WIPs With Friends

I'm pretty sure you can tell from the last post what I have been working on! 

 I did manage to finish the baby Yeti wall hanging.  

It has been a bittersweet week at my house this week.  

Every time I go into my sewing room I am reminded that Autumn is no longer with me. 

 I miss her so much!

Hallie is trying so hard to fill those shoes.

  She is very sweet and with all the other cats in heaven now, she is coming into her own.  

I am remembering the reason my daughter left her with us. 

 That cat LOVES me.  

When I get home she is waiting on the steps and wants to go upstairs.  

She is a little overweight so getting up on the bed or my sewing table requires a little more thought, but she does it.  

She sleeps next to me every night now too.  Like a giant, purring cat pillow!

I did get another Ocean Waves block done. 

 Even though each block seems to take forever to do, I am really enjoying the process. 

 I have to say it is encouraging me to sew slowly and more precisely.  

I feel like 99% of my points are right on. 

 I have found that pressing open has really helped with this. 

 It was something I learned in a class with Jan Krentz. 

 Not only does it reduce bulk but it allows you to see more easily where to pin for perfect points. 

 I will try to get a good photo of what I mean when I get home.

If you want to play along you can find the collection of posts about the QAL under my header.
It says Ocean Waves QAL.
If you click on it you will go to the posts with directions.

We are leaving for vacation to visit my in-laws tomorrow, 

so I will probably not be posting here for the next week. 

 I am not bringing my computer only my iPad and it is really difficult to post using that.

  I should be on Instagram and Facebook if you want to see what we are doing.  

Otherwise I will post all about our trip once I get home.  

My son will be staying at our house to watch over the house and keep Hallie company.

I will link up to Sew Fresh Quilts

Your turn now.  

Share with all of us what you are working on.  

Please use the blue Inlinkz button to share.  

If you are sharing on Instagram please use #OceanWavesQAL.  

Have a Happy Week!

~XOP~

An InLinkz Link-up

I Carry Your Heart In Mine

I want to thank you all for being so kind about my Autumn cat crossing over to the rainbow bridge.  Your words of comfort were so wonderful.  

It is never easy to send a furry family member on the next leg of their journey, as many of you know from first hand experience as well. 

 I saw this and was comforted by it and thought I would share it with you all.

As many of you know that follow me this was my beloved Autumn.  

She was always in my sewing room with me, frequently with her tail very close to the needle. 

 She would often lay her head so close the fabric would go over her head as I sewed. 

 She just wanted to be near me.  

I like to think that she is in an angel's lab giving them some joy!

Interestingly my other calico, Hallie has taken up the hat of sewing room companion! 

 I was working on my Ocean Waves quilt this weekend and got up. 

 When I cam back 

she was resting her head on the pieces I was sewing while they were under the needle!

Remember the Bigfoot baby quilt I was making with my friends?  

Well, there were a few extra trees.  

Which led to an extra Bigfoot being created. 

 I decided to make them into a wall hanging but it looked kind of bare 

so I wanted to embroider something on it.  

I decided to add the quote,

"I carry your heart in mine"  

I guess this is how I have been feeling about all the cats I have lost.  

I will always carry their hearts in mine. 

 Just as the new mom will carry her baby's heart in hers.  

I did the quilting on this too.  Not sure you can tell but I put a heart in a heart on the Bigfoot. 

I quilted her in a grid using masking tape for the line work.

I am especially happy with how the tree turned out with those additional triangles being made.

Here is the whole top with the binding on it.

This is the back.  I put those triangles into the binding so the quilt can be hung on the wall.

That's pretty much what I was up to this past weekend.  How about you?

~XOP~