Pretty day, rainy evening

All four of my kids had snow yesterday. This may not seem strange until you find out one lives in southern Arizona where it is usually hotter than Hades, and one lives in Portland, Oregon where the weather is mild most of the year. Portland girl said if we had snow in Georgia, all the bases would be covered. Nope! It was 60 degrees and lovely. Lovely again today, but that deteriorated and now it is pouring rain and chilly.

Sierra Vista, Arizona

Madison, Wisconsin

Portland, Oregon

Blairsville, Georgia

Just outside my studio

Aside from the weather...I have been quilting and sewing the time away. I finished the Packers commission quilt and sent it off today.

Keeping everything straight was a challenge, but the writing is all right side up!

Panto: Jetty in cheddar yellow thread.

The backing is this packers flannel. Cuddly and warm for Wisconsin winters. The binding is the fabric used in the narrow strips in the blocks. I did the hand sewing last night.

I quilted another of the never ending stream of Christmas quilts from one pf my best customers. She has made 24 Christmas quilts for all her family members! Wow! She plans to make one for herself, then she'll be done.

This customer must have a huge Christmas fabric stash. 

On my shelves? Maybe four Holiday fabrics.

Panto: Snowfall with red thread as requested by the customer

Another nice Christmasy backing.

After 6:00 and one row to go. Rats!!

Tomorrow, Penny goes for her first real haircut. I should have some fun photos tomorrow evening!

Hmmmm...what look should she get?

um...NO

Goodness! Who thought this was a good look?

He can't make up his mind which animal he is!

A chicken?...Please, no.

I'd be happy if she looks like this!!

Happy, Rainy Monday

 There is no joy in Mudville...the Packers lost yesterday to Tom Brady. To add insult to injury, he plays for the Buccaneers now! Oh well, I had work to do and got on with it.

I have a commission for a Packers lap sized quilt and found it ironic that they were playing while I was sewing. I had the sound muted and lovely Bach music playing, so the sting of defeat wasn't quite as harsh.

I'm making a BQ2 quilt but it is slow going because the fabrics are directional! I have to lay everything out to get the lettering going in the correct direction. Three of the five rows of blocks are sewn while the Packers play on the TV.

While I sewed, the Millie was chugging along on customer quilts. Both of the quilts are from the same customer and will go home as soon as she can pick them up.

This colorful project is quite large. It will certainly add some brightness to a bedroom!

I chose a simple swirly pattern for the quilting to mimic the linked circles in the focus fabric. I used yellow thread.

Tone on tone green backing.

The second project was this sweet baby quilt

I used my favorite butterfly panto for the quilting with pink thread to echo the butterflies in the focus fabric.

Soft flannel pink elephants on the back.

Penny has started a new thing. She sits in front of me and 'talks'. Barks and growls and head tilts didn't get me any closer to knowing what she was trying to say, but it was cute. She did it again this morning...

Back to work!

I'm happy to be finished with the rush repair and with three days to spare!! Yesterday, I replaced the binding with a wide double thickness facing, turned to the front, like the original, and stitched by machine. There were only five holes in the backing, and I finished those at 6:00, then put the quilt in the wash. 

Remember where I started?

The quilt was very worn and had several holes through to the backing

The muslin patches were the most worn.

Here it is, mended, washed and ready to surprise it's owner on his birthday!

The badly torn and shredded corner looks like new.

A quick look at the back. Boring, but whole.

I quilted another of the many tablecloths for my repeat customer. When I phoned her that it was finished, she said the next one is ready for quilting. She has made a bunch of these for her family.

The customer requested no trim, so the excess batting is showing here

Once again, the panto is Bush Berries in bright green thread.

This one has a stacked plates patterned fabric for the backing.

The next quilt was a joy to quilt. Perfectly flat and square, finished with stay stitching all around, and with a generous backing. Plus, it is so pretty!! I have made this Cluck Cluck Sew pattern, too, and every one has been nice. It is a good use of your 2 1/2 inch strips!

The quilt has a combination of bright batiks and colorful solids.

Panto: Stacked Snailz in off white thread

The backing is a great compliment to the bright top.

I'm getting tired of looking at these blocks on the design wall. I am still contemplating how to do the final arrangement. I think I will just add the setting triangles and sew it together. Not a favorite, but someone will like it.

It was refreshing to see and listen to Dr Fauci yesterday. 

He said he felt liberated to be able to report the scientific facts without fear of reprisal. 

My hero.

A new day dawns in America

 I awoke this morning full of happy anticipation of a brighter future for this country. One with truth and empathy, cooperation and dignity. We have a long haul ahead to get the vehicle of democracy up the hill of unrest and pain. Covid rages on, insurgents are being arrested daily, and millions are without jobs and enough food to keep the family going. I believe in America the beautiful, and hope it becomes the shining city on a hill again.

Plaque made in 2008 by a group of artists in Iowa to honor the United States

In the studio, I have been quilting along on customer projects, and feverishly hand sewing the rush job quilt repair. I am working on it day and night, trying to get it done in time for the surprise party for the man who has slept under it for 50 years.I really hope to get the repairs done and the hand quilting added by tonight. Then, I will only have the binding to finish.

This repair was fairly simple. I had to close up a bunch of seams that had come apart over the years, and fix some of the appliqué. After a washing, it was bright and fluffy; ready to use again.

The quilt and backing returned to their former glory. It always amazes me how a good washing makes quilts seem more beautiful than when they were new. The softness and wrinkly puckering around the hand stitching make them more interesting, too.

I know this is sideways, but I wanted to show the block construction. Scrappy and happy.

This parasol ladies quilt interestingly belongs to a man! His granny made it for him when he was a boy, and he has cherished it ever since. His daughter brought him to pick it up, and he teared up a bit when he saw it. I mended many open seams and re-sewed the edge with the machine instead of by hand. The customer will be using this every night, and I wanted it to hang together better. He has obviously taken great care of it over the over 50 years he has had it on his bed.

The backing was turned over to the front and stitched instead of having binding. 

This Christmas tree quilt was made by a customer who had three quilts for me to do. 

Unfortunately, it wasn't finished for the holiday, but I didn't get it until December 16th, and had ten or more quilts ahead of it.

Panto: Let it snow, with variegated blue thread.

Toy soldiers on the back.

Deja vu? Another table cloth by the customer who is making them for all her family members.

Panto: Bush Berries in bright green thread

This one has deep purple backing that makes the green thread glow!

My daughter lepton Monday and spent the afternoon in Asheville, NC touring the Biltmore mansion and grounds. After a year of not seeing anyone from my family, it was wonderful to have her visit.

We all posed for a selfie before they left. Why was I the only one with the sun right in my face?! Even Penny behaved herself for the picture.

After they left, I took her in the studio and gave her a thorough and vigorous brushing!

Fluffy and pretty again!

We have a long way to go to return to normalcy.