Holly's Mom's Quilt

I have a really especially dear friend.  Her name is Holly.  We have been friends for as long as I have worked at the University, almost 27 years.  I was responsible for introducing her to my boss and now we work together and have for about 25 of those 27 years.  We think alike, we never fight and sometimes people think we are the same person, LOL.  Whatever one of us doesn't know the other one does.  If she were a man she would probably be my soul mate, LOL.  Her life has been incredibly challenging, and not in a good way.  Amazingly she is one of the most generous, kind spirited people I have ever met...EVER!

A few months ago now, her mom gave her some photos she had taken of wildlife from where she lives.  She had transferred these photos onto fabric.  Holly gave them to me and passed along that her mom would like me to make something for her from them.  OMG...but what?  I talked about this once before but I really struggled with how to put these all together.

I finally framed each photo and then used all one color of sashing to surround all the pictures.  I didn't want to take away from the photos so decided to use something woodsy.  Then I had to figure out how to have Liz  quilt it.  I looked all over the internet.  I finally found a scene that had plants with a pond in the middle.  Her mom also loves frogs so I found a cute border of frogs.  Liz came up with triming out the photos and making the pond plants go around the photos.  Over all I like the quilting, I just wish the quilting stood out a little more.

Here are the frogs

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And the plants with the frogs

More of the plants

This is what the entire quilt looks like. I have sewn the binding on but need to hand turn it. I used Kona black for the binding. The back is a green, white and black plaid flannel, which I really like.

I know it's not the best photo, but you get the idea of what it looks like right? I am very happy to be almost finished with this quilt. I hope Holy's mom likes it.  It was made with a lot of love. ~XOP~

Thanks for stopping by!  Leave me a comment and let me know what you think!

I Just Thought I Would Share

So if you are squemish, STOP reading right now, seriously, STOP.  

Remember that my dog bit me last Tuesday?  I was talking to one of the doctors at work and he freaked out that I had not filled my prescription for antibiotics.  So he made me walk over to the pharmacy yesterday and get my prescription filled.  It looks much better today, but still really, really ugly!   I know you are dying to see how it is healing right?  Well wonder no longer here you go.  First is the bite on the top of my finger, notice the blue bruise line the length of the nail.  N-I-C-E!

Now remember this is one week later, but this is the bad side. There was a flap of skin about half an inch long and I could not stop the bleeding. Look how much better it looks now!!

The one on the pad of my finger still hurts and the dead skin is catching on things too. I didn't realize how much I used my pointer finger! LOL. I use it for applique, for hand stitching down bindings, and for rotary cutting!! YIKES!! Please heal quickly finger!! I have lots to do.

Hope you guys are all well too. Anyone else been bitten? ~XOP~

Today Was Not The Day I Had Planned!

I went to work this morning with the expectation that things would go one way and instead all I did was put out fires!!  I never stopped all day.  Finally I got home and then there were more fires via email on my phone.  UGH so I took care of those as well as I could but I needed to look somethings up on the Internet.  Got my computer turned on and couldn't get on the internet.  OMG really?  So an hour and a half later I figured out the router is not working.  Me:  "Oh no, how will I be able to blog?"  haha not how can I finish my work!  This truly is an addiction!!!  Then I called DH to tell him all about what I had done so when he got home and couldn't get online he wouldn't waste any time doing the things I had already done.  I'm not sure he believed me, but he bought a new router, JIC.  I got home from Zumba and he asked me if I dropped the router.  Me: "No, don't you think I would have told you?"  Come to find out the dog knocked it down and broke the antennae.  NOT ME!! haha.  So anyway DH set the computer up and my iPhone too. 

Is it tomorrow yet?

Just so this is not all my drama from the day, here is a  photo of a quilt made by a woman from my Wednesday night group.  It is a stained glass style quilt and LTW did an amazing job on the quilting.  Take a look, this makes a great start to the holiday season!

Now it just needs to be trimmed and bound and it's all ready for Christmas!  Are you ready yet? ~XOP~

Block 3 in the FQ Star Quilt Along

I finally got around to making the third block in the FQ Star QAL.  For some reason I found this block challenging.  I had to do quite a bit of unsewing to make it work, but I am happy with the results. 

I went through and organized my sewing room. I have to get it all picked up so I can put out Christmas. My goal this week is to get it all picked up so I can get Christmas put out over the weekend. I have just a few more things to do before I can pick up the sewing room. I did take my second travel sewing machine out to see if it would work for me to use on some other projects that I might want to work on between now and January. I will try to remember to take a photo of the machine to share with you later. It's a Brother. Other than being kind of loud it worked like a charm.

Off to bed soon, I hope you all had a great holiday (if you are here in the US) otherwise a great weekend. When do you put your Christmas stuff out? ~XOP~

More Shopping

Yes...today was a day filled with more shopping.  I got up and went to let the dog out, then off to JAF to meet Quilting Queen.  I didn't get a cart b/c I wasn't going to buy much, HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.  I ended up buying a cutting table and BIG mat, along with special ordering a 40yard roll of cotton batting (ended up being $4.37/yard).  I thought LTW could use it for her business.  Then I went home.  DH and I went out to Sears to get a new stove, which is being delivered on Wednesday!  I made Thanksgiving dinner with only 2 working burners.  I decided that I wanted to get my ears re-pierced (they had closed up) so I got that done today at the mall too.  Then home and off to the gym.  Now I'm home, so I took a shower, made dinner and am now watching a movie with my DD2 and DH.  I got the cutest photo of DH and DD2 tonight.  AWE...aren't they so cute?

How was your night?? ~XOP~

Shop Till I Dropped!!

Yes, I was up at 5am and there was almost no lines today.  I think opening up at midnight made the lines at 6am non-existent!!  I went to JAF and got some flannel for my chenille blankets for $1.49/yd!!!  Then I got some other bargains and I got an additional 25% off too.  It was a good morning.  I went to Kohl's and got some great stuff there too.  Sweet Christmas gifts there.   I went to Meijer and got a Pyrex bowl set to use (not for Christmas) and that was great too.  Then I came home and spent time with the family, took out the neighbor's dog and drove DD2 to a friend's house.  I also went to the gym and the Salavation Army store and got an ugly Christmas sweater for DD2's BFF for an ugly Christmas sweater Christmas card they are planning on making together.  I also got some new creepy elves to add to DD2's creepy elf collection.  Someone had randomly tied them to a really ugly basket!! 

I have to go pick up DD2 and all her friends after the bar tonight so I need to get some sleep soon so I will be able to get them at 2am or so!  HAHA at least they are being responsible!!!  I will be snuggling up with a cat or 5 and will look like Hallie does here. 

I hope you all got some shopping done today too. ~XOP~

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone

I'm just about ready to begin the food prep for our Thanksgiving dinner.  I was able to work on that project I have been teasing you all with too and although it is not finished yet, it is at a stage where you will now know what it is.

I would like to introduce Ruby Turkey!

I need to stitch all the dresdens down and stitch all around him as well but that can wait for now. I love him and am excited to share him with you. I saw Mary's and new I wanted to make one too but in non-traditional colors. I need to figure out something for a border too, and since it is a rectangle I may cut some of the top and bottom off to use for a second one (yes I have enough, just barely to make a second turkey using a plain back.) The pattern can be found here at The Missouri Star Quilt Company. I would love to know what you guys think of him. I considered making him into a peacock for DD1 but maybe using terrain or some other line with purples in it. It was super easy to make (as you can tell by how quickly mine came together!) Although I had a little help.

So there you have it, my Ruby Turkey. I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!! Take a minute to be thankful for family, friends, health and having the things you love in your life (maybe even the trials and tribulations as they make us into the people we are today!!) I am thankful for all of you my dear blog friends!! ~XOP~

Can You Guess Yet??

So first an update on my finger, and bruised ego.  I have survived.  I am not happy with the dog but I am determined to make this work.  I have the name of a great trainer and will be checking into him after the holidays.  Enough said. 

I have been working on my project that I have been asking you to guess about too.  A couple of you have guessed correctly!!   My colors are anything but traditional! LOL, but the design certainly is.  Here is the next step.

There is one more row and then the "rest of the story", so to speak. Any guesses?? ~XOP~

I Was Going To Write A Post But...

EDITED:  Just wanted to let you all know that I am OK.  Went to Urgent care and got a steri strip put on, a tetnus shot (OUCH) and some antibiotics and pain medicine.  We were trying to teach her not to snarl when we take a bone from her, then to come and such.  She thinks she is alpha.  She is NOT!  She will learn or she will have to go.  On a side note she is being very well behaved this morning so there is that.  I am off to Jim's funeral this morning.  Have a Happy Thanksgiving!!!

My dog has decided to be a bone head and she bit my pointer finger on my right hand. We gave her a bone today and she growled at us and snarled.  So we were working with her and after much training, I guess she had enough.  Not sure how I feel about this.  If she is going to hate me she may have to go especially if she is going to be aggressive.  I might be going to the urgent care tonight, not sure.  Hopefully back to posting tomorrow.  I will let you know how it goes.  ~XOP~

Just One More Thing...

That's what I kept saying last night as Mr. Spark was heading to bed.  I have to do just one more thing and I'll be right there.  Yeah right.  He knows better.  I finally crawled into bed around 11pm.  Let me tell you, 5am comes so darned early!  I did manage to get a little more sewing done.  Now not very many of you made a guess about what I was going to make with Ruby.  I'm a little sad about that.  So here is another clue.

Pretty little Dresdens anyone? I got that whole pile sewn into peaks and now I have another such pile to sew. OK, my peeps, NOW do you have any guesses??

~XOP~

I finally Got To Get The Sewing Machine Out

I can't believe how many weeks I have had my sewing put away and how long it takes me to get everything back out once it is put away.  Then I need to find my inspiration. Is anyone else like that?  I saw something this weekend that really, really inspired me to get the ole sewing machine out.  I'm only going to show you what I'm starting with.

Any guesses??  

~XOP~

I Can't Believe He Is Gone

I have worked in the lab for the last 26 years.  Jim came to our lab many years ago as a post retirement hiree.  It was kind of a community service hire but he is the only person, in my entire life that I allowed to call me Pam Pam.  He had an infection in his pacemaker wires this past week.  They took the wires out.  They put some kind of vest on him to keep his heart beating.  He coded and there was a drama.  He wasn't strong enough to withstand it.  He passed.  I will miss him. 

RIP Jim, you will be missed!

~XOP~

A Finish (sort of)

Work has been crazy busy and so has the rest of my life.  Last night after I got home I had to decide whether I wanted to go to the gym and then the quilt meeting I had to go to or just stay home, finish cutting the tumblers and then go to the meeting. 

Guess which one I chose? ~XOP~

Gifts Given

I forgot to tell you that I gave away 2 of the chenille blankets I had made recently.  We have 2 Japanese medical fellows working in our lab and both of their wives are pregnant.  One of the wives also works  in the lab.  We had a baby shower last week for both of these women.  The dark pink chenille was for one of them (having a girl).  That chenille blanket was my favorite of all the ones I have made!  Here they are opening their gifts.

It was such a happy occasion! I have one more to make, but it will probably happen after the first of the year. ~XOP~

Halloween Tumblers

I finally got around to digging out the rest of the Halloween fabrics to cut and guess what happened?  I actually have cut so many tumbler blocks that I cut through the GO cutter mat!!!  I have used it a lot in the past and so has Liz but I thought it would last a little longer than it did.  So off to JAF I go after work to buy a mat so I can finish my cutting.  I decided to cut the 7" strips for when I get the mat.  This is what the rest of the fabric looks like that I am going to use.

Of course while I was trying to take a photo I had some "help". Mosen decided to come and oversee my work!

I have quilting tonight and think I will bring my binding to work on. I have 3 I need to bind so I need to get busy! What are YOU doing tonight? ~XOP~

Halloween Repeat?

I know we are heading into Christmas but it's still Halloween around my place.  I borrowed my friend's GO cutter to use it to cut out some tumblers for a Halloween table runner I have rolling around in my head and thought, "Why not dig out all the Halloween flannel you have and cut out enough tumblers to make 3 Halloween flannel quilts for all the kids?"  So of course I always listen to that stupid nagging little voice and headed down to the depths of the basement to search!  Lo and behold I found a LOT of different flannels.  I went through 2 bins and cleared out every ounce of Halloween flannel I had.  YESSSS  it made room to move some other things into bins.  I brought half the stack upstairs and in the hour and a half I had I cut out some tumblers (oh and the bits for the table runner). 

Here is the first stack of fabrics and what they became!!

Don't you love it? I have to finish the cutting this week as my friend wants her cutter back, haha. I won't get around to sewing these until after the holiday and I might even give them to my friend's mom to do the sewing on, still deciding about that.

I spoke with Jacquie today and she has another pattern for me to test. I get to make the baby size this time so I'm thinking it should go quickly. She wants it before Christmas. I think I will be able to show you the colors I will be using (once I figure it out and order the fabrics, she wants solids) but not the finished product until she has the pattern released. 

She also liked my idea of the Back Wood Quilt Shops TV show too.  C'mon Travel Channel, I'm waiting to hear from you!  ~XOP~

Cold and Rainy

It is a COLD and rainy day here.  It makes me want to curl up into a ball and sleep.

Anyone else feel like that when it's cold and rainy? ~XOP~

Denyse Schmidt's Newest Fabric

I went to JAF yesterday to see if they had DS's newest line.  I LOVED the colors and could not wait to see the new line.  I love it so much!!  They had all but one of the fabrics.  So, JIC you haven't seen the new line, here is what I found.

I just want to let you know what's out there. Hope your weekend has been good!! ~XOP~