Under Six Gables

What Quilters Really Want

2011-04-06T03:45:00.000-07:00

Quilter’s Wish List

Did anyone catch the ad on the internet for the iSO Sewing Machine, the first iPad compatible sewing machine? While this was unfortunately just an April Fools Day hoax, it got me thinking about what we quilters really want.

Here is my list:

The Stitchmobile and Stitchmobile LE- Volvo and Huskvarna join forces to create the first sewing-machine powered automobile. Piece those blocks while stop-and-go driving around town; quilt them during longer rides. The more winding the roads, the lovelier your free-motion meander stitches. The Stitchmobile LE (Luxury Edition) would come with an embroidery module. Put the feed dogs down and you can ride safely on ice and snow.

The Keurig Stitcher- Just push a button on your sewing machine and it brews your favorite hot caffeinated beverage. No worries about spilling on your quilt; it comes with a permanently attached straw.

The Endless Bobbin- While your bobbin thread is running out from the outside of your bobbin, the Endless Bobbin is rewinding from the inside of the bobbin from a large cone of thread stored under the bed of your machine.

The Longarm for People Who Don’t Have Room for a Longarm- Think Murphy bed for stitchers. Pulls down from the wall when needed. When not in use can be used as a design wall.

The Quilter’s Master Card. Earn trips to Houston, Paducah, Lancaster, etc. Because quilters are sociable creatures and will be travelling “en masse”, you will qualify for great group rates.

Sunshower Quilts: Accuquilt Baby Go! Give-Away!!

2011-03-20T11:50:00.000-07:00

Sunshower Quilts: Accuquilt Baby Go! Give-Away!!

In a few hours spring will officially be here, although I've been in "spring mode" for the past couple of weeks. Don't get me wrong, I love, love, LOVE winter, but there's something about setting those clocks ahead that makes me want to play all day long. I've been working on new patterns, tweaking old patterns, and giving some of my sewing machines (yes, plural- at last count there were 8) a good workout.

All this activity has made me want some new toys, and this is one I've had my eyes on. When I first saw the Accuquilt Go!, I thought it was a pretty neat idea, but it was the Baby Go! that really captivated me. Maybe it was the price, maybe the portability, but I think the real reason is I really like little things. I love my Featherweight, I love my two Chihuahuas, I think mice are adorable creatures, my smallest quilt measured only 1 1/2" square.

So when I learned Katrina of Sunshower Quilts is giving away a Baby Go!, I had to play along. And in the process I discovered a fun blog with some really helpful tutorials.

Six Gables Designs Schedule, March/April 2011

2011-02-24T07:56:00.000-08:00

March 4-6, 2011- Great Escape Weekend 26, W. Alton Jones Campus, West Greenwich, RI

I will be leading this year's workshop; our project will be a brand new pattern, "Cakewalk", which will be available for sale later this spring.

April 11-16, 2011. MQX East (Machine Quilters Exposition), Providence Rhode Island. I will be helping out at the Quilts of Valor booth, date not yet determined.

April 16-17, Quilt show, Northeastern Connecticut Country Quilters, Plainfield CT Town Hall. I will be vending here

Any additions will be posted at a later date.

A New Life for Maggie Mae

2010-12-11T20:16:00.000-08:00

I've been neglecting this blog lately; it's so much faster and easier to post on Facebook. But this post is longer than a FB status update, and is about something I care deeply about- the fate of dogs in puppy mills.

Many of you know I have two "second-hand" dogs; prior to that we had ferrets from a ferret rescue. I am a firm believer in "adopt, not shop", and I put my money where my mouth is. Most rescues run on a shoestring budget. Sometimes there is simply no money to take in another animal, but there are animals they cannot turn their back on. I'm hoping some of you will be touched by the plight of Maggie May and will contribute to her care. She is not the only one; today four dogs began their new lives in loving foster homes thanks to Just a Touch Rescue.

The following is from an unbelievably dedicated foster mom named Eileen. She opens her home to those dogs needing the most care.

Today begins a new chapter in your sad life Maggie Mae. You are a 10 year old Bichon that was a slave to the mass breeding facilities. You gave your all and received nothing in return.

We picked you up today. You looked worn and tired and scared. You reminded me of this song by Rod Stewart, Maggie Mae.

The morning sun when it's in your eyes really shows your age. But that don't worry me none, in my eyes you are everything. And you are. You are the best and the bravest and the most loving mother and little white doll of a dog.

You see folks, in the puppymill Maggie Mae lived in a cage with wire for the floor. Her foot slipped through the wires and the dogs in the crate below her chewed off her trapped little foot. We believe that was years ago. I can't even imagine the horror and pain she went through. Yet the "breeders" kept her in that cage and continued to breed her, heat after heat. She must have been a good and kind and caring mother in spite of her pain and lack of a front paw. Or she would not have been kept in that prison. They would have disposed of her:((

Today marks a new and happier chapter for Mother Maggie Mae. She will learn that her needs will be met. That she will be warm and fed and loved. That she will NEVER be screamed at or handled roughly. She will have soft beds to sleep on and doggie and people friends to live out her life with. She will not ever be bred again. She is officially retired from working for a living. If life in a hellhole can be called living.

Maggie Mae has dental issues, mammary tumors and needs to be spay. She has a stump for a front leg where the paw was chewed off. If you can contribute a small amt toward her care it would be greatly appreciated. Just A Touch Rescue has taken her under their wing and will be caring for all her needs. Please pass this info along to your friends..if only to alert them to the horrors of the mass breeding facilities.Sadly there are thousands of other "Maggie Maes" waiting on the wires for rescue to come...

www.justatouchrescue.com

Thank you from all of us at Just A Touch Rescue and Mother Maggie Mae

I guess I'm now officially a ruler inventor

2010-10-14T19:30:00.001-07:00

Details on Quilt-a-thon

2010-08-14T17:58:00.001-07:00

The Great Northeastern Quilt-a-thon

To benefit Quilts of Valor (www.QOVF.org).

You can make a difference! Help us celebrate the 20th anniversary of Make a Difference Day.

Make A Difference Day, the largest national day of helping others, is sponsored annually by USA WEEKEND Magazine and its 700 carrier newspapers. Make A Difference Day takes place on the 4th Saturday in October each year.

I’m throwing down the gauntlet. I’m issuing a challenge to the quilters of New York and New England: I think we can make 1,000 Quilts of Valor between today, August 14 and Make a Difference Day, October 23, 2010. I need you all to help me get the word out. Forward this to your local quilt shops, to your quilt guild, to your sewing buddies. Post on Facebook, tweet on Twitter, call your Grandma. Not from New York or New England? So what? You can still participate.

Rev up those sewing machines and put the pedal to the metal!

Here’s what you can do:

Stitchers: Piece quilt tops, alone or with friends.

Longarmers: Volunteer to quilt QOV’s. You can sign up to be a longarmer on the QOV website

Quilt guilds and quilting groups: At your next meeting make QOV’s. Or ask members to bring in blocks and put the blocks together.

Quilt shops: Have a QOV class/workshop day or days. PIck a simple pattern so all levels of stitchers can participate. Or invite customers to work on their own QOV’s. Keep it free and easy- drop in for an hour or stay all day.

Ask participants to bring in their own fabrics- stick to red, white and blue, or go across the color spectrum (just a note from personal experience, be specific - people tend to bring in more medium and dark fabrics than very light ones). Ask for larger quantities for quilt backs.

Don’t forget to make a presentation case for each quilt.

Don’t forget to make a label.

Do refer to the QOV web site for specifics on how to make a QOV (sizes, materials, etc.).

Do email me if you have any questions. Barbara@QOVF.org

Have fun with this.

Barbara Chojnacki

Quilts of Valor Regional Coordinator,

Region 10 (NY and New England)

Great Northeastern Quilt-a-thon

2010-08-14T13:53:00.000-07:00

I'm inviting quilters from New York and New England (and anywhere else, for that matter) to make a difference. Let's celebrate the twentieth anniversary of Make a Difference Day by making at least 1,000 Quilts of Valor between today and October 23, 2010.

Do you like seahorses?

2010-03-19T20:00:00.000-07:00

I do. And so do most people. Seahorses are right up there with dragonflies at the top of the list of "Very Cool Creatures". And seahorses are the subject of my friend Linda M. Poole's new line of fabrics (following close on the heels of her first line, "Iridescence", which features dragonflies). You've got to check these out- the seahorses are wonderful, the colors are simply stunning, and the whole line of fabrics is irresistible!

Coming out of hibernation...

2010-03-19T19:45:00.000-07:00

Not really. This soon to be past winter has been a creative time for me, and I'm excited about all the things that had been going on in my life that are now coming to fruition.

Four new quilts have been born, and I'm "pregnant" with a fifth. Also on the quilting front, one of my quilts, "The Mystery of the Missing Root Children" (pictured) has been chosen for an exhibit at MQX next month. And there will be other news, but all in due time.

I have also had the immense pleasure (and time, and effort) of putting together a fund-raising cookbook that is almost ready for the printer. This will benefit Just a Touch Rescue. Please let me know if you would like to be notified when the book is out.

Historical cemetery of the day

2009-10-02T17:11:00.000-07:00

The state of Rhode Island has nearly 3000 historical cemeteries. If I counted correctly, Westerly has 97 if those. Even many natives don't know this one, in Watch Hill, exists. Yet it's just a block away from the center of the village, a couple hundred yards past this lovely old yacht.

Here's RI Historical Cemetery #31,

containing approximately 100 graves with stones dating from 1740 to 1830. You can see headstones, many barely peeking up from the ground.

Sadly, this lovely stone broke off its base. The carving is barely visible, it appears to be a setting sun. The name and date of the person interred below is no longer legible.

A lovely autumn morning...

2009-10-02T10:12:00.000-07:00

and a good time to take advantage of the sunshine before the rainy weekend arrives. This happy fellow greets visitors to Smith's Flower & Farm here in town.

Quilting Spooky- A freebie for you

2009-10-01T10:16:00.000-07:00

Now that your Halloween quilt top is completed and is ready to be quilted (you DO have a Halloween quilt, don't you?), you need a quick and easy quilting design. If you have basic free motion quilting skills, you can do "Loopy Bats."

Upcoming Events

2009-08-27T18:25:00.000-07:00

October 3 I will be teaching "Take Four", a set of four placemats designed by Cary Flanagan of Something Sew Fine. The class will be held at Quilts & More, Mill Pond Plaza, Westerly, RI.

October 14 I will be doing a trunk show for members of the Clamshell Quilters at the Waterford Community Center, Waterford, CT; the next day I will be teaching my pattern "Earth, Air, Fire, Water", pictured above.

Oct. 23, 24, and 25 I will be vending at the Ninigret Quilters show (this is my local guild), at the Westerly Armory, Westerly, RI

And yet another pattern...

2009-07-29T19:22:00.000-07:00

Totes for Two is my newest pattern, a pair of matching Mother/Daughter tote bags. It's a very simple pattern, using 1 yard each of two great fabrics for both totes. Every piece is individually lined, so by the time the tote is stitched together, all the lining is already there- no fussy finishing work left to do before you can enjoy your bags. Although it makes two items, it is not a Patty Piper pattern because each tote is individually cut and sewn. On the Patty Piper patterns, you cut, stitch, cut again, and create two quilts from the (already partially sewn) pieces.

Totes for Two, all the Patty Piper patterns, and more, will be available at the New England Quilt Designer's Cooperative booth at the Greater Hartford Quilt Guild show this weekend in New Britan, CT. Stop in to say hi. Mention this blog and get a free gift!

Who is Patty Piper...

2009-07-29T16:43:00.000-07:00

and why does she piece in pairs?

Patty Piper is my alter ego. She's notoriously frugal with my stash, and tries to create quilts that make use of the scraps that would otherwise be tossed or, even worse, find a home in a dark corner of my sewing room where they could propagate like rabbits. She rears her quilty head from time to time.

Patty Piper pieced pinwheels; painless pointless ones to be exact. And from those pinwheels she created two quilts. Not satisfied to end there, Patty Piper tackled circles next- twice! A remnant of Parrot home-dec fabric got Patty's creative juices going with Patty Piper Strikes Again (see photo in previous post). Knowing some quilters prefer smaller projects, Patty then pieced a pair of pretties for the dining room, Dinner with Patty Piper.

Sneak Peak

2009-04-26T13:47:00.000-07:00

Here's an upcoming pattern hanging on my first clumsy attempt at assembling my gridwall display.

Fairie Feet Part 2

2009-04-10T14:30:00.000-07:00

Here are the Fairie slippers I got back from Kay, as well as the ones I made for her. What fun!

Vintage scrap self-challenge

2009-03-28T18:32:00.000-07:00

Yes, I have won yet another pile of someone else's unwanted scraps. This batch had an intriguing assortment of vintage (early '60's???) pieces that appear to be fabric samples as they are all the same size and include different colorways of the same prints. Some are quite pretty, others less so. I tried to sort them into groupings of somewhat coordinated colors as the assortment taken as a whole was...um...difficult to do anything with. I have an idea for one of the groups, the one with the warmer colors, but don't want to cut into those babies just yet. Click on the pictures to see them in all their dubious glory.

Fairie Feet

2009-03-28T18:27:00.000-07:00

I'm hosting a swap on the Fairie Goddess Mothers Yahoo group. Six of us are swapping "Fancy Funky Fairie Feet". We are paired off and each player sends a new pair of slippers in her own size to her partner. The partner has until April 30 to turn the slippers into fairie slippers and mail them back to their owner. These are my unembellished slippers, which have just arrived in Minnesota at my partner Kay's home. I can't wait to see what she does with them. I have her slippers, and will post pictures of them in progress if she promises not to peek!

A video for animal lovers...

2009-03-12T09:44:00.000-07:00

Please watch this video. The two tiny Chihuahua babies are currently being fostered by Just a Touch Rescue here in Rhode Island. A special web site has been set up to tell their story.

Another Snow Day

2009-03-02T14:35:00.000-08:00

The other day I purchased a rather homely antique quilt (top picture). I love to use my antique quilts as inspiration for my own quilts, as I did for my little quilt in the lower photo. Read about my quilt, and how you can make your own little wall quilt at my other blog, New England Quilt Designers.

Still doodlin'

2009-02-26T07:58:00.000-08:00

This is the third (actually number 3 1/2 if you count the quilt that never quite got finished) in my one and only quilt series. The original quilt "Namaste", was made in 2006 and donated to my guild's miniature quilt auction in 2007. A smaller variation, Namaste Redux, was donated to Ami Simms' Alzheimer's Quilt Initiative and purchased at Houston by Joyce Hartley. This one, "Namaste III, Conversations Under a Crescent Moon", uses a single small scrap of Caryl Bryer Fallert's "Gradations" fabric for all the people. The finished quilt measures 14" x 9".

And I doodled on...

2009-02-26T07:52:00.000-08:00

I drew a radish. Then a carrot. Then more root vegetables. I pulled some out of the ground, leaving veggie-shaped holes. What happened to these missing root children? I gave my sketch a title, "The Mystery of the Missing Root Children". Then I added a "suspect", a sinister green-eyed red cabbage. Every mystery needs its "detective", here it's a quizzical worm. Can you find him/her? You will need to click on the picture for a larger version.

No, it's NOT a self-portrait...

2009-02-26T07:45:00.000-08:00

it started out as a random doodle about two weeks ago. The original doodle was an alien-like creature, with big almond eyes and a pointed chin. I absentmindedly doodled some hair, then more hair, and more, until I had a beehive hairdo. I drew sunglass frames around the eyes, then added a neck and shoulders. I gave her a name, "Honey", then added the bees. She needed to be a quilt. Of course part of the fun was making her out of materials on hand.

With a little help from my friends...

2009-02-01T17:21:00.000-08:00

It's no secret that I love to read, but within the past few months my life has begun to resemble the literary version of "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon". I know Donna, who is in the book club with Betsy who is reading (fill in title of book here), who tells me about it, then two days later Carol mentions the same book, and the next day out of the blue a person I barely know offers to lend me that book, and so it goes. The most recent instance of this concerned the book "One Thousand White Women". Betsy mentioned it first, the next day Donna raved about it, a couple days later I found a used copy in a thrift shop. I had barely started reading it when I told Mariette about it. She wanted to read it, but not at that time, as she had several new books to catch up on, but she owned "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle", which she had just finished, thought I'd like it, told me Jan had just read it, and would give it to me the next time I saw her. I was about half through "One Thousand White Women" when Carol asked me if I had heard of it. When I told her I not only had, but I had a copy and was currently reading it, she asked to borrow it. Then I came across a new Robert B. Parker paperback ("Now and Then") on our "lending library" at work (bookshelves where anyone can drop off, swap, or borrow used books)- I borrowed it for a quick bedtime read, and when I told Mariette about it, it turns out it was one of the books she wanted to read. And so it goes.
And a footnote- I caught about 2 minutes of Krista Tippett's interview with Mary Doria Russell on "Speaking of Faith" this morning while driving to work. Now I want to go back and re-read all her books. If you have never read any of her works, what are you waiting for? And thank you John M., wherever you are, for introducing me to her first novel, "The Sparrow".

What's Cookin' Part II (see previous post)

2009-01-28T12:55:00.001-08:00

Yup, that recipe is definitely a keeper!

What's Cookin'?

2009-01-24T10:41:00.000-08:00

The picture of the Swiss Almond Apple Cake in my Pillsbury Cookbook caught my attention years ago; today I finally made it. You can too- here's the recipe. I'll have to wait until tonight to taste it, but if licking the bowls and spoons is any indication, this cake will be DELISH! By the way, you can't tell until you cut into it, but there's a red ribbon of raspberry jam running through the middle. Click the picture for a larger view and be prepared to get very hungry!

Better late than never

2009-01-17T17:44:00.001-08:00

I haven't been TOTALLY remiss in blogging recently; I did post (once) on the New England Quilt Designers Cooperative Blog, on which I am a co-blogger. I can't use lack of time as an excuse; between days off around Christmas and New Year's, and several snow days off from work, I've had more free time than I've had in the last couple of years. Free time to cut down and hem five pairs of thermal drapes to fit my living room windows. Free time to jury rig bits and pieces of several second-hand curtain rods to fit across my huge triple window, and spray paint two new rods to match for the side windows. Free time to shop for a new stove the week before Christmas, narrowly averting a cookie and fruit cake debacle when my old stove gave up the ghost. Free time to finally put up the tree, give the house (and dogs) a much-needed cleaning before any holiday entertaining. Free time to make a second sample from one of my patterns (see photo above, as well as here for the original quilt), so I can have a spare for those times we have two quilt shows the same weekend, as well as having a second photo so I can update the cover.
Now it's a new year and I'm FINALLY getting around to starting on a new pattern. I've been agonizing for days over how to explain one part of it, finally tonight I had one of those "duh" moments. The difficulty lay with three bias cut pieces that were to be stitched together. I finally realized they were so close in color and value that you could hardly tell they were three pieces, and a single piece would not only be so much simpler and faster to make, it would actually look better! No pictures yet.

Happy New Year!

2008-12-31T19:36:00.000-08:00

As usual, I'm not going to see the ball drop (usually I'm in bed reading), but I wanted to wish every one a happy and healthy new year. May you always have good friends and loved ones like the pair pictured here (my two little munchkins)!

The Ornament Junkie has her fix

2008-12-13T14:19:00.000-08:00

These are my newest additions to my holiday decorations.
The Snow Queen is from Chris, my partner in Laume's Magical Yule Swap. She captured perfectly what I wished to be when I was a little girl- The Snow Queen, glamorously clad in blue and silver. The goofy little reindeer with the stubby antlers is Rudy, one of Saralee's ornaments. It was only after I bought him at her open house that I realized last year I also bought a reindeer- nothing like Rudy though. If you go back into my archives for Dec. 2007 you'll see last year's reindeer. The two stockings made from a cutter quilt were won at my guild's silent auction and were made by Barbara Barber (or, as we refer to her in the guild, the AMERICAN Barbara Barber, as opposed to the ENGLISH Barbara Barber). The wooly lamb was from a craft show at the middle school, crafted from wool from an area sheep farm. The crafter had reproduced all kinds of sheep, but this little guy just spoke to me more than his more exotic cousins.The tiny sea glass reindeer came from the bazaar today- whoda thunk ever turning waveworn beer bottle shards into a reindeer?

I'm not really in the land of the lost...

2008-12-11T11:00:00.000-08:00

I'll be vending at the Ashaway Holiday Stroll Saturday, so I'm frantically making crafty giftie things to sell along with my Six Gables Designs patterns. Stay tuned...

Still time to make this

2008-12-06T12:24:00.000-08:00

My contribution to Cotton Spice's Gift Countdown went up on the Cotton Spice Blog yesterday. This is the casserole/plate carrier I made for my quilt guild's silent auction. Click here for directions. These are very quick and super simple to make, but the rings can be a bit challenging to find. You can use key rings, as I did here, but they are a bit pricier. If you can find packages of metal or nylon rings, I would suggest you stock up, as you need 8 per carrier and you will probably want to make several. Other than the rings, if you quilt, you probably have plenty of fabric and pieces of batting already in your stash.

Laume's Magical Yule Swap

2008-12-01T19:02:00.000-08:00

Here is my Magical Yule gift for my as yet unknown swap partner. It grew from my original intention of making a weasel in its winter coloration watching the sun rise at the winter solstice. Turn the panel to the sunset side, swap the winter weasel for a summer colored one, and you have a summer solstice decoration.
"Why weasels?" you may ask. It all started with the two-hundred some-odd ferret angels I made for Chere to raise money for her ferret shelter. From ferrets it was only a tiny step to weasels, and I loved the idea of the winter and summer coats.

Ugly Quilt Number Two

2008-11-25T05:05:00.000-08:00

Here, at long last, is the second quilt I made from other quilters' so-called ugly fabrics, fabrics I thought were actually quite pretty. These were Gloria's uglies. I immediately thought the striped fabric would make a good wallpaper, and the streaky white and lavender looked like whitewashed wood. The diagonal rose fabric looked like tiles. So I created a still life on a "shabby chic" table against a background of two coordinating wallpapers separated by white chair rail molding. I quilted circles in the corner blocks on the border to resemble the circular designs carved into old moldings at the tops of doorways.

Ugly is in the eye of the beholder- or is it?

2008-11-10T18:05:00.000-08:00

I've posted here several times about my penchant for using other people's fabric. I've even told about using other people's ugly fabric. But what I've never done (until now) is use other people's ugly fabric to make a present for the giver of said ugly fabric.

Let me start by saying I have a lot of ugly fabric. Or, more accurately, a LOT of UGLY fabric. So when Listmom Linda of Fairiegoddessmothers asked for suggestions for a new swap or challenge, I rose to the occasion. I'm hosting an Ugly Fabric Swap. The rules of the swap are simple. Participants are paired off. Each person sends three pieces of ugly fabric to her partner. The partner has to use those three fabrics, plus no more than five other fabrics from her own stash, to create a small quilt, one nice enough that her partner would display it in her home. She then mails the finished quilt to her partner.

We are far enough along in the swap, that several of us have completed quilts. Luckily for me, I think most players are enjoying the challenge. I know I am.

Because we wound up with an odd number of players, I took on two partners. Both my partners promptly mailed their fabrics. Chris's fabric arrived first, so I made her quilt first. Let me start by saying I thought her fabric was very un-ugly. Not only that, two weeks previously, I had sketched a vase of moonflowers. I planned to appliqué this design in the near future, and tucked the sketch away in a safe place. When I saw Chris's fabric, it could not have been more perfect for this quilt. So, here is "Moonflowers Bloom at Midnight". Click on the photo for a larger view. Come back again soon to see what I do with Gloria's uglies.

Election Day

2008-11-04T10:14:00.000-08:00

DH and I got up early and were at the polling place at 6:30 a.m. It was much quieter than I expected for a state that does not have early voting. Polls opened at 7:00 and I was the first person in my precinct to vote; by 7:12 I was back in my kitchen making coffee (no Starbucks here for my free cuppa Joe). We both have Tuesdays off- I spent the morning doing 3 loads of laundry, running errands (grocery shopping, picking a couple things up at the Family Dollar, and going to the bank), helping replace the rotten boards on our back steps, and working on some quilty projects for sale. Now it's after lunch, I'm home for the rest of the day, and it's back to the sewing machine for me!

Pack up the candy, Halloween's over

2008-11-01T04:12:00.001-07:00

I had hoped to have October go out with a bang, at least a few good photos from last night, but the sad truth was, Halloween was a bust! We both worked late enough to miss any little little trick or treaters who may have come, and only had two older kids. This is the one day a year I envy those people who live in housing developments where parents drop off their kids by the van full.
I did get to see a family all dressed up in coordinating costumes get out of their car and go into the restaurant next to where I work- Santa, Mrs. Santa, and elf, and even a tiny reindeer! Well, Halloween IS the beginning of the holiday season, isn't it?

To Market, to Market

2008-10-22T19:43:00.000-07:00

When we last left little Barbara, she was a mere stripling of a girl, only 53 years old. Now she is a grown-up lady of 54. Not only has she polished off her share of her b-day cake, sadly not chocolate, as her husband is allergic, she has some news. But we'll let her tell it in her own words...

I celebrated my birthday morning by being the first "official" customer at my LQS's (Local Quilt Shop for any unfortunate non-quilters who may be reading this) new location- they moved from the other side of the next town, to 1.3 miles from my house, literally down the street. I didn't buy anything- just wanted to say hi and fondle some fabrics. I'm on a mission to use up at least a tiny portion of my stash before I buy more, but I DID have to go back two days later (honestly, my car just swung in there after work) to buy two quarter-yard pieces to be able to finish some projects. You know how that goes. Having the shop so close means I can probably just kiss my paycheck goodbye, which may not be Spooky, but is definitely Scary!

My newest patterns, the ones that will from here on be published by Quiltwoman, rather than myself, are on their way to the International Quilt Market in Houston. While I'm impatiently whiling away the time waiting for the results, I've taken a brief break from creating new patterns to concentrate on making some finished pieces for some holiday shows. I just was invited to another one this morning, an open house/craft sale hostessed by a teller at my bank (if you go back into last December's archives, you will find a cute reindeer ornament I bought there last year). Last week's show was poorly attended, but it did get my patterns into two more shops - one in MA and one in NH, so I can't complain too much.

Quilt Dash has begun!

2008-10-15T12:04:00.000-07:00

Come one, come all, and join the fun at the Quilt Dash. Register to play and you may just end up winning some great quilty prizes.

Finally Posting Spooky again!

2008-10-15T11:39:00.001-07:00

Okay, so when I last posted, the batteries in my digital camera had gone dead. No problemo, just recharge them for a few hours and we'll be good to go. Yeah. Right. The bleeping batteries wouldn't charge. A day and a half later they still hadn't charged. So, rather than scavenge two batteries from the miscellaneous clocks and radios in this house I bought four more new rechargeable batteries. Here is the picture I promised the other day. The second picture is a tablecloth (not shown are the eight matching napkins) I bought yesterday at a local consignments shop. I have lighter green candles to match the stripes in the cloth, but I have to trim down the ends to fit into the candleholders. I love my antique candleholder/bowl thingie. You can also see it on the cover of my Double Pinwheel Table Runner pattern, bedecked with satin Christmas balls.

My Halloween quilt top is stitched together and I found a piece of purple, black and white camo fleece at the Remnant Shop this morning for backing. Finishing it up will be my project for this afternoon. Oh yeah, I also found a sparkling orange and black wreath for the front door. Pictures later.

No pictures (spooky or otherwise) today

2008-10-13T18:33:00.000-07:00

I took my camera outside yesterday to take some pictures of this year's parade and after the second shot my batteries went kaput! I'll make up for it tomorrow.

I finished a cute Halloween wall hanging- bought the pattern at my last quilt show and actually USED it! It was a fun fusible project, stitched down and quilted in one step with clear monofilament. Then I finally pulled out some Halloween nine patches from a block swap about five years ago- maybe some of you remember- or may even have participated. I have twenty blocks, enough for a cuddly throw, so I stitched the blocks into rows, now have to stitch the rows together. I thought in lieu of batting and backing I'd look for a Halloweeny fleece backing. No luck at WalMart; they didn't have ANY Halloween fabric and I find it hard to believe they sold every single bit of it with more than two weeks to go. I could have gone with solid fluorescent orange fleece (like for hunters' vests), but it was just sooooooooo orange.

I pulled my fabrics for an Ugly Fabric Challenge I'm hosting in a group I'm in. I will send them on to my swap partner who has to use them, along with up to five fabrics from her stash, to make a small quilt. Then she sends me her quilt, and I send her one made from her ugly fabrics.

Yessiree Bob, I do have ugly fabrics!

Columbus Day Parade Eve

2008-10-11T18:39:00.000-07:00

The Columbus Day Parade is to Westerly what Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is to New York, only more so. If you're not at the parade watching it, you have only one excuse- you're in it! Okay, I don't think anyone really believes Christopher Columbus discovered Westerly, but this is a big deal. A very big deal. And we live on the parade route. Here are some pictures of last year's parade.

What would a parade be without a Pinpoint Doppler Weather Vehicle? I love this Cub Scout Float. And every year that fife and drum corps shoots off that cannon right in front of my house!

Not shown are the numerous politicians who come from all over the state, often both party's candidates, which makes for some interesting parade viewing in this bluest of the blue states. The governor waved to my dogs one year. Like they're not spoiled enough!

Kitchen Witch or Domestic Diva?

2008-10-11T18:12:00.000-07:00

Obviously Kitchen Witch. Domestic Diva would have gone the frou-frou route; cupcakes with fluffy pink frosting. I don't do fluffy pink frosting. These are my traditional (this is the second year now) Columbus Day Parade snacks- my baked, not fried, mini donuts.

Posting Spooky, Day 9

2008-10-09T19:23:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I missed Day #8. I have an excuse.

I was gone from 7 a.m. until 10:00 p.m. First I had to drive the 100+ miles to Waltham, Mass. for a 15 minute appointment. Mosquito had a follow-up visit with the veterinary oncologist; she had a malignant tumor removed in July, then 3 weeks of radiation in August. Waltham was the closest place to bring her-I'd drop her off Monday mornings and Rick would pick her up Friday afternoons. It seems our little alpha brat became the Belle of the Boston 'Burbs during her time there. When I brought her in yesterday they announced over their PA system (do they still call it that?) "Mosquito is in the building", and all the vet techs came out to give her a hug. While I was sitting in the waiting room, a vet I had never seen there before walked through and greeted her. Her vet gave her a clean bill of health, and she was very pleased with the way her radiation site (left side of her neck below her ear) has healed. Then I headed back home to gobble down a very quick lunch, go to work, gobble down an even quicker dinner, then pick up the woman I carpool with and go to my quilt guild meeting.

Our guest speaker was Karen Eckmeier, and seeing her accidental landscapes and happy villages up close and personal was a real treat. Unfortunately I didn't take the today off to take her Accidental Landscape workshop, but I did buy her book Happy Villages, which looks like a lot of fun.

I was able to cut some fabric for quilted handbags this morning before work; trying to get a bunch of them cut out so I can sew them assembly line fashion. I'm using up my stash- well, a tiny bit of my stash. I lucked out at the thrift shop the other day- stopped in to see their new location and walked out with exactly what I had hoped to find, but truly never expected to- a bag of zippers! Sixty-five of them, to be exact. For $2.75.

Tomorrow morning I have to head over to Gales Ferry, CT to do a home visit for an animal rescue group. I've never done one before. No Ali, I'm not going to end up adopting another critter.

Posting Spooky, Day 7

2008-10-07T10:49:00.000-07:00

While this doesn't exactly qualify as spooky, I just pulled out my copy of The Witches of Eastwick to give it a re-read, before the sequel comes out later this month- ya just gotta love a book with a character who laminates her hubby into plastic placemats! The not-so-ficticious Eastwick is just a few towns away in Wickford. Years ago we knew a family who lived in a house on a tiny island in the middle of a salt pond, accessible by a narrow causeway- surely Updike must have borrowed that location for the devil's home- the description fits to a "T", although their home was far more modest.

Another great October read is The Lace Reader. The title character is one of a family of women who read bobbin lace in the way that others read tea leaves or tarot cards. The story is set in Salem, Massachusetts, complete with a sympathetic portrayal of a modern day witch. I was drawn to this book because I used to make bobbin lace, and it was while on a visit to Ipswich, Mass, the center of the lace industry in America, that I visited Salem. Check out the author's (Brunonia Barry) web site- pun intended, she draws you into the lace like a spider at its web.

Today's picture is a cute Frankensteinish candy/dip bowl I bought last October at a local independent supermarket. It must have been left from the previous Halloween, as it was already marked down half price. It reminds me of DustBunny with her little smooshed-in face!

Posting Spooky, Day 6

2008-10-06T20:01:00.000-07:00

This little quilt was done in a year long challenge at Linda M. Poole's Fairie Goddess Mothers group. In Linda's original pattern, the goddess is holding a heart over her head. Each month we had a different color scheme or theme for our goddess- needless to say, this one was October's!

Posting Spooky, Day 5

2008-10-05T15:23:00.000-07:00

Truly spooky- this is my cousin's web site. I don't have an appropriately scary photo to do it justice, but this was my pitiful attempt at being Martha Stewart last year. This year I'll expand on it.

Posting Spooky, Day 4

2008-10-04T19:06:00.000-07:00

Dinner went well- I made a chicken and pasta dish I made up a couple weeks ago (threw together after work one night) and it was a big hit! I used my nifty new favorite kitchen gadget, my julienne tool. Funny how a few shreds of zucchini makes you a gourmet chef. Anne brought a carrot cake from a new recipe that was (although I never would have thought this was possible) even better than her "old" recipe. I am STUFFED!

Today's photo is not at all spooky, but it IS autumnal. I love how the late afternoon sun gives my house a lavender tint that makes the orange lanterns pop!

Posting Spooky Day 3 - Dark Angel

2008-10-03T19:05:00.001-07:00

Actually about the spookiest thing I could possibly post right now would be a picture of myself. It was a very long day. Had annoying little projects to finish, shopping to do, errands to run this morning. Rushed like a madwoman to make it in to work for noon, 2 1/2 hours earlier than usual. Then back home spending what should have been a peaceful hour or two refilling the pantry- I haven't been able to store food in there because of a leaky roof and all the rain Ike and his buddies brought with them. Hopefully Rick fixed the leak because cartons of food on the dining room floor gets real old real fast! Now I'm finally sitting down with a nagging headache and not hot enough cup of tea.

Today's picture is one of my ferret angels. For several years I made them to donate to my friend Chere's ferret shelter. She'd sell or auction them and use the money for the vet bills. I started with "traditional" ferret Christmas tree angels, then branched out. Mona Weasel, Library Ferret Fairies, miniature wedding cake ferret toppers, angels in outfits made from friends' wedding gowns. This is my Goth ferret angel. Click the picture to see it larger.

Posting (not too) Spooky, Day 2- Tiny Trick or Treaters

2008-10-02T19:54:00.000-07:00

Mosquito in her Flower Fairy costume, DustBunny forgoes her usual bat suit to dress up as a pumpkin.

Posting Spooky, Day 1

2008-10-01T18:59:00.001-07:00

The Halloween countdown begins! Laume has urged her readers to "Post Spooky", and so I am!

Why I Should Be Rhode Island's Next Senator

2008-09-30T19:28:00.000-07:00

I can see Connecticut from my house.

Upcoming show/trunk show/workshop schedule

2008-09-18T04:06:00.000-07:00

Six Gables Designs patterns will be available at the following quilt shows:

Oct. 4-5, 2008 - De Kalb County Quilters Guild, De Kalb, IL

Oct. 4-5, 2008 - Belknap Mill Quilters Guild, Laconia, NH

Oct. 18-19, 2008 - Tewksbury Piecemakers, Tewksbury, MA

Nov. 9-10, 2008 - Champlain Valley Quilters Guild, Shelburne, VT

May 2-3, 2009 - Sinnissippi Quilters, Rockford, IL

Oct. 23, 24, 25, 2009 - Ninigret Quilters, Westerly, RI

Also, I will be selling my patterns at the Ashaway, RI Holiday Stroll; not sure of the exact date, I think it's the first Saturday in December.

Trunk show/workshop:

Oct. 14-15, 2009 - Clamshell Quilt Guild, Waterford, CT - trunk show and workshop "Earth, Air, Fire, Water"

For the foster furkids...

2008-08-22T07:26:00.000-07:00

...belly bands! Twenty-two of them went out to the Just A Touch Rescue this morning to assist the little boys in their potty training.

Trunk Show

2008-08-07T20:11:00.000-07:00

I'll be doing a trunk show for my guild, Ninigret Quilters, at our September 10th meeting at St. Andrew's Lutheran Church, Charlestown, RI.

New patterns for Sale

2008-08-01T05:54:00.000-07:00

Patty Piper and Five Yard Dash are ready to go. Order them at Six Gables Designs.

What's new Pussycat?

2008-07-30T19:40:00.000-07:00

Whoo-hoo!!! I had some of my patterns accepted by Quiltwoman. This frees me from some of the more tedious aspects of self-publishing, and with only one day off a week, I'll take every extra minute of freedom I can get. I'm looking forward to at least a couple of my patterns getting broader exposure (I can see it now...the Brangelina twins in my Patty Piper quilts)! I celebrated by working on a new pattern.

On the book front, seems like every day at work our members are recommending books I MUST read. I recently read Couldn't Keep It to Myself: Wally Lamb and the Women of York Correctional Institution; I couldn't NOT read it, seeing as how Rick worked there for twenty years and knew a couple of the women whose writings were in the book. Just finished John Dunning's Bookman's Promise, which I picked up at the library bookfair. Good, but disappointing ending; his first two Janeway novels were better. Betsy just loaned me Susan Vreeland's Luncheon of the Boating Party, which I am itching to begin.

My knitting (yes, crazy woman that I am, I knit in even the hottest weather) is coming along...sort of. Shawl #1 (the easy one) is almost done. I used worsted weight and smaller needles, so I have a lot more rows than the shawl in the picture, which was mistakenly photographed inside-out and does not show the texture of the pattern. I'm substituting fringe for the crocheted loop edging. Shawl #2 (no picture, no links- it's a mystery shawl) will be done sometime around 2017. It's black lace, and right now is about 1 1/2" in diameter.

Recent books read

2008-07-11T17:15:00.000-07:00

The Alienist by Caleb Carr. Back in my bookstore days several customers recommended this book. Not exactly my cup of tea, but what a pageturner! I zipped right through it. Okay, okay, those who know me would say I'd read any book that had Theodore Roosevelt in it!

Patriot Hearts: A Novel of the Founding Mothers by Barbara Hambly. I was disappointed in this book, felt the story line linking the four women together was more than a bit of a stretch. I think I would have preferred separate books about each of the women (Martha Washington, Abigail Adams, Dolley Madison, and Sally Hemings).

The Widow of the South by Robert Hicks. I'm about 1/3 through the book and am very impressed. This is a fictionalized account of a real person I had not heard of, nor was I familiar with the battle of Franklin, Tennesee. This was a nominee for the Michael Shaara Award for Excellence in Civil War fiction, and as I am a major fan of Michael and Jeff Shaara's books, I felt this would be worth reading. Coincidentally, Barbara Hambly also was nominated for that award (though obviously not for Patriot Hearts).

Newest patterns

2008-07-10T08:15:00.000-07:00

The top picture is Five Yard Dash, which uses five 1-yard pieces of fabric. I purchased the fabrics as a packet at my last show. The quilt measures 56" x 68". This solves the problem of "I purchased that packet of great fabrics, but now what do I do with it?"

The other two pictures are the two quilts made from my Patty Piper Pieced a Pair of Painless Pointless Pinwheels. This pattern makes two quilts at a time and is fast, fast, FAST!- add different borders and you have completely different looks for your two quilts. The pattern also includes directions for a pair of twin quilts- great for siblings who share a room. Choose border fabrics representing each child's interests.

Quilting update

2008-06-29T11:10:00.000-07:00

Two tops quilted, one more to go. The rest can wait until after I'm done vending at the Clamshell show next month. No pictures today as they still need to be bound.

Quilt Top at Last!

2008-06-10T10:50:00.000-07:00

This morning I finished putting the last border on my latest quilt top. That now makes a grand total of (yikes) five quilts, one table topper, and one runner that I have to quilt/have quilted. Hopefully the heat wave will break tomorrow as predicted- it's too hot and sticky to wrestle with machine quilting right now.

Books I've Read Lately- all highly recommended!

2008-06-05T18:14:00.000-07:00

Dreamers of the Day by Mary Doria Russell. I love all her books. This one is a must read in light of the current political situation in the Middle East.
An Incomplete Revenge by Jacqueline Winspear. I generally don't like series, but this one is wonderful. Maisie Dobbs is one of the mystery genre's most engaging characters.
The Winter of the World by Carol Ann Lee. I wasn't familiar with this author, now I want to find her other books.
Atonement by Ian McEwan. I've had this book in my library literally since before it was published- my copy is an ARC (advance reader's copy). It took the movie trailer on tv to get me to finally read the book.
The Double Bind by Chris Bohjalian. I am amazed at the skillful way he worked the characters from The Great Gatsby into this book!
King Hereafter by Dorothy Dunnett. Okay, so what if 11th century northern European geopolitics aren't everyone's cup of tea? This isn't an easy read, but what a book!

Thursday- no quilt top yet, books are beckoning!

2008-06-05T17:43:00.000-07:00

I got all the blocks pieced and half of them stitched into rows and two of the four rows put together, so I'm pretty far along. Was planning on finishing it before dinner, but a well-needed nap intervened, and I'm just not in the mood to work on it tonight. I stopped off at the library yesterday morning and have three books awaiting me, two of which I've already started, The Buffalo Soldier, by Chris Bohjalian and The Lace Reader, by Brunonia Barry.

Another WIP, and a reprieve!

2008-06-03T05:41:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I finally created a pattern for my packet of five 1-yd. pieces of fabric, and cut all the pieces for it. Another very easy pattern but the interlocking design makes it harder to spot the blocks. It wound up being larger than I thought I'd be able to get out of that amount of fabric- 56" x 68". I'll start sewing it today, hope to have the top done by Thursday. I'm thinking of having a contest for the best name for this quilt- winner wins the finished pattern.

The day started out great- zipping right along on above mentioned project; wrapping it up to go to work when the phone rang. Not a good thing at that time of day- it could only be...Work! Looked like my one day off per week was going to go by the wayside for the forseeable future (read "forever", or at least until early autumn when my hours at Job #2 are cut back). But...by the end of the day, the Powers That Be did a bit of creative schedule juggling and gave me a (different) day off!

Patty Piper Pieced a Pair...

2008-05-29T06:47:00.000-07:00

...of Painless Pointless Pinwheels. Not great pictures as they're not quilted yet- these are just some quick shots I took to go to my pattern testers. This is my latest pattern; I'm going to introduce it at a show next month- oops, make that possibly two shows, I'll be vending at one, probably exhibiting at another the next weekend. And teaching it at a not-yet-determined date. It was the most fun project I've worked on in a while. Two tops in a weekend- ya gotta love that!

My Baby's Back! Meet Lady Macbeth

2008-05-29T06:32:00.001-07:00

I decided after owning it for only almost two years, it was time to get my Featherweight 222K in running condition. Here's the story:
DH and I go the the flea market in nearby Charlestown, RI nearly every Sunday in the summer. One day I decided not to go, and of course that's when hubby found it. Like all quilters, I had lusted after one, and the price was good, the visuals were great, and I became the owner of my long awaited Featherweight (and case, and attachments). After drooling over it for about half an hour, I suddenly realized it was a free-arm; at that time I didn't know free-arm Featherweights existed. A bit of research and I discovered how scarce they are, and what a great deal DH had gotten. It was running (barely), but I knew a Featherweight repairman, and it was certainly worth putting a bit of money into.
So- now it runs like a dream and maybe one of these days I'll actually have time to do some sewing on it.
Oh yeah, why Lady Macbeth? It seems like Featherweight owners like to name their machines, usually dorky old lady names. I'm not the Emma Lou type, and as free-arms were all made in Scotland, the obvious choice to me was to name her after one of my favorite literary characters.

2028 pieces (but who's counting?)

2008-05-29T06:21:00.000-07:00

...and that's only one quilt. In the past 2 months I've made four quilts, a table topper, and a runner, all awaiting quilting, as soon as I get my batting. Still no definite ideas for the packet of pale lavender and aqua fabrics I bought at the show last month; right now leaning toward something with curved piecing, maybe some slightly darker piping. No good pictures of any of these projects yet. But to keep everyone happy I'll share a cute pet picture. This is Mosquito in costume last Halloween. I cropped out a lot of the background and gave it a catchy title, "Aerial View of Flower Girl Walking Down the Aisle".

Narragansett Bay Quilters Association Show

2008-04-18T17:51:00.001-07:00

Just popping in to post a picture of the booth.

Green Lightning

2008-04-18T04:18:00.000-07:00

Green Lightning will be making its debut this weekend at the Narragansett Bay Quilters Association show this weekend in North Kingstown, Rhode Island.
This is a "strippie" quilt, with a streak o' lightning setting, hence the name. It was designed to take the fear out of making a quilt with that setting, and is quite easy to make. Shop owners take note- this is a fun pattern for class, or for using a new line of fabrics. Many thanks to my testers Stacy and Denise.

Six more weeks of winter...

2008-02-02T18:10:00.000-08:00

...our local groundhog (Pawcatuck Pete) saw his shadow today. So did Mosquito and DustBunny- they enjoyed having the sun back shining in the window over the couch, something it doesn't do in December and much of January. They sit in the window and watch the world go by (and bark). On cloudy days they just want to sleep the day away. Yes, there are two dogs there- the half of a face is Mosquito, the foot belongs to DustBunny.

The green strippie is finally basted and about 1/3 machine quilted. No pictures at this point. Pomegranate will appear in a magazine in the future- more details later.

A Scrappy Little Teddy...

2008-01-29T16:33:00.000-08:00

...made his appearance today. See earlier post "Scraps du Jour". And I STILL have enough of those flannel scraps to make another project; I just can't decide between two possibilities at the moment.
Right now though, I want to get my green strippie quilt basted so I can start quilting it this week.
But, in the spirit of procrastination, I'll share my dinner recipe from tonight:

Almost Fat-Free Turkey Loaf
1 pound 99% fat free ground turkey breast
1/2 cup dry seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1/4 cup EACH finely chopped green pepper, onion, and carrot
1/4 of a 16 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and all moisture squeezed out
1/4 cup Egg Beaters or 1 egg

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Mix all ingredients except ground turkey breast until well mixed. Add turkey, mix gently until ingredients are evenly incorporated into the turkey. Form into a loaf shape, place in ovenproof pan. Bake for 1 hr.

I like to serve roasted potatoes and carrots with this, or any other kind of meatloaf. Cut up potatoes (with skin on) and carrots into pieces about the size of your thumb. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with your favorite dried herbs, and add to pan around the loaf. Turn veggies once about midway through cooking time.

Ali made me do it...

2008-01-28T04:28:00.000-08:00

update my blog, that is. Hey, Ali, this post's for you.
Here's my latest project. It hadn't been around long enough to qualify for a UFO; as I started it back in early autumn. It was begun on one of those days when I needed to start a new quilt project- RIGHT NOW! I have had a long-time love for pomegranate motifs in crewel embroidery, but the traditional pomegranate appliqué patterns just didn't excite me. This is my version- soft curves, voluptuous globes of fruit, fast and easy to appliqué. I didn't want to take the time to shop for fabric, so I pulled from my stash. More OPM (see earlier posts) to the rescue- the background fabric, as well as the backing (another tone-on-tone tan) were quilt guild freebies.
When I pulled out the top last week to add the borders, I was unable to find the leftover tan fabric I had set aside for the pieced border I had planned. In retrospect, I think that was a good thing, because I really love the simplicity of the wide red border. Machine quilting it was simple; I used fusible Mountain Mist batting and was thrilled with not having to remove basting stitches or pins.

Scraps du Jour - One project down...

2008-01-19T20:18:00.000-08:00

I made this tea cozy today, and I still have half the scraps left. Tomorrow is another day.

Scraps du Jour Update

2008-01-19T13:00:00.001-08:00

It's in progress and it has prairie points!

Scraps du Jour

2008-01-18T05:47:00.000-08:00

If you've read my previous posts you know I'm a sucker for free fabric (give my your tired, your poor, your unwanted scraps longing to be put into a quilt). This little pile of beauties has me itching to create- I hope they tell me soon just what they want to be when they grow up.
They're flannel, and as you can tell from the photo, the pieces are quite small. Except for the plaid in the upper left, they appear to be scraps from a single project. Stay tuned to watch them get turned into...um...something.

The last of the Christmas presents...

2008-01-17T19:21:00.000-08:00

...is finally done. Now I can get on to working on some new patterns. Here's a picture of the gift quilt- machine pieced, hand quilted, about 72" square.

OPM

2008-01-12T11:57:00.001-08:00

No, it's not Other People's Money; it's something even more exciting to a quilter- Other People's Material. OPM is the next best thing to being given a gift certificate to the LQS (local quilt shop). In some ways it's even better- saves time and gas and that nagging indecision between this chartreuse tone-on-tone or that purple batik.
My first experience with OPM was a packet from a fellow member of an online quilt group. She was clearing out some scrap fabrics and had some Japanese style prints she was willing to part with. My frugal nature couldn't bear the thought of any fabrics going into the landfill, so I said I'd take them. A few days later the package arrived.
We apparently use different dictionaries. I was expecting scraps, as in small pieces, something most quilters would be unlikely to put to use. Her definition of scraps included fat quarters and half-yard pieces - lots of them! I sat on the fabrics for a while before putting them to use- Japanese prints didn't play well with my country calicos and reproduction fabrics. But darned if they didn't keep calling me. Suddenly it clicked. Here was my chance to play outside of the box- to break out of the nicely coordinated fabrics that the quilt police had taught me were necessary to an aesthetically pleasing quilt.
I dug out my very few batik scraps. Did they "go" with the Japanese prints? I thought so. I laid out the fabrics. I arranged and rearranged. I stepped back. I came back later. Finally I decided to take the plunge.
Making the blocks for my Moon Over Mount Fuji was about the most fun I've ever had making a quilt. But then it was time to put the blocks together. I needed sashing and borders. Never having used oriental fabrics I wasn't even sure my LQS carried them. I had something in mind (a small scale, predominately green print to quiet the boldly clashing blocks), but was almost certain my trip would be futile.
I bagged up my blocks and drove to the store. Before Diane could even ask if she could help me, the perfect sashing fabric nearly jumped out at me. From then, it was a simple matter to find the darker green batik border fabric.

My next experience with OPM was quite different- again, the scraps were large pieces of quality fabric, but this time they were flannels in medium to dark solids and subtle prints. The colors were more to my liking, and I had already designed the perfect quilt to showcase them. Ferret Frolic was originally intended as a miniature quilt in two colors plus a subtle hand-dyed background fabric. I had completed the top several years earlier, but never finished the extensive hand quilting. I enlarged the pattern and went to work on it.

I was onto something. If I could only keep those free scraps flowing...
Then I joined a quilt guild. Every month members would donate bags or boxes of unwanted quilt fabrics, patterns, magazines, or what have you. We would hold a Chinese auction to raise money for the guild's coffers. Every month I would dutifully pay my dollar for five tickets. Most months I would win something. One month I hit paydirt! Somehow the cup with my ticket got switched with another cup and I found myself dragging home two huge trash bags of the most gawdawful fabrics I had ever seen. Daisy print double knits rubbed shoulders with scraps from lavender bridesmaid's gowns. Psychedelic prints snuggled against wide wale corduroys. It was a rerun of the Worst Fabrics of the Sixties! As tempting as it was to just leave them in my trunk and drop them at the dump at my earliest convenience, I knew there was a quilt just waiting to be made.
It wasn't long before the opportunity presented itself. Linda M. Poole, listmom of the Fairiegoddessmothers threw down the gauntlet and I rose to the challenge. We were to use Linda's Day Dreamer fairie pattern to create a fairie with a unique persona. Then we were to (gulp!) write a poem about our fairie. Okay, Linda, you asked for it! No sweet and pretty fairie from me. I was going tacky big time! Hey, my fairie now had a name, Tacki. With a name like that it was obvious she had to be a Decorating Diva.
My trash bags provided me with the fabric to make the quilt, but Tacki's room lacked those all-important accessories. I foraged in my Miscellaneous Things I Know I'll Need Someday Box and came out with the perfect fabric for her disco ball, clear plastic for a lava lamp, and those all-important pink feather drapery tiebacks!

New Year's Eve

2007-12-31T18:51:00.000-08:00

It's New Year's Eve and the party hearty couple are at it again. While Rick and the dogs snoozed on the couch before dinner, I amused myself by putting away the holiday decorations and taking down the tree. It was inevitable I'd forget something (I always do)- this time it was this little moose guy I got on the freebie table at a local consignment shop. I couldn't resist hanging ornaments on his antlers, and I even shared my very special fruitcake button with him. Normally I wait at least until New Year's Day to undeck the halls, but with the tree up, I can't sit on the radiator and toast my tush while I watch TV.
After dinner we settled down to a night of boomer bliss watching old episodes of The Twilight Zone. Now Rick and the girls are asleep on the other couch. Will I make it to midnight? It's going to be tough, but I'm going to try, if only because we can hear the fireworks from the park, and I don't want a repeat of years past- falling asleep at 11:45, to be awakened at midnight, then be unable to fall back asleep

The tree is finally up...

2007-12-20T18:03:00.000-08:00

...and I thought I'd share some pictures. Here is the tree, with Sweetie Pie, my ferret angel, on top. Over the past 10 or 12 years I've I made literally dozens of ferret angels and ferret fairies for a ferret shelter where my friend is the Shelter Mom. She sells them to help pay the vet bills.

I'm an admitted ornament junkie. Every year I participate in an ornament swap on an online quilt group I belong to. Each year I receive a batch of awesome ornaments! About half of the ornaments visible on the tree are from the swaps. I also try to buy at least one or two new ornaments each year. This little reindeer is one of my latest acquisitions- I love his rusted antlers and bell and his innocent smile. Saralee, who works at my bank, made it- she does adorable primitive dolls and crafts.

This is not a knitting blog...

2007-12-15T12:25:00.000-08:00

but I just had to share these. These are soooo perfect for Jody- she never grew out of her love for bright colors. I save all my gift bags and when I finished the socks I knew I'd have to look no further for the perfect packaging.

The pattern is a Coats and Clark freebie I picked up at Walmart along with the yarn. I'll save you a trip- you can find the pattern here. I used the Strata yarn the pattern called for, so my socks would have the nifty stripes and patterns. This was a fun project!

O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!

2007-11-27T19:19:00.000-08:00

Lewis Carroll fans will recognize the line above from the poem "Jabberwocky"; you know, the one about the slithy toves and mimsy borogroves.

Okay, boys and girls, your assignment for next week is to create a work of art with your interpretation of a slithy tove. Or a mimsy borogrove.

Why are these folks celebrating? Because it truly is a frabjous day! I finally turned my ancient computer out to pasture and now I can do cool things with my new toy. Like blog. Of course now that I can, I can't think of a bloomin' thing to write about.