Slow and Steady

Well, I'm getting more accomplished! I feel like I'm swimming in molasses, steady and slow, though. I could blame something other than myself for the slow progress, like the weather, but the truth is I've become overwhelmed with the amount of obligated and self imposed projects on my plate. Fortunately, the New Orleans Civic Symphony's spring concert is this afternoon, then we're basically off for a couple months. There are some summer rehearsals, but those are more fun than work. Taking that off my plate for a couple months might help me get back on track with my sewing. :)

Here's what I have completed in the last couple weeks:

Completed bag for the Goodie Bag Swap

Flying Geese Blocks for Bee Modern Too

A couple more Bento Box blocks for the NOMQG swap

Finally quilting Christmas Pickles

I may put the Bento Box project aside for a little while to focus on Christmas Pickles, the 16 patch quilt top I finished a couple weeks ago, and Jana's quilt. But, honestly, I'm not going to get anything accomplished if I don't get off the computer and sew a little. ;)

Catch Up!

Wow, a whole month since I've blogged? It's almost like I've been busy. lol.

Well, here's what I've been up to.

I joined a bag swap and here's the bag I made for my partner. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to re-make this cutie. Sure it's adorable, but I didn't use the fusible fleece the pattern called for and when you pick the bag up it becomes a soft rag of cuteness. The really sad part of the whole fiasco is that I'm out of the patterned fabric, so the new bag will have to be made without it. :(

This last weekend the New Orleans Modern Quilt Guild had our spring retreat and, as usual, we had a crazy crazy time. A new friend made, BBQ and blues at The Shed, a sit-com worthy shopping trip, totally delicious food on Saturday, a "Modern Family" marathon, some sewing, and lots of laughs. Now, aren't you jealous? I was so wrapped up in the fun of the weekend that I took no pictures. None!

All that fun, and I was able to complete a couple quilt tops and some blocks for the NOMQG's mod bento box swap.

16 patch lap, toddler, or picnic quilt top I started at our fall retreat

"Christmas Pickles" quilt top for Angela

Mod Bento Box blocks for the NOMQG swap

Today I laid out some fabric for a lap quilt I promised to make my friend, Jana. Right after I've completed the quilting for the 16 patch and "Christmas Pickles" above I'll be cutting right into this fabric. Planning the next quilt always gets me inspired to finish the last one. :)

Yummy Pickles

Hello Pickles is DONE! Yaaaaa! lol. I pulled it out of the dryer this afternoon and Bran says he loves it and he thinks we should keep it. :) He's so super duper sweet. I'm going to make this quilt one more time, but this time in Christmas fabrics, of course!

Bette is getting along pretty well. There are a couple things I learned about her this week. 1. She wasn't house broken. No surprise. 2. She has had her vocal chords clipped. Big Surprise! I had an old rescued dachshund about 12 years ago that had clipped vocal chords, so when I finally heard (saw) Bette bark I knew exactly what was going on. Poor raspy voiced Bette; she sounds like an old lady at 5.

Bette, Betty Nuggs

Awwww, look at that. A new little dog. :) Like my new doggie? I do. She went two days here without a name. She came with the name Star. Which wasn't so bad because it made me want to sing "you must be my lucky star" but not so much that I loved it. This morning I told my friend, Brad, about the name problem and he suggested Ethel because I already have a Lucy. Ethel didn't quite fit, but I had been thinking Gracie, Bette, or Asta. Can you tell I watch a lot of movies from the 30s/40s? lol. Bette is what stuck today - so Bette it is. Added bonus is: I can sing "Bette Davis eyes" to her.

Bette's four and not "really" a rescue. I say not really because I paid money for her from a local breeder. Though the breeder had at least 7 dogs inside her house and, according to her, about 70 dogs in her kennel. 70? In Mandeville? So, I kinda feel like I rescued her. Kinda.

We intended to get a rescue, but somehow I found myself on the breeder's web-site and she had a couple of adults for sale. I still felt I should rescue though. But, there was something about this dog, some pull, and I listen to those abstract hints from the universe. Call me nutty, hippie, whatever, it probably fits. But you know, those hints from the universe have never steered me wrong. So, I embrace my inner hippie.

Speaking of inner hippie; there's no bag I love for summer vacations more than I love a hobo bag. So, I made myself one for the summer. ;)


Isn't it cute! Ya, I know. :)

I almost have Hello Pickles completed! I found a great brown dot in my stash that I thought was a good candidate for the binding. I loved it. But I don't have quite enough fabric. I ordered more but I couldn't wait to see what it would look like. So, I bound most of the quilt with what I had this morning and when the ordered fabric comes in I'll finish up the binding. Then it's off to Robin, who better love it or I'm stealing it back. ;)

Quilting Pickles

Well looky looky here who's on the quilting frame. It's Hello Pickles! It was kinda grey and crappy out this afternoon/evening after work was done, which explains the crappy lighting, but perfect for getting some work done. :) Besides, the colors in this quilt are enough to keep my mood bright and sunny. Oh, Hello Pickles, how I love you. It's going to be hard parting with you... :(


I haven't yet started my Bottled Rainbows quilt. I've got tomorrow afternoon and Friday to get working on it though - so I'm not behind, really.

There are still some old projects running around here that I need to complete. Scratch 'n Sniff is one of those uncompleted projects. I'm not sure if I've posted about Scratch 'n Sniff. So, maybe I'll get some work done on SnS and post about that quilt next time. ;)

Bottled Rainbows

It's Angela's fault. Really. lol. OK - it's not Angela's fault. There isn't a person in the world that can make me do something I don't really want to do, so it's really my own decision to join along in the Bottled Rainbows quilt along.

Keeping in fashion with my rebel personality, however, I'm not "following directions". lol. Directions are overrated. Try everything once, keep true to yourself, and bend the rules at every opportunity. That's me!

I'm quilting along but here's where I'm changing it up: I wanted to use as much from my stash as possible, so I'm using a Kona Roll-Up. Because the roll-up won't allow me to make the blocks the same size as directed mine will be square and in the colorway of the roll-up. The only thing I've had to purchase was the background fabric, and I had just used up the end of my Kona snow so I was ordering more of that anyways. ;)

Basically - I'm following the technique only and the rest of the directions loosely. :) Surprised? You shouldn't be.

Look at this yumminess:

Double rainbow, what does it mean??? lol.

Besides this new project I'm finishing up the Hello Pickles quilt top and another little "between" project that I keep picking at occasionally.

Bee Busy

I've been busy sewing...I promise! I've been working on Bee Modern Too blocks. My friend Angela asked me to join the group when one of the original members left. I'm having fun, but I haven't spent too much time on my own projects lately. I'm not complaining - just sayin'. :)

Here are January's blocks - grey and wonky. Bran asked me if they were supposed to be "weird". lol. I said yes and he told me he really liked them and that I should make him a quilt of wonky blocks. :D

February's blocks are Greek mythology inspired. Don't tell Mary but this was the first time I paper pieced. eeek. You can probably tell I'm a paper piecing novice from the back - but really who's gonna see the back? I was surprised by the amount of seam bulk, I really shouldn't have been, but I was.


Besides the bee blocks I quilted and bound two lap quilts for my mom. Ya, the ones she sent me that she only did the piecing on. I'd charge her for the work, but she's my mom...how do you bill your own mom?

March is my month in the bee, so I'll have some time to work on my own projects. I'm currently making a hobo bag with Echino - oooooh, it's gonna be fab-O! I was frustrated cutting and didn't spend the time I should have to straighten the print for the lining. I figured it really wouldn't matter since it's the lining, but now I'm like wth was I thinking? And Robin's "Hello Pickles" quilt? I've got all the blocks done. All I've got to do is finish the top, then I can get it quilted up. :)