...

Sorry I'm so late on posting. I've been doing the run-around, doncha know?

But the backyard is DONE, and it's BEAUTIFUL!!!

Here are some more before/during/after shots...

Southside of the yard before:

Southside during:

And southside after:

Many of the plants around the relocated sago are 1 gallon size. They should grow to a lush 2' diameter, filling the space with a lot of interest. There are two Rose of Sharon plants to either side of the sago, that will grow and add a LOT of height rather quickly. I look forward to that!

Next is the westside of the yard before:

during:


and after:Isn't it so much better?!!!

Now to tackle the front yard.

I've got all kinds of bulbs that are popping up flowers here and there. These crocuses decided that now is the perfect time to bloom...

Those of you who like cat pictures might enjoy this shot of Charlie. He decided that my priority should be loving him, NOT focusing on the computer. My camera was right at my elbow. Is that a look of pure contentment or what?

Finally, lest you think that I am no longer quilting, I made this little birthday card on Wednesday. It measures 7" x 5". The leaves and flower center are steam-a-seamed in place (they were made from scraps from a project), the petals are raw-edge applique.

It was a gift for Gwen, seen here in Panera yesterday afternoon...

Today I've got a few errands to run, and then I've got 4 baby quilts and a wallhanging to baste. Tomorrow I'm off to the Bakersfield Quilt Show. Should be fun!! 'Til then...stay busy!!! :)

A Transformation

For the past week, our backyard has been undergoing a serious transformation.

We've lived in this house for 15.5 years, and have not done much with it other than pull out what had been planted when we moved in. My husband and I do not see eye to eye when it comes to landscaping. That's putting it mildly. While I love things lush and exploding with color, he prefers nice and orderly. Extremely orderly. He does not like plants that "explode" in any way.

And so, for 15 years, I've watched him remove plants that require attention and replace them with...basically nothing. I've attempted to add color by planting bulbs that "mysteriously" sprout in the Springtime, and seeds that produce flowers if they're not hit by Round-up.

This year, I've decided it's my turn.

Actually, I gave him a heads up last year - I told him I was dreaming of hiring a professional landscaper to do the backyard. He thought I meant for him to do it. I did not. I most definitely did not.

Well, he finally agreed that the backyard had gotten to the point where it was devaluing the house. (And in these economic times, that's surely saying something!!) The landscaper drew up plans to my specifications, and his crew has been implementing them since last Wednesday.

Every day has been a great and glorious improvement. Today they are laying sod.

I have LOTS of before and after pictures, I'll break them down into more than one post. Here are today's treats:

First, we had this 2-headed sago palm in the front yard. I've always considered it an eyesore. It has now been relocated to the back, where it looks SO much better. You would be amazed by how small the root ball is. How does that thing stand up? It must have a VERY low center of gravity!!!

This is the "before" of the eastside of the yard:

Here is the "after":

Here is the "before" of the corner with the slide and pool filter:

Here is the "after":

The landscaper assures me that the plants may be small, but within two years they will grow up lush and green. I can hardly wait!!!

And while the crew has been busy outside, I've been inside working on the quilt show. And I've taken some time to piece some baby quilts. I hope to have pictures some time soon.

Stay tuned until tomorrow, when I'll have more transformation pictures...

P.S. We've converted the backyard from sprinklers to a drip system. Not only are we now looking good, we're also conserving even more water! yay!

A Recipe...

Every once in a while I get asked how to remove pencil marks. I do not mark with pencil, since I had a VERY bad experience with our opportunity quilt in the early 90's. But some people still do, and others inherit quilts that have already been marked. If your quilt has marks, what can be done about it?

Back in the 90's, one of our older ladies had a magic potion that worked wonders for removing pencil. She swore by it, and shared her recipe with the rest of the guild. I've passed it along twice in the past year, and it worked for both quilters.

Rather than keep the recipe to myself, I'll post it here. Then, if you need it, you'll be able to find it in the sidebar, any time in the future.

Bette Beebe's Magic Pencil Mark Removing Potion

3 ounces rubbing alcohol

1 ounce water

4 DROPS liquid dishwashing soap (Bette used Palmolive)



Directions: Dip a CLEAN toothbrush in the solution and brush onto the fabric. Blot dry.

That's it.

I will give you the disclaimer that I've never used this myself. I don't know how it reacts with dyes or anything like that. Personally, I would wash the quilt after using the potion. But if you're anything like me, and you've run out of options, this might be just what you're looking for. Good luck!!!

Many thanks to Jeanne for the shout-out. I'm glad it worked for you!

Also thank you to Vicki, for calling "Foggy Day Cows" eye candy! See my BIG SMILE!! :)

Now You See Them

Now you don't

First you don't see them...

Then you do...

In between rainstorms, the landscapers have been very busy. Part of today's agenda included moving two large sago palms from our front yard to the back. As you can see, the lawn is gone, it was removed yesterday. Depending upon the weather, we may get the new lawn on Tuesday.

The landscapers are not the only ones who have been busy. Tonight I put together 30 Double 4-patch blocks (my specialty) for one of the babies due in the next few months.

This is the first time that I've made this block/quilt since I took Sally Collins' precision piecing class. oh. my. gosh. LOOK at that intersection. Is it gorgeous or what?!!! EVERY SINGLE 4-patch is PERFECT. I just want to sit back and admire their beauty. Outstanding!

And that's it for now. Enjoy your weekend!

Bad Cat, etc.

You've met Edgar before. He's beautiful...and he's bad.

For Christmas my sister knit me a BEAUTIFUL pair of mittens. I LOVE these mittens. I wore them to church on Sunday. Edgar found them Tuesday night. He loves them too. In fact, he loves them more than I do. Impossible? Not really. HE tried to eat them!

Not only did he eat a chunk out of the tree trunk, but on the reverse side he nibbled the hem and made another smaller hole. ARG!!

While I admire his taste in mittens, I do NOT admire his TASTING my mittens!!!

Thankfully my sister has volunteered to take a look to see what she can do. Dr. Carla to the rescue! I sent her a picture of Edgar (she's also a cat person). She responded that he is "magnificient!" (yes, he is) and that, btw, the mitten pattern is called "Deep in the Woods." She went on to ask if Edgar is deep in the doodoo. yeah, but it's hard to stay mad at him for long. He's the best specimen of cat that we have in our house, no offense to Charlie, Malcolm, or Hecate...

As with the rest of California, it's been wet around here. But it hasn't been as wet as we were warned it would be. In my opinion, our local storms have been quite orderly, taking turns and drying out in between.

Yesterday I drove east, then south, to Porterville for a meeting. I was the one who kept slowing down and picking up my camera. When I first turned onto Caldwell, I saw this:

The RR crossing and lines are distracting I know, but they give you a sense of how close we are to the Sierras. Ten miles south, and the power lines are now in a distance. The storm is coming in.

Finally, I blindly hit zoom and snapped. There were a couple of peaks in the background that were blinding white with snow. I could look at this every day...if I wanted to drive every day. I don't, and so I post my pics on the blog, where I can look at them whenever I want. (You can click on the pics to enlarge them.)

In the middle of all this rain, our Landscaper's crew has been coming each morning to work until it gets too wet. They've pulled out five trees and the majority of plant life. Yesterday they ripped out the lawn. NOW I can tell that they've done something. If the rain stops, I should have a whole new yard by the end of next week. Be prepared for pictures! :)

Something Old...

A couple of decades ago, our guild hosted a challenge. For my entry, I made a 4-block Mariner's Compass quilt. It was hand-pieced and hand-quilted.

My mother LOVED the quilt. At the time, I didn't want to give it to her (I gave it to her years later, for Mother's Day), so I asked her what colors she liked. She said, "Navy blue, sea green and pink.) ugh. They would not have been my choices to work with, but I used them to make this little hand-pieced, hand-quilted wallhanging for her birthday. Yesterday I stumbled across it as I was cleaning, and thought it would look dandy in the bathroom. What do you think? Do you like it?

Mother's Mariner's Compass
"9.5" x 18"
Suzanne Kistler 1991

I lessened the amount of work by cutting one of the blocks in half. I thought the move was brilliant. :)

The only thing new around here is rain. I took this picture yesterday, as the patio flooded 2" deep. fun, fun, fun. Hold onto your hats, folks, it's a wet one!!

Hope you enjoyed accompanying me on my little jaunt down Memory Lane...