Design Wall Monday - 10/31/16

Happy Halloween!!

You knew I would be a cat, right?
And a purple/black cat at that?!

I've made some progress on the Owl quilt!!

I'm in the process of attaching one side filler unit to the last 2 rose stars on the bottom left (which is why it isn't laying flat - it's clipped at mid-seam). I also have another filler unit half made (top left) but I need to cut more 2" hexagon pieces. I'm very confident I have enough fabric to complete the 4 side filler pieces. I'm still not sure I have enough for the top/bottom fillers, let alone borders.  Only time will tell.

I have to say that Blue is not a very good Quality Control Officer. Zorro would have helped but he was outside (I need to pull him in before the trick-or-treaters descend on the neighborhood). Blue's no where near the quilt and didn't even come when I called him. You can certainly see The Boyz' toys and boxes all over the floor tho...LOL.

I'd really like to get that bottom left section attached to the mothership before Hexie Club on Friday but I'm not sure I'll have time as it's also the season to be making items for Christmas Bazaars.

I do have an all day EMT conference on Saturday so I'm expecting some hexie time there. I think the owl pieces will be too big for a conference set up but I'm sure I can pick out one of my many UFOs...

Feline Friday - 10/28/16

Momma?
Why does that silly, whiny cat insist on going outside all the time?

It's COLD out there and his furcoat isn't quite as nice as mine!
Me thinks I'll just stay inside and watch him shiver...

An InLinkz Link-up

Snowstorm

I've tatted up my own little snowstorm!

Clearly I still need to hide all the ends for that snowflake on the right. And the snowflake on the left will go much faster now that I have the pattern "memorized."

Of course, it would go much faster if I wasn't keen to keep petting this huge fuzzball in my lap or paying attention to an exciting season of Gray's Anatomy on DVD.

Ohhhhh....wait! You thought I was talking about THIS kind of snowstorm. LOL!

So, YES we did get our first snowfall overnight. Zorro has been in and out all morning to explore but Blue is happy to stay inside and just watch the snow melt since it's now raining...and will be raining until about midnight when it turns back into snow.

Let's just hope it doesn't all freeze as I still need to buy new snow tires...

Design Floor Monday - 10/24/16

This project is so nearly in one piece that I can taste it and It. Is. Delish!!!

As of Saturday at ~2:30 the mothership was in one piece!!!!!!!!!!!

Another early morning overcast picture. Ugh.
The last star is stitched!!!
It should be attached to the pentultimate star before I go to bed tonight.

Next up is attaching the last 2 stars to the mothership and then I'll get to filling in the sides on rows 2 and 4.

Woohoo!!

Feline Friday - 10/21/16

The lady-that-feeds-me said this was the perfect place for me this morning.

I have NO idea what she is referring to...

An InLinkz Link-up

A Well-nigh Wordless Wednesday Walk

Setting moon

Wiscoy Creek

Woah!! I can see myself in your phone!!

Maple leaves

Kinda dark out this morning...

HeLP for Hexie-aholics - 10/17/16

Hello! and Welcome to our monthly Hexie Linky Party!!!

I had a little at home retreat this weekend: lots and lots of sewing and just a tad bit of housework.

I know this isn't a great picture but I wanted to take the picture this morning after I had a little more time to get pieces sewn together and then it was overcast this morning. Ugh.

As you will recall from last Wednesday, the top 3 rows were together (the "mothership") and most of the pieces in the bottom 2 rows were separate. As of this morning, all 4 stars in row 4 and the 3 rightmost stars in row 5 are now one unit!!!!!

My goal for this week is to attach the 2 bottom rows to the mothership by end of day Sunday for a trunk show I'm doing on Monday. I've only got day job, second job, 3 evening meetings, ambulance standby for a football game and a script to get Xrays of my bum knee to take up my time. No problemo. If I do have extra time, I'll attach the rest of the background bits to that leftmost/bottom star and piece the last missing star (already fussy cut). I think I can! I think I can! I think I can!

And now, it's YOUR turn to share your English Paper Piecing projects! It doesn't matter what shape papers you are using, nor how old the project is - we're addicted and we're looking for more project ideas! LOL!

An InLinkz Link-up

Feline Friday - 10/14/16

It's OK lady - you can stitch over top of me - I don't mind one bit. I won't even mess with your threads or project or nothing. Hoodie laces are a completely different story...

I'll just wait here on your lap while you decide!
Just remember it could snow any second now...

Now if you could just make up your mind, things would be fantastic. I mean first you said I'm a Himalayan and now you're saying Mitted Seal-Point Ragdoll. Does it really matter? I'm Blue and I want YOU to be my Momma!

An InLinkz Link-up

Workin' Wednesday

This photo is a week or so outdated but it gives you an idea of what I've been working on:

Just for giggles:
homemade catnip toy lower right that Blue was playing with
random flip flop upper right that Zorro had attacked
B&W towel for drying damp cats
base of cat tower upper left.
YIPP - my life revolves around cats and hexies...

The top three rows are attached to each other and are now the mothership.

The photo shows the bottom two rows as 8 separate stars with some of the background fillers layed out. I now have 2 sets of 2 stars stitched together and many more background bits made. It appears I'll have a bunch of time this weekend so I plan to alternate working on this rose star project and making things for upcoming Christmas craft art sales. Well, OK, I  might have to mow the lawn one last time and I still need to make that pumpkin fudge recipe that Denise shared...but otherwise I will be sewing!!!

Clearly I need to make one more star. Then I hope to use the remaining background fabric to build out around the whole quilt. I don't think I have enough for a proper border but that is my goal - to flank the whole project with background bits. Maybe I'll have a narrow "border" of the light/cream color and then I can add a darker tan/color to finish the EPP border. I'll cross that bridge when I get to it...

Sarah Surfaces...

I'm sure you've been wondering where I was for the last couple weeks. No quilty posts? No hexie posts? What gives?

Well...long story short ... taxes (job#2) have been bad in so many ways that I was just exhausted. Too tired to stitch much at home, 2 tired to squeeze in a post during the day. It seems the worst is now over and Z let me sleep in Sunday so things seem to be righting themselves...

I've been working on my hexie club UFO but it hasn't been in a good place to take pictures - soon! I promise.

In the meantime I've gotten back in to tatting. I am trying to keep my urge in check by just making a couple snowflakes a month. I started by saying I would make just one a month but here it is the 11th and I've got 2 almost done.

How about I just blame Blue??!! He likes to sit on my lap (keeping us both warm!!) and it's hard to stitch together large hexie chunks with a curious cat in the lap so I look for something smaller to stitch. He won't mind if I blame him...

Feline Friday - 10/7/16

Hey Momma!!
I love Food You!

An InLinkz Link-up

The Bibliophile Files - 10/4/16

Hello and welcome to another edition of The Bibliophile Files! Goodreads says I'm still ahead of schedule - by 8 books now. That means I only need to complete 13 books to meet my challenge. I'm thinking mid-November. Woohoo!!


Finished!!
     Book of the Unknown Americans - great book about what it's like to come to this country to better your life and how those plans change beyond our control.
     The Beach House - OK so I knew someone would fall in love after the long character intros but I did not expect the twists of how certain characters were related
     Memory in Death
     Things Fall Apart
     The Young World - turns out this free book is part of a trilogy and I can't get my hands on the 2nd book. arghghghgh.
     Treachery in  Death
     Classic American Short Stories - short is right! Sometimes while I listen to books I miss a detail when a loud truck drives by while I'm walking, etc and you can still follow along with the gist of the story. These stories were so short you really needed to concentrate. Great stories but not for multi-tasking.
     The House at Midnight - I was expecting something drastic to happen at midnight - not so. It was kind a slow moving meladrama.
     Shrink Rap - another quick read - only 5 CDs - but I'm enjoying this series and hoping the next book in the series is longer.

On my iPhone - I'll Give you the Sun
On my home stereo - The Tombs

And now it's your turn to share what you've read in the last month - be it a novel, quilting pattern, magazine or cereal box.