Mystery Harvest Shop Hop

Debbie, Diane, Tammy and I went on the Mystery Harvest Shop Hop last week.  It was two days of quilt shopping and girl talk and laughter!  There were 12 quilt shops located mostly along the Ohio River and we hit them all.  The snowman block in the picture was on the panel of blocks that was featured at all the shops.  I bought the panel and then as a gift the shops gave us each another panel.  Since I have two of them now I think I will color one with colored pencils or crayons.  The actual panel is just blue on white fabric, no other colors.  We had a really good time, spending the night in Gallipolis, Ohio and eating at all the shops.  They each had a recipe for the shoppers and lots of good food.  One shop had meatballs made with saurkraut!  I loved it!  I got the recipe, maybe I'll make it for the quilt retreat at Cedar Lakes in February.  We also had cookies and candy galore!  We really didn't need to eat in a restaurant but since we were in Pomeroy, Ohio we ate dinner at the Wild Horse Cafe, sort of famous place.  I got a huge burger with onion straws, one of my favorite things.  I got away from the shophop without spending a lot of money.  I generally buy patterns but I didn't see any I couldn't do without.  The best thing is - I won a prize from the shop in Pomeroy!  Each shop prepares a basket with patterns and fat quarters and more stuff and gives it away in a daily prize, and the Pomeroy shop called me on Saturday morning to tell me I had won!  They were having a meeting of all the shops on Monday and Phyllis from the Hurricane shop was going to get my basket for me.  I am going to Phyllis' shop on Friday to get it.  I can't wait to see what I get!

The other picture shows a quilt pattern they were selling to make the state of West Virginia to hang on the wall.  Tammy bought that pattern.  She is going to keep it at her home in the Cayman Islands.

End of summer and a guest in the house!

My impatiens in the front yard were looking really bad so I pulled them out today after the WVU game.  Richard was cutting the grass so I said it was time for them to go.  When he got dome with our grass he cut the grass over at Audrey's house.  He said probably one more cutting this year.  I would like to get some winter pansies or something to have in this bed for the winter.

We had our cardiac workout this evening.  Rosie came running in here and I heard a little squeal along with the sound of running feet.  I knew immediately that there was a mouse in the house!  I yelled for Richard (who said Nonsense!!!) and started moving things around.  Then I saw it!  The biggest mouse I have ever, ever seen!  Richard put his shoes on and as I moved things it ran out of my room and into the living room.  Richard saw it then.  I think he thought I was crazy!  He put his shoes on and we went after it.  I gave him the broom and started moving the sofa and loveseat away from the walls.  It ran around back and forth and even right under my feet!  I am wearing fleece socks so I stepped on the toe of one of my socks and almost fell flat on the floor.  And then Richard said open the door!  So I propped the storm door open and moved the sofa and Richard banged on it with the broom and it ran out the door!  I was never so happy so see a guest leave my home!  We can't figure out how it came in.  It couldn't have been here long, because with five cats (even cats who would never kill a mouse) I am sure I would know if a mouse was here for very long.  Now I am paranoid about finding another mouse (or two) and keeping my feet up off the floor.  By the way, Richard said that judging from the size of it, that mouse was pregnant.

Echoes of Summer

Echoes of Summer is what I chose to call this quilt.  The first picture is the EQ7 rendition and the second is the quilt I made from the pattern.  The third picture shows a corner close up.  I really like this quilt and I think it will be an excellent class to teach at work this fall.  I used the Easy Angle ruler to make the half-square triangles and that is something that people own but don't know how it use it.  I will demo the ruler and teach how to use it, and also show them the old way of making half-square triangles.  This is the same block repeated but turned in different directions.  I made my quilt four blocks wide by four blocks long.  Each block calls for four half-square triangles and five four-patches, for a total of 64 half-square triangles and 80 four-patches.  It takes a little time to get all the pieces done and then to put the blocks together and then place the blocks in rows going the right direction.  I thought it was fun to make.  I can see that by changing the colors (switching darks and lights) the quilt could look totally different.  I may need to do some experimenting with that.

What I'm working on

The past couple of days I have been working on a quilt I saw in a quilt book from the South Charleston library.  I couldn't find the exact block in EQ7 so I drew it up myself and added it.  I am calling the quilt "Echoes of Summer".  These are the components of the quilt.  I had to make 64 red/white half-square triangles and 80 blue/ white four-patches.  I elected to make the blues scrappy, but the red and white are the same throughout.  I may change the border to a pieced border but I have very little of this white left so that really limits me.  I may teach this quilt in a class at work in maybe October.  We already have the September schedule made so I guess I am working ahead.  This will be a small quilt, suitable for a baby quilt or wallhanging or maybe to throw over a table.  More blocks could be added to make it bigger but I can quilt this size myself.  I'll post pictures when it is finished.

I've been missing in action

Sorry I have completely neglected this blog.  What can I say, life gets in the way.  I just haven't been in the mood to write the blog lately.  I will attempt to do better.

I haven't been sewing much this summer.  I really slowed down in early spring, and it has continued all summer.  My sewing room is a wreck; it isn't much fun going in there to sew when I have to uncover the cutting table every time.  I have done some sewing, mostly when I'm at work or getting something ready to sew on at work.  I have made a couple of quilts but haven't finished anything.  I bought several patterns for clothes to make this summer but didn't touch them yet.  I've got to get back into it.

I was sitting in my car at the South Charleston library the other day when I noticed my odometer reading 70,707 miles.  That's pretty good for a car that is twelve and half years old.  I'd love to buy a new car but I just haven't found any car I like as well as my 2000 Mazda 626.  I think I'll keep it a while longer. 

We have really had some nice weather this year.  I love the hot summer days.  I sit out on the porch nearly every day no matter what the temperature is, but I particularly like it when it is hotter outside that it is inside.  I am so cold most of the time that the heat feels really good seeping into my bones. 

My kitties are doing well, except of course for Missy.  She is 17 1/2 years old now and no longer grooms herself or does anything except sleep and eat.  Poor little thing.  I give her extra treats and things.

Finished Orca Bay - Now Called Almost Heaven!

My Orca Bay quilt is finished - and I have changed the name of it to Almost Heaven.  It uses the colors that I see every time I go out my door here in Charleston, West Virginia.  The greens are the grasses and leaves on the trees, the blues are in the skies and my daughter's front door across the street, the yellows are painted on the street and curbs, and all the other colors are in the flowers and everything else.  I have known for quite a while that I needed to do a green and blue quilt and this is it.  It actually is more green than it looks in the photo.  It will be hanging in the Viking Sewing Gallery booth at the WV Quilters Quilt Show, held June 21 thru 23 in Summersville, WV.  Every quilt I make I seem to think that it is my favorite but this one truly is my favorite.

Adam will be moving into the little house across the street behind my brother's house this week.  We are very happy to have him moving back to Charleston from Nitro, where he has been for about four years now.  He thinks he can come over for dinner every evening, but I have news for him - I don't cook so often any more!  It will be great to have him close by, and hopefully he'll see Damian more often since he will be so much closer.

Another near neighbor moved out today; she'll be missed in the neighborhood.  The Sigman's who live two houses up the street have their property up for sale.  They have been here longer than I have, and I have been here since 1966.

My brother is putting in an above-ground pool in the yard directly across they street from us.  He has been leveling the ground today.  I guess he has forgotten that Dad buried two dogs and one of my cats right there.  I can hardly stand to watch them work on it.

Odds and ends

I can't believe it has been so long since I posted to this blog.  You know, life happens while you aren't looking.  I guess I haven't looked around for a while.  I just thought I would add some odds and ends.

The first picture shows Rosie and Sam laying on my bed.  This is as close as any of my cats want to be to each other.  They hiss and spit if any of them happen to come too close.  I don't know why they are like that, since Sam, Sascha and Rosie came from the same litter.

Audrey and Jason are having a problem with identity theft.  They went to Taco Bell yesterday and their debit card was declined.  They knew they had money in the account so they came home and checked it.  Found out that someone had charged three purchases totalling about $1000 at Best Buy in Maryland.  They are now trying to control the problem.  I have decided not to use a card anywhere that they take the card out of my sight, like at a sit-down restaurant.  Audrey thinks this may be what happened to them. 

The second picture is the quilt I just finished.  I actually made the quilt maybe a year ago but I just finished the binding on it yesterday.  I gave the quilt to my brother, Jeff.  I hope he likes it.

I am still looking (off and on) for a new car.  I hate the thought of making car payments but I guess I am going to have to.  I still haven't found one that I wouldn't mind paying for.  All the new cars cost $5000 more than they shou.ld.  I think I will put it off as long as possible. 

Adam may be moving in across the street from us soon.  They told him he can rent the house, but I will believe it when he actually moves in.  He will be close so he can have meals with us and Damien lives only a few blocks away so they can be together much more often.  It's a tiny house but plenty big enough for Adam.  The rent is a little more than he is paying in Nitro but it will be worth it to have him so close.

I also want to wish Pat a Happy Birthday!