The Year of the Pig

As I'm sure you know, the Chinese name each year after a different animal. For me, this year is the Year of the Pig. I have sooooo many PIGS ( also known as UFOs) in my sewing room that it has truly become a PIG STY! I spent a good hour ( Here Piggy, Piggy, Piggy! ) looking in every nook and cranny for those PIGS in hiding. I came up with a list of 25 (not too bad) which you will see in my sidebar now called Pigs in the Poke. I had forgotten about some of them but others have been calling to me. "Finish me, pick me next!" I can't take the squealing any longer!!!!


So the first of my resolutions for 2009 is to get as many of these piggies done as possible. Surprisingly, some just need binding, others are flimsies that need to be quilted, and there are a few that are truly just a few blocks in a bag. I really want to spend the first couple of months of the year clearing out old projects and freeing up space not only in my sewing room but in my head. I still like all of these projects but for one reason or another, I never got them done. I feel like they are weighing me down like a quilted albatross around my neck. I hope by finishing these up it will free my head creatively to work on other things.


The second thing I'd like to do is finish cutting up my scraps. I have one (sort of LARGE) wicker basket that needs to be sorted, ironed and cut. My scrap management system ala Bonnie is in place so I just need to allot some time each day to iron and cut. I hope to spend 15-20 minutes a day on this little project.


The third is to do some knitting and quilting for charity. I am hooked on the knitting and I have only so many nephews and nieces with heads and hands (well, they all have head and hands, LOL) to be covered. I am looking into different organizations to donate hats, mittens and scarves. If anyone knows of a worthy group, let me know. And three of the quilts on my list are already earmarked as charity quilts.


Once I get the Pigs out of the Poke, I'm headed for my quilt bookshelf. I know there was someone out there who wanted to try and make at least one project from every book on her bookshelf. I have soo many books, patterns, and a couple of kits that I would like to revisit. I must have at least 7 bag patterns. So this year may become the Year of the Bag as well.


In the spirit of keeping resolutions and as a part of my promise to Finn's Fantastic Finnishes before the New Year, here is the first charity top of the year. I have this top done and another 1/2 done.. Finn, it's not totally finished but it will be quilted and in the hands of someone by the end of the year!

This is my helper. He insisted that I put a picture of him on as well as the quilt. This is called "Chinese Coins" or "Crayon Box". It was a day class that our guild holds every November. I used all sorts of crazy fabric that I had collected. It always amazes me when you put it all together that it looks good! This will go to some gentleman at the Southington Care Center where we ocasionally hold our guild meetings. I really tried to pick "masculine" fabrics in browns and greens.


Well, we are heading out early tomorrow morning for NJ to visit friends for the New Year. Connecticut is expecting 4 to 6 inches of snow starting early in the morning and going all day so we will be up and out early. Seww, a very Quilty New Year to all of my blogger gals!!! I'll see you in January!

Merry Christmas to all!

Merry Christmas to everyone from the East Coast to West, in snowy Wisconsin and balmy Hawaii, in Australia, England, wherever you may be! Best wishes to you and your families from me, my Hubby, Bob, Mr. B and Miss Holly.

We had a wonderful but quiet day. Our DS called from Colorado and we opened gifts with him via cell phone. He is having a wonderful time in Colorado.

I am on vacation next week and hope to do some sewing before heading to NJ to visit friends for New Year's Eve. If I don't get back before then, have a Quilty New Year~

P.S. I can't wait to see what all of you have in mind for New Year Quilty Resolutions~

A snowy update

Here are some of the things I have been working on for Christmas. The sweater is for my greatniece, Bella, who lives in Florida. I know it seems weird to knit a sweater for a baby in Florida. But they live in Jacksonville and it can get COLD. I think they had a very large 12 month old in mind. Well, she will grow into it. I made a really cute Santa apron for her mom but of course forgot to take a picture before I wrapped it. She loves to cook. Hopefully she will send me a picture of her in it.

The scarves are gifts for my MIL (the red one) and my coworker ( the multi color mohair one). Eli's scarf was really fun to make and worked up fast. It has a little ruffle on both ends. I got the pattern for this one in a book called "101 One Skein Wonders". It has lots of patterns for scarfs, hats, bags and other little things. I like how the book sections off the patterns by yarn weight.


The little snowman door hanger is one of a dozen that I made. I have sent him out to all parts of the country to friends and relatives and even saved one for myself.

The last picture was taken yesterday. We were hit with about a foot of snow from Friday at noon through Saturday morning. My hubby and I spent about an hour out there clearing the driveway before heading out to do some last minute shopping. The nice thing about shoveling is that you don't have to go to the gym that day!! Mother Nature provided us with our workout. We knew that another storm was on the way and when we got up this morning it was snowing again. It's about 12:30 now and it is still snowing. We expect another 6 inches. It's supposed to turn to sleet then rain. I'm hoping it doesn't as this makes cleanup really yucky!
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We received a package from Colorado yesterday which we haven't opened yet but it is nice and cushy! Hmmm, wonder what it is. Alex is battling his first cold of the season on his own. When we talked to him yesterday, he sounded pretty lousy. I'm hoping he feels better soon!

Well, I'm off to do some sewing and have some cookies to make!!

I hate to brag but...

I don't have any quilty pictures since it has been so crappy (weatherwise) the last few days, the light has been terrible for taking pictures. But I do have a little movie to share. As you know, I have two kitties, Miss Holly and Mr. B.

Holly is a lovebug and loves a good lap or a warm dark place like the laundry room and a basket of "just out of the dryer" clean clothes to nap in. She is the proverbial "dumb blonde" of the kitty world. Very pretty and a girly girl but not very bright.

Mr. B, on the other hand, is a bit aloof, but very curious and quite smart. Here is a little movie of his latest trick. Pay NO attention to the lady in the bathrobe. Not one of my better mornings!

I promise to be back with pictures of my quilty gifts in the next few days. I've never uploaded a video so hopefully this works!!

HELLO!! REMEMBER ME?????

I know it's been a month. All I can say is BUSY, BUSY, BUSY!! I know that is the case with all of us. This time of year is always hectic. I have been sewing and knitting feverishly but can't show anything yet as most of them are gifts or still in process.

I do have a couple of things to show! One is the latest Round Robin I did. This is the last round before we embellish. I added the 3D flying geese units to this one, which is BRIGHT and BOLD and definitely reflects the gal who it is going to. I am now working on the last round of this project. There were five of us and we hope to do the final reveal at the end of December.



I also can show the spiffy ribbons that I made for our Parade of Pigs (Projects in Grocery Sacks) or UFOS to many of us. I am still waiting for pictures. Hey Lesa!!! Send me the PIG pictures!! I have to thank Nellie for the ribbon directions. She made them for her guild's show last year and she generously offered the directions on her blog. Everyone loved them!! I think we will have more gals participating just to get a ribbon!

And here is a picture of me modeling my PIG which has a dual purpose. It is also one of my FINNTASTIC FINNISHES for Finn's end of the year challenge. This jacket has been in process for about two years. I wove the fabric panels about two years ago. I had done them as a demo for my guild. I bought the jacket pattern from a vendor who did a jacket and purse trunk show for our guild last year. It is lined with flannel and was pretty easy to put together. The time consuming part was quilting the panels. I really like how it came out and have been wearing it quite a bit!

Thanks to all of you who have emailed me to make to check if I was still inhabiting this planet!! It makes me feel so blessed to know there are gals out there thinking of me.. I have been visiting some of you periodically. If I haven't been by in a bit, don't worry! I hope to get to everyone soon.

For those of you who have been asking about my son, he is currently working three part-time jobs in Vail waiting for the season to open. They had snow recently and he got his free Vail pass so he has been riding. I can always tell from his voice when the snow has arrived. He gets very mellow! LOL. He loves snow like his mom loves fabric. It's a ZEN moment.

This will be our first Christmas without him. Just me, my hubby and the kitties at home on Christmas morning. It will definitely be a little sadder but I'm sure we'll get through it. Even though he isn't a little boy anymore, having Alwx here to open presents was always a highlight for me. Better get busy packing that box for Colorado!!

To Market and back

I know, I know, it's been a while but I have been to Market in Houston and back. Here are my traveling companions, Lisa, Linda and Diane, and I at the top of the Hilton where we stayed. I actually found some time to spend in the pool and sit out in the sun in my bathing suit as well as have a massage! It is a great hotel and we really enjoyed our stay.

And look who I ran into!! Mark Lipinski! He was very sweet and insisted that I stand in front of him to make him look thinner. His new fabric line is bright and springy and goes along with Califon, the line from last year.

This is Kate, who is a member of our guild, Apple Valley Quilters. She had a booth at market for her patterns, Seams like a Dream Quilts.

And look at the nifty Euro sticker she has come up with!! You have to have one of these for your car, ladies. Check out her website! The stickers are listed under NEW! and you have to email her if you want one.

Here is a picture of my Market Booty.

I found a great lady who has dyed wool which is fabulous! Guess that's why I bought so much!!

Sample spree was awesome! I bought two Bali Pops which are Hoffman's take on Jelly rolls (2 1/2 inch strips), a FQ bundle of Michael Miller's Winter Wonderland flannel, and these awesome taupes and homespuns.

I also picked up a couple of Kwik-Sew patterns. I thought this jacket would be great for work and the rep threw in the quilt tote pattern for free!


And this gal had some great patterns! I picked up these patterns to make quilts you can fit in standard frames as well as one which had 9 little seasonal quilts from FQs.

I am not posting pictures of any of the quilts since I failed to write down any names. I just went around clicking away! I will tell you that I was not as excited about the show as the last time I went. There seemed to be an over abundance of "art" type quilts. Not that I don't love them but I thought the traditional quilts were not equally represented. I mean traditional quilts are the ROOTS of quilting and deserve to be showcased. And to have two or three quilts by the same quilter(s) is over kill. Give some one else a chance to showcase their work! Ok, I'm done!

I am back to work and trying to catch up. I have almost finished my jacket. I didn't push to finish it since the weather was sooo beautiful in Houston and the jacket is lined with flannel. But I will have it done for next week since it is my PIG and our Parade of Pigs is next Wednesday! Tune in for pictures!

The Chick has left the Nest

I can't believe I've been gone for a month! Life has been pretty hectic lately both at home and at work. As I posted about last month, my DS, Alex, was getting ready to head out west to look for a job in the ski resort industry. Of course, with company coming, I had to spruce up the place! That included lots of home dec sewing of new pillow covers, new valances and a new cover for my tired old window seat cushion.

We had a big party on October 4th with lots of family and friends. It was a beautiful autumn day and he really loved seeing everyone. We even had an impromptu auction with all the items that Alex didn't want to take with him. LOL. He sold his college dorm fridge, a study lamp, etc. We had a lot of laughs bidding against one another, This was one of the most sought after items- one of his old Halloween costumes- the blowup german bar maid.

The winner was this guy! My little brother Mike, father of four, and a VP of a commercial plumbing company. He will be wearing this to greet the trick or treaters at his house this year! (Some guys never grow up! LOL!)

Alex left last Thursday for his solo drive out to Colorado. He arrived in Denver on Sunday and had his first interview yesterday at Vail. He was offered a full time position working in the terrain park. He has an interview in Salt Lake City at Solitude on Wednesday and then he is headed to Lake Tahoe for an interview next week at Heavenly. After that he will weigh his options and choose a place to spend the winter.

I don't want to toot my horn too much about my one and only kid but I can't believe how brave he is to head out alone cross-country to start a new life. Just like the Pioneers!! His friend from college, who was to accompany him, bailed out at the last minute and it would have been easy for Alex to just stay put. But he knows this is the time to make a move, when he is young and unattached.

I knew Alex was really serious about making this a long term move when he took down his posters and rolled them up to put in his car. He looked a bit like a gypsy with his car packed full of all his snowboards, boots and clothes. So, it looks like Bob and I may be flying out west during the holidays!

Everyone please keep my boy in your prayers for a safe and successful journey!

Anyway, Holly and Mr. B have reclaimed their bed that they graciously gave to Alex to use for the summer and the nest is pretty quiet. I'm back to quilting and hope to finish the jacket I started last month by the time I leave for Houston in TWO WEEKS! Our little group is meeting next Monday to coordinate our final travel arrangements. I am also still engrossed in baseball. My RED SOX took a licking last night losing 9-1 to the Rays. Hopefully, tonight they will redeem themselves!

I am totally behind in blog reading but will get back around to all of you over the next week or so! Until then, Quilt til you Wilt!

This and That again

I am hard at work on quilting the panels that will make up my Weekender jacket. Since the fabric is woven, I want to make sure it is really secure so I am quilting on a diagonal through the checkerboard. This is taking A LOT OF TIME AND THREAD!

Meanwhile, I recently picked up a copy of Quilter's Home magazine. I have been getting quilting magazines for years and really don't need another one that has more projects in it that I will NEVER make. But I heard this magazine was different and a fun read. Well, it is ! Mark Lipinski and his staff are hilarious! This is like Cosmo for quilters. It's fluff , no commitment just really fun to read with a glass of wine and a little bit of chocolate. And there are a couple of quilt patterns which are put neatly at the end of the magazine so you can remove them easily. Mark is a "Joisy" boy and his sense of humor is wonderful! I was laughing so much my DH wanted to know what I was reading! When I told him it was a quilting mag, he looked at me like I had lost my mind. If you haven't taken a peek at this magazine, pick one up.


I have also been walking with my Ipod. I like to listen to audio books or podcasts. The only good quilting podcast I have found is Alex Anderson's. Now I love her, but I need a little more. So if any of you have any suggestions on podcasts (and they don't have to be quilty) let me know.


Right now, I'm in the middle of "O Pioneers" by Willa Cather. This was something that Jeanne was reading over the summer and I found it on Librivox for my ipod. It's really great! I can't imaging living on the plains of Nebraska in the 1800's.


I received an email the other day from Sue who was the winner of one of my Hump Day giveaways a while back. Hmmm, I should do another one of those! Anyway,Sue has had a tough summer but is on the mend and sent me a picture of the quilt she made with the pattern and leftover blocks that I sent to her. Isn't it awesome?? I was sooo thrilled that she shared this picture with me and graciously let me show it to all of you. I can tell you that her points are far sharper than mine! I'm not really known for my accurate piecing! LOL

Finally, in non quilty news, I found out over the weekend that MY BOOBS HAVE SHRUNK! Yep, I've been complaining to myself (i'm the only one that really listens) that my bras were in need of replacement. So I hit the mall and happened upon the bra fitting expert in the store. First, let me tell you, she was about 30 and she was quite perky (if you know what i mean!) Anyway, I let her do a fitting and come to find out I'm no longer a C, I'm a B. If I were a schoolgirl and those were my grades, I would have been happy. I made her check me twice but finally agreed that the SMALLER bras did fit better and took them home. I told my DH the sad news and his response was, "Really, I hadn't noticed"! I didn't know whether to kiss him or kick him. Now if I can only find a way to get my hips to shrink like that, I'll be in heaven!

I'm not sure why but my links are INVISIBLE and I can't figure out how to fix it! Sooo, You need to move your mouse over the "empty space" for the link! What's up with that???

This and That

Last week, I set up some goals for September never thinking that I would get two out of the three completed in a week! Here is the little bag I finished for my friend Robbin's birthday later in September. I vaguely recalled having one partially started last summer so I dug deep into the UFO treasure chest ( one of two huge Rubbermaid tubs) and found one all pieced and ready for construction! #1 GOAL COMPLETED!!

Now I HATE making curtains but because they are pretty easy to do and nice curtains are sooo expensive, I make them. We repainted our living room in the spring and although my old curtains were fine, I was tired of them. So when Joanne's had their big home dec sale, I bought the fabric for three valances and a window seat cushion. I've been putting off making the valances all summer. But since we are having a going away party for Alex the beginning of October, I figured now was the time. So here is a picture of one of the two smaller valances. I also made a ginormous one for the big picture window but it was too sunny to get a picture of that one. The fabric was a loose weave and was a real pain to work with so I am happy to have GOAL #2 COMPLETED (well 1/2 completed-I still have to recover the window seat). But September is only 10 days old so I have time left !! My final goal was to start the 3rd part of my Round Robin. But since this isn't due until the end of October, I decided to put that on the back burner and work on yet another UFO which I had completely forgotten until I was digging in the UFO treasure chest. About a year ago, I did a fabric weaving class for my guild which was fun. Some gals made placemats, another used her piece for the background on an art quilt, some made pillows. My pieces were intended to be used in a jacket. So today I pulled all the pieces out of its grocery bag, spent a half hour figuring out where I left off and what I needed to do, and made some real progress on getting the jacket made. I want to have it completed so I can wear it to Quilt Market in Houston at the end of October. These are the pieces for the front of the jacket ready to be quilted. The pattern I am using is called " The Weekender Jacket". I'm not sure if you are supposed to be able to complete it in a weekend or just wear it on the weekend. LOL!! The fabric is batiks cut into strips, woven and then fused to a lightweight interfacing. The jacket will be lined with flannel so it will be nice and cozy for fall.

And lastly, a gratuitous Kitty picture, here is Miss Holly in her usual position soaking up the afternoon sun. Boy, cats have it made.

Playing Catch Up - The Sequel

As promised, here are some pictures of what I have been working on this month. Here is the Round Robin. This round had to include squares so I added the four patch blocks on point.

And here are my snowmen blocks. I have four more blocks to complete. This is a HUGE quilt if I complete all of the pieced blocks that go around it. I haven't decided if I will do that yet. I may just use one of the pieced blocks as a border all around the snowmen blocks.

This last picture is not something I made but one that I received. It is my ALQS quilt which I received a couple of weeks ago from Dawn who is in Turkey. I really should have posted this sooner so please forgive me Dawn for being sooo lazy. Dawn sent some samples of Turkish fabric used by the women there as well as some awesome beads to ward off bad spirits. I really like it. The quilting is fabulous and it looks summery!

And lastly, I am finally caught up with PROJECT RUNWAY. I was a couple of weeks behind with vacation and all. I sat and watched them last night. After the drag queen costumes, I couldn't decide who I wanted to go more - Daniel or Keith. Happily, I did not have to wait long. Daniel, the whiner, was the first to go. And Keith was eliminated in the next episode, though I thought that Saturn car part challenge was stupid. I think that both deserved to go and my boy, Suede, is still in the running which I am very happy about.

To start September, I have three projects that need attention:

1. finish a little purse for my friend, Robbin's birthday in late September;

2. start on the phase 3 of the Round Robin (yep, it has already been delivered to me);and

3. make my living room curtains which I bought the fabric for in MAY.

Oh, and of course, it wouldn't be autumn if I didn't FALL into another challenge! Finn has posted a challenge on her blog which ends on New Year's Day. I stopped by to say hello and jumped in with the promise to finish two UFOs before the New Year. Well, at least I kept it realistic! I could have said I'd finish all of them!!

Playing Catch Up

I know I have said this before but I can't believe it's been almost a month since I last posted!! My last post was about my trip to NYC to meet Libby. In my mind, that was like.... two weeks ago! Where does the time go??

With that said, it's time to let all of YOU catch up with ME! I have been out there in blogland reading about your summer projects, vacations, and other activities and I have been emailing with many of you but here is a quick summary of my summer activities.

Bob and I have been working in the garden quite a bit. We both love summer and being outdoors. Here are a couple of pictures of my garden.

We also spent a week in New Jersey visiting our friends who live near Ocean Grove. We both love the ocean so spent several days on the beach! Here is my usual position on the beach!

and Bob boogie boarding!!

These are our good friends, Vinnie & Robbin, with me on the boardwalk in Asbury Park.

Now I have done some quilt related activities. I went to the Lowell Quilt Show with a couple of friends. This is a great show with lots of vendors and incredible quilts. There was a special exhibit of the Journal Pages from the IQF Houston show from 2007 on display. I took lots of pictures but will share one with you. This quilt is a riot!! We have all heard the expression and maybe used it on occasion, "The dog ate my homework". This one is called THE DOG ATE MY QUILT! Isn't it great??! Of course, I can't find the program from the show to give the maker's name but what a fantastic use of imagination!

I have also been working on the 2nd round of a Round Robin I am doing with 4 gals from my guild. This is just about done and I'll be showing you pictures of that tomorrow.

Since we are deep into the baseball season, I have been doing alot of handwork at night while watching the Red Sox continue to do their magic. The Bluework snowmen blocks are coming along and I have been knitting a shawl to keep at work this winter. It can get COLD in my little office.

I have also been doing lots of walking (I have been inspired by Debra) and listening to Alex Anderson's podcasts as I walk, which I've downloaded for FREE from Itunes onto my Ipod. If you get a chance to listen, check out the podcast interviews with Jinny Beyer (episode 28), the interview with the Purcells who own and run Superior Threads (episode 24) and the interview with Karey Bresnahan of Quilts, Inc. which sponsors the Houston show (episode 23). She has some really interesting insight into the direction that quilting is taking. Here's the link to Alex's website to review and download the episodes or you can go on Itunes and search for her podcast and Itunes will pull up all of them so you can download everything.

We are also helping Alex plan his itinerary for his cross country trip out to Utah and California. He is leaving in late September for Salt Lake City to interview for a couple of positions and then will head out to Lake Tahoe for a couple more interviews. His 22nd birthday was this weekend and we bought him a GPS unit for his car. I try not to think too much about his "big adventure" since as all you moms know, once the MOM wheels start spinning, you can end up in a real panic!

Well, until tomorrow,( and I PROMISE that there will be quilt pictures) QUILT TIL YOU WILT!