Design Floor Tuesday - 2/28/17

I've been spending most of my spare time (other than bedroom renovations) working on the owl quilt. 

I layed it out this morning to count how many more hexies I need to finish the bottom row and fill out the top when it gets attached.

I know you said not to play with the papers, Momma - I'm just holding it for you

The magic number is 12. If I just add the 12, the half hexies to top and bottom and trim the sides straight then the quilt will be 70" square. It doesn't appear square to me yet, despite my model's best efforts.

My dilemma is if I want to leave it square or add another couple rows to top and bottom to get it to be rectangular.

I've got 27 inches of fabric left so I am sure there is enough fabric left to keep adding hexies.

Momma says I'm a poser.
I say I'm practicing to be a spokescat.

Adding the hexies is not the actual dilemma but the concept that the center will always appear rectangular cuz it's a different color. I am currently wishing I had put a single row of a different fabric across the middle of the top and bottom borders just for the effect of drawing the eye up and down the neutral center. There is NO way that is happening now, I'll just file that idea for another quilt.

Momma also says I'm a pretty boy.
And I agree!!!

Feline Friday - 2/24/17

Hey Ho - Bleu Here!!!

Obviously this is not a current picture. It's been in the 60s all week (highly unusual for the end of February!) so the snow in this picture from last week is loooooooooong gone. I've even managed to sneak out the door a couple times this week. I never got past the porch but it was
supercalifragilisticexpialidocious to be outside again. So many smells and the plants trying to peek out like it's spring or something. It was fab!!

Anyway...what I really wanted to tell you is that Z let me give his forehead a little bath twice in the last couple days when he was coming in the window. There was no fuss or muss. I know - I almost fainted myself! I tried to get him to return the favor last night by giving him a little head bump but it was a no go. I am not deterred and will keep trying.

An InLinkz Link-up

Wordless Wednesday Wonders

Double Feature: Feline Friday & HeLP for Hexie-aholics - 2/17/17

Double Features don't happen all that often but here we are celebrating not only your favorite felines but Momma's favorite quilting technique. One would have thought that would have garnered us a special breakfast but no. such. luck.

Last night Momma finished attaching the third border to the mothership.

Then she did this funny little happy dance. It was weird and exhausting. I needed a nap.

Momma does have the fourth side kinda made. She's widening it before she attaches it though. Then she'll just need to widen the bottom border. Her fingers are crossed it will be ALL finished by the March Hexie Linky Party. Me too cuz it's hard getting any lap time in when she's working on these big borders.

 Momma has also been prepping some pieced hexie parts to use as leader enders. I think she said this pile has 3 yellow and 4 blue sets. If you remember, Momma wants to take these camping with her this summer so she's got a *lot* of prepping to do.

This is her next one to prep. It's the "paddle" design...What ever that means.

OK, so I hear that Momma has promised pictures of the latest Zorro The Spokescat sighting. I can't believe it but here goes...

Momma was in Pier 1 and saw this pretty platter. I think it's kinda girly with Z's pink glasses but he keeps telling me that he was trying to be incognito or anything for kibble. He keeps changing his story...

Momma doesn't use platters much so she decided to get the mug. Do I really have to look at his mug on a mug all the time? Geesh. Real life isn't enough I gotta look at the girly version too??!!??

To top it all off - He even has tissue packets available! Momma thought they would be funny little gifts. I say go ahead, be my guest, blow all your gooey boogers on his pretty little face.

Now you tell me...How come I can't get any spokescat gigs?

Help me out. I'm a nice looking mancat! Got any gigs I can get in on??

Ok Hexie-ologists and fellow Felines - we're only having one linky today. Link early and link often and have a fantastice furry Friday!!!

An InLinkz Link-up

Design Wall Monday - 2/13/17

Have you ever found such a good deal that you just couldn't pass it up and figured out a way to make it happen? It feels like that just keeps happening and happening to me...

Generally when I buy quilting supplies it's paid for with quilting "income" - not so recently since the deals were just too good to wait until I had the money. My savings account is a little thinner than it was last month but I've got some sales coming up so I have no doubt I will repay myself soon enough.

First, it was the sale on wide backs down in Addison, NY at the store of a friend's sister. I bought 4 fatbacks.

Then the same friend told me that Joann's was having a 50% off sale on batting. How could I pass that up two days ago when my schedule suddenly cleared??!! Joanne's is 60 miles away! I bought 4 batting packages.

All my favorite basic colors!!!
Grey Master Piece for piecing and King Tut colors for quilting.

And there was also the 25% off sale at Superior Threads (the only threads I use) last  week. They arrived today!

Everything I've bought recently has been bought with a purpose - that stack of quilt tops I posted recently. Now I just need to squeeze in some time to get them spray basted. I am hoping that I'll be able to get a lot of that done this weekend, since it's a three day weekend.  Wish me luck!

The first quilt to be stitched will be En Provence!! I'll be using the purple and neutral threads to get me started. Who knows what other colors I'll be using...I'm waiting for the quilt to speak to me...

Please ignore the mess!
I Spy a pile of quilts and tops on my great great grandfather's trunk, a Bonnie mystery
on the wall, hexie borders ont he table in front of the tv, Birdie vision
 (my current fav) on the couch and a fluffernutter on his dolly bed.

For anyone stopping in from Bonnie's linky party - check here to see how I basted my quilt.

Feline Friday - 2/10/17

Do you remember when Momma discovered my secret spokescat career?

Well she found out again. Geesh! How's a guy supposed to have any privacy??!!??

Not me!

Still not me!

Nope!

Maybe...

Oh fine, it's me...

An InLinkz Link-up

The Bibliophile Files - 2/8/17

I didn't so much forget to post this yesterday as forget to bring my list of read books. I'm going to blame it on sitting and waiting forever for a doctor's appointment. How can the first appointment of the day be 45 minutes late??!! Grrrr...

Any way...welcome to my monthly book report of the books I have read or listened to in the last month.

Goodreads says I'm one book behind schedule to finish 90 for the year. That is easily fixed if it would stop raining so I could go for a long walk and listen to my iPhone book.

FINISHED
     Books Can be Deceiving
     Falling to Pieces - a new-to-me series that includes the Amish and quilting. What's not to like?
    Truly Madly Guilty - a good book which was also frustrating cuz I just wanted to know what the secret was so let's get on with all the personal drama.
     The Underground Railroad - Do NOT read this book if you like traditional underground railroad stories. This version of the railroad drove me bonkers!
     This Boy's Life
     The Eye of Heaven - a Fargo Adventrue book - one of my current favorite series for the historical information that's included, assuming it's accurate, of course.
     Killer Smile - another awesome series. I really enjoyed the author's note at the end to hear about her family and the story themes that were based on her family's immigrant Italian history

IN PROGRESS
     on my iPhone - Most Dangerous
     on my home stereo - Due or Die - I guess this is considered a cozy mystery. I like that the series takes place in a small town and revolves around the local library. I finished book 1 and 2 within weeks of each other...best get #3 on order...

And now it's your turn! What books have you read recently? And by books, I mean a novel, magazine, quilt pattern book or cereal box =^..^=

Design Wall Monday - 2/6/17

I had yet another busy weekend. I knew you wouldn't be surprised!

Friday night was Hexie Club. It's also retreat weekend #1 for our LQS at Camp Asbury so we always squeeze our selves in for the evening. It's fun to see their projects and to share ours.

Saturday I had a most-of-the-day EMT training seminar about an hour from home. Luckily it was the type of seminar where I could work on my hexies. I actually sat in the front row and maintained eye contact while taking notes. I got some questions from my seat mates but I don't think the presenters felt ignored. I'll tell anyone that keeping my hands busy allows me to concentrate better. I was lucky enough to get 2 more rosettes done for Mickey Depre's sampler project. The third one was finished a while ago but I don't think I ever posted it as I found it under some papers on the coffee table. Oopsies.

And now I best get to kitting more rosettes for the sampler quilt. Not only is it a nice, portable project, but I intend to work on this quilt while camping in July. Kitting these aren't hard by any means but it can take some time to prep the machine pieced bits and mark the papers. I've got to kit enough to keep me out of trouble for 10 days of camping.

Hmm...I just remembered I am going to need something to work on during my annual 3 day work conference. I'll have to decide if I want pieced hexies or something else...

On the way home I stopped in East Aurora for 2 reasons. First was the quilt store (Yeah, that's 5 stores in 8 days. Eek!)  but also to hit Vidler's, a huge five and dime store. I went to the quilt store for background material for a project you'll see below but I also found more of a shot cotton I needed for another project. I had checked this store for more last summer and they didn't have it so I was quite surprised to see it this time. The extra half yard allows me to enlarge a project I have been designing for some time. I went to Vidler's to scope out some gifts for a certain swap with a certain friend. I did some scoping and bought myself a couple things as well - one I'll share Friday and 2 for camping. Saturdays have been bad for self-control lately...

When I got home I started a new project. Have you seen Missouri Star's Dizzy Daisy? I thought it would be the perfect project for my ever accumulating hexie fabrics. What do you think??

 Sunday I went to hang out with the retreat girls for several hours and then went home to do a little housework. I still managed to make what feels like miles of borders. LOL.

Is it nap time yet??

Feline Friday - 2/3/17

Oh. My. Gobsmacking. Kibble!

Zorro! Zorro!

Look what I found! A dolly bed!

And did you know?? It's just for me!! I know this cuz Momma calls me her Mr. Raggy Doll.

Dude - that bed's been here longer than you have...way before you introoded on my turf...

An InLinkz Link-up

Tshirt Quilt update

I know I promised pictures of my hike at Bath National Cemetery this week, but Janet inspired me to work on my tshirt quilt and so I did...

I admit, the top has been done for many years - maybe since I moved back from Miami in 2008 or maybe just shortly after that. It's 88" square.

It was fun to revisit these tshirts - tatting, Circle K, Ballons over Letchworth, Wagga Wagga/Yerong Creek, Ronald McDonald House, Dance for Teddi, Nashville, The Miami Circle, El Valle/Panama.

Hmm...I even made the binding already ...

I also admit to buying the flannel for the back about 4 or 5 years ago. I had even gotten so far as cutting 8 of the 9 pieces to size already - I just needed to cut the center. And then it was put back in a drawer to be ignored for years. It only took a couple hours of dedicated time last night (despite the fluffernutters assistance) to get this into one piece.

The original plan was to not use a batting. It's a heavy quilt with the tshirts and interfacing and then the flannel for the back, so I thought it would be mighty warm enough. When I look at the quilt now, there is a lot more fabric versus tshirt material. What do you think? Will it be ok without batting?

Either way, it's now been placed on top of the pile of 'tops with backs'. If I still go with no batting, and this weekend works out, I can get the top 2 basted.

My other exciting news is that I finished adding on the second side this morning. Wooo Hoo!!

I've got an EMT seminar on Saturday and it's retreat weekend #1 - Hopefully I can get a lot more done...