Completed Cats

Thanks Deanna for the pattern! I finished the cats. It is not so bad afterall. I did use the black border (thanks to Charla's advice). I quilted eyes, mouth, and whiskers on each cat. I also quilted the names of the four cats my friend has had into four random cats. I even quilted little mice around all the border. Hope she likes it! For some reason, I can't add a picture.

All Wrapped Up

Is not this the cutest little block with the 3D bow? The pattern is called "All Wrapped Up" and our guild is using it for our next block drawing.

By the way, thanks Charla for the advice about the black border for the cats. My goal for tomorrow is to get some black fabric and have the cat quilt finished before the weekend is over!

What do you do?

What do you do when a quilt you are making as a gift, just doesn't turn out like you want? Do you give it to them anyway? I don't have time to start over with something else. This cat quilt was a cute pattern, but my choice of varying batiks, well, maybe that wasn't such a good idea. I need a border, so my only idea is to take the scraps and make a 2-3 inch pieced border. I think I will make them varying lengths. I will finish it because I always HAVE to finish things, but I guess I can tell her it is for her cats to lay on. Surely they won't mind the odd colors!

Cats

I am trying to make a cat quilt for a cat-loving friend who is retiring. I picked a lot of batiks to make it.....I am a little worried that it might win the "ugliest quilt" contest.

"Movie Time"

My sister made this quilt for my brother, the filmmaker. I quilted it for her while they were visiting.

Family

It is so nice to have family come home, even if it is for a funeral. My sweet brother-in-law is such a worker. He just can't sit around. So, here you see him power washing my screened porch, something I've been wanting to do for weeks now.

He's there; we are still here

Henry Lenore McDaniel May 25, 1918 - August 16, 2009

Dad update

He is still here with us, but the end is close. My brother from California is here, my sister and her husband from Oklahoma are here. My sweet, sweet husband is grilling for all of my family tonight. Mom needed to rest and I wanted to stay here with Dad. Tonight might be the night. He will be having a grand time soon, it will be those of us left here that will need your prayers.

Not good news......

Please keep my dad in your prayers. He is in the hospital with kidney failure after acute pancreatitis. They've put him on comfort care now, just morphine, and have removed most of the tubes and monitors. He is 91 and has lived a long good life. we just want him to be comfortable until his time to go.

Finished the binding.....

Too hot to do anything outside, so I worked on the binding today while Jim watched movies on TV. I have to be doing something; can't just watch TV.

One bound, one to go

Ready to bind

Today's Project

I hope to get the quilting finished on this one today. I am using a big scale feather pantograph. My mom let me borrow her 1949 Singer 201 machine to finish up the piecing. It was strange using a machine that is older than I am! I think that is one of the things I love about quilting -- knowing my quilts will outlast me!

The beauty of batiks

Wow....I really like this one. Been working on it off and on for a while, and got really ambitious about finishing it last week-end. Looks almost Christmasy, doesn't it? It will have the burgundy binding as shown on the bottom. Will probably do a pantograph for the quilting.



Then, right when I was ready to sew on the last border....knots, loop, knots, loops, in the bobbin thread. I cleaned the case, changed the needle, etc. etc. etc. and again. No hope. It needs servicing anyway, but how am I going to survive a week or two without my Janome?