Quilt of the Week

This is a close-up of the one of the center motifs I quilted into this weeks quilt of the week.  I had so much fun working on this quilt, I used almost every technique that I know.  This client loves my freehand quilting, in fact she thinks it would be a shame if I went computerized!
 I choose to go with many custom designs to compliment each of the sampler designs.
 Shown in the close-up is one of my original Celtic knotwork designs that I quilted using my laser followed by free motion fill-in.  I used the follow-the-laser then free motion fill in for a complex pinwheel block throughout the quilt as well.
In other areas, I did free motion pinwheels and feathers.  The border is all free motion using my Leaf & Scroll design.  For the gridwork in the checkered spot, I pulled out my acrylic rulers so I get them nice and straight.
It is great to know a lot of different quilting techniques and designs to employ in the quilts I do.
 I always try to do justice to the quilt.  That means listening to what it wants to look like and following through.  In this quilts case, I could easily have done an all over pattern.  Instead, I had to listen to the quilt tell me every block was special and worth the custom quilting and tucking of few thousand threads. (Yes, thousands!)

It was worth it though as I am proud of the quilting (difficult for this perfectionist).  It will be picked up soon and I hope the client likes it too.  That is always one of my heart-wrenching fears is that my client won't like what I've done.  The people that seek me out truly love my quilting, I fear it is my blood to be a worry-wort.
Okay, I have to go make cinnamon rolls now for the blacksmiths that will be showing soon!
Keep quilting and cooking!

Our Celebration Dinner

I managed to pull off the house cleaning and a fabulous feast for eight wonderful friends.  We had all the traditional Seder dishes that included 2 types of haroseth.  A guest made a delicious version using a 15 year-old Late Bottled Vintage Port and golden raisins, it tasted like apple pie.  The chicken soup Sid made was great but my matzo balls were tasty sinkers.  I continued a new tradition for us that began years ago when I couldn't get out to get Matzo crackers.  I grew up in New Mexico, so I made tortillas on the fly that wintry night years ago and it was so popular that people now demand them.  The main meal consisted of brisket, noodle kugal (both delicious recipes from my mother-in-law), roast asparagus and stewed prunes.  Dessert was my deadly Chocolate Oblivion Torte and home-made macaroons.
I must take a moment here to complain about what is happening to the foods in this nation.  Okay, I searched the grocery store for prunes.  I finally found them and grabbed a bag real quick because the boy stocking the shelves was in the way.  I didn't bother to read beyond prunes.  Sid ate one late at night and didn't want to tell me anything was strange.  I mentioned that I needed to get orange juice to simmer the prunes in and Sid started laughing-really hard.  When he caught his breath, he informed that I purchased orange flavored prunes.  Now, what is up with that?  Why do we do that?  When did foods stop being what they are - simple, natural, one ingredient?  I'm sorry, but it just drives me crazy.  I'm not saying I don't love my Hickory Smoked Almonds or other flavored foods, but sometimes I think it gets taken too far. 
Now, it is on to quilting today while the boys blacksmith.  Last weekend, along with everything else, I did the emergency quilt and a Pineneedle Block of the month.  Today's quilt is a beautiful sampler for a client.  We have a salmon party to go to this afternoon.  I love spring in the mountains when we all burst out of hibernation and start catching up on fun.

April Quilt Showers

At the beginning of the week, I thought I had a lot of free time coming.  It turns out that I don't like free time anymore.  I just don't know what to do with it.  So, instead of relaxing the past 4 days, I went on a marathon of getting stuff done.  Are you curious what is possible in a weekend?
Well, it started with whipping up a quilt top for my friend's baby that I just got to meet.  I was going to quilt it over the weekend, but the best laid plans.....     
On Friday, I got a call with an emergency quilt and a non-need-now quilt.  I received a huge package in the mail of quilts to do from a second client, and a third client called and said she's pulling together an order for me of I don't know how many quilts!  In one day, I think I got over a dozen quilts to do.  Wow!!!!
I did my taxes on Saturday-always so much fun for the math challenged.  Speaking of math challenged, I still feel I need to send my 9th grade geometry teacher an apology quilt for all the arguments we had over the applicable uses of geometry.  I'll never forget those heated discussions with Fruiti.
I should get off the computer now and do that emergency quilt.  It is best to stay on top of things these days I think.  That way my free time can turn into good times!!!!  I have to clean the house really good this week in preparation for Seder and a visit from my mother-in-law.  She has tried to visit a few times earlier this spring but had to cancel once for her own reasons and then we had to cancel because we were snowed in.  There is no snow now (or sadly, any sign of snow), so it safe for a visit.  My mother-in-law is wonderful, I really do love her dearly.  (I am writing this because it is the truth, not because I know she reads my blog!)  She is such a hoot, I can't wait for the visit.
I hope everyone has a lovely April.  Keep quilting, cooking, and crafting!

Here is a photo of the most recently finished quilt.  I nicknamed the "Sage King".  A client sent 2 queen size kits and asked me to make a king size with some pillowcases to match.  Easy enough. Well, something must have happened to my math skills (never strong to begin with) when I was doing this quilt.  I don't know why I can piece really complicated stuff with ease and then  really mess up on the "simple" ones.  Yes, the quilt pattern was really easy, I just don't know why I become an idiot at times.  I will not disclose to anyone how much time I spent working backwards as that is never something to boast about.  In the end, however, I did finish with a beautiful quilt and pillowcases that I can be proud of.

 Golly, I do have 2 cats!  It's hard to remember at times when they are just black fuzzballs running through the house.  The brothers spent a nice afternoon keeping me company recently.  When I say nice, that means they weren't brawling with one another for a change.  I was watching them give each other a nice bath the other day which quickly turned into an "I've got you pinned by the neck little brother" scene. These are two of gentlest yet fiercest cats I've ever seen.  Luckily, the big brother is incredibly smart for a cat and even speaks English pretty good.  He keeps his dumb-as-a-post younger brother in line.  These guys were found very young in a dumpster and I fear the smaller one will never be warm enough or full enough, regardless of the fact that he is almost as big as his brother now.
Spring definitely looks like it has arrived.  Most of the snow we got is gone and it is unusually warm.  I get to go back to gardening iris at Long's Gardens tomorrow.   It will be nice to be surrounded my friends and flowers again.  It was wonderful to have made it through the winter on my quilting skills and I have every hope that I will continue to grow as a quilter.  I have new ideas in my head right now for a new line of quilts that I want to make.  We'll see how long it will take this procrastinator to get things going.

Human Again

Another week of blowing my nose and coughing has gone by.  I am feeling better though!  I had the most fabulous quilting day last Friday.  It was the type of day when everything just comes together with ease.  You know those ones?  A day when you accomplish a lot and do not feel stressed, worried, rushed, or any other negative feelings. A day when everything just flows on beautiful, warm & sunny rays of light.  
I designed and drew a new pantograph, loaded the king size quilt, and even got halfway through the actual quilting.  Now, this was the first time I decided to baste the quilt pieces to the leader by machine sewing instead of pinning.  I think I saved myself some time.  The really great thing was that I had a perfectly loaded quilt without the finger or back pain!  What was surprisingly super-awesome fun was using my seam ripper to unload the quilt in a matter of 2 minutes!!!!! 
We had a great boiled corn beef, cabbage, and potato dinner last night with 6 friends.  I made a yummy apple pie and a new version of soda bread.  This was a basic white soda bread recipe but I tweaked it with rolled oats and malted barley extract.  It came out with great flavor and though it was a little dense, I received no complaints from the crowd.  
The snow is melting rapidly.  I have heard some new songbirds returning.  I even saw some moths outside the other evening.  Spring is making its presence known to my soul.  Even though they are calling for more snow, I have been given hope again that the drifting winds will cease to blow someday.

March Update

I am loving the longer, warmer days.  My car is making it up the driveway again.  I am reminded lately of how much I hate colds.  I need to relish in my health if I ever get it back!  We tend to be pessimistic dooms-dayers when under the weather, don't we?  The only thing worse than me being sick is when I give the cold to my husband.  Maybe next week, I'll better things to report.  Until then, may you all be healthy and happy!

Sleeping next to the fire has been a popular activity recently.  We managed to capture this photo early one morning.  I don't think the dog even knows he is using the cat a pillow.  Can you see the tail sticking up out of the sleeping bag?  That is Loki's tail.  I rescued to boy brother cats and of the two, Loki is the one that thinks he is a dog.  In fact, his nickname is Big Dog. 
It is hilarious how this cat treats our dog, who could eat the cat if he felt like it!  Luckily, I trained the dog into a sense of brotherhood/part of pack mentality with the cats.  So, Bo mostly puts up with it when Loki cleans him.  The funniest though is when Loki does what we now refer to as a "drive-by".  Let me set the scene for you.  The dog is standing in the middle of a room looking to the humans for attention(biscuits).  It is a quiet and still moment.  All of sudden (from another room usually)  there is a flash of black as Loki runs in, jumps up and gives Bo 2 smacks to the nose or chest!  It is always with a closed paw, no claws are out or I'd have gotten Bo Doggles a long time ago.  Loki finishes this acrobatic feat with a jump down and a look at Bo that says, "Yeah, you're mine!".  Humans and dog are usually too stunned to do anything but laugh and wonder at the cat's audacity.

Me and My Brothers under the Huppah

I've been working away on quilts, some for clients and some even for me.  I have been finishing up our wedding quilts.  When we married in 2007, my husband tie-dyed many things for the event.  The first was my wedding dress - it was so pretty and I was so proud not to have achieved that homemade dorky look.  He dyed the shirts for my brothers to wear, (my husband was dashing in a western morning coat with tails). He also tie-dyed our Huppah covering and lots of fabric for people to sign.  Well, 4 years later, I now have a queen-sized quilt made from the Huppah and a wall quilt that incorporated all of the guest's well wishes for our future into a dahlia pattern.  And it's all in the colors of my wedding!  What a way to remember a great day! I'll post photos soon (I still need to bind the wall quilt).