Bits and bobs

Today was a disjointed day here at Wazoo. Mr Wazoo finished the quilt he started yesterday, and I trimmed and photographed it so he could go work in the yard.

Pretty pastel chains

Panto: Ribbon Roses

The backing is a pretty garden print

I answered five phone calls from customers and friends, making my day start a little late.The studio was so full of dust and lint, I had to run the Swiffer around two times to get it all up!! Of course, that set off a sneeze fest that even made Molly give a woof. While I was at it, I straightened up the sewing table and the Cutting table. There is still a big mess on the cutting table, but I can't help it...I have too many irons in the fire! Oh yeah, I remembered the little light set I bought on Amazon and decided to attach it to my machine. It was very easy to do. You take a look and see if you see the difference. I sure did! Especially when I needed to sew the black binding.

Tidy table, bright light!

With the machine's light only

With the new lights on. (you can see them reflected in the plastic table)

After greeting four customers in a row and taking in their quilts, plus returning two, I decided to make the bunny for the appliqué project. I am starting to really like this quilt project now that it is getting toward the end!! Tomorrow, raccoons!

The bunny is so cute!!

Friends

I picked out the offending dark thread on the foxes tail, but that left the white bit looking shredded and tired. I made a new piece and button hole stitched it with off-white thread. Looks way better!!

Before

After

For supper, chicken on the grill with fresh tomato, cucumber and onion salad. Yum.
Now, I just have to hand sew the binding on this customer quilt, and I can turn in for the night. See you tomorrow!

Black binding on and ready to sew!

Charity sewing

Today was the charity sewing day at Pieceful Mountain Quilt Guild. Eight of us came and made 15 pillowcases for the homeless shelter and 22 pet beds for the Humane Society. Not too shabby!

Slo-o-o-o-o-o-ow going!!

Hard to believe, this took all day. And I am not happy with the dark thread on the white, so tomorrow it comes out and light gray goes in. Otherwise, I like the new critters. Owl, bunny and raccoons next.

So far, so good.

Yuk! I have some picking to do...

He's pretty foxy, though

It looks like the hedgehog is going to give Mr Bear a  smooch!

Getting the bear situated under the block and the lizard was fiddly and time consuming.
The raccoons are to the left of the bear, and kind of hold him up. You'll see...

Productive day at Wazoo

Sometimes it helps to get an early start! Mr Wazoo got going on the customer quilt that is a birthday present for a lucky boy. All the fabrics feature candy! Mmmmm!

Cheerful candy quilt

Panto: Popcorn

The backing featured candy, too!

I had a special quilt to do, too. This pretty Monet inspired quilt was made by a quilter who is losing her eyesight. My Mom had the same disease and was blind when she passed away. I know she is seeing all the lovely colors now. So this quilt had to be special, for the woman who is slowly losing her colors. I hope she can see how nicely she did and how lovely the lilies are.

pretty water lilies floating on a  serene pond

some of the quilting

the border treatment

In the afternoon, Mr Wazoo quilted another customer project; this one belongs to my sister.

My sister's quilt

Panto: Featherize

I worked on the final borders of my appliqué quilt.

Now, I get to have fun with the critters who live in the borders! Stay tuned...

Tomorrow, we play hooky, going out for some breakfast and then a nice car ride. We need a break.

Good to be home again.

Yesterday, we made the trip from Baton Rouge in twelve hours, and arrived home for supper. After unpacking the car and having a grocery store rotisserie chicken dinner, we fell into bed, exhausted from the last week's events. Unfortunately, little Molly wasn't feeling well after the ride, and had us up twice over night to barf and potty. I hope tonight goes better!
Of course, we hit the ground running with the quilting. Customers have been waiting a week for their quilts, and we haven't done anything. I finished the borders on two of the memory quilts while Mr Wazoo quilted twin camping themed quilts. Only the backings were different.

Both camp quilts were the same, so only one photo to look at!

Cute fabric!

Panto: Small Splat

This is the back of the other quilt

Two memory quilts ready for quilting

In the afternoon, I finished the buttonhole stitching on the critter quilt, sewed the rows together and started on the borders.

I haven't gone crazy...the borders have blocks that go in each corner that I haven't made yet.

By then it was 6:30, and time to make supper. Time flies when I'm in my element. I am so glad to be home!

Time on my hands

While we have been in Texas, I have been doing a lot of hurry up and waiting. I'm really glad I brought one of the customer repair quilts to work on! It would have taken a month of evenings to complete the hand work at home, but I have been able to work on it during the day as well as when watching Murder She Wrote and Columbo on the tube.
It's finished!!

Every block needed stitching, as well as the borders. I am pleased with how it looks now. 

Here are the 'Before' pictures.

I don't know what I will do in the car on the ride home!! Glad I brought my Kindle!

Sad days at Wazoo

Last Wednesday, at 3:30AM, my Mother passed away. Tim and I are in Texas with the family, making plans for the memorial service and getting my Dad straightened away and ready for life on his own.
Mom was 92 years old, and had a full, exciting life. She was without a doubt, the most intelligent person I have ever know. When my friend's moms were home making cookies and vacuuming, my mother was building a successful career as a Registered Medical Records Administrator. She oversaw the records department at a big hospital in Madison, Wisconsin until she retired.
Mom loved sports and played baseball as a kid and loved  watching the Cubs all her life. She played tennis, and was an award winning golfer. She would ride her bicycle around Lake Monona in Madison, and supported her children's sporting efforts, too.
Mom wasn't an out-front person at home, rather deferring to my Dad in the daily grind. She quietly ran a tight ship, cooking, cleaning, gardening, knitting and crocheting, and reading voraciously, all while working full time outside the home. She went camping, even though I don't think it was her favorite pastime, and made all the rough places we set up tents seem like home. She attended all my sporting, choir,and orchestra events, and then went to all the events of my own children. Mom made a cooler of snacks and drinks for team members and was always there to make the day more fun.
She is my example of what a great mother should be, and I try to live up to her example , but fall short in so many ways.
I will miss her, but will have my memories to sustain me through this sad time in my life.

My Grandma, my mother and my aunt in Wisconsin. My Mom is the tall, slim, beautiful lady on the right.

making cookies with the twins

potluck supper with my niece in the hall

visiting her cousin in the family hometown in France

with my son and his wife in Texas

with just a few of the quilts she made for school children
with my sister 

Mom loved dogs, and was always petting or holding one of the family pets

with my Dad in Wisconsin

acting silly with me in Texas

Seeing my girls off at the Harlingen airport

having a moment with Amy in her kitchen

Making progress

The memory quilts are coming along nicely, and I have almost finished two of the tops. I was doing the outer borders today, but had quite a few interruptions and didn't finish.

The one on the right has side borders on

Here it is, closer

It seems I always have several irons in the fire, and today was no exception. One of my customers needs this quilt by Friday, so it took precedence and was finished today.

A wonderful quilt by a beginner!

Panto: Curlz

Another customer brought this sweet log cabin her Grandmother made that has had a lot of loving over the years! My job is to restore it to a usable quilt. This is gonna be fun!

The quilt Grandma made

well worn

the fabrics are intact, but the seams are gone

Mr Wazoo had a good day outside, just doing what he always does...digging, planting and getting dirty. Both of us enjoyed our work today.