Purple... Lavender... Lilac...

Here is that quilt with the "biggest blocks" Sarah's dad has ever seen! She made a green one for her dad and I made this purple one for mine. I don't think that you could really call the components of this quilt "blocks." They're just way past that! I figured that if I tried to do some interesting quilting on it, that might make up for the rather dull piecing. hmmm. Well, it improves it, anyway. (The pattern was from the book, Quilts for the Dorm Room. And it took us about an hour to piece. I have a friend who borrowed the book and made three of them for the bridesmaids in her son's wedding in August. See? There are times when you need a really fast quilt.) I love the batiks in this purple quilt and my Dad seemed to like it. He isn't your average guy.

I have decided to put the new projects on the back burner. Every time I try to work on something, the results are just... well, yucky. I even "unsewed" some the other day. I "unsewed" a lot. Now, if you know me, you can be sure that unsewing is something I rarely ever do. So I'm pretty sure I must be losing my mind. But really, it wasn't so bad. The unsewing or the losing of my mind. Think I'll just tinker away on a few established projects and stay away from the rotary cutter that seems to be unable to cut a straight line these days. And away from my mind that seems to be unable to put 2 colors together that don't make me nauseous!

Summer afternoon,
summer afternoon...

two of the most beautiful words in the English language. ~Emmerson, maybe...

Probably, no one enjoys the warm days of summer as much as a child. I never remember feeling miserably hot when I was young. It's just more hours of sun and play time. This is Boo. I love how everything on her is moving- but her sweet smiling face. We have been to WV and back. Both of my brothers and my sister were all there- and all of their families. I lost count after 25. We "camped." Had a good time, bittersweet, and now I am home with the aftermath. Sniffles from allergies- no place worse that WV- all the vegetation and dust, and bug bites. Chiggers. Mosquitoes. And wet laundry from the little ones playing in the creek. And this awful ache in my heart after seeing my DH kiss my dad goodbye on the neck, knowing I might never see that again. But we are rebounding. And it is such a beautiful place. 30+ acres of woods and hills and meadows. The one night we spent in the woods, oh, you should have heard the birds trilling and singing- like a sound track of an Amazon movie- it was really beautiful. Unfortunately, Evabeth was a bit of a sissy girl and after a 1 hour nap, decided to keep me up until 2:30am- when we decided that it was Daddy's turn to say 5,000 times- "It's only a tree branch falling." and "Deer can't unzip tents." and "They're more scared of you than you are of them." And my personal favorite, "Would Daddy be sleeping so soundly if you were in danger?" We spent the other two nights in the barn.

On the quilting front... My Dad liked his purple quilt, and even my Mom liked it and didn't act a bit offended that I was adding another color to her decor. I'll post a picture. I showed my DSis-il how to do a basic Stack and Whack- and I cut 36 blocks out for her. She had 18 of them sewn together before I left. She had a very pretty black and pink Asian-inspired fabric. I picked up 3 quilt tops from my Mom- to quilt for her. She said there was no rush, she just feels less guilt about starting another one, if her bins are empty. hmmmm.... I've lost count of how many quilt tops of hers that I have in my bins... yes, I feel guilty about not getting them done sooner. BUT... I have big plans to work on them. Really. I have turned down 2 separate quilting jobs in the first 24 hours that I have been home. Bill did a double take and pats me on the leg and says, quite enthusiastically, "Good for you!" He knows how hard it is for me to turn that kind of thing down, but I'm a little burned out with deadlines. And especially so when I have so many other things going on. And they wanted both quilts- well, one by the end of this month and one by the end of next month. I just don't want to live that way! My Dad is really not doing well, and it was hard to be there knowing that you very well might not be seeing him again, like that. And it got me to thinking, that there are people that I love, really love, that I'd rather be making quilts for- rather than, wouldn't it be nice to make a quilt for so and so. I'm not saying it isn't a sleep-deprived thought, I'm just saying that I'm feeling a need to make a few quilts for those very special people and I am not feeling so inclined for people that, yes, I like, but not like that.

So, I'm off to make a big pot a soup for my sweet children. and maybe some rolls. Then maybe some puttering in the garden, that always cheers me up. And then, maybe, I'll sneak off to the quilting room...

Teapots For Tonya...

Tonya has been making a great quilt with "liberty tea" and she has been walking us through the making of an improvisational teapot. Very cool. I always have to wait to read her blog until I know I am done on the computer because I am always catching myself running to the quilting room to try out her techniques. Then DH says, "I couldn't get ahold of you today- were you on the computer all day?" Ooops! When I saw this teapot at the thrift shop I just had to bring it home with me- well, because it's handmade and I love its funky shape, but I also knew that Tonya would get a kick out of it, too. Isn't the lid handle neat? And the little curl at the end of the pot handle? And see how that silly spout really isn't at the right angle- you couldn't fill it more than half way or the tea would spill out! So, Tonya, we'll hear no more talk about you redoing the spout on your pot- it takes all kinds. Now I need to go and make my own imperfectly perfect teapot! Or maybe I'll just settle for the 3 cups of tea that will fit into this 6 cup teapot! Just what I need, more caffeine!

Can you tell I love these fabrics? These are the dyed fabrics that Sarah and I made while we were in Tennessee. Sarah had the fabric (Kona PFD) delivered to her Mom's place- along with a couple more dyes. The dye is called fiber reactive dye and comes in a powder form. (She got everything from Dharma Trading Company) So you wash your fabric in some kind of ash stuff- real technical there- and then you're ready to go. Sarah tore the fabric into 1/2 yard pieces, so we each got a fat quarter of everything when we were done. We have a real rainbow of colors, by mixing the dyes and diluting them to make different tones.
While the dye is called fiber reactive, you'll notice that Sarah and I are wearing plastic gloves, because the dye is also skin reactive. That didn't keep Sarah from dying her feet a lovely shade of blue- and my forearms looked like I had been wrestling with a bear- did I mention what a messy cooker I am?- same goes for dyeing, I guess. I was splashing stuff everywhere. That's the rag in the upper right hand corner- our mop up. But didn't my messy cooking make a lovely color?
After dyeing each individual piece of fabric, we put them in plastic containers and set them in the sun to incubate. 30 colors in all. Sarah- look what is in that upper left-hand corner of this picture. Can you believe that? Caught that truck red-handed. (You see, after all of our dyeing, we had worked up an appetite. So we headed into town for lunch. Figuring that if we ate at Sonic, no one would see our splattered clothes. As we are driving down her folks' road, there was this jumbled wad of aluminum tubing in the middle of the road. It was over a foot high and what looked to be a tractor or motorcycle radiator was off to the side. Well, we just figured someone had spilled some of their load all over the road. I hop out to move it... thinking back, I'll never do that again. Promise. I push it over to the side so we can get by... driving further down the road.. "Hey Sarah! Look! That guy must have dropped that stuff all along this road... wait a minute...uh, all that metal is attatched... to that... telephone pole, and maybe that wasn't a radiator 'cause it looks... like that box... up there... on that pole..." At this point, well, I honestly nearly peed my pants. I could have left those sweet children without a mommy! No touching anything on a road! Turns out to be the cable wire, but wow! that was too close. That big truck with the boom on it was the culprit!)
After letting the fabric heat up for a while in the sun, we (Sarah) washed it all out and ta-da! some really gorgeous fabric. How cool is that? Nearly turning myself into Southern fried chicken aside, I had the best time dying that fabric. It was loads of fun and I highly recommend anyone try it. And have you seen those cool "trips" of Darcie's? Made with her hand dyed fabrics and a feature print. Very, very nice.

Never thought much about it...

but it isn't an easy thing to get a good picture of a ceiling! I'm laying on the floor here and I still could only get the smallest corner. It's not like I could back up any further if you know what I mean. Well, maybe you'll need to take my word for it, but it looks real sharp with my floors! The floodlights(4 sets) are gorgeous and make me feel like I'm in a gallery of color when I look at all the quilts in progress and the finished ones hanging on the walls. So Darcie, be it "Cottage Industrial" or "Industrial Country" it works for me. Actually, it reminds me of my grandfather's "shop." That's what I remember it being called and we were forbidden to enter- but like most humans, we found the temptation too much to resist. The door was locked with a big padlock- protected by a circle of rubber cut from an old innertube and nailed over it. I think that was pretty clever. A couple broken boards around back, though. It was always cool in there. Grandpa had been a welder and there were all kinds of interesting things in that shop. And the roof was metal and all rusted. And I know it sounds weird- I haven't been in that shop since I was 9 years old, but I think my quilt room smells like that shop, now. Maybe it's the metal roof... or maybe, just maybe it's the two guys who worked- and sweated- in there for 2 days straight!!

Was it really only a week ago...

that I was in Tennessee with Sarah? Here is the quilt that I made for her for our birthday challenge. She gave me the blue fabric... which of course, I had nothing that remotely matched. So I threw in what I had (part of the rules that you couldn't buy fabric) and she seemed to like the results. Some one said it was very subtle for me. Yeah, it is. I really enjoyed working on this quilt, even though... the fabric choices were out of my usual sphere. The fact that it was Sarah's quilt probably had a lot do with that, but I think the best part was just taking my time working on it. I received the challenge in the end of September. And I just made sure I worked on it a little every week. I already had the pattern picked out, I just needed to sew. I usually pick out a pattern and fabric and then really push myself to finish it quickly- like it's some kind of race. Or it is for some one and I have a deadline of when it needs to be done. This had a deadline- our birthdays in June, but I had nearly a year to make it. A lesson learned- plan ahead. It's lots more fun.

Since coming home, I have been in a post-Xmas funk. You know what I mean? Months spent in anticipation and preparation of a big event and when it is over... now what? Not that I don't have tons to do, but I just don't seem to have any steam built up to do it. So... I cleaned the living room. Weeded the flower garden. Might have sewn or quilted, but DH was working on decorating my quilting room ceiling- very cool. Corrugated steel, from the old barn- rusty in spots and primitive. He finished a couple days ago and now I need to clean up the mess. All the price you pay for progress and I don't mind a bit. Looks like you're in an old shed. Bill just laughs at me and says, "People are probably wondering why you want to make this old house look even more run down..." I guess I don't figure into it what other people think. Plus, I ask you, what do you think a nice new room looks like on an old house? Out of place, that's what. This looks like it's been here for years. Very cozy. Goes with my whole "industrial cottage" decorating theme. Love the metal. At any rate, I need to clean up the saw dust and straighten everything out. I also need to unpack my sewing machine. I so pity the poor people who have to lug the sewing machine out every time they want to sew. I remember those days and I am so happy they are past. It really inhibits my creativity. I guess that's how I get so much quilting done- it's just sitting there, waiting on me. How could I resist? But just knowing that I have to take the sewing machine out of the box has kept me from binding that coal mine quilt... and who knows what else.

We had a pitch-in, yesterday at DH's sister's house. So had lots of cooking to do for that. Thought about Judy L. She says they rarely go out to eat and that she cooks a lot. hmmm. I guess that could be said of me, too. But I jump at the chance to eat out- just to have someone else do it. Of course, the whole cooking for 10, might jade me a bit. But mostly I love it. Cooking, that is. Oh OK, and eating. Did too much of it, yesterday. So today I'm feelin' weary from all that cooking and eating. So, I thought I'd take my time- like with Sarah's quilt and fertilize the flowers. Did a load of laundry. And now I need to take DS Joe back to the dentist. He had a root canal, last week. He gets very defensive when people learn this, "I don't have any cavities! I brush my teeth!" He got shot in the mouth with a pellet gun. He had protective goggles on- he just smiles, too much. Cracked his tooth- in two directions. The dentist didn't have much hope that it wouldn't fall out, but so far so good. At least I get to just sit in the waiting room. Now doesn't that sound relaxing?

Had a great time...

I've been trying to post for a couple days, but Blogger hasn't been very cooperative. Finally figured out how to get next door by going around the block. A bit tiresome, but it gets you there.

I had a wonderful trip to Tennessee. Bekah said, after 5 hours in the car, that she was gonna ask Sarah why she put Tennessee so far away. But it was a pleasant drive with very little road construction. It was so good to see Sarah. I'm afraid that is going to be the best picture that you'll see of us- all the others in the collection have caught us hard "at work." Complete with crazy hair and scruffy T-shirts. We exchanged quilts upon arrival. Can't wait to show you.

We went to Franklin, TN, on Tuesday. My cousin, Beth, gave us the guided tour. We saw Kenny Chesney's house, Dolly Parton's house and Trisha Yearwood's house. Other than that, we went to an incredible quiltshop, a sweet quiltshop- tiny but I rather enjoyed it more than the bigger one, had a yummy lunch at a cool place called "Dumplin's" and all, in all, had a great visit with Beth. Tuesday evening, we pieced one quilt, each. Gives you some idea of the size of pieces! Sarah's dad says,"Those are the biggest blocks I have ever seen!"

Wednesday we dyed fabric- 15 yards. I have to say that this was incredibly fun, and I can see how it could be very addictive- considering getting my own dyes and doing some fun things with it. Sarah said I was like a mad chemist- and if she only knew how I restrained myself... But that's for another paycheck... Then Sarah treated me to lunch at Sonic's. Like an old drive-in. We came home and started piecing some more on our soldier quilts. She is giving hers to a guy who worships with her Mom and Dad. Beth knows a soldier there in Nashville that I'll be sending mine to.

Finished the soldier star quilts, Thursday, and took the kids out to Chinese for lunch. We had a bonfire for the kids, that evening. (Amazing how "Bonfire" and "Barn fire!" sound so similar to those 911 dispatchers- but that's another story...) The kids had already been treated to a hay ride. Packed up and hit the road, early Friday morning.

Well, that's the very abbreviated story of my happy week in Tennessee. I'll elaborate on everything as I post some pictures of our presents and projects. Hoping everyone else had a great week, too.