Just When You Thought You Were Done!

I really thought I had done the final post before retreat but then realized that I needed a little hostess gift for our CA. trip. Easiest thing was to whip up a couple of selvedge oven pads and since summer really is going to come to an end and Fall/ Halloween/Thanksgiving will soon be on the radar I decided orange and black could predominate! Sometimes I just sew whatever comes to hand in random order from my extensive selvedge collection but at other times I will try to follow a theme.

 Showing both sides, these are super fast and everyone loves them-who doesn't need a couple more?

Using up scrap cotton batting, otherwise discarded selvedges with a piece of Insulbrite in the middle, what could be easier or more "green"? Now I just have to pack up everything and I am not saying this will be the final post before the retreat, just in case!

More Renovation!

This time it is our master bathroom, after 15 years the tub/shower combo and outdated vanity had to go.

It always made me feel so claustrophobic it was very closed in and made a narrow room seem even tighter.

This is how it used to look.

Here is how the demolition is progressing

 Tub/shower unit is gone to make way for the frameless glass shower……….

and half the wall between the shower and toilet cut down to be replaced by glass. Some of the plumbing has to be rerouted and the drain moved, then we'll be ready for the tiler on Tuesday.

The cabinets, a dark espresso called "Mocha Shaker" are on order but meantime we can continue to use the vanity as DH just cut away the cabinets and left the top, the family bathroom vanity is too small for both of us to be using for any length of time. I ordered our cabinets from RTA Cabinets, all wood, dovetailed corners and soft close drawers and the price is amazing! RTA is the company our nephew in Boston uses for many of his renovations, having seen the quality first hand I know what we are getting and compared with Home Depot etc it's about half the cost and twice the quality. 

The brown travertine on the floor will also be on the shower walls and the lighter tile on shower floor and trim. The brown is lighter than it shows in the pic and being a natural stone varies quite a lot. I love the feel of it underfoot, never chilly like porcelain or ceramic and not slippery either. Our tiler "Keltic Tile ", is well known to us for many years and his work is both artistically lovely and structurally sound.

I found this Portuguese bowl and the lovely candle both on clearance at TJMaxx Home store, the bowl is the color I will paint the walls of our renovated bathroom. I think it will look very well with the dark chocolate color of the vanity and the large white vessel sinks.

I have yet to choose the granite when I return from CA. the end of next week, the same company that did our kitchen about three years ago, "City Of Stone" will do the vanity top. 

 I have chosen the new mirrors 26"x36" and think they will fit in very nicely.

By the time I return next Friday the tile work will be close to finished, I can't wait to see it and DH has been instructed to send progress pics.

My next post will be from our California quilt retreat at Big Bear Lake, cooler weather no doubt than The Valley Of The Sun.

Surprise!

Yesterday I had emailed Andrea, the delightful lady who sent me her Mom's wedding gown and lace hankies to make her a memory quilt. I was wondering if she had seen her quilt yet-Andrea currently resides outside USA, so her quilt was mailed to her Dad in the USA for her to collect on her visit there this month.

Today in the mail I received a lovely surprise- a collection of Asian treats!

This neat packet held rice crackers, they will be handy right here by my laptop!

 I remember how carefully and artfully each purchase is wrapped from my visit to the Orient.

  The one below is no exception…...

It held what Andrea called a" furoshiki" traditionally used for wrapping lunches!

Isn't it adorable? I will find a way to display it.

 And green tea powder, that can be prepared hot or iced.

I love green tea and always drink it on our frequent excursions for sushi!

Such a thoughtful thing to do, I have enjoyed getting to know this lady via email as her quilt project progressed and now I am so pleased to know it is in her hands and she loves it. I have asked her if she would send me a photo of the quilt once she gets it home and if so I will post it on the blog

Vintage Fan Quilt

This top now has both a stop border and the final border and tonight it went on the longarm and I began to quilt it.

Started on the border with a feather and haven't yet decided what to do in the fans.

 I tried SID [Stitch In the Ditch] and didn't like it, maybe mini feathers?

More iPod Bags!

The original pattern idea has me inspired and I can put these little bags together lickety split!

 The one above was a gift it's a little larger, quarter inch all around to fit an Android phone.

 Then I needed another for my new iPod 5 and whipped this one out in no time flat.

It's in the bag, a great way to use up little scraps!

Another UFO Off The List!

This charming blue and quilt white top sat unquilted for several years because of the wide border. I had an idea in mind for the quilting, something with feathers, but even after I loaded it onto the LA a couple of years ago I could not come up with the final design and off it came and ended up tucked away out of sight-and out of mind!

Saturday night I forced myself to bring it out and just do it!  I used my scallops ruler to draw a template for the feather border that made the design much easier to create.

The body of the quilt has freehand feathers and the entire quilt is done with white thread.

Batting is Quilter's Dream Angel which drapes so nicely and still gives good definition.

 I used "pebbling" inside the feather border and piano key on the outside and I am very happy with the result. Everything is freehand although I did use a ruler for the piano keys, I wanted to keep the lines reasonably parallel!

 I drew a line at 45 degrees on the corners to help make a smooth transition.

   With a solid color backing I always love how quilts look just like a whole cloth they are reversible, and the design shows up so well -this one is a Kona wide back muslin. 
Now that it is done I cannot imagine why I procrastinated and I don't think that in future a wide border will bother me.

 It took me several days of intense quilting time but it was really fun to do.

Now only the binding remains.

Finished For Friday

The lighthouse quilt is finished, bound with a red strip out of stash. 

 The border quilting  resembles curling  waves…….

 and here is how it looks on the back, you can see that I added a sleeve for hanging. The quilt is for the beach house we visit in the summer so I will be mailing it to the generous couple who allow us to stay there.

Quilting Anonymous!

Courtesy of Superior Thread Company.

 Follow a group of four men (all Superior staff) as they gather together at their weekly Quilting Anonymous  meeting to discuss their quilting habits and how they can continue to keep it a secret from their wives. 

iPod Cover

My iPod has been surviving in a couple of battered little cases, well worn past their prime! This evening I had an impulse to change that after seeing a tut on the Connecting Threads website for an iPhone cover.

The description states that this is large enough for iPhone with cover but I think it would be tight as you can see my iPod without a cover just fits.

 This is the other side.

It turned out to be a bit fussy, lots of little pieces and I did not find the tutorial very clear. I think were I to make another I would not bother cutting and sewing all those little bits, but just use two pieces of a cute fabric. I quilted it on the DSM just as the tut suggested.
 I am quite happy with it and now no longer need to be concerned about having the iPod slip out of the old covers.

Just For Fun Friday!

Making all those wild chicken pincushions reminded me of when I was a child and my uncle raised "fancy" bantam chickens. So I went on a nostalgia internet search and came up with what seems to be an infinite number of crazy looking chicken!

For your amusement and entertainment here are some of the whackiest!

 Some are barely recognizable as chickens, many defy description.

Bad blow dry!

Tried a baldness cure!

Hairdresser got carried away with the color!

Needs a haircut!

Maam, is that a flower on your head?

Bad hair day!

Stuck her claw in the light socket?

 Cross between a poodle and a chicken?

 Moustache?????

 Owl or chicken?

I hope that these have given you a few chuckles and a good start to your weekend!

Happy Friday.