ZOLA I

I finished quilting Zola I.  It was an easy one, I got it everything ready on Monday afternoon, had it on the machine and mostly done yesterday, and finished it up early today.

I used King Tut thread, a variegated blue and green that I thought would work for both quilts.  I'm not too sure I'm liking it in those pink sashings.  The back looks pretty cool though.  I used a Kona solid, Cypress,  that I had a lot of because they made me buy a minimum of three yards (it was on sale) and the quilting shows up very nicely.

QUICK WALK IN PT

We went with Darrell to Port Townsend.  We dropped him off at Edensaw, so he could pick out hardwoods for upcoming projects.  The dogs and I headed to Fort Worden for a quick walk around.  It was a beautiful morning, seems like it's been a while since I've seen the sun.

I put them up on this concrete wall to take a picture of us three - its impossible to get everyone looking the same direction at the same time.  I gave up.

BACK FOR AUTUMN LEAVES

I didn't work today, the day after Thanksgiving.  I promised myself I'd never work on this day again.  It has always been the most miserable day of the year because no one wants to work and we end up being extremely short-handed and we get way behind.  I know -- my not being there just exacerbates the problem.  But, I've put in my time - and I don't care anymore.

I took the dogs for a walk in the park in the morning, did some housework and then went up to the studio to wait for the phone call from the guys delivering our new washing machine (we are completely out of towels).

They called with my 30 minute warning just as I was finishing up the back for the Autumn Leaves quilt.  Perfect timing.

I used up a lot of the leftover pieces.

DANDY FLOWERS DONE

I finished the quilting, got it off the machine, made the binding and got that sewn down, all before dinner time.  Yea!

Now I have to get ready for work tomorrow.  I'll be taking it with me to sew the binding down by hand during my spare time.

ALMOST DONE

I've been putting a lot of time into the Dandy Flowers quilting.  It's coming along.

It's his birthday today, his daughter and granddaughter took us out to lunch at a new Indian restaurant in Burien, Royal Everest.   Excellent food.

Then we jetted over to the Admiral Theatre to see Murder on the Orient Express.  It was good, the sets and costumes were outstanding.  They messed with the story a bit, in an attempt to liven it up.  I don't like what they did.  But, go see the movie and decide for yourself.

DEAD WASHER

I put a load of my clothes into the washing machine this morning.  It stopped at the rinse cycle.  I tried everything to get it to go again, to no avail.  So did the DH.  

It was dead...  and my clothes were sitting in a half a tub of icky water.

I ringed them out and took them to a nearby laundromat - actually, it was the third one I tried.  The first was gone completely, the second was closed for remodeling.  The owner there sent me to this one.  Yuck.  I'm glad I only had to be there for one load.

The timer on the machine said it would take 29 minutes, so I walked the dogs around a couple of blocks of downtown White Center.  Not my favorite place to be.

The outside is the nicest thing about the place.

RAINY WALK

I put the rain coats on the dogs for our walk in the park this morning.  So, it didn't rain on us.

I got the top of the Autumn Leaves quilt done.

WEDNESDAY EASY

Another windy rainy walk in the park.  We started out dry, but half way through the walk it started pouring.  Jax was not happy.

I spent quite a bit of time quilting on the Dandy Flowers quilt - I'm really enjoying it.  It's all free-motion and a little ruler work and stitch-in-the-ditch.  Because of the way the blocks are set up, I can only advance the quilt a little at a time.  But, that's okay, it still seems to be going quickly.

And, I got a nice surprise in the mail, I won a gift package from Okan Arts.  Patricia Belyea's new book East Meets West Quilts, a package of Aurifil threads and a yard of yukata cotton.

A STORM OF LEAVES

Wow, we had quite the wind storm yesterday. The dogs and I walked in the park and couldn't believe all the downed pine cones, leaves, branches and trees.  It was an obstacle course.

When we were safely back home and up in the warm and dry studio I put together the Leaf Quilt - made from ombre fabrics.  I love it!

Bentley is generous enough to allow me to use part of the ironing board/cat perch.

Mostly done, just need a few more blocks - I miscounted, I guess!

A BUNCH OF LEAVES

It's the perfect time of year to be working on this fall leaf quilt.  I've been making the little blocks off and on for the last several weeks.  I got the big blocks done today, so all of the blocks are ready.  I just need to set them.

STARTED DANDY

I started quilting on the Dandy Flowers quilt!  I feel much more confident since I practiced on paper first.

DANDY QUILTING IDEAS

I made a line drawing of the Dandy Quilt flower block and printed a bunch of them out in Electric Quilt.  I took the drawings with me to work and tried out several different quilting motifs until I settled on one.   What a great idea!

A LITTLE EASIER TIME

The back for Dandy Flowers went a little bit easier.  I only had one time I had to use my seam ripper, but it was a long seam.

I was in a hurry to get the top and bottom panels attached to the center before I left for an appointment and ended up putting the top panel on upside down.  I started to pick out the threads and realized I wouldn't be  able to get it done before I had to leave, so I took it with me.  I figured there would be waiting time at the eye doctor's.  And there was.

After the nurse did the preliminary questions and tests, she left me in the exam room and said the doctor would be in shortly.  I was able to pick out that 40 inch seam before he showed up.

This is how everything looked after they dilated my eyes.

The back for Dandy Flowers, with Tula Pink's Disco Kitties and leftover fabrics from the front.

Once I got home, I got the rest of the panels onto the back, even with my aching eyes.

MAKING BACKS

I thought I could whip out the back for the Floral Trails quilt and get it loaded onto Eduard (my longarm).  Boy, was I wrong.  It's taken all day to piece this back together and I am totally fed up with this quilt.

I got a lot of use out of my seam ripper today.

I got the back made eventually.  By that time I was disgusted with the whole project, so I folded it all up, put it into a plastic bag and back into the project box for later.

Then it was on to a back for Dandy Flowers.  This one should be simpler - I hope.

The morning walk with the dogs was grayer than it has been, but still pleasant and very colorful.

A park bench in Lincoln park.

The small maple tree in our front yard.

There's something joyful about walking in all of these fallen leaves.

Jax is a good dog.