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.

~ The Power of Print ~

So ... I sewed.

I sewed curtains for my kitchen. I am quite thrilled with how they turned out ... which so beats the alternative.

I love how the cobalt blue in the lovely, leafy pattern shows against the pale aqua of the walls. Once I hung the curtains ... (Oh, who am I kidding, Mrs. Gee hung the curtains because Mrs. Gee is tall and I am decidedly ... not. Thank you PDaddy for contributing some tall genes. Thank you Mrs. Gee for hanging every single curtain [and rod] in my house.) ... I realized how happy I was that there were not beautiful white shutters on those windows like I was blessed with in so many other rooms in the house. The print delights me every dang time I walk into the room. If you ever wondered just why I am so in love with fabric ... now you know.

In other, more excrutiatingly painful news ... my back and I are once again no longer speaking. This could possibly be due to the fact that I lugged things around the garage this morning for about 3 hours. Much of that lugging was into a four foot tall space that is under my living room. The one time that being short could be an advantage and I'm not short enough. Seriously ... that can't be fair.

Oh, who cares. I've got print in my kitchen and room for my car.

And I sewed.

It's Beginning to look a LOT ...

So ... remember how I wouldn't do anything in my sewing room because I didn't want to mess it up and then how I sold my house and immediately messed it up big time??

Yeah, that's what I did. But, trust me, it was worth it.

I agreed to do one more sample for my BC Quilter's Club that would serve as the November/December project. The minute I agreed, I realized that it could prove to be a rather idiotic mistake seeing as I really, really need to keep packing and I already took that little New York detour.

I tried to make up for it by simplifying the applique portion of the pattern (found in Lori Smith's Fat Quarter Quilting on page 46) ... and that did help, I'll admit. I also just plowed through and did the lion's share of the work in one day ... something I rarely do ... and something my lower back informed me just last night was not something I should ever, ever do again.

On top of that, I finished one more project (to be shown later). One more, Arizona grown project. The best part of all is that the 24/7 Christmas music has started in my town and I listened to it the entire time.

And to those who scoff at the wisdom of playing Christmas music in the middle of November, I say ...

Be very, very careful ... Bing is listening.

~She told me so ~

So ... you may have noticed (if you actually care and you may or may not ... care) that there has been a distinct lack of posts about sewing. Or anything else that is interesting. Truth be told I sort of packed everything up when I had my sewing room painted over a month ago (do you miss that pink and green stencil from the early 90's?) and I haven't had the heart or the gumption to find everything I need. Or to mess it up.

Or to sew.

But I did have this one project on my to-do list that was mentioned here. It involves miles of sewing straight satin stitched lines on a bedskirt.

Mi-les.

When I first blogged about this project, my oldest daughter warned me that it would be the most boring project ever.

E-ver.

And boy, was she right. Of course this is the girl who would not be deterred by such a project, and in fact when faced with one ... taught her Bernina to Sew. By. Itself.

The proof is here. See for yourself.

And I don't know which is worse ... the fact that she can so honestly tell me "I told you so" or that I never could find my seam ripper and had to resort to using my embroidery scissors instead.

Huuummmph. I should have just left well enough alone. That room was so dang clean before I started messing with it.

Please tell me it will be worth it.

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?

Feeling' Crabby?

So ... I was feeling a wee bit crabby this weekend. Mostly (in fact entirely) due to the fact that I was wrenchingly ill. The. Entire. Weekend.

I soothed my soul by thinking about the fact that in not too long, I might smell me some ocean air and feel some temperatures that don't leave me drenched in sweat.

I am very, very grateful that I am on the mend.

Now ... bring on the breezes.

To Dye For

So ... I have been sewing on my second sample from this book, to be taught at BC Quilter's Club. I'm not teaching it until July, but I like to take it a month early so people can start picking fabrics. Lori Smith used batiks in hers, so I did too. What a delightful process this has been. Batiks are not really my thing. (Although every single one of these came from my stash ... hmmmmm.) I have sewn on them before, but not in such an intricate project (what you're looking at here is only about 16" x 13".) They sew together like butta, I'm telling you, butta. I can really see why people convert to them in 100% fashion.

Speaking of fun things to sew, I saw this in the paper this morning. And I'm thinking ... you know ... Father's Day is just around the corner. I am always trying to help you people out. It's exhausting sometimes.

So ... weigh in on the batiks issue. Thumbs up or down?

And while your at it, any fabric ideas for the pants?

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?

Next: Banjos!

So ... Ms. Gee and I have been hanging out in The Kingdom together. Our "Dueling Berninas" system is actually more productive than what you might think. Yes, there is much raucous laughter and a lot of talking to our own selves ... only to be questioned by the other one about what was said and then needing to repeat it ... but progress is made. Seriously.

Keep in mind that Ms. Gee is working on far more complicated projects than me. Her's involve zippers and linings and algebraic equations. Mine involve 1/4" seams. Hers will turn into chic one-of-a-kind handbags and will be featured on her Etsy Shop. Mine will turn into Pillow Slipcovers to be featured in my living room (and in a future post) and these red/green babies will be a class sample to be taught here on April 22nd.

I am well aware that my whales have been hanging on that wall since last summer. I swear to you that I have made progress on them (they are hand appliqued) and are really, truly my next project to bring to completion. Really.

In the meantime I will savor every moment of our dual reign in The Kingdom. There are only a couple more weeks to enhale all that mother/daughter goodness. After that it's back to talking to myself ... and then having to answer myself too.

And that is just too much for one woman. Truly.

blue plate special

So ... I took a blue platter that had been left in the reject box when I moved everything around last winter ...

Added what might be one of my all-time favorite quilts that I like to call A Study in Neutrals with a Blue Surprise ...

Bought some brown place mats because let's face it ... buying stuff is fun, and ...

Voila!! An entirely new breakfast nook.

Same ol' cereal.

I sewed today ...

I sewed today.

Gooooooooood.

Cheap Therapy.*

Thanks for all your kind thoughts ... they magically help.

* Ummm ... or not so cheap?

Sprinkles

So ... it's August. A little cooler than July*. It's Block O' the Month time. Fun time. All gooooood.

I found this block to be particularly delightful, and not just because of the sugar related theme. My favorite part was finding the perfect vanilla frosting in one of the latest (2009) Christmas lines from Moda. (I just happened to have a Charm Pack.) Can you guess which one?

I am very sorry about the lack of other sewing posts. Life's pretty hectic right now but I have planted some seeds on a couple of new quilts. Really I have.

Thanks for your patience.

*(It was not only the hottest July in history around here ... it was the hottest month in history. I kid you not.)

Fuss Budgeting

So ... I got nothin'. Zippo. I absolutely refuse to discuss the 110+ heat anymore and the fact that it has now been combined with sticky-icky humidity. Seriously ... I refuse to talk about that. What I do have is my July Block for the Block O'Fun over at Bunny Hill. I really, really had fun with this one. Maybe because I wasn't under other sewing pressures while I did it.

You must know that my cardinal rule in sewing is that I must ... must ... sew from The Stash. This rule also applies to embellishments. Which explains why I had 3 of these precious stars to sew on ... but not a fourth. I'm okay with it. Really.

I took my time to fussy-cut the leaves and the flag and the lambie's tail just so. I don't know if you can zoom in on her pink tail, but I can definitely say that it has character.

And just in case you are wondering, this is the scrap that I found for it. I don't even think this scrap is originally from my own stash. I believe it came from this daughter's stash and was left behind at some point. Like I say ... I always sew from The Stash, but I didn't say to what lengths (thievery?) I will go to to add to it. I have even stooped to dumpster diving after classes I teach. Pathetic? Yes. Clever? You betcha.

Oh ... and for all you Mrs. Dub fans out there waiting for some big news from me? Not yet. But I'll let you know ... I promise.

more red, white and blue

So ... I'm having one of those birthdays that just keeps on giving. The kind of birthday that I really ... really ... like. Just yesterday a friend of mine gave me the dishtowel pictured above. I am pretty certain it will never actually meet up with a wet dish because it's way too precious for that. But just in case you are marveling at the delicate hand stitching, think again. My friend digitized this and sewed it out on her Bernina (730). Believe me ... that takes some marveling of its own. Very impressive. Thank you, my friend.

Our celebratory weekend was definitely on the low-key side. Ms. Gee was here along with temperatures approaching 110 degrees. Spending much time outside seemed to be unwise, so we took a trip to Blockbuster instead. We only intended to get two movies until they convinced us that the third one was free. Here is my professional opinion. You must keep in mind that I'm very easily entertained.

* Confessions of a Shopaholic: Better than I expected. Isla Fisher was quite charming although I found Hugh Dancy to be ummm .... blah. The most impressive thing about this movie, however, was that the following day Ms. Gee and I went to Nordstrom's Rack and came out empty handed. We both agreed that the movie's message was definitely an influence. Interesting, very interesting.

* Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Definitely fun in an Indiana Jones kind of way. Hard to get past the extraterrestrial angle and the enormous amounts of ants and the fact that Indy is getting too old for the job, but still ... fun.

* Swing Vote. You probably don't even remember this coming to a theatre near you and there is probably a good reason for that. However ... if you stick it out to the very end you might get a little teary as I did. The message comes across with the delicacy of a sledge hammer ... but it's a good message, no doubt about that.

There you have it. Sewing advice and movie reviews in one fell swoop. So do tell ... do you digitize? Did you see any of these movies?

Dish. Just don't expect to use my dishtowel.