....and the Quilt goes to?

The quilt as it is has been claimed and I am thrilled that it is going to a wonderful couple. Oh the finer points of quilt creation, design and execution. The best part for me is the quilting. Using a long arm is delightful, smooth as drawing with a pencil. Before the long arm I had to wrestle three layers at snail pace and push through the machine. Somewhat like trying to push an allegator through a 9 inch hole while holding his head and tail. Now it is much easier to load the 3 quilt layers and slide the machine along sewing even stitches. It is much easier to see where you have been and where you are going. Hardly any concern about wrinkles like it is when doing free motion on a sewing machine. Takes some practice to get the hang of it and I am sure a year from now I will be better at it but until then the quilts I do will be full of experimentations and fun motifs. Drop by anytime and see what's doing. Hope my friend in GA who claimed the quilt can come stay awhile and play with me.

Only one to claim the Quilt?

Timing is everything and it must be true because in my last blog I offered up a quilt to the first one to claim it and no one did until today. The timing is way off because now I will be doing two quilts. *CHUCKLE*

This quilt is for the last quarterly challenge for a 2009 quarterly challenge project that Vie and I started in January. We are certainly glad this is the last because we have not made the final ten in any of the challenges. I am convinced it is fixed. Our projects have been designed and executed with skill and creativity and on target with instructions. Not only that but they were as good and in most cases better than the ones chosen. So what is wrong with my timing? Well the deadline is approaching for the submission so Vie and I got together last night and cut and assembled our quilt tops for the challenge. I decided since no one had claimed my offer I would use the opportunity to make the quilt for a certain someone for Christmas...sort of kill two birds with one quilt. Now today a sweet precious girlfriend has laid claim to the quilt and rightly so since she is the first one. The problem is that, it is definitely a man's quilt. My friend, Barbara was in here this morning and she commented that the quilt top “sure was masculine, who is it for”.

Timing is everything for sure. If that sweet friend reads this again, I will take her claim serious but she needs to tell me what her favorite colors are and then next Tuesday night Vie and I will repeat our process and make at least one more top that is definitely more feminine. We were thinking about doing some Christmas themed ones any way.

Check out the picture below of my granddaughter Josie sewing on her new ¾ White. So intent and focused.

Saturday, Rain and Inspiration or Lack of...

Saturday, Sweats, Rain, Maggie and Charlie on the sofa and me surfing the internet. Too consumed with nothingness that I microwaved instant mac and cheese for our lunch. The mac and cheese is the little tubs that kids like. Not the best mac and cheese but edible if you add a half ripe tomato and lots of salt. So why does a woman who likes to cook settle for little tubs of mac and cheese? No answer to that one but I will confess Charlie made a nasty face but he ate it anyway. It is gone now and won't buy anymore until my grand daughters return for another visit.

Still working on the Adam and Eve piece or should I say still procastinating working on the piece. I have a round robin that is entertaining me...this month's robin is adding flying geese, I hate flying geese but I found a one stitch way to make them on "The Quilt Show.com website. Going to pop these little geese out the easy way...ha ha, gonna fly out of my hands!

Interesting how one gets swept away with ideas and actions. Patience and self control is definitely learned traits and I believe I was absent when they were being taught. Went to a workshop taught by Judy Loope a textile artist from Salem VA and was so pleased to be there. Most work shops for me are generally a good idea until I have been there for a half hour and then I am bored. My buddy Vye, says that is when I start acting up. Not sure what she means by acting up but I do get antsy and find distractions...usually going my own way and finding ways to entertain myself.

Judy's workshop was primarily based on building abstract art quilts using sheers, and synthetic fibers that could be melted by a soldering iron.

See my example that I finished and call "Violet's Hedronilly".

Recently, I decorated a bra for the MAMM organization and now it is being shown with some other bra creations at the Daura Gallery in Lynchburg VA. There seems to be alot of interest in these bras and the attention they draw and hopefully the donations toward diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. See "Mammogetasaurus" a rather goofy green dinosaurus that is clutching her girls.

Trying to keep busy. Going to load the Adam and Eve piece on Alma (longarm) to do thread painting this afternoon. After I do that I am going to paint or highlight with paintstik.

Vye and I have to do the last quarterly challenge for All People Quilt website. I think it is rigged. But this is the last challenge for 2009 and we started in Jan and have submitted something each quarter. Nothing has been chosen yet. Fixed is the reason..Yes I love spoiled grapes!!!! And I cry over spilled milk too!!!! The last challenge is a quilt made with 9.5" squares into a 67" lap quilt, sounds like a Christmas present for someone...if you name it your claim it. HA HA

Red, White and Blue

Where are you on the patriotism scale? I believe there is a role for us all
in supporting our service men and women. We may not personally believe in
war, or fighting someone else's battles but we have to believe in our blood.
Without the valor that is required of our armed forces, we would not and
could not enjoy the freedoms we so cherish. It is that valor that I am
committing myself to. So gathering quilters and sewers and pockets to create
well wishing red, white and blue quilts to be given to someone who has been
injured seems a very small price on my part. Members of my guild are going
to help me get started. More on this later!!!!

Opps...got to much going

Wondering how to juggle all the balls when another one pops into the picture...