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. :)

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. ;)