Bits of My Week

After 4 hours yesterday and 4 more today I needed to do some improvisational piecing...all that traditional piecing on the Jam & Jelly...all those 1/4" seams and squaring up...that is out of the box for me! I dumped the bag of "fabrics" from Nancy Crow class and plucked a couple bits out and within an hour I had pieced this little number! I really like it. I think I will try some hand quilting on this.

I have pieced all 20 pinwheel blocks and am working on the nine patch blocks now. Each of them has 57 pieces! I love the scrappy look with a couple constant design elements. Note the same blue/gray corners in the pinwheel, the black and white nine patch and the latte border on the nine patch blocks....these will remain throughout the top and I know it will make a striking quilt in the end. I am really loving this quilt which will be a shower gift for Melissa and Cory in August! I have alot of work to do!

And all this sewing with my precious Fiona somewhere on the table in front of me! I love my chubby fur baby!

Some of you know this is the year of the Melissa & Cory wedding. October 15, downtown Buffalo at the Pearl Street Grill. Fun will be had by all! Melissa and I went to the very new Alfred Angelo Bridal salon in Amherst yesterday and the second dress she put on was THE dress. Melissa had noted the dress from an ad in a bridal magazine but when she saw it she wasn't sure of the flowers on the bodice. I loved it. The flowers were tulle so they were light and fun. I asked that she try it on any way. Yay! It is a new line of Disney princess dresses. This one is called Snow White. It is even more ironic since last weekend at Target a little girl asked her if she was Snow White! Her hair is dyed black and her eyes are blue...she could play a great Snow White~! Underneath the tulle and beaded flowers of the bodice is an edgy boned corset bodice. I just love this dress and she looked great in it! One more check off the list!

My best and oldest friend Pam turns 50 tomorrow! I have known her for 43 years! My family moved into the house next door to them shortly after they moved in. She is a wonderful, reliable friend with a great family, of which I am a part of. Her and Jim have been together since grade school and are a good example of what works. They each bring strengths and equal out any weaknesses in each other. Sarah, Hannah and Noah are like my nieces and nephew and I truly enjoy them all. But nothing can dispute the fact that Pam turns 50 before me!

This January has been very punishing. The cold, cold, cold temps day after day have had an effect on my bones and psyche. This week will be more of the same. I am grateful that many of my work days have been in my stockroom over the past 2 months. I have spent most of my time getting things in order. I know my days in there are numbered and then all control is lost!

Susan ran a Mugrug swap on HGTV message board. I swapped with the woman in charge! Here is the mat I received from our host! I love it! I love the teetering teacups and the teapot. Thank you! I can't show the one I made her yet as she hasn't received it yet. I was fun to make something small and quick.

I love this miniature that my fellow little art quilt group friend made. It is a replica of a high school boy's bedroom. I am not sure if this was for her son or another family member...I was just in awe and not really listening! She had a pizza box with a local pizzeria on it...all the local newspaper artlicles scaled down to size and posted on a bulletin board. The detail was unbelievable in this microcosm of adolescent boy life! My son would have loved something like this. Great job Lori! Thank you for sharing.

I am just about finished working on Colleen's Steampunk CQ RR block.

I used a watch face from an old watch I got at Sal Army for $1.99. The ring is from a belt. I stitched it down over a velvet yo-yo with the dial tacked down with a bead.

The rhinestone trim was tacked down on a curve. I liked the light this added to the block.

I have learned:

1. I love this song by Christina Perri...Jar of Hearts
2. American Pickers. What a job!
3. Allen, my kids' step-brother...a construction worker, Air Force Reservist and dad started making cakes after watching Cake Boss on TV. He's already sold a couple apparently and will be making the cake for Melissa's shower in August! Cool.
4. This frozen Jambalaya by Contessa is delicious! I added a can of diced tomatoes with jalapenos, a can of canellini beans, some extra turkey sausage and some red pepper flakes to the bag of ingredients.