Mad Science Quilt

 I finally have my Mad Science quilt back from my long arm quilter friend in California.  She custom quilted it and did an absolutely fabulous job!  I won't be gifting it for awhile but thought I would share.  My boss does not read this blog or go on Facebook so I am safe as long as no one blabs!

I worked for the Kunkel Lab for 35/36 years while at the University of Michigan.

Mary's pattern had a different center but this worked for my purposes.

Love these flasks!

Microscopes were used daily

We made antibodies in our rabbits and used the antibodies for other tests and staining.

Mouse

My favorite block in the whole quilt!

I made this mouse dark like the C57BL6 mice we used.

DNA.  Note the nucleotide colors, LOL

Also the "DNA" wallpaper

I had to extract DNA to genotype the mice we used in our lab.

New Zeeland White rabbit

Jingle Ball

I hand embroidered an outline around the rabbits so they would show up better.

I worked, for many years, with New Zeeland White bunnies.

All of my bunnies were antibody donors.

They were all named, and they were all long term animals.

I loved my bunnies and used to provide them with treats and enrichment.

One of their favorite toys were the orange "Jingle balls".

They had circular holes and had metal washers inside.  

They used to pick them up and toss them and chew on them.

This was not part of Mary's original pattern but it really meant something to me.

In the 36 years I have worked in my lab my boss has progressed up the ladder.

He became busy with grant writing and other administrative duties.

He spent less and less time in the lab but

 the one thing he never stopped was the immunization of the rabbits.  

He was very allergic to them but insisted on doing the immunizations himself.

He would proudly state that it was the only lab duty he still had left!

I also hand embroidered the label, but for privacy reasons I am not comfortable showing that.

I am not certain when I will gift this.  I am back working part time for him, mostly remotely, until his retirement in a few more years.

I would love to know what you all think!

~XOP~

Scrap Snap Blocks

I have decided to work on a Scrap Snap quilt.  It's a quilt along hosted by Quilts for the making over on Instagram.  I was going to make a version that has rainbow blocks and low volume blocks but may change my mind and do one of each.  I'm just not sure about that yet.  Here is one set of the LV blocks and one set of the yellow blocks.

I just love making the blocks!  It has been fun going through my scraps! I must confess I had a really difficult time coming up with enough yellow scraps so dipped into my yellow fabrics.  

I got my science quilt back from my quilting friend in California recently.  I decided to bind it in a yellow with white polka dots.

I will show the whole quilt once I get it all bound.  The quilting was amazing!  I am so happy that I have friends that can do such awesome custom work.

I was also working on the quilt for the grand baby.  It's the Big Sky kit and Finny was "helping".

I am slowly making my way through the sewing.  I did sew one block incorrectly and cut it !  YIKES!  THAT was not good as I didn't have a piece big enough to make another block.  I decided to just piece one to make it large enough so I made it work.  Most of the other fabrics that came in this kit would have had enough to re-cut but not the one I actually needed, of course.

I also appliqued the eyes to the wrong background, d'oh!!!  Luckily there was enough to re-do the eyes and the mistake background fabric. (it was just a plain white fabric).  I'm not fond of kits for just this reason.  Unless they include "extra" if you make a mistake you can be in trouble.  Or if you put off making it and need more it is often times no longer easily available.

How do you guys feel about using a kit?  

I spent most of today setting up an government savings account for my older sister (that I am guardian for).  It took so long to do that to to communicate with her financial person.  I tried to take time to read the over 23 pages of  rules but it kept timing out on me so I finally just signed the paper to set up the account.  I was able to tell my sister's financial person some things she didn't know about these accounts though because I read all the information and took screen shots of things I was concerned about.  It's all finally set up and ready to go.  PHEW!  

We went out for a bike ride and went 5 miles!  Once we got home I worked out in the yard for a bit and now am running the sprinkler so my poor plants could get a drink.  We have had so little rain this summer.

I haven't even made it to the sewing room today!  I likely will just work on binding tonight so that quilt can be finished.  Tomorrow we are going to to a cute local town to wander around, for something fun to do.  (There are 2 quilt shops there too).

What are you up to today?

~XOP~

Sheltering In Place

I know I have been quiet but we are all ok over here.  

I am not at work (we have to work from home) so my computer there is not the best for posting stuff.  I am doing a quick check in while I am at work for a little bit today 

(somethings just can't be done at home). 

 We are off possibly until the beginning of May.  

How crazy is this!!??  

Please, my friends, self isolate as much as possible.  We need this to pass quickly.

That being said, I have been working on my Mad Science quilt.  Thought I would show the progress.

These are the side blocks.  DNA and a Microscope.

 An atom and a mouse looking into a flask

Here you can see the glassware and the bunny block I am working on.

This is the bunny after I hand stitched around her to make her stand out from the background a little.

The background is all different immune cells.  I found it at Spoonflower.  

This is what the bunny looked like before I outlined her.

This is what the real orange balls look like that we give our bunnies to play with.  I think mine is pretty good.

I am making this to go in the center of the quilt.  Still working on that bit.

(My boss's last name is Kunkel)

 Progress is being made.

Mad Science quilt patterns by Quilt Genius

Bunny pattern by Violet Craft 

Letters by From Blank Pages

Just in case you need a little more entertainment to hold you over here are a couple videos of the cats.

Cole is playing "fetch" with a pipe cleaner.  

He kept bringing it to me in my sewing room and I would throw it.  

He would meow very loudly if I tried to ignore him, LOL.

Finny goes for a "walk" every night with my husband.  Then they sit together on the porch.  

He cries incessently and scratches at the window if he doesn't get to go outside with Chris.

OK Friends, everyone stay safe and I hope to be able to post more later.  

It all depends on my silly home computer.  

~XOP~

Science Quilt Progress

Just a quick note, many of you know my family history but if not, briefly, my older sister was born developmentally delayed with cataracts on both eyes.  

They removed the cataracts but did not implant a lens (it was before they did that, I guess).  

She developed Schizophrenia and Bi-Polar at age 13.  

She currently lives in an AFC home with really good people.  

That being said, she fell (again) this weekend and broke her collar bone.  

She also has a pretty bad concussion.  

I was so anxious (I am her guardian, and live ~3 hours away) about her 

that I just cleaned most of the weekend.  

There was nothing I could really do for her and she doesn't even know who I am. 

So I prayed and cleaned and sewed.  

If you can, maybe say a little prayer for a speedy recovery for her.

OK, on to sewing.  

I am working on the glassware portion of the Mad Science Quilt.  

I already did one side and am working on the second side.  

These will join together to make the top of the quilt.  

This is what it will look like when finished 

(this is the paper pattern)

This is the mess I make when I paper piece!  LOL, my sewing room is a disaster right now too.

I managed to get the curly-Q part done on Saturday.  It actually took me a long time to do this part.

Cole hung out with me most of the time while I was sewing too.

This is what I got finished on Sunday.  

I love paper piecing but it takes me a LONG time to make progress!

I hope to be able to work on this a little bit more this week at night.

Often I am so tired after making dinner and cleaning up I just veg for a bit, 

maybe read some and go to bed!

Do you guys sew after dinner?

I also feel like I should spend some time with hubby since I have been at work all day.

I just got a quilt back from my quilter that needs binding put on too.

Sheesh!  That's now 2 needing binding!

~XOP~

My Poor Neglected Blog

Hi friends!  I am so sorry that I have not posted in awhile. 

 Sometimes life just gets busy.  

I have not been in the mood to sew of late so there has not been much to show. 

 I know I talk about my life too but nothing very exciting has been happening there either, LOL.

I needed to make a pillow cover for my friend, Traci's, quilt shop (Something Quilty). 

 I made the Tribute Star quilt for her as a shop sample and this was made from the leftovers. 

I finally got my butt in gear and did it this past weekend. 

 I used a tutorial by my friend, Pam Gavin to put a zipper with a cover, in the back.  I

 love how the cover came out!  

This is the front.  

This is the back and you can see the zipper cover.

LOOK, you can see the zipper I put in.  

It was a magical day when Pam had us use our #20 foot to put in the zipper too.  

SO. MUCH. EASIER!  

My friend, Liz, quilted the front to match the quilt.  

I machine sewed the binding down too so I could finish it more quickly.  

I'm hoping Traci likes both the quilt and the pillow cover!

I was also working on my DNA for the science quilt and Cole felt he needed to help me.

I managed to get the entire block made.  

I have a few more blocks to go, but progress is being made!  

Isn't this block SO cool???

I found that background fabric recently and I think it looks like DNA too.

 Pattern is by Mary (Quilt Genius) if you need to make your own DNA block.

I need to make more blocks for this science quilt so trying to get in the mood to work on them.

Should I do the glassware or the bunnies next? 

 What do you think?  

The glassware is a pattern by Mary while I am using the 

Love, Hoppingotn pattern by Violet Craft for my bunnies.

Have a wonderful day!

~XOP~

A Little Retail Therapy In The Name of Science

I needed a few pieces of fabric to continue to work on my science quilt. 

I convinced my friend to drive to the LQS at lunch time 

(she really did not need much convincing). 

 I needed some mouse fabric for my science quilt and 

was not happy with the "rabbit fur" I had previously bought.  

Here are the mice I purchased, along with the new C&S tigers.

Much better rabbit fur!

 I made a purchase from Spoonflower of Immune Cells on the left and B cells on the right.  

The rabbits will go on the immune cell fabric and I am hoping a friend can design an IgG antibody for me to paper piece with the B cell fabric as the background.

In addition I found this amazing fabric.  

Not sure who it is by but I adore the animals in the water.  Especially the tigers!

I had paid for everything and was walking out when I saw these cats, that then had to come too.

Won't they make great pillows for the camper??

I never have enough time to sew, it seems.  Wonder if these will get finished in time for the summer?

Have a great weekend my friends and Happy Valentine's Day

~XOP~

My Mouse Block and My Life

I've been doing some pattern testing for Quilt Genius for her Mad Scientist quilt.  

The latest block was done at my suggestion and inspiration.  

I sent her a photo of what I thought it should be and she worked her magic to make it happen. 

I absolutely LOVE this block.  

My favorite of the entire series so far.  

Her pattern for this should be available in the near future 

(September, I think, if you need to make one too).

We work with C57B/6 mice and they are a super dark brown with black eyes.

I decided to try to re-create that mouse for my block.  

If you look close the fabric looks like swirls of fur!

Cole was in my room "helping"

Then Melissa from Weird Cats painted my Finny with Hallie creeping in the background and Jack hanging out.  It is so cute!  I, of course, had to buy it.  I plan on getting it framed and giving it to my husband for Christmas.

Speaking of him, guess who bought himself a brand spankin new fishing kayak?

Happy Thursday!

~XOP~