Happy me -- a trip to Franklin

Yesterday was the perfect day for a quick trip to Stitcher's Garden in Franklin. I was looking for sashing and background fabric for a jelly roll quilt I want to make. The pattern is by Joanna Figuora at Fig Tree Quilts. I saw her making this on The Quilt Show and decided I had to try it.
I looked for fabric here and couldn't find what I wanted last week.Nope, none of what you can see in this picture is what I bought for the jelly roll quilt, but I love it all. Love it. Makes me itch to get in my sewing room and start (another) new project. Last week when school was just plain stressful, I came home and headed straight to my room. Allen called up after a half hour, "Are you better?" And I was. Having my own things in my own space just like I left them...bliss.

Of course, we have to leave the door closed so that Louie doesn't rearrange anything. He stretches and strains to get whatever off of Allen's desk. Friday night, he got the remote for Allen's radio and managed to chew up the battery holder. He must have had the battery in his mouth too, but he spit it out. I found it all slobbery on the carpet. He did not get to go along to Franklin, but maybe today he can go to the pet store to get a new bag of chow. Then he can come sit with me, under supervision, and I can cut into my new fabric.

Another week in May

The highlight of the week had to be having dinner for Shannon, and her Sew Beautiful compatriots, Leighann and Vicki. The four of us went to the Country Living Fair last September, and we're already looking forward to September for the next road trip. Allen spent the week at a conference in Orlando (Is seeing Don Henley perform work?? and how old do you have to be to know all of the lyrics??), so it was the perfect evening for a girls' dinner. We laughed and talked, and I had such a nice evening.
Here is the sewing room cleaned up for company. Actually, I love straightening up between projects and planning the next. I have two projects sitting on the corner of the table, Shannon's big red and yellow quilt to finish, and a hand project in my head. What's that saying? So many quilts (or mountains or whatever), so little time. I am so looking forward to summer vacation which is just days away. This week will be the last full week that I work, and then next week is Memorial Day, two make-up days, and a teacher work day. I know I have summer travel and visitor plans, but the rest of the time, well, I'll be in my sewing room.I am so proud of myself for sticking with my Block of the Month from The Quilt Show. It is challenging and takes time and concentration to complete the blocks.
I competed four different stars with thirty six pieces and then eight sawtooth stars this month. I finally seem to be improving with my accuracy. They actually measured what they were supposed to when I finished, and I didn't have to re-sew most of the seams multiple times. Allen and I were talking at lunch about how so many people seem to think that expecting children to really have to work hard at a skill is somehow harmful. Wrong, wrong, wrong. If I work and work at something and practice, why gee golly, at some point, I improve. Meghan and I have the same "teacher" conversation regularly too. What's wrong with really working and struggling to do something new?Here are the components of the beast so far. Seven months to go. Meanwhile, school tomorrow, work for Allen, and oh, Louie??? Yes, he's here. Stealing underwear from the sorted laundry piles today. Today, he was sneaking around while I was upstairs and Allen was outside, and he was sitting in the hall with a whole collection of socks and underpants. He has practiced until he has it down pat.

Counting Down

I finished this little baby quilt in just a few days for a friend at school. Dawn is expecting her second little one later this month. They've decided to call him Tripp, and his sweet room is black and white and red. I saw this Michael Miller fabric in Paducah and had to have it. Little boys are so much fun. I named this quilt after the fabric -- Boys Play. I know Dawn is counting down the days. I'm counting down too, but today we learned we have two days added to our calendar to make up for the "flu days" that we had last week. Sigh. Sad. Silly. I am going to focus on the fun things like making this for a precious new baby, working on my block of the month quilt, and looking forward to the weekend...and summer vacation. Louie will play with me, won't you?

How I Spent My May Days Swine Flu Vacation

With a couple of school holidays due to the swine flu outbreak in Madison County, I set about quilting my batik applique quilt. The quilt has 144 batik circles, all hand appliqued on to 144 squares which I then set together. I used the book Foolproof Machine Quilting by Mary Mashuta to figure out how to machine quilt this one. I love the way it turned out, and while it was time consuming and a bit tedious, I really didn't run into any snags. I will use her ideas again, no doubt. I just am not confident about free motion quilting, especially on a large quilt where I have invested hours and hours.
Here it is finished. Not sure if I will hang it up, put in on the dining room table, or what, but for now, I guess I will put it on the balcony rail. I really had fun making this.
Yesterday, I finished all of the machine work just in time to sit down and enjoy the Kentucky Derby with Allen and Louie. Having just been to Kentucky through horse country, we were looking forward to the race. Louie gets very excited when you say, "TV -- Dogs!!" Poor Louie, I think he thought there were dogs racing on his TV. He was fascinated and watched closely. I sat and hand sewed the binding which was finished by bedtime.
Umm, yes, that sure is a mint julep. We picked up this year's glasses while we were in Lexington last month. Today, we are staying in mostly. It is raining. We have had over five inches in the last several days, I'm sure, and it just keeps coming down. We try to sneak in Louie walks in the lulls. The school district is meeting with EMA folks at 3 this afternoon to decide on any possible closings this week. Allen and I were recalling the swine flu scare in the 70's when it hurt so many pig farmers. It's pretty crazy, but I have had a great little vacation.

This weekend was just plain delightful. Meghan brought Taplin up to visit. She wanted to spend time with her sister and see their new home, and she wanted to visit Panoply. Meghan is painting these days, and she is working on an after school arts program for her elementary students, so Panoply was the perfect venue for her. Taplin loves music. We visited the Huntsville Symphony tent, and he had a chance to try out the snare drum. He also got to sit in a drum circle with his mommy and join in the rhythm with little egg shakers. He's going to be a musician of some sort, no doubt.
This is the Fiber Collaborative Tree Project. The woman spearheading this effort came to our school, and I made a leaf too. I quilted one and it's is on my Flickr page. I cannot imagine what it will be like when they cover the Saturn V rocket. That is in the works for 2010.
Taplin and his Aunt Shannon enjoyed the summerlike afternoon together at Panoply. Tap is such a happy, happy fellow. He talks and talks and points and enjoys himself. He started whispering at things -- Meghan says that Bridger taught him that. Bridger stayed home with Dad for his soccer game. I missed seeing him, but what fun to spend one on one time with just Taplin.
The lake in Big Springs is teaming with goldfish. Meghan tried to get Tap to put his feet in the water, but no, he did not want to do that. He doesn't like putting his toes down on the grass either. We took his stroller along, but his favorite is to be carried. He liked sharing Grandma's cheeseburger for lunch, and then he loved sharing Mom's ice cream later. "More, more..."

After Meghan left on Sunday, Louie had us to himself again. He is such a sweet dog, he just puts up with anything Taplin does. However, he is obviously jealous and wants to get more attention that he does. He had a big weekend of theivery trying to get us to focus on him. He spent Sunday afternoon on Allen's lap watching Talledega while I set to work finishing my block of the month work. I now have twenty-four of the little stars I will need out of seventy-two, and the first four of the larger stars. This is testing my quilting skills. I thought I would think the little stars were easier this month, but not so. It's back to work, Monday morning. But I think there are just three Mondays left this year, not that I'm counting.

Online Spring Quilt Festival

On another blog, parkcitygirl, the blogger is hosting a virtual quilt festival. She called for people to post a picture and a blog about a favorite quilt. I think I will be #399 to add a blog. Wow. I had a hard time picking one quilt -- quilts are kind of like your children after you pour your blood, sweat, and tears into them, how can you have a favorite? I decided to post this one that I named Paintbox, because I had such fun making it. The picture doesn't show the colors particulary well, but on my Flickr pictures, it shows up much better. The quilt is all batiks that I bought last year in Denver. I cut the pieces in the hotel room and hand pieced all of the individual blocks. Then I went to the Great American Quilt Factory in Denver, and a very knowedgable (and extremely patient) salesperson helped me pick the sashing and backing. I sewed the patches and sashing by machine and then machine quilted it. It now hangs on the railing of my balcony, and I just love it.

Easter Weekend

We started last Saturday with Bridger's first soccer game and his debut as a goalie. Three-year-olds playing soccer is a hoot! Then we sped over to church for the Easter Egg Hunt and crafts. Taplin especially liked snuggling with the bunny. The afternoon was shopping for Meghan and me with Taplin to help, and a visit to the Battleship for Grandpa, Bridger, and Justin.
Sunday morning, rise and shine to see if the Easter bunny had come, and sure enough, lots of eggs were hidden for these two handsome fellows. Meghan had them dressed alike, and what a pair they made riding on their cars.

Monday, Allen and I took Meghan and the boys to lunch at DeSoto's in Gulf Shores, and we made stops at the outlet mall and Billy's Seafood. We had to get some shrimp and flounder to bring back to Huntsville, of course. Taplin liked sitting in the oyster shells (and would have used them for teething if his mom would have let him) while Bridger and Grandpa threw the shells in the water.
This is just too sweet! Taplin got to try out his new forward facing car seat. Bridger just adores his little brother, obviously.


The boys and Meghan took a catnap in the car on the way back to Daphne, and they were full of energy by dinnertime. Taplin stuffed himself with spinach at dinner. (Grandma and Grandpa took days to recover.) We had the perfect Easter weekend, and we already miss our beach boys.