Me and My Cubicle

So ... first I must apologize for a couple of things. First that the pictures in my last blog were eaten whole by Blogger, and secondly that since it still appears to be a problem, I must resort to plan B to post and the result is the unlightened/un-touched-up photo above. Get over it, because one of us needs to. I have been doing some sewing ... some secret, special, "stunt" sewing (as my friend PKM likes to call it and if you look closely in the [very dark] picture above you will see her blog on my computer screen.) I was asked by Barb and Mary of Me and My Sister Designs to do some applique work for an upcoming quilt to be unveiled at Spring Quilt Market . Let's just say that the work involved some dots ... and you know I love dots!! I can't give you any other hints except to say that you can always count on those crazy sisters. I have loved their work and their bright happy fabrics for years. They are fellow Arizonans and it is indeed ironic that we chose to form this working relationship after I moved to California. Go figure. If you are wondering what expansive parts of my studio are not revealed in the photo ... wonder no more. What you see is pretty much what you get. I'm pretty certain I am violating some fire codes because I must do a wee bit of maneuvering to extract myself from my cubicle, once I have settled in there. It's definitely not for the claustro-at-heart, but it's my blue studio and I love it. Stay tuned for the big reveal of the project ... um ... once The Sisters reveal it.

~ Coral Singing ~

So ... furthering my goal to keep my sewing room neat and tidy ... I have resorted to hand work.

Specifically, hand applique on these colorful blocks ... the final design/destination of which is still a big mystery to me.

I just like 'em.

And you?

My Hand Basket Awaits ~

So ... I lied. Eh, it's probably not the first time. In my last post I made a big deal about how much I love hand applique and planned to do my next sample with just such a technique. It took me 2 hours to trace and cut out the pieces and about a minute and a half to figure out that this was not the project for beginners at hand applique. I immediately went upstairs and traced and fused the machine applique pieces in less than 45 minutes. The following day I sewed them on while in some sort of applique-ic trance. I am really thrilled with the results, but I am truly sorry/embarassed about having lied to you.

So, how big do you think this hand basket will need to be to transport me ... um ... you know where?

I may have also lied about the fabrics being bright and happy. It turns out they are more like ... pastel-ish ... and happy. But, by golly they are happy.

How about you?

Project: Every Which Way

So ... I have one or two (or three) projects on the table (and the floor.)
They pretty much all make me happy.

#1: Project Fun-Way: My next sample for BC Quilter's Club for September and October. I will be using hand applique. What makes me happy about this is that a) it's a very traditional pattern (normally seen in Civil War fabs and such) but I'm using some bright happies, and b) I really love hand applique.

#2: Project Stun-Way: I bought these new nautical looking sheets, and already had a duvet cover and shams (in foreground) with similarly matching stripes. Today I bought this (rather cheap-o) dust ruffle (on left) that I will now add some blue satin-stitched stripes to, which will complete the ensemble. Not so cheap-o anymore. (Ergo: happiness.)

3#: Project Un-Done-Way: I spent over 2 hours on Saturday adding these sashing strips to another quilt in progress. I wasn't thrilled. Today when I walked up and saw it on my wall and found myself still without thrill, I ripped those puppies off and will be starting anew with sashing that thrills me. What makes me happy about this? That I had the guts to just rip 'em off like a band-aid, before I went any further.

How about you? What Projects are sending you Running this Way and That?

Alphabet Soup

So ... I am fond of the letter "M". Let's just say it's all about Me. Mary. How ... Marvelous.

Last week, while at my friend Renee's house, she helped me make a cover that fits snuggly over a composition book (I bought one with graph paper.) I had admired hers and she stepped up so I could have my own. After I got home, I decided to embellish the front and put pockets on the inside (to be seen in another post.)

I had barely finished it when I received a package in the mail from my favorite "W's", The Dubs. Inside were these precious gifts from Miss Dub1 and Miss Dub2. Their mother helped them pick out the lovely hankerchief, above (I am told they are from Anthropologie) and the engraved mirror in the embellished case, seen below.

Miss Dub1 insisted that it have an "N" on it ... for "Nanny". Miss Dub 2 tried to second the opinion, but mostly she just slobbered a lot and grinned, so ... "N" it was.

I think I have a new favorite letter.

Do you blame me?

shells

So ... I finally finished my quilt (wallhanging, truth be told) for my precious Miss Dub2. For some reason after I did all the leaf appliques, I took awhile before I threw out the "shells". I liked the way they looked on my cutting board. (Yes, and I like the way all those threads and scraps and what-not look like lying on the floor, in case you were wondering. You can thank me later for not taking pictures of them.)

The letters came courtesy of Carol Doak's 300 Paper-Pieced Patterns that comes with a CD. In. Val. U. Able.

I was very gutsy with the machine quilting ... when I didn't have a right to be ... because it really shows and it really could be better. But I know my little Dubbie loves me no matter what, and will love her quilt just because Nanny loves her.

So there.

smells fishy to me ...

So ... the PDaddy has been spending the morning going over his fishing ... stuff. He mutters phrases from time to time that sound vaguely familiar like "Wow, this is older than I thought" ... and ... "where the heck did this come from" and "I can't even remember buying this". I can not tell you how good that made me feel. I tried to confess to him that these are the very phrases that I mutter when I go through The Stash. I'm not sure he heard me.

I didn't repeat it.

As you can see, I have been doing a bit of fishing myself. These beauties from the deep blue sea are my latest hand applique project. I have a somewhat similar machine applique project in the works. I may or may not wear sun screen while working on them.

Does your husband have a hobby/sport/electronic obsession that helps you to justify your own crafty/sewing/paper obsession purchases? Do tell.

(Yes ... I would be the one who placed the package of goldfish to give him something to aim for. He has yet to catch one. You can't say I didn't try to help.)

The Color Purple

So ... it would appear I have added to my growing list of projects. Projects involving fabric. Gooooood, good projects.

Truth be told, the little lavender and green number seen above is just a sample from a class. A class I took, not a class I am teaching. This is from a class I took yesterday ... all day yesterday ... from the renowned Sue Nickels, queen of machine applique. I learned most of what I know (and teach) from her books and when I had the chance to sit there in person, I jumped at it.

Even though ... I had to do so with a large band-aid covering half of my face, but not quite obstructing a swollen and bruised lip.(Hold on there people ... before you let your imagination go whacko on me ... this was from a dermatological proceedure to combat too much time spent at Bear Lake in northern Utah as a youth. It involved 3 'swipes' and 8 stitches. It isn't pretty but it is lifesaving. The scar should [hopefully] rest right in my laugh line. Thank you PDaddy for making me laugh every single, solitary day.)

Anyhoo, the class was more than fabulous and I learned many intricate tips to help fine-tune the whole process for me. (Case in point: I have been using tear-away stabilizer behind my MA for years, but she taught us just to starch the heck out of the background piece. This is a huge timesaver ... huge.) I seriously don't remember the last time that six hours flew by so fast. It was fun. It was informative. It was theraputic.

And ... not a single soul made fun of my fat lip. All gooooood.

Two, two, two blocks at once

So ... I finally finished both my February and my March blocks last week. You know, the ones from Bunny Hill, Land O'Precious (not to mention Land of the Free [patterns]). I did them in assembly line fashion and had a rip-roaring time. Now I have got to figure out how to do the whole Flickr thing, because she is posting them there.

And since I already wished you a Happy Valentines, and since I probably won't post again tomorrow, let's just call this second block my official Happy St. Patrick's Day wish for you. Around here that has always translated to Happy Birthday Mrs. Gee.*

So make sure to wear green tomorrow, so you don't get pinched. (Does anyone remember that from elementary school in the 60's?)

* On that beautiful St. Paddy's Day ... some years ago ... as I sweated, panted, and pushed ... my nurse was a darling, skinny little redhead that had a huge button on her uniform that said Kiss Me I'm Irish!. Which I resented mightily, I might add.

all dressed up and no where to go

So ... I've been making all sorts of little changes around this place. Movin' stuff. Switchin' stuff around. Shakin' stuff up. I decided after all the hard work I put into my slipcovers in the Living Room a couple of years ago, it was high time I showed off my favorite part. Because I have an unnatural fear of zippers coupled with a deep and abiding love for the button hole feature on my Bernina, I will always choose buttons over zippers when something needs closing.

The aforementioned switch necessitated moving my favorite chair to a greater place of honor. I did not make the slipcover on that chair so sure enough ... it has a zipper. And in answer to your immediate question ... yes ... I still sit in that chair quite frequently.

Lately I have been sitting in The Kingdom, churning out Cherries with abandon.

When I'm done, I hope to have enough to make a pie.

Bluebirds of Gratitude

So ... several people asked me if I was bringing my sewing machine to Seattle with me. The answer to that question is ... yes. Yes, I brought my two hands, some blue thread, embroidery scissors and a toothpick. That machine constitutes what I need to do hand applique.

And when I'm doing it, I am quite the sewing machine.

I decided just about a week before our departure that I wanted to sew birds. Blue Birds. On Blue Backgrounds. I got all the backgrounds, birds and wings cut out ahead of time. I spent most of my time in the hospital (when not caring for PDaddy or yakking with Gin) reading a biography by Amy Tan. Then I managed to eke out these four babies in the last couple of days.

Only 12 more to go.

And just in case you are wondering, I am no longer sitting in the hospital, I am in the hotel. PDaddy got discharged yesterday. And yes ... that would be in record time.

We are just trying to figure out whether or not this qualifies for the Summer Olympics or the Winter.

What's your vote?