Late start, strong finish

We got up early enough...8AM, but spent some quality time having a nice French toast breakfast while watching CBS Sunday morning.I extended my leisure time watching Meet the Press, too. Finally, after showering and dressing, I got started in the studio at noon!
Tim had already started his quilting on a customer project, so I didn't bother him. I went to work finding and cutting border fabrics for the three panels I pulled out yesterday. They had such nice colors in them, it made my job easy. I fussy cut borders for the two alphabet panels and a floral for Mother Goose. I had all three sewn and was choosing backings by 2:30. No grass growing under this girl!

Number one, Alphabet panel with fussy cut borders

Swirly quilting

Great circus backing in bright colors

Tim took a lunch break for an hour or so, but I pressed on and had all three quilts quilted by 3:30. There was a huge quantity of yellow striped binding already made that was left over from another project, so I didn't have to make new bindings! Yippee!

Number 2 is also an alphabet panel! Yup...I bought two of these.
But they were so cute (and so on sale) I couldn't resist!

'Potato masher' quilting, and the yellow alphabet print border I had in my stash

30's reproduction backing

It is 4PM now and all three quilts are ready for the hand sewing. There are ice packs on my back and knee, but I'm ready for some Packer football followed by the Golden Globes. I will have to stop to make supper, but we're having a stir fry so it's not complicated. I would say it has been a productive afternoon! My first three finishes for 2016.

Number three is Mother Goose! I love this panel.
I added a soft yellow floral border.

Meander quilting...I was getting really tired and sore.

Fun blue floral backing, too.

A blustery day, perfect for quilting

When its gray and the wind is howling, it is a perfect day to stay inside and have a therapy session with the Gammill. That was today! The studio was buzzing with activity all day. Miss Molly took up her 'look-out' position in the big brown chair, and the two Wazoo quilted the day away.

I finished this quilt  that is to be given to a man who is color blind. Oh my goodness!! It is so scrappy wonderful and bursting with colors...I wish it was mine. I'm sure he will love it, too, but I feel so bad that he will miss out on the mixed bag of patchwork hues that make the quilt sing.

Mr Wazoo did this modern twist quilt. I love the cranberry-teal-lime green combination.

Panto: Springtime

He also quilted this underwater fantasy quilt. The buttonhole stitched appliqués were adorable.

Panto: Ebb and Flow

Next up, this vintage top. I thought it was the Hummingbird pattern, but it isn't exactly. Whatever it is, I'm glad the owner decided to have it quilted to give  to her daughter. A family member made it, although I can't recall if it was a grandma or a great aunt. Anyway, it turned out better than I thought it would because it had some pretty baggy areas in it.

Panto: Baptist fan

I plan to take a pass on quilting tomorrow. I went through my bin of panels and found three cute ones that are begging to be quilts for kids. It should be fairly easy to add borders and get them ready to quilt. 

Tonight we will be snuggling down while the wind howls and the rain patters on the window. Perfect for sleeping! Good night!

Back in the saddle again...

My leg felt pretty good today, so I decided to get going on Dechen's baby quilt. I had the top and back done by noon, and then took a break to ice my knee and have some lunch.
For today's exercise, I walked down to the mailbox without the cane, and then back up the hill to the house. Birds and squirrels were enjoying the beautiful day, too.

Looking back at the house from the mailbox

We had the house painted just before Christmas, but it has been too rainy
 to take a picture until today. It looks great!

Mr Wazoo's rock gardens are pretty bare in the winter.

This fella kept his eye on me while I walked back to the studio

He stayed on his perch until I was safely inside.

Tim got me these feeders for Christmas. The bear destroyed the old ones.

 In the afternoon, Mr Wazoo let me drive him to the fabric store where he had to drop off a quilt. My first try behind the wheel!
He went off to Home Depot while I visited with the girls in the shop and bought a few yards of fabric and a layer cake with my two gift certificates.  Yippee!
Once back at home, I got Dechen's quilt quilted and the binding made and applied. I'll do the hand sewing tonight. Yesterday, I finished another mending job on a lovely and well cared for vintage quilt. The hand quilting was impressive. Teeny tiny stitches.

Customer quilt, all mended and ready to go home!

Dechen's flannel lumberjack quilt

I added to the cute coordinating panel to make the quilt reversible
This is the back.

Mr Wazoo was busy, too; finishing two quilts for customers.

This one was dropped off to the customer at the quilt shop.
Isn't it darling?!

I love the rick rack trim

Colorful delectable mountains

Panto: Bayside

Thankfully, we have enough chicken left over from yesterday's cook out to make a nice supper. I'm pooped! PT at 8:30 tomorrow morning...I'm driving solo! Look out, Blairsville!

Ring out the old, Bring in the new. Happy 2016

It's that time of year again where we all take stock of what we made of the year gone by. Mr Wazoo and I pulled up stakes and moved to the North Georgia mountains, leaving our friends and established business behind. It was scary to start anew, but we have always been adventurous and flexible. After 14 years of the Florida heat and humidity (and bugs, gators and snakes...) we saw a winter snow and pleasant temperatures all year. Once the studio was up and running, we advertised in the paper and got our first local customer. I do have to thank my Florida customers for carrying us through the first rough months. We now have a good base of customers and I am enjoying the new arm of the business; repairing quilts and making commissioned quilts.
Five weeks ago I had a total knee replacement of my right knee. I still can't walk very well, but I did stand and quilt yesterday! I have to be better by February, so I can join the gals in Sebring for a retreat. Just about the same time, we welcomed a new grandson, Dechen, to the family. Hopefully, a trip to Boston in the near future is in the cards.
Most of the family came here for Christmas, and we are happily headed toward the new year.
My tally is as follows: I made 24 charity quilts, 17 quilts just because I wanted to make them (you know how that is) 2 show quilts, 4 quilts from stacks of vintage blocks, 6 commissioned quilts, 3 customer tee shirt quilts, repaired 5 quilts, and fixed, quilted and bound 7 vintage tops. That comes to 68 quilts!
We didn't figure out how many more we did the quilting on, but I know it is a pretty good number. Mr Wazoo really stepped up and he truly is my number one employee! Tomorrow, the tree comes down and all the frou-frou goes back into the box and into the closet under the stairs until next Christmas.
Enjoy your New Year's Eve with a slideshow and some champagne.
Thank you for being out there, reading and laughing with me.

Another picture slideshow by Smilebox

A Toe in the Water

Today I woke up feeling good enough to do some quilting. Tim had been having issues with a large quilt, so I stepped in to help. The quilt is done, despite two rather long breaks during the quilting to ice and rest my knee.

Mr Wazoo kept me company in the studio, working on this sweet quilt for a little girl.

I also finished the red and white Irish chain quilt I have been hand mending for months!!!After a wash and dry, it looks good as new. 43 replaced and re-quilted squares,  three patched holes, and new binding, too. I am so happy to have this one done, I could do a little dance...if I could.

The day ended with a lovely surprise from my quilting pen pal in Iowa! I got two sets of coasters she made; one set for the holidays and one for all year round. I plan to use the holiday ones on New Year's Eve for my champagne glass...Thank you, Ronda! I was so surprised to find them in my mail box.

Almost 2016! I can't believe this year has gone by so fast. I am putting together my year end blog post, and I even shocked myself with what 2015 held for us here at Wazoo. Stay tuned!

Oh! Christmas!!

We were chasing our tails here at Wazoo getting everything ready for Christmas and a big family gathering. I made 9 kinds of cookies and sent them to various friends and family members, as well as getting all the sleeping accommodations ready for tired travelers.
Everyone arrived, and the fun began! Kids went shopping, hiking and grocery gathering while I kept the home fire burning. The girls did all the cooking and cleaning up, which was the best Christmas present ever for me. We played games, made a puzzle, explored the neighborhood and just enjoyed everyone's company after a one and a half year period of not seeing each other.
My youngest got engaged, and brought along the fiance ...

My oldest girl and my two Arizona grandkids were here, too.

The other twin daughter came the farthest, all the way from Oregon!

My son and his wife stayed in Boston because Dechen is too little to travel yet, and the other grandma is there visiting from Japan! They had a happy Christmas, too, and we had some quality FaceTime with them. Technology is sure wonderful sometimes.

Mr Wazoo got a new leather jacket and some hand knit accoutrements, which he gladly modeled along with a funky pair of steam punk goggles...

Family game night, a Christmas movie marathon, lots of cooking and eating, and some good old goofing around filled up a week's time quickly.

Before we knew it, Christmas was over and it was time for the family to go home. One last family picture, and they were off to Atlanta and flights to parts north, south and west. I took a much needed nap and dreamed of next Christmas. Oh yes...I also finished the puzzle while Mr Wazoo drove the last group to Atlanta!

I hope you had a Merry Christmas! Now, back to quilting!