Beach Break

A couple of weekends ago the late September weather was over a hundred in our valley. We packed the car and headed to the coast. Once we crest the ridge we can see the fog sitting off the shore and know it's going to be cooler.

It's nearly impossible to quilt at the beach, but I found knitting can be done. We went home refreshed by the sights and sounds.

Streak of Lightening

It's done! Top created August 2009, bordered, May 2010, finally quilted! It's amazing how long some things can sit, but when I get down to it, it doesn't really take that long.

I did the meander and thought it was 'okay', but once I washed it, the quilting really added nice texture. I should get out of my comfort zone more often. This quilt was made as a donation, but I haven't found a home for it yet. Usually as I make the quilt, it lets me know where it should go, but this one's not talking. That's odd, guess it'll have to sit on the quilt rack awhile until it decides.

Aid to Machine Quilting

I recently used some of my husband's car wax and put a coat on the bed of my machine and the surrounding table. Not only does it look great, but now quilts move with ease when I machine quilt. I read about this in blogland, can't remember where. Thank you for the suggestion!

Candy Box Flimsey

When I originally made the blocks for this, I envisioned the outer border from a bright, multi-colored print that echoed the colors in the top, but when it came time to put on the border, the quilt asked for something a little more classic.

It doesn't matter what lighting you see this quilt in, it *is* bright; I love how cheerful it is.

Merial

She's finished.

Click to enlarge

I like it even better than the digital image, the batiks just add so much.

One Patch Strippy Done!

My favorite long arm quilter and I collaborated on the quilting designs for the One Patch Strippy quilt and it is a dream come true!

click to enlarge

I love this quilt. I loved making it, but the quilting makes it sing.

Some long arm quilters are true artists. As we always say, "Quilting makes the quilt." Thanks Marian!

My Newest Project

Frank and I found an orphaned kitten night before last while we were out walking. She showed signs of hunger and exposure, both her eyes had a cold; but she was crying loud enough to be heard in the bushes. We took her home, cleaned her up and fed her from a pipette. What an appetite, she was chewing on the pipette!

I fixed a box for her for the night, complete with an electric cat mat and she slept hard.

I got Kitten Milk Replacer and a bottle and began feeding her. She seems to be about six weeks old, but didn't know what kibble was, so bottle feeding seemed best. The internet sites said every three to four hours, but she was yelling her head off every 50-60 minutes in the first 36 hours.

She's fearless. Now that she's fed and rested, she motors around the kitchen or living room with amazing speed, what a live wire! She climbs just about anything, including us; you put her in your lap and the next thing you know, she's on your shoulder.

I fed her with a bottle the first 48 hours, but about the time she chewed the nipple off the bottle I decided she was older than I originally estimated. After her initial panic to eat when she smells the formula, she settles down and laps from a bowl just fine. Now she only wants to eat every two hours. Progress is being made!

We have a new baby in the house, complete with feeding schedules and everything. Who knew we were going to be adopted. :) We named her Spunky.

Quilter's Yard Sale

Last Saturday I was up and out the door early to attend a quilter's yard sale. The flyer said:

Quilters Yard Sale Special:
Boxes and boxes of all kinds of fabric
All kinds of patterns
Yarn and cross stitch kits
All kinds of needlecraft books
Lots and lots of thread.

YowZa! How could I NOT go?

Her selection was really amazing and the AMOUNT was almost overwhelming, boxes and boxes was right. I tactfully asked another shopper if this was a quilter's estate, did someone die? She said, "No, the woman said she just has too much stuff. She needs to pare down."

I found the "Free, take as much as you want" scrap fabric. OMGosh, several large Rubbermaid totes. I sorted through and when I went to the table to pay for other yardage she snorted at me, "Is that *all* you're taking? Maybe I need to give you a bigger bag." She was serious.

You can see my scissors on the left top

So I sorted by color, prewashed each group and then dried them outside.

Orange, pink

Cream, tan, yellow


Green, aqua


Blue, lavender


Red, purple

I asked the previous owner if she prewashed and she said no. She felt current fabrics and those you pay ten dollars and up for, don't bleed. When I got home I prewashed anyway; the water for the red wash was dark like cherry Kool-aid, and the purple, like grape. A lot of these will be used in a pieced block set with white. Prewashing saves misery later.

Interestingly enough, the first and third fabrics above were washed in the yellow, tan, cream load and the second and fourth fabrics were washed in the orange, red load. They're the same fabrics, but got over dyed as a result.

I'm excited by the new colors and prints I'm adding to my stash, these will certainly brighten up my palette. What a windfall!

String X Blocks

I saw this on Flicker, I can't remember where now, and just had to try it. The method is loosely based on Bonnie's String X blocks, but I'm making mine 12" finished, instead of 18".

Bright 1-1/2" strips


String piece strips to telephone book paper cut to size


Before I've trimmed





After I've trimmed


I added strips of white to each side and trimmed the ends at a 45 degree angle




Then I added solid black triangles to each side and squared up.


Two and a half blocks

The colors and prints are so fun, many of them from my friend Kathy's scrap bag. I guess I could say I'm learning to work with brights. The prints I bought in Tahoe will go perfectly with this. Woo-hoo, an old quilter can learn new tricks!

Quilt Tahoe

While we were on vacation, we did find a LQS on South Lake Tahoe Blvd. We made a point of visiting on Saturday because like all good, privately owned quilt shops, they were closed Sunday.

The shop was tiny, but she had an amazing collection of batiks.

And kit samples could be seen everywhere.

Emerald Bay

She also had a nice group of wildlife wall hangings.

I had a new quilt in mind, something I wanted to start when I got home, so I made a point of buying brights, something I don't currently have a lot of.