Computer problems and some quilting

I have been horribly frustrated with my aging computer lately, and Mr Wazoo suggested it was time for a newer, faster and more updated one. We discussed it a couple of times, and tonight I ordered a new laptop! My Christmas, birthday and who knows what else present. This one is ten years old and I have so much stuff on it that is frequently crashes or freezes. I have been re-booting and coaxing it along for months, but have reached my threshold for patience. Next Tuesday I should be zooming along on a speedy new model. Until then, I put up with less blog and more patience!
Meanwhile, life in the studio goes on and I have been busy with work and some gift making. I am making a Christmas themed quilt for my daughter in Portland and hope to have it done by Sunday so I can get it mailed before Thanksgiving. That way, she can have it out for the season instead of putting it away for a year before using it.

I got the pattern and fabrics as a kit from the shop in Dahlonega. I don't often buy kits, but this looked easy and was really pretty. When it is done, it will remind her of Wisconsin winters.

I labeled all the bits and pieces of fabric so I wouldn't use the wrong one anywhere.

Day one, I had the panel trimmed and three borders on, as well as one set of blocks made.

Friday afternoon I made the other blocks. I should have it all sewn together tomorrow and have the last three borders on. Then I just have to quilt and finish it!

I got some fabric from the sale room, too, and I quilted it up to cut into placemats. I'll do that tomorrow as well. At the Cumming shop, I bought two cute snowman panels and quilted them for door decorations. One will go to our cleaning lady and the other may stay here for the studio.

Molly photo-bombed the placemat picture.

Cute snowmen on one side...

Cheerful red print on the other. I should get 8 nice sized mats out of the two yards of quilted fabric. Not bad for ten bucks!

All I did was quilt these panels with snowflakes and add sleeve and binding. How easy is that?!

I spent a delightful morning with my friend Gail going through her vast array of quilts for a presentation she's doing at guild next Tuesday. She is so talented and artistic...it makes me feel a bit inadequate with my weird assortment of quilts. We went out for a nice lunch and then it was back to work. Gail has a cat at her house that she needs a home for. Someone dropped it off in her neighborhood and left it to fend for itself. It has been very cold here, so Gail let it in her garage and fed it for a few days while looking for the owner. She can't keep it because she is allergic to cats, but says it is sweet and friendly, obviously used to people and seems to be declawed, too. We'l be looking for a holiday home for the cat, and hopefully someone will love it and take it home. It really is a pretty cat. I'm not a cat person, so no dice here.

This is the cat. The fur color is much prettier in person. I hope we find it a home.

Repair and commission, and something of my own!

Mr Wazoo took in a repair for a customer who is leaving for Florida in a few days. It was a hole clear through the quilt, but otherwise, the quilt was in good shape. It was an easy repair, so I also washed the quilt because I don't think it had ever been laundered and was a bit funky and dirty. In the end, it looked wonderful and made the customer very happy!

All clean and ready to go south for the winter.

The repair is in the green sashing.

This is the repair on the back. About the size of a half dollar.

I couldn't believe how much better it looked after a bath. I should have taken a 'before' photo, but I was in a hurry to get the repairs done.

I have had these Grandmother's flower garden blocks for too long, so I worked up a plan for the customer's queen sized quilt and only had to make one flower to do it. It took most of the day to applique the flowers to the backgrounds, and tomorrow I will sew the top together.

This is the flower I made while it was in progress. I finished it up  while watching TV and was ready for the construction in the morning.

Each flower is huge, almost 18 inches, so I had to make the blocks big, too. The setting triangles are yellow with white strips next to the body of the quilt. There will be a yellow outer border, too.

More blocks prepped and ready.

Last night I finished the cats quilt! Binding is on, label is on and it is D-O-N-E!

Hot off the machine.

Panto: Twinkling Stars

Wild Jane Sassaman print on the back.

Bound in blue/purple print.

Past my bedtime! Tomorrow is another fun studio day. 42 days until Christmas...YIKES!