Birthday Surprises

My beautiful new toy - a Brother CS-6000i. Didn't my sister do good! I love this light weight, very portable machine. All I need is a 1/4" presser foot and I will be ready for my quilting group's next meeting. I am so excited! My beloved Kenmore can now stay home - safe and sound in it's place of honor.

This is by far the best birthday card I have ever received. My almost 9 year old niece captured Cha Cha is a very unique way. I intent to frame this. I have a wall of fun cats in my bedroom and have found the perfect spot for this one.

The butterfly is compliments of my almost 5 year old niece. Her color selection is lovely. I will add a magnet and hang this on the refrigerator door.

Here is the case to my new toy. Cha Cha spent considerable time last night trying to fit in the opening toward the top. I'm unsure if she was simply curious or thought this was some new fangled litterbox!

My Brother is the third of her kind in our family. My older niece received one for Christmas. My sister, a devoted Bernini lover, liked the easy of this machine so well she got one for herself after Christmas. Lucky for me she remembered I wanted a smaller machine to carry about.

And, I bought myself an Omnigrid all in one, folding cutting mat/ironing station for applique and quilt group. Overall yesterday was a bang up birthday!

I'm off to play with my new toy. Have a wonderful day!

HAPPY QUILTING TO ALL!

Red Lobster Hideaway

Ms Cha Cha had serious doubts over this pattern. She heard Carrie Nelson of Miss Rosie's Quilt Co., the designer, has a DOG@!!#@!! My apologies to Miss Rosie. Ms Cha Cha doesn't care for dogs. Then, she really does not care for cats or people for that matter. She is rather antisocial.

Ms Cha Cha changed her opinion of Carrie's design this morning. Carrie's pattern is a very cat friendly quilt - Full House. You see the binding is 1 1/4" wide and you cut 5 delicious strips - all perfectly paw sized and rather wavy as they are transported between the cutting table, ironing board and sewing machine. Ms Cha Cha was totally impressed!

Despite the helpful paws at my house, Red Lobster Hideaway has become a quilt top ....

And the city building inspector beat the charges against her. She is back on the job ....

HAPPY QUILTING TO ALL!

House of Mirrors

Have you ever been in the House of Mirrors at a county fair? Everything looks distorted with the images changing as you round each counter. I was there yesterday morning .... my second panel for Bonnie Hunter's Trip Around the World had quite a few twists and turns, none looking quite like the pattern.

I was going for a Mirror Image but was getting an undetected House of Mirrors. I got four really pretty seams stitched and pressed before the House of Mirrors became apparent. I am not sure exactly what happened. I do know it has to do with the fifth strip - the only one of that specific color in the panel.

Much seam ripping later I got this - a Mirror Image ....

Am I the only one capable of taking a well written, rather simple pattern and creating a House of Mirrors? I hope not (ha!)

Ms Cha Cha missed the whole process. She was sulking under the bed after being scolded for once again walking on the kitchen counter, Why, oh why are her favorite places to be and things to do the ones I don't allow?

HAPPY QUILTING TO ALL!

The Mind of a Cat or Demon Possessed?

A while back I discovered a free pattern - Trip Around the World - on Bonnie Hunter's Quiltville's Quips & Snips blog. I downloaded the instructions for my "one day" list. About a month ago Jackie Kunkel of Canton Village Quilt Works had some really pretty batiks on sale. I immediately thought of Bonnie's quilt and ordered an assortment of fabrics. Today was the perfect day to start the quilt. My progress - cutting done and all four panels sewn waiting to be pressed! .....

Looks like Easter!  I'm loving the colors. Once the panels are pressed, you sew into tubes and and cross cut. Bonnie's pattern is a twin using 4" strips. I wanted smaller so have cut 3" strips. I should have enough leftover from the ends of the panels to make one, hopefully two doll quilts for my nieces. The adventure of cutting through all the fabric tubes be another day. Tomorrow is a family day and I am out of "go" for today.

Have those of you who are owned by a cat ever wondered what was on the cat's mind; as in what could possibly possess said cat to get such WEIRD! behavior? For example - I was pinning strips. Ms Cha Cha was rolled in a tight ball sound asleep. Suddenly she lets out a loud battle cry, jumps on the table - you know 0 to 110 miles an hour in the blink of an eye - and starts yanking pins out of the pincushion. I'm baffled,, shocked, slightly amused. I grab the pins. She gives me a withering look, leaps back to the chair and curls up instantly asleep. One wonders; but, I probably do NOT want to know what was on Ms Cha Cha's mind.

Okay. So I couldn't stand it. I absolutely had to see one of the panels complete. I've been thinking Easter and the word Cadbury keeps coming to mind, over and over. Can a quilt be named Cadbury? Hmmm.

HAPPY QUILTING TO ALL!

Ready!

Bring it on Quilt Sue. I am ready. My Festive Mystery Quilt pieces are ALL cut.

Everything is stored safety away from Ms Cha Cha. She has a "thing" for 2" strips and my "thing" is for her to leave them alone. The poor mistreated kitty has her own private stash of strips cut from less expensive fabric. She, however, seems to prefer quality fabric!

HAPPY QUILTING TO ALL!

Two Inches by Two Inches - Twice

Two 2" square pieces! That is all I need for the cobblestone drive at Red Snapper Hideaway. I have searched and searched - Ms Cha Cha cat "steals" pieces but I have checked her hiding places. No luck! I will have to squeeze the two pieces out of the sashing/backing/binding/borders I ordered from The Old Country Store. When I do I am positive I will then find the odd piece the cat stole and put under the bed/couch/chair! I did find a missing plastic bowl, a lost piece of fabric from my last project and various other out of place items.

And I have my first reservation for a Gulf side condo at Red Snapper Hideaway. Quilt Sue and hubby are scheduled for two weeks starting mid May. We are SO EXCITED!

My fabric arrived for the Festive Mystery Quilt ........

The color is washed out. I think I need a new camera! I'll tell Santa later this year. The light and medium strips are neatly cut and far away from prying paws. Ms Cha Cha loves stolen fabric.

HAPPY QUILTING TO ALL!

Catch-Of-The-Day Ave.

Catch-Of-The-Day Avenue joins Pelican Way Blvd. and Oyster Bay Drive. As soon as the cobblestone streets and landscaping is complete these three swanky condos rows will open as Red Snapper Hideaway. Make your reservations early. This hot property is a going concern!

You may note the absence of the City Building Inspector. She was caught early this morning in clear violation of City Regulations by the Mayor and is now secluded preparing her defense. Translation - I caught Cha Cha cat walking on the forbidden kitchen counter and she is hiding under the bed to avoid being scolded.  Never fear, she will be out shortly acting as if she just got up from a nap.

HAPPY QUILTING TO ALL!

Pelican Way Blvd.

Pelican Way Blvd., which is one sand dune up from Oyster Bay Lane, has been totally renovated after Tropical Storm Donna. The roof construction method was adapted for use with the rulers available (the specialty ruler used by for this pattern is not in my possession at the moment).

The city building inspector stopped by .....

and we have been given approval to move on to the last lovely street in our beach side condo development. All should be ready for rental at the season start. Get packed. Rental rates are guaranteed to suit your budget and the view from the condos is breathtaking!

HAPPY QUILTING TO ALL!

Oyster Bay Drive

Oyster Bay Drive is a lovely, upscale Florida neighborhood overlooking the Gulf. Put on your shorts, take off your shoes and stay awhile. The residents are very friendly ...

I hear there are at least two cats per house!

HAPPY QUILTING TO ALL!

Tropical Storm Donna

Two of eighteen houses - you will note there is "slight" wind damage to the roofs. Of course, these make up part of a row of beach condos in Central Florida. Wind damage happens! This damage was compliments of Tropical Storm Donna - no I cannot blame this on the cat!

Yesterday was fun with the sewing gals. I was way late because I discovered I did not have enough of the background fabric for the Christmas Quilt Along 2012. I ran to the local quilt shop. My plan was grab the fabric, which I KNEW they had, and get to my group. Horror .... Bittersweet is the fabric being used in a BOM so my choice was pick something else. Picking takes time! and I kept running into people I knew and couldn't be rude. Two hours later I was off to sew with the gals, where I -

Enjoyed lunch

Gossiped

Had a snack

Gossiped

Admired every one's work

Gossiped

Managed to sort two charm packs into matching pairs

I was so tired I had to take a long nap when I got home. I think some of the others, who got to group on time and prepared actually got some work done. 

My replacement background fabric for the quilt along. The picture is awful! The fabric is more of a golden tonal and looks wonderful with the Bittersweet.

HAPPY QUILTING TO ALL!

Christmas Quilt Along 2012

The Quilt Along 2012 starts today .... Hazel of Hazel's Quilts is our hostess for the day and she has the fabric requirement/cutting instructions for the Quilt Along 2012 Mystery Quilt designed by Sue of Quilt Times. Go check it out - this will be INTERESTING!, as one of the supplies you need is "A Plastic Bag!" I'm in. How about you?


I've picked my fabrics .... the background and light fabric I had in my stash. The medium and dark fabrics have been ordered from Shabby Fabrics. My selection ......

Wonder how these lovely fabrics will look in? on? over? under? around? who knows? plastic bags! I am going to have to wait and see, so you will also.

I won't be posting about the quilt along anymore today. My quilting gang is meeting and I am joining them. We lack Internet access. My plan for is do the cutting for my Schnibbles "Full House" wall-hanging, using Rouenneries Deux by French General - plus a lot of quilting "gossip"!

HAPPY QUILTING TO ALL!

Presenting Stepping-Stones

I could wait for a sunny day or I could use my bedroom closet door, the only place in a 400 sq. ft. apartment I can get the whole quilt top. So, closet door it is. Presenting Stepping-Stones ......

 

HAPPY QUILTING TO ALL!

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

Stepping-Stones has been a quilt top for a week. I waited for an outside picture this weekend. Still do not have one. Yesterday was bright and lovely. I ran errands. Today is gray and dull. Oh, well!

Learning applique is my goal for 2012. My Hobbico Sealing Iron, C. Jenkins Freezer Paper, etc. etc. are ready. These goodies came from Jennifer Bosworth, Shabby Fabrics. Check out her website! - reasonable prices, great shipping, lots of fabrics/notion selections and Jennifer is offering a free Mystery Quilt BOM - Country Cottages. My fabric patiently awaits - Santa was Good! My John James straw needles snuggle in an adorable feed sack needle case I won from Susan Entwistle, Quixotic Crafter a while back.

I have debated thread. Jennifer uses Kimono #100 Silk Thread by Superior Threads. Susan, suggested the same.  I thought less expensive for starters ...... but why question the experts? All morning I browsed the 80 luscious colors of Kimono. My rule - 4 spools ONLY! Hard decision!

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions - presenting the 4 I ordered .........................

HAPPY QUILTING TO ALL!