Where Have I Been?

  I know, I know.  I've been on the Missing Blogger list lately.  I'd love to tell you all about the wonderful things I've been doing and fascinating places I've been, but . . . it would be a lie!

Yup, I've been right here.  Doing some of this and that.  I kept thinking I should post some in-progress notes, but never quite found the time.  Sure, there have been some doctor appointments and some afternoons in the garden and visiting family and shopping trips.  You know, all that Real Life stuff that gets in the way.  But good golly molly, not that much!  Well, let me catch you up now.  Sit back and relax - this could take a little while.

Meow

The big project these past weeks has been a crib-size quilt for Project Linus.  I have the top all finished, using several cat prints.  As I started preparing the "sandwich", I came across a tutorial at Anyone Can Quilt.  Just the information I needed to get going!  It is all ready to start quilting next week.  Just grid quilting for this one, but the tutorial has some nice tips for free motion quilting, too.  Oh boy!

Button, Button

My little town is preparing for the annual festival.  This year I was asked to make a sash and button for the parade grand marshal.  Nothing very fancy, but I did need to do some research about honor sashes to figure how wide and long, and then hunt down some 4-inch ribbon.  Lots of good Christmas ribbons just coming out now, but I didn't want red or silver or gold!  I know - picky, picky.  The button was easy, thanks to Nellie and her post last May about making award medallions.  It worked like a charm.  Thanks, Nellie!

More Peacocks?

Last month Rivkah posted about a vintage peacock block pattern she had found.  She has been working on this quilt for two years and making very slow progress.  She figured it would never get done unless she got some help.  So I volunteered.  Why, you ask?  I mean, I don't already have tons of projects?  Well, it was just after I finished Percy and shipped him off and I was loving all things peacock.  I figured I could at least do a block or two - and maybe wind up with a cool pattern, too.  Rivkah makes wonderful dolls and we don't want  that kind of talent getting stuck on another two year project, do we?  Well, I made a block for her quilt - and another for myself.  Hers is ready to go in the mail on Monday.  Mine?  Well, it will go on the wall for now.  I will find a project for it eventually.

Speaking of Peacocks . . .

If you haven't already heard . . . Percy won a prize in the Hoffman Challenge!  He and Pegwyn were selected as the Most Humorous entry!  This weekend all 300 plus traveling entries are at the Rocky Mountain Quilt Festival in Loveland, CO.  They will then begin a yearlong tour of shops and shows before coming back home to me.  Percy has been all atwitter.  I suppose he will be even more obnoxious than ever.  Oh my.  The price of fame!

Doll Club Meets!

And, of course, I've been to a doll club meeting.  We always have a good time and this month was no exception.  We had some really great Show N Tell items, too.  I put together a photo collage to give you an idea.  Some of the Flap dolls are finished and there are always new ideas showing up.  One of our members is doing some drastic de-stashing and brought many, many boxes of goodies for us to rummage through.  To a fiber addict, nothing is better than rummaging through boxes of fabric, lace, feathers, leather, trim, and seriously necessary "stuff."  I brought home a stack of fabric (actually a fairly modest stack [no, really!]) and some leather and  lace.   See all  those butterflies in the bottom corner?  Wow!  I see butterflies in my future!

 

Well, that brings my blog about up to date.  Once the "Meow" has been quilted, I should be able to get back to a normal schedule.  One can only hope!