Registry - of sorts

Folks have been asking - as I knew they would.  So Amanda & Ned provided me with their wish list.  Here we go:

We know so many makers & artists. 

Obviously anything handmade would be 

loved & appreciated.

Stuff:

• A free standing ice maker

• Hot/Cold Watercooler

• Slow cooker 

• 3-D printer

• Ceramic kiln "doll" size

• Kitty cat accessories - https://www.catastrophicreations.com  (certificates available)

• Sous vide

• 3D scanner 

• Mortar & pestle 

• https://onefastcat.com/products/cat-exercise-wheel

• Staub 5- qt cast-iron pumpkin 

• Dry measuring cups & measuring spoons in glass, wood, or metal

• Fiesta ware - Bistro bowls of all sizes & Heart bowls

• Extra large drinking glasses (plain glass is fine)

And Things (for which we are saving up if you want to pitch in)

• Wide clawfoot tub

• Tile for bathroom/kitchen

• Home improvement/DIY's

• New pull out couch/one large enough for guests to sleep on

• Our eventual honeymoon in Japan

So there you have it.  Thank you for being part of Ned & Amanda's life. 

Much love,

sash

Reflection time

I'm trying to avoid getting all moody & existential.  Instead of reviewing my life choices, let's talk quilts!

Since January - 

• Completed
• Spousal unit's Asian themed BOTM - FINISHED & in our room
• Libby's bunnies - FINISHED & mailed to Tacoma
• Broken Dishes for my belle soeur - FINISHED & mailed to Japan
• 2 seam X-blocks in yellow & batiks - FINISHED & gifted to friend in Montana
• Tula - Acadia - FINISHED & gifted to a friend in Montana
• On-point QAYC strips - FINISHED & on the bed in my sewing room
• Baby Martin - FINISHED & delivered
• Pink/red/white split rail w/fox minky - FINISHED & delivered to baby Willow
• Loly's baby - FINISHED (including quilting at home) & delivered to baby Jasper
• Made Progress
  • Tiffany stained glass - just needs binding
  • Mystery quilt in yellow to red - just needs binding
• Scattered Showers - about 1/2 way thru the in-house quilting
• Um - honestly can't remember but probably not done...
• Improv Project (à la Joe Cunningham) in orange & yellow
• Rainbow diagonal jelly-roll race
• Started
• Antique Lace for Allie & John - 80% pieced
• Water Lilies - 25% pieced
• Quilt Limbo (no progress since January)
• Turquoise disappearing jelly-roll...thing
• Random 4 patches with blue minky
• Pulse
• half hexi baby quilt
• Neeky's cousins - needs binding
• Vintage butterfly - repair or frame up??
• Pentecost banner - serious remediation required

Wait is it bi-monthly or.... whatever

So - having missed November entirely, let's just move along, shall we?

I did so WELL on finishes for the first 1/2 of the year.  Let's see if I can at least pull one off here in December.

Over the long weekend, I had some unexpected down time and whipped up a Christmas table runner. 

I used a charm pack of Blitzen by Basic Grey

Charm packs are so adorable!

                

              Pieced, 

                   layered, 
                        quilted,
                             done!!  

How gratifying!

       (And a FINISH picture would go here if I'd thought to take one - d'oh)

Late Breaking News!!  The manchild sent me pictures!

Back - quilting & a little I-made-the-front 48"-&-width-
of-fabric-is-44"-&-why-didn't-I-think-ahead? edge detail

So my goal for December is to make 

two more table runners to give as holiday gifts.

(Here's a close up of the snowmen from the line because they are just so cute!)

xo
sash

Aloha!

Sometimes the universe points us in the right direction.

A Happy Birthday
for this mom

   

And a beautiful memorial
service for this mom

       

Add inspirational
ukulele music

BRAINSTORM!!

Not Julie Andrews

*  I want to make a quilt for my belle-mere (my husband's mom)

* My Quilting Goddess wants to make a quilt for this lady ---->

* They both have serious Hawaii connections

* I bought some super cool batiks that have prints that look oh-so-islandy.

Hey! One design + Two variations = Happy Quilters & Quiltees!!!

So my June goal for A Lovely Year of Finishes is to make 

a birthday quilt (quilted, bound & everything) for Tutu.

Here are the amazing stamped batiks:

These are even more gorgeous in person.  They come in strips, but I will probably just fussy cut them into blocks & add sashing & borders.  So pretty as is - don't think I could bring myself to cut them up.

We'll see what the Quilting Goddess thinks up.  She has so many more quilts (& quilting magazines) in that sexy brain of hers.  Staring with these materials, I can't really go wrong!

Check out the other goals for June at the Lovely Year of Finishes goal setting party!

xoxo

sash

Not even the last minute!!!

I set a pretty big goal for this month & it was totally done on time for the big party!

The lovely Colleen Petrina celebrated her 90th birthday at a gala event.

                | (That's my dad in the green 
                |  shirt right down here.  He was 
               \/  enjoying the refreshments.)

We had to leave before presents were opened but I have it on good authority (a text from my boss later in the day) that the guest of honor loved her new quilt.  

Well of COURSE she did!  Look at this Lovely thing!

Why do these pictures keep ending up sideways???

So this was my successful finish for May in A Lovely Year of Finishes.  This puts my record at 4 out of 5.  I'm pretty pleased with that.

If you want to see where this project started the month you can look here.

And here's a photo of the back in case you're interested (and to prove I really did get the thing quilted too!!)

Really?  This one ends up the right way??

I did pretty light quilting.  Partly because of timing.  Partly because it looked pretty and I was afraid I might screw that up.  I used spray basting for the first time ever & it worked well.  I knew I'd be quilting it immediately so there wasn't time for the adhesive to wear off. 

I also used a printable tape for the label.  Fits right in my little Brother label maker.

Not fancy but it looks ok & was quick

Now it's time to pick a project for June.  

Wow - June already?  

At least, if the year is going to fly by, A Lovely Year of Finishes is helping me have something to show for it!

xoxo
sash

As Seen On YouTube

I'm having a great time with this Herringbone/Friendship Braid project.  The fabric is beautiful, the pattern is all mathy, and the results are just as I imagined (phew)!

It does, however, require pressing and trimming after each piece is attached.  No chain anything on this one.  I was pretty tired and Sparki the wonder dog was camped out between my chair and the ironing board.  I could have overcome my inertia but add in geriatric dog inertia and I knew that up & down and up & down wasn't happening.

I've never had a large, cleared, surface to do pressing and cutting and sewing all from one spot, but I thought it was worth a try.  I felt so efficient!  My little portable pressing pad (with a towel under for condensation), a small cutting mat and ruler, & I was good to go!  Being tall was a big help, and working on a long, narrow piece made the cutting possible.  Check it out!  A work station worthy of Jenny or the Gourmet Quilter !!

Rendered in Black & White because it IS the week before Christmas!

I also discovered one more important tool to have on hand.  A decoy project - in case someone shows up or walks in unexpectedly.  This photo is also in black & white.  Any WIP that's within reach right now is also headed for a December delivery.

Hastily deployed decoy quilt

Even with a visit from my sweetie to install hooks, a wall heater (yay), & some artwork, I got a lot of sewing done & Sparki had a nice, long nap by my side.  See how rested she looks?

The sweetest dog on the planet & such a pretty girl!

- sash

That one's done!

This one's done!

I remember my gramma telling me that there is a little angel at the end of the baby assembly line in heaven who checks over each one, pokes them in the tummy, & says

"That one's done... That one's done" 
 
That explains where belly buttons come from.
And where questionable biology comes from.
And some dubious theology


But when I'm baking or crafting or canning, I hear her voice (and my little girl voice echo) saying "THAT one's done".

So consider the Candy Square Quilt poked in the tummy!  Since I was following a pattern on that one, I ended up with binding that was wider than I normally use.  That definitely changed the look, but I like it.  It's a clean, fun little quilt and I'm hoping that Ms. P enjoys it.

Now I just need to quilt the rest of its partner - the green/yellow gems.  I'm considering a wide binding for that as well, since the minky cut I received was a little skimpy.  Rather than trim down the outer border (I worked so HARD to get that balance right!) I think that a wider binding, flipped mostly to the back, would work pretty well.  Wouldn't have thought of it except for the binding from the pattern - so a new trick for my arsenal.

Whatcha doin'?

This weekend I also played with some Christmas fabric working on a table runner and some little ornaments.  I found some fabric to make pillowcases, so that will be a Christmas gift option. Those should come together quickly.

Guardian Angel?

And it occurs to me that I must finish my Iron Quilter II entry by the end of this month.

That little angel in my sewing room better get a move on.  We're starting to get a back-log!

-sash

(If that's my sewing room angel balancing on the handle of that candlestick, that would explain the meltdown, shattered glass, flaming pool of coffee situation that happened.  Pay attention little cutie!  That cotton stash would have burned for hours!!!)

Such a productive weekend!

My newly designed work station is a dream.  My sweetie did a great job and the queen-of-folding-&-organization made it a warm, cozy, functional space.

This weekend, I finished ALL the quilting on the man-child's girlfriend's quilt top.  I finished the piecing in time for her graduation in June but, as often happens, stalled out on the finish.  But NOW I've got all the quilting done, the basting tacks removed, and the binding cut and pressed.  I just need to square it up, add the binding & tags, and pass it on.  Phew.

Hmmm - I guess I should add "Take Pictures" to that list.

The other big progress was on the Craftsy Candy Squares Quilt. I'd cut most the pieces and started assembling the blocks, but by last night all fifty of the 9-patches were complete, pressed, and attached to an alternate block.  Next step - figure out the arrangement of those sub blocks and stitch it all together!

I also played with making little snap bags.  The sample turned out pretty well (I know, where's the picture?) and I think these will be fun to make for the holiday craft sale as well as for little gifts.

So a great weekend quilting and enough progress to have me itching to hit the sewing room tonight.

Keep your feet on the ground!

- Auntie Sash