It was a Dark and Stormy Couple of Days

It's been gray and rainy here - horrible for taking photos. Well, I suppose I could use the flash, but I have to admit I didn't think about it. I was so excited about using my tripod and the camera's self-timer to see what I could do just with that.

I've been concentrating on cutting logs and only did enough sewing to make sure I'm on the right track. These little blocks started with 1.75" squares and the 1" skinny strips. I like them, but dipped into my black stash and pulled more from there so that the darks are darker. And got more lights for the opposite reason. I also decided not to use so many of my fabrics that are a mix of lights, meds, and darks - just too confusing. I'll limit those to just a few.

I haven't decided how big to make my blocks yet. Definitely larger than this.

I had such a good couple of happy productive days that it made me realize how many haven't been. Definitely struggling with depression. I'm on meds for that and have been for years - but it may be that I need a higher dose. Speaking of health, I got a comment asking how my thyroid situation is doing. Quite honestly I'm overdue on visiting the doctor - I hated the endocrinologist I visited - I need to find another one who speaks english. Yes, I have a recommendations, I've just been a sissy about doing it.

Enough of that. I'm way behind on links. First off, let me say thanks to Lea in Japan and Tracey in Australia who both gave me a "You Make My Day Award." I'm very honored and say thank you, but I'm going to break the rules and leave it at that.

Tab at Enjoying Life's Journey free-pieced letters to make names on baby quilts. The quilts have a very modern, spare sensiblity - marvelous and so easy to do. And take a look at these pieces she made in which she embroidered her children's artwork. I think they're marvelous and remind me of some of the work Knit One Kristin has been doing for Christmas (and in progress here).

UpstateLisa is working on a wonderful free-pieced quilt for her husband. And don't think I'm mean because I didn't comment with suggestions for her hand quilting - I did email them to her. Anyone else have any ideas? Oh, and for Elvis lovers, she has something for you too...

An older pic of sweet Lily, who's been spending a lot of time locked up.

We're now keeping our bedroom door closed because of Howler's "marking" incidents on the bed. Changing the sheets at bedtime is just not on my list to do. Anyway, Lily keeps darting in any time the door is open and hiding in the closet. I just close the bedroom door on her and then try to remember to let her out later. This morning she was scratching and scratching, but I'd forgotten she was in there and thought she was just scratching on the mirror in the bathroom, another favorite activity. Oops. Yesterday Pokey got trapped in there too. Bad Mommy.

edited to add clarifications...

Slicing Up the Old

I am happy to say that we've had a bit of sun the last couple of days. Woohoo. I probably should have gone out walking, but instead I played with fabric. I've got so many different quilts and projects that I want to work on that I've been frozen and unable to start any of them. Eek. I finally decided I'm going to work on the skinny log cabin that I've wanted to do for ages.

When I first made blocks for my Skinny Logs in 2005, I used my gorgeous almost solid fabrics cut in 1.25" strips. Those are the blocks that ended up in Orphan Train - you can see some of them in this pic with Lily's behind.

Well this go round I'm cutting the strips 1" wide (yes, you read that correctly) and I'm mainly using fabric that I dislike or has been in the stash too long. I LOVE how the almost solids look, but it makes me cry to use them up - heck, half of each strip will go into the seam allowance on this puppy. So this is my opportunity to make some headway into that pile of not-so-beloved fabrics. Here is Lily auditioning:

As I'm cutting my tiny strips, I'm also cutting wider and angled strips and bits and throwing them into my new scrap bin. I really do love some of these fabrics, but I hate the feel of some of the roughly-textured ones and some of these fabrics are so wildly patterned that they're hard to use. In they go. Plus my tastes have just plain changed. I'll play out of this bin for some of my upcoming projects.

I'm definitely noticing that I have sooo many more dark and medium fabrics than lights. I know that's a common tendency among some quilters, but I'm especially guilty of it. It's very noticeable in my current stacks. I'm going to have to use some of my still-in-favor pinks and turquoises so this whole quilt won't be gloomy and doomy.

Quilting continues on Orphan Train. Look, I've got my name done.

Bibi crawled up into my lap the other night as I was quilting. Big lug just wants attention.

Pokey, me, and Bibi:

Before I forget, let me say thanks to all who responded to the question in my last post. I've decided to go with my lazy inclination and leave Joyeux Noel border-free. But it really helped to know that many of you prefered it that way and I wasn't ruining the quilt by leaving it incomplete.

Howler and Habibi enjoying the sunshine, as well as the heat from the radiator:

Yes, Howler IS incredibly fat.

What Do You Think?

I sewed up the center of Joyeux Noel. In the end I decided to surround the words with the trees. I ended up with two trees and some piano keys left over for another quilt. I *think* I'm going to put a narrow border on in this stripey fabric and then a wide red border. Maybe. Like this:

What do you think? Does it need the border? I'm not sure. I did want it to be small... Here's looking at it from further off:

I wish I had more of that Moda Marble Christmas Red so that I could lay the top down on it and get a better idea of what the border would really look like, but I've run out of the fabric. Since I'm not actually planning on quilting it until December (I almost said "next year" - d'oh, that's this year already) there's no rush.

I finished reading Martha Grimes' mystery The Man with a Load of Mischief last night. I loved it. I don't know why, but I'd lumped Grimes in with Agatha Christie (dull; poorly developed characters) without ever giving her a try. Mischief is a cozy English detective novel with Old Peculiar, fat rascals, fairy cakes and all those other marvelous details that Anglophiles adore. It's got a dry sense of humor, very witty. "But the chief superintendent just sat there, having removed the toothpick and looking as if the elves had come in the night to stitch together his leathery lips along with the shoes..." 4.5 stars out of 5.

Horrible weather here today. Icy rain - yick. It's pretty amazing to see all the snowy pics out there in blogland though. brrrrr.

Mystery Quilt Remnants

I've only ever participated in one Mystery Quilt class and I HATED it. This was many years ago, in the early 1990's, and I didn't completely grasp what a mystery quilt was. I thought "mystery" meant that decisions would be made as we sewed and the outcome was unknown. Once I got far enough along to realize that I had no input whatsoever into the process other than rotely following orders, I quit. The black and fuschia half square triangles are a few of the pieces I actually sewed together.

I made the decision while piecing this orphan quilt together that I would lose the bottom of those mystery blocks. I could have added strips to make other parts of the quilt longer, but I chose wonkiness instead. I know that's not the decision that everyone would make, but I'm happy with it.

I thought you might enjoy a look at the back of the quilt. You can definitely see that I don't stretch out the back at all - I just try to get it flat and then layer and baste. I haven't hit any particular tucks or creases back there (yet), but won't bother me if I do.

I knew this quilt top already had a lot of seams on the front, so I bought wide unbleached muslin for the back. It has the advantage of showing up the quilting.

Pokey perched on the ironing board. Can it be called perching when she's all sprawled out like that? I liked the alliteration, but not sure it's accurate.

My husband took today off and he's whining to use the computer. He's definitely been having too much fun with his LibraryThing account. Catch ya later.

Happy New Year

I sewed on Joyeux Noel today. Several of the participants have already finished their quilts in the Winter Class - I'm a slow poke. There's still plenty of wintertime left to join in and make a quilt with us.


Joyce came up with fun ways to make snow covered trees. Look at her tutorials here and here.

In addition to sewing, I made a batch of Jewel Brooch Cookies - a sugar cookie with raspberry jam centers. My husband snagged a handful and now I've just finished off the last of them. A whole batch of cookies gone in a day. baaaaad girl. Might just have to blame it on the cats.

My pretty Lily cat. Don't her eyes match that green fabric?



In case I don't get a posting in tomorrow (I have to fight my husband for computer time lately)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!