Polka Dot Puppy

Lots of sewing is going on here, in spite of the kitchen work. We're starting to see the end of the kitchen mess now. We're in a bit of a lull because DH ran out of slate back splash tile and had to reorder. After that is finished, there will just be trim painting and window treatments to deal with. It looks like I'll be making valances, if I can find fabric I like. The room needs some color to accent all of the natural materials.

I'm having a little difficulty adjusting to my new stovetop. It's a smooth surface ceramic top, and I was used to a 30-year-old clunker. I've burned a few things! My learning curve is slow on this thing.

I finished up this "Polka Dot Puppy" quilt and will be donating it tomorrow at the hospital. My devotion to Fat Cat Patterns continues. I love Sindy's designs!

Building with Bricks

Well, the big, strong men are in the house installing the counter tops, so I've been upstairs in my sewing room finishing a quilt top made of plaid scraps in brick shapes, cut 3 1/2 x 6 1/2 inches. Since I've been quilting for 23 years, I've gone through many phases in my fabric tastes. For awhile, I was collecting plaids and working them into everything I made. Then, of course, I got really sick of plaids so they've been hanging out in a big bin in my sewing room for many years. In a stash-busting maneuver, I started hacking them into bricks, and 170 bricks went into this top. I'll show you the border after I quilt it! (It was difficult to decide on a border for so many plaids. I didn't want to use another plaid that would give me more plaid scraps!)

The backing is a flannel in a small gold houndstooth on beige.

This quilt will be a gift for a very special man who works for an agency here in St. Louis called "Paraquad". They help people with disabilities, and he is my dear daughter's job coach. He is so good with her, and we want to show him that he makes a big difference in our lives.

I'd better start dusting. I've never had granite before and had no idea they'd be cutting out some holes while inside the house. I should've covered up more things. A little late now...

Pinewood Derby Quilt

OMG, our kitchen is a mess! As previously mentioned, we are redoing the kitchen, keeping the flooring and the cabinets and changing everything else. Today the old counter tops came off, and stuff is stashed everywhere. There is no sink or stove, so we got to eat out tonight! My husband has been working SOOOOOOOO hard.

Tomorrow is a big day, because the new counters will be installed. After that, DH will set the back splash tile and grout it, and we will be almost finished. We can't come to an agreement about window treatments.

I do have one Project Linus quilt finished, Pinewood Derby--designed, of course, by Sindy Rodenmayer at www.fatcatpatterns.com

My son loved making these little cars with his dad when he was in Cub Scouts and racing them on that big Saturday in January!

I tried something different with the quilting instead of plain old quilting in the ditch. I set my machine on a decorative stitch and loaded it with bright orange thread and then quilted along all the edges of the sashing. I really like the way it looks, although it took a long time!

Little Pillow

Darling little granddaughter is going to be two years old tomorrow, and I wanted one of her presents to be handmade. I remembered the little pillows that my mother made for my kids. They just loved them to death! I had fabric leftover from making her quilt, so I made this 9" x 12" pillow and two pillow cases.

Her party is on Saturday, and hopefully her little blonde head will be resting on her pillow at nap time! Her mommy should like them because she chose all the fabrics!

I've Been Tagged

Debi tagged me, and now I have to find seven weird or random facts about me. (I'm not going to tag anyone else right now because they have been tagged already!) Hmmm....seven facts about me....

1. I'm a true Midwesterner--born in Illinois, moved to Michigan, and have lived since first grade in Missouri.
2. I have a lifetime teaching certificate in secondary business subjects but never used it, and it's now obsolete (no computer classes)! So I have a teaching certificate, but no one would hire me.
3. I was a cheerleader in high school but now can't jump.
4. I've been married very happily for 34 years, and we're now both retired, but we'll probably never have an empty nest as we have a daughter who needs to live with us.
5. My new name, "Mawmaw", is the prettiest sound I ever heard (coming from little granddaughter's mouth).
6. I am a passionate lover of cats who is being held to only owning one, and I want more!!!!!
7. I worked for quite awhile for a university registrar and kept a list of "collectible names".

Now, a well-known fact--I have lots of projects in progress. Hopefully, I'll have one finished this week to show you.

Row 2 of Mystery Quilt

This picture shows a partial view of my first two rows in Debi's Roosting Round Robin Mystery Quilt. "Road to Oklahoma" was the first block (on the left), and "Variable Star" is the second month's block.

I am determined to make this quilt without buying any fabric, so my theme is red, mustard, and dark blue fabrics in plaids and coordinates. It's a loose theme which should get looser as quantities of these scraps dwindle! I already know that I don't have enough of the light background for all six rows. This could get interesting.

Many of us who are making this mystery quilt are sharing our blocks on the Quilting Passion Forum. Members are making everything from baby quilts to Christmas quilts! Stop by and take a look.

Another SuzGuz Block

During the Super Bowl last night I finished Block 2 of the new BOM series by Susan Guzman. She emails the pattern on the first of the month to those who have signed up, and I was hanging around the computer waiting for this one. I love hearts and am quite captivated by her designs. Who knows what I'll do with the finished quilt--but that isn't the point, is it? LOL

There are lots of projects in progress in my sewing room:

1. Pinewood Derby by Fat Cat Patterns;
2. Row 2 of Debi's Roosting Round Robin Mystery;
3. Plaid Brick Quilt (I'm cutting my plaid stash into 3 1/2" x 6 1/2" pieces and sewing them into rows, offsetting them like subway tile);
4. A barn raising-style quilt using HSTs made with black and brights--needs a border;
5. Three Project Linus tops that need quilting;
6. Many UFOs in their own zipper bags that I am trying not to think about!

The kitchen project is coming along nicely, although everything stays very dirty and messy for the time being. I try to keep it cleaned up, but it is futile! Yesterday I got to paint dowel rods, which is not real easy. Why is it that my hand goes numb while painting, but it isn't so bad while I'm sewing???