Monday, February 6, 2012

An Extraordinary Day!




Hi Friend,

Well, if you happen to be in the Salem, Oregon area today, you will see that we are in the midst of a rare (for February) string of beautifully clear days.


WOWZA!!


Like I wrote earlier on Facebook:


'God, You TOTALLY ROCK!'




Anyway, i happily declined to watch the Superbowl-and MADONNA?!!

REALLY?!


-no faves here;


instead I opted for a quilting weekend.  Haven't had a chance to do that in forever!  What a lot of fun!  Added in a couple mornings 'sleeping in' til
7am


(anyone who really knows me won't believe that!  Used to be 'sleeping in' was 10:30 or 11am--but now during the week, my regular wake up is 5:30 am now, so I guess 7am IS sleeping in!  haha)



If you've read my blog here for awhile, you know that my kids have two Labs, Kona and Tucker.  Well, now there will be a quilt with Labs on in at the Kennedy household! 



check out this cute pattern from 'Cabbage Rose,' called, 'Max.'


I did start out with similar colors, but of course, ventured out a bit.  Originally, I had planned to make a totally different pattern, and I'd purchased fabrics for that one...but when I showed Caitlin and Evan, the Max pattern got their vote instead.  Needing a few more fabrics, I mixed in some of my own fabrics as well.


(the piecing of the square-in-a-square blocks)



Starting out, I also didn't have the required yardage for the background fabric.  I 'stewed' over that for awhile, and decided to gather all the blue batiks I had in similar tones, and made a scrappy quilt. 




One fat quarter looked like concentric rings in a mud puddle; another piece had water droplets (Labs LOVE both of those!)...One chunk had roses, one looked like tropical flowers (the kids DID honeymoon in Hawaii!)

(a few of the chosen!)

And--my companion this weekend?  None other than 'Maggie'!  Usually, she's all over the place, and this time was no exception--


Have you ever seen a cat who FETCHES?!! 


Maggie does! 



Her favorite thing to 'go for' are the ponytail elastics in bright colors.  One day, I moved the couch for 'dust bunnies' running by, and found 11 'scrunchies' UNDER THE COUCH!! 


I can shoot them like rubber bands across the room, and she dives and slides over the hardwood floor (kitty surfing!), grabs them in her mouth and brings them over; jumps up, drops it in my lap, and is ready to go again.


(hours of fun!)



Saturday, Maggie realized the wisdom of having her own blankie in the window: she could watch all the neighborhood comings and goings.  As the window was open to the sunshine, she could hear motorcycles, lawnmowers, cars, trucks, people walking by. . .


lots of action!



(she's still small enough to curl up and fit on the sill, too!)


This could be a new favorite hide-out...




I also this week started a quilt for me, which I saw in a 'Possibilities' book from 2005!  The book is 'Pineapple Quilts,' by Lynda Milligan and Nancy Smith.  Here is the shot of the quilt, right from the book:



This quilt was also on the front cover.  I knew I had to make this exact quilt!  It's been on my 'Bucket List' of Quilting for those 7 years.


7 years ago I bought the book,
6 years ago, I bought the corresponding ruler, 'which you NEED to HAVE!'

for two years I thought about it,

3 years ago, I cut all the printed pieces from my scraps, and bagged them in ziplocs, so 'I'd be ready.'


I looked at the Pineapple Ruler, and the directions.  didn't understand ANY OF IT!


Thought some more.


Then, one Tuesday night at Greenbaum's, I happened to be working with Sally, who made the Pineapple Quilt sample for the shop when the book/ruler came out.  Sally had an upcoming class, told me she'd teach me, and so!!



The Pineapple Quilt BEGINS!!




don't expect this to fly together overnight!  7 years in the making...



"Mother, Let's Not Rush Things!"

1 comment:

Dayna Collins said...

I always love seeing what you are working on -- you are my bright color spot!