Quilts, Feet and Cement

For the last couple of days we have been getting up at the crack of dawn when the driveway guys come. Mr Wazoo has no problem with this schedule, because he generally goes to bed by 9:00 and gets up around 5:30 or 6 a.m.. I, on the other hand, go to bed after midnight and get up between 7:30 and 8. I'm tired!!
Quilting has slowed down a bit due to a flare up of my plantar fasciitis in my left foot. I first noticed the stab of arch pain on my Wisconsin trip and began the massage and foot exercises. If you have ever had this, it hurts! Standing all day is difficult, so I have switched gears and done some sewing, and less standing at the Gammill. We are going to Oregon in a few days, and I am desperately trying to heal this foot!

I finished up this quilt top 

Here it is, quilted and with the binding attached.
I really like this new pantograph, but can't remember the name of it.

The quilting gives the effect of a heat mirage...like you would see on a hot day hovering over the asphalt. That wavy look.

This was my final choice for the border, with a cut-down leftover block in each border

The backing is a shirting plaid I bought years ago in Pennsylvania.
It is really soft and drapes nicely.

I quickly quilted a baby quilt for a customer whose grandbaby came before she was ready! I did this so fast, I had it done and returned to her without even taking a photo! Oh well, brain fart of old age...Between spurts of quilting, I have been de-constructing the horse blankets for the customer who wants sofa throws made from them. I sure hope I don't break my new seam ripper!
Mr Wazoo has spent the last three days 'supervising' the driveway paving job. As I mentioned, the guys come at 7 a.m. and work until 5 p.m.. A long hot day for them, as well as the 72 year old helper. He has been coming in, showering, eating and then falling asleep in his recliner by 8:00. One night, he slept there. I tried to roust him up to go to bed, but he wouldn't budge. Thank goodness the driveway is done! He took a bunch of pictures, so I made a slide show instead of posting them all here.

This free digital slideshow personalized with Smilebox

This free digital slideshow personalized with Smilebox

This free digital slideshow personalized with Smilebox

Finally finished! And a new project for Mr Wazoo...

When I opened the studio early this morning, I looked at the pitiful blocks on the design wall and set about helping them. Because the original quilt was done on point and really looked great, I decided not to fight success and put this little left over quilt on point as well.

Now, that's better!! Do you like the setting triangles? I sure do!

But the little quilt would have to wait; I had the paper pieced quilt on the frame calling to me to hurry up and quilt! The black parts took most of the morning and just a bit of the afternoon, finally changing to colored thread at 3:30pm. At 5:30 the quilt was finished and trimmed! Yippee!!

The back is a wild batik!

Once this challenge was done, I began sewing the little quilt's rows together. I only got the three upper left hand corner done because it was after 6:00 and I had to start supper.

With a little luck, I may get the top put together tomorrow

While I was stir-frying veggies for dinner, I heard a big rumbly sound and Molly got all worked up like someone was here. I went outside and there was a guy on an earth mover moving earth! Remember, it is well after 6pm when this happened. There in the thick of it was Mr Wazoo, like a kid in a candy store, following the guy around and enjoying the action. Sigh... It is now 7:30, I ate my dinner, and now there are two guys and Hubby out in the driveway framing up and leveling the ground for the cement trucks tomorrow.

The origin of the rumble just outside the kitchen door!

Mr Wazoo dug the trench and laid in conduit for the electricity for his shed.
It will be under a load of cement tomorrow at this time.

The second guy continued earth moving while Hubby and Guy #2 inspected wood for the forms.

Wood laid out but not made into forms yet

Notice how Mr Wazoo supervises  while Guy #2 unloads the wood

Rumbling and wood moving continued, but the food was ready and I eat when it's hot!
At 7:45 the Hubster came in to shower. I guess I better get his dinner re-heated.
Never a dull moment at chez Wazoo! Stay tuned for tomorrow's episode.

Guild day, Tuesday

Today was quilt guild, and I am tired. We had a wonderful speaker, Elizabeth Barton formerly from York, UK, and now from Athens,GA. who makes wonderful art quilts featuring the houses, buildings and structures common to villages and cities she has lived in or visited. Elizabeth dyes all the fabric for her work and has a sharp eye for captivating design interest from ordinary scenes. Here are a couple of her pieces from the small show in Blue Ridge last month.

We were treated to an extensive slide presentation along with the inspiration photographs and hand drawn sketches. I'm inspired to look at things differently after seeing her quilts!

Meanwhile, here at Wazoo...Mr Wazoo has been cleaning the garage since moving his lawn stuff into the shed, and I am seeing a big space emerge that I could use for something quilty. Hmmm...maybe not Nifty Fifty, but Fab Four or five? It's a thought.
Yesterday was spent laboring over the black bits of the quilt I started quilting on Sunday. Black on black is so hard to see, and even harder when the customer requested thin batting. Nothing pops up, so it is difficult to see where I have already quilted. I can't wait to get all the black done so I can move on to the colorful part!

I used dark gray for the feathering around the colorful part, and did the background fill with black.
You can't see any background fill, can you? Nor can you see the spiky design in the starry fabric. AAArrrgh!!

I have the half circles scribed in, now for the pointy bits...

After working for hours and getting nowhere, I decided to take a break and mess around with some orphan blocks left over from a quilt I made years ago. The rejects, you could say..

The pitiful orphans

The original 2007 quilt, with my daughter-in-law's family crest appliqued on it.

I think I need to make a few blue and green blocks to spice the orphan up a little. Oh well, it will no doubt be a charity quilt when it is finished. I had fun playing.

Miss Molly had an adventure last night. When I took her out before bed, she spied something hiding under my car. I don't know what it was, but I m guessing a feral cat. Thank goodness it wasn't a skunk!! She kept trying to squeeze her sausage body under the car, but all she got for her toil were patches of  black down her white fur! Mr Wazoo bathed her today, so she is back to normal, but I worry that the intruder will be back and we'll have a worse confrontation. I may have to start parking by the garage...

Trying her best to look innocent.

I'll be back to work in earnest tomorrow. Until then...I need a nap!

This and that

For me, Sunday is my day to do what I want. Of course I wanted to sew! Remember these dragonfly blocks? I scoured the stash and found the perfect fabrics for the sashing, cornerstones and borders. Then I got to work!

upper left and lower right are the blocks I made the other day.
The other four were made by other guild quilters.

All finished and ready for quilting!
I made the back and hung both up for another day.

This top has been on the design wall too long! I took it down and added the small blue border before hanging it up for later, too. I think it needs a scrappy piano key border...

One more border and it will be queen sized!

I did a little work, too. This quilt is a custom job for a customer in Florida. I  finished all the stitch in the ditch, and will be ready for the quilting tomorrow morning.

Half done by lunch...SID done by 2:00!

Meanwhile, Mr Wazoo worked in his new shed, putting up shelves and hooks for his yard tools. He is thrilled to have all his yard stuff in one place and organized. at the end of the day, he triumphantly drove his tractor in and locked the door!