Home again, home again, jiggity jog

Retreat is over and I am unpacked and back in the studio. I made four tops there, and brought them home for quilting.

I showed Debbie the pattern ( my favorite 2-3-2-6) and she made a patriotic one. Mine is a goofy kid quilt with bugs.

Debbie is helping me hold theses to show you. A nice lady's quilt and a kid quilt with dogs on it.

I cut the bits for this oriental quilt before I went to the retreat. Unfortunately, I didn't cut enough! The fabrics were mostly purchased in Japan from my two trips, some from my daughter-in-law, and some from her mother.

Mr Wazoo quilted while I was away having fun, and finished this quilt for a happy customer.

Wow! I don't have enough purple scraps for something like this.

Panto: Quirky

Cranes fly across the purple backing.

I Quilted a large Tula Pink quilt for another customer. I changed thread with the colors changes on the quilt. It turned out nice. This is the second quilt like this for the same customer. The other one went to a granddaughter.

Hmmm...someone is photobombing my picture! What a ham.

Panto: Chevron

Blue waves and seashells on the back.

Here are the charity quilts, done and ready for binding.

This is even too bright for my tastes. I tried to match the bug colors, but that made it a bit too wild.

Panto: Modern twist

I had this starry fabric for the back in my stash.

I love the soft color combination in this one.

Panto: Small Splat

The backing as another stash find.

Here are some trendy dogs.

Panto: Stipple

Another stash find for the back.

While the Millie chugged through rows on the charity quilts, I sewed and added the last 29 blocks to the Japanese quilt.

The centers are bits of Japanese fabrics, and the sashing and borders are supposed to look like Indigoes. I didn't have many of those, so some of my big Batik stash was added to fill in. I thought it needed a pop of red, so I added the inner border as well as a piano key border, too.

I have to stare at it for a while to decide on how to quilt it...

Right now, I am so tired I can hardly think to type this. I am off to bed and a good night's sleep. It's good to be home!

Prep for retreat

After taking a couple of days off to rest and ice my back/shoulder, I am back in the studio and working up a storm. I'm glad the problem resolved without a visit to the doctor, but frustrated at how creaky I'm getting. Aging is not for the faint hearted!
My evening guild is having their annual retreat this week, so the prep for that has occupied my studio time. I like to have things already cut out so I can arrive there and sew, sew, sew! Yesterday, I cut out the 792 pieces for a quilt I have had wanted to make for a while now. It will use a tiny portion of my Japanese fabric stash.

It sure doesn't look like this will make a 54 x 66" quilt, does it?

Today's plan is to cut out the pieces for a Chicken quilt. I pulled the needed fabrics, and will begin the cutting after breakfast.

As you can see, it will be a colorful bird!

I did finish the men's ties quilt, and have it quilted and ready for the sleeve and binding. Hopefully, I'll get that done today, too.

The father, whose ties they are, wanted a wall hanging. This is 50 x 50, and I think it looks terrific.

I used the rounded squares panto because it looks manly.
The background fabrics came from the shop in  Dahlonega.

The ties are sewn down with a decorative feather stitch, using bronze colored Glide thread. It gives the project a bit of shine. The Dresden plate center circles are from one of the ties that is a solid black silk-satin fabric.

I found this plaid fabric in Cumming, and I think it is perfect for the back of this quilt.

That's the whole story of what I have been doing. Father's Day passed with phone calls and gifts from the kids and a hamburger cook out. Mr Wazoo spent the day outside (where else...) doing repairs on the cobblestone walk. It had settled on one side and had a crack open where the ground was lower.  It is back to 'like new' status, and he's on to some planting and weeding today. A happy man!

OUCH!!

I woke up suddenly at 4:30 in the morning with an extreme pain in the left side of my back up to my shoulder. I don't know what happened (I was asleep) but I knew it was bad. I paddled around the living room, took some Ibuprofen, put an ice pack on it, and dozed in my recliner until 7:00. The pain is still there, and is worse when I take a breath in, but I had to go to Hayesville and the 4-H class. The kids were just as wonderful as they were on Monday, and every one of them finished their backpacks. Huzzah!! Next week, they make pillow cases.

Ranging in age from fifth graders to high school sophomores, the group was engaged and happy to be there.Each one of the kids was proud of their accomplishment. We're proud of them, too!

A job well done!

Once at home, there was more Ibuprofen, more ice and a nap. I didn't sew at all.😕

Tomorrow I am off to Cumming to get the background fabric for the tie quilt. Hopefully, a day off will cure the kink in my back...

Dresden plate!

After I finished quilting this customer quilt, I worked in earnest on the men's ties memory quilt number one.This one will be a wall hanging for the man whose ties they are. He retired and wanted to have something to remind him of his working days. A second one will be for the daughter, and will be a quilt. I have to finish the first one before I think too hard about quilt number 2!

Here is the finished quilt I was working on.

Panto: Frolic

The backing was big enough the second time around!

These are the sewn tie pieces for the wall hanging. I haven't made the background yet. Believe it or not, this cutting and sewing took most of my day to do. 

Tomorrow I am off to Hayesville, NC for another day at quilt camp. I like the kids and really like helping them learn to sew. After camp, I'll be home working. I need to turn in now...6 AM comes quickly.

What is a normal day here?

Yesterday, I had what I would consider a pretty normal day for Wazoo. In the morning, I had a show meeting, followed by some errands, then home by lunchtime. Boring so far, right?
In the afternoon, I switched gears to the quilting mode, and had two quilts loaded by 1:00. One is a pantograph, so I started it on the Millie while pinning the other one, a beautiful Baltimore album custom job, onto the Gammill. After that, I began the cutting of the men's ties quilt, and made the first Dresden plate 'blades'. A couple of quilts were dropped off (along with chatting with the quilters), and one went home. By then, it was six o'clock and time to close up shop. Maybe this wasn't a full day, but you get the idea.
Any time in the studio with fabric and quilts is a wonderful time! I have a full day ahead, with Mr W off to South Carolina for his Mom visit. Hopefully, I will have something to show you that isn't so boring by the end of the day!

Millie is humming along on a scrappy quilt.

The custom job is loaded, and I hope to get some stitch in the ditch done around all the applique.

Gorgeous and well made.

The ties are ready, and the cutting started.

The first blades ready for pressing and sewing together.

My quilts came back from the Cobb County show. This is the ribbon I won. Isn't it pretty!?

Mr Wazoo got the bird bath/fountain set up and running. The plants are a natural filter and keep the water pristine for the birds without having to use any chemicals. 

Productive work day

I have been quilting a customer project for a few days now, and today I finished it! And before Christmas, too!! ha ha

A beautiful 12 days of Christmas quilt

Two of the five golden rings, and the ladies dancing

The ubiquitous partridge in the pear tree.

Festive backing

Mr Wazoo was stuck indoors again today because of the rainy weather, so he quilted also. 

The color placement on this scrappy quilt adds its sparkle

Panto: Small Splat

I'm making what I thought was to be a relaxing, easy quilt to occupy the few moments I have each day to goof off in. Boy, was I wrong! I must have a spacial defect of some sort, because I have had to un-pick the blocks in every row but the last one. I kept sewing the black and white triangles to the wrong sides of the rail fence blocks. After many fits and starts, I am about half done with the blocks. Maybe tomorrow I' ll get the hang of it and finish the top!

After two days(about three hours) I managed to get this far. Not one of these blocks was right the first time! ha! Loads of picking later, it looks a bit better.

Amazingly, I didn't throw a fit or swear, but quietly took them  apart and tried until I got them going the right direction. Much better.

Earlier this evening, we had a nice dinner out (you may gasp in disbelief now...) with friends. It was a birthday celebration for the husband, and even Mr W said he had a good time. Any night that ends with cake and ice cream is a good one, don't you agree? Thanks guys, for a grand night out.

East Cobb County Quilt Guild 2019 show highlights

I took the day off yesterday to travel to Marietta for the Cobb County show. I had quilts there, and so did some of my friends and customers! Despite the rain, it was a fun outing.

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A good day for quilting.

We finally got some rain today, and the gardens are happy for it. Mr Wazoo was stuck indoors for a while, so he quilted. I quilted, too... and vacuumed, answered what seemed like 100 phone calls, and sorted my stack of magazines to donate to the quilt fest boutique. Just another day at Wazoo.

Big green bird quilt.

Oops! My favorite photobomber.

Panto: Splat

Cute feather backing keeps the theme going.

Mr Wazoo did this modern baby quilt.

I like the quilt pattern, and the panto, Popcorn, is a perfect choice.

Pieced backing, too!

The grumpy ladybug quilt

The panto is Argos. It is a big, leafy pattern.

This dot fabric is wonderful.

The backing fabric is also colorful and leafy.

Lots of quilts waiting to go home!

I sewed a few blocks at the end of the day. I now have three quilts in progress, and none near completion. Pretty soon, I'll have to get going on one of them!

Not much to look at yet.

A little bird called me tonight and told me I had won a ribbon in the East Cobb quilt show. Sure enough, I looked at the winner's list and saw my quilt, Sunday Afternoon, won third place. Henry won Honorable Mention for his quilt and my customer won Honorable mention for hers! Yippee!

Henry with his quilt, always a crowd favorite.

My quilt

My customer's quilt.

I snapped a quick picture when the rain let up. The color is a bit off, but the lily is still pretty!
Tomorrow, I am off to the show to visit my quilt.