Saturday, November 19, 2016

Whistle while you work

We are working along and whistling to the Christmas music, sometimes breaking right out into song! I am one of the people who believes the Christmas season begins November first, and that's when the music starts. It sure puts us in the mood to hurry up and get the quilts done.
Mr Wazoo finished the big blue quilt and it went out the door for a marathon binding session!

What a beautiful quilt!


Panto: Big Splat
I started the day with two tee shirt quilts for two deserving grandkids of our customer. The backings were the softest flannel. Nice, cuddly gifts.


Digital panto: Dazzle



Yup! The customer wanted Dazzle on both quilts.

These plaid flannels were really nice. I've never seen them in shops...
wonder where she got them?
Next for Mr Wazoo was a sweet baby quilt from a panel. Very pretty!


A bit blurry, but the panto is Angel wings
We both ended the day with another quilt on, but unable to finish. 6:00 and time to quit for the day. The man went to Home Depot earlier, and made a speed trip to the grocery store for a surprise supper treat...brats! (or bratwurst, to you southerners) In Wisconsin, we  love brats, cheese, beer and the Packers. Not necessarily in that order. 

Molly spent the day under the Gammill and out of the way.

Miss Molly is feeling better and enjoying some down time under the machine.

This quilt is nearly done, but has to wait until tomorrow.

I'm quilting this huge quilt with the new Millie.
I think I'm starting to get the hang of it.

We got this little thank you note in the mail.
Since Dechen just turned one, I think he had some help with the writing,
but the hand is certainly his!!
One year old and full of mischief!
                                                 





Thursday, November 17, 2016

Pup on the mend, quilts on the frames!

Molly had a good night once her pill kicked in. Today, she got to lounge in the recliner in the studio. Every time a customer came, she sang a Christmas carol!! Or at least it sounded like she was trying. Ahhhh-oooooooo!!!Aaaaaah-wooo-wooo! I don't know what she was trying to tell them, but the customers all found it amusing. We did, too.
Molly, undressed and shaved!

What a sweet girl.
While Molly snoozed and howled, we were working on quilts for Christmas presents. This is the busy season for quilters, and we are no exception. I finished the tee shirt quilt and did the hand sewing tonight after guild meeting.


digital panto: diamond spiral

really soft brushed homespun on the back

Wild striped binding
I sewed up the backs for two of the six quilts one customer brought us yesterday while Mr Wazoo quilted this batik quilt. He'll finish it in the morning and it will be out the door.


Molly and I are off to bed. Tomorrow is another adventure!

Busy bees in the workshop

The holiday rush is on, and we are feeling the heat! Eight quilts came in today, adding to the rapidly filling rack of quilts waiting in line to be done. Tee shirt quilts have been popular with two done, one almost ready to quilt and two more in the queue. Mr Wazoo did this Peachtree Run quilt that will be a Christmas gift for the quilt maker's son, who runs the race every year. I love the peach fabric she used in the sashing.

Panto: Square spiral

The back is this cute sneaker fabric
I started the day prepping tee shirts for a commissioned quilt for another customer. All the cutting and fusing is tedious, but once it's done, everything goes along smoothly.

Shirts prepped and arranged.I did move a couple after taking the picture.

 Once the shirts were prepped, I was able to switch gears and quilt a small quilt to deliver in Blue Ridge on Thursday evening at guild.





I went back to the tee shirts after that and got the top assembled and ready to quilt tomorrow. Mr W quilted a customer sampler for pick up tomorrow, too.


Panto: Trailing Vine
Meanwhile, the fourth customer of the day arrived at 5:30 with a little quilt for her daughter that she needed finished by Sunday. I told her we'd try, and after she left, I made the back, quilted it, and made and applied the binding. I still had to trim the tee shirt quilt, and finally gave up and closed the studio at 6:30.

The first quilt this lady has ever made.
Her daughter graduated from FSU and these are the school colors.

Pant: Stacked Snails

I only need to sew on the top and bottom borders to be ready to quilt this.
I simply ran out of gas...

Molly spent the day at the vet surgery having the tumor removed. She has been crying since Mr W picked her up , and couldn't get a drink of water with the stupid cone on her neck. I did the un-thinkable and took it off, put a Tegaderm patch on the incision (it is way bigger than I thought it would be), and wrapped her upper body loosely with an ace wrap to protect the wound from any scratching she may attempt. She has left it alone, and after having a pain pill, some kibble, and a trip outside, seems to be feeling better. Poor baby doesn't know why she is so sore and feeling yucky.
I did the hand sewing on the binding for the hurry up quilt, and finished it. I also got two more pieces appliquéd on the quilt I have been repairing. It has been a long day. Up at 7 to get the dog to the vet, work all day and now, it's 12:30 and Molly and I are off to bed. Fingers crossed that she will have a quiet night.
Tomorrow it starts anew...

The patient, resting in her bed.

The light blue patch and the long, skinny white and pink patch are new.

Monday, November 14, 2016

A Finish of major proportion!

I am so glad to have finished the top I have been working on for so long. Yesterday, I removed the setting triangles that were red and pink. I didn't like what they looked like at all. I re-cut the new pieces, and today I sewed them and added them to the top. Finished!! Now, I need to do the quilting, but that will have to wait until I am caught up on customer projects.


The first set of setting triangles were not what I expected them to be...


So I took them off...

Cut and sewed new bits...

and made the new setting triangles.
Much better!! Top done!

Don't you just love looking at all the fun fabrics!? I do.
There are four monkey fabrics in the quilt. Love those monkeys!
Mr Wazoo kept busy quilting some king sized customer quilts. First, a woodsy block of the month, then a Harley Davidson tee shirt quilt. Polar opposites, but two lovely quilts!

Mr W hard at work

The finished quilt, but a bit sideways...

Panto: Frisky Feathers

Vroom, vroom!! Harley Davidson quilt

Panto: Square Spiral
Tomorrow, I have top start a customer tee shirt quilt. I have a quilt on the frame right now, and also hope to finish it soon. Busy, busy!...


Sunday, November 13, 2016

Veterans and quilts

Yesterday, Mr Wazoo and I went to a ceremony for Quilts of Valor here in Blairsville. The ladies from our guild who have made it their mission to give the hug a quilt provides to the combat and wounded vets. It was a moving and uplifting event, with families clicking pictures of their loved one being honored. Mr Wazoo shed a tear or two, something I rarely see him do. He served on the Forrestal aircraft carrier in the 60s and wore his Navy hat. Serving between wars, he was at the Bay of Pigs on standby, and later, stationed in Cuba, a place where my Army veteran daughter was also stationed. She gave him a flag that flew over Guantanamo on his birthday as a gift. It is framed, and hanging in the bedroom. But I digress... here are some pictures from yesterday's event.














The rest of the day, I worked on the quilt in progress, trying to get it to a place where I can take it off the design wall and get going on the waiting customer tee shirt quilt. I just have the setting triangles to go, then all the parts are done! The pieces are cut, I will sew them today.