Back home and frisky!

 The first night after Penny's surgery wasn't fun. She cried and cried until I gave her the pain pill that was meant for the next morning, then she settled after an hour or so being calmed by Mr Wazoo in the recliner. I went back to bed!

Mr W kept Penny during the day so I could get some work done, and she stayed mostly in her pen.

Penny chilling in her fashion collar.

I quilted the first quilt of the day and (Horrors!!) there was a seam not sewn . The unsewn part was only about a half inch long, but the hopping foot found the gap and sewed itself in tightly. Getting it out is a horrible experience. It takes a long time to undo the tight wad where you can't see what you're doing. About 45 minutes later, I had coerced the foot loose and had only a tiny hole to fix. Of course, that took another hour! I finished my day with only one quilt done. And then I forgot to take a picture of the quilt! I'll get it out tomorrow and click it quickly before the customer comes. Here are the pictures I did take.

The open seam and the hole

I'm pointing to the repair on the front of the quilt

And pointing to the repair on the back. Away from the quilt you can't see the repairs at all.

The next morning, the mail carrier came and gave me a package! I don't order much fabric on line because I like to feel the fabric and see the colors in person. These are from Hawthorne Threads. They were so pretty on their blog, I broke down and ordered a fat quarter bundle.

Meanwhile, I felt the guilt of the UFO and put the bright blocks back up on the design wall. While Millie quilted the next customer project, I moved them around until I found a layout I liked.

The first of two quilts from the same fabrics as my bright quilt was finished!

Panto: Woven Wind

Grunge backing.

I got the second quilt loaded around quitting time

Today, while Millie worked on the second quilt, I began a repair . The quilt was made by the customer's mother for her granddaughter. The kid has used this quilt her entire life and the hand buttonhole stitching has given up. My job is to remove the strawberries, reinforce them with stabilizer, and sew them back on with the same stitch. Should be fun.

The knots where she started will not let go! I'll work on that later.

I'm using non-woven lightweight interfacing on the back of the pieces.

When I carefully cut them out, they are ready for stitching.

I cut as close to the edge as I could to keep their size as equal as possible to the blank space they came off of.

I finished up the second quilt and here it is.

Panto: Funky Fans

Great texture on this one.

Next up was the tee shirt quilt for the guy who ordered them. His is a bit different than the others in that his wife chose the shirts.

Same rounded square panto.

Swirly black and gray backing. The binding will be dark gray.

I have the rows sewn and am auditioning horizontal sashing. I'm going with the plain striped one. The turquoise will be a small inner border.

More strawberries removed...

and being transformed!

It's awfully quiet without Penny...

 Penny had her operation today and is spending the night at the vet's. She has to get some type of laser treatment to her incision in the morning, and then we'll pick her up at 11:30. It has been so dull and quiet here today...we have really missed her and all her frustrating antics!

The quilts today were a happy lot. The customer always makes fun and brightly colored quilts, and I really like them. The Tweety bird quilt is a gift for a woman who has had the fabric for a long time and didn't have anyone to make a quilt with it. My lovely customer made the quilt for her and is giving it to her for being a great caregiver to her father.

The first quilt is this jazzy number for the quilt maker's niece.

Keeping with the theme, I used the panto: Musical Notes

The Tula Pink backing fabric is scrumptious!!

Her second offering is this delectable Aussie mountain quilt.

The panto (African Samba) compliments the Aboriginal fabric patterns.

This backing is scrumdiddelicious!

Tweety is now a quilt! So thoughtful and generous for the customer to thank the caregiver for taking such good care of her father.

Panto: Popcorn. It is a frisky, cute design for this quilt.

I think it looks like little curly clouds.

The first two tee shirt quilts went home. The customer's wife came to get them as he is in Africa (yes, the continent!) building an embassy in Niger. She is here overseeing the building of their retirement home. She picked out the shirts for her husband's quilt, and said I should stop at seven because she wants to discuss who the quilts are for with her husband. He is gung ho to give everyone a quilt, but she is minding the purse strings and has a different idea. I'm glad I don't have to witness that conversation!

These  are the shirts she chose for her husband's quilt. I have them sewn already and two borders on. You'll see the finished quilt tomorrow, hopefully.

Now, I think I will enjoy a dish of ice cream without the little brown nose and eyes peeking over the bowl's edge...

Valentine's Day fun

                                                

I woke up to a single coral colored rose and a giant lemon poppyseed muffin! Happy Valentine's Day to me. Mr Wazoo knows they are my favorite, and he didn't forget. 

Work started at noon. Mr W was in the studio with me and Penny for quite a while adding up the 2020 figures for my business. It's my job to do the taxes and his to get the numbers in order for me. I sewed tee shirt quilt number five while Millie behaved herself and quilted today's mammoth quilt.

This beautiful quilt made my day. It is perfectly sewn, flat, square and stay stitched all around the edges. 

Even Penny had to take a look!

Even a giant quilt can be sewn perfectly if you pay attention to the quarter inch seam and press, press, press! Plus, it's a scrap quilt! Love the look of the entire project. I am certainly not this precise...

Panto: Branching Out. I timed a row of the quilting pattern; half an hour for each row! Oh well, it was Sunday, the quilt was lovely, and I had the music on. Wonderful.

The backing fabric was big enough, the selveges cut off, the seams obviously pinned before sewing so they stayed flat and ended up the same length, and was also an attractive addition to the top. I have to say, it was a joy to quilt. Thank you, Grace!

Here is the flimsy of number five tee shirt quilt. I also cut the backings for six of the seven quilts left to finish. I ran out of backing fabric...Rats! Later, I got on the computer and ordered enough for the last quilt from Connecting Threads. It will be here before I ever get to that quilt.

I have customers coming tomorrow, and a lot of work to do. Saturday, I took in another seven quilts. My brother and I are splitting Summer duty with my Dad in Texas while my sister and her husband get a much needed respite of a summer in Wisconsin. I have been trying to organize a list of projects to take with me since I won't be able to quilt there. I'll do some sewing and some repair. (there are always repairs!) and may even read something fun!! Everything else is still in the planning phase, except the dates. 

Tuesday, Penny gets spayed. That's not going to be a good day. Wednesday, I get my second vaccine. The rest of the week should be more of the same as  all other covid weeks. We have found that we have settled into a pattern of behaviors, like a choreographed dance of boring tasks repeated over and over. I bet you all feel the same. Good thing we have a calendar to remind us  what day it is and what appointments we have. All the days seem to run together. I'm hoping if enough people get vaccinated, we will see the light at the end of the tunnel. Get your shot!!!