Four Runaround Bags

I wanted to make some of these purses for spring and I got the idea to use these panels for the front of the bags. I got the panel in the back room at WV Quilts with no idea how I would use them. I found fabric in my stash that looked good with them and these bags were born. I had to go out and buy two of the zippers (on the front of the bags) but everything else was from my stash. I still have some more of these panels in similar colors so I think I will use them for something else. Audrey took the yellow one (first one on the left) and is carrying it now. I can't decide which one I want to carry.

Hail and Flowers

See the hail in the grass? We had pretty good sized hail this afternoon. I am afraid my car will have dents all over it. Right behind the hail were the daffodils and hyacinths that just burst out into bloom today. Click on the picture of the street and see how it was hailing. My cats don't get scared very often but they were scared today!

Pat's new kittens

Richard and I were in Kanawha City yesterday so we stopped by Pat's house to see her new Tonkinese kittens, Tory and Tao. I couldn't tell them apart so I don't know if I uploaded pictures of both or just one of them. While I was there I took 53 pictures but most of them were blurry or just pictures of them from the back so I deleted those. I ended up with 43 pictures, most from the back. These three pictures were the best. They just don't sit still long enough to click the shutter! They are totally loveable and I would love to have one. As Richard reminded me, I have five cats now and just cannot have any more!

Rosie on the computer screen!

This is a picture of Rosie in front of my computer. The cat on my computer background looks just like Rosie. I couldn't get the lighting right but you can still see how much alike they look.

Block of the Month

I found a website (Morning Glory Designs) that is putting out a block every month this year. That is, the first six months of this year. Then she is going to do the block PLUS sashings and borders so the last six months will have more work to do. Anyway, here I show my first three blocks. I am using assorted batiks and mottled nearly solid pieces of fabric. This is going to be a beautiful quilt if I follow thru with it.

Adam has had some problems the last few days. He has been in the ER twice recently. It seems, he went bowling (first time in years) and pulled a muscle in his neck and shoulder. The ER at Thomas helped for that day but the next day he was worse so he went to CAMC. Hopefully he is feeling better now.

I noticed that my spring bulbs are growing and poking up above the ground. Last fall I planted hyacinths, tulips and daffodils under the front window and I can't wait to see colorful flowers there. I love spring and start looking for signs that it is starting as early as January every year. When it gets warm enough I will plant summer flowers there. Every year I plant tomato plants in the back yard. I have room for something else so I have to decide what else to plant.

Today I have started my spring cleaning. I am working on my bedroom, evicting all the spiders, getting rid of the dust bunnies, polishing the furniture and making it smell much better in there! I took down my curtains, cleaned the windows and thru the curtains in the dryer to get the dust out of them. I think I will look for fabric for new curtains. These have been there a long, long time now. I was going to paint the room but I don't think I want that much upheaval with that huge platform bed to have to paint around. Besides, I have wallpaper border in there and I don't want to fool with getting that down! Anyway, no one goes in there but me and the cats so it can wait another year.

Speaking of the cats, they are doing pretty well. Missy turned sixteen last month but she seems ok and has a great appetite. Sam pukes a lot. Sometimes I think he eats only so he can have something to puke up! I clean up a pile of puke nearly every day. I am sure Sam isn't the only one to puke but I have caught him more than the others.

Pat and Fred are getting a couple of kittens this month. I can't wait to see them! I'm sure they are excited about it.

I got EQ7!!!

The other day EQ7 arrived at my door! For those of you who are not quilty, EQ7 is Electric Quilt 7, which is software to design my own quilts. I have wanted it since it came out last year. The pictures show a quilt I designed and made. I call it Spring At Last! and isn't it springy? When actually making the quilt I found that I did not have enough of the purple fabric to make the border so I skipped that part. I bound it in the same green I used in the sashing. It still has the binder clips on it for now because I will be taking it with me on election day to do the hand sewing. I am very excited about having EQ7 and I have already designed and saved several quilts, which may or may not ever be made. The more I work with it the more I learn. So far all I have done is combine blocks and put sashings and borders around them. There is so more more the program can do!

Quilt Retreat 2011

These were my nearest neighbors at the retreat last weekend. Debbie is there wearing her striped shirt, Lynn is in her white shirt, Kathleen is across from Lynn, and Shar Wiseman and her daughter were beside me. I don't remember the woman in the red shirt. There were quite a few people there that I don't know. I will add more pictures in the next few days.

I got a quilt top made at retreat. I was going to start another one but I didn't have all the fabric with me that I needed. Since I have been back home I have put the sewing machine in place but haven't used it yet. Some of the other stuff got put away already.

I am reorganizing my scrap fabrics in their bins. I thought I was doing well just having them separated by color but now I am folding them neatly and standing them on their edges so I can see them all at once. I am also separating out all the batiks into their own bin. After I get done with that job I am going thru all my yardage fabrics and separating by color on their hangers in the closet where they are kept.

I will still have too much stuff for the space I have but that's ok - I refuse to get rid of it!