What haven't I done...

Everything!  Anything!  I've been so lazy this last week, I've done almost no sewing (I did make and send 2 fabric postcards), and little else besides.  I straightened up my studio a little, and cleaned my dining room, but haven't tackled any of the big projects yet.

I have been lazy lazy lazy...

Darnit, it's fall, I should be energized and ready to DO something.  And I do feel that way - I love the cooler weather and the overcast skies (which should be gone in 2 days since we are expecting santa ana winds on Weds).  Tomorrow, I have breakfast out with the girls, and I'm getting a pedicure (my first!)...  Hopefully after that I will feel like doing something...

For now, it's almost 5pm and I'm still in my jammies... tomorrow is another day!

On a side note: I took second place in The Quilting Gallery's weekly contest.  This one was for paper pieced quilts.  I will post what I won here when I find out what it is.

Homeliest Fabric...

I was watching Project Runway last night.  I couldn't help burst out laughing when Tim Gunn told Joshua "I think it's one of the homeliest fabrics I've ever seen.  It makes me want to weep."  First of all, I'm not a big fan of Joshua - he's my least favorite of the four who are left - as a person... as a designer, well, we'll see at the final runway show.  He has produced a lot of stuff I've liked, but none of it overshadows in any way what a jerk he is as a human being.

And as we quilters know, if the fabric is still ugly, you haven't cut it up into small enough pieces yet!  Any fabric works if you cut it up small enough.  I guess that doesn't hold true in couture like it does in quilting, but oh well.

Anyway, just wanted to vent a little bit and have another laugh at Joshua's expense...

Have a great weekend!  I'm off to sew a little, clean a little, and then go play D&D the rest of the weekend.

Zipper Border

So, I got a picture of my friend Mary's border for the quilt I designed. It reminds me of a zipper, and there are no seams to match up which makes it really easy peasy to piece.

Her quilt is done all in xmas fabrics so it's very different from my floral quilt I posted yesterday... but I love her border, and this is the one we will use when we publish the pattern, though we will probably offer the 6" unpieced border as an option.  Not everyone likes to piece borders - some folks want somewhere where they can really let quilting, like feathers or cables, shine. 

I think the quilt looks good both ways, but I especially love Mary's 'zipper' border.  Hope we can get it published.

Went to breakfast with girlfriends... got my nails done today... worked on fabric postcards for an exchange on the yahoo group postcardpizzazz... prepped for class tomorrow - mostly gathering things I need to take with me... changed ink cartridges in my printer (they seem to run out so fast - maybe I make too many color copies?)... generally had a quiet day, with a little productivity.  At least I feel like the day wasn't wasted. 

Tomorrow I have class.  Maybe I will get the binding on my Jellicle Moon quilt done - we'll see, I still have 2 sides to go.  I wish I could work on it at home, but there's just too much cat hair around here.  I love going to class, everyone is so talented and productive and our show and tell is always a lot of fun to watch. 

The teacher of the class and I have collaborated on a wonderful quilt pattern (I designed the center, she designed the border).  We are planning to submit it to a magazine in the hopes it will be accepted for publication.  That would be so awesome.  If not a magazine, maybe we can self-publish it as a pattern for sale.  Who knows?  This is the quilt with my boring border on it - Mary designed a wonderful pieced border that perfectly complements the quilt.  Together I think they are a wonderful marketable design.  I will try to get a picture of her quilt with the pieced border tomorrow.

I wish the colors on this were closer to the original, but the idea is there, the 'black' inner border is actually a beautiful rich green.

More to share tomorrow I hope. 

I did it!

I woke up this morning with the same resolve as last night - not to waste my days away and be left with nothing but regret.  I had breakfast and started sewing.  I made this block from Fandom in Stitches' new BOM, There and Back Again:

It is of course Gandalf the Grey.. can't wait to see what the next block is going to be. 

Mostly, I'm just happy I saw through with my resolve to work today.  Lately it's been hard for me to do that.  Now, I think I'll go take a shower and have my nails done.

Tonight I have to run a D&D game so no more sewing for me today I think...  Tomorrow is another day.

Fantasy Freaks

OK, I admit it, I make no excuses for my passions.  In addition to quilting, I just love fantasy and science fiction.  I have been a Tolkien fanatic since 1964 when I started the first of many read-throughs of the Lord of the Rings trilogy.  I just found a new Block of the Month based on the Hobbit at a wonderful blog called Fandom in Stitches.  It is paper-pieced, and I love paper piecing.  I think I will actually do this one - it looks relatively simple, at least so far.  I intend to start tomorrow - we'll see how the day goes.

On a sad note, my aunt-in-law passed away this last weekend of cancer, and my dear friend's sister died of cancer this morning.  This has had me kind of down in the dumps all day as I contemplate how short life really is.  All the time I've wasted in my life seems so lost now and I regret so many hours spent watching mindless tv, or just not being productive.  These useless days and hours seem so trivial now and I look back with joy only on the hours I've spent doing something of more import.  Time to get off the couch and LIVE!

I guess that's part of why I'm so determined to work on that block tomorrow - so I don't waste my day away. 

May your days be joyful, whatever it is that makes them so for you.  I'm off to DO something now...

The naming of blogs...

The naming of blogs is a serious matter... it isn't just one of your everyday games.... OK, sorry for stealing from T. S. Elliot.  Dawn over at her blog asked why/how people named their blogs.  So here's my answer:  I love puns.  It's that simple... I loved the play on words.   No big deep secret here. 

But if you're here, feel free to look around.  Here's a little eye candy for you to enjoy while you're here:

I call this one 'All Colours are of God'.  It is based on Jacqueline de Jongg's 'Circle of Life' quilt, except mine has been miniaturized to 18.5x18.5 inches and I replaced the central lonestar with a spiral lonestar.  This quilt has won several awards, and has been displayed at Road to California and Houston, among other places:

This quilt was released this year at Bunny Hill Designs as a free block of the month.  It might still be available free, but not for long.  It is called 'Henrietta Whiskers'.  I just love squirrels, so I HAD to make this quilt.

My mini-group, The Stitchin' Sisters, are making seasonal quilts this year.  We have already made summer and fall.  This is my latest one, Winter Wonderland.  I am actually still quilting it, just the borders left to go.  

Thanks for stopping by!  Comments are welcome! :)