Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Sewing Blitz

I am counting the days now.  It's sort of a wasted effort until my fingerprints clear, which they won't.  But I'll be adjudicated yet again, so let's hurry up and do that, eh?

Sally Seam Rip-Her, #5/8, and her proud Mama

Knowing that I'll have to close up the crafty corner soon, I sewed like a mad woman over the week end.  And then BadAmy and Sally Seam Rip-Her made me go to the fabric shop with our stash of coupons.  I'll need to have fabric when I get home, doncha know. 






 First off, FTD's teeth came out okay.  He went back to school today, even though last night his eyes turned black and green and he looked like he'd been in a bar fight.  But he got through the day with some tylenol.
Sleepin' and droolin' like a baby. Thank goodness for iPods.


Next up, Bad Amy got her second yarn club shipment out, to rave reviews once again.  This one is called La Violeta Stripe.  Want some?  Too bad, it's a club exclusive.  So unless you're on Ravelry and can sweet talk someone out of a skein, ya ain't gunna git any.





Now to the sewing extravaganza.  I finished the log cabin squares for pillows.  Each one is quilted differently, as I'm trying to find ways to machine quilt without A) spending hours doing that and B) falling asleep at the wheel.  BadAmy hates the color.  She says the yellow is burn your eyes out yellow.  Hrumph.  See if she gets a pillow present any time soon....






The next project was a bunny.  It's a panel print by Benartex called Montana Modern.  I just added batting and backing, stitched around each block and in a couple other places, put on a binding and done.  I'm going to hang this at the office in our never ending attempts to class the place up.

















Lessee, then there are the ones that I have to get done and quilted and bound before we leave.  This is how the pillow thing got started.  Making the strips for log cabin blocks is like eating chips and dip.  Sometimes you run out of chips first and need more dip.  Then you have left over dip, so you need more chips.  Okay, so I had a few left over strips.  Then I didn't quite have enough.. . and on and on.  I also couldn't decide on which icons for the border.....these are for my retiring ranger peeps remember.  I was talking with my niece "Sally" and suddenly had the idea.  Then I needed just the right fabric.  Then we spent a couple hours at the store. Then I didn't even use the fabric I picked out.  So there you have the creative process.  These are 'heat-n-bonded' on, and I was hoping they wouldn't need to be appliqued but yes they sure do.  That's tomorrow's project.  Did I mention that there are two of these?







Last but not least is a new batch of Kind Hearted Lady Lives Here mug rugs.  I found this calico and fell in love with the soft, girly colors.  You know the Calico Cat...

I made five variations of this for five fabulous friends.  I'm also on a stripey binding kick.

Bestest Ever Friend Ginny and her hubby stopped by this evening for a precious hour on their way home from Arizona to Michigan.  We try to get more time together, but this is all we could squeak out this year.  Sigh.  Ginny now has her Calico kitty.   They should be pulling in the drive way right about now. 



     The Duel

    THE gingham dog and the calico cat
    Side by side on the table sat;
    'Twas half-past twelve, and (what do you think!)
    Nor one nor t'other had slept a wink!
    The old Dutch clock and the Chinese plate
    Appeared to know as sure as fate
    There was going to be a terrible spat.
           (I wasn't there; I simply state
           What was told to me by the Chinese plate!) 
    The gingham dog went "bow-wow-wow!"
    And the calico cat replied "mee-ow!"
    The air was littered, an hour or so,
    With bits of gingham and calico,
    While the old Dutch clock in the chimney-place
    Up with its hands before its face,
    For it always dreaded a family row!
           (Never mind: I'm only telling you
           What the old Dutch clock declares is true!)
    The Chinese plate looked very blue,
    And wailed, "Oh, dear! what shall we do!"
    But the gingham dog and calico cat
    Wallowed this way and tumbled that,
    Employing every tooth and claw
    In the awfullest way you ever saw-
    And, oh! how the gingham and calico flew!
           (Don't fancy I exaggerate-
           I got my news from the Chinese plate!)
    Next morning where the two had sat
    They found no trace of the dog or cat;
    And some folks think unto this day
    That burglars stole that pair away!
    But the truth about the cat and pup
    Is this: they ate each other up!
    Now what do you really think of that!
           (The old Dutch clock it told me so,
           And that is how I came to know.)
    Eugene Field
    http://www.theotherpages.org/poems/field01.html

2 comments:

  1. Poor FTD! Hope he feels all better...
    and wowza what gorgeous stitching!!! If you are stranded in the wilderness and find you need ffabric, give a holler... I know how to get to Joann's in 8.3 minutes! : )

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  2. Great echo quilting! I so desperately need to try out some different quilting methods too...the pillows look nice.

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