Brrrrr!! February is here!

A lot has happened since I last posted here. It took Mr Wazoo and me a full week of sorting, folding and storing all my fabric on the newly beefed up shelves. Here is a day by day run down of the progress.

Here is where we left you...wondering if we were crazy to do this. 

Mr W added wood slats and bigger pegs to hold the weight of the fabric.

We piled the rolled fabric on a table behind Big Gammill and I folded it on the cutting table.

Making progress. My backing stash takes up the lowest shelf on the right. The next bottom shelf over is my collection of whites for repairs. I use everything from bright white down to a tan color. It's great to have a stash to match to the quilt.

We finally made it over to the color category shelves.

Finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel! Table is still loaded.

The table piles are smaller, but only because we stashed fabric in boxes for ease in transport to the cutting table.

Hard at work folding my civil war reproduction fabrics.

Shabby chic fabric came next

I had two boxes of red fabric! I do like red...

The last shelves were the hardest. We were exhausted. But just look at all that lime green! My favorite color.  I have a drawer full, too.

Ta-da!! All done. Give me a week and we'll see how it goes.

When I was sorting and folding, I found this panel I got at Quilt 'N Caboodle at their big sale. I cut it up, added some sashing from the stash and made a nice quilt. It will be a donation for Family Connection.

I really like the faces on these farm residents.

The quilting is a simple meander with yellow thread.

I had a good amount of this 30s fabric for the back. I added yellow binding the next day and got it done!

A big milestone was reached this week, too. I turned 70 last Friday and the family did well with gifts. Mr W got me an Apple Watch! He said it was to call someone when I fall down. How romantic. ha ha. From the kids I got a pair of 'gift socks', a carved wooden bowl shaped like a pig, and two plates with goofy farm animals on them. The flowers came the day after my birthday, making it last even longer. The man took me out to a snazzy Italian restaurant, and we had cake and ice cream when we got home. I think 70 came in without too much anxiety. I'm ready for whatever comes next.

When I tap the watch face, Minnie Mouse speaks the time. She taps her foot to the seconds!

Mr Wazoo did my card with 70 all over it. My son has my sense of humor with the socks.

Pig with M&Ms

We had some cake and ice cream on our new plates.

Penny entertained herself with the bubble wrap. Pop pop pop...

Nice!!

The cherry on top was the flower delivery! So pretty.

Yesterday, I started working on a customer tee shirt quilt. She only wants it to be a throw size, so I have had to do some creative cutting and placement. She wanted "mossy green" for the background, so I am doing just that! I am making progress after the tedious fusing and cutting stages.

We'll see how it goes tomorrow. I would like to get it done and sent back to Tallahassee this week.

This was the moon rise last night after work. It looks kind of weenie here, but the moon was big and golden color. I don't know how to take a proper photo of it with my phone. You'll have to trust me...it was beautiful. It's time to put my feet up and zone to the TV.

Busy day

 Penny put her paw in my ear and sneezed at 7:15. That's when my day took off like a rocket. Mr Wazoo had to go to Cumming and have the car serviced, and was out the door by 8:00. I was cleaned up and dressed before having coffee, so I would be ready for the Wi-fi man's appointment at 10:00. Penny had her run and her morning meal, and I enjoyed a bagel and coffee. The bug man called and said he was coming to do the termite inspection ands showed up around 8:45. He went all around the rooms with his flashlight and then trooped down to the garage and my studio. At 9:15, the Wi-fi guy arrived early and got right to work installing the new modem and getting the phone service hooked up and running. I needed to put a note on the studio door telling customers to call me to come down, but it wasn't necessary because the first one showed up at 10:15 as I was writing the note! She picked up her quilt and we chatted about our doodle dogs until the second customer came at 10:30! We chatted a bit, she got her quilt and I went back upstairs to let Penny out of the bedroom where I had her corralled and go for walkies. Wi-fi man came and went twice, doing things with the wires and connections and finished around 11:30. By now, I was ready to have a sandwich and go to work. The morning was shot. Mr W returned from his jaunt to Cumming just as I finished eating.

We both went to the studio where I started some sewing and loaded a charity quilt from a guild member. Mr W set to work on his shelf-strengthening project. Here is what we accomplished.

I have had an idea rolling around in my head for years and set about trying to sew what I saw in my mind. You'll have to bear with me to find out what is going on here. It may be wonderful...or a big flop.

The blocks are paper pieced.

If you have followed me for a while, you know I roll my fabric instead of folding and stacking it. Mr Wazoo thinks that is why the shelves fall down periodically. Too much stuffed into the space. I am grudgingly removing fabric and folding it while he is adding reinforcements under each shelf. What a mess!! It will most likely take a month to do it all but, hopefully, it  will be better. I'm skeptical. I have done three shelves so far.

Meanwhile, I fought with the charity quilt whose backing only left me one inch on the sides to clamp to. Usually, they make great backs with loads of fabric extra. Not today. I was cocky and figured this would be like the other ones I have done, but look at the picture and see what happened! The backing is a full 10 inches too small. I have decided to take it off and return it to the member who gave it to me, requesting she fix the back and then bring it back. I'm not going to fix it this time. Freebies need to be right or I won't do them anymore.

Okay, enough venting. When I quit at 6:00, Mr W grilled a nice steak to share, I baked a couple of potatoes and made two deluxe salads for supper. I did a little happy dance when I was able to stream three episodes of Season two of Only Murders In the Building without the wi-fi cutting off or having extended periods of buffering. 5G is a good thing, even though I have no idea what it is.

I'm going to bed at 11:30 and, after Colbert, to sleep and dream about quilting! Poor Penny is ready, too.

Hopefully, the pesky skeleton won't pop his bag and startle the sleepy pup! ha ha

Sameness

Wow! I can't believe it has been so long since I posted anything. It must be the gray,  cold days that have slowed my mojo. When the days are all the same, it's hard to be enthused about anything. But life goes on and there are quilts to be made.

I finished the bat quilt and took it to both guild show and tells. The vintage quilt went along and was given to a guild member who needed a quilt for a raffle to raise funds for the new homeless shelter in Hayesville, NC, just over the border from here. I really liked that quilt, but it will help so many people being auctioned rather than being another quilt on my shelf.

The sun came out and so did our neighborhood herd of deer. They graciously set about mowing the lawn for Mr Wazoo. Even without flowers in the pots, there is something uplifting to see every day from my sewing corner.

Mama and her three babies came, along with some other girlfriends.

I counted ten, all peacefully chowing down on the tender, baby grass.

Meanwhile, I finished quilting and binding daughter number one's birthday quilt.

I found the cool bat backing at the sale!

I have caught up on some customer projects and that makes me happy. Since getting back in the swing, I haven't had too many customers wanting my service. I do have a beautiful quilt from a woman from Woodstock who needs it finished. Her husband's great Aunt hand pieced it and my customer intended to hand quilt it.That was in 1980. She never made it past getting it basted, and now feels like she doesn't have the skill to finish it. I love a challenge, and think this will be a dandy.

Here is the photo she sent me. I got it in person today and met the lovely couple who own it.

The customer quilts are done and I will be trying my hand at using the Handiquilter for some practice on quilting blocks. I need to learn this!

This customer took a class and made this elegant quilt.

I think this panto design echoes the floral and leaf fabric in the piecing.

This customer loves her dog! This is a quilt for the family with a doggy theme.

I used a paw print design for the quilting in the aqua color. It really pops on the black fabric.

The fabric on the back is perfect!

The little baby girl great Grand is already here, so I hurried to get this one done so Granny can finish it.

The panto is called Hearts a Flutter

The pink flannel backing is so cuddly and soft.

The Hiawassee shop owner came to the guild and gave a preview of what's new at her shop. She had class samples and even unboxed a new line of fabric for us. The following day, she had a shipment of new aboriginal prints, so I had to go get a few. I also got a groovy stripe! Now all I have to do is make a quilt!! 

I have a lot going on in the studio. Mr W is helping me get organized and clean up in there. It is a mess right now, but it will be so much better when he is done. I'll show you what's going on a little later. Until we meet again; keep on quilting and try to stay happy.

Yum

Yum yum

winter blahs

 I don't mind gray days...I get to sew without feeling guilty for not going outside. But winter is a different animal. It teases us with two mild, sunny days, then punishes us with high winds, pouring rain and deep freeze temperatures. Maker up your mind, MotherNature!!

 Today started mild and gray, but turned nasty in the afternoon. I had gone to the local quilt shop to wallow in sale fabric. I spent a good portion of my Social Security check and have goodies to show for it. When I was through, I drove home in a snow flurry. Looking out the window next to my chair now, I see it beginning to collect on branches and shrubs.  

At the sale I found my favorite leather thimble! (Penny ate the last one, naughty girl!) I found a new Sandy Bonsib book, fabric and background to make a sea glass quilt, a quirky armadillo pattern I intend to make for one of my new step-grandkids, a fat bright quarter pack to make the armadillos with, Ruby Star 10" squares and two jelly rolls, and a jelly roll of solid white. (not in the picture) I already put away the three fabrics I bought yardage of. Two batiks and a beautiful botanical background fabric. Cha-ching!

I have to finish the bat quilt before doing anything else, so I finished sewing the center and cut all the pieces for the border bats.

Center sewn!

Ready to make some border bats.

I got the borders sewn to a vintage top I had hanging around, and quilted it. The binding was also made, and I sewed it on today. I'll be hand sewing a couple of nights; it is 89x100! 

With my new borders, this quilt will look great on the queen sized guest bed. I love both the fun 1940s and 1950s fabrics and the hummingbird piecing pattern.

Panto: Espalier

I found this wide back fabric in Hiawassee that looks great on the quilt.

Binding attached and ready to hand sew.

                                                              

You can't see the snow flurry too well here. This was on my way to the house from the studio, about 4:45.

The snow inn the air makes the whole scene look like it's behind a veil.

My daughter texted today that she got the package of her Christmas gifts                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     . The biggest hit was the box! Her cat Maxine claimed it as soon as it was empty. 

                                                                                   

Black cats can hide well in dark places...

A New Year, a new start!

My back problems have finally improved as much as I can hope for, and I feel like I have been given a new lease on my quilting life. This post will be my 2022 year end accounting of what I accomplished, even with my many back procedures and thew resulting down-time. I feel pretty good about what I was able to do.

I quilted 88 customer quilts, the lowest number in ten years!

I made and finished 53 quilts, 32 of them were charity quilts donated to both guilds, 11 were gifts and 2 were prizes after I did a trunk show or demonstration. I kept 8 of them...oh dear!

I repaired 27 quilts, and made 3 customer tee shirt quilts. These were my salvation when I couldn't stand and quilt for more than a couple of hours. Plus, they make my customers so happy when they're done and beautiful again!

I quilted 12 Quilts of Valor, my lowest number in quite a few years.

That makes 212 quilts passing through the Wazoo studio, handled and lovingly cared for by me, It makes all the painful parts of 2022 worth it.

The first customer quilt of 2023 is this patriotic beauty, made for a son who served in the Navy. It is a Quilt of Honor, because he didn't serve in a combat area.

I really like the pattern my customer chose for this project. It has movement and wonderful color placement.

We chose this swirl and star panto to compliment the swirly fabrics.

Nice starry backing.

Daughter number three came for Christmas, making the week a joy for us geezers. We ventured out for short hikes, and some shopping in Blue Ridge. It felt good to move around without back pain!

It was a gorgeous day for a hike around the lake at Vogel State Park.

The views were awesome.

We snapped a selfie half way around.

New Years day brought more rain, but also this spectacular full rainbow. It was a perfect start to the year.

I also changed out the studio quilt by the door from the Christmas log cabin quilt, to my favorite quilt I made with Ruby Star fabric in 2022.

Now, let's get into our sewing rooms and get to work on 2023!

Merry Christmas!!

 My daughter arrived before the "bomb cyclone" that's sweeping the nation, and she got settled in before the cold weather hit. It was 20 degrees this morning and there was frost everywhere. 

 After starting her day in Portland, Oregon at 2:30 AM, Daughter number three was happy to relax. She turned in at 9:00PM and slept soundly until 8:00 this morning!!

We went to the local department store and finished up some last minute shopping before heading to the grocery store for vegan snacks and foods. When we got there, the lot was full of smoke. There was a clutch of men in one of the rows, and an SUV in flames!! Two of the men had fire extinguishers, but weren't making much progress. We parked a row away and watched the car burn and smoke while people rubber-necked and took pictures with their phones. Pretty soon, the fire department came, running lights and sirens, into the parking lot. We went in and did our shopping and when we came out, the fire was out and the car was a shell of its former self. The biggest excitement I've had in a long time. ha ha...I lead a pretty dull life!

 Not a Merry Christmas for whoever owns this car. 

Well, now it's time to sit back, get a plate of crackers and cheese and watch Christmas movies. We do this every year, and enjoy seeing our favorites again. Lasagna roll-ups for supper and muffins for breakfast. We are really getting into the spirit of Christmas. We all took a tour of the neighborhood lights last night, and may take a wider tour later tonight.

Continuation on Dec.24: We didn't go out last night...it was just too cold! This morning it was 0degrees, with a "feels like" of -15 degrees. It will be another very cold day, so the walk in Meeks Park is also a no-go. Lasagna is already prepared, so I won't have to cook either. I hope everyone who reads this has a peaceful and joyous Christmas. Thank you for subscribing and being in my circle of virtual quilting friends.

From the Slatons and Wazoo Quilting!