My very second quilt in progress.

I called it a HopScotch pattern after TreeFall's quilt she talks about here

I took this pic from the top of my stairs looking down on the foyer floor and I am seeing it anew from that perspective. I do see more of the values than the prints now. Blues and greens, always my soothing go-to colors. Some Anna Maria, some Amy Butler, and Jen Paganelli and a splash of pineapple brocade from H. Bailey.

Excited to sew it up. Must look up how to sew it up. No, not following a tutorial, or pattern, per se. Are you not surprised? No, you shouldn't be anymore. Here's my rationale: I search free motion quilting, I see three different feet used, twenty different threads recommended and debates about to hoop or not to hoop (using embroidery machine). On Ohfrannson's tutorials, she spends a page defending her method of ironing her seams (flat and center, if you must know) and she must be quite the expert. Amazing quilts.

So since I am confused, have the attention span of my pup, Ru--are we going for a walk? Do I smell sausages? Is that the UPS truck?

Actually that's a lot like my stream of consciousness.

Where was I? I don't remember...but, as long as grandma mc can't see my work up close, and I can just buzz thru some sewing, everybody's happy, right? No one got hurt, right?

Ta Da!

My first quilt ever. A little smallish and the quilting is wonky, but I'm pleased as punch.

I want to do more. More quilting classes, more patchwork piecing. Must sign up for classes.

So this is Arcadia, in a jelly roll and moda's prairie cloth which has a lovely interesting rustic texture after it is washed. I think it gives the quilt a bit more masculine weight to it, but we should probably ask a man. Flannel on the back and A Butler's olive stripe for the binding.

Friend, Katy--aka ImaGingerMonkey (check blogs I follow) recommended ohfrannson's tutorial on binding

here

And, no I didn't have the patience to do it by hand, but I wish I had now. (typical, you're muttering)

Oh my there are some beautiful quilts out there. I do think crafty bloggers are so smart. And now I am loving me some precuts. But first, I have picked up some fat quarters of Anna Maria Horner's Good Folks and want to do a HopScotch quilt in the plums and the blues.

No, first, I want to have a little tea and sit on my porch with my (brother's) lap quilt keeping the chill away. I need to visit with it a little before I send it to its new home...and make sure it's working properly.

MMMmmmm, jambalaya!

My brother makes the best brisket, jambalaya and fried catfish for any doctor I know of. Now, not many of the doctors I know cook for me, so that's not saying enough.

He makes the best brisket, jambalaya and fried catfish for any brother that I know of. No, not quite fair to David, now is it? And is it really better than mama's? Can't say that definitively either....

It's really tasty brisket, jambalaya and fried catfish, though.

Actually it is the best (stepping on toes, now, I know..ever the diplomat, I am so sorry).

And speaking of falling short of the best--no, mama, I don't mean you. I meant David's cooking, of course.--anyway, I am very inspired this morning to try a little quilt for him (although grandma mc has done it soooo much better than I might hope) with an Arcadia jelly roll, a little moda prairie cloth in a rich charcoal color and a robin's egg blue flannel background. There, I've committed to it, so I will follow up with the lovely completed quilted in a mere few hours.

Just want to take a moment to wish big brother, Darien, a happy birthday.

It's been a wet fall, Y'all...

My hay bale has a jaunty little green crew cut. This is a bale we put out for "eco-friendly" (read cheap and handy) seating for a party we had last week. Er, nobody actually got to sit on it, as we hurriedly moved the party inside and on porches when the rain set in. And it rained, and drizzled and sprinkled...sometimes, there was just a moist fog clinging to the air, wrapping it's tendrils around my tendrils, causing them to become a voluminous halo around my head...a frizzy halo.

A virtual rain forest in North Texas. For a good two to four weeks, off and on.

So I've never seen a hay bale sprout new growth. It's kind of cute. Does remind me of hair.

But really nice well-behaved straight hair. Maybe I'll ask it what products it recommends.

A Good Day

Today I...

1. secured a ravely hem in my daughter's pants with packaging tape.

2. realized I missed out on Amy Butler's new Love collection's early release.

3. saw that Jennifer Paganelli posted that she loved my skirt on my Flickr site,

here

It was a good day.

Another Bo Peep Skirt

Yes, it's another Bo Peep Skirt for a full-grown girl! I have started, hic cupped, halted, suspended several works in project--a prairie top resized for me (it's ginormous and I don't know which way to start tailoring it) a bulb applique pattern from the Amy Butler inspiration page, a pinwheel style patchwork for a round foam form ( I did put in an actual zipper, very proud). And they all call to me from tHe bottom of my project basket buried under shipping supplies and handfuls of ready-to-embellish tea towels--won't that be darling! I can't wait to try Anna Maria Horner's kitchen towel project....but there I went off subject again.

So it's Friday, company coming in from out of town, big bash planned for my hubby's 40th for the following Saturday night, lots of orders to fill, children to cart round. I think the weather must have done it, that slight chill, the October sunshine and a little breeze with the promise that 90 degree days are banished for a while. I thought I needed something kicky and ruffly and fun to pair with my favorite black cherry Lucheses boots. A little shorter than my first skirt, just to celebrate the last bits of warmth before winter reminds us she is no friend to bare legs.

I whipped this up fairly quickly. I think by the time I adjusted the length for the waistband allowance and a rolled hem it was--er--a little too flirty, so I threw in another length of the okra seeds cut on the bias to lengthen it out. I really stretched myself on the color and pattern mix, pulling from Anna Maria's book, Seams to Me, and the Flickr groups who stun me with their creations. If I were smart and techy I'd link to them right here....but I am not, so go look at Flickr groups regarding Seams to Me, and designer quilting fabric groups. You can google, right?

Anyway, I think this pattern would be adorable in some understated prints as well but I seldom buy muted prints, I don't think that's my wheelhouse right now. I'm looking forward to washing it to add to the softness.

My skeptical teen aged nephew voiced his opinion,"Aunt D, what exactly is that supposed to be?"

"It's just me." I said with a wink.