The Quilting Professor

Ya Gotta Love This

2012-02-09T11:30:00.003-05:00

Can you imagine - you and your hubby are lost in the woods without food, water or shelter for days?

Your family is in danger...

Then you are rescued - and the internet world is so happy you are safe, and they put this old photo, which they used for the search to find you, up on tv, on the web, everywhere...........

and your hubby is wearing a shirt that............ well, look close.............

I DON'T THINK THOSE SKELETONS ARE PLAYING PIGGY-BACK!!!

yes, these are the lost mushroom-hunters... and I'm going right upstairs to make sure my dh doesn't have a shirt like that....

Kate

Shout it Out

2012-02-08T12:53:00.001-05:00

Good morning, everyone - my post today is a SHOUT-OUT. It's a shout-out for all of us, really, who make charity quilts

* for people we've never met and never will;
* for no gain or advantage to ourselves;
* with no assurance that they will ever understand the time we took to make sharp points, or use 100% cotton, or quilt on some kind of feather design;

I am mailing these blocks to Sarah, who blogs at Confessionsofafabricaddict.blogspot.com. She runs a church-based quilt group who makes and donates these fabulously beautiful quilts, and she ran a little block linky today to show the blocks some of us are donating to her program... Stop by and view the eye candy... or heck, you can probably still send a block!!

Hooray for all the great generosity in the quilting world!

Kate

Off to a Sputtering Start

2012-02-05T10:23:00.000-05:00

It's early Sunday morning here in California - it's a bit nippy and I'm snuggled up until the house warms up and the coffee kicks in...

My petunias started blooming - so spring can't be far away - I bought these two summers ago - wonder how the nurseries stay in business when simple petunias survive the winters and don't need to be purchased each summer? I'm still amazed at this climate...

I finished the quilting and binding on this little charity quilt for the sunshine Yahoo Guild - someone else made the top - I volunteered to quilt up a big stack of these tops, and am gradually working through them - somehow it didn't go as quickly as I had imagined - lol!!

And I played with these tiny 2.5 inch pinwheels that were made from bonus triangles... here they are all trimmed up and ready to - - what??? I really don't know - but at some point I am sure they will volunteer for something!

Georgie says hello - some of you wrote lovely notes when I posted that he was in kitty hospice. He is nearly 18... he stopped eating and lost a lot of weight.. (this is an earlier photo) and we thought he would be gone within days - then my DH started hand-feeding him baby food - and he is improving every day - today he gobbled down his catfood after hollering at me to feed him before I could even have coffee! So, he's enjoying every day - today is a great day for kitties - hours of SuperBowl lap from Daddy!!

I have the whole day to sew, but can't get started. I want to do the SuperBowl Mystery on the web at quiltbug.com... I have the fabric out to start... perhaps going in the sewing room would be a good start.. I NEED to finish up my Bonnie Hunter mystery - just working through those pieced borders and then the top will be complete.

Of course, I could work on one of the other umpteen things that are already in progress! - - hmm, wonder what will win my attention.............. maybe just another cup of coffee.....

oh - I just remembered a 'super bolt' sale at the LQS.... now that seems interesting to me!

Happy SuperBowl Quilting to you all,

Kate

I feel like THIS !!!!

2012-02-04T00:20:00.000-05:00

Kate

The Freemotion Challenge

2012-01-31T22:24:00.002-05:00

Hi everyone - -

Just in the nick of time, I finished the January tutorial of the Freemotion Challenge - - see the link in the box over >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>there.

And here are my hearts
- I was really bold today to do them in light blue thread on a black background, but I figured that would be the test of how it really looked, rather than hiding the stitching by using black thread... oh well, a work of quilting art it's not, but , then, its only January of the Freemotion quilting challenge - who knows how good I will be by next December!!!!

This is the corner of a little 9-patch kids quilt for a charity initiative - no danger this border will come unsewn!!! I have it well-quilted with all these leaves... yippeeeeeee.

Tomorrow is February - wonder what I will learn next month.

You can still join the Challenge - just click the box >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> over there.

Kate

Annee from Arizona and Jenny P

2012-01-30T21:54:00.002-05:00

Annee and Jenny - you are the winners of the book giveaway I hosted a few posts ago... My favorite friend, the Random Number Generator, picked you !!

Unfortunately, my computer won't connect with you through the link, so I have left notes on your blogs... so if you see this, please email me at kat525252@yahoo.com...

Can't wait to send you these very cute books - so send your snail mail addy!

(I will try again to email you from my work computer, which is a bit less contentious than my laptop)..

Thanks all who commented and entered..

Kate

Hexagon Update - Month 11

2012-01-29T17:19:00.000-05:00

Holy Hexagons!!!

It's been eleven months now since I started this project with the tiny center star...

this month I started working on a corner - it's soooo exciting to be doing a corner... can't wait to see a 90 degree angle emerge - that will feel like a real movement toward conclusion... right now that left corner just looks like some sort of strange growth - hopefully it will begin to look more in harmony with the rest of the piece as I get more done. I have found that any new area looks totally weird until there's more than one area like that, and then it looks perfect...

ha - conclusion!!!! I'm guessing this will take another year to finish the top...

So - this is the Feb. 1 photo (a few days early)

You know - after working on this for 11 months, now I see hexagons everywhere I look... like this photo!!!!

Hope everyone had a great weekend - I'm settling down tonight with a movie - and some hexagons!!!

Happy quilting,

Kate

Christmas Shopping Spree

2012-01-28T15:46:00.002-05:00

Deck the Halls with pins and thread
Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Drag the One to whom you're wed
Fa la la, la la la, la la la.

It's a SALE, a big SALE, just today.
Fa la la...........etc.

Grab the bolt and take it away...
Fa la la, lalalalalllalala

Three Christmases ago, DH began a tradition of giving me a Christmas quilty shopping spree...A spree is MUCH better than a gift certificate, cause is has no limit... (I try to be merciful).

This year we delayed the spree until the big Birthday Sale that happens once each year at Eddie's Quilting Bee in Sunnyvale, CA... and that was TODAY - yippee

I scored BIG ... don't you love those blues and greens!!!! yummmm...

I'm off to sew - I have too much fabric... but I really enjoyed buying some more!!

Happy Weekend to All,

Kate

The Quilting Professor Gets A Logo

2012-01-26T15:41:00.000-05:00

Well - this is a really fun post... the Quilting Professor decided that it was time to kick up her profile a bit!!!! You know, some kick-ass looking graphics, to go with the fabulous quilts ... so,,, I went to my favorite place .................etsy !!!!

I love Etsy because it's people like us - in fact, it IS us - selling their wares, their abilities, their skills....

And I discovered Michael Nolasco, at his shop on Etsy called NolascoDesign. You can visit him at
http://www.etsy.com/shop/NolascoDesign. Michael is a Freelance Graphic Designer from sunny Florida..

After a bit of conversation, Michael has, on my order produced two logo designs for me... here they are:

and the other one:

I commissioned Michael to do two designs because... well, honestly, I couldn't decide...each one seems just perfect for different purposes...

Which one do you like???? PLEASE leave a comment and let me know.

Next he is working on a blog banner for this blog, so just you wait!!!!

(and for those who want to know if it cost a lot - his prices are quite reasonable, and he is very willing to work through several possibilities with you... go visit his shop to learn more!!)

Kate

An 'aww' Story of a Charity Quilt

2012-01-25T19:50:00.001-05:00

Now, I ask you - isn't this just the most beautiful little boy?????

He isn't just asleep, he is recovering from surgery... he just had some sort of reconstruction surgery by the kind doctors sponsored by Rotoplast International... I'm sure he and his mom were afraid... When he awakens, he will see a quilt on him - with PUPPIES!!!!

This little boy lives in TOGO --- TOGO, why - where is Togo??? Well, I'm glad you asked:

This quilt, made in the old USA, was part of the Wrap-A-Smile Project, on the Yahoo Groups site, which the Sunshine Yahoo Group sponsors... I'm not sure if I made this quilt, or quilted it, or what - it looks really familiar to me, and I know I had those fabrics, so maybe it was my quilt... I hope so.

The Rotoplast Medical teams take the quilts with them when they go international to do these wonderful surgeries to correct clef palettes or other disfigurements, giving these children new lives... - and new 'huggy' quilts.... imagine it - boxes of medical equipment, and boxes of bright, colorful kids quilts.

I got to go sew some more charity quilts... My heart is so happy to see this photo, and am in awe of my quilt being in Togo... kudos to my friend Terri, who lives in Maine, who founded the Wrap-A-Smile program, and keeps it running...

Happy Quilting,

Kate

Where Oh Where is the Finish Line??

2012-01-22T13:19:00.003-05:00

oh, me, oh my...

I want to report about a finish.....................

Or I want to report about a start.............................

But instead, I must report about more MIDDLES....

MEANWHILE - THIS GIVEAWAY GOES ON - JUST LEAVE A COMMENT, AND IF YOU BECOME A FOLLOWER, LEAVE A SECOND COMMENT... WINNERS TO BE CHOSEN NEXT WEEKEND.

Orca Bay is getting borders - only one so far... I discovered I was short of those 'birds in the air' units, so have to make a few more of those before I can put on all the borders. But I like the effect the border is going to have on this - it will calm it down just a bit... and give the eye somewhere to land. I think I will add one more solid outer border in the dark rust color.. this quilt NEEDS some solid for my taste. I really love the Mediterranean look of this quilt. ... I went outside my normal comfort zone on colors - now I can't wait to use these colors on another project (no, no, brain, don't even think about another project yet)))

This blue/yellow Christmas eve mystery is in the middle of being quilted... and I am beginning to look covetously at one of those sit-down mid-arms... either a HQ Sweet Sixteen or a George. We'll see... I just need some throat space... This is only about 25% complete, and someone (surely not me) decided to put in complicated quilting... ugh...you know, once you start, you can't stop.............:)

Some ordered fabric arrived - yippee!

A charity quilt got laid out for pinning:

And the quilting fairy did not come in at night and quilt up these small donation quilts that are all pinned and ready to quilt - wonder where she is???? Gone to Florida for the winter?? Or maybe she went to the 'road to california' quilt show.............she better get her little wings back here.

And in the middle of it all, I decided I needed to make a snake out of a sock..........

Now, really - did I not have enough to do????? But perhaps the snake from a sock will be enormously popular and I will sell them for hundreds, no thousands of dollars and support my quilting habit................. good grief, I am nuts... but he is really cute, especially if you roll him up like a cobra!!!

And, on the couch, there, is the hexagon quilt... the middle of that quilt is a desert with no oasis - I can't even predict yet when it might be complete... photo to come on the first of the month as usual.

................and there are pants to be hemmed today - HORRORS - hems??? I am an ARTISTE - of snakes and such... shall I put in a lowly hem??? Well, I guess I must, unless I want to walk on the bottoms of these pants tomorrow at work.

Color me completely nuts...

More insanity later... Hope everyone is happy and well.

Kate

I'm Getting a Logo!!!

2012-01-21T09:31:00.001-05:00

Hi all, and happy weekend...

The Quilting Professor is getting a logo!!!

I believe in giving business to independent artists and craftsmen whenever possible. For example, I try to buy from a place called Mike's Appliances rather than a place called Sears... Mike is much more likely to shop in my grocery store, to coach little league, to cook a pancake at the community event, and to donate to local arts and crafts, than is anyone from a place called Sears, where the profit from the business goes to stockholders in high-rise apartments in NYC or some other place. (I know I'm generalizing, but once I start on Sears, I can't stop - and don't even say the word Wal-Mart).

So - I went to Etsy to find a logo design... and I found Mike Nolasco... Nolasco Designs. Cool. Saw some examples of his designs, and off we go!! Here's the image from Mike's logo:

You can learn more about his work at http://www.etsy.com/shop/NolascoDesign

He will be sending me some rough designs to choose from ... how fun!!!

Stay tuned - this will be a trip.

...............and Happy Quilting

Kate

CATCHING THE WHALE - AND A GIVEAWAY, TOO!

2012-01-16T01:37:00.000-05:00

It's a happy day at the Quilting Professor's house!

One more row to go to finish the body of my Orca Bay quilt - I can't wait to add the borders, cause I think that will tame down this very active beastie of a quilt... my inner border will be yellow. And then I might add an outer border like some have... we will see... I still have to make the units for the border... fun, fun. Thank you, Bonnie Hunter, for this wonderful mystery...

Remember I wrote a week or so ago about my kitty who was in the kitty hospice? Mr. George. When he was young we called him George Rottweiler, cause he was a mighty hunter and had a very dominant attitude. Now he is 17 1/2 , and had stopped eating... each night we wondered if he would be with us in the morning...

Well - he has perked up... is eating enthusiastically, and, as you see, decided to take a little nap on Orca Bay... we are not sure if this improved condition will continue, but, he has been improving for nearly a week now, so maybe...

Nomally, I would shoo him off the new quilt - but heck, George can nap anywhere he wants to just now... we are babying him with special treats - DH even cooked a pot roast today because he wanted to have the good broth for George - and some meat too, of course....

George says ' hey ma, nice quilt... let me inspect - are those flying geese??? Yum, goose tastes good!!!

Well, I really need to celebrate George's improved health AND getting close to completion on Orca Bay (oh well, almost close to completion!!

So - IT'S GIVEAWAY TIME!!!!

Leave a comment to enter...
Sign up as a follower (or if you already are one) and you can enter a second time!

I will pick two winners with the random number generator - each will win one set of the books shown in these photos.
(sorry, no international entries - postal costs just too high).

Hope everyone had a great weekend, and is looking forward to a nice MLK holiday, too!

I am happily quilting,

Kate

ADOPTION DAY

2012-01-15T12:33:00.000-05:00

The word went out: Emergency garage clean-up !!!! Not that I have too much quilty stuff, mind you - but it had gotten disorganized, and there didn't seem to be any room for - well, you know - for MORE !!!!

Unfortunately the cardboard boxes have to stay for a bit longer (hopefully one day they will be gone)... but some of this other stuff can be put out for adoption!!!!

A couple of hours later, this box of string blocks was all packed up to go the Heartstrings Yahoo Group!

These squishies are packed full to bursing (hope not...) One goes to someone who wanted scraps. The other goes to a fellow quilter who lost a bunch of her 'stuff' from flooding - it includes some four-patches from a swap, and some nickel squares and other 'goodies ' that I hope she will enjoy..

Next I went in the yarn bins - I had a lot of leftover mis-matched stuff - - one skein of this, one of that... half of that... can't believe I moved all this stuff across the country last year. I answered a Freecycle ad from someone who wanted yarn for a knitting group that makes charity blankies, hats, gloves, etc. Turned out the woman was my down-the-street neighbor - - so she went happily away with this HUGE bag of yarn...

I opened a box and discovered yards and yards of denim fabric... A few years ago I got six GIGANTIC boxes of denim donated by the Cone Mills factory in Greensboro, NC... I've been making fabulous picnic quilts from it... but this box was different - it was a flatter color, and not prewashed, so I never used it... so I put it up on Freecycle... with the condition that it must be used for charity!!! Turns out the same neighbor who knits also works with a group that makes tote bags for foster children who need containers for their stuff when they are relocated... sometimes they must carry their clothes in grocery bags... So - this is around 15 yards of denim - it is on my front porch today, awaiting her pickup - yippeeeeeee.

Last thing to leave my house today? this small envelope - my tuition fee for Asilomar... in May... I can not wait - a whole week with Sally Collins - do you know how accurate my piecing is going to be after that!!!!! Wish I could go tomorrow.

Well, by the 'rules of blogging', I should close with an 'after' shot of the garage - sadly, it really doesn't look much better... but at least some of the things I wasn't going to use have now been adopted by others and will do good things for the world!

..... gotta go sew on my Orca Bay quilt... putting the rows together... and eager to get to the borders...

Still two weekend days left....

Kate

'Whale of a Boo-Boo'

2012-01-10T23:04:00.003-05:00

IS THIS QUILT SUPPOSED TO BE SQUARE????

........ guess i didn't do those last two rows just right ....

Kate, the Quilting ~~Professor~~ Student

What a Quilty Day !!!

2012-01-08T01:26:00.001-05:00

Wow - it's ten p.m., and I started quilting this morning at 6, and I haven't stopped yet - boy did I get a lot done. Let's see...

Pin-basted a kid's charity quilt made by someone else.

Made six really fun blocks for a Lotto, with fish in the middle. And these are in an envelope, ready to be mailed out next week:

Added a row to my Orca Bay (shown here not yet sewn on). I love the colors now...don't ANYONE write me and tell me any part of this is put together wrong, cause it's just tough, it's sewn up now!!

I put a binding on this little charity quilt, which was made by some ladies in prison - My guild has a prison program - the ladies make tops, and then some of us quilt them and then they go in the charity drive... this is now finished..

And I did a LOT of machine quilting on this quilt: I love watching a newly sandwiched quilt literally 'shrink' as it is quilted - going from this big, floppy pile of layers to something that feels like a real quilt... lots more to do on this.

I also stopped by the LQS and found a perfect border fabric for a quilt that I thought was finished, but then I decided to put one more border on it... I think it will look really finished with this last wide border - at least I hope so... will try to put it on tomorrow and see...

GEE - I GOT A LOT DONE. Quilting makes me feel better!!

Thanks, my friends,

Kate

Quilting and Crying

2012-01-07T10:46:00.000-05:00

Hi all - it's bright and early here in California - a nice chilly morning so I can light a fire and snuggle down - no where to go today, which is nice.

Sewing will be my therapy today - - just too much else going on...

I won a huge stack of Lotto blocks from the Sunshine Guild - can't imagine when I will get those put into tops, but I will somehow, someday...

And I have been doing my own January lotto blocks - they are just gorgeous...

Quilting on two massive tops - and of course doing too much detail, so they will take forever...

and working on my Orca Bay - seems to be going slowly...

Meanwhile our 17 year beloved kitty is passing. He seems to be doing it on his own time, here at home... he is terrified at the vet, so we hope he can spend his last hours here... DH is his hospice nurse - so very sweet. My job seems mostly to cry. I will miss him. You can get real close to an animal in 17 years.

So, no pictures today... I'll be back when the sun comes out, both literally and figuratively...

Kate

Get Ready for Cuddle-Up Day

2012-01-05T15:50:00.002-05:00

January 6 is National Cuddle-Up Day... doesn't that sound great????
In preparation and inspiration, here are some of my favorite 'cuddle up ' photos:

Happy Planning for Cuddle Up Day!

Kate

What Does the Whale Say????

2012-01-03T21:48:00.002-05:00

When you have put together several rows of your Orca Bay, and the little four-inch squares don't go in the 'right' direction...

What does the Whale Say???

Why - Rippit, Rippit.... of course !!!!

On more positive news - Monday I was off from work - and the LQS had no class scheduled - so it was MAKE A SANDWICH DAY !!! and I talked dh into helping!!

Here's the mystery quilt i made on Christmas Eve as Pocket Full of Mysteries. It's a Dorothy Young design - thanks, Dorothy, for the mystery - it was fun, and I love the quilt... can't wait to machine quilt this one...

And - can anyone identity this design???? Yep, you got it - B onnie Hunter's Roll, Roll, Cotton Bowl... I admit I was a little reluctant to sandwich this big bad, quilt... but a million safety pins later, it is almost sandwiched - I say almost because I had a little booboo - my backing turned out to be about three inches too narrow - but I have more ordered, and can just add on that little bit - no way I'm pulling out all those pins!!!!

I am so very glad to have both of these big quilts sandwiched - and actually it was lots of fun... especially with my volunteer helper... what a good sport he is!!!

.... got to go to my sewing machine... it's calling...............

Kate

A Brand New Year - and a RANT

2012-01-01T20:30:00.000-05:00

It's like a shiny penny, isn't it???

A year full of possibilities... and I am looking forward to it!!

And my first project of the year is SO MUCH FUN - Bonnie Hunter's Orca Bay - except my Orca's aren't black and white - they are rust, blue, green, and yellow - yippee!!! I think they are just in the Mediterranean for vacation. Here's a little bigger 'eyeful' than I posted yesterday ! (sorry it's sideways - Blogger insists - heck, just turn your head sideways - that's much easier than getting the technology to change)...

I've been doing some thinking about my charity quilting - I need to find some balance, I think. At the moment I feel inundated by charity quilts... they seem to be everywhere - some that I have agreed to quilt, some that I said I would bind, some that I sewed... they are multiplying like rabbits out in my garage.

So - today I corralled a few of them in this chair - we'll see if I can knock that pile down a bit soon!!
I do love working on these small treasures. And then giving them away...

Tomorrow I'm going by the LSQ and sandwich some 'big quilts' that I need bigger table to work on... DH is going to "help" in return for a sushi lunch down the street! One is the Bonnie Hunter mystery from LAST Year - RRCB !!!! yippee... so glad to see it transcending from a flimsy to a quilt!!

I better run - cleaning lady comes tomorrow, I have to ~~tidy up~~ pile a bunch of stuff in my sewing room and close the door!!!!

OH - THE RANT - I know you were holding your breath! Did you see the CNN NYE special last night with Anderson Cooper and ~~Kathy Griffin~~ the slutty potty-mouth woman??? I'm sorry, and I'm surely no prude... but good grief... it was like the fifth grade in the boys locker room - endless cheap, sexual inuendo and jokes from both of them. With her, you get what you pay for - she is who she is, so no surprise.. But Anderson and CNN are supposed to stand for reliable news coverage... and then they go and behave in such unprofessional, cheap ways... I'm truly truly dismayed...

OH WELL - SHAKE IT OFF - moving on !

Happy New Year to everyone... I hope today was just a great Day One for the rest of the year!!!!

Oh I'm gonna love it!!!

2012-01-01T11:58:00.004-05:00

Hi all and Happy New Year -

Oh, I am singing the Happy Song and doing the Happy Dance

I love love my Orca Bay colors...

Remember how I was worried about the blue??? now it's fabulous...

My Orcas went on a Mediterranean Cruise...

Oh, I got to go put some more together... see you later with a bigger photo.

Kate

Hexagon Madness, January 1 Photo

2012-01-01T02:52:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year's Day to you all...

My therapy most nights resides in these little trays - moving from right to left - squares, threads/cutters, circles, then finished hexies and hexie papers...I just bought another packet of 2,400 precut hexie papers, so I am good to go for a while...

I focused really hard this month on getting one more side of the innter border completed - and moving forward on theendless green diamonds...

I do love the inner border - it's fun, fun to do (but it does take forever!!!) I'm hoping to complete the top by next New Year's Eve... at least that is the goal I have set....

And - to end on a 'lighter' note... hexagons seem to be everywhere lately... even on the side of tanks!!

Happy Happy New Year,

Kate

Mysteries Abundant

2011-12-30T19:00:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone... it's been such a great week at the Quilting Professor's house... My goal has been not to leave the house unless absolutely necessary - I'm not sure how long I would like this, but it has been great this week!

I finished up the Pocket Full of Mysteries top, designed by Dorothy Young.... very bright and happy, I think. When quilted, it will go to the BASICS charity quilt initiative.

I spent some time today viewing the Sally Collins DVD on Precision Piecing - wonderful!! I got better just sitting on the couch viewing it... I swear...

I have also been sandwiching some small charity kids quilts. I love seeing them all stacked and ready to quilt.

Here is my little comfortable den from which I write this afternoon - the late afternoon sun is trying to stream through the windows... You can see , very dimly, kitty George asleep on the foot of the recliner, on a blanket, covered with a dish towel - his favorite nap place... Over on the right is the "covered with quilts" chair - the place quilts 'rest' during various phases of construction... and, of course, a quilt spread on the floor... yes, that's home...

Hope you are all preparing for a great new year!

Kate

A Bernina Design Flaw ?????

2011-12-29T16:34:00.000-05:00

I HEART BERNINA. I admit it. I love my two machines. I would like five or six more.

Even my Dear Hubby knows the 'make' and 'model' of my machines, except he pronounces it "Bernini", and I remind him that Bernini was an Italian opera composer.

I talk to them.

I wrap them up to stay warm when I 'm not there.

I make sure they get their cholesterol and blood pressure checked...

They are perfect.

I even heart the box they came in, and have kept those original boxes now through three moves.

But recently I got some new machine oil, having used nearly my last drop....

It came in this adorable little container.

As you can see, it's official BERNINA OIL - I'm sure it was made from a top-grade SWISS OIL, from a well high in the Alps owned by Heidi herself , then refined in Zurich somewhere, and then painstakingly put in this tiny little container, because only a few precious drops exist in the western world... and, like fine perfume, you only need a single drop of the pure essence.

The container is not clear, so you can not see the level of the secret potion inside - I'm sure this is to prevent theft by the cleaning lady, who might covet my priceless, official Bernina oil.
So - I take off the top, put the lovely point down where I want oil (here it looks like I am oiling my cutting mat, lol), and press on the white button... seems like the thing to do - yes?

AND NO OIL COMES OUT. AGAIN AND AGAIN I TRY.

Turns out it takes both hands, squeezing as hard as I can, to get one drop of oil out of this torture device... Pressing the button NEVER works - I just squeeze the base of the container until some oil finally oozes out begrudgingly.

IS IT JUST MEEEEEEEEE?? or has anybody else bought this little cutie???
Is Bernina trying to slow global warming by limiting our use of oil??

I can NOT wait til I use it up... maybe I will just take the oil out and put it in another oil dispenser...

.......................... so glad this is all I have to be perturbed about today..

Kate

My Best Christmas Present

2011-12-28T08:50:00.001-05:00

Wow, what a great Christmas present this was!!! If you don't know Sally Collins, she is noted for small-scale, precision piecing that is just drop-dead gorgeous.

I have long wanted to improve my piecing, so am taking a week-long class with Sally this spring - - I know I have mentioned it before, i am just excited like a kid going to camp for the first time..

So - I decided to do a little homework with her books and this great DVD.

Now, mind you, DVDs can be reaaaaally boring... and I guess to a non-quilter, this might be so...

but to me, it was just the kind of things I needed to know to make my piecing more reliable and predictable... yippee... I am gonna watch it again today...

And then I am going shopping on the Jinny Beyer website for a piece of fabulous border fabric that is going to be my color inspiration for the workshop project.......
The disclaimer: I am not related to Sally, nor do I receive any benefit from recommending this product...

My project today is to sew this top together, and make a decision about borders... It will be a charity quilt for the BASICS quilt gathering led by Victoria Finlay-Wolfe in NYC. You can read about it at http://bumblebeansinc.blogspot.com. A very worthy (and fun) project for families that have been homeless and now are moving back into independent housing.

This is a Christmas Eve mystery from the Yahoo group "A Pocket Full of Mysteries" - thanks, Dorothy, for the mystery...

.

A happy quilting today to all of you..

Kate

Something Serious to Discuss

2011-12-27T14:15:00.002-05:00

Hello my friends...

During these quiet days after the festivities, I've been reflecting on things in my life that need a bit more order.............. like my sewing room - - - ha , not likely...and my closets .... fat chance.

No, I'm thinking about things like my financial records, etc. And my address lists.. which brings me to the subject of this blog - namely - online friends and how to 'stay in touch' in case of emergency.

I belong to an online Yahoo Group (actually several). Last year one of our beloved members and special friends passed away. It was some time before the group could ascertain what had happened. Several times, members have been out of touch for surgery, etc. Fortunately, they usually pop back up... Right now , one of my blog friends (who is sick) has not posted in a couple of weeks, and I genuinely fear that something is very wrong in her life, and I don't know how to check on her.

In the old days, all our friends were 'physical', and usually our families knew them , too... or they fell into groups, like "friends from work",, or "friends from the volunteer group", or "friends I used to know when we lived in xxx"...

THE INTERNET HAS CHANGED IT ALL... now we have these 'virtual' but very real relationships... and we don't always know our full names, our phone numbers, or our addresses. And our families and partners don't have access to our online lives.

Nowhere do I have a list of "my internet friends'...
And if something happened to me, no one would know how to get into my blog, etc.

Now, if 'something happens to me', well, frankly, I won't be worrying about it...

But, what if 'something happens to one of you'???? Well, I want to know, because I care. Because my internet friends are closer friends than I ever expected through this medium. And if you should be sick, or troubled, I want to try to help... but I might not know.

Has anyone given this any thought?

Yes, I know, serious thoughts for a Tuesday morning - but it is what's on my mind.

Kate

A Mysterious Christmas Day

2011-12-25T11:44:00.003-05:00

Merry Christmas to All... I just finished reading my favorite blogs, and reflecting a moment on what good friends these blog-authors have become... I never imagined that when I started reading and writing blogs... a wonderful gift, especially to watch other quilters in their creativity... thank you all for your inspiration and your friendship!

It will be a quiet day at our house - DH has been experiencing some stomache problems, so even our meal will be simple... which means I can spend more time in the sewing room - yippee!!!

I'm doing TWO - yes, nutty me, TWO mysteries... one by Bonnie Hunter, Orca Bay, which I'm sure those of you who are NOT doing it are getting sick of seeing - lol... but here's where I am so far...

At this point, I'm really worried about that electric blue - but I know myself well enough to know that those surprising color choices often come out better in the end than along the way... so stay tuned...

The second mystery is by Dorothy, on the Yahoo Group called A Pocket Full of Mysteries...

and here are some blocks from that in progress... lots more work to do, but so far it seems a great way to bust some stash! I'm making this one as a donation quilt for Victoria's charity cause, BASICS, so I hope it is happy and bright, and I think it's headed in that direction, with blues, yellows, and oranges!!

Well, DH just said the breakfast cinnamon rolls are nearly ready - so it's time for me to do some eating to garner strength for all this sewing!!

Hugs to everyone - have a wonderful day - hug everyone you care about.

...............and find a bit of time for some 'happy quilting'...

Kate

It Was a Delivery Day Around Here !!

2011-12-22T20:27:00.001-05:00

Hello Hello All -

In keeping with a little bit more relaxed time at the office, I took this afternoon off and came home... oh how nice...

The UPS man delivered these: Books by Sally Collins - - I'm taking a class with Sally this May, so I need to read up. If yolu have ever seen her quilts in person, they are just breathtaking - small, unbelievably precise... make my heart go pitter pat. We will be making a personal version of the sampler shown on the middle book - - can you imagine how much we will learn doing that???? Yippee...... and then
the grocery man came and delivered a LOT of groceries to my house... oh boy I love grocery delivery. The concept of having someone shop, bag, tote, drive, and then bring it into my kitchen - for 7 bucks !!! Oh boy, sign me up. I buy all my heavy stuff when I have delivery - and then just pick up milk/bread, etc. in between having a delivery every two weeks - - I am a happy camper.

And then I spent some time delivering something myself - some blocks... namely Clue 6 of the Bonnie Hunter Quiltville.com mystery... here are some of my 'parts' from earlier clues:

And here is how Clue Six came out... I'm hoping it will turn out very Mediterranean looking - right now the blue sort of shocks you, and my instinct is to rip it out and put something more sedate in there, but I'm gonna leave it, and see if all plays off itself, and off those little string triangles above... after all, that's what mysteries are for - surprises!!!! I'll be working on these for the next few days - - I decided to moderate the scrappiness by using a constant fabric in the center blocks and the corner blocks, and I think I will like it... still enough variety in the other scrappy parts, I hope.
Right now I am doing the Happy Dance because these little beauties measure out perfectly at 6 1/2 inches - I think I am finally becoming more predictable in my sewing.... perhaps it helps that I quit using that 1/4 inch foot!!!! I seem to do better with a regular foot... oh well, we each have to use what works, now, don't we???

I hope everyone is finding some time to sew while still getting prepared for Christmas... I'm probably nuts, but I'm going to do another mystery quilt on Christmas Eve - I'll post more about that tomorrow or Saturday !!!!

WHAT A GREAT FUN TIME OF YEAR...

Kate

Clue 5..... in progress!

2011-12-18T18:13:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone, on the Monday of the week before Christmas!!!

Here are my "parts" so far for the Bonnie Hunter mystery - Clues 1,2,3,4,and 5... I just love the colors... I keep thinking there must be a lot more neutral to come in the next clue - cause so far the neutral (my yellow) is not very prominent... it will be interesting to see what comes next! Clue 5 is taking a while - I have 200 done of the 350 needed. To see what others are doing, visit http://quiltville.blogspot.com.

Mr. George asked me to say Happy Holidays for him - he is napping in the sunshine, as you see. He is a very very senior kitty now, 18 in kitty years, which at 6 years per human year is... let's see... 108! He has been declining for a year now - I thought he wouldn't make it til Christmas, but here he is in his favorite spot, napping in the sun, ready for the holiday - way to go, George!

I have been playing with strip sets of scraps ... I have succeeded in the goal set 18 months ago not to fill any more bins with scraps... all my scraps from the past year and a half have been sewn into strip sets and then made into something for a charity quilt, like a chinese coins oor something like that... I like mixing the black with the scraps - we'll see how this one shakes out when it is complete.

The next two weeks will be very quiet at my house - so, bring on the quilting... I can't wait!!

Happy quilting,

Kate

Holiday Spirit and Underwear

2011-12-18T11:23:00.000-05:00

Well - you know how poem goes... 'the stockings were hung by the chimney with care'.........

NOT AT MY HOUSE!

No tree - no stockings... no goodies... and then I saw THIS::::

Now, mind you, I could use some underwear........... but the point hit home...
So - I ordered up some goodies..........
First order was to a great little place called Southern Supreme - in North Carolina -
They make this "fruitcake" - but it's really nutcake - oh my my is it good - not much of that candied 'stuff' - just loads of nuts............ yummy. Southernsupreme.com. You really should look at their website... it's a family business that went viral.

I also got some chocolate from them, too!

Next I ordered up some presents - DH is getting some new clothes - he wears clothes until , oh, well, you know... holes under the arms, etc.... and he has lost weight, so I found some yummy knit shirts and a very cute sweatshirt/hoodie for him... can't buy him pants online or he would get some of those, too. He also got some fun little stocking stuffers (I better find those stockings).

And, presents for people I won't see this year , too... sisters, mom, etc.

It was great fun until, suddenly, my holiday fun came to a slamming halt:

CREDIT CARD DECLINED!!!!

Eeks... call VISA - what on earth is wrong............

And the absolutely insane response:::

YOU WERE MAKING AN UNUSUAL NUMBER OF PURCHASES.

GOOD GRIEF, VISA-LADY - IT'S CHRISTMAS...........

LAUGHING, LAUGHING......

MAYBE THE VISA LADY WILL GET UNDERWEAR IN HER STOCKING.

Kate

A Mountain of Quilts

2011-12-15T22:23:00.001-05:00

Hello everyone:

I had a great privilege this past weekend. I belong to the Sunshine Yahoo Group - we make kids charity quilts that are sent with Rotary doctors who travel the world repairing facial disfigurations for children - children who have been outcasts because of a simple cleft palette.

We send quilts with them - each kid is wrapped in a colorful quilt during surgery, and sent home with the quilt... a beautiful program started by my friend Terri, in Maine.

Last weekend, a local Rotary group collected a year's worth of donations from their members and gave them to us... so I went over to my friend Gail's house to sew on labels... When I walked in I saw this great mountain of quilts................ aren't they fabulous!!!

and that wasn't all of them. All total, I think we labeled nearly 300 kids quilts that day - all bright, cheery, and snuggly... here they are all boxed up and ready to be taken to the Rotary warehouse in San Francisco...

I often wonder what "kind" of quilter I want to be when I 'grow up"... Well, I'm not sure where my quilting obsession may lead, but I do hope I am always a charity quilter - cause doing this kind of work just feels sooo very good.. and what a nice time of year to feel good about charity work...

Happy Holidays -

Kate

Saturday at the Quilting Professor's House

2011-12-10T18:39:00.001-05:00

Wowee but I do LOVE Saturdays... especially when the grocery shopping got done earlier in the week. I even have some food in the frig ready to eat without cooking - so it's time for quilting!!!!

Most of you will recognize these as the famous RED STRINGS everyone is working on for the Bonnie Hunter mystery.....

WHAT? They aren't RED??? REALLY????? oh, yes, my Red is really blue... but aren't they cute?? I know, this isn't enough of them... still working on that. DH is pulling off the paper - bless his little pea pickin' heart.

For a very scary day, I LOST CLUES ONE AND TWO .... I picked them up before the cleaning Lady came, and couldn't find them - thank goodness they showed up... whew!

And look at my cactus go, blooming it's little heart out in the kitchen window...

Otherwise, DH and DK (dear Kitty) are both throwing up today (for various reasons) - so I shall just focus on sewing...

Kate

The Men Who Came to Visit Today

2011-12-08T20:17:00.001-05:00

Hi hi everybody - what a fabulous day I had today - I got to work at home today on some big paperwork projects... which means a fire in the fireplace, a cup of great hazelnut coffee, and best of all - SWEATPANTS!!!! yippee...

What I did not expect was all the wonderful MEN who visited me today...

Mr. USPS POST MAN put a box on my step - inside was some lovely Essential threads from Connecting Threads - that were on 40% sale!!! (I think they still are) yummy.. yummy.

Mr. Postman in a Truck brought a giant envelope full of Lotto Blocks from the Sunshine Yahoo Guild, from Tammy, who conducts the block Lotto - this was a set of fall colors - all snuggly and warm - can't wait to play with them...

And later this afternoon, DEAR HUBBY showed up with another box on the step - inside were these fabulous cute fabrics from the QUILTBUG shop in New York... a great sale, and free shipping!!! Beautiful bright colors for great kids quilts...

What a fabulous fabulous day !!!! Funny I didn't show you any of the paperwork I was supposed to be doing(grrrrr)...

Tomorrow MR. FENCE REPAIR MEN come... ok, I'm not very excited about that... ho hum..

Weekend on the way - yippee!

Happy quilting,
Kate

Quilting Stuff .... and that Tomato

2011-12-07T22:17:00.001-05:00

Hello everyone - I warn you, I have a bunch of weird stuff to put together tonight in this post...First off, it's my Clue 3 Orca Bay units - I swear they arranged themselves this way - - does anyone remember a weird bug movie where cockroaches arranged themselves on the walls in menacing messages??? oh good grief, why did I think of that???? This is much more pleasant...

And, for all of you who are now living the "Snowy Woods" scenery, I'll share two photos from my back yard - yes - California in December... now , mind you - it IS winter here - and the natives think it is terribly cold - - 50s in the day, 40s at night... but my petunias seem happy enough...

And this amazing little tomato has ripened - it's been on the vine since September... and its the only one this little plant grew - it was a strange little plant that someone left laying in the driveway to my surprise, so we planted it - it has weird curled up leaves - or maybe some sort of disease - but it grew one great Christmas tomato!!

I just finished up the very busy pre-holiday time at the University - finished my last banquet last night - so for the next few weeks, my work days will be normal length and much quieter than usual (I do mostly administration, rather than classroom teaching, so don't have the time off that faculty do)... but I shall enjoy these quiet weeks, and relatively short work days - - and do lots of quilting!!!!

Happy quilting to all, and to all a good 1/4 inch seam...

Kate

December Hexagon Quilt Progress Report - yippee!

2011-12-01T20:05:00.001-05:00

Another month's work on the hexagon quilt has enabled me to finish one of the five interior borders... and I love the interior border... Soon I will be able to start on squaring up the corner on at least one corner - which will eventually make this a FOUR-sided piece instead of a FIVE -sided one... that will be great fun!

I am really struggling with those green diamonds - they are just huge, and take forever... three finished, one almost finished, one started, one yet to start!!!!

..........moving forward one tiny square at a time...

Happy Quilting,
Kate

YIKES !!!!

2011-12-01T12:29:00.001-05:00

It was a heck of a night here - -

THE WIND BLEW - 20 - 45 WINDS, WITH GUSTS UP TO 90 mph all around the San Francisco Bay, and especially up on the hills - (where I live)

AND THE EARTH SHOOK - a 2.3 earthquake in Berkeley...

AND IN THE MIDDLE OF IT ALL...............

MY FENCE CAME A'TUMBLING DOWN..

Kate

Orca Bay and Dryer Lint

2011-11-28T22:41:00.001-05:00

Well - that title caught your eye, didn't it????

Here are my units so far for Clues 1 and 2 of Orca Bay. I think they play nicely together... don't you??

They don't go very nicely with my dining room rug, but that's no matter...

DH brought this in to me last night - over the Thanksgiving holiday, I prewashed a lot of fabric I bought recently - mostly big pieces I got on great sales, that will be used for backs for charity quilts...
So this is what my dryer lint looked like... now tell me, does anyone besides a quilter have such lovely dryer lint? Look at the value contrast and the complimentary colors!!!! too funny.

I am looking forward to sharing a new photo of the Great Hexagon Quilt... I have fallen newly in love with it with the completion of a new section - can't wait to show you - will take the monthly archive photo on the first of the month... come back to see!

Happy quilting,

Kate

A Little Inspiration

2011-11-26T21:57:00.001-05:00

Have you seen the movie "Made in Dagenham" ??? It was released a year or so ago...

It's a story of some cheeky women who - well - who SEW...

These women worked in the Ford factory in England in the 1960s, sewing together the seats and other cloth areas of cars... and they had this crazy idea that they should be paid as much as men who were doing similar jobs... so they went on strike - unheard of for - - well - - - you know - - WOMEN.

It.'s a great little movie about standing up for what you believe in - and about women... and what we can achieve when we set our mind to it.

I love long weekends cause DH watches movies, and I do handwork... and sometimes I get to PICK - and we watch something like this instead of a shoot'em/swear at'em/chase scene movie...

So - this weekend, do something radical for women who work, or who own businesses - buy something from them - - go to Etsy and buy something from one of our fabulous crafty friends...

............and Happy Quilting, of course.

Kate

First Quilts with Bonnie Hunter

2011-11-26T10:45:00.001-05:00

Good Saturday morning...

Bonnie Hunter is having a Linky Party to people's First Quilts - so here's one of mine... my 'real' first quilt was stolen many years ago - but this is around the same time. A very traditional Dresden Plate, made during graduate school in the late 70s... you can see I got 'fancy" with my sashing and cornerstones...

This quilt is still very much in use - the dresdens are coming loose occasionally, but other than that, it keeps me warm when I am cold!!

This one was made with the leftovers - the beginning of that pesky "Stash" issue! Oh, I really got fancy here - I put piping between those center blocks... oh my...

Another 70s quilt: my first log cabin

And a "just squares" with those Smiley Faces - no quilt historian will have trouble dating this quilt!!

And, an early Bear's Paw - I seem to have moved to a controlled color palette - I think this was the first quilt not made from scraps;;; the Bear seemed to have blunted most of his nailtips in this quilt!! I had not yet figured out how to avoid chopping off all the points of triangles!! I remember I thought putting a sheet on for backing was a novel idea at that time!!

So - those are some of my early quilts: they may not be perfectly pieced or quilted - but they have kept me warm for more than thirty years - and these are still the quilts I sleep under... they are old friends now!

And some new friends are awaiting me in my sewing room, so let me go and make their acquaintance!

Happy quilting,

Kate

Little Cooking, Lots of Sewing !!!!

2011-11-24T12:05:00.001-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone - and to those of you who are having beautiful, traditional meals with china, crystal, and candles - I salute you!!

We have chosen a simpler day - there IS a bird in the oven, but it will make sandwiches.

and the pie is thawing (as opposed to cooking, lol)... sandwich and pie - sounds perfect to me...

So, bird cooking and pie thawing, I can sew::: First, the binding on this charity quilt is finished - that print fabric is of sneakers - so DH says this is a certifiable "boy" quilt!!

And the binding is partly done on this other charity quilt...

so now I can turn my focus to marking the quilting on this beauty, which will go into my permanent personal quilt collection... I had hoped to sandwich it tomorrow, since the LQS will be quiet and the classroom open, but , alas, the back fabric I ordered did not arrive - the store is tracking the box... but at least I will get it all marked.

After that? Oh wow, lots of possibilities - maybe drag out an UFO and make some progress - or work on one of the many WIPS in my sewing room! Fun, fun...

I'll call you when the turkey sandwich is ready...

Happy quilting,

Kate

Darling Little Charity Quilt

2011-11-22T21:08:00.001-05:00

Hi all - I just had to share this darling little charity quilt... I did not piece it, just quilted it. It's part of the Sunshine Yahoo Guild's initiative to make quilts In Memory of Bev, a former member ... so I don't know who pieced it - but it is oh so beautifully done...

Isn't it amazing that someone went to so much trouble to put in those tiny sashings, and that teeny inner border... it's beautiful sewn, too...

Some lucky kid is gonna get a lot of love in this one!

Happy Quilting,

Kate

Orca Bay Step One Finished!

2011-11-20T21:19:00.004-05:00

So, here are my Step One hourglass units: 220 of them. Actually I need 4 more - I dropped them, and they didn't get in the photo!! LOL.

My colors are pale yellow for the neutral background, lime green, navy blue, and the rust that you see in the little units... It's my most adventurous color choice, so we will see how it works out!

Tomorrow is the day for the cleaning lady - so for one short moment, all the little "bits" of fabric and thread will be picked up off the floors... except for the sewing room, which I do not allow her to clean - or should I say I don't allow her to SEE !! Too much stuff everywhere to have her try to clean - once in a while I vacuum and dust...

I am SOOO looking forward to Thanksgiving. DH will be working (you know, he is one of those wonderful medical people who work on the holidays) - but that's ok, I will have great wonderful quiet time for sewing.

I ordered some back fabric - if it comes in time, I will pop in to my LQS and use the tables to do a bit of sandwiching - I have two larger quilts that I can't sandwich on my own small tables - need the big size! Need I say that sandwiching is my very LEAST favorite part of quilting - - although it is a lovely excuse to visit the LQS !!!

I wish everyone who is cooking up giant feasts the best of luck with your preparations! I am cooking a small turkey, mainly for the leftover sandwiches - perhaps I can eat a sandwich while I MAKE a sandwich !!!!

Happy Quilting,

Kate

FROM A TINY BEGINNING...

2011-11-18T20:34:00.001-05:00

Well - this is my big accomplishment so far today:

yep - two... Two hourglass units measuring 2.5 inches.

Yes, those are the hourglasses from Step one of Bonnie Hunter's Orca Bay... which I am doing with pale yellow, rust, navy blue, and lime green... I need a LOT more than two of these!!! lol... tomorrow IS Saturday !!

Happy Weekend to everyone!

Endless Strip Sets

2011-11-13T23:19:00.001-05:00

About a year ago, I vowed to stop filling up bins with scraps... and since I quilt a lot, I seem to make a lot of scraps!!! And, for a year, I have managed to use up those scraps as i made them, doing things like string quilts. Recently I've been sewing together strip sets - and looking for interesting things to do with them... So, here are a couple of charity tops made up from scrap sets... The first one is a Bonnie Hunter design from her website ; on the second I just made snowballs out of strip blocks...

I am gradually learning to put more solids with my scrappy quilts so the eye can 'rest' somewhere - progress! (and don't tell anyone but one row is in there wrong - in the middle - but I'm sure as heck not ripping it out!

Boy, you sure can see the power of white in that quilt, can't you? Not sure I would put those in there if I was doing it again... just trying to use up that piece of scrap!!

Happy Quilting, everyone...

Kate

2011-11-12T19:25:00.001-05:00

Flying geese flimsy is FINISHED - HOORAY!

This is a Linda Ballard center design, with a Seminole pieced border around it just for fun, as if piecing all those flying geese had not been enough of a challenge !!!!

I hope to get this all quilted by the New Year - hope I can meet that schedule.

This sweet little thing is a charity quilt of nine-patch squares - put together like this they make an interesting pattern, don't they?

A good day - one finish for me, one finish for charity !!

And a wonderful guild meeting with Kathy Miller, the "Singing Quilter" - if you have a chance to hear her, do it - she's really fun...

a great day... and tomorrow the neighborhood has a Craft Boutique, which we can just walk down the street and enjoy !!

.................and, how could I forget - I stopped up the kitchen sink with some leftover spaghetti - now I ask you, how could spaghetti stop up like cement???? DH wants to wait til Monday to have the plumber............ heck, no dishes to wash tomorrow , sounds fine to me...

Happy Quilting,

Kate

Stash Reality

2011-11-10T13:52:00.001-05:00

Welcome to a get-real moment with my stash:

First, there are the shelves of fabric: here are the blues, greens, oranges, and novelties.

Now the yellows, the stripes, and a shelf that seems to be unsorted.

And now the pinks/reds/ browns, and the hand-dyes ...

and some overflow that needs to be folded and put on the shelves (where??? :(

In storage drawers are strips, squares, some orphan blocks...- and another dresser full of this kind of stuff that I didn't photograph, and some bins of fat quarters - plus several boxes of UFO's and UFO parts.

In the garage - finished charity quilts, unfinished charity quilts, unfinished personal quilts (yes, that's a RRCB Bonnie Hunter you see folder there, awaiting quilting)

Sorry, same photo again - but imagine the other side of the garage - same photo reversed - more bins of fabric...ha

And, need I say - I don't throw ANYTHING away under 1.5 inches square - every bit is used up. Right now I am making these from tiny scraps...

Oh boy are they cute - but let's get real - are These TINY pinwheels gonna use up that gigantic stash???? oh good grief no...

This morning I cut backs for ten charity children's quilts - and I didn't even see a dent!

Oh well - IT'S AN INVESTMENT............
IT'S A HEDGE FUND AGAINST INFLATION...........
THE MONEY COULD BE IN MY 401K LOSING VALUE EVERY DAY.............

truth be told - I just LOVE having all this fabric, and envisioning myself cutting and sewing it...

SO - I SHALL HAVE IT............

IN FACT - I SHALL HAVE MORE OF IT...............

happy quilting,

Kate

Returning to those Roots

2011-11-08T22:10:00.003-05:00

Wow - isn't it interesting how our lives turn full circle...?? In ways you never dream. Growing up as a girl in the SOUTH, I remember the black cast iron frying pan that 'lived' on top of the stove. I say it "lived" there because it was NEVER put away... I mean, why would you put it away?????

For breakfast, mom fried eggs... for lunch, she fried up some cornbread with collards, and then for dinner, fried chicken - or country fried steak... every meal, the frying pan was center stage... and, because it was a lovely cast iron pan, you just wiped it out with a paper towel, and left it sitting on the stove top for the next meal.

Well - when I left home and went away to college, I wanted MODERN cookware - so I got me some of that non-stick magic cookware - you remember - TEFLON !!!! It was great til it flaked off...Then I had some T-FAL - stuff - magic, that was... til it got yucky... and then there was some decent copper bottom frying pans - and I don't know what happened to them... and , of course, a few pans that warped and nothing would cook in decently...and then I bought some "new" cast-iron and it was awful - nothing like I remembered.

Well - I've gone full circle now - just bought this on eBay... it's a Griswold, and a beauty - all cleaned up and ready to fry up some Sunday chicken...and I've become an expert on "vintage" cast-iron... and its wonders...

You may ask why I didn't just 'get' my mom's cast iron? Why, of course, cause she is still using it - at 86, it is right now sitting on her stove, I am sure, awaiting breakfast tomorrow morning..

I wonder if I can find any decent lard in San Francisco???? (teasing, teasing... although chicken WAS better cooked in lard - but I will spare my poor arteries that torment)... and will try to find more healthy options to cook in my new pan...

TILAPIA - lightly pan-fried... yes, that's just the thing...must keep my strength up so I can quilt.

Kate

Quilty Sunday

2011-11-06T22:36:00.000-05:00

Hi all - - it was a great quilty Sunday here... sweatpants and a big pot of coffee kind of day...

I finished up two charity quilts for my Guild's Community Quilts project... I don't know who made the tops - my job was to quilt and bind them... so these are ready to turn in on Saturday at the meeting. They are both nice and snuggly, so I am sure someone will enjoy them!

I got a box of scraps from my friend Betty in Southern New York, and I'm having fun going through those. I recently started a postage stamp quilt, and some of Betty's scraps are already cut into small squares for that purpose... why are OPS (other people's scraps) so much more fun than my own???

Well, here's to another Monday morning, coming all too soon....

Kate

Them's Whales

2011-11-05T22:57:00.003-04:00

Whales - until today I never saw one - and now I have...

they are amazing, fabulous creatures.

We went out whalewatching from Santa Cruz, CA. It was a bit cold, and very choppy, and more than a few of the bunch left their breakfasts over the side...

BUT WE SAW WHALES - they came up close to the boat - in groups of two or three - fabulous, fabulous, fabulous...

disclaimer; these aren't my picture, cause I don't have a telephoto lens - but this IS what it looked like!!

And we saw sea lions...

and adorable sea otters...

a fabulous day for DH, me, and some friends...

and tomorrow I'm staying home all day and sewing...

Kate

Little Cuties

2011-11-01T22:58:00.001-04:00

I am having sooo much fun playing with these little HSTs, which were bonus triangles from some snowball blocks... I have become obsessed lately with using up even tiny scraps (since those same scraps could be part of a jelly , a honeybun, or whatever nonsense Moda is dreaming up to get an obscene amount of money for a yard of fabric... but I digress...
So, I am trimming up these little HSTs...

which then become the very cutest little pinwheels you ever did see... 2 1/2 inches each.

Meanwhile, I am still learning how to use my camera correctly to get better color... Look how different these look...

My class in camera technique has now enabled me to take different types of photos - now I just have to figure out what it will look like BEFORE I take seven pictures of the same thing..!! Oh well, I DID learn a few things at class!

Oh - what will I do with the pinwheels??? Well, at the moment I have no earthly idea.. that's the fun of it!

Happy Quilting,
Kate

On and On and On

2011-10-29T23:56:00.001-04:00

Here's the November 1 (a little early ) photo of the Hexie flimsy.... I am loving this so much, but boy oh boy is it taking a loooooooong time !!!!

Happy Saturday night,

Kate

It's Gonna Work !!!!

2011-10-29T00:22:00.002-04:00

Yippee - I have three sides of the pieced border on - and I can tell I have enough fabric to finish the borders!!! As you can see, I still have work to do on the corners, but I am so excited that I'm going to make it all the way around!

And, just for a smile, here are my petunias.. we cut them way back a few weeks ago, and they just filled back in and started blooming again !! And, yes, that's my little fall tomato on the left.. I doubt it will ripen, but it is fun to see this late in the season.

Hope everyone is looking forward to a great quilty weekend!

Kate

Yummy Pieced Borders

2011-10-24T21:37:00.001-04:00

I'm having the BEST time making this pieced border... this is a pattern by Linda Ballard, but her pattern does not give a design for the borders, but leaves it up to the quilter - many put an applique border on, like in her photo - but I am playing with a pieced border...

I can't decide if the border should go all the way around, or if it should be only a partial border, one of those L in the bottom corner, and an upside down L in the top right - Given that I'm not sure if I have enough of the fabrics to do a complete border, the decision might be made for me... we will just have to wait and see!

I plan a third border, in solid brown, to finish it off...

Happy Quilting,
Kate

By-Products

2011-10-23T11:39:00.005-04:00

Hi everyone;;;

You know that commercial where the lady is looking at the label on cat food and turns up her nose and says "ewwww, chicken by-products".............like her cat is going to be damaged by a little bit of chicken head, or eyeball............... the same cat that would eat a whole mouse in a second, or a lizard, or some weird bug................. I promise you, most kitties think by-products are Yum, Yum!!

Well, I've been thinking about quilts... especially scrap quilts... in a way - they are like by-products... made from the left-over part... So, on that lovely thought, here is what I assembled yesterday from my string scraps:

You will remember these blocks from a few posts ago:

Well, assembled, they turn into this bright and cheery look.
And, the bonus triangles from the corners are very very cute made into pinwheels:

A friend has sent the Quilting Professor a precious gift from Salzburg, home of Mozart; this tiny violin , bow, and case... and, yes, that is a 2.5 inch square it is laying on. It's just adorable. thanks, great friend.

So, the day is just beginning here on the west coast - I must tidy up a bit as the cleaning lady comes tomorrow (lord bless the cleaning lady).... and must work on a couple of charity quilts that need to be finished and sent to their new homes. And, of course.... a bit more work with the by-products to move forward on the lovely yellow flimsy.

Happy Sunday quilting,

Kate

EARTHQUAKE ...... and PENGUINS

2011-10-21T01:39:00.002-04:00

oh my goodness - tonight I was calmly basting a quilt when the upstairs of the house started shaking , like a big wind was blowing through - then the DOWNSTAIRS started shaking... it was my first earthquake experience... only a 4.0... that's enough for me...

I have to share this photo - knitters in New Zealand are knitting little sweater jumpers for penguins who were caught in an oil spill and can't fluff their feathers to stay warm... is that adorable or what????

Kate

Eye Candy from Pacific International Quilt Festival

2011-10-16T18:46:00.000-04:00

I lLove Living Close to this Fantastic Festival !!!!
Here's some eye candy for you...

Here's the Grand Prize Winner:

this one is the winner of the World Competition:

The rest are ones I really liked::::

oh - did I forget to tell you???

I made all of these quilts !!!!

ok, I exaggerate - i made none of these quilts...wish I had... congrats to those who did...

Kate

Quilt Photography Class

2011-10-16T11:08:00.003-04:00

Hi all - yesterday I went to Pacific International Quilt Festival !!!! yippeeeeeeeeeeeee.
Wow, but the quilts are just incredible... photos to come later today.
For the moment I write about the class I took on quilt photography... you know... here's how I do it now:
Honey, will you hold a quilt up?
Over there, in front of the louvers.
No, it's too bright., try over here.
ok - hold it up... keep holding it.
Right hand higher - no, left hand higher.
higher, please?
And, then, of course, the photo is too dark, too light, crooker, and has feet and hands. I do know how to crop the photo, and that's about it...
Well - yesterday, I "went to the next level"... took a class on quilt photography.

Well - I learned I have two choices:
1) I can spend a BOAT load of money to get ready to photograph that prize-winning quilt when I get it done ; or
2) I can just buy a few things and my photography will be a lot better! (and heck, when I make that award-winner, I can have someone photograph it)

I'm so glad to have choice no. 2., and I can't wait to get started..

The teacher was Gregory Case, who lives at www.gregorycase.com... and does lots of fabulous quilty-things with a camera... he did such a nice job of handling the various skill levels in the class..
IT WAS SO MUCH FUN !!!!

Here's to learning..

Kate

Three for NYC - Victoria here they come !

2011-10-14T22:07:00.001-04:00

Have you read about the charity quilt initiative called BASICS? I't's a project to give quilts to families in NYC who used to be homeless, and are now re-entering their own homes. It is hosted by Victoria of Bumble Beans, and you can read about it here:
http://bumblebeansbasics.com/

I'm sending these three quilts... as soon as I can box them up... the one above is from a swap of 30's blocks that happened last year with some online quilters. This next one, which did not photograph very well, is part denim, from the giant denim stash I have from a donation by Cone Mills of High Point, North Carolina. It's a great quilt for a pre-teen - very snuggly.

The last one is kid-sized, a string quilt - also snuggly with the extra layer of foundation to stabilize the strings.

I hope these quilts help some families to be warm and to feel cared for...

If you have an extra quilt, send it to NYC... Victoria will personally distribute it to one of these wonderful families who are working hard to emerge from a difficult time... it will be much loved, I think.

Happy Weekend to all,

Kate

PIQF

2011-10-13T23:25:00.003-04:00

Saturday I'm going to the Pacific International Quilt Festival !!!! Yippee!!!!

Saturday morning I will just enjoy the quilts on display - will take some pics, too!

Saturday afternoon I'm taking a class - on Quilt Photography! Won't that be cool????
Fun, fun - wish you could come, too...

Kate

Another RRCB flimsy is Born!

2011-10-09T13:20:00.000-04:00

Hi all - at long last, the top of last year's Bonnie Hunter mystery, Roll Roll Cotton Bowl, is complete!

... and that's DH, helpig to hold it up - boy it's BIG!!!!

...............i will think about quilting it on another day...

I think I will go sew on something tiny now!

Kate

Finishes

2011-10-06T22:22:00.001-04:00

I LOVE FINISHES!!!

And one of these has quite a story::

The story begins in NORTH CAROLINA - when I lived there, our Linus Quilt group was given enormous quantities of denim by Cone Mills . Cone is a long-time NC textile mill. It was all legs of jeans - just legs... with side seams and hems at the top and bottom of the legs, and a big metal ring in it to hang it up. Turns out they make up legs in all the various colors of denim to use when they are selling their products - and then later they discard all those legs - so we got boxes and boxes of legs... I took home FOUR GIGANTIC BOXES of legs!!!!

So, not long after, I moved - and moved four boxes of denim legs - to New York! While we lived there, I cut all the legs up, discarding the hems, and made lovely 6 1/2 inch strips, with the side seam down the center of the strips... yummy for quilts. So now it was only THREE BINS of strips of legs!!!
..... and I made 4-5 quilts using that denim, mixed with other fabrics to keep the quilts moderate weight.

Well - then we moved to CALIFORNIA - and the denim came west...and now this quilt has emerged from the denim bins... to be donated to the local guild - perfect for a teen.. (oh my, there's plenty of denim left - I better get busy) . I truly think I can make denim quilts for another 20 years before I run out - but oh they are so very warm and snuggly, and rough and tumble for daily use..

I also got this small top quilted up for the Sunshine Yahoo Guild - someone else made the top - I think it's quite pleasing... still have to sew down the binding...

So - that's my finishes for now... meanwhile I am closing in on finishing the top of the Bonnie Hunter Roll, Roll Cotton Bowl quilt... I have vowed to work on it a bit every day til its done - and I am getting very close - just one more border to put on...

I've been thinking a lot lately about my UFOs... somehow I manage to finish all these donation quilts, but my larger, more substantial pieces are not getting completed... hmmm - need to give that some serious thought... stay tuned and I'll tell you when I get that figured out.

Happy Quilting, everyone,
Kate

A Halloween Tomato????

2011-10-04T21:28:00.001-04:00

Hello everyone - my garden has just gone nuts... Indian summer just ended, and it rained for the first time since last May - (remember I live in the California Bay area, where it doesn't rain all summer)... and the evenings turned cool enough to need a ~~blanket~~ quilt. So now our outside plants have gone berserk: These are my two-year old petunias - trimmed back for the winter, but still blooming away.

And this red plant is finally blooming again after a nasty run-in with golden aphids..................

And - - oh - - look - OUR FIRST TOMATO OF THE SEASON - - YES, REALLY. This poor tomato plant languished all summer, and NOW it grows a tomato... Wouldn't it be a kick if it ripened???? Oh well, we will see... I do love a homegrown tomato, but not usually in November...

nuts, nuts. I will return to my sewing machine where I am quilting a simple crosshatch on a charity quilt... it's lovely , though, and quite fun to quilt. I love the way it begins my feeling like this big loose thing, and a bit later it starts feeling like a single unit, as the layers start to be connected...

Kate

A Love Affair with Scraps

2011-10-02T18:44:00.000-04:00

Happy Sunday Evening to All - and I hope you had a fun quilty weekend. I spent a lot of time 'processing'... lots of prep work - cutting bindings, cutting borders, making sandwiches, etc.

Now I have a nice stack of charity quilts ready to quilt:::I like to see them all snuggled up, inside out... there's a fourth one hiding at the bottom...

and, after doing the sandwiching, I set to work on that basket of strings I had overflowing on my sewing table:

These are all strips cut off the edges of things when the piece gets too small to go back on the shelf, or the trimmings from the edges of the backs of quilts. I don't know how the pile gets so big so fast - it just does... and about a year ago I promised myself to STOP filling up plastic storage bins with scraps - they simply must be sewn up into SOMETHING - and for a year, I've created no new scrap bins - this is as bad as the strips can get (I'll confess later about the odd-shaped pieces that are hidden under the cutting table)

I sewedsome of the strips into strip sets - LOTS of strip sets........ and then the strip sets into 6 1/2 inch squares:

And turned the squares into snowball blocks with some bright yellow fabric. I'm not sure what I will do with these, but I like them...

And - I got lots of cute little bonus triangles when I trimmed up the snowball blocks... aren't they cute - oh dear - now I need to think of something to do with THOSE !!!!

So - after sewing, and cutting, and sewing, and ironing - is the basket empty now???

OF COURSE NOT - ITS THE MAGIC SCRAP BASKET - it lasts forever!!! I swear it's amazing - it is dramatically less piled up, but it's still a long way from empty ......

..............just a few scraps - and those will go into a big bag that I am collecting for someone who uses even the tiniest scraps...

It feels SO good to make good use of these left-over pieces of fabric... I love scraps...

Hope everyone is looking forward to a good week...

Kate

ps: Blogger just seems to like this little duplicate photo so much it won't let me delete it ..... sometimes it has a mind of its own!!!

Friday night Scrappy Fun

2011-09-30T22:17:00.001-04:00

hello hello everyone - it's Friday night - yippee! I'm going to stay up very very very late and sew, sew, sew. My goal???? I want to diminish this basket of strings, which is overflowing...

and turn these strips into these blocks:

So - the question is - how many blocks like that can be made out of that string basket?
And how long would it take????

And - can I focus on one task long enough to do it?

That answer I know - of course not !!!
But I will do some of them before I move to other projects...

Happy Weekend...

Kate

HEXO - PROGRESSO

2011-09-29T22:11:00.002-04:00

Yowee - this is getting BIG !!!! I think, when this is completed all the way around, that this is the primary part of this quilt... then I'll need to make the corners square with some designs, and maybe an external border, and then it will be finished... oh heck, that will only take another year or so!!!!

...............stay tuned...

and happy quilting,

Kate

More Ugly

2011-09-23T21:11:00.005-04:00

Hi everyone - well, I am finished with the Ugly Fabric Challenge, hosted by my friend and fellow quilter on the Sunshine Yahoo site! She sent a bunch of us a fat quarter of this lovely:

You know, I remember when I would have thought that was just lovely...
Well, here at the blocks I made ( and a couple of duplicates of some as well):

So now these lovelies go back in the mail to her, and she will put everyone's blocks together in a lovely charity quilt....

What fun... and thanks, Ann, for a fun challenge!!

Happy Quilting, everyone,

Kate

Is it ugly???

2011-09-21T21:58:00.000-04:00

This is my first block from the Ugly Fabric Challenge...

(cutting the fabric into small pieces helped a lot, of course)...

What do you think - on the Ugly Scale????

1 - Bug Ugly
3 - Get that out of my sight!
5 - just boringly ugly
7 - it's ok, but don't tell anyone you made it
10 - actually, fairly decent looking...

Let's see - I'll give it - oh, an 8 - (so why am I putting it on the web??? cause I'm nuts)

Happy Quilting,

Kate

An Ugly Fabric Challenge

2011-09-19T22:49:00.002-04:00

Hi everyone !!!! I am participating in an UGLY FABRIC CHALLENGE !! how fun... it is sponsored by a member of the Yahoo Online Sunshine Guild... she donated us all a fat quarter of her UGLIEST FABRIC.... and here is what came in the mail today.....................................

(I don't actually think it is THAT ugly).

When I was opening the package, DH said "oh, what do you have ", and I responded, 'oh someone sent me some UGLY fabric'...

He said - 'gee honey, that's not very nice'....

The challenge is to make as many 12 inch blocks as possible from the ugly fabric. Then we will send them back to their "mother", who will make charity quilts from the blocks...

So - here is some of the ugly fabric made into lovely flying geese....

What will I do next? Why, I have no idea...

Meanwhile, I have been binding this quilt below. It is a guild quilt for donation - a longarmer quilted a bunch of them, and then we all adopted them for binding...

Last night it was my handwork for the Emmys... but I left it in the chair unfinished...

Voila - here's what i found when I came home from work:

"Gee Ma", he said" I am so glad you quilt for a hobby"! to which I replied, "Yes, dear George, I make all these quilts just for you so you can nap on each one one time before I wash them!!!! "

Happy Quilting to everyone...

Kate

IN PRAISE OF THE BOYS

2011-09-18T15:53:00.000-04:00

This is my DH - disassembling the last quilt frames from last year's quilt show. Isn't he cute there with his little apron? He isn't really as lonely as this photo seems - there were lots of DH and DS around helping.

I really don't think today is a "day"for the boys, like Father's Day or Grandfather's Day - but I think we Quilters should create a day to say a special thank you to the "boys"... I see them everywhere quilters gather...doing things for us:

Toting stuff from car to meetings

Waiting outside quilt stores.... patiently (or not)

Driving us to quilt festivals - and then going looking for a Bass Pro Shop nearby

Building quilt frames

Putting up flyers

Helping guilds with 'stuff'...

Carrying sewing machines

supplying trucks and vans

testing quilts for 'snuggleness'

oh - and here's a special one - my DH actually likes to vacuum in my sewing room!

and a not-so-happy one - locating missing pins by stepping on them!

What about the 'boys' in your quilting life? Give them a shout out...

Happy Sunday quilting,

Kate

My Marching Orders Came in the Mail Today !

2011-09-13T21:21:00.002-04:00

Who was that crazy person who said "if you'll piece 'em, I'll quilt 'em..???" meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee..

Who'd have thunk 20 tops would fit in one box...

These are charity tops for the Sunshine quilt Guild, who is doing a big project of 9-patch children's quilts in honor of Bev of Alaska, one of our group who passed away a few months ago...
I can't wait to quilt them - they are so cheerful and bright.

and speaking of cheerful and bright - these were leftovers - I love the bright yellow with them... this one is quilted and ready to donate... I do love these little charity quilts!

I finally got a photo editing software, so I can remove DH's legs from all my quilts... but I will miss them... so for now, they are still there!!! Nice looking legs for a 62-year old, huh? You should see his cute little behind. Just a little handful. (oops)

Kate

A FAVORITE NEW THING

2011-09-12T21:24:00.002-04:00

Every now and again I find something I just think is fabulous - so here goes:

The Williams-Sonoma Silocone Trivet... you can buy it on their web site for $10.00.

Yep - Silicone (do people really put this in their breasts?? ok, never mind that thought)...

and not only a trivet - a pot holder, too.

This is just the neatest thing - it's silicone, so heat doesn't penetrate at all - it holds pots and pans very firmly... and it WASHES... so

it's the last potholder you will ever need to buy...

Every woman in my family is getting two of these for Christmas presents...

(no, I don't get a cut - heavens, I wish I did!!)

My favorite new thing for the moment...

Kate

FABULOUS QUILTY FUN

2011-09-11T11:13:00.003-04:00

Oh have I been having some great fun in the past few days.... I 've been working on three great projects.....

Victoria of Bumble Beans commission several of us to make blocks from a new quilt line, called Cloud 9 - so I did a paper pieced block, that came out like this: Watch her blog to see what wonderfully creative thing she does with these blocks... http://bumblebeansinc.blogspot.com

And I started a new paper pieced quilt from a pattern in Bella Bella Quilts... this is just the center medallion... and it's LOTS of fun...

And then I put this little baby top together with some simple instructions, to post on the web at Bumble Beans for anyone who wants to make an easy, simple quilt for their charity drive for families who are transitioning from homelessness to being in a home again... it's a 700-quilt goal and its a fabulous initiative. Stop by and leave a quilt in the Comment section !

And now today I get to go over to Berkeley, CA to a wonderful shop called New Pieces, and pickup some fabric I need to continue on the Bella Bella quilt... and have a wonderful lunch at one of the many great restaurants in Berkeley...

Hope everyone is having a great Sunday!

Kate

A Winner From the Twilight Zone

2011-09-10T04:47:00.004-04:00

cue the music..... can you hear it????

We have a winner for the Halloween fabric - the fabric with the little Halloween devils going out to Trick-or-Treat....

........................more Twilight Zone theme..................

and - you won't believe it - the Random Number Generator picked.............

NUMBER THIRTEEN !!!!!!!! .......................................music louder now.......................

And the lucky Number Thirteen is Robin from RsIsland Crafts....
and when you visit Robin's blog, you learn that she is a member of something called "The Ghoul's Guild"............

LOUDER TWILIGHT ZONE THEME...

"There is a fifth dimension, beyond that which is known to man.............." Do you remember????

Congrats, Robin... I need your snail mail addy please - for some reason I can not email you... send it to krountree@ithaca.edu.

thanks all for commenting, and to the new Followers for joining in this madness.

Kate

Reporting a Hit and Run

2011-09-08T22:40:00.000-04:00

Hi all - this isn't the REAL PHOTO - but my sister and I are heros for reporting a hit and run...

A couple of weeks ago while we were in Yosemite, we saw a camper hit a car in a parking lot. The car was empty. The camper tore up the car pretty bad. The camper stopped, but my sister said "write down the license numbers"... (duh we did not think of just taking a photo of the vehicles)... the old technology (pencil on the back of something) won out.

When we left Yosemite, we tried to give the information to the Park Ranger, who was this blond chick with gum - shall we say very active gum... she would not take it - ha your tax dollars at work....

So - my sister flew home to North Carolina, and gave the info to a friend who is an officer there , who said: 1) thank you this is great; and 2) BAD BAD Park Ranger...

WELL - it turns out the camper left the scene without leaving any information... and the people who owned the car (it was a rental) were going to be out BIG BIG BUCKS... the damage estimate was TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS.... but they had a big deductible so they had to pay a lot more than they should have, since they were completely innocent... so they were HAPPY HAPPY.

And the doormat who hit the car and left (in a rental camper) is in a bad way, I fear - not just an accident but leaving the scene...

I'm so glad we could help the man who had the rental car... I can't imagine how surprised he was to hear the story of the accident in California that got reported in North Carolina !!!!

Life is never dull.

Kate

Giveawaaaaaaaaaaaay

2011-09-04T13:02:00.000-04:00

Are you planning Halloween sewing???? If so, perhaps this fabric is just what you need for some Halloween project... It's good, quilt-shop quality fabric that I got on sale a couple of years ago, and I'm ready to pass it along to someone who will make good use of it!

Here's the detail shot - color is off because of the flash - but you can see the little adorable pitchford creatures... with barbed tails... I give up on what these are supposed to be... but they sure are cute...

Leave me a message and tell me what you'd like to do with the fabric - there's almost 1.5 yards of it...

Followers can comment twice - so if you aren't already a follower, jump in...

I'll choose the random winner on Friday September the 9th, at 6 pm Pacific time.

(sorry, no international entries - sorry)

I am sooo happy to see this go to a loving home!!!!

Kate

Fence o' Quilts

2011-09-02T16:44:00.006-04:00

Hello hello on a fine Friday before a Holiday Weekend!!!

These lovely cuties are for the Wrap-A-Smile Foundation, which sends quilts along with medical teams who travel abroad to do facial restoration surgeries for children.

The 9-patch blocks were donated from qulters on the Yahoo Sunshine Quilt Guild, in honor of a beloved member, Bev Bennett of Alaska, who passed away... more than 1200 blocks were collected...

EGAD - DID SHE SAY 1200 BLOCKS - YES SHE DID - lots of people loved Bev!

..............and, no, I don't have to finish them all - this is my 'share' here.

So - these are just a small part of the project - but I do love the way they look all hanging on the fence...

..............hope some little one loves them , too!

Have a fabulous quilty weekend...

Kate

Hey Ma, you should Give Something Away!

2011-09-01T21:23:00.002-04:00

fold?? who needs to fold this laundry?? I will press it this way

George says its time for a giveaway...
He says we have too much stuff around - so - I ask you - WHAT should I give away???

Fabric????

Books????

Patterns ????

Any suggestions???

Kate

Wed Before a Three-Day Weekend Yippee!!

2011-08-31T22:10:00.002-04:00

Happy Wednesday , everyone...

Next will come Thursday....

And then Friday and IT'S A THREE-DAY WEEKEND

YIPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

I will be working on this:

what was this little sliver

became these arcs:

and now is this quarter square:

OH, I love these colors... and will show you more after I go finish the other three parts of this circle-in-a-square.

I think I will just sew and sew and sew this weekend... sometimes I try to stay up all night and sew - I really don't like to sleep very much, because it is time I could do other things... usually I crash by 2:00 am, but I have a really fun time sewing and watching movies in the still of the night...

Happy quilting...

Kate

Beginning Before Ending

2011-08-29T23:02:00.002-04:00

Hmmm - "Beginning Before Ending" - sounds very Zen, doesn't it????

I wish I could say I finished all those other things I have been showing you, but I haven't....

But I started something new anyway!!!! OF COURSE... it's the quilter's way!!

I started it in a class... here's what it was at the end of Class #1:

And, after some "homework", here's what I'm taking back to class tomorrow night:

I'll keep showing it to you as I go along - will resist showing you how it is all supposed to turn out...

ooh I love starting something new... why isn't finishing equally fun?

Happy quilting, at the Beginning or the Ending,

Kate

A Quilting Saturday

2011-08-27T16:17:00.002-04:00

Hello everyone - and my best wishes to everyone on the east coast....here in California, it's another beautiful 70 degree day... beautiful sunshine - I am watching the birds eat and bathe on our back patio...

I'm having a great quilty day - moving a few projects toward completion...
This will be a charity quilt - it's made of 1930s fabric blocks I got in a swap and finally got quilted - it is now being bound and then it's ready to give away.

This second one is a top, made of lottery blocks I won from the Sunshine Yahoo Guild - always fun to win blocks!!! the theme was flowers - but a kitty snuck in there! (sorry for the light washout - it was a bit too sunny I think)

And, there's the endless flying geese quilt - the center of the quilt is almost finished - a little bit more to do... then I have to figure out what I will do for borders...waiting for some inspiration!

ooh am I having fun - happy quilting to you..

Kate

I'm Taking a Class, Honey

2011-08-24T21:08:00.003-04:00

So - you all know how this goes...

me: "Honey, I saw this great quilting class at the LQS" -
him: 'that's nice honey.

me: "it's a great paper-piecing project"
him: is it expensive?
me: oh, no, I will be able to use my stash fabrics...

him: did you finish the project from the last class?
me: silence

him: what about the class before that one?
me: ummmm

So - I paid for the class - ($50.00
I bought some stuff before class ($40.00)
Then I needed some more stuff AT the class ($35.00)

So last night I went to the class - it was an out of town LQS, so it was an hour there, a three hour class, and then an hour home...

So - for FIVE HOURS and $160.00, I have this::::

Only other quilters would understand!!! Actually it was a fabulous class - and this piece is just a small demo of all I learned - and it's a three-week class - why next week I'll have TWO of those !!! I'm sure it will keep us warm when the blizzard comes..

Lord help me but I love this hobby... or is it a sport??? Or are we just nuts??
I'm not sure which.

Happy Quilting, everyone,
Kate

Buy Me a Ronco Hex-o-Matic, Please!!

2011-08-20T21:43:00.003-04:00

Can you believe I am still enjoying this???? I must admit that the big green diamonds are a bit tedious, but that outside border is really exciting... can't wait to see it develop!!!!

Of course, anyone under , what, 30 or 35 will have no idea what the title of this post means!!!! Oh, the good ol' days when a Ronco box under the Christmas tree was a fabulous thing to receive!

I'm also quilting hard on my sister's Christmas quilt, and working on the top of the Flying Geese quilt... photos to follow!!!!

Got to run - still more weekend!!!!

Happy Quilting

Birthday Treats for MEEEEEEEE

2011-08-19T00:10:00.003-04:00

Yippee it's my birthday !!!! Well, I really don't like birthdays so very much recently, but have learned to compensate by giving DH great "hints" about presents... and he takes hints well!

For Christmas each year he gives me a quilty shopping spree - we go to my favorite store and I get to buy all I want... it's a dangerous thing to do!!!! Sometimes I manage to combine my spree with a big sale, and it's a gluttonous moment!!

Well, for this birthday I asked for marbled fabrics by Marjorie Bevis, from Oakland, Oregon... have you seen her work? Go to www.marbledfabrics.com and feast your eyes... what amazing colors!!!!

Aren't they glorious???? No, I don't know what I will do with them yet... But whatever it is, it will be fabulous!

Happy Birthday to me...

Kate

FLITTING

2011-08-15T23:59:00.004-04:00

Hello all - I've been flitting from project to project like a summer honeybee - a taste of this, a taste of that...

While my sister was visiting, she did some tidying in my sewing room, so it inspired me to finally (after a year here) put some things up on the walls. first, two small quilts, from classes in applique taught by Sharon Stroud in Ithaca, New York

Then I am experimenting with hanging rulers on the wall, to see if it helps me find them more easily: Just hanging them helped me get some kind of inventory of what I have.

I quilted this little UFO from the "charity tops" inventory of my Guild -it had been tied, but was still way too floppy, so I just did some simple ditch quilting to firm it up. The Guild had 900 TOPS unfinished !!! We have been working diligently and now only 200 unfinished tops remain - the rest have gone to charity...I discovered a "boo-boo" on the quilt, so appliqued on some frogs to cover the booboos... I'm not at all sure the blue works, but it's better than ravelled seams, now isn't it???

And, I keep working on this Linda Ballard pattern, which I love so much... geese and more geese...

What fun it is to flit from project to project !!!

Hope everyone is having a great August... my birthday is coming soon - I will tell in another post about what lovely thing DH has agreed to order me for my birthday...

Happy Quilting,

Kate

Did You Know There is an Ironing Fairy???

2011-08-12T21:05:00.003-04:00

So - you may remember THIS from an earlier post - the giant pile of washed but not-yet-ironed fabric... it was starting to compress down into a giant wad... or, as we say in the south - it was getting ready to "set up"... as in "has that jello set up yet?"

Well this week my sister came to visit and I learned that she has an alter identity - SHE IS THE IRONING FAIRY!!!!...... look:

That giant pile became these neatly stacked fabrics, all ready to put on the shelves:

WOW, SIS - THANKS!!!

I can't wait to use these fabulous fabrics...

Kate

more yosemite !!

2011-08-11T20:48:00.004-04:00

Hi all - just couldn't resist a few more Yosemite photos::::

Natural Beauty:

surprise - hello mama bear -with a cub right nearby ... (we were safely in the car)

and a 'controlled' fire:

oh my but I love vacation !!!!

I did steal away a bit of time to sandwich a quilt today - photos soon...

Kate

Grandeur

2011-08-07T18:19:00.002-04:00

Hi everyone - these photos just don't need a lot of dialogue - this is Yosemite National Park:

Back to work tomorrow - rats! But, what a great week we had...

Happy Quilting, everyone,

Kate

oh, my, California sure is pretty

2011-08-02T23:09:00.003-04:00

hi everyone: we have been playing 'tourist' the past few days.... here are some highlights. First, the iconic Golden Gate Bridge:

And the fabulous California coastline, this shot in Big Sur

And the next one might not be on everyone's list, but it is taken in Gilroy, CA, the home of the fabulous "Garlic Festival"

Then there was the spectacular Monterey Aquarium:

Stay tuned for more California fabulousness in the days to come!!

Happy Quilting,

Kate

PROGRESS ..... lol

2011-07-31T08:20:00.003-04:00

Well, isn't THAT exciting! For those who like "process" - this is about as process as you get... a gigantic pile of fabric that had been washed, and needs to get ironed... photo 1, on the left, was last Sunday - photo 2, on the right , is today... progress! I am determined to get all the fabric off the floor...........grrr...................

It takes longer than expected, because it packs down, and when you start to pull out the fabric, it lifts up the pile, and it GETS BIGGER - yes, i swear it does.

So - let me take this opportunity to answer "why prewash" . Because I like to, simple as that. When I first started seriously quilting, I had a sink near my sewing room that was made of some porous material - I used to soak fabrics in there - and the dye that came out of the fabric would stain the sink... so you could really see how much dye came out. Over a month or two, the sink became black - yes, totally white to totally black. I saw what really washes out of this fabric. And how much it shrinks.

So - now, no fabric goes on my shelves until it is washed, ironed, folded my particular way. Then it is 'prepped' and ready to sew!

Well, that's too much rant for so early on a Sunday morning...

I'm off today to play tour guide for my sister who is visiting - we are doing the Golden Gate Bridge, Pier 39, the Sausalito Houseboats... and the famous Lombard Street.... should be great fun!

Happy Weekend to all,

Kate

My Fur-Baby is Well !!

2011-07-29T22:12:00.002-04:00

Hello everyone ! It's a happy time in my house... Our senior fur-baby, George, is doing so well! He has been feeling bad for months - eating less and less, and getting terribly thin. We were afraid - you know... he is a senior kitty, having just turned 17....

Well, a few weeks ago he got so bad he was only eating baby food from a spoon... and I thought 'well, there's no need to keep giving him this other medicine he takes for upper respiratory infections, which he gets all the time. He has been on this medicine for almost a year.

So - I stopped the meds, and we decided to enjoy the time we had with him...

WELL - four days later he jumped up, went to his bowl, and cleaned it!! And he hasn't stopped eating since... he plays with his toys, goes outside to sun, and sleeps with his head on his favorite ball of yarn. He is a happy boy. And I am a happy kitty-mama. Hopefully we'll have a good bit more time to enjoy. And the vet will find another med for his respiratory problems.

Tonight I put this top together from lotto blocks I won from the Sunshine Quilt Guild on Yahoo - it's very girly, isn't it? Just the thing for a Little Princess...

Hope everyone is set for a wonderful weekend. My sister is coming to visit tomorrow, and I am looking forward to showing her northern California... I'm also gonna ask her to help me pin-baste a quilt - but she won't know it's her Christmas present !!! Fun...

Happy quilting,

Kate

True Confessions

2011-07-24T23:07:00.002-04:00

Hi all -

Does anyone remember a magazine called "True Confessions"?? It was a racy magazine published in the 60s - had some rather tawdry love stories in it...
I remember because my grandmother liked to read it, and would send me to the store to get her copy... probably she didn't think I knew what it was about!!!! (but I did, te he)

Why did I remember that? Because I'm going to make a confession at the end of the post - but it's not THAT kind of confession... honest!

I worked on some projects today - the hexagon quilt, and the flying geese top, for sure.
And I made four purple and yellow blocks for the Sunshine Block Lotto... I like these - high energy!

So - now comes the confession...
Here's the shelves my stash is on... the top half is just fine... mostly folded and sorted, although it's time for a tidy-up soon...
BUT - uh-oh - here't the floor in front of the shelves::::: confess, confess...
All that wadded up fabric has been washed, and needs to be ironed and folded and put away - and it's more than it looks like !!!! I am obsessive about pre-washing , and ironing... but I don't seem to be obsessive about not piling it on the floor!!!!

LET'S SEE - I need an ultimatum here - I will post a photo of this pic every Sunday evening until the pile of fabric is all gone... (oh i may regret this promise)))>..

Have a good week, everyone...

Kate

Hexagon is Growing!!!!

2011-07-23T19:18:00.002-04:00

Hi everyone on a fabulous Saturday - I am having a great time - sewing on my hexagon quilt, which is growing... still a long way to go, however! But I am still having fun...
Also sewing on my geese top, and doing some binding on some charity kids quilts... and, of course, playing with fabric - doing some washing, ironing, and putting on shelves - I dearly love the processing of the fabric...

Happy Saturday eveyong - I'm back to the sewing room to make some more geese!

Kate

Just a simple progress photo

2011-07-21T08:29:00.002-04:00

Oh, I am love love lovin' sewing this quilt together! This is such a nice pattern (Linda Ballard).... Gotta go make some more geese! I got up in the wee hours to work on the next row...I love quilting in the wee hours... my stolen time before the demands of the day take over my time.

happy quilting, everyone..

Kathleen

Treasures from 1970

2011-07-19T21:05:00.002-04:00

Dpes anyone else remember picking out their china pattern? I do so well - going to the jewelry store, going through all the patterns... I chose this one.
It's called Savannah, by Noritake - sweet little green flowers and leaves,with a simple silver band - it matched oh so nicely with my china...

I got pieces of it for high school graduation, and later when I got married (the china lasted longer than that marriage did, thank goodness).

For a few years I used it on holidays - Christmas, Thanksgiving , with all the trimming...
then for about a decade I displayed it in the china cabinet - visible proof that I had "class" - I owned nice things...

And then, about 15 years ago, it went into boxes when we moved, and its been in boxes ever since....

And now I am ready for it to be gone - why, I could fit bins of fabric on the shelves where those china boxes live...

But - have you looked for a good home for previously "fine" things lately? No one wants silver, or china, or crystal... I read an article about how all the baby boomers are getting rid of all this really expensive stuff and no one wants it ...

So - any ideas out there? Don't say sell it on ebay - ebay has pages of this stuff for sale - no bids!

Will I ever want to entertain 8 on good china? Not likely - today I'm more likely to entertain on Chinette than China... in the yard instead of the dining room (that's another thing I might want rid of - that beautiful dining room table...

thoughts???? ideas?????

happy quilting,
Kate

Blissful Weekend

2011-07-17T22:03:00.006-04:00

Well - it's been a blissful weekend here in California - I'm so sorry for those of you who are sweltering... but we're having a cold snap - temperatures in the 60s - great weather for - you got it - QUILTING...

I had the whole entire weekend free... yippee. So I started on this: it's from a pattern by Linda Ballard, from a class I took last weekend. I used to hate flying geese, but now I am starting to love them... honk, honk.

Other than that - hmmm let's see:

A bit of cleaning - and throwing some stuff out....

Putting binding on two charity quilts...

A trip to the quilt store....

Laundry...

A little bit of cooking (not much)...

And opened up a box from Connecting Threads... always nice to get those!!!!

Alas - Monday cometh...

Five days til another weekend...

Happy Quilting,

Kate

A New Favorite Tool !!!

2011-07-15T22:38:00.003-04:00

Hello everybody - and welcome to the WEEKEND !!!! Hip Hip Hooray!!!! I have two whole days (and Friday night) to do whatever my little heart wants to do !!!! Wonder what it will be????

This is a picture of my new favorite thing: the Precision Trimmer... I learned about it at a class taught by Linda Ballard... it 's a square-up tool - and it squares things up just perfectly, not only square, but perfectly centered... I love it, I love it...

Here's how it works:

To square up a 3 inch square in a square: I divide by half to get 1.75.

and then I find the intersecting 1.75 lines on the ruler... I put tape on so you could see (the tape is not necessary): you position the lines on the points of the inside square, and trim right side and top, then flip it and trip again:

and - voila - a perfectly centered and trimmed square within a square:

Lord I love it when it's precise!!!!

If you're interested in this tool, go to Martha McCloskey's website,
MarshaMcCloskey.com, and you can find it!! (and no, I'm not the secret heir to her estate - I just love this thing!!!!

I think you can square up all other kinds of things, too - this is just what I know how to do today!

Happy quilting this weekend,

Kate

My Furry Baby

2011-07-13T22:12:00.003-04:00

Hi all - this post is about my big baby, George. Mixed through the post are some photos of him - he has always been a "big boy". He was born to an unwed mother, whom we adopted. She birthed him in a recycling bin - poetic, huh? Talk about humble beginnings.

George has had quite a life - he is 17 years old now - he has lived in Louisiana, Colorado, North Carolina, New York, and now California. He has three times flown on a plane - in a carrier under the seat... and if you think security is fun - try going through security with a cat -he has a set of wings from Jet Blue.

In case you wonder how that's done - security, that is - the animal has to come OUT of the carrier, and be held through the magnetic tester - not sure what they do now with the nasty naked photo machine...

He is beautiful, isn't he? His daddy was a roving salesman in the neighborhood, and his mom was - well, let's just say she liked the boy cats...her litter had two fathers - OH MY ... she was "easy"...

Well - this post has a happy ending,I think. For several months George has not been eating, and has lost lots of weight - I thought we were headed to the Rainbow Bridge... so much so that finally I stopped giving him some meds that he always takes to alleviate some nasal congestion that he suffers from... and I figured it would be a week or two before ... well, you know.

Well, about five days later, he started eating... eating without being prompted, or being fed baby food from a spoon... yesterday he jumped on my lap and stole a potato chip from the bag... and today he ate CAT FOOD - he hasn't eaten cat food in about a month! And you can tell he just feels better. He is a skinny kitty, but he's eating, and not throwing up. And gradually eating a bit more each day.

My world is so much better today - my furry baby is snuggled up on DH, with a belly full of food (actually both of them have a belly full!)

Everybody keep your fingers crossed for George to keep eating!!! That will keep me happy!

Happy quilting, everyone. To close, here's a photo of the furry one at his "fightin weight"... that looks like a good sleep, doesn't it??

Kate......................... and George

2011-07-11T21:24:00.002-04:00

hello hello hello everyone!!!!

Well - remember the other day when I was all freaked out about the MONSTER QUILT???? That would be the charity quilt that turned out to be TOO BIG, TOO BRIGHT, TOO HEAVY, TOO HOT.... JUST TOO TOO TOO ..........ARGH!!

Well, today I picked it up from the wad into which I had tossed it, and spread it out on the floor:::

oh my goodness - IT SHRANK! AND IT'S NOT TOO BRIGHT - OR TOO HEAVY - OR TOO HOT!!! It's rather bright and colorful - and today I like it...

JUST MAYBE - it was 90 degrees the last time I was playing with it, and today it is 60 degrees!!! Very different perspective!
So - I'm off to finish quilting it...

On Sunday I had a great class with California quilter Linda Ballard - here are some great photos of pieces that were "built" by my classmates!

and this next one is mine.............(smile)

you'll likely see it again as it grows... (until you are sick of it!!!)

Now I have to go unpack all the crap I took to class and put it back in my sewing where it belongs - oh, that's a joke - i'll put it back where it doesn't belong... but at least I will put it back!

Happy quilting everyone,

Kate

It's CLASS TIME !!!!

2011-07-08T22:11:00.002-04:00

Oh yippee - lucky me... this weekend I am taking TWO classes....

Tomorrow I will take a class at the New Pieces Quilt Shop in Berkeley with Mary Mashuta on machine quilting... can't wait, been wanting to take that class for a while!

Then Sunday I'm taking a class in Livermore, CA with Linda Ballard - using some fabulous hand-dyed fabric I bought at the AQS quilt show in Columbus.

What better way to spend a weekend...

And my cold is a bit better, and DH's surgery went well...

So I intend to have fun tomorrow and Sunday and revel in my quilty friends...

Have fun quilting...........

Kate

oh MY !!!!

2011-07-07T20:57:00.003-04:00

I FEEL LIKE THIS PICTURE...

Sometimes you just get a surprise!

I have made a MONSTER string quilt. I didn't mean to - I just had extra blocks, and on a whim, decided to use them by adding on another row...

Well, now, this thing weighs a TON... AND IT'S HOT HOT HOT just on my lap as I quilt it.

And I don't know what to do with it. Maybe I will keep it til winter, and then put it in with my charity quilts - and someone will think it is great cause it will keep their whole family warm!!!! Perhaps the family of little Tiny Tim with no money for coal - and they will keep all the children warm with this quilt..

ok, I am nuts... I really don't like this monster - but I'm gonna go finish it...and then I'm gonna weigh it!

any other ideas of what to do with it?

Kate