Good news, a finish and some progress

More encouraging news from the pet hospital told us that Bridget had started eating and showing more interest in moving around. They thought she would benefit from coming home! So we jumped at that idea and are taking good care of her here. She is eating and drinking and moving about much easier with only a little help. She can't walk very far without getting tired but we are confident that will improve. She will be on antibiotics for a few weeks but she is also on much better pain control for the arthritis which is awesome.

Thank you all so much for your prayers and so very sweet words to me. I was surely comforted. The top picture is of the two sisters sleeping, having lost interest in the Westminster Dog Show.
Early last week I had the chance to machine quilt a Fig Tree quilt top that I made last September. It was from a kit that I purchased the year before at PIQF. Here is Elinor giving her blessing before I got the binding sewn on.

And here she is with the finish. I was blessed to have this handwork to do while waiting for visits with Bridget.














Looking for more hand work to have while I'm sitting with her at home, I was pleased to receive a pattern from Kathy Schmitz called The Blackbird Sings.

I had purchased Transfer-Eze last year but had not tried it yet. I finally opened the package, found that the product already had a freezer type paper adhered to it and all I had to do was feed it through my copier with the pattern design. That actually turned out to be easy to do even with my mind distracted state. I was pleased. I used 4 sheets to copy this complete pattern which I will hopefully be able to piece together on a fat quarter of muslin that I will tea dye. Haven't gotten that far yet but I'm hoping I can get it all lined up straight...and then I will have some soul soothing hand stitching to do.
Enjoying a much happier day here on the coast! Hope you are enjoying yours!

word verification, Giveaway reminder and some other news

Good morning all.  I thought that I had removed the word verification requirement for commenters awhile back. I rechecked this morning though and I think it was on again...or I never removed it correctly in the first place. Anywho....I have attempted it again. If you find the word verification required again, could you please let me know?  I will try to make sure it stays 'off'.
I'm hoping many more bloggers will see the Giveaway going on here for Jennifer Chiaverini's new book, Sonoma Rose. Feel encouraged to share the news on your blogs or other social networks so we can spread the news about a good book that includes our loved subject of quilts. I am not a prolific blogger as I'm kind of a hermit :-) and just trying to 'not be' anonymous to the other bloggers I follow...but I would love to have lots of commenters included in the draw. This is the link to the giveaway post http://luckypupquilter.blogspot.com/2012/02/sonoma-rose-book-giveaway-and-more.html

My family is dealing with some distress here as Bridget, my yellow labrador is fighting a pneumonia and weakness from that as well as from severe arthritis in her hips and legs. She is receiving good care and responding well to treatment...except for the weakness part. I am kind of a mess. She is 14 and a dear heart. We don't want to put her through seemingly endless medical care but are encouraged by the docs to give her a few more days to improve. She got sick rather abruptly Sunday night. We are taking it a day at a time to figure out what is best for her ...if that is possible. I don't usually write life's distresses here on my blog but would really appreciate your prayers. I don't have human kids and these animals take on a larger than life part of my heart.

Thank you all for being here.

Sonoma Rose book giveaway and More!

Jennifer Chiaverini is going all out this year with sharing more stories from the Elm Creek Quilters. Sonoma Rose brings more history and adventure for characters we have previously met in The Quilter's Homecoming. This story tells about Rosa's courageous journey to save her family, and herself through personal struggles and the challenges faced in the Sonoma wine country of northern California during the Prohibition era. As in many of her books, Jennifer reveals history and its impacts in both the past and present settings.
Two quilts are featured in these stories. The Road to Triumph Ranch and Arboles Valley Star are the quilts that Rosa cherishes and includes among her precious items when running from trouble. In real life, these quilts were inspired by antique quilts discovered in the Stagecoach Inn Museum in Newbury Park, California. Pictures of quilt blocks are included inside the book.
So for a chance to win a copy of this richly charactered book, leave a comment here on this post.  For an extra chance to win, please post and share the news on your own blog and leave a second comment here as well. 
And yet another chance to win a copy of Sonoma Rose can be found by visiting Lori at Humble Quilts. She is also reviewing this book and hosting a giveaway!
I will be drawing the name of the Luckypup Quilter winner next Monday, February 27th, 2012.
For yet another book giveaway, visit Sweet Pea Quilting and Creations for a great review and peak into Back to Charm School .
I think it is a week full of book giveaways. So happy blog hopping :-)

progress long due

This past fall, I completed sewing the Psalms blocks together with sashing and the same border I had used for my Women of the Bible quilt.  My neice had liked the WOBQ so when another study started, I chose to make the quilt for her. My scheduled was diverted with helping my mom out after a fall, so I didn't get to quilting this until this past month. The quilting is mostly simple with some leaves and bunches of grapes in the setting triangles. I laid it out just to look for any loose threads needing to be trimmed....and before I turned back around to it, Elinor had come to give her blessing :-)











I have a couple of quilt tops ready to be quilted but have become sidetracked with a Double Wedding Ring quilt project that I actually started in a class about 8 or 9 years ago with Mary Russell. She has participated in a book where you can see more of her style. One of her DWR quilts is on the cover.


















Only last month did I pick up the fabrics and start completing the blocks. I didn't purchase the specialty ruler for this project...chose to borrow a friend's...but you can see it here.  I had cut out all the little pieces and sewn most of the arcs.  So I started sewing in the cornerstones and then the applique onto the 8 1/2 inch blocks.  I have 18 completed so far and can't seem to focus on doing anything else but applique :-)














I thought my friend, the burrowing owl had moved on as we weren't able to find him (or her?) for a few days but the last two days has put a smile on my face as we have found him back at his spot.

Hope you are all having a wonderful day!

First post for 2012

Happy to be here starting a new year.  There is still not much quilting going on as work and home life have been extra busy.  I do have another of the batik quilts completed and ready to send for a wedding gift to my nephew and his bride. There is also some progress on the Psalms quilt for my niece. The photo of a recently completed project that I have here is a fall table topper called Acorn Crisp. I started this in fall 2010 participating in a Fall-o-ween blog hop with free patterns from different designers. This one is by Kari at New Leaf Stitches. The pattern is even still available here. I think this is the first time I had actually worked with wool and found it quite fun. I have saved alot of wool from previous garment making and hope to make use of more of it.

I had left over pieces.

So I made a mug rug which I'm still using today :-)










No models were included with these photos so I snapped a shot of Ms Bridget this morning. She is not a willing photo subject so she looks a little tense. She is such a beauty to me though so I have to sneak it in every once in awhile anyway!

Another sneak view is of the burrowing owl we go visit when we are out walking on the ranch. He was up the hill from his burrow one afternoon and so I was able to get a picture of him...from a distance with my not so great telephoto lens. We want to see this guy for weeks or months (whatever we can get) so we are careful not to get close and bother him.

I cannot seem to work with Blogger today. So I'll just be content with the fact my pictures are not sideways.
Hope you are all having a happy start to the New Year!

Merry Christmas !

Mosley is posing here with the Debbie Mumm tree skirt turned table covering that I'm shocked to say I finally completed 2 years ago...how did 2 years go by!  Oh well...It's just in time now so that I can share a holiday photo and wish you all a very Merry, Happy Christmas!                                       

Life is getting back to something more normal slowly and surely around here after everything seemed to be "breaking" for awhile.  My mom fell and broke her wrist, my cat was having some troubles, both our computers broke down and the list went on.  I'm happy to say that my mom is healing well without having to have surgery, the cat got a new diet and we are determinedly loading software and learning Windows 7 :-)  

Not alot of sewing has been going with all the extra needs, but I have been able to get one quilt completed and several 'almosts' that I started in the fall. As I get these quilted I'll get back to taking some pictures and posting them.  I can start with this one that is actually the picture I'll show for four of them!

This is a quilt by Karen Montgomery called Jungle Fever. I purchased it along with 3 layer cakes of Tonga batiks when I was at the PIQF in October.  I needed a few quick gifts for weddings, etc for people who wanted neutral or earth tone quilts for their living rooms. This was not the most interesting past time but it sure has been fast as I was able to make four quilts out of the 3 layer cakes plus yardage for the borders,etc. So far the first recipient has been pleased. Yeah!

I couldn't get any volunteers to quilt model for me but here is Elinor. I had added a quilt sleeve on the quilt I gave my sister in the summer, put it on the piano till I could give it to her and Elinor jumped up there immediately to bless it for me.

Hope you are enjoying the fruits of your efforts this year and are blessed with loved ones around you to share them. God's peace in my heart is the sweetest gift I have this year and I treasure it each moment. I pray that you are blessed with His presence during this season and all year long. Joy and Peace to your world!

The Wedding Quilt Winner

The day is almost over and I have the name for our giveaway winner! Quilt Hollow will now have the chance to read this sweet book!

Quilt Hollow said...

I've hardly had computer time and so glad I didn't miss this post. This book will come in handy for when I'm down with surgery the 16th...or some drugs! LOL
Thanks for the chance Loris!!

November 28, 2011 9:46 AM

Quilt Hollow please email your address and I will send it on and hopefully it will be a comforting distraction as you recover :-)

Thank you all for your comments and interest. I enjoyed the read all the more knowing I could share it with someone else who would enjoy it.