Now You've Seen It All

This is the third quilt I've made for an animal--yes, an animal. I can't believe I said that. These are all very special pets, pampered furbabies who love being warm and comfy like the rest of the family. The first quilt for my DS and DDIL's dog, Jack, and the second was for DMIL's cat, Ginger. These pets really use their quilts!

DH has recently been placing a load of guilt on me because our 13-year-old cat, Quincy, didn't have a quilt. He is a heat-seeking orange tabby who always goes where he can steal some warmth from someone. I finally got with it and made a quiilt for Quincy, picturing him being more active than he actually is! He started using it the first day it was finished! (I think my pet quilt recipients have actually appreciated their quilts more than some of the human recipients. LOL)

My Christmas Table

This picture shows my table just before we sat down for Christmas dinner. I wanted my dear friend Debi to see the table runner she made for me, as it was the centerpiece! The colors were perfect!

Finished Some PL Quilts

While the carpenters and other tradesmen are banging away outside, I've been sewing inside (which is a much better place to be, trust me!) We have been having lots of rain, and it's a cold sea of mud out there. This first quilt I've finished is called "Silly Zoo" and was designed by Sindy Rodenmayer at Fat Cat Patterns. There are other darling animal patterns there, too. If you look on the Home page, you will see her brand new pattern, "Rocket Man". (That "Sheryl" she mentions as her biggest fan is moi!)
The second quilt is "Beach Fun". I found the blocks in a book called "Travelin' America in Applique", which I found late last year at Jo Ann Fabrics. I really like this quilt except for one thing. I used a puffy batting because my Project Linus coordinator gave it to me, but hand quilting it was a big fight, and I don't like the puffiness. I doubt if that will bother the recipient, though. Hope not!

The third quilt is from a pattern by Annie Unrein called "Wicked Easy". I like it because it's easy piecing, and some of the pieces are big enough to allow space for applique.

These quilts are going to the hospital tomorrow, and I send them off with prayers that they will do good work.

We Are Under Roof

Here's our room addition with walls, windows, and a roof! The guys have made so much progress in this frigid weather. What you cannot see is the plumbing, and HVAC work that has been done inside. The electrician should be coming out this week. Construction is such hard work. I really admire all of these people who are working for us.

I took the picture from the porch outside our family room. It will be joined to the room addition by a deck. Sometime this spring we will be sitting out there--after we put the yard and perennial garden back together!

Merry Christmas to All!

I'm writing tonight with a full heart (and a full tummy) at the end of a wonderful Christmas Day. I hope that all of you had a great day, too. We hosted our children, granddaughters, DMIL, my sister, her husband, and their son. Everything I planned for dinner turned out great, thanks to my nephew, Karl, who sauted the broccoli dish at the last minute. It was like herding cats, trying to get everyone to the table! There was a phone call, a diaper change, an intense conversation about a medical matter--but they all made it in and we enjoyed our meal. The younger granddaughter stuffed her face, and the older one would only eat Wheat Thins. Everyone else tried everything!

The best part of the day was watching the girls open their presents. Avery can read her name on the tags, so she delighted in finding the ones for her. Addison ripped away on the paper. Both of them rewarded us with smiles and gasps of surprise when they saw their new toys. Then we got to play with all of them!

I received a gift certificate to a quilt shop and a bundle of fat quarters selected by Avery. It was a great day!

Construction Progress

Look at this! I'm posting two days in a row!

We have a lot going on around here. DMIL is going to move here from Tulsa next spring. She will be 89 by then, and it is just time, if you know what I mean. She refuses to live in an apartment or senior residence so....we're building on to our house, with her help. She will have a suite with bedroom, sitting area with small gas fireplace, luxury bath, and walk-in closet.

The builders are at a stage now where we are seeing a lot of progress. Yesterday two exterior walls went up, and today they built the interior walls. Tomorrow the third wall will go up, and we'll be ready for the roof trusses. (The fourth wall is already there, as the addition will join on to the back of the garage and will be accessed through our former back door. My old laundry room will turn into a hall, and I'll get a new laundry area.)

I'm Back with "Eye Candy"

I'm baaaaack! Poor neglected blog! I recently returned from a weekend trip to Dallas, where it was mentioned that my blog was severly neglected, so I will try to do better. At least I know a few people were reading it! (You like me, you really, really like me! Apologies to Sally Field.)

I had a marvelous time on my adventure to Dallas. Of course, it was made much easier by my hostess, Debi, who graciously chauffeured me all over the area and allowed me to stay in her beautiful home. Many thanks to Debi for a wonderful weekend and also to her husband, Kit, and her sweet dogs who accepted me immediately. (And thanks to that nice guy who got my carryon into the overhead compartment for the trip home. It was heavy!)

While in the Dallas area, I got to visit four quilt shops and attend the Christmas party of the DFW Gang, whose members all met on the quilting forum I frequent. It was great fun! As a huge surprise, Debi arranged for a visit from my favorite pattern designer, Sindy Rodenmayer of Fat Cat Patterns. She is such a sweet, modest person, and it was such a pleasure to have several hours to get to know her while also visiting with my online buddies.

Since returning home, I have turned over three new quilts to Project Linus: Dinos, Hound Dogs, and Bright Barnraising. I'm also working on a pattern from Sindy's site, "Silly Zoo", as well as two of the BOM series that she shares on her website.

The building of the room addition to our home is in full swing. This is a suite for my DMIL, who will be moving here from Tulsa. I'll post some pictures soon. Today they are constructing the walls, reminding me of a barnraising, although we only have three guys working, not the dozens that help with an Amish barn!

That Song in My Head

I always seem to have some kind of song running through my head. Do you? Today I had to do some yard work with my husband, Larry, which I really didn't enjoy. He was cutting down a redbud tree to make room for an addition to our house and asked me to help. My job was to cut up the branches into short lengths and tie them into bundles for the composting truck pickup. He is a real DIY guy and saves us lots of $$ by being that way, so I felt I should help. While I was working, this old song started running through my head:

THE GIRL THAT I MARRY

(Irving Berlin)

Eddy Howard - 1947

"The girl that I marry will have to be

As soft and as pink as a nursery

The girl I call my own

Will wear satins and laces and smell of cologne

Her nails will be polished and, in her hair,

She'll wear a gardenia and I'll be there

`stead of flittin', I'll be sittin'

Next to her and she'll purr like a kitten

A doll I can carry, the girl that I marry must be" (Note: My mom played a lot of old songs on the Hi-Fi when I was a kid!)

So...I'm working away and thinking that Larry must not have heard this lovely song during his childhood. In Tulsa they must have been playing this version:

"The girl that I marry will have to be

Able to work in the yard with me

The girl I call my own

Will wear old clothes and sneakers and smell of outdoors

Her nails will be broken and in her hair

A sweaty bandana is what she'll wear

'Stead of sittin' inside stitching

She'll get bug bites and be out here itching

A load she will carry, the girl that I marry must be"

Oh, it's not that bad...I burned some calories and will sleep like a baby tonight! What song is in your head today?

Poor Neglected Blog!

I hardly ever remember that I have a blog! When I do remember, I feel guilty! It just seems like my life isn't that newsworthy. I continue to quilt or do some needlework every day, though. Here are a couple of quilts I just finished for Project Linus. (I took the first one as Show and Tell to my first guild meeting. It was my security blanket that night!)

A Good Summer for Sewing

I have a lot to show this time, and it's probably because this has been a relatively cool summer for us here in Missouri. Friends in the Pacific Northwest have been sweltering, but we haven't had it so bad! (That has been a really pleasant surprise for us.)

Usually in the summer I make tops and save them for quilting in cooler months. This year I've been quilting and finishing lots of things.

The quilts are for donation to Project Linus, and the tote bag is for my sister.

Project Linus quilts

Let's hope they really have the air conditioning cranked up on the pediatrics floor at St. John's Mercy so the kids can use these quilts I took in today! It's so hot here that I didn't even like having them over my arm at 8:30 a.m.!

(The Sea Turtle is from http://www.fatcatpatterns.com/)

Hotter Than Blue Blazes

Is anyone willing to admit--along with moi--that they don't like summer? I have always been sensitive to heat, even as a child, so I know it's not just a "weight thing". Also, as of the last ten years or so, it has been a lot worse. Menopause=always hot! So...living smack in the middle of the Midwest isn't the greatest place to have your summer home! (It's great the rest of the year.) Thank God for AC and the ability to pay the electric bill!

Meanwhile, there is fabric to be used in the Wonderstash, and some of the bins aren't as full as they used to be. The bin of fish fabrics went down a little bit for this quilt, "Kitty Goes Fishing". I don't think you can tell from this pic, but the border shows cats gazing longingly at goldfish in their bowls, as well as a few fish bones! I like the way this one turned out. I actually got to meet the girl who received it on a day when I was volunteering at the hospital. She loves animals, especially cats, and wants to be a vet.