Severus

It was a lazy lazy Sunday at the house on 9/11.  We watched rebroadcasts of the news footage from 10 years ago, memorial ceremonies, and documentary news stories regarding the aftermath of 9/11 all morning and early afternoon.  I got to sew for hours and Bran watched the women's finale of the US Open in the afternoon.  (He LOVES tennis!) 



Awww, look at our old lady poodle all comfy on the couch with Bran.



I got the Halloween quilt I've nicknamed "Severus Snape" completed on Saturday night and threw it in the wash for it's "crinkly good" finish before we went to bed.  Bran was ALL excited because this quilt is for him.  I did originally start it as a Halloween decoration using the inspiration of "what kind of quilt would Severus Snape have on his bed?"  But as I was laying out the first row on the living room floor for a look Bran walked in and said "I really like that quilt".  It is really him - so it's his quilt now.  I was going to wait until the Quilting Widow(er) Appreciation Day to gift it to him, but he stole it right out of the dryer Saturday night and proceeded to use it right away.  Men, I swear. 

Don't laugh at my bare walls!  I moved this room around months ago and didn't want to rehang the old stale art and I've just been too lazy busy to put anything new up.

So now that Severus is completed I'm in the mood to start decorating for Halloween.  Is mid September too early to start decorating for Halloween?

Oh, and if you've never seen the Potter Puppet Pals thing on YouTube you should check it out.  I spent Saturday afternoon doing laundry and singing "Voldemort Voldemort..."  lol.

Back in the Swing

So my friend, Marika, came over a couple of weeks ago and mentioned that I don't update my blog often enough. Um. Ya. She's right.

I'll catch ya up a little today - maybe save some for tomorrow.  ;)

My mom came to visit a couple of weeks ago.  I was hoping I'd be able to use her for slave labor to finish up some of my own projects, but instead she sent ahead of her three quilt tops she wants quilted and then fell in love with my Mod Bento Box and wanted her very own Christmas version.  So in trade I had her cut enough fabric for both of us.  We got her quilt top done and two of her quilt tops quilted.  It was a good time. 

When I was younger my mom and I spent a ton of time together while she taxied me to ballet lessons, violin lessons, viola lessons, piano lessons, and youth orchestra rehearsals.  We were quite tight.  Then when I started driving myself to all these lessons and rehearsals that time we shared together ended.  I didn't miss it so much when I was 17, but now at 41 I totally miss it.  (Or at least I miss what I remember of it.)  So, as much as I might be aaaargh about my mom - I both miss and love her.

I don't work, usually, on Fridays.  Well, I don't work the paying job, but I do work the "OMG I love to create" job.  Why am I not doing what I love for work?  Money.  It's that simple.  The money I make sitting at a desk pays for the fabric hoard in my home office, living room, and breakfast room.  HOARD!  I love my scrap quilts though, so the hoard sure comes in handy.  Every 3 months or so I go through it and reorganize it, so it's not a "use the shovel to scrape the moldy mess of fabric off the floor before we torch this dwelling" kind of hoard, but it is still a hoard.

Today I spent my Friday working on three different projects.  A cute quilt top for my friend Heather, a vintage sheet quilt top that I've been working on and off on for six weeks, and finishing the binding on the Halloween quilt top I've nicknamed Severus Snape.  lol - ya - I end up nicknaming about 75% of the quilts I make.  Heather's quilt top and the vintage sheet blocks are both visible in the photo below.  I'll post Severus when he's done.

 

Among all these projects I also took my fuzzy fuzzy poodle to the groomer.  I love it when my old lady poodle's fur is all long and curly - but I also love it when she's clipped to look like a poodle.  See what I mean?  

Curly vs clipped.

 

Now, isn't that second photo the sweetest?  Bran and I have a huge soft spot for this old lady.  It's amazing how much she's changed since we got her 3 years ago from the rescue.  She's always been super smart, but now she's independent and confident as well.  It's a shame she finally felt safe so late in her life when she's arthritic, and is going blind and deaf.

Anyways, enough sap.  I'll post more soon.  I promise.

Christmas in July

It's Christmas in July! Christmas Pickles is complete and after a short field trip to the NOMQG meeting next weekend for show and tell it's on it's way to Angela. Merry Christmas in July Angela!

Now for something completely different.


A couple of weeks ago I started this quilt top. It was intended to be a Halloween quilt but when I set the first row out on the floor Bran came in and was, "I really like that quilt!" So, it's now for him. When Halloween comes around though I'm commandeering it for decoration.


Last but not least, I completed this block for Bee Modern Too. I really like how this block looks finished and I'm glad I had the opportunity to make it, but I'm never making it again. Oy, all the tiny piecing!

Moving Along

Yesterday was a very productive day. I completed the quilt top for Jana! I thought for sure today I'd be just as productive and finish quilting Angela's Christmas Pickles quilt...but no...I ran out of thread! Oh yes...just when I could taste the sweet dill of Christmas Pickles' completion I ran out of thread.


So here I am so close to completing the quilting for Christmas Pickles and I've got to stop until I can get to the store and buy more thread.

What am I going to do with the rest of my afternoon? I may start either Angela's A Zig and a Zag Quilt Along or Kaelin's Double Wedding Ring Quilt Along. Or, maybe I'll just do my own thing. ;)

Trashy Novels

Did I mention that I was going to lay off the bento boxes while I got some other projects completed. I did? I lied. I'm super addicted to them! Someday I might get sick of them - but I'm not yet so I'll just ride the wave of scraptacular fun while it lasts!


These are for the New Orleans Modern Quilt Guild swap. I've got 11 of 24 blocks completed so far. I have a feeling that I'm going to end up making 100 of them. :D I've been thinking about making a Halloween/fall bento quilt. Maybe I'll start pulling fabrics this weekend.

I spent the afternoon yesterday making my block for Bee Modern Too. This month we were asked to make a book shelf block, and I'm in love. Wouldn't a whole book shelf quilt be adorable?

I call the book in the middle "the trashy novel about two cats and a fish".


Christmas pickles is almost done with the quilting part. I really can't wait to see what it looks like all bound and washed. Maybe I'll get the quilting done this weekend so I can start in on that binding/washing part.

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. :)