My oh My, it's May !!

My oh My, it's the Merry Month of May !!!! 

Bit says 'Hi There'...  She is 8 months old now, and is turning into a beautiful little girl...

BUT DOESN'T SHE LOOK CROSSEYED IN THIS PHOTO???  Funny, ha ha...I need to work on it in photo shop I guess.. I think I'll just keep it for a laugh.

 Well, the first of every month is time to photograph the Great Hexagon Quilt...  so, here's the May 1 photo::::  first with a cat

 and without cat:

 I keep working on that bottom part - when that is finished, I will REALLY be able to see the finish in sight...  I had thought I could finish the top by July 1 (well at one point I thought January 1, but that blew by)... but now I am aiming for August 17, my birth day... I think it is achievable.   Stay tuned.  There will be a PARTY.

 I finished block no. 2 of the Sue Garman pattern - oh I love doing these applique blocks...

 and some more five inch pineapples - many more to go...

 Oh - also - I'm getting ready to start a SERIES -  more to follow - stay tuned...this is gonna be fun!

Happy quilting,

Kate

Retreat Lag

DH just came home and I met him at the door saying "I'm so glad you're home - I just can't sew any more!"   I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S TRUE.

I have sewn myself to the bone... 

Most fun of all, I started a whole-cloth quilt using this lovely hankie as the focal point.   I am putting it on a nice piece of dupioni silk...  I got it laid out, designed the quilting, and got the marking down today.  Another day I will sandwich and select a backing.  Isn't it lovely??? I can't wait to sew on it... (and no, that red fabric is not what it is going on ...it was just laying there).  Stay tuned, this is going to be a alovely project, i think.

 

I quilted up a little charity quilt for the Sunshine Guild, and threw the binding on it.  It still needs to go through the washer.  I'll leave that for DH - he does all the laundry now that he is retired  - yes, he does!

 I just had to include this sweet photo of Mystic, our Kitten Boy - so beautiful - and so completely Goofy when he is awake!  We learned this week he has an eating disorder - seriously - it causes cats to eat non-food items like cardboard...  and wool.... and quilt batting.......... hmmm, got to lock up all the batting now. 

Lots of time spent doing the ditch-work on this string quilt.  Almost finished.  This is one we will keep for daily use.   

And then, there was LOTS done on the pineapples - started 24 more 5-inch squares.  And cut freezer paper and made patterns for half of the blocks on the Sue Garmin applique quilt.

OH - what would a retreat be without shopping??? Yes, there was shopping - online, of course - a lovely order sent to Superior Threads. I am still stocking up on the kinds of threads my new George likes to use...  

SO - I am proclaiming the machine sewing DONE for my retreat weekend.  I'm going to curl up on the couch with some applique and some hexagons and watch TV and veg out.

Hope everyone else had a great weekend.

Kate.

Home Retreat Day One

LATE SATURDAY NIGHT
Oh my, what a lovely day I had today !!!  Why I did nothing but sew and sew and sew....  and I am still sewing tonight............and I'm gonna sew all day tomorrow, too!






Let's see what I was up to...

Two charity quilts for the Sunshine Guild got their bindings on and took a ride through the washer/dryer in preparation for donation...  (someone else pieced the tops, I only did the quilting).

 all the while, kittens were sleeping - on the end of the sewing machine table.

 quilting was begun on this - gee this photo makes it look like a pile of mud - it's a really pretty quilt... tomorrow I will take a better photo..............

 another section of pineapples was completed - sorry for the blur...kitten loves pineapples!

 more kitten sleeping...............

 work on the Sue Garman pattern - I like this prep work -  but there are many blocks to do.......

 ACK Kitten, stop that !!!  good grief - you have a $60 stainless steel electric-pump water fountain.......get your head out of there!

 ahhh empty spool..................why does an empty spool feel so good?  It just means I need to buy more thread, but it does feel good.

So now I am curled up on the couch working on the Eternal Hexagon Quilt - -  no photo needed, I am sure you remember what that one looks like !!!

Another fun retreat day tomorrow ---- yippeeeeeeeee!

Happy Quilting, 
Kate

On Retreat!

I HEREBY PROCLAIM.......................

This weekend is a quilting retreat !!!!  In the comfort of my own snuggly home.

Work has just been beastly lately - lots of spring events, keeping me busy lots of nights and weekends.   And a heavy work load as well... I am tired, stressed, and GRUMPY.

So - it is 6:30 on Friday night...  and I AM ON RETREAT!!!!

I will post every day and share what I accomplish - there are lots of things around partly finished, so it may be fun, fun if I can finish some of them !!!!

And DH is away all day tomorrow, too!!!!  Just me and the kitties and LOTS of fabric!!

Happy weekend to all,

Kate

Finishes, Starts, and In Betweens

HELLO, hello, hello !!!!

I have just been crazy busy the last few weeks, but finally I had a break today to quilt...  and it was a fabulous fabulous day - - -  here's how it went::

Kittens played::::::

 DH worked on his stamp collection:

 I finished this little reverse applique block from a Sue Garmin pattern - love love this!  Can't wait to do more...........

 More tiny pinneapples - 5 inches

 Some Lotto blocks - somehow I think these aren't put together right, but oh well, this is how it is going to get sent...

 Washed and folded up two quilts for Sarah's Hands2Help Initiative.  Been working on these for a while.  A simple nine-patch pattern:

 and a child's I Spy:

 And some quilting on this RWB, which has a special purpose...stay tuned

 hmmm............I think I used to have a dining room table - now i have kittens and quilts.......

Tomorrow is my Guild's Quilt Show - DH and I volunteered to work tear-down - I love tear down cause it goes fast...  I have two quilts in the show - more on that tomorrow!

Happy Happy quilting!!!!

Kate

LOVE AN ANIMAL??? LOVA ABBA ???? WATCH THIS...

Hi all - I'm definitely off topic today - but this video has just stolen my heart...  and it's from a 'real-life'  shelter in Wake County , North Carolina.  Made by some wonderful, creative, dedicated volunteers.   You will be uplifted and entertained  ..............  Click below !! 


Pet Adoption Video

There's a long and tawdry tale behind this video - all about non-profits, and lawyers, and in the end the animal shelter had to take the video off their web site...

But it is on UTube as a bootleg, and I just love it...

Hope you enjoy.


Kate

Hi everyone - I have been TRAVELING - -  as you see in this picture, Bit wanted to go with me... she tried to hide and go along...  went to the east coast... 

 While there I went to the famed MARY JO'S CLOTH STORE in Gastonia, NC.  Fabulous, fabulous.  Unfortunately I was with non-quilters, so I couldn't indulge quite like I would have liked to - which is very good, because I could have done some serious serious damage there...  glad I escaped with my bank balance relatively intact!

Are you sick of seeing this hexagon quilt????  Well, just imagine how tired I am of working on it !!!!

Doesnit it look like something took a bite out????  Just two big areas to finish...  I KNOW I CAN... ugh...suck it up and make another hexagon.   

 Before I close, look at this photo... Mystic is such a goofy little boy... he has fallen in love with this Teddy Bear.  He stole him off my dresser, and carries him around the house, sometimes he 'hides' him under the couch or in a closet somewhere...  here they are in a sweet intimate moment...  awwww.

Other quilting?   Yep, you bet - an applique piece I'm not yet ready to photograph, and LOTS of quilting on some charity children's quilts...  fun, fun!!!!  But oh boy am I behind now on BINDING...

Oh well -

AND I HAVEN'T FINISHED MY TAXES YET.............  I hate working on taxes when I could be quilting.....  

take care everybody...

Kate

A History Class

Hi everyone - I just returned from a family visit 'back east'... to visit my 90 year old mom who just moved into a new, downsized house... she continues to be independent and capable of managing her life, which is fabulous - drives where she wants to go... and is as stubborn and opinionated as ever!  My grandmother lived til 99 - so I hope those good genes have been passed on to me...

She lives in central North Carolina, which used to be the King of Textile country, so one afternoon during a drive, we happened upon this:  

It was just a sign:  Textile Heritage Museum

I did a U-Turn, and off we went...

waaaa............ IT WAS CLOSED...

But a little sign said - "if you are from out of town, we can open the museum on other hours for you" -

and there were people working inside - so THEY OPENED IT UP !!!!

What a wonderful trip down cloth memory lane... 

It is in Glencoe, North Carolina, near Burlington, home of many famous mills... all closed an abandoned now..............

The Museum is in what used to be the Town Store - selling supplies for the workers.
The Glencoe Mill was a huge mill, tremendously productive til it shut in the 1960s or so... 
If ever you are in the neighborhood - -  it's a fabulous place...

 A wedding dress made from a WW II parachute... no other fancy cloth was available.  The story says the groom continued to fly after the wedding with an empty parachute!!!!

 I WANT a loom like this - oh good grief where would I put it??

 Cloth for wars.............

 and, it's lovely tree season in North Carolina !!  These are glorious redbud trees.

It was great to see the old textile industry - sad to see it all shuttered and closed...  and nice to visit with my mom... and EVEN BETTER TO FLY HOME LAST NIGHT!!

Holiday today in California for Cesar Chavez day - so I can alternate sewing and doing taxes!!!!!
I best set a timer or the tax time will be shortchanged!

Kate