Tuesday, May 05, 2009

Boo

My husband questioned whether the photos I took last week of Pokey on the flag quilt were staged. Nope, that's hardly ever needed. Case in point, on Sunday I pieced a little quilt. 

Got the word done, how much background does it need around it?

Now with the border fabric

This is a good indication that I'm not as worried about Pokey as I was a short time ago. Last week as soon as she gave me the signal for belly I'd have dropped the camera to give her some loving.

Now I'm letting her do the Belly Love Wiggle while I take photos. Not to worry, she gots lots of loving not soon after.

As you can see I was thinking about centering Boo in the middle of the quilt...

In the end I decided I liked the boo off-center. 

I bet you can't tell that I'm having a real longing already for Halloween. There's definitely a reason (okay, more than one) that I love the JaMPatch in Stuart - they love Halloween too and already have some fun fabric rolling in. That's where I got the great spider web fabric. I was thinking about using it for the letters but went with this option instead.

I think I've decided how I'm going to quilt it, but am not sure. There's a big part of me that wants to do spider webs and spiders, but maybe that's too expected. I keep going back and forth on options. Don't think the skeleton chorus line is going to work... I did start quilting the letters in red quilting thread but it wasn't bold enough - I need to use perle.

I've got a new blog for ya'all to check out. Laura's Cloth and Mind. She just free-pieced her very first word and it's fabulous AND she's been making wonky houses that are amazing. She's really gotten into the multi-stories and complicated roofs. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. Please give her some encouragement and a welcome to blogland.

That first word that Laura made? It was rattle (plus a surprise) for the Halloween Noises quilt. That's not so much the name of the quilt as the description. I'm already thinking of it as Slither Eek Boo. Anyway, here's what we've got so far. If you don't see your name here send me an email. Any additions, corrections, adjustments?

argh                                   big leaning                                                        Cher
bang                                  BIG                                                                     honeybee
boo                                    maybe big and skinny                                     Patti
boo                                                                                                                Brenda
clank                                                                                                             Sarah
eek                                     wide/narrow maybe getting smaller           Marge
groan                               short and fat                                                    Siobhan
grr                                      tall, skinny, leaning                                        ChrisQuilts
gurgle                                rounded and flat                                              Lynda
hiss                                    snake-like SS                                                    Tracey in CT
hiss                                    fat, uppercase                                                   Natima
hoot                                   rounded                                                             Valerie
howl                                  thin and growing                                              Dionne
moan                                 mix of big and small                                        Beena
mu ha ha ha                                                                                                  Mimi
mwa ha ha ha                                                                                               Kim
rattle        Laura
screeeech                          spiky                                                                  Clare
slither                                low and wide                                                    Lynne
slither                                possibly leaning                                               Rondi
snarl                                   straight up and down                                      ForestJane
slurp                                   rounded and curvy                                           Rachael
squeeeak                                                                                                        Kathy
thump                                wide/narrow letters                                        Cheri
trick or treat                     overlapped                                                        Katie
wooooo                                                                                                          Sharon

I'm not much of a planner when I'm making words. I have a tendency to just chop and go. To see a completely different way to work, check out Lynne's planning for slither. Lynne plots, plans, and does a lot of work with paper. She's on the opposite of the spectrum. Both ways work, you just have to play around until you find what works best for you.

Clare meanwhile has plotted and schemed and hatched an idea making spiky letters for screeech.

If you aren't sure how you'd like to do your word or would like suggestions, just ask. As far as fonts goes, hmmm, looks like we could do with something angular.

We now have a SHRIEK up for grabs if anyone would like to take it. Which is not to say we can't have dupes... Cuz we can, just let me know.

19 comments:

Nat Palaskas said...

Tonya, I like the way you highlight the noises. I would better think about my HISS too. I am working full time during the week, but will make time for the block at the weekend. Glad Pokey is feeling okay again.

YankeeQuilter said...

Pokey just knows she is beautiful and should have her photo taken...no problems there! Once the rain lets up I will drop your block off at the post office....

Beena said...

Pokey just seems to know the right pose to strike for the camera for that maximum cuteness factor! Loveable and talented Pokey! I laughed as I scrolled down the post, looking for the hidden "boo"!

It looks great. I can't wait to get started on "moan".

Thanks for the links, I'm going to go check them out!

Clare said...

Thunderstorms forecast for Thursday and Friday so I'm hoping to sit down and get that ScreeEECH sorted and posted.

Nice feet!

Give Pokey a tummy rub from me.

Millie said...

I don't -usually- put so much planning into the letters I make. These are an exception.

really.

Anonymous said...

Hi Tonya,

I contemplated doing "shriek" the other day when I read about your Halloween Noises quilt. Put my name down for "shriek." I'll do it in tall, thin, points-at-the-bottom, vampire-y-looking letters.

~Erin

Ms. Jan said...

Pokey looks great...and spoiled...and well. =) =) =)
I'd love to join in, but I've not even tried to do letters and I'm a bit intimidated by it...

Sara said...

Love that kitty belly rubbing!

The "boo" looks great, I envy your ability to do words so good!

Millie said...

Love the pictures of Pokey...the one cuter than the other! I am not good with letters...writing too.(English second language)

sewprimitive karen said...

Oh, Pokey, I hope your beautiful fur grows back :-). Especially like the second picture where she's gazing off into space, that is so typical cat.

Cher said...

the collection of words is coming along well-a great BOO done by you-whatever you come up with to quilt design wise will be fun I know

Dionne said...

I'm practicing my free piecing with a Matisse inspired small piece. And trying to decide on fabrics... I was going to do a black background with yellow letters, any preference?
Cheers,
Dionne
PS - Pokey is so cute with her soft little belly just waiting for some lovin'

Bebesboutique said...

Tonya, Pokey looks like she is feeling so much better.

I have been contemplating doing a Holloween sound in letters for you. Don't know yet which one. Or what font untill the fabric speaks to me. I will contact you if the fabric talks to me just right.

dee said...

Oh that's the most beautiful cat in the world(just don't tell the others I said so)
Love your spooky words. Haven't made any yet. I'll have to give this a try soon. I'm always inspired by the wonky houses.

Rosalyn Manesse said...

Tonya, we all know how much you love Halloween. Here it is May and you're already thinking ahead!

Deborah said...

Hey Pokey! You are looking good girl! We call our Rusty, Houdini Kitty. The second a quilt or even a fabric scrap hits the floor...voila! Houdini Kitty appears out of no where to fur it up. Glad to see you helping mommy again.
Caitty and Rusty

Vicki said...

I am not a big cat person, yes, we have one outside. But I just love the pictures of your cat. Maybe if ours was more fun and didnt bite me... he really did.

jovaliquilts said...

Totally great series of cat-on-quilt photos. I'm so glad your baby is better!

Magpie Sue said...

I love the off-set boo :- )
Too bad about the line of dancing skeletons in the quilting - that sounds like it would've been fun!

I wish I had the energy to play along with your Halloween Noises quilt. I'll be thinking about the happy bricks...