Time for catching up

It's not that I am always behind with my work, I have so many irons in the fire right now, none of the projects are fully done...except customer quilts. I can never shirk that responsibility, because finishing in good time is my reputation. One customer told me today that her regular quilter is backed up six months!! I would have a nervous breakdown if there was that much work waiting to be done. We just plug along and do our best to make our customers happy. Here is what we have been up to in the last couple of days.
Mr Wazoo quilted this stunning tee shirt quilt and also the blue stars quilt. He really liked doing them because they were so flat and straight. He is still buttering up the boss for the Employee of the Month prize...

Beautiful example of a tee shirt quilt

Panto: Square spiral

Pretty blue stars

Panto: Frisky feathers

Here is a great underground railroad quilt from Eleanor Burns' book. I love the fabric choices.

The customer made this in a class. She did a wonderful job!

I enjoyed a little Christmas in August while quilting this whimsical Christmas sampler. Non-traditional and charming.

Unusual Christmas quilt

The big purple 3D is done and mailed to the owner in Florida

A look at the quilting

Border treatment

This yo-yo quilt was a fun one to quilt. I had to stare at it for awhile until the little gray cells kicked in and gave me an idea. I love how it turned out. So innovative, and yet so traditional, too. Lovely.

The warmer weather and daily rains have  produced a bumper crop of tomatoes for us. Every day we harvest a few and enjoy tomato sandwiches. Sweet corn has been plentiful, too, and we have eaten it three nights in a row! Yum!! Tomorrow is the farmer's market, so I think I will hop in bed and get a good night's sleep so I can get up early and partake in the bounty.
Good night!

Today's harvest

GUESS WHAT ??!!

It's a rainy day in Georgia, and it feels like its raining all over the world... ha ha, a bit of a throwback.
Mr Wazoo was confined to the studio today because of the weather, but he didn't complain. There might be an employee of the month award if he keeps it up...just sayin". He quilted this Grinch who stole Christmas quilt. Fun fabrics, fun panto, really colorful and happy quilt! I love it!

Colorful Christmas quilt

Panto: Bubbles

Even the pieced back is fun!
My day was split in two because of a doctor's appointment smack in the middle of the day, so I decided to get the last elements on my applique quilt put on. Sure, there is a lot of button-holing to do, but I just wanted to get an idea of what the end product will look like. Me so happy!!

Guess what?! This is it! Whoopie! 

The last corner was the hardest, but I like how it's looking.I added the lizard, too

I added a couple of extra dragonflies

Mama bird is watching over the babies.

After supper, I worked on the Irish chain repair while watching the season finale of Deadliest Catch, and a DVR episode of Rizzoli and Isles. I had knee on ice and was a good girl. I don't need the replacement yet, just a shot of Cortisone. Dodged a bullet!

Tomorrow, I will finish up the 3-D quilt and pack my stuff for sewing group on Thursday.

Good night!!

Optical illusion quilt

Work started with this quite large quilt. I loaded it and did all the stitch in the ditch, ate some lunch, and then began quilting. I really didn't think it was a very nice quilt until I went to photograph it...Holy Cow!!! Through the camera lens, the quilt looks completely 3-D! When I am quilting, it is just a pattern of triangles and rectangles. Soooo weird! Anyhoo, here it is. You decide. I wish you could see it without the camera...

This looks completely different in person! I feel like I'm in the Twilight Zone!

Don't you feel like you could reach into that square box?

At 5:00, I decided to work a bit on the applique project, which I believe will never be finished. Unfortunately,the squirrels have many little pieces. Drat! They will be so hard to button hole stitch around. The birds are cute.

Critters

The Thinker squirrel

the frisky squirrel

Mr Bird

Mrs Bird

I had to quit at 7 to make some supper for the other quilter. He was also busy today quilting one quilt and loading another.

Mr W did this one

Panto: Fork in the Road

His next quilt is ready to go

After supper, I finished hand sewing the binding on the third (and last) memory quilt! Yippee!! Now, it's off to bed, so I can sleep fast and start quilting again tomorrow!

C'mon, Mom, let's go to bed!!

Getting close to the finish line!!

I spent today in the studio feverishly trying to get the appliqué quilt top done. No dice! I am getting closer, however. I made the owl today. He was fun! I like the face most of all.

Mr Owl, looking wise and powerful

Love the face!

Tim worked outside all day. No photos, but he was all sweaty when he came in, so I assume he had fun.
I started in on the branch with squirrels, some birds of my own design, and lots of leaves. Because I really have to do customer work tomorrow, I will have to sideline those critters for later.

I started the last corner with the bias branch pieces.

A sneak peek at what's to come

Bird, branch and leafy parts.

Even I deserve a day doing what I want to do...and today was the day! I'm happy and energized to go to work tomorrow.

Beautiful Saturday...spent indoors

Most people would be out and about doing all sorts of fun things on a lovely Saturday in August, but Mr Wazoo and I spent the day working on quilts and rolling the ball forward, so to speak. I thought about it while I was stitching down the binding on one of the memory quilts. I don't think there has been a day without sewing of some kind for a long, long time. I even took a quilt to Texas when my mother was so ill. Stitching on that quilt occupied the time and comforted me in my time of profound sadness. I should have taken two quilts...
As for yesterday, I first made the label I had forgotten to add to a customer project. I opened the binding and inserted the label and then hand sewed it closed. The maker came in the afternoon and was thrilled with the way the quilt looks. That makes me happy.

the label

My friend, Stephanie, came by, too. She brought along a friend of hers who also sews, and they dropped off two small quilts. I love to chat with fellow quilters, and share what they are up to, and what comes next for them. RoseAnn commented that she hates to think she would have to be in a homeless shelter to get one of my quilts, so I gave her one. (Disclosure...I have a bathroom in the studio where I store loads of quilts) That also makes me happy.

RoseAnn's gift

So, in the scheme of things, even though we spent the day indoors, we made progress on quilts that will make someone else smile.

#1 all quilted, binding on

Panto: Modern Twist

the back

#2, same panto...

different backing, (#3 looks just like #1)

Oh yes, the raccoons are now stitched down and next comes the owl. It is another sunny day, but I will be spending most of it in the studio, doing what I love. Mr Wazoo will be out in the sun, planting more grass.

oops, there's a loose thread on his face!

so cute!

Squashed under Mr Bear

Owl pattern

Mr Wazoo's first love...more grass started.