My beautiful color wheel

Just wanted to show you a picture of my beautiful framed color wheel. Tonight at Walmart I found the perfect sized frame. It is actually made to frame record covers. Remember records? Anyway, it is a great fit! Now it is hanging over my desk in my sewing room. I am so excited to have it where I can see it all the time. I had Maddie sign the bottom right corner and I dated it. Someday, when Maddie is a famous artist, I can look at this and remember when she was just my little girl.

I was telling Nines this afternoon that I have come up with another "B" that needs to be allowed under the no-buy resolution rules. Baby. I have several important babies that are needing quilts. My cousin and his wife are expecting a baby girl in June. And another very dear person, that I am not at liberty to divulge, is expecting a baby in September. Don't worry, it is no one you know, but I am just worried about who might accidentally drop by my world famous blog! I know I have no pinks left in my stash so what am I to do? The second expecting couple doesn't think they will find out what they are going to have so I may need to make a generic quilt. I do not have many kid friendly colors or prints left in my stash after all these Project Linus quilts.

My mom - the mooch

My mom called this afternoon, not just to say "hi" or even to say she missed me. No - she called to ask if I have any more girlie quilts sitting around that she could buy off of me. You all remember when she did this to me right before Christmas. She needs another baby quilt at the last minute - I tried to tell her she was setting a dangerous precedent. Everyone will be expecting a baby quilt from her - even the strangers she sees at Walmart! I, of course, do happen to have a girlie quilt sitting at my house, already quilted. I tried to tell her she was ruining my chances of winning that new sewing machine but she said if I did this good deed for her maybe the sewing machine gods would be on my side when the drawing happens in a few weeks. She then asks if the quilt is already bound! The nerve of some people!!!! So I, being the wonderfully giving daughter that I am, trim the quilt, make her some binding, and get it in the mail to her this afternoon. On a Sunday. Really, I should win the daughter of the year award. Really!
I also sent her a square of muslin and one of my pigma pens so she can make a label. Am I thoughtful or what?
The back is pieced out of the leftovers from the front and from the other pink quilt. There was enough of the blue leftover after I trimmed the quilt to make the binding. I used up every last little bit of those two blue fabrics.

This weekend I also quilted the other nine patch quilt and got the rail fence one loaded onto the machine. I am hoping to quilt it tomorrow. This may be the last of the Project Linus quilts since the contest ends on February 18th. I don't know if I will have time to get any more done. I also need to get the pink baby quilt bound before the shower next Saturday.

Hope everyone had a great weekend! DD was amused when we told her that the team in blue in the the Superbowl was from Seattle. She was born in Seattle - during our 20 months of living there. DS then asked where the other team was from, hoping that maybe they would be from Indiana, where he was born! But alas, no such luck!

Foggy morning

It has been very foggy here the last few mornings. Ususally I notice the fog out the front windows, with the houses and the street softened by the clouds. This morning I happened to look out our back windows - at the naked trees standing in the fog. I am always amazed at DebR's amazing pictures of the everyday things she sees on her property. So I thought to myself - "You can that too, lazy bones!" I grabbed my camera and headed out the back door. Here's what I found.

Happy Dance !!!

Can you see me doing a happy dance down in Alabama??? Has anyone else seen the April 2006 (yes April) copy of American Patchwork and Quilting? Have you read the "Behind the scenes at the Smithsonian" article? Will you be in Washington D.C. for spring break the 4th week in March? If so, please feel free to call and reserve a spot for yourself on the behind the scene tour - you can walk along with me and my SIL. I am so excited!!! We might get to see things such as a UFO of Martha Washington or maybe a whole cloth quilt made in Kentucky in 1856 that has 150 hand quilting stitches to the square inch. I can't wait!!!

Wednesday - the good and the bad

Wednesday started off so nicely. I got the pink baby quilt loaded on the machine and got over half of it quilted. I did little delicate loopy-loops. White thread. I think it looks cute.

We left the house about 11:45 to run some errands. We went by the sewing center to pick out something for the binding on the pink quilt top. I got a hot pink fabric with white polka dots. This was the only darker pink that they had - so it will have to work. You should be proud - I only bought a half a yard. I could have justified a yard by saying the rest could go into Abby's quilt - but I didn't.

At 12:30 we had to pick up an elderly lady that we go to church with. She needed a ride to the doctor. She needed to run a few errands first. So we go to the bank and then she sends me into Walmart for a money order (they are cheaper there you know!) Then we head off to the doctor - early. Her appointment is at 1:15. She goes on into the building and me and Ian wait outside. At 2:10 I go inside to check her progress. She has made it back to an exam room. When I express a little concern to the nurse (because Maddie gets off the school bus at 2:30) she says she will be out in a few minutes. She also suggests that I could go pick DD up and then come back. I decline her offer since this would involve way too many trips clear across town. The drive to my house from the doctor's office is at least 15 minutes, then back to pick up Miss Audrey, then back to her house, then home? No thanks! So we wait...and wait...and wait. Luckily I was able to get a hold of someone to pick up DD at the bus stop. Finally at 2:40, Miss Audrey comes waddling out. Over an hour and a half??? And she had the second appointment after their lunch break. This is the same doctor where we sat outside his office for a 1 pm appointment and they didn't return from lunch until almost 2 pm. I would be looking for a new doctor if it was me. So we get home in time to do homework, take baths, and get dressed for bible study. At this point, I am exhausted. So we talk DH into taking us out for dinner!

One nice thing - while DD was doing her homework in my sewing room, I managed to finish quilting the pink baby quilt. The shower is a week from Saturday - at my house. Next week will be spent cleaning!!

Opinions requested !

Do you like this final border? I can't decide. Please give me your honest opinion. I realize I am missing two borders!

Too, too pink, part two

Yesterday in my mailbox was a package from my three and a half year old niece, Abigail. My sister was showing her pictures of the quilts on my blog and Abby fell in love with the too, too pink one. So she called and asked her dear Aunt Yaya if I would make her one too. How can I resist her sweet little voice? So my sister took her to JoAnn's to pick out the fabric (knowing I am still on my no-buying resolution!). When they got to Joann's, Naomi put Abby in the seat of the shopping cart and started walking. Abby tells her "We've been here before!" My sister says yes. When they get to the quilting section and the aisle where the pinks and reds are, Naomi taps on Abby's shoulder and points for her to turn around and look. Abby turns around and gasps! All that pink and red fabric!!! She was in her own little nirvana! I may have found another quilting junkie in the making!!!! For some reason she thinks she has to narrow it down to just one fabric and is of course having a hard time choosing. She is so happy when Naomi tells her they can choose EIGHT different fabrics. I think she did a great job of picking out different values and lots of different prints. I was expecting a pile of all hot pink fabric!

When she got them home, she carried them around like a baby doll. (Obviously a girl after my own heart!) She asked her daddy if he wanted to see her fabrics so he sat there patiently while she carefully showed him each piece, making sure he noticed the finer points of each one. At the end of the process, she asked if he wanted to see them again!

When my sister took her to the post office to mail them to me, she asked Abby if she wanted to show them to Grams first. Abby said no. They got all the way to the post office and were getting out of the car before Abby changed her mind. I think my mom took her back the next day after "the viewing"!

I only hope I can live up to her expectations! I am thinking of doing it as a YBR, which will leave the fabric in good sized chunks for her to enjoy!