Our Sweet Tucker

Life continues outside of my quilting room and the last couple of weeks have been a bit rough. My Mom has been having some health issues and although we are grateful that they have been caught early it is still stressful to have lots of Dr. visits and information to process. She has outpatient surgery tomorrow and I will be spending the night because we head in to have stitches removed from last weeks procedure the following morning. I think she is MORE than ready to be done with this and will have a break before followup treatments start in January.

Tucker became very ill a few days before Thanksgiving and after a week of treatment that he didn't fully respond to we decided to put him down a week ago today. It is always a difficult decision when they are in pain. This picture is from a few years back when I was still sewing in our guest room but it is my favorite picture of him. It shows off his gorgeous eyes. Oh, Tucker...

He loved to keep me company while I sewed and was my quiet companion. The other cats he has shared our home with tended to be the dominant cat in the household and Tucker was content to observe life in a passive way. Even though he preferred the male members of our family he would sit on my lap when it was just the two of us and would hop down before anyone else came into the room. Like it was our little secret!

Elsa knew something was wrong with him and would often lay outside the laundry room door. She would poke her head in if the door was open but would rarely come in. I think she misses him and has been very clingy with me the last week. This picture was taken a few days before he got sick. I had gone downstairs to start another load of laundry and was surprised to see this on my return.

So, no sewing is happening. That remains the same.

The Nest is Empty

August has been moving month and now that the kids are both settling into their new lives it's time to get back in the groove here at home on several fronts - blogging and sewing for starters. But first I should backtrack through our travels.

On July 31st I met our daughter in Mpls/St. Paul to help her get the J cats to their new home in Columbus, OH. Her fiance will be attending graduate school for Hospital Administration at Ohio State and she will be continuing her nursing studies. That's Jax looking at the camera. JMeow was sedated for the trip as he gets very anxious and throws up in the car. We got a lot of funny comments from toll booth workers and fast food window employees along the way! And we both were covered in fur of course after 2 days on the road.

After move in day we had several days to explore Columbus, meet up with extended family and enjoy their wonderful Zoo before I flew back to Mpls/St. Paul and drove home on August 6th. Then the list making, shopping and packing began to move our son to college at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in Rochester, NY.

The three of us left on August 13 spending nights in Rockford, IL and Cleveland, OH before arriving in Rochester after a visit to Niagara Falls. Our son moved into his dorm on August 16 and started his Honors Program Orientation activities while we attended some parent sessions. Then we said our goodbyes, met some relatives for breakfast the next morning and headed to Columbus, OH to visit our daughter Sunday night. Then a LONG day of driving on Monday and we were home.

Neither Tucker or Elsa are much for cuddling in the morning after they have been fed so they obviously missed us!

I will admit to intermittent crying between Columbus and Chicago on Monday... I had thought the goodbye part would be the hardest but watching our son stride off to his evening activities on Saturday without hesitation made me so indescribably happy! I don't think it sunk in until we said goodbye to our daughter on Sunday night. All of the decisions, planning and moving are done - it's time to settle into the empty nest and watch them grow from a distance. And, one of the blessings of a large extended family is that they both have familiar faces nearby. What a comfort for this mom.

My husband goes back to work next week with teacher's workshops but until then we have some time together before I hit the UFO Collection in earnest and get back to a regular blogging schedule. I am more than ready to sew.

#quiltystitches Blocks 9 & 10

Here it is the end of May and what a month it was! Graduation, Mother's Day, Half Marathon and lots of family time held my focus in May. I'm thinking I will have to do a post and share some pics of my family soon... I kind of hold back at that but I do understand the enjoyment of getting know the blogger behind the quilts.  

In the meantime I can share the last 2 blocks of Little Miss Shabby's Quilty Stitches cross stitch sampler. I did the pinwheel block yesterday while avoiding the midday heat & sun.

Our weather pattern dramatically shifted overnight to a cool and rainy forecast through Monday so this morning I finished up the Petals block while drinking my coffee. I MUST make a Petal quilt!

I'm hoping to catch a track meet weather permitting early afternoon and then I will be hustling to finish up my May Schnibble X Rated for a post tonight.

Here are the kitties the morning after our son's graduation party... I think I could have easily curled up next to them! Tucker was quite the social one joining in the fun but poor Elsa spent most of the day hiding in our lower level or under the bed.

Here's to (I'll say it again) more quilting in June!

MIssing Spring

Several days of wind, rain and dark skies are really wearing on me. When I ran an errand at noon today it was 38 degrees out. So of course I am seeking out bright colors to enhance my mood.

Instead of working on UFOs like I should be I am indulging in some crumb block play while listening to an audio book and watching Elsa leap from window to window entertained by the poor birds trying to stay warm and/or dry.

My husband put out the bird feeders yesterday and they have been claimed much to Elsa's delight! She also has a large rabbit to keep an eye on that we think has moved in under our front porch so she spends a lot of time on various window sills.

This has become a common sight over the last few weeks. Tucker tolerates Elsa on "his" space as long she is actually wanting to sleep. Fortunately he had a reprieve this morning when Elsa realized that my newest yarn project was gone from the high shelf. She is slightly obsessed with yarn!

I am in love with this yard (Tweed Stripes by Lion Brand) and am enjoying my first crochet project in a long while. This will be a long scarf and I think this simple double crochet pattern from inside the wrapper shows the colors off so well. It's a fun and quick project.

Last night we were watching a movie and Elsa totally crashed next to me. As soon as the quilt comes out she is usually ready for a nice snuggle - especially after dark when the windows lose their view. Since it looks like we are stuck in this weather pattern through at least Friday there will be lots of indoor time this week.

At least one member of the family isn't complaining!

A Blast from my Past

My Mom has been doing some Simplifying of her own and recently returned a few things to me. Since I'm still clearing out closets, drawers and bins I thought today would be a good time to share them.

This is my very 1st quilting UFO. I had a red, white & black bedroom as a teen and somehow got the idea that I wanted to make a quilt. At that time my Mom had taught me to sew clothing but quilting was all new.

Let's just say that cutting the logs from tissue paper was extremely tedious... and when they didn't always go together perfectly my enthusiasm left the building! My Mom at some point picked up the blocks and remaining fabrics and put the quilt together. It was on one of the bunk beds our kids slept in at their house for a time.

She was a pioneer as I now see looking at the extra block and the back of the quilt because she used QAYG to get it done. My Mom used to do alterations as a part time job so is a whiz with a sewing machine. And, she is very organized with the left over fabrics all bagged up so I can do a little patching. How fun is that?

I used to do a TON of embroidery when I was young - mostly pre-printed dishtowels and pillowcases. I had totally forgotten about these until I unfolded them.

I can totally see sashing these with 30's prints to make a sweet baby quilt!

And it makes me smile to see that even back then I was kind of anal about planning my projects... note that there are 3 babies with blonde hair, 3 with brown and 3 with black.  I guess I didn't know any redheads back then!

Thanks again Mom for making my day!

Elsa is having a blast exploring every new space and container that gets sorted through. Yesterday she even got Tucker involved after she flung one of her favorite stuffed mice in the midst of the mess. She carries them around the house in her mouth like a dog carries toys. So funny.

Quilting With Cats

Tucker and Elsa are definitely feeling the love for my Valentine's Plus Quilt...

Tucker Enjoying Some Sun on the Job

Elsa Testing the Cuddle Factor

Tension Looks Good!

Is it Playtime Yet?

I Second the Cuddle Factor!

I pulled my cutting table over to butt up against my mix of tables which is helping me keep the quilt from dragging. I'm feeling pretty good about managing this one on my own, but I'll be happy to get it machine bound and on the sofa later today just in time for Valentine's Day.

And check out my almost empty cone of Aurifil... it's been just over a year since I bought it. Man they hold LOTS of thread!

I'm linking up to I Quilt@Pretty Bobbins and Feline Friday@sarah did it!.

Freezing on Friday

This is so me right now! I feel like my mind is going 99 miles per hour in multiple directions... quilting, organizing, quilting, tax forms & paperwork, quilting, dreaming about warm beaches, quilting... you get the picture. All fun projects (minus the tax stuff!) but I just need to dial it down a few notches.

Someone isn't too happy about this situation! Elsa has started wrapping her front paws around Tucker's neck while giving him a major face baths and it is pretty darn cute and hilarious. She initiates all of their contact and cannot understand why Tucker doesn't chase her around the house like she is more than happy to do to him.

My Valentine's Plus quilt squares have been sewn together across each row and the rows are partially assembled. This has been such a fun project and it is making my quilting room such a cheerful place to be.

I hope to get it quilted in between my Olympic watching hours this weekend so I can cuddle up under it and sew down the binding. We are back yet again in the sub zero temperatures... it just will not stop. When I start feeling stir crazy - despite being a hermit by nature - something is quite wrong!

I'm linking up to Feline Friday@sarah did it!.

Some Valentine's Day Sewing

As the middle of January approaches (quickly!) it's time to dive into my Sewing for the Seasons theme for 2014. After clearing my design wall by getting Warm 16 Patches to flimsy stage yesterday I pulled out my Valentine's Day stash and decided to start with the charm packs of Flirtations.

I paged through my Schnibbles pattern books but nothing really caught my eye. The prints in this line didn't really lend themselves to being cut into the small pieces that most Schnibbles use... plus there were a lot of cute light prints that I wanted to use.

Then I remembered my Halloween Table Topper I finished in October 2012 using the pattern Everyday Table Topper from the book "Charmed and Dangerous" by Anka's Treasures.

I really like how this simple pattern allows the pretty fabrics to shine. I found the book and started laying out the charms. It probably took me longer to decide on a layout than it did to assemble the top!

It's always interesting to see the same pattern in a totally different theme isn't it? I think Sandy Gervais does seasonal prints so well... they hit the right level of "whimsical but not too cutesy" for me and she mixes in so many prints. Not a single repeat in this charm pack.

As for the fat quarters I've decided to use them to make a lap size Plus Quilt using THIS tutorial from In Color Order. It requires 20 FQs so I'll be adding in some more Valentine's Day fabrics from my stash to coordinate with the ones in the photo. I think I won them in a blog giveaway years ago.

Sewing for the Seasons is underway!

First thing yesterday morning Elsa was dropped off at our vet for her spay and declaw surgery. It seems like Tucker can't decide if he is happy she is gone or wondering where she went. He got us laughing last night during dinner by having a rambunctious play session with one of her favorite toys.

This photo is blurry because I was laughing so hard... Tucker is a big kitty and I don't know what possessed him to squeeze into this space! I took the plastic bin out and he tried a few positions before deciding he was NOT going to fit in that basket and returned to his perch on my cutting table.

Hopefully Elsa will be coming home later this afternoon and I'll be setting aside my sewing for lots of cuddle time.

I'm linking up to Freemotion by the River and someplace new to me - Let's Bee Social@Sew Fresh Quilts.

Blue Scrappy Sewing

Blue is the color of the month for RSC14 - what a great color to kick off a new year of scrappy sewing because I have lots of blue to use!

Angela is not only hosting RSC14 this year but she is also doing a RSC Sampler Series of 6.5" blocks. I've never been drawn to sampler quilts which makes it easy for me to bypass BoMs... I guess my eyes look for patterns in quilts and samplers look like mixed up blocks to me. Just my personal opinion!

But after Angela started posting the cute little blocks I started thinking about them in a different way. Why not sew up some scraps, explore some new blocks and try some some new rulers? So I've made the 1st 4 and I'm really enjoying making them. If I don't like them when they are assembled I can donate the quilt and learn from the process.

I'm also making my blue blocks for Road to Oklahoma and I'm repeating a picture from yesterday's post for those that are following RSC14.

I forgot to include pictures of my scrap sorting assistant in my post the other day. I ended up moving to the floor because that is where everything ended up anyway the minute I turned my back. Her serious little face is pretty hard to resist!

Elsa is getting very adventurous and wants to play more so we have toys stashed on each level and I try to distract her with them. Of course she prefers my toys... lately pens are her target to nudge off tables or counters. Leftover batting strips are also great fun for her.

Here she is sleeping on a drawer of 2.5" strips on my lap. Aren't the markings on her nose cute?

The only time she and Tucker are in tandem is when they are wanting food! The rest of the time he prefers to keep watch from a safe distance. Elsa thinks his tail is her personal play toy which he tolerates pretty well until he gets a teeny claw.

I'm linking up to ScrapHappy Saturday@soscrappy and Feline Friday@sarah did it!.

WIP Wednesday:UFO Edition

As my Year of Finish winds down I'm hoping to move a few more UFOs to the DONE! column. First on my list is Christmas Strings for obvious reasons! 120 6.5" blocks are trimmed, sorted into 4 groups mixing up common fabrics and ready to layout. As you can see, I've experimented a bit with different layouts but have decided to use my favorite X layout once again. Can you spy Elsa? She continues to keep me company everywhere I am.

She LOVES to cuddle up in quilts. The other day Elsa and Tucker were doing a double Quilt Supervisor shift. They are acknowledging each other more - I'll call them casual friends for now.

I turned around a bit later to find her napping on a folded up quilt next to Mr. Juki. Tucker is all about fleece to cuddle up in... but Elsa goes for the nearest quilted item. Guess they won't be sleeping together until they can work that out!

I received 2 quilts back from Kathy at Stitch by Stitch last week and cannot wait to get these trimmed and apply the binding. It will be the perfect task to do over the holiday week while enjoying our family time.

Here is a peek at Kathy's beautiful work on Minnesota Hotdish...

and Four Patch & Friends. Aren't they gorgeous - so soft and feminine to add to the feel of these quilts. I'll wait until their finish posts to show you more!

What's Hot:

• Christmas Strings - hoping for a Friday Finish
• Binding Minnesota Hotdish
• Binding Four Patch & Friends
• Small projects I've been procrastinating on STILL 
• Elsa time - she insists on lap time and who am I to say no?

I'm linking up to WIP Wednesday@Freshly Pieced.

Friday Finish

It's always fun to have a finish to share on Friday! Patriotic 9 Patch (formerly QOV 9 Patch) is in the DONE! column for my October goals. I had planned to donate this one to Quilts of Valor but it ended up just shy of the minimum size so I will either donate it to Project Linus or keep it on hand for when a need arises. I really like this one so it might just end up living with me.

This quilt was started in 2008 with the leftover 2.5" strips from Patriotic Squares which was donated to Quilts of Valor. I'm such a fan of 9 patches so that was an easy choice and paired them up with the metallic star fabric.  When I ran out of patriotic fabrics I mixed in a few reds and lights to make enough blocks.

I found some gorgeous red,white & blue King Tut thread that I used for quilting. The color changed often and I tried to capture how pretty it turned out by adjusting the contrast a bit on the close-up. Originally I was going to quilt it crosswise too but I really liked the channel look so I laid it out on my cutting table to ponder while I worked on another quilt. I didn't change my mind so moved on to the binding stage.

I'd had a blue binding picked out but one of the things I liked about the top was how the reds were scattered throughout the 9 patches so I replaced it with a red instead. I think it was the right choice. The backing is a wide small dot print which shows off the variegated thread nicely.

I pulled my old cutting table out of the storage closet and set it at medium height to the left of my sewing table for additional support. This was suggested by a few of you after I quilted 9 Patch Swap last month and it made a huge difference in my quilting comfort.

My trio of Quilt Inspectors also approved! Usually they wander in and out one at a time so this cracked me up. Jax is in motion reacting to my attempt to get their attention... he is the people pleaser of the group.

One last thing... I will never tire of LOVING the thread cutter on Mr. Juki. Those teeny little tails just make wonder "How can it do that?".

What I Learned:

• Trust my instincts... sometimes less quilting is more. It's OK to change plans midway.
• Use more red!
• It's worth it to set up the extra table when quilting a larger top.

I'm linking up to Feline Friday@sarah did it!, TGIFF@Quilter in the Closet, Can I Get a Whoop Whoop@Confessions of a Fabric Addict, Link A Finish Friday@Richard and Tanya Quilts, Needle & Thread Thursday@My Quilt Infatuation and Finish it Friday@Crazy Mom Quilts.