Unexpected Greeting

Along a quiet beach that I like to walk, there is an unexpected greeting.

I took these photos a few years ago. Although it has been much too windy and cold for LONG beach walks right now we did manage to get down to the shore to collect sea glass one day this week.

Our trees haven't even budded out yet, but the daffadil's are in bloom so surely warmer weather is right around the corner! Spring always seems to reach coastal areas late. Still, the fisherman are busy and many logs can be seen about, bark removed and the ends cut into sharp points for the herring weirs.

5 More - Done!

Here are 5 more quilts that I got back from my long-arm quilter a few weeks ago. I can't believe I haven't posted these pictures yet, but I've been so busy with other things. Anyway, for size reference - they are on a queen sized bed.

All of these tops are blogged about in detail from last winter (Jan, Feb & March 2006). You might have to search around a bit if you want more info on them, but it is somewhere on my blog!

#1. 3X A Charm - for my son. Flannel backed (orange). I love how this one turned out! Was supposed to be a different pattern that didn't work out and then something else that didn't work and then finally this - hence the name!

2. Octagon Flowers. The quilting on this one is great. Somehow my quilter got mixed up about the binding and used a leafy/blue print?! (which just totally does not match any of the types of fabrics I used in this quilt), not orange. I know I sent her orange for the binding - which is on the Cars & Stars quilt instead. I will probably take the binding off and replace it with an orange one, at some point in time, but for now it is finished.

I gave directions on how I made this one up; it was really fun to make! It was a great pattern for me to use a bunch of geometric fabrics!

3. Fiddle Faddle. I loved this top when I made it. Unfortunately, instead of using standard white (which is what my quilter ALWAYS uses if I don't send her a backing), she decided to "do me a favor" and piece a back for me with the left-over fabric from Octagon Flowers, plus the left-over binding fabric (green and purple!?). Fiddle Faddle is a beautiful, soft, pastel type of quilt and I HATE the lime green backing (although it is the perfect backing for Octagon Flowers). I hate it so much that I cried, literally cried, when I opened the box. OK - so I was having a stressful day and this quilt was the icing on the cake. After a few weeks to think about it - maybe I can use it as a large wall-hanging and pretend that I don't know the back exists? I know I shouldn't get so upset about a backing, but I am just shocked about this back!

Original directions for this one was on Bonnie Hunter's blog at www.quiltville.com in her July 2005 archives.

4. Bars Quilt - love how this came out - it is currently the "top" quilt on our bed right now (yes, there are layers!). Beautiful and perfect in every way! The green borders are quilted with leaves, the border of diagonal squares is all stitched in the ditch, the outer plaid border is wavy meander with variagated thread and every plain square is quilted with a leaf - small photo attached here of that detail since I didn't have room to include it in the collage! The backing is a wonderful print that I got at Marden's last year. NOT entirely sure why my quilter used a Christmas print (with gold - YIKES!) for the binding, but I think it is good enough - I can live with it.

This was a Gayle Bong pattern from the book "Save the Scraps". My book had a typo in the cutting directions, so if you make this quilt - double check my archives for my notes on this!

5. Cars & Stars - I sent back to my quilter for additional quilting... she did not quilt anything in the green border or the setting sashes. Nothing. This is really strange because her work is really usually detailed. I was afraid that after a few washes all that batting would end up at the bottom of the quilt. So - I will update with more photos after I get it back with more quilting.

Directions from the Wonder Cut Ruler book - was fast and fun to make - I used a novelty fabric with cars on it in the center of the stars and also for the corner stones - which is why the name is Cars & Stars.

So - that would be 6 quilts I got back this spring, including the Heart Sampler I showed earlier - and she has 3 more to go. In the meantime, I am slowly picking away at getting some more tops done to send to her - actually have just finished the Wonky Hearts! Despite the "mix-ups" with some of these, I still love her work and think she is a fantastic quilter. OK - I just won't look at that green backing on my pink quilt!!!

For some reason - I am just not super interested in starting new quilts right now. This is just so not like me - and if this continues - I will soon have most every quilt I've started done too. Wow!

Happy Boy And THE Trip North

This is Little Boy - hugging a quilt top, which he immediately adopted when he saw it spread out on the floor - "Oh, Thank You Momma for making me an M&M quilt!" M&M quilt? Well yes - there are 2 strips of M&M fabric. Each heart is a novelty print, fused down and then machine blanket stitched around.

You might remember these blocks from a previous post in September 2006 - Little Boy upended my scrap tote right down the stairs and most of these blocks were in the bottom of that tote. At that time I worked a tiny bit more on them. And - well, then it was getting time for me to leave Canada so they were set aside for my return.

My trip North? Well, it is a long, involved story, but does involve not being allowed to come into Canada with 2 trucks (I was towing a truck), hitting a deer (we are fine, but the truck is damaged), having Little Boy throw up all over himself and me while we are waiting for DH to arrive at the airport, and an unpleasant experience with the US border too. Sigh.

My nerves were VERY frayed by the time I landed under the same roof as my sewing machine. One of my sisters likes to joke that I am like a smoker without a cigerrette when I am without a sewing machine. And she is probably right - because when I am stressed I like to sew, sew, sew - to unwind a bit. I guess there are worse vices though - and you know, despite the size of my stash (which is probably medium-sized compared with other blogger quilters) - I bet you that I spend lots less than a smoker pays for cigs! Plus - just look at how happy my son is about my latest efforts!!!

I will elaborate a bit about the deer because you never know - someone might read and then remember this when it really counts down the road. The deer jumped out right in front of me as I was driving down the highway (highway speed). Fortunately my Dad really drilled it into all of our heads that you never, ever swerve for an animal - no matter what. I know this sounds cruel when it is the neighbor's cat or dog, but I truly believe this lesson really saved my son and I from getting seriously hurt. I could hear my Dad's voice - don't swerve, never swerve. And I didn't. After the fact, I realized that a BIG truck had been coming the other direction and on my side of the road was a ditch, plus a utility pole. Little Boy and I weren't hurt, not one bit, but my truck sure is. And for this, I am so thankful, trucks can be fixed. Don't swerve, never swerve. Oh - and keep your wheels straight when waiting to take a left-hand turn across on-coming traffic (another lesson from Dad!) - this will prevent you from being pushed into on-coming traffic in case someone rear-ends you. Sorry if I have offended any cat/dog lovers out there, but... well, I am just happy that WE aren't hurt.

But the deer? Well that is a funny question (can't believe I can find humor in this situation, but... 2 guys in a pick-up truck slowed w-a-y down to take a look (not that they stopped to help or anything - they just cruised on by - very slowly) - and when the service that goes out to collect dead animals went out to find the deer on the side of the road - they couldn't. How much do you want to bet that the deer was picked up by those guys and is now in their freezer? And a bit of nice news - a total stranger did stop and helped me out, even going so far as to going for coffee for me and apple juice for my son, plus a sandwich and snack bars. Her friendliness was much appreciated and that coffee did help my legs stop shaking!

The BEST part of the trip? We picked DH up at the airport! Never mind that I was covered in puke - thank goodness for a nearby Wal-Mart for a quick change of clothes. Really - even though most Momma's are dedicated "diaper" bag totters - how often do we pack a change of clothes for ourselves! Anyway - we are back together again as a FAMILY!!! Little Boy and I have seen DH for all of about 6 weeks in the past 6 months (at Christmas time). I can't tell you how difficult it is to be seperated, but for the time being I will just enjoy being back together again. Little Boy is so excited that we are all back together again that he won't even sleep in his own room - I've set the port-a-crib up right next to our bed - doesn't he look happy! He just barely fits in there, but that is where he wants to be for now. His I-Spy quilt is being used as a draft stopper as the crib is near the sliding door. See what he is wearing? That is a sleep sack! In Austria utilities are very expensive so you don't heat your house as warmly at night as most North Americans do. Most kids sleep in these sacks - which is a big relief for worry-wart Momma's like me who are always checking to see if the blankets are tossed off! He is very snuggy-wuggy warm in that sack and won't go to bed without it. He has both winter and summer weight sacks. Oh - and that would be my QUILTED bars quilt on my bed!!! Will have to get my other computer hooked up and running as that is where a better photo is saved.

To finish up - here is a photo of my Little Puddle Stomper - out for a rainy-day walk. The weather has been overcast and rainy, but none-the-less, Little Boys need fresh air, even if it is a bit soggy. I can honestly say that I am ready for some nice bone-warming sunshine. In the meantime - what child is not happy stomping through puddles?