Busy Hands and dirty fingers

Please don't misinterpret the title of this post, but I bet it got your attention! It has been a while since I last posted, but I have been sewing away. I finished a Quilt of Valor to give to my brother in law's college friend who came home from the front without part of a leg and an arm. Tragic. I also have been working on some samples for the shoppe, a hand pieced churn dash, that I am making up kits for. It was inspired by the antique top I have that will be in the Signs of their Times exhibits. I will be doing a free demo of how to go about it and they can then purchase the kit with full written instructions if they want to try it out at home. I have also been working on some thirties style butterflies to do something similar with, for when the exhibit covers that time period.

I totally missed the Quilting Arts Reader challenge deadline, not because the quilt wasn't done, but because of a computer issue that made getting the digital submission not possible. But I do like the quilt, and have a larger version on my design wall at home. The Inktense pencils worked just the way I wanted them to. The photo looks a bit washed out on my computer, but I do like the result, and will show you the larger one when I finish it.

Lastly, with the early Spring, I have been doing a bunch of gardening and yard work. I took down two tree that were too big for where they were, and moved a raised bed to a new sunnier spot, and my peas are about a foot tall now. I am so relieved that the cold snap the other night didn't kill them off. I guess they are known as snow peas for a reason.

Screaming Salamander

Snow? Kids home from school? What happened, I thought Spring was on its way. No one around here really knows what to do with this weather. I saw a kids out pushing a snow blower yesterday wearing a t shirt and shorts. No kidding. It's just plain crazy.

I've been struggling with low energy levels for the last couple of days, and maybe it is this weather. It could also be that although I have some good things going, I keep having to put them on hold to sew for customers. Not that I am complaining, I need the income and don't mind doing it, but this piece is screaming at me to get it finished. I am talking about the FIre salamander piece. It only needs to be 8 x 10, and it has been in the works more than a month.

I thought last night I would get some time on it, but while getting the bedroom cleaned I discovered what appeared to be a mouse's stash of seeds and other bits. I am very sensitive to rodent dander and cleaning it up gave me an allergy reaction that took the rest of the evening to get past. I'll try again tonight after work to get going on it. Wish me luck and no more rodents.

Spiders, snakes and sewing machines

This past Sunday, the family and I went to the Hudson Valley Reptile Show. Hubby was on the lookout for suppliers for tarantulas and Liz was fascinated with the snakes. We had fun, she got to hold several creatures, including a five foot ball python. We even got to taste some chocolate covered larva and crickets. Honestly, all I tasted was the cholcolate. The cricket was crunchy. I would eat that again. We all had a good time.

More importantly, I got my main machine back from the repair shop where is was getting a check up, cleaning and servicing. While I was there, I picked up a new free motion foot, I like this one better, it is metal and c shaped, it gives me the right visibility and I am happy. The other one I have came highly reccommended, and is a large plastic foot with red markings on it. I found the distortion through the plastic and the red lines on it to be distracting. Just goes to show that what one person loves, another might not. I digress, I finished the pieceing of the Pretty Patties quilt, and have been trying all day to decide on border options. Of course none of the fabrics in the top are available now in yardage, so this is getting to be a challenge. When I offer this as a class I will suggest that the outer border be chosen first and the fat quarters chosen to support that. If I am having trouble making a choice, my customers will also.