My Scruffy

Karen over at Sew Many Ways is having a birthday party for her fur baby, Annie.  She’s invited us all to come to the party!  My Scruffy loves people and other fur babies, so here she is very relaxed over the whole party idea:

We got Scruffy from a friend of a friend.  We were told that she was destructive and just plain ‘squirrely’.  I had to take a chance with her and have never, ever been sorry I did.  She is not destructive in any way and gives hugs and kisses freely!  When I got her, her hair was matted and she was filthy.  It took me 2 weeks of carefully brushing and combing her to get all the snarls and mats out of her fur.  About a year later, I took her back to the person who originally owned her (to show Scruffy off).  Scruffy pulled back, sat back on her haunches and growled.  That told me more than words ever could because Scruffy never growls at anyone.  She may lick them to slobbers, but doesn’t have a mean bone in her body.  Anyway, I feel Scruffy was meant to be ours and I will always be grateful to my friend who rescued Scruffy from her friend!  Loving animals doesn’t necessarily make someone a good pet owner… just saying….

Katie

Want to help?

When I watched the news about the tornados that hit Oklahoma, my first instinct was to want to help.  I know most felt the same way.  For those who would like to help in some small way, I came across this blog requesting blocks and other help.  If you’re interested in helping, please link on over and see if there is something you could help with.

Katie

MIA again!

I will start this with a picture before I get chatty….

This shows the 3 different blocks from the Mystery quilt I designed for QFC Sew Fest.  I started the layout on my design wall to give myself an idea of whether I would be happy with it.  Lesson to myself – before writing clues and distributing to the group – sew first!  Actually, I do like this and I’m hoping the ladies coming to Sew Fest and who have played along will like their quilts as well.   There were a few things as I sewed up the blocks and started laying them out that I wish I’d done differently as it would have created more ‘movement’, but for my first ‘mystery’ I’m not disappointed….

MIA – my sister-in-law is having surgery again and we will be heading out in just a few hours to go help her for a few days.  It is our hope that she will be up and about by Thurs morning as I’m heading back.  My granddaughter, Kari, will be graduating Thurs evening and I refuse to miss that!!!! DH will stay with his sister if it’s necessary and I will head back up Friday….  We do what we do for our families and I’m just happy to be able to help.

Okay, this is a short post (for me) but I need to get moving and get packed so I’m ready when hubby is

Katie

Pink & Yellow frame of mind….

I received this beautiful arrangement from my daughter for Mother’s Day while I was working on quilting this:

And you can see in the first picture (and from a previous post) my table mat and chair covers are pink and yellow.  Part of the quilt I was working on has this:

This was a row I did for the quilt.  It was part of a ‘row lotto’ on QFC and the theme was Sunbonnets done in yellow and pink.  The lady who won the lotto, assembled the rows and donated it back for donation to a YWCA women’s shelter in Ohio.  I have the honor of quilting it and have to say I’ve really enjoyed it.  I’ve liked it so much, I’ve decided I really need to make a pink & yellow sunbonnet quilt.  It will probably go to my youngest granddaughter, but haven’t made any definite decision yet, other than I just want to make it

I hope all the moms, grandmas and mom influences have a really beautiful day.  I will be fortunate to have some of my family with me and Mother’s Day usually turns out wet – we have water balloon fights!  I will be sending hugs to my kids and g-kids who aren’t able to with us today and let them know how important they are to me.

Katie

Swaps, Blog Hops & Linky Parties

Now there is a title for you!  Sometimes as I’m browsing blogs, it’s the title that pulls me in and yet I have a difficult time thinking of something unique. 

Swaps:   Love them or Hate them?  This is a subject I’ve blogged about in the past.  I do enjoy them.  When I first started quilting I joined quite a few of swaps on About.com quilting forum.  I also learned a LOT from the members on the message board.  I don’t spend much time there anymore and can’t really say why, because I really do like the format of the message board…  Anyway…..

…..I have these blocks from a swap (not from About) that I really want to do something with.  I love the sewing mice embroidery on them and feel I need to make something for the sewing room.  Maybe a sewing machine pinafore???

Blog Hops:  I have only recently started spending time on those.  It is an opportunity to see some very creative ideas from others on how they interpret the theme of the hop.  Plus, there are so very many blogs out there that are missed simply because I don’t know where to look (I guess)

Linky Parties:  Kind of, sort of, like the Blog Hops.  Another way to check out other blogs.   These just don’t have predetermined themes or a specific day assigned to the blog.  I have found some really cute, neat, interesting things by ‘linking’ over to other blogs.

and here’s one that I hadn’t planned on mentioning – Buttons for all these different blog activities.  I really like the Buttons that people create for their blogs and personal links.  I managed to create one for my own, but I’m certainly not original or very good at it.  What I don’t understand is why someone would leave a button up for an activity that is way past done????  I guess it’s a way to link back and look at what transpired during that time frame…. Anyway, to each their own, but I will admit here that some of the blogs I’ve looked at recently are really looking cluttered with buttons and then of course the more popular blogs (those with thousands of followers!) have the paid advertising which I think also clutters their blogs (but kudos to them for getting paid for having a large following that enables them to get paid for blogging!) 

Katie

May Already?

I can not believe it’s already  the first week in May.  May is going to be a very busy month for me.  G-kids activities/programs for end of year.  Kari graduates May 23 and will be heading to college in the fall.  I will miss her terribly but so very proud of her.  I will be doing some necessary travel as my sister-in-law will be undergoing yet another kidney surgery.  I am just very thankful that I am able to be a part of my family’s lives and be available when needed.

My hubby helped me take the Tin Lizzy off the frame and we worked on leveling the frame.  I went all around the frame and also tightened nuts and bolts.  Managed to get this quilted with only a couple skips which could have been user not machine issues…

I have said it before and I’ll say it again, “I am not a perfectionist” by any stretch of the imagination.  I know the professional / show quality quilters would/will cringe when/if they see this.  My ‘ribbon candy’ loops don’t match, they are not consistent loops sizes, they are not evenly spaced and golly, gee whiz,  I don’t even care… Well, maybe a little.  Maybe if I practiced more.  Maybe if I drew registration lines, maybe if….. Okay, it’s not perfect, but I don’t think it’s horrible (if I thought it was you wouldn’t be seeing these pictures   )

Now feathers…. OMG do I need to work on these!!!

There are so many different ways to ‘do’ feathers and maybe someday I’ll find the one that works for me best.  I think I really do need to just put some muslin on the frame and practice all the different ways I’ve tried, figure out the way I like best and simply work to improve that technique.  I’ve heard a lot of good things about the Angela Walters class on Craftsy and I’m seriously thinking I will sign up for that – it wouldn’t hurt!!!

And I’ve told you about the quilt Mystery I’ve written for the ladies going to Sew Fest in July, well here is block #1:

I chose dark colors for my quilt and once I started the construction of the individual units I was not sure I’d be happy.  My green/red/black print is actually what I’m using for my “medium” color.  This is a 3 color quilt using light, medium & dark fabrics (or so I wrote)  Anyway, I think I’ll be okay and that the quilt will come together nicely…

And because I’m me and by now you’re probably used to my long posts… You Tube videos – do you watch them?  I do.  It’s amazing what you can see / find watching those videos.  I’ve learned a lot of knitting techniques that have made my projects easier.  Missouri Quilt Company has some wonderful videos.  And surprisingly, I found a repair manual for my brother-in-law by watching a video.  It was for an old tractor he bought!  Anyway, I don’t have a video camera or one of those computer-in-your-pocket (or better known as “smart”) phones or an IPad that takes videos but I’ve seriously thought about doing a video tutorial just to see if I could do it.  I have written tutorials with lots of pictures for the QFC group and have been told they’re pretty good….. it’s just something I wondered if I could do and may borrow my son’s video camera and give it a shot….

Hope everyone is finally enjoying some spring like weather.  It’s been crazy all over the U.S. and I think we’re all ready for ‘normal’…

Katie