No time lately!

I know, I know I haven't posted in a few weeks!  But hubby went on a tear! You see the little kitchen in the little house needed some TLC. The counter tops were horrid and the paint was faded and sad. One morning my quilt pal and I were on a sewing binge and he just started tearing the old counter covering out!

I think you can see here why he decided it needed to go!

and go it did! Here he is deciding what to do next! Since this day we have been painting with nice fresh white paint on those dingy walls and a fresh coat of  lemon yellow on the cupboards, it already looks way better.

Here you can see he is adding a new top to level the counter and make a smooth surface for the laminate to stick to. While all of this is going on the house is a disaster area! Much of it he does without my "help" (I tend to be a bit of a klutz) so I have been doing a small amount of sewing and a large amount of paperwork (still on the job search) each day was a challenge but we are getting close to being done. He has the new laminate stuck down. Now he is doing the wood trim and back-splash which will look amazing.  So stand by! Soon like a week or so I will have pictures to share of a completed project. I am SO lucky to have such a talented husband this project has been really inexpensive, without his talent it would not get done at all!

ORCA BAY finally done!

http://quiltville.blogspot.com/p/orca-bay-mystery.htmlFinally I had a chance to actually complete my version of Orca Bay, of course Tilly thinks it belongs to her. I had a difficult time sewing the binding down with her laying in the middle of the quilt!

but alas I just did not have the heart to move her, she seemed super tired.

So while she slept I went and cut all the leftovers from the backing into strips in true Bonnie fashion!

finally it is complete, we shall see if it is truly as comfy as Tilly claims tonite

Play Day

I finally took a day away to just have fun!  I went off to a quilt class in paper piecing!  A table runner was in the works and I needed a day of no job hunt and no paperwork! Monday nite snow was in the mix on the weather channel and I hoped it would not be 8 or 10 inches my little car is too low to the ground for very much accumulation of snow. Yesterday arrived and there was not really any snow.
So off I went. I was sooo happy I got to go. I have missed being with other quilters and I really needed the jolt of inspiration and boy did I get a jolt. What a wonderful bunch. 

Before class got started we got to see this wonderful bed runner, the white background blocks are teddy bears all hand cross stitched! It is an adorable bed runner and done by a BEGINNING QUILTER!

This is the shop owner and our instructor! She had a hard time getting us settled down and ready to stitch, all of us had a bit of cabin fever so the chatter was non-stop.

Finally we got busy. We were noisey but we were all working on our blocks, this is a really beautiful table runner we are building.

As the day goes by everyone scrambles to complete at least one block.

Some are concentrating and won't even look up for their picture!

There are directions to read?  Really?  

Stop goofin off and get your blocks done!

Break time!  Show and tell             INSPIRATION  isn't this a beauty?

All her own design to showcase a construction panel! Pictures do not do this one justice.

Uh Oh a group meeting, what's up?  Did I miss something?  What's goin on?

Oh and then from all the cutting and pressing block parts start to emerge

fabric choices begin showing their true colors

all the variety

the first quarter of one block YAY

Suddenly the pressing station is very busy and one has to wait in line, and while waiting you admire the other works in progress

The first whole block! This is the teachers pet by the way!

Up close   isn't it grand?  Love those purples!

And another block reaches completition!

Our wonderful begining quilter got a half block completed aren't her colors beautiful? She also has a terrific sense of humor and kept us all "in stitches"   sorry I couldn't resist that!

And our over-achiever!  She got three blocks done, she also made that wonderful construction quilt pictured earlier! Her blocks are 1800 reproduction prints.

When all was done we had a wonderful day full of laughter and silliness, then for a grand finale we got to eat birthday cake, and the quilter it was for had already gone home! So we ate her cake for her.

days just slipping by

I cannot believe how fast the days just disappear! I spend lots of time on job apps. then there is the chores to do, otherwise this little house looks like a tornado has gone through. Usually by 11 or 12 I am free to do some sewing. Yesterday I finally started quilting my Orca. This is not exactally an easy thing when you  have no floor space to spread things out. But I have a very useful and portable quilting frame that I use to pin baste.

It took about 2 hours when all was said and done but I finally had it pin basted and started qulting it, I was in a bit of shock because miss Tilly ignored the whole process. This is unheard of I was getting a little worried but she was fine. Later I bundled the whole thing on top of my sewing table so I can stitch some more today, ahhhh now I see she was just waiting!

I think it passed inspection. Add in the fact that beautiful Kimber got the whole couch to herself and all were happy!

Now this is wonderful! It gave me time to play with my little scrappy baskets without tripping over any furry friends.

During the process I decided I need to stitch these into groups of four then put them up again! So last evening I got a few of the groups done. I think it will take me a few weeks to get them grouped!

The things you find when "stash diving"

I have been doing a lot of stash diving lately, looking for various fabrics I want to use. Unfortunately I tend to get side tracked due to finding projects I forgot I am supposed to be working on.
 First I find a hand piecing project that I picked up a few years ago while in Texas. Yes I said years! The colors will be beautiful in our fifth wheel, and while we were traveling I got a lot of this done. We would "land" and while relaxing I would work on this. Somehow it got pushed aside.

These are the first four blocks of 20!  I have all of the components of all of the blocks ready I simply need to put them together. It is a Jenny Beyer pattern called English Garden. The best part of finding this little jewel is I have only 1 1/2 of my tiny baskets to hand piece and I have been trying to decide what I was going to do in the evenings; now of course I know. I will keep you up to date on progress with this one.

Here is a view a bit closer, I think it will be beautiful.

Then of course there are all the projects that are machine pieced! Here is just one of them, are you seeing a pattern here?

This one is going to be a queen size, no I do not know why I put it away because I really love the design and the colors! I discovered it in the bottom of a box with a double wedding ring quilt in 30s prints!  This is the project for my machine for the next few days. Today the weather looks as if it will be perfect for sewing that means I have to get the crock pot bubbling and my chores done!

See my darling Kimber at the bottom of this picture, she has been very upset because Dad has had to leave her home with me for the last couple of days. She gets extremely bored with this sewing thing. Kimber prefers to be out with the guys doing "important things"!

YAY Orca Bay all pieced!

My quilt partner in crime and I began an adventure in November and finally we both completed the piecieing of our Orca Bay quilts!

Here is Sheryl with her Orca! Isn't it beautiful?  Such a wayyyy cool design and she did a wonderful job on it.

Here I am with mine, as well as little Milly ( Sheryl's little quality control kitty) I added an extra border to mine so it would fit our bed.

Little Milly just loves quilts in any phase of construction and as you will see below she has decided she loves having her picture taken!

She put a real show on for the camera, what a little ham!

Then she decided to talk while I was taking her picture, I think she is asking which way I want her to pose next!

She is young to be in quality control. but as with many felines she has a gift for it!

This helper is stubborn today

Finally I have some time to work on my Orca Bay!  Ever since  we got the final clue I have had too much going on. I get little blocks of time to work on finishing this quilt. So it is Sunday, football is on and I get time to actually sew!  I am  putting rows together!  YAY  I have this plan in my head that I will get all of the rows done then I can do borders tomorrow, the excitement is building!

Oh the progress it is truly amazing! But you know the saying the best laid plans of mice and men? Or something like that.

Yep here she is! Now I ask you would you argue with that?  Is that an I dare ya to move me look or what?

I do not think she wants me to do this!

Great I am supposed to just wait while she has her bath?  OK Miss Tilly you win I will wait!  I wonder if I am ever going to complete this quilt.