Catching Up #2

This Spring was also a busy one family-wise. 


My son and daughter-in-law were lucky enough to find a house they liked and could afford, so we helped move them.  I didn't take very good photos, but this is of their very lovely kitchen. 

It feels good to have them settling in.



And soon after they moved, my daughter graduated (Dr. Alex now--whoohoo!).  We moved her home so she could prepare and pack for her next move.  

Packing mess for weeks!

Our graduate!

   While she was "packing", we came across the pillow I made for her undergraduate years (some 9 years ago--yikes--no wonder she feels like she's been in school forever!)

 

It's made with old jeans (obviously).

The flower section is actually one I embroidered on my pant leg back in the hippy days when I was in middle school.  I saved it when the jeans wore out.  I can't believe I had saved it all those years, but it was nice to find a perfect use for it.  (Makes me wonder how many other ancient things are in my sewing room!)

  

I used two pairs of button up jeans, butted together, and topstitched to one waistband to make the pillow closure. 

The pockets were taken from jeans, and topstitched onto other jeans when necessary.

This is the other side.  Pant leg seams were cut to use in the side panels, so the topstitching could be there as an accent.







 
Then we were off, moving her to Oregon, where we got to spend a few wonderful days on the chilly coast, enjoying every moment.

 At least until we had to say goodbye.. :(

 I did manage to squeeze in a bit of sewing, a Roseville piggy,

a few more Just Takes Two blocks,

 and a couple of Flower Garden blocks.

 And now you're pretty much up to date! 

There are a couple things in process, but no photos to show, and if you've read all this, that's really quite enough--poor you! :)

Happy Stitching!

Catching Up #1

I promised to catch you up on what I've been doing since March, when I had just finished the Sparkle Punch Scrappy Stars quilt top.  I did piece a back for it (no photo), and planned to get it quilted, but then (as usual) got distracted. 

In pulling fabrics for its back, I realized I had too many light blue fabrics.  So when I saw this quilt here on on Moda Bakeshop

I decided that was just the thing to use my blues, and it looked like it would be simple and quick.  The blues then became blues and greens, and then became Tessa's quilt.  Here's another view of it on the design wall.

Since the goal was to use my stash blues and greens, I decided to piece a back from stash.  Then I saw all the granny afghan blocks being made across blogland.  (For a tutorial see: http://blueelephantstitches.blogspot.com/2012/01/granny-square-quilt-block-tutorial.html and for a granny square quilt along see: http://beeinmybonnetco.blogspot.com/2012/07/great-granny-along-and-giveaway.html 

The granny squares were perfect since I had several leftover green and blue strips to use for the squares.  I decided to piece a row of granny squares to extend my backing fabrics.

But I liked the granny squares so well that back idea grew and grew, and is still in process, but had to come off the design board.  Here's what it looked like when it was last photographed. 

So now I will be needing two blue and green backs!  And this project has been on hold since then.

And finally, Hooray!  I was lucky enough to win a gift certificate on Angela Pingel's blog, Cut to Pieces.  It was hard to decide between all the lovely fabrics that XO Gigi Fabrics had, but these are what I went with--I think  they'll work nicely in another project I've recently started.  You should be sure to check out all the chevron fabrics XO Gigi's got in now--definitely coveting some of them!  Thanks again to Angela and XO Gigi Fabrics! 

That's more than enough for now--stay tuned for Part 2! :)

Tessa and her quilt

Couldn't let this week go by without noting that two special someones both had birthdays this past month. Happy Birthday to my two beautiful daughters!  

And while I love them both, this post is more about the furry one of them--and a quilt, of course. 

Our golden retriever, Tessa, has been part of our family for 13+ years. She tolerates us all well, keeps us in line, and manages to do it with style.

Tessa's been having health issues, has lost some hearing and eyesight, but she's still a real sweetie.  She spends most of each day "resting up" for her evening walk with the love of her life, Mr. CatsMeowTwo.   She sleeps either on the cool tile near the front door or by the back patio door where she can see out and pretend to watch squirrels and birds.  Here she is watching her man build a ramp for her so she can get in and out of the patio door more easily.

On brief occasions (if she smells me eating something yummy for lunch or thinks it's her dinner time), she'll come see me and watch me quilt and help me choose a fabric, then will get a drink, but then she usually goes back to nap by one of the doors.  Getting old requires lots of rest!

So one day this April when I went to find her and she wasn't by either door, I was surprised.  I called and called her, but she didn't come (she doesn't always hear my voice--or does somewhat selectively).  I knew she had to be in the house, so began searching all the rooms for obvious spots, calling her, and wondering if she were hurt or sick or well, worse.

After a second time through the house, I was more than a little concerned and beginning to feel that "missing child" panic.  This time searching, instead of looking through the kitchen at the patio door, I walked to the back door and started across my living room, and this is what I saw:

Tessa was sound asleep laying on the quilt I has spread out on the floor so I could decide on a back.   I hadn't been able to see her from the other direction because she was hidden by a desk.

She was happily sleeping away with total abandon, at least until the camera person woke her up.......then she was a bit grumpy.  (Or maybe she was concerned that she'd be in trouble.)  ;)

Tessa NEVER lays on my quilts.  She ordinarily walks carefully around them, although she will walk across one if I leave it out on the floor too long.  Somehow I have to think that she knows that when you don't feel well, nothing makes you feel better than to lay on a quilt--even if it isn't finished!  (and she knows there are few finished quilts at my house)

And so this is my entry to the 2012 Pets on Quilts Show.  You can see all the cute pet photos here.

And, I promise I'll blog soon and catch up about making "Tessa's quilt" and all the other goings on that have been happening here since March--can't believe I haven't posted since then--Yikes!