Busy Day

 

Today was a super busy day for me, I am still getting over my foot surgery and just received my first really big order for my hand dyed wools.  I have been so excited about this, thank you Mary Jane and Pat!!!!  I have had so much fun putting this order together and creating these wonderful colors of wool. I created 37 different pieces of wool in different shades and textures.  I have so much fun doing this, I feel like a made scientist when I am dyeing wool.  It is actually very restful and relaxing.  I imagine the different things that people can create with my wools.  This order gets shipped out tomorrow and I so hope that Mary Jane likes it.

Box 2 of wool

Awestruck!!

Yesterday was my first "solo" outing since my foot surgery.  It was meeting day for the Gwinnett Quilt Guild and there was no way that I was going to miss seeing Edyta Sitar.  I have all of her books and absolutely love her work.  That being said I was not prepared to the beauty of her quilts or her outrageous sense of humor.  (I met her very briefly at spree in Houston year before last, guess that wasn't the best place for her humor to come out).  Her lecture yesterday  was titled  "The reasons for quilts", and it was very appropriate.  I never thought about all of the reasons we make quilts, some of the reasons she mentioned were:  for our children, for dolls, for the men in our lives, for our parents, for brides, making quilts with friends, to learn a new technique, and for ourselves.  All of her quilts were simply stunning.  I tried to get photos of all of her quilts; however the battery on my camera died.  I did get photos of some of them.

Applique quilt

Quilt made with triangles from a trade

Candy necklace quilt

Starburst quilt (love this one)

Tree of life

Indian Wedding ring

 

I would love to be able to turn out quilts like this woman does.  She rocks!!!

Ugh!!

  I am so bored!!! I can't believe that I am saying that!!  I never get bored.  Since my foot surgery last Thursday I have had to stay off of  my foot and for the first time today it is driving me crazy.  I have plenty of handwork to do, but I am tired of sitting and doing it.  I have read an entire book today and worked on three different handwork projects.  I finished two of the Snowy Days blocks.  The snowman you see here.

This is Block A,  with the name Snowy Days.

A close up of Snowy Days.

I really like the way these blocks are turning out.  I hand dyed all of the wool that I am using.  I can't wait to get the rest of the blocks finished, however; that will have to wait a while.  My sewing room is in the basement and I am not supposed to go up and down steps yet, so I will have to wait a while before I can get the remainder of the blocks ready.   I have also been working on the wool applique for Comfort and Joy and the red work stitchery for  a Christmas quilt that I am working on.  I go to the doctor  tomorrow to get the bandages off and hopefully will be able to start getting around better.  Wish me luck.

Downton Abbey and Applique

 It has been a marathon of Downton Abbey at my house yesterday and today.  Since I  had foot surgery on Thursday and have to stay off of my foot there isn't too much that I can do.  I got into the Downton Abbey craze a little late, so I have been behind on the episodes.  I am almost caught up after the last few days.  I absolutely love this show.

Along with watching TV I have been doing some of my wool applique.  I finished the first block for my wool wall hanging that I am working on.  Love the little buttons that I found for his eyes and for the scarf.  Hope to finish a couple of other blocks in the next couple of days.  I have another wool project in the works, one that I am working on with Pat over at Silver Thimble Quilt Co.  Watch for news about that.

No more bunions!!!

Finally no more bunions!!  Had them taken care of on my right foot today.  Still a little loopy feeling.  This means no machine sewing for a while, but I have plenty of hand sewing to work on.

Now that school is out I hope to finish start (and hopefully finish) some projects.  I have been a wool dyeing fiend, and have actually used very little in projects for myself.  This is the first time that I have dyed wool for a specific project for myself.  I saw this pattern online a few months ago and ordered it know that I wanted to make it with  my own wool.  The first thing I did was dye the background pieces.  It is so much fun, putting in a neutral wool in a vat of dye and watching it change colors!!

This is the first block that I started, I love the blue hounds tooth for the scarf.  I can't wait to find the other colors that I want to use for each block.  Watch for my progress on this.

16 years or is it 23 ?

 Yesterday was our 16th anniversary, can't believe that it has already been 16 years.  Of course DH says it is really 23 because we were together for 7 years before we got married.  However you count it, they have been really, really great years.  I couldn't have found a nicer guy!!!  Both of us like to do outside stuff, so we spent the day at the Chattahoochee Nature Center, it has been years since we have been there.  It was the perfect day for it, not too hot, slightly overcast and best of all it wasn't crowded.  The flowers were beautiful.  I have no idea what the purple one is but it was pretty.

Butterfly weed.  How can something this pretty be called a weed?

Turtles sunning themselves on a log.

 

 

After spending the day out and about, we had a great dinner at our favorite Italian restaurant, Alfredo's.   I had a really hard time this year deciding what to get DH for an anniversary present, (if you remember the quilt story from last year you understand this).  After much thought I decided on 16 different presents, most were small and silly, but they were a hit.  The best was tickets to a concert in November, so we have that to look forward to.  Hope the next 16 years are as good as the last 16!!!

Quilting at the cabin

Just got back from our annual "Going sewing at the cabin" few days with wonderful friends, Pat, Becky and Karin.  As you can see from the "happy hour" table we had a wonderful time, there was plenty of Blue Moon, Limearitas, and wine to be had along with lots of snacks.  I still need to get Pat's salsa recipe, it was wonderful.  We had a great time, there is nothing like starting the summer off with a few days of sewing with wonderful friends.  Already looking forward to next year.

I know this is sideways, but you can still  tell that Karin make a beautiful Trip Around the World quilt, it is going to find a happy home in Florida.

Great quilt from Becky.

My quilt called "Odds and Ends" that I have been working on for almost a year.