Puppy Dresses and My Tired Tiny

Tiny all worn out

How have you been?  I've been thinking about you.  Lately I've been making puppy dresses for the newest addition in our friend's home.  Since a puppy is always growing I've brain stormed up some "grow with me" ideas and built them into my latest dresses.  You can see one example below, but I'm not going to give away my secrets.  This year I'm hoping to average about 18 dresses each month which will allow my family and I to go on a vacation together in 2014.  This month I've finished 17 and am working on number 18 now.

As you can see Tiny says we've just been working our little paws like crazy and it's always good to crash in the sewing room, even though momma doesn't recommend it.

Big Girl

Little Girl

First Package of the Season

Tiny my Wrapping Elf

Merry Christmas!

How is the holiday season treating you?  We seem to be running in slow motion.  I wrapped our first presents last week for my friend that I make the dog dresses for.   What did I give her?  Dog Dresses of course.  The first one is a fleece one that I made two of (cut from the same fabric but turned out very different) with one going to a dog my mom knows and the other to my friend.  Then the purple dress, I actually made in November and it was just so pretty I couldn't part with it for the normal rate so my friend Vicki suggested it as a Christmas gift.  Both Dresses were wrapped in tissue paper and then into their own wrapping paper packages.  I had lots of help from Tiny!

Christmas Gifts of Dog Dresses

Do you have anything wrapped up under your tree yet?  Mom always maintains a tree with nothing under it looks naked, but personally with pets and DD asks silly questions about whose is whose, it's easier to leave off the wrapping for a little bit.  I actually wondered if I would hold off and let the elves bring the presents on the 24th...  But really all the wrapping needs done before DD is out of school for Christmas Break - right?

Lonestar Nov. Dinner

Scrolls Passing the Tiny Test

Well now, how was your afternoon?  Tiny joined me after lunch.  I took that as a good omen, after all if she likes it enough to sleep on it, surely it passes the Tiny test?

Tiny said my struggles didn't matter,
and who cares if she's in the way?

Anyway I don't think I've given my fingers this much of a workout in a long time.  About halfway through the first corner I wondered if the two Fabrico markers I purchased could handle this entire job, and now with half of the scrolls done I'm certain I need to buy at least two more.  One for each of the remaining corners, and perhaps one for touching them up.  It was odd using them, the first one did an entire corner with some breaks.  But the second one seemed to star out with less ink and the wide end make a different color ink in the beginning?  More greenish than brown?  At the end of both corners I felt like I was struggling to lay down enough dye to make it through the pattern.

All the same that's HALFWAY!  Wow, who would have guessed?  Yippie!  When these scrolls are completed my Lone Star flismy top will be completed and ready to quilt...

A Lonestar Nap

For now both Tiny and I are calling it a day.

Welcome to Our Mad Hatter Tea Party

Now, now, you mustn't lurk in door ways!  

Oh wait Wrong Movie!

March Hare: (in an encouraging tone) Have some wine.

Alice: (looking down the table) I don't see any wine...

March Hare: There isn't any. And you're too young.

Alice: Then it wasn't very kind of you to offer it!

March Hare: It wasn't very kind of YOU to sit down without an invitation! This is a PRIVATE soirée...

Alice: Well, I know it wasn't polite to barge in when I know I wasn't invited. But the table was laid out for a great many people.

  Now I've gotten it, shall we get on with our party?

Who needs caught up?  Here we go.

Remember when I was like this?

Then I came up with the beautiful scrolling border for the Lone Star it felt like I'd discovered a whole new world.

And when I finished the last glow block and felt more like this!

Now Drum Roll Please - Oh wait, we forgot to pass out the TEA!!!!

I have cups for everyone!  Grab yours before the Cat gets it!

One for you.

Here's another!

No grabbing, I'm getting to you! 

Now see you weren't patient and the cat got yours.

Do you have one yet?

Nope?  Guess we'll have to share.  (leaning back in over sized lime green chair and crossing legs)  Now the way I see it is this, if you've made it this far it's either because you adore me, or you want to see the Lone Star center all put together.  Or I suppose you're a huge Alice in Wonderland fan and Google dumped you here on accident as that does happen.  No matter we must get on with our party.

Remember now this is just my star, I haven't purchased the fabric for the scrolling border yet, so we might have to have another party...  Ta Da!

Now leave a comment, and by all means, whatever you do, don't tell the governness you were here!

All products made and produced by the exclusively by and for the Walt Disney Company and can be purchased on their website.  And in case you were wondering they had nothing to do with this post.

Ocean Turtles Flood Living Room: Cat Swims!

My ocean turtle quilt top is done.  Yippie!  This is a twin/twin XL measuring at 62.5" x 100".  I have a really wonderful dolphin print that will make up the quilt back and I'm thinking I'd like to restate the green for the binding.

DH took this picture.  I left the quilt on the floor for him to see when he walked by and it seems Tiny was loving all over it after I left the room.

Of course while I was taking pictures she was much more reserved...

I'm am planning to stitch around the turtles and then to a variation of quilted echos which will ripple over the water.  The variation will allow me to use the mid arm on the frame and will hopefully will work out nicely enough that I can apply it to other quilts that I'd like to echo in the future.

I'm also planning quilt baby turtles swimming up the sides and then a row swimming down the middle, in the spacer strips on the sides as well as the one in the center.  As for thread colors, I believe I will quilt the echos in blue and the turtles in green.  What do you think?  The threads I have in mind to use are a bit heavier so I'll need bigger needles for the Janome, oh darn that means I'll have to go shopping.

Now to figure out how to make my 40" wide novelty print become 60" wide...  Have you been up to anything fun lately?

Foto Finish: Something You Don't See Everyday

This weeks theme at Foto Finish was a bit harder, but I always seem to be to caught up to join in on Quilt-a-long days so I had to show something today.  I found some pictures that I thought you'd like, my DH cleaning the ceiling fan, DH ironing, DH knitting, and you know those just didn't seem quite right.  Then I found one with Sunny licking a spoon.  But I figured that would be a bit much first thing in the morning.
So instead, I'm showing you the one above when she is about 3 weeks old, she's a little bit older maybe two months in the one at the left.  My Tiny Girl just turned seven years old three days ago.  I know some of you have seen her and wonder where her name came from so now you know.  She was such a cute little scrap of a kitten.  Her ears would flick when she would drink from her bottle and I always loved it would she would make nursing motions in her sleep because her own momma abandoned her right after birth, so I always knew those blissful dreams were about me.

Happy Birthday my darling, to the baby I didn't want while I waited for my own, you are truly My Dear Sweet Princess Cat.

Evening Time: Slumber Party

Sunny Sleeping

I didn't sew at all today.  Though I did get another strip set cut.  Five down three to go.  Everyone here wants to call it a night and I thought I'd share what that looks like.  Any wonder why I said a Sunny moment might happen to my bias edges?

Tiny watching from nearby

Just look at them on my uncut strips.  This is where I found both of them after popping into the sewing room after dinner.  I sound unhappy about it but the truth is they are welcome.  I haven't seen both cats in the sewing room together in quite a while.

Peppermint Burst Quilt is Finished!

My Peppermint Burst Quilt

Tiny on the Peppermint Burst Quilt

I just finished tucking in the last of the thread ends, so Peppermint Burst is now officially a finished quilt.  I love the feel of a brand new quilt and I'm clearly not the only one.

Peppermint Burst Shows off its backing

Everyone always wants to tell you how to take a picture of a quilt, and I was worried taking these pictures in the evening but as I spread the quilt out on the couch I knew it would be okay.  Just look how well my quilting pops in the pictures.  When I said densely quilted I really meant it.

I also flipped up the corner so you could see the way all that quilting looks on the back.  As well as a detail pick below.  That with the heart square with the heart quilted into it is 1".  Yes, lots of people have quilted more densely, and that's okay.  This is a cosy quilt, just right for those chill winter nights.

Peppermint Burst Heart Detail

I'd like to offer up a special thanks to my friend Sue who wrote and published Pick Four.  This is my version of her quilt Starburst.  Her directions for making flying geese were easy even for this hardened anti flying geese fanatic.

Christmas Quilt-Along Year 2: November Morning

Good Morning,

It was cold here early this morning, which always seems to come as a surprise here in Sunny Florida.  So I stayed curled up under my covers until 9 am, when I discovered the chocolate covered donuts my DH had bought as a morning surprise for DD and I. By the time I unloaded a reloaded the dishwasher I didn't want coffee anymore so I made a cup of hot coco.  I'm sure by now everyone is happily quilting away at their sewing machines and I'm the late gal, but that's okay.

Peppermint Burst Quilt

Gingerbread House Detail

Today I'm going to be continuing to quilt on my Peppermint Burst Quilt.  If you haven't been following along this quilt is modified from Sue's Starburst Quilt in her new Pick Four Book.  Today marks the 4th day of quilting on this quilt and you can follow the above Peppermint Burst link if you wanted to see some additional pictures.  Currently I have quilted the entire quilt from top to bottom.  Skipping only the side borders, so this morning I will be putting the quilt back on my mid arm quilting frame turned 90 degrees to quilt the sides in one long line of quilting.  I have four plain blocks which I quilted Gingerbread Houses into, unlike the candycanes and the gingerbread men in the border I did not stipple behind those and I was considering adding some scrolls or hearts above and below the Gingerbread houses as well.  I wont get to close because I want the details to continue to stand out.

Hidden Christmas Tree

As you can see I haven't tucked in my threads but I will get to that.  Have you wondered where Sunny and Tiny are?  All these pictures and no cats?  Well they're right here.  Sunny is so glad I'm awake he's been enjoying a nap on my lap sleeping on his back just like a baby.

My Furry Darlings:  Sunny and Tiny

After more quilting, hopefully I'll be able to get started on binding this quilt, but I don't know if that will happen today.  Sew Happy!

Tropical Waves is Finished!

Tropical Waves Quilt 

Tropical Waves Quilt on Reverse

Yesterday I spent the entire day sewing.  Trust me things slipped through the cracks that made me a little frantic by the end of the afternoon, but look what I have to show for my diligence!  Tropical Waves is all finished!  

This quilt reminds me of the ocean both above and below so I quilted it like many of us view the ocean, complete with a sprinkling of surfers.  A steady watery quilt meander moves throughout the quilt so that it looks like the rises and falls of the ocean and a border of waves and dolphins swim over all of the borders.  DH asked if they were all boy surfers or if some were girls, so clearly I told her the ones that were female surfers were which ever ones she wanted them to be.  

Like many of my other quilts this one is fully reversible.  Originally this pattern was called Country Lanes, but the colors seemed to take it so far from Country Lanes, that I named this quilt Tropical Waves.  I started the back with an orphan block and some extra pieces and worked from there.  Before long a Tiffany look had come over the back and it grew from there.

Dolphin Border on Tropical Waves Quilt

Quilted Surfer on Tropical Waves

Now all the threads are tucked into the quilt and the binding is on.  The quilt finished up at 54"x85" which is a nice twin bed size.  Even Sunny thinks this quilt is top notch.  Okay well this is the best you get for a Sunny picture because he wasn't thrilled I made him stop grooming and look up.  I think it's a little funny that this is the best "why are you bothering me" face that he can manage.

Mr. No Quilt

Sunny never seems to care one way or the other about my sewing and quilting.  He could sleep on a soft surface but a hard one is fine as well.  He loves to sleep half in and half out of the sewing room as many of you know.  So today when I was tucking in thread ends I was surprised to see his face light up with his "let's cuddle!" expression.  Not one to turn down a bit of Sunny lovins, I called him up to me and his face lit up even brighter with his "I'm so glad I get to jump to you!" face.  After petting him for a time I went back to tucking in the thread ends of my Tropical Waves Quilt, and Sunny settled into my lap.  I was surprised that he was so content so I called for the resident camera man and this photo was taken just for you.

Hooray Tropical Waves is all quilted and off the frame, it seems like the thread tucking wont be to bad, so that is good as well.

Tiny the Quilt Model

I'm almost done with Tropical Waves, I was working on it yesterday and had high hopes to finish it, but I was fighting a headache and DH claimed the headache won when I ended up having to unpick a section of quilting, I was inclined to agree as nausea was setting in and it was clearly not a mere headache.  I'm feeling all better, though I still have a little bit of unpicking to do which shouldn't take to long and then I'll be off and quilting the very last border of this quilt, wont it be wonderful to see it off the frame?

While passing through the house I caught sight of my quilt model and just had to share.  She let me take one picture but when I started fussing with things and how it looked she said she was done it wasn't worth all that trouble.  Good thing her demands are simple; good cat food, a clean litter box, and her BFF aka DH.  Though if you are up for fulfilling wishes, Tiny would tell you that thunderstorms should be a thing of the past with only light drizzles to bring us rain, she also wishes to never be alone, and it would be nice if dirt disappeared forever.  Hey what can I say she's a cat after my own heart.

The Miracles After The Fact

DD loves her new pj's, they are simply huge on her but she's happily worn them three nights running.  Oh yes and before I forget for all of you hardcore stick to the rules people - children shouldn't wear 100% cotton pj's unless they are form fitting.  Ah well, is what I have to say to that, at least she's happy and comfortable. Which is good because we're entering a little cold spell.  Yippie!  I got to wear long pants today!

You see Florida residents are a little crazy when it comes to the cold.  Winter sweaters, long pants, leather jackets and so forth, see very little time outside of the closet so as soon as the first cold breeze blows we all run to our closets to pull out our favorite warm things.  Granted by the end of winter I, like you really want to have a burst of warm days in order to get my shorts and put the on again.

After tucking DD into bed two nights ago this is the face that greeted me, I saw her tucked in the shadows.  Tiny has discovered how to cuddle with the quilts in progress even when they are on the frame, and of course I had to take a picture or two and show them to you.  Yes the lighting is bad, but it was bedtime and that's my excuse.  For the record Tiny is watching DD in the kitchen who snuck out of bed for a drink of water while I was taking this picture.

Do you recall those plants DD and DH planted?  Well this is the one little cucumber that survived through the slight neglect of us forgetting the seedlings were there.  Now that it's in a nice big pot with the trellis I'm starting to wonder if we might actually get to experience fresh cucumbers in December.  Yes I know the flowers will have to be self pollinated by humans who care or else it's doubtful we'll see much of anything.  I have grown veggies before you know.