Look What I Found!

Today (Saturday) was the monthly gathering of my stitching friends.  Usually we sew and eat and talk and sew and eat some more, but this time we didn't do any sewing; we did a lot of shopping instead.  First we went to the Folsom Quilt Show.  In our area, it's always the first quilt show after the holidays, so I think everyone's pretty excited to go.  And since our little group wanted to get together as usual AND go to the quilt show, we did both; hence the lack of sewing.  Of course, the quilts were lovely, as usual.  And did I take photos?  No I didn't.  I brought my camera but nothing really inspired me to take photos even though the quilts were fun to see.  Sorry I didn't bring back any eye candy.

The vendors--well, the vendors were lovely too.  Since I like to work with wool, it's one of the things I look for at the shows because none of the shops in the area carry anything like the selection of wool to be found at the various vendor booths at a quilt show.  And yes, I brought home a pile.  In fact, I spent time tonight washing and drying the wool on the hot settings because I saw at least one vendor recommended it and I wasn't certain if all the wool had been thoroughly felted.

At quilt shows, I also look for patterns, and look at what came home with me today:

This pattern is called Merry and Bright, and it's by the same pattern designers who did Comfort and Joy--with a similar style.  It's a nice size for a table topper, so my thought is to make this one for my kitchen table and hang Comfort & Joy on the wall just outside the kitchen, where I always hang a seasonal quilt that can be seen from the entry way.  I'm not too fond of primitive looking angels, though, so I think I might replace her with a snowman.

The other thing I did tonight, besides felting wool, was to prep more applique pieces to finish the borders of Comfort & Joy--I decided to extend the vines a little too, so I needed another pile of leaves and berries.  AND I picked a winner for the Comfort & Joy pattern.  Mimi of Bangor, Maine, won.  She said:

"Would love a chance to win this pattern. Thank you."

Usually I pick a random number and then count to see whose name matches the number, but this time I did it a little differently.  This time I started with the first entries and counted 2, then 9, then 8, and finally 1.  Why?  Those numbers stand for 2/9/81, the day my son was born--today was his birthday!  And by the time you read this, it will be February 10th--the Wild Child's birthday.  Now that they're older, it's kind of nice celebrating everyone's birthday at the same time, but when they were kids, it was tough since they are of the opposite sex and are three years and one day apart in age--of course they never wanted to share a birthday!

Mimi, please click on my profile and then click on the email link, so you can send me your mailing address.  Congratulations!

Goin' Back In

I'm feeling slightly better today, and I think it's because it rained a little.  And that means that this is probably some horrible allergy thing and not a cold.  I'm not sure why that makes me feel a little better, but it does--beside the fact that I feel a little better anyway.  I really DO need to go shopping for some kind of allergy medication though so I can see if I can feel a LOT better.

Anyway, I felt well enough--or maybe it's just that I was having withdrawals--to get back into the Sweat Shop tonight.  I'm anxious to truly finish the Comfort and Joy quilt, so that's what I worked on.  I had already made enough bias "vines," so I didn't need to worry about that, but I needed to make all the other parts as well as a few extras, because I decided I need a few more berries and leaves in the upper corner that I showed you the other day.

That pile of red berries, though?  I still have to "prep" those.  But the other pieces are all turned under and starched and ready to be glued down.  So, I'm getting close.  And do you know what that means?  Yes, it means I'm about ready to find a new home for the pattern.  Are you interested?  This time it's open to those of you living in the U.S. and Canada--I'm pretty sure I can afford the postage for that.  And if you've seen the other Comfort & Joy quilts made by my group, you know that this quilt can be made in darker, "country" or "prim" fabrics.  In fact, the pattern shows both colorways, so you can look at the options and pick the one you like best.

What do you have to do?  Leave me a comment letting me know you want a chance to win the pattern.  Simple, eh?  Tomorrow is my "blogging day off," so I'll be back the next day to announce a winner.  Yes, that means I'll pick a random winner late on Saturday night and the name will be announced on Sunday's blog post.  And in case you're a new reader or just stumbled in on your way by, you should be aware that my "rule" is that you have to come back here, see that you've won, and email me your mailing address.  It's kind of like those contests where they say you "must be present to win."  And if the winner doesn't claim the pattern by next Thursday, I'll do this again, although there's only been a couple times when a winner hasn't come forward.  So good luck!

Doomed to Disappointment

I think you know that my tuxedo, Stitch, is my baby, right?  He hangs around me all the time unless he's outside catting around, and he's often in the Sweat Shop with me unless he becomes tiresomely attention-needy, at which point I'll usually nudge him out the door so I can get something done.  So THIS position of waiting outside the Sweat Shop door is not unusual . . .

But tonight he's going to be waiting here for me to head into the Sweat Shop for a very long, long time.  Because I'm going to bed instead.  I think I'm coming down with a cold.  I know, right?  I can't believe it EITHER!  Didn't I JUST GET OVER a whopper of a cold that hung on for about a MONTH?!!  I'm still hoping it's allergies, but I didn't sleep well last night because of that heavy, congested feeling that goes along with a cold and I've been feeling kind of nasty all day.  In fact, right now I have a headache that's threatening to cause my head to explode.  Or maybe the headache is because I just had a long online chat with my bank, explaining why I activated my new ATM card and cut up the old card, only to later find out the card I activated went to a rarely used account at the same back.  So I cut up my "good" ATM card for nothing and now I have to wait until that one is replaced.

Yep, I need to go to bed.

But let me show you this first.  I thought I'd have it done by now, but due to one thing and another . . . well, I only have one corner done and the other corner (opposite bottom corner) left to do.

And I'm not entirely sure it doesn't need to go a little longer, because the pattern shows a longer vine across the top and down the side.  But at least I'm making some progress, right?

If Stitch had little kitty pom-poms and sat at the door cheering me on every night, maybe I'd have gotten farther.  If only I'd won that football pool, I could have bought little kitty pom-poms.  Gosh, I wonder if I'm running a fever?

A Work in Progress

Did you watch the Superbowl last Sunday?

I'm not a big football fan, but sometimes I'll watch the Superbowl while I sew--after all, I usually like to have something on making noise, and it might as well be football.  Besides, if I had a favorite team, I suppose it would have to be the 49ers, since I live within a couple hours drive of the stadium.  So this year I decided to watch the game.  And since I'd be watching, this year I bought four squares in a football pool.

Remember that long list of unfinished Thimbleberries quilting projects I showed you last week?  I told several people that if I won any money in the pool, I was going to use the money to send a quilt out to be quilted by someone else, just as a special treat to myself.

The game was pretty exciting, but the first and third quarters came and went as well as the half, and I didn't even come close to winning on any of my squares.  As a further disappointment, the 49ers were losing too, although they made a valiant effort to come from behind.  And remember near the end of the game when the score was Ravens 34 and 49ers 29?  Well, halleluja, look at this:

See that highlighted square at the bottom if you follow the "4" down from the Raven's line and the "9" across from the 49ers line?  Yep, that's ME!  For quite some time I was torn between wanting the 49ers to score a touchdown and win the game or keeping the score from changing so I could win $200!

But if you watched the game, you probably know that in the last couple seconds, the 49ers scored a safety for two extra points, and the final score was 34 to 31.  The 49ers lost and so did I.

So, since I'm not going to be sending any quilts out to be quilted after all, reviewing my expectations and consequently paring down my list of Thimbleberries quilts to be completed in 2013, seemed like a good idea.

I still have 11 Thimbleberries quilts to finish in 2013, and that doesn't include the non-Thimbleberries quilts I'd like to work on.  Maybe I should go buy some lottery tickets, and if I win, I'll send a couple quilts out to be quilted by someone else.

A Heart-Filled Bath--Lush-ous!

Do you love baths or do you know someone who does?  Boy, have I got the perfect gift for you--or the person you know!

On my birthday last July, a couple of my friends who knew I like to take baths surprised me with a gift of three bath bombs from Lush Cosmetics.  And you may remember that when I went to Carmel by the Sea with two other friends last March, we visited the Lush store there and I came home with two bath bombs.  Well, I did what I think a lot of us do:  I put all of those bath bombs away under the sink in my bathroom to use on "special occasions."  How many times do we put some of our best, most treasured things away to use only on special occasions?

When I started my new Friday night ritual of going out to dinner with Hubby, followed by a relaxing bath, a couple of Tylenol PM, and early to bed with a good book, I decided it was about time to start USING those bath bombs because Friday nights ARE special.  And those bath bombs have proven to be a delicious surprise!

That first Friday night, I dropped a bath bomb into my bath and the air was filled with a romantic, relaxing scent.  I luxuriated in the hot water, letting myself melt and my memories of the work week evaporate along with the rising steam.

On the second Friday night, I dropped another bath bomb into my bath.  That bath bomb proved to be filled with a softening, moisturizing bath oil.  By the time I got out of the bath, my skin felt wonderfully silky and smooth.

One of the most delightful things about these bath bombs is that I have absolutely no idea what the bomb will do when I drop it into the tub since I've long ago forgotten what I chose in March and I don't know what my friends picked for my birthday--none of these bombs are labeled in any way, although I suspect I COULD find out what they are if I wanted--but why spoil the fun?

So this past Friday night, the third bath bomb went into the bath, and the water turned pink and frothy with little things floating in it.  I couldn't identify the "things" at first, and I wondered whether they would dissolve if I caught one.  Well, I caught one and rubbed it between my fingers--but it was still there.  Then, I got a better look at what I was holding, and I realized my bathtub was filled with tiny floating hearts!  How cool is THAT?  Maybe THAT's why I was so inspired to play with heart blocks all day on Saturday!

Since I only have two bath bombs left, I'll need to make a trip to Lush sometime soon.  Even if you DIDN'T love baths before, try one with a bath bomb--you may discover a new addiction!

Valentine Coasters

Yesterday I showed you the wallhanging/candle mat and coasters I made from the woven heart block and I outlined some instructions for making the block.  Tonight I'll show you how I made my coasters from that block.

Besides the block (which measures 5") I cut a piece of scrap batting the same size, and two pieces of fabric for the back that each measured 5" x 6".  I folded the backing pieces in half, so each measured 5" x 3".

On the bottom, I placed the piece of batting, then the block, face up, and finally the two pieces of bacing fabric, with the folded edges overlapping each other--have you ever made a pillow this way?  These are very similar.

Next, I sewed a seam all around, about 1/4" or a little less.  I used my walking foot because I think it helps to keep the layers from "traveling" but I don't think it's necessary.

Once I sewed all the way around, I clipped off the corners--below is how the bottom looks with the batting layer turned up.

When the corners had been clipped, I turned the coaster right side out by turning those backing pieces around the outside and encasing the batting inside.

Finally, I pressed the coaster with a seam iron.  I considered quilting around the inside of the heart, but I decided it was simply extra work and I'd run the chance of catching the back seam so that it was off or wrinkled.  I also thought about hand stitching the back seam closed, but in the end, I decided it wouldn't really matter, so I left it as is.

Aren't they cute?  I think my friends will enjoy them!

A Little Playtime

I had all sorts of things to do on Saturday, but instead of doing any of them, I shut myself into the Sweat Shop for a day of playing with fabric.  Did I work on any of the scores of things on my waiting-to-be-finished lists?  No, not really.  Well, okay, I DID glue down the applique on one corner of the Comfort & Joy quilt but only because I needed to get the prepared pieces off the sewing table and put in a place where they wouldn't get lost--and I figured ON THE QUILT might be the best choice.

What kept me occupied all day?

Hearts!  I've always been partial to the woven heart block and it seems like every year around now I have to find a way to put them to good use.  Today I made two of these small wallhangers or candlemats and about a dozen of the coasters.  What fun!

I'll show you how I made the coasters tomorrow, but if you're interested in making some of these heart blocks in the meantime--which measure 5" unfinished and seem just about perfect for coasters--you can check out my Valentine Tablerunner tutorial in the sidebar and adjust the measurements slightly.  For the red and pink strips--I didn't use charm packs for these but used some fat quarters instead--I picked out four or five reds and a matching number of pinks and cut a couple 1-1/4" strips from each.  For the tops of the hearts, I cut red and pink rectangles that measured 3-1/2" x 2".  The little background squares that are sewn onto each end of the rectangles to form the tops of the heart measure 1-1/4", and the background square that fits between the two heart tops measures 2" square.  The rest of the directions for making the blocks would be the same as the larger blocks in the tutorial.

If you want to make wallhangings or candlemats like I did, you'll need four heart blocks for each.  To join them together, cut a couple background strips 1-1/4" wide and use the strips for sashing between the blocks and around the outside--mine ended up measuring just under 12" when I was done, so it will also fit in one of the metal wire hanging stands.

Tomorrow I'm going to have to do at least some of those things I couldn't seem to force myself to do today, but that's okay; at least I had a day filled with fun today.

Oh, Lord, Where Did THAT Come From?

I think I'm in trouble.

At our first Thimbleberries Club meeting in January, we were told about a new year-long challenge:  we are to identify Thimbleberries UFOs that we would like to finish this year, fill out the list they gave us, and turn it in at the February meeting.  Finished means everything including binding and a label.  So I came home and put the blank list on my sewing table.  Off and on over the past couple of weeks, I thought about the Thimbleberries-related projects I was currently working on and would like to finish, like the Harrington and Hannah quilt.  Then I thought about a couple of the really old BOMs I have languishing somewhere in the deep, dark spaces under my sewing table.  (Boy, you can really cram a lot of stuff under there, you know?)  Next I checked my basket of quilt tops that need quilting.  And I considered some of the swapped blocks I've collected.  Gee, I have more projects than I have lines on the form!  Yikes!

But here's the really shocking part.  One of the quilts on my list was this Christmas basket quilt:

I thought it was pinned and ready for quilting.  I thought it was a fairly small (i.e., "quick") project that I could get done by the next Thimbleberries gathering.  So I went looking for it on the quilt rack I have in the Sweat Shop.

The quilt rack that holds projects I haven't quite finished and projects that are ready to be quilted.  And guess what?  Buried under there, I found not only the Christmas basket quilt--that isn't, after all, all pinned and ready for quilting--but I also found two more Thimbleberries quilts that I completely forgot were on the rack!

This is one I made last year (or the year before?) from swapped birthday blocks and I love it!  How could I have forgotten?!

And this is one I made from Thimbleberries scraps a couple years ago.  Well, I made all the blocks at one time, and a few years later, I set them and added the sashing.

I think I still need to add a border to that one though.  But I like it a lot too!  So it simply MUST go on the list as well, right?

Fifteen Thimbleberries quilts that I want to finish this year.  And that doesn't even count the other non-Thimbleberries applique BOM quilts I'm still working on from last year or the other quilt tops I might want to quilt--like Comfort & Joy.  Or my several monthly wool projects. 

See what I mean?  I think I'm in trouble.

The Not Quite So Big Reveal . . .

Today's the day when all of the Comfort & Joy participants get to reveal their finished quilt--or as close to a finished quilt as each of us has gotten.  You can visit Anne at Cottons 'n Wool to find links to all of us who worked on the quilt, so you can see what everyone else did.  Just click HERE.   BUT BEFORE YOU GO . . . here's what I have so far:

The center of the quilt top is finished and the borders are added.  It's a little hard to tell here on the design wall, but the outer border fabric is a white with multi-colored dots.  In the pattern, there are vines, berries, leaves, and birds appliqued into the upper left and lower right corners, extending along the borders in each direction.  Here are the pieces I've prepared for one corner:

And a very small start on the pieces for the other corner:

I was quite tempted to stay up a little later and get the pieces for the first corner glued onto the border, just because I thought it would be a little more exciting for you to see, but darn it!  It's just too easy for me to stay up half the night playing and then experience that 7-a.m.-get-up-and-go-to-work remorse, so I'm exercising my better judgment for once.  If you're not a regular reader of my blog and just hopped by from Anne's blog to see all the quilts, come back in about a week and I'm sure I'll have it done--the quilt top, anyway.  The quilting itself will probably take a little longer.  Still, I have another 280 days or so to get the quilting done, right?

Another One . . .

Gosh, did I sound stressed yesterday?  I didn't mean to, but I guess I must have.  I actually thrive on a challenge and I like to set little goals for myself.  See why I need Friday nights off to go out to dinner and then relax in a bubble bath?  Planned relaxation!  Aside from Friday nights, I tend to be very driven.  I had to laugh a month or two ago when I woman I've worked with for the past couple of years said she thought I was a very relaxed type-B personality.  That couldn't be farther from the truth, but I DO remain calm much of the time, so that's probably how she perceives me.

Anyway, I digress.  I just wanted to show you the last block of the center part of the Comfort & Joy quilt--this is the one I should have made in November, but again, I guess I was doing something else, like eating turkey.

I see I cut off some of the pieced parts of this section when I took the photo, but I had those up on the design wall the other day anyway--it was just the applique that needed to be added.

I have one more day evening left to see what else I can accomplish because when I write tomorrow night, I need to post a photo for the big reveal.  But that doesn't mean I'll stop working on the quilt tomorrow night when I post--I'll keep working on the applique until I finish this project because I really like the way it's turning out.  Anyway, enough for now--more tomorrow!