Back At It!

Spring is here, cabin is warm, and the long-arm machine is HOT! Yep! After a four-month hiatus, I'm back at it! Actually, it's just been this past week that I've been "back at it," but I'm quickly making up for lost time. Early in April I was feeling the pressure of the growing backlog of quilts and started to quilt a small project I'd made a few months ago. I turned on the machine and before it had completely cycled and as I was inserting the bobbin case, the needle jammed the metal of the case and somehow damaged it so I could not adjust the bobbin tension. My mistake, and a costly one. I first tried to save a few dollars by ordering a replacement on Ebay. Second mistake. It took a week and didn't work. I then did what I should have done in the first place and ordered the $50 replacement from a Gammill dealer. Another week lost, but it worked.

I warmed up by quilting that small project I mentioned above. It's a wonky chicken with long legs...loving chickens, it appealed to me. Then I quilted a French Rose for Sally, which is a high-school graduation present for her granddaughter. Beautiful! Next, I quilted an art quilt for Cece called "Firefly". Gorgeous! I'll add a picture once it's hanging on her wall.

Priorities Straight

A free airline ticket + a furlough day = a quick trip home for Lauren. "Quick" as just a bit over 48 hours...but we managed to do a little fabric shopping (a girl's got to have her priorities straight...it was our first stop on the way home from the airport!); painted fabric (together we painted a chrysanthemum for a pillow that Lauren will later free-motion quilt); played games, all sorts (actually, Vera and her boyfriend, Sean, spent Saturday with us teaching Lauren a game called "Magic". Here's a pic of Lauren at Meisnners wearing what she'd like to be our next project...

...just what we all need, a crown! 

Molly Pillow

I thought a pet portrait couldn't get any cuter than the one I painted of Betty...and then I painted Molly. Wow! I know I shouldn't be tooting my own horn, but then if you can't brag in a blog, when is it appropriate??? Besides, it's not like anyone reads this. So, I'll brag away...Molly turned out so well - the painting is almost photo realistic. What a cutie. We all miss her and now she is memorialized in a pillow! Love it!!! I hope Sally likes it as much as I do...