Rainy days make for productive days!

Sometimes a big project just falls together and comes out wonderfully. Other times, it is a struggle to get the bits to go together and make the quilt the customer was expecting. Like this one...Customer brought me a comforter her daughter made and wanted it taken apart, made bigger, re-quilted and bound. Okay, I'll bite. I removed all the machine stippling from the quilt, removed the binding and added two complimentary borders. Then, I used new, more wonderfully puffy batting from Quilter's Dream and a new backing for the quilt. Everything was going swimmingly until, Oh No!! the quilt is two inches bigger than the backing!! How did this happen? I am sure I measured before I put it on the frame! An hour later, I had an extension piece of backing attached, re-pinned the quilt on the frame and finished the last row of the quilting. 103 x 108 finished. The binding took two nights, but the result is just what the customer ordered. Things worked out fine, but not without some weeping and gnashing of teeth!Oh yeah, I still love my job!

EEK!!! See how the quilt(blue part) is longer than the backing (white fabric pinned to the tan canvas leader)? This kind of thing makes a quilter pull her (or his) hair out.

Two days later, the quilt is finished and looks beautiful.

Lots of definition in the quilting with the puff batting.

The back and binding.

The rest of the time, we hummed along like a well oiled machine with the Christmas music playing in the background.

I went on to quilt this pretty log cabin.

Digital panto: Purple Meadow

Then, I custom quilted this  quilt with what looks like blue plates
in the blocks. The horse block is paper pieced.

I used two wreath patterns. This one with leaves, and another with flowers.

The backing is an ultra-suede fabric. I've never quilted with this before, and now, I have had two quilts in a week with it on the back.

Mr Wazoo quilted this lovely floral quilt today. Another short backing gave us a challenge, but I added 22 inches of a coordinating fabric, and everything came out fine.

There was a dazzling array of these bright florals.

Around 5pm, I sewed this charity quilt for the nursing home. I just wanted to make something, and this is my go to pattern.

I got this bird house fabric at the guild yard sale!

A peek at the back.

After supper, I sewed the label onto the raffle quilt, and hand sewed the binding to the charity quilt I made earlier in the day. Now, it's time to go to bed. The wind is howling and it is spitting rain. Perfect sleeping weather!! Good night!

Wonderful rain!!

We finally had a couple of good, soaking rains. This has brought the fires under enough control in our area, that they think they will be able to handle them. Now, if only this was the case in Tennessee...
Closer to home, we have been slowing our pace a bit because we are getting caught up! Tim took some time to blow the leaves away from the house again, and even put some of the decorations on the tree! It is all decked out and ready for company.

The tee shirt quilt parade keeps on going. We got in another two this week. Mr Wazoo quilted this one with the panto, Dazzle. One of our favorite tee shirt quilt patterns.

I took a day off to do a bit of holiday sewing. I made this door banner for my daughter, and Mr W liked it so much, he wanted one for our door. So I made another one. I have to do the buttonhole stitching and get it quilted.

This one is quilted and now has buttons, too.

This one is for our door. I will probably finish it tomorrow.

We did some serious quilting, as well, moving customer Christmas gifts along.

This one block wonder is bound for New Jersey

I quilted this really big batik star quilt. Its on the way to Florida.

Digital panto: Twirling leaves

A baby quilt for a new future quilter!

Panto: Bubbles

Here is a quilt where the customer (a real artist!) hand dyed, stamped and screened the fabrics.

I had so much fun quilting this!
This block has the artist herself!

There are words and numbers in some of the blocks...

as well as funky fillers!

A look at the back

For those of you who asked about Miss Molly; she had her stitches out and is doing fine. The tumor was benign. She's back keeping the studio safe for us quilters.

Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

 We have been busy bees here getting everything done before Christmas. For a week I have been in a quilt binding storm, hand sewing a couple of bindings each night. Thankfully, I have also been using the DVR to best advantage, taping cheesy Christmas movies to keep me company while I stitch.

This is a very special quilt of valor I just finished for my brother in Wisconsin

I'll be sending it off this week, along with its presentation case to the QOV group there.

This is a peek at the back

Number four of one customer's six quilts.
We're in the home stretch!

Panto: Daisy swirl
Binding all finished.

Peek-a-boo! I like this one the best.

Number three tee shirt quilt for  the customer with the pretty plaid backed quilts I just finished.

Tee shirt from the family winery

This is another soft flannel plaid back.

Tee shirt quilt and quilt of valor...done!!

 With just two more quilts to go on the customer's list, we divided and conquered! Mr Wazoo did one, and I did the other. I'm sewing the bindings tonight (with a little break to blog...)

Digital panto: Flower power

Panto: Yodel

Another cozy flannel  quilt.

The studio is messy, but it is a good messy!!

Two machines resting at the end of the day.

This is my sewing station, where the quilt making and binding happen.

Mr Wazoo has begun replanting the pots with the winter hardy plants.

Poinsettias waiting to go home, or to guild.

Mr W is in a daily battle with the wind to keep the leaves blown  away from the house.
We're in a bad drought and there are forest fires in surrounding areas. One bad thing about living in the sticks...no fire hydrants! It's BYO water if there is a fire, and we are on a well with 15 other homes.

Most of the leaves are off and we can see the mountains again

And soon...the tree will be trimmed, and Christmas season can begin in earnest!
I can't wait! I love Christmas.