what I've been working on

There has been precious little time for working on any big projects lately, but a few little things have been accomplished.  Not complaining, just explaining.  With my parents and son visiting and making sure I see little Ian every couple of days, my machines have been kind of quiet. 

I found a free pattern for a cathedral window pincushion from Poorhouse Quilt Designs.  I have never made a cathedral window block but decided to find out how to do it.  I did a little checking about the block itself, and it seems to be originally from around 1930-1950 from what I can tell.  It is unusual in that it is actually about 3 layers of fabric with folds that create even more bulk at intersections.  Believe me when I tell you that the button is not only decorative, but serves to hide those untidy corners!  I thought the block was only done by hand, but this is completely machine stitched, except for closing up the filling hole. 

 I made this from a bunch of blue and white random 5" squares.  It makes a pretty large pincushion.  I filled it with 3 things (because only 1 would just be too simple!):  cotton stuffing, poly stuffing and crushed walnut shells.  I made a small muslin pouch for the walnut shells, I have had some 'migration' of dust from the shells in other pincushions and thought enclosing them in another layer of fabric would cut down on that.  If you are not familiar with the walnut shells, you can locate them in some large pet stores where they are sold as bedding for among other creatures, lizards.  I like to use them because they add a certain weight or heft to the pincushion that I like.  This project was one of those things that was totally not on my list of things to do, but intrigued me so much that I had to give it a try.


Sometime in the not-so-distant past, I put together this simple small quilt that will be a shop sample.  The pattern is Painted Moon from Villa Rosa Designs.  The fabric is from the Honoka collection by Anna Griffin.  I did simple quilting and just finished putting on the binding this morning.  Check one more off the list!

I recently taught a little intro to wool applique at the shop and this is the sample I was working on for demonstrating the process.  I am nearing completion, just have 2 more little vines to stitch and then attach the backing.  For sure it will be ready for pumpkin season!  This is a pattern and kit from Bareroots, available at Bear Patch.

And because I always have to have a knitting project (or 2 or 3) underway, I have been working on a scarf for myself.  It is made from a yarn that Dan bought for me when he was in Alaska--what a good son he is!  It is made from muskox hair, merino wool and mulberry silk.  Sounds and feels luxurious!  The pattern for the scarf came from a calendar of 365 Knitting Stitches a Year published by Martingale.

It is chock full of good ideas.  This one is called Arrowhead Lace.  You can see some of my index tabs that mark other stitch patterns that caught my interest and could go to some good use in the future.

And now to get back to work----!  Not really work when you love what you do!  Dan is winging westward and his bike was packed up and shipped yesterday so they will be reunited soon out in CA.  Ian (and Brita and Ben) is coming for a sleepover tomorrow so I better get this place sterilized!  And, of course, make sure his Easter basket is ready!

back to business

Even though my trip to Florida was brief, I did get in a little bit of quilty goodness.  Sorry, Dan, it's not all about the bike!  Mostly, but not entirely!

At the big public pier in St. Augustine Beach, I was waiting for 2 bicyclists to find their way and waited in a shelter of sorts out of the intense sun for awhile.  Have to protect that lily white skin, don'tcha know!  And I knew it was the right place to be, because this was draped over the rail--

It was just a "cheater cloth" quilt, but the hexagons and colors were perfect.  It probably is still hanging there, so head over to St. John's County Pier if you want to salvage it!

We took Monday for a little R&R, and walked around a bit of the historic old city of St. Augustine.  Lots of really beautiful old structures.

A historic hotel that is now part of a college.

And just 2 more blocks down King Street I stopped at Margrieta's Quilt Shop for a chance to score some Florida fabric--I ended up with some pirate fabrics which seemed appropriate as mementos of the trip.  And a book on bargello quilts, which I have never made, but which Dan has already tagged as the next quilt for him!

These bricks/blocks were in the sidewalk and got me started thinking about a quilt design...

 I also wanted to give an acknowledgement of a great guy that we met through Dan.  This picture shows Dan with Bryan, a fellow cyclist.  They met somewhere in Texas, I think, and ended up biking together on the final stages.  Bryan is from Oregon and is a photographer.  If you do the Facebook thing, you might want to "friend" him so you can see his awesome photo journal there.

They both had spent many long hours on the road with only their thoughts to keep them company, and found they could help each other tough it out to the end.  And they have matching bikes!  It was kismet. 

 We did want to try to find a good southern BBQ joint, and landed on this one outside of St. Augustine on Hwy 1.  It was rustic, friendly, uncrowded, and lacks much for a vegetarian. But we had very tasty BBQ eaten while seated on a tree stump beside a sort-of wooden table.  Lucky for us their roadside sign says they serve bikers and yankees, even if they meant those bikers with engines!  Open when we're Smokin' is a fitting motto!

happenings around here

Time for an update!  Besides being totally fascinated by my sweet grandson and trying to be helpful to his mom and dad, I have snuck in a few fiber-ish moments.  I worked on quilting this "Cancer Quilt" for a customer.  She is going to give it to a family member dealing with a new leukemia diagnosis requiring a prolonged hospitalization.  It is designed for a printed fabric panel from Block Party Studios.
 All of the text is motivational words that will hopefully help this young woman through a tough time.

And I actually quilted something for myself!  I have shown you some pictures of this before and finally got it on the quilt frame and all stitched up.  Since it is batik fabric on both front and back, and lots of seams, it took a little tweaking to get the stitching to look the way I wanted it to.  Even with the tweaking I wasn't totally satisfied, but have to remember that few people (if any) will be examining it under a microscope so I can just let it go, right?  I am really liking the look of it.

I participated in teaching a class at Bear Patch last Wednesday and Sunday, which was a successful experience.  Unlike other classes that I have taught there, this one was a shared project with Laurel and was designed as a demonstration session instead of a hands-on sewing class.  We called it the Bear Patch Sew Creative Event and chose 7 different specialty rulers to feature.  There are a lot of quilting rulers in hundreds of shapes and sizes and from numerous manufacturers.  I know that as a quilter, sometimes we see them hanging on a display rack and their odd shape or strange markings have us wondering just what in the world they are for.  Well, Laurel and I took those rulers, practiced with them and made sample projects, then demonstrated how they function.  Combining the rulers with some patterns and notions that work together, we were able to enlightened the gathered women on some potentially new ideas.  And there were treats, too!  This also was a good experience for us in the power of the internet.  About a week before the classes were scheduled, we had only about 12 people total signed up for the 3 sessions.  Because this was a different format than our typical class offering, it can be hard to get the message across to our wonderful customers and sell them on the idea of attending.  The price was low (only $5) but some publicity was needed.  A group email was sent out to the store's mailing list, and low and behold, we ended up with about 90 attending!  So we will be planning ahead for future Sew Creative Events, looking for new gadgets and gizmos to feature.  Since we are going to Quilt Market in May, we will have a good opportunity to gather ideas there.

Now I want to remind you about another significant event happening in my family.  My son, Dan, has been pedaling his bike across the country since January 6, and is nearing his destination in Florida.  He has been posting pictures and notes about the trip on his website.  We try to talk and text often because we think this is a fabulous adventure for him (and we miss him and wish we could do it, too).  Ever since he started out, Bob and I have been toying with the idea of meeting up with him somewhere along the way.  We  also needed to stay handy near home for this new baby happening, but now we have worked out a plan.  Later this week we are setting out on a road trip aimed at intercepting Dan near his endpoint (St. Augustine).  We should be able to be his support crew for the last few miles and then celebrate his accomplishment.  Dan seems pretty happy about the prospect, and then will get a ride  back to Minnesota for some R & R before returning to CA.  I am pretty happy about the idea of seeing him!  Palm trees, here I come!

Good thing we are not relying on my car for the upcoming trip!

For the first time in over 250,000 miles, the trusty Saturn took a tow truck ride last night.  So sad.  It hemorrhaged red transmission fluid all over the street, and refused to budge any further. Today we will find out what the damage is and figure out where to go from there.  It really was a sad feeling to see it towed away.  This followed a fatal diagnosis for my trusty iPod, so I am wondering what the 3rd strike will be?

vintage tech

I guess that ~8 years of use from any kind of computer/techie gadget is far beyond the life expectancy.  At least that's what the 12 year old boy in the Apple store hinted at!  Well, maybe not 12, but barely shaving!  It somehow became unsyncable, which is the opposite of unsinkable, and is no longer supported due to the fact that it is museum material now.  To his credit, the young man did tell me that he and his co-workers were impressed by the fact that it had worked this long.  I think he was trying to soften the blow, maybe he could see the dejected look on my face or the tear in the corner of my eye. I'm not yet ready to replace it, I keep checking it to see if it will just wake up and work like it has so many times before!  I will live in my land of make-believe a little while longer!  At least until I get the call from the transmission shop later today!

quiet

I love a quiet day at home alone! There, I've said it, and apologies to Bob, but sometimes don't we all just need a little quiet time? And today there can be no giving in to temptation to go to the store, coffee shop, bank, post office, library, etc., etc. because I am without wheels. My trusty little Saturn needs a checkup to track down the source of a suspicious odor of hot fluids emanating from under the hood after a drive. It drives normally and no puddle/trail underneath, so not sure what the problem is. Time for the pros, but I pray that it's not a big deal. That car now has ~277,000 miles on it and is like an extension of myself. But we are at the point of those tough decisions about when to pull the plug. Hate making car payments and would really like the satisfaction of seeing 300,000 miles on the odometer!

Time for an update on the grandchild status! Getting nearer faster! Saturday I attended a fun shower for Brita hosted by her friends, it was great to see them all again and watch Brita as she experiences these new things for herself.

She is looking mighty healthy and happy! And last Monday we saw Ben, too, and must say that I think he is looking steadily more fatherly! They are getting their home ready for this little guy and wondering what this is really going to be like but of course, you never know until it happens. I'm trying to do my share and spent yesterday making and finishing a few baby things--

Brita picked out some fabric for crib sheets and I made 2 of those yesterday plus one smaller one for the cradle mattress. I posted a tutorial about the sheets on the Bear Patch Blog yesterday, so if that interests you take a look over there. I put it there because it kind of turned into a commercial for Bernina!

The crib above is set up in our spare bedroom so we will be ready for any visits from Jr. We were lucky to pick up the crib on a giveaway, we hadn't really planned on it but now that it's here, I can foresee lots of potential.

I finished up the edging on this nice little knit blankie-

from Booties, Blankets & Bears by Debbie Bliss. Alternating stripes of grey, gold and white, edged in blue, all CottonEase by Lion Brand, all rows are knit.

Here is a little leftover Christmas that hasn't been packed up-

I had a moment of inspiration and made this oversized candlemat back in December. The battery operated candle is handy for a little touch of candlelight without melted wax on my fabric!

This simulated flame and the warmth from my wood stove bring to my mind all of the good we know about fire, as opposed to the scene I witnessed Saturday night as a nearby house burned to the ground. The owners were home and got out safely, but had to watch helplessly as everything burned. We live in an area that is not serviced by city water nor professional fire crews. So there are no hydrants, but thankfully, volunteers to come out on a cold dark January night to do what they can. That means that the response time seems dreadfully long, and water has to be trucked in to operate the hoses. The house was completely engulfed in flames by the time the fire fighters could even begin to do their job. Big lesson learned for me is that I need to organize a simple box of important information that could possibly be saved if this house lit up. I realized that I wouldn't even know who to call about insurance! Bob probably would, but I need to know for myself. Would you know what to do? I never want to feel helpless about those kind of things - (lightbulb goes on here as I realize this ties in nicely to my control issues!) - so I better do something about that!

On another topic, I find myself stalking Dan's website for new pictures and info about his bike trip! What constitutes cyber stalking? Once a day seems reasonable, but what about hourly? Maybe not so good! Yes, he does call every few days so we can catch up on what has been happening, but part of me just wants to be there!