Where did the year go?

Seriously, two months short of the new year?!  I can not believe this year is almost gone and that Christmas is literally around the corner.

My sweet furbaby was showing signs of incontinence – just some small leakage – but enough for me to take her to the vet.  The diagnosis?  Bladder stones.  Into surgery she went and she fortunately is doing really well.  Mom was a mess that first night.  Poor babies.  They trust you to take care of them, then you take them to a place that smells funny, leave them and those people hurt them.  They don’t understand why it took you so long to come rescue them.  They don’t understand why they have that funny feeling in their head and are very unstable when they stand up.  Okay, so that’s part of what I’ve been doing.

Because Christmas is right around the corner and because I didn’t want to venture too far from my furbaby, I set up my cutting table in the living room and spent a day cutting out PJ’s and a couple toys to be sewn up. Now that she’s doing better, I’m doing some Christmas sewing.  I have a couple weeks to finish up my Christmas quilt:

I could probably get away with just one more block but I really want this to be 4 X 5 so that’s 12 more blocks I’d need to make…. I may have to rethink this but the blocks do make up quickly so maybe (hopefully) if I just sit down and work on it, I’ll get it done…

Here I sit, writing this blog and thinking I really need to spend more time with my blog but also thinking that if I get off my duff and get busy in the sewing room, I might actually get another project done! So on that note, I hope all are enjoying the fall weather and looking forward to the holidays…

Katie

Sunday, Oct. 20

The post for today appears under the tab "A place to rant".

Going back in time…

As I was spending some time viewing some pictures, I came across some older pictures that I thought I’d share.  Sometimes, I surprise myself.  This was a QFC quilt that I quilted.  I believe the maker was Mickie M.  I remember wanting to do a bit extra around the embroidery and decided to ‘echo’

 

 

 

 

 

I was really happy with the feathered wreaths I had done on this one – I don’t do those enough and really need to work on them so I feel more comfortable when I do:

This was quilt made for a QFC member who was undergoing treatment for brain cancer.  Members sent in angel blocks that I then assembled into a quilt.  The angels on the back were larger then average and part of an entire set.  They worked out well on the back. 

I was not sure how I was going to quilt this one,  so I just jumped in and started and once I did, it just worked.  Sometimes I believe I ‘over think’ what needs to happen with the quilts:

So there are some pictures from “back in time”.

I have finished the large Dresden Plate top and it will be going on the frame (hopefully) next week. I am working on my g-sons’ Halloween costumes.  One almost completed and hope to get the other one finished in the next couple of days.  Then it’s on to Christmas sewing.  I want to finish my Christmas quilt that I started last year and make a couple stuffed dolls.  OH – I have to add this in.  I was looking at patterns on line, McCalls, Simplicity – the common pattern companies – and I was very surprised how few stuffed doll / toy patterns were available.  There are TONS of clothes patterns  for the 18” dolls – and yes I know how popular they are, I bought a couple as Christmas gifts last year – but what about the younger kids???  Thanks goodness I have saved my stuffed doll patterns.  One pattern I’m missing, though, is my Care Bears pattern.. it will show up eventually, I just need to look in the right place

Until next time,

Katie

just checking in

Hello, thought I’d check in with everyone and see how things are going.  Totally enjoyed my visit with my sister and her guy.  He had never been out west before let alone to my rural community.  We spent many hours driving and he was astounded at how “far” everything was from where I live.  I just laughed and told him I was quite used to it.  He is from New Orleans and they live in a small city outside Tampa so he’s used to everything being ‘round the corner….

We went to the Southern Arizona wine country near Sonoita where we visited a few of the wineries and enjoyed some taste of the area

We had a large family Mexican dinner where my son and family came and spent the day – such fun!

Their last day here we spent at the Sonoran Desert Museum west of Tucson.  This a good place to see the natural vegetation of the area as well as live species of animals (and other creepy, crawly critters) that live in our surrounding desert.  All in all, a very nice couple days and I miss my sister still.

I have spent a little time sewing up some preemie blankets and Christmas stockings. Other than that not much else.

So that’s my update for now…. Hope all is well with you and yours.

Katie

Done and Gone!

I quilted it.  I delivered it.  I’m done and it’s gone and  this one I won’t miss!

I did simple free motion meander quilting on it just to get it done.  I think the quilting ‘softened’ the appearance a bit, but this just is something I won’t do again – work with all solid fabrics. 

My sister and her significant other will be here Friday evening and I’m really looking forward to spending some time with them.  Unfortunately, it’s only 3 days and I haven’t seen them in 3 years.  I normally do ‘fall cleaning’ just before Thanksgiving but decided to get it done earlier with having the company. My hubby has a mineral (rock) collection in a glass display case and I know it’s probably been a couple years since he cleaned it.  I finally couldn’t stand it anymore and spent time taking all specimens out and dusting with a brush and of course cleaning all the glass.  Last night I woke up with a stuffy nose and this morning is a cough.  Please let it be just a reaction to the dust and not a cold!  I do not want to be sick while my sister is here – more importantly I don’t want her to go home sick….

Anyway, I’m spending this week getting ready for company and yet I have several fall projects running through my head that I’d like to be working on.  Why is it when I have the time to work on something, I don’t have the ambition.  When I don’t have the time, I do have the ambition.  Must be  psychological

Hope everyone is enjoying the beginning as fall as I am.

Katie

Not feeling it…

Okay, so I told you about the Dolphin quilt.  Let me say here that I normally really like the quilts I make.  I have a hard time parting with many of them… This one, well…. I’m just not feeling the love:

Here is the body of the quilt without it’s borders.  First, I’m disappointed that the colors are not exactly (or probably even close) to the Dolphins colors.  I think they should have been lighter…. I think the designs are cute, though:

  Designs are from Ace Points. Secondly, I think my use of solid, instead of print fabrics, was a mistake.  I doubt I will ever again make a quilt using only solid fabrics.

I had already made up my mind to add black & grey borders.  I decided on grey as the outer border – not sure I’m liking that either:

This quilt is on the frame and I will quilt it today.  I would really like to do something special on this quilt, but because I really don’t like it, it probably is not going to happen.  I’m at the point where I just want it done and gone!  Hopefully, once quilted, it will a little more likeable!

Now this quilt I’m lovin’

The Dresden Plates measure 20” each and I’m using 4” scrap squares to build out from the center.  This one I can hardly wait to finish! 

Next week will be another busy week for me – no sewing (bummer).. My sister and her significant other will be here Fri. evening and leave the following Tues.  He has never been to my home so, of course, I want to make a good impression, and that means all those lick and promises have to become follow-throughs.  Plus, my sister has requested a family Mexican dinner and that means a day making tamales.  On top of that I get the privilege of turning 60…. I can remember thinking 60 was ancient.    I think I’ve changed my mind.  Though there are  times I do feel ancient…..

Have a great day, I’m off to the quilting room….

Katie

A Quick Summer

Did your summer go by as quickly as mine did?  Sunday is the first day of Autumn and here in southeast AZ we’ll never notice the change of season.  We’re just about out of our rainy season, and here where I live we didn’t get near the rain we normally get (sad).  Phoenix is still in the 100+ temp range (so glad I don’t live there!)  Once we start showing signs of summer leaving it’ll be wonderful.  There will be a slight crispness in the air with gentle breezes and I will enjoy it very much!  Okay enough about the weather…. So, did you have productivity over the summer?  I did as far as QFC goes.  Going to Sew Fest and then finishing 9 quilts after I got home.  Here’s a sampling:

		From Sew Fest VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

I was in such a hurry to get the box sent off that I didn’t get pictures of the last quilts I completed.  See, I told you I’ve gotten really bad a taking pictures!  My G-sons’ football league is having a ‘parents night’ and they requests items for raffle and my DIL asked if I’d do a quilt.  Their league is the Oro Valley Dolphins and have the same colors as the pro team.  I’m embroidering a set of Dolphins and thought I’d got the right colors (orange and teal) fabric…. well the teal I think will end up being too ‘blue’ to be correct, but I’ve already got most of the blocks assembled so it’ll have to do.  Okay, Okay,  I can hear you now, Kitty yes I will work really hard to remember to take pictures!!!! 

If you follow me, you know I’m a horrible blogger and I’ve noticed I only have one post this month.  I won’t make excuses but I do have reasons.   I told you in my last post about my friend in the hospital – well he’s still there.  Actually in a rehab facility.  The doctors have finally given him a diagnosis of arthritis and he’s received injections in his knees and is walking with a walker.  He is hoping to come home soon.  I was in Prescott Valley for a few days while my sister-in-law underwent her procedure.  I was in Tucson yesterday and back down there today.  I had a small cyst on my jaw that got infected and today I am having it surgically removed.  That small, less-than-a-pencil-eraser sized cyst went to the size of a nickel and was sore.  From my general practitioner, to a dermatologist, to a plastic surgeon – has only taken 2 months to get to the point of removal….

Okay I’m off to get some things done before I have to head into Tucson and again tomorrow as my G-sons’ have ball games each Sat.  Maybe I’ll rest on Sunday

Happy beginning of Autumn,

Katie