Life, rugs, and squirrels

The desire to quilt sometimes does not match life's events. Last week, Thursday, we went to the Rockies and all the lazy, nothing-pressing time there, I wished I had my sewing machine. Then when we got home and I had the machine, interruptions and unexpected events, calls and chores kept me from using it. Finally, yesterday I whipped off a finish, this Mug Rug. It was still hot off the machine when I put it in an envelope and sent to my DIL for her birthday. Since they lives on an acreage with a treed yard and a great dog who loves to chase things, I'm not sure she will appreciate the squirrel, but she can always cover it with a hot cup of java!

Easy Being Green

 
 This 'strips made of scraps' quilt is about 60" x 72" and will go to a wounded soldier through Quilts of Valour Canada. I still have some green fabric left but it was fun to use up the pieces that were too small for much else. I quilted it on my HQ 16 in a random leaf pattern, easy for me. 


Now that this one is finished, I'm working on another UFO, a top that I got from Wanda. I've marked a more elaborate quilting pattern and am anxious to get at it. After that, a flowery experiment is sitting in the wings, but other inspirations might take over and keep it in that unfinished pile!

Latest finish plus new studio pictures

 
My last post was more than a month ago, mainly because we moved to a new home. However, I did finish a quilt (photo soon) and now have a larger studio! 

Here are some pictures. The one at the left is the challenge quilt - it didn't win a prize but was so much fun to make. The theme was "garden" and the size had to be 6" x 24". I love these challenges for they give direction but few restrictions. This is raw-edge applique with a few beads.

The next six pictures are of my new studio. The floor is cork. It is a basement, but has a big window and lots of light. 

The first picture is the fabric cupboards. The rest are views around the room with my desk at the last. These were taken soon after we moved so the room is not quite what I want it to be, but such a blessing to have all this space.

The second one shows the latest finish as a top - lying on the floor. (No, that is not a rug!) It is now quilted and bound, but I haven't taken a fresh picture yet.

 

 

 Now I must get back to work, but have decided to be more faithful with this blog and post something at least once a week. I also took a couple classes from Claudia Pfeil and now know how to quilt that cherry tree hanging on my design wall!