I GOT JURIED IN !!!

Happy Friday, everyone... 

The quilting Goddesses have once again been kind to me... my small quilt, "Mystic Glacier" has been juried into the Road to California quilt show in January.  Oh I am so honored.  

"Mystic Glacier" is made from a vintage damask napkin, mounted on a piece of Radiance fabric, and then quilted a WHOLE LOT, following the pattern in the original linen as a guide.  I also found some vintage lace on eBay to edge it with... 

This is the second year I have had a piece in Road to California - and I was simply dumbstruck when I got the acceptance...  oh this is really fun!

 

Of course, now I must put on a hanging sleeve, a label, pack up to mail, fill out forms, etc.  But that is fine - so fun. 

 

 

Besides getting this ready for mailing, everyone at my house is trying to relax.  So far, Miss Bit seems to have mastered relaxation more than anyone else!  

I did score BIG this morning at Jo-Ann's - a very early morning run to see what the Saturday Doorbuster's were - and they had ArtBins at the fabulous "Buy ONE, get TWO free" - so I got SIX bins - the better to store unfinished projects in!!!! 

 

I truly hope you have all had a fabulous holiday, and have found both some laughter and some rest.  One more day - let's see how much quilting I can get done!!!! 

 

Happy Happy Quilting!

 

Kate

 

 

 

Afterglow

Oh I do love Thanksgiving...  a perfect holiday - a few traditions, but not so many that you are overwhelmed like Christmas.... 

DH and I did not travel, thankfully - it is both too hectic and the airfares simply overpriced at holiday time.  So we had a quiet day with some good food and some relaxation.  He worked on his hobby (stamps) and I worked on mine!

Tomorrow I will drive to Tracy, CA, to hand over a box of charity quilts that will go to Wrap-A-Smile.  Here is a photo of all the quilts on my porch fence - aren't they bright and cheery?   Many were pieced by friends in the Sunshine Guild, and I did the quilting.  Some are all mine - but I love them all equally.

I have been working very hard on my "Linen Quilts", and making progress.  This first piece is now bound - there is still a little bit of work to do in some of the gridwork, and then I think I will add some beads... but it is one of my favorite pieces, and I love having it all neatly bound.   

I am also working on this larger piece.

Still lots to do on that one !   Hallelujah, three more free days before going back to work on Monday!

Happy quilting to all,

Kate

Wonderful, Wonderful Weekend Sewing

Oh boy, do I love the weekend !  

This weekend I get to work on this piece that you saw a little of before:

I am starting to really like this piece now - there's lots, lots more to do, but it is moving along quite fine. 

 

The kittens had a great playtime today with a little charity quilt I quilted for a friend...I put it on the floor to take a photo - and Mystic snuck under it and hid...

 

  and then jumped out !!!!

 and an enthusiastic wrestling match ensued.

 

Look who won!!!!  The Lady Miss Bit....

Lots more quilting planned at my house this weekend.


Hope you are planning a great weekend, too!

Kate

One Day in the Sixth Grade

Sixth Grade - the year my breasts grew...  and I was kissed for the first time. 

and the President was killed.

We were at recess when they called us in and told us he had been shot... it just couldn't be possible.

 

 

Oh, he was handsome, and smart - and rich... and Jackie was so beautiful and so talented.  But they were also good... they cared about people, we believed. 

 

 

The next four days I spent glued to the television, watching every moment of the pageant and the sorrow...

the muffled drumbeats and the clopping horse hooves down the silent streets...

 

the long walk over the bridge to Arlington

 

 

The heartbreaking step-by step procession down the steps of the capitol.

 

It was just all too sad... to this day I don't imagine how Jackie was able to even stand up, let alone lead her children, and inspire a nation. 

 

Such a sad remembrance. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Good morning, and Happy Saturday....
I plan to have two fabulous quilty days this weekend.

I'm working hard on my quilts made from vintage linens...  here's a few updates:

The Madeira linen table runner is getting detail work... the cross-hatching around the edge - shown here...

 is becoming much more detailed, in the "Seven Treasures of Buddha" pattern - I just love how this looks...  much more to do... 

 

and the outside work on the gray  Radiance fabric, shown underway in this photo, is now finished.  Today I can make the binding for the piece, trim it up, and put on the binding, which is always a fabulous moment!

 

 

MEANwhile at the Ranch....  I started another project!  

This is a Damask table topper.  I am just doing the 'bones' work at the moment - outlining the original design (those colors are in the original piece).   Then I will have to figure out what else to do, and what to do on the underlayment...  this is the stage of each of these where I decide I don't like it - and then later I fall in love...  so, right now we are just reluctant daters!

 Hmmm, that center screams for something nice...  no ideas yet.......

 



MEANWHILE - this piece, called "Mystic Glacier", waits to know if it has been juried into the "Road to California" show - notifications on December 1.  This is also made from a piece of damask - this time a napkin. 

 

And the real "Mystic" watches from his favorite perch high above it all.   Not MY favorite place for him to be, mind you..  the Teddy Bears on the left were tucked up there to hide them FROM him, cause he tries to eat them... now I'll have to take down those ceramic pieces, cause this is a recipe for disaster...  but, if you know cats, you know nothing stops a climber from climbing! 

Well, I'm off to sew - a mix today of working on these very detailed pieces, and knocking out some small charity quilts that I love to sew on so very much...  let's see, I think I will send DH out to do grocery shopping, get the car tires checked, stop by the dry-cleaners, hmmm, what else can I put on his list?  

Off I go.  have a great day!

Kate

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

aaaa

Fourteen Thousand, Four Hundred Hexagons and one Kitten

One day, in the not so distant future,  this top will be finished...  I am just working on the outside edges now, putting on a couple of extra rows so there's room for the binding.  

With Kitten....

 and without kitten....

For anyone reading who hasn't seen this for the past nearly three years as it grew from the center out, those are 3/8 inch hexagons .   The pattern is adapted from a photo of a quilt in the British Museum that was originally made by a soldier in the 1800s, I think.  When I get it finished, I will look up the history of the original and include it on the label.  This is just part of the design - the original was even bigger, if you can imagine that. 

Let me go work on those edges.  I am really, really looking forward to proclaiming a finished top on this quilt!   The quilting??? oh, I will think about that another day. 

Happy Quilting,

Kate

Saturday afternoon progress pics

Hello all and happy Saturday afternoon !!!!

Things are good at my house today - kitties just went outside for a bit in their little tent, DH went to the farmers market, and I have been at one of the sewing machines for eight hours now!   That's my definition of a fabulous Saturday... 

I just can't help but give you a progress pic on my in-progress linen quilt...  so, here goes:

These photos were taken with my new Nikon DSL camera, which I am just about to learn how to use...  little by little.  There's still more quilting to be done - but it is at least headed toward the finish line.... 
Kitties had quite the adventure this morning.... Bit climbed up on my stash containers, and decided to play gymnast, walking on the garage door railings.........

 So, Mystic came running to the rescue.........................

 See how he is protecting her - he chased her off the railing and stood over her until she jumped safely down - how sweet!

Got to run - watching Apollo 13 - no matter how many times I watch it, I still enjoy it. 

Enjoy the rest of the weekend...

Kate