A laundry list...

Ginger isn't going to like this but I've been so side-tracked and behind these past few weeks that there are something like eighty-three things I need to tell you about.  

So here goes:

One.  Let me start with Rosie having surgery two weeks ago.  It's all good - she's fine.  But a one-to-two hour scheduled surgery for a tooth extraction turned into five teeth extracted and almost four hours of surgery.  I won't pretend - both my Mom and I were more anxious about Rosie having surgery than we were about my Mom's having surgery.  The good news is that Rosie sailed through the procedure - even her doctor said so.  As soon as she was awake, she made it abundantly clear that she did not like being in a crate.  The vet moved her to a small blocked-off area where she could see-and-be-seen, and according to Dr. Owen, it was immediately apparent that Rosie was planning her escape.  I was able to pick her up an hour or so later and as soon as she walked in the door - groggy and tired - she perked up because she realized it was time for her dinner.  I took that as a very good sign.  

No pictures of Rosie - she refuses to sit still until she's had a spa day.  

Two.  I have completely forgotten to tell you about the Quiltmaker Block Party event in Portland, Oregon next March - the 20th through the 23rd.  Registration is open already!  The teachers are:

• Gudrun Erla, GE Designs
• Beth Ferrier, Applewood Farm
• Diane Harris, QM Interactive Editor
• Julie Herman, Jaybird Quilts
• Bonnie Hunter, Quiltville
• Jo Morton, Jo Morton Quilts
• Carrie Nelson, Miss Rosie's Quilt Co.
• Peg Spradlin, Handicrafts by Peg

I'll be doing three classes: a Schnibble quilts - Lincoln - and two new designs.  One is based on the block I have in the upcoming 100 Blocks issue and the other is a bit of a mystery.  Yeah, yeah... that means I haven't finished the quilt yet but I know what it's going to be.  I even know the name of it.  When the 100 Blocks issue comes out, I'm going to have to tell you about my block.  When you see it, a whole lot of people are going to think I copied someone's fabulously cute quilt.  

Three.  I have not forgotten about the pincushions.  It really was harder than I expected to figure out where to start - even starting with making a pincushion proved troublesome.  But the first post is written and you can look for that on Monday.  

Four.  I was at the quilt shop yesterday to pick out fabrics for the kits for a class/club I'm doing starting in - egad! - three weeks!  This isn't the first month's kit, it's the second month's kit.  The projects will be published patterns - Schnibbles and Little Bites - though I think we'll be venturing into one or two new things next Spring.  While I was at Olde World picking fabrics, one of the ladies there was telling a customer - Michele - that I occasionally include gratuitous pictures of Daniel Craig on my blog - when I blog, of course.  

So this is for Alice.  And for Michele. 

Okay.  It's for me too.   

Five.  Do you know what this is?

Me either.  I truly don't a clue what it's for, or what it pertains to.  I found it in my work room and I can only assume that it's some quilt-math.  I haven't any idea what project it might belong to so I tossed it.  You know what that means?  I'll go looking for it next week when I remember what it was for - and then it will take me an hour of looking before I realize it was this card that I threw away.  Though it just occurred to me that by posting a picture of it here, I can throw it away and still have the information!  How long do you think it will take me to remember that when I go looking for it?  I agree - longer than it should.

The reason I'm showing you this is because I spent two days earlier this week writing a new pattern.  I had forgotten how "labor intensive" writing cutting instructions for a big quilt could be, and how much yardage was required.  The frightening part is that I decided to write the cutting for fat quarters and for fat eighths.  Fat quarters are more efficient but fat eighths are scrappier - guess which one I used to make my quilt?  Since the blocks have flying geese and square-in-a-square units, I also wanted to provide the cutting for my favorite Open Gate Quilts' rulers - the Fit to be Geese and Fit to be Quarter 6.5 & Companion rulers.  So that meant writing ruler cutting for fat quarters and ruler cutting for fat eighths.  Four different cutting plans!  Seriously... if - when! - I really do lose my marbles, I will know the exact moment that it started to happen.

 But Marguerite has been photographed and I hope to get pattern covers by the end of this coming week.  

As for the quilt, it's at the quilter.  This is what I made with my bundle of Chateau Rouge fat eighths.  

I fell in love with that yellow/maize fabric.  I also wound up adding backgrounds and a few extra fabrics to the mix... but more on that soon.

Six.  Design walls.  A few years back, I asked you about what you do for design walls and lame twit that I am, I never got around to showing you what I actually wound up doing.  I tried flannel - in gray and in off-white - but I would up preferring regular old batting.  I took the knobs off of three closet doors - actually, I just turned them around so that they're backwards - and then used wide blue painter's tape to secure the batting on the inside of the door.  I will not show you a picture of that because it isn't very neat.  I don't care about it not being neat because it works and that's what matters.  But even though I don't care that it's not neat doesn't mean I'm going to show it to you!  

When I replace the batting - it's getting a little worn and fuzzy after almost three years - I'll try for a neater inside finish.  

This is my "design wall".  

But do you see the blocks on the floor?

Yes.  I have a "design wall" but I still use the "design floor".

Seven.  That's it.  There weren't really eighty-three things.  I exaggerated just a little - by seventy-seven things.  Okay, a lot.  

Have a happy weekend - I hope you're having a lovely Fall where you are.  

See you Monday!

Comments

[kathie]

so happy Miss Rosie is ok , yes wanting to eat is always a good sign!
I for one am happy you took the time to write the instructions using the open gate rulers, LOVE those rulers, I know thats what I will use.
LOVE that yellow fabric for the background, beautiful quilt.
fall is such a beautiful time of the year, the colors are starting to change took a drive Thursday and was amazed at the changes already...love it nothing better .
Kathie

[Hildy]

I don't have a design wall ... my floor and my bed (for smaller quilts) are just fine for me, too!
About your mystery sheet: I'm always rename my quilts (because most of the time I'm changing the pattern;-) and add a little drawing with the quilt design (and sometimes the fabric line) to the quilting math. Perhaps this would help you too?
Please give Miss Rosie an extra pet from my and tell her how a good and brave girl she is!
Hildy

[Debbie Gallett]

My dog just had to have 6 teeth pulled. It is amazing how they recover. If we had 6 teeth pulled we be sipping milk shakes for 3 days and laying on the couch complaining. I too have a mystery note like that. It is 4 numbers written on a piece of paper and pinned to my design wall. ??????????????? Can't wait for my next trip to Phoenix to go to Olde World. I love their fabric selection.

[Linda P]

I have so many notes on the backs of envelopes...... and yes, so many cute notepads. My notes run together with no note to tell me what measurement goes to what..... glad you do it also, except your little note looks neater!!
Design wall? Mine is a small (large enough for Schnibble) foam core covered and when not in use slipped behind the quilt shower curtain in the adjoining bath (for storage use only)any bigger quilts go on the floor.
Marguerite is a purty gal!!
Smoochies to Rosie - she needs pampering without treats! Missed you!

[Nancy]

Oh, poor Rosie! I'm so glad to hear she did well and gave the vet a piece of her mind at being kept locked up after first being sedated and then waking up to find someone had sneaked in and stolen a bunch of her teeth! The indignity!!! I mean, did the tooth fairy even visit? Okay, now to the most important question about her recovery...will she still be able to play 'Rocks'? I mean, this is very crucial stuff, ya know?
I don't blame her either for not wanting to do a photo shoot until she's had her spa day. I know my oldest furry baby went in for an emergency dental check up, one morning after we found two teeth laying on the floor!!! I felt like such a bad mom when I found out she had raging gingivitis and came home with 11 less teeth than she went in with. Now she has this cute little crooked 'grin' on her face when she is looking at you straight on. They saved all of her back teeth but still, she looks a bit like Walter Brennan, talks like him too, *wink*. Okay, I've rambled enough, but I do have to tell you that your quilt made with the Chateau Rouge collection is gorgeous, I love it. Big hugs all around

[JuliaP]

Glad to hear that Rosie is doing fine. A big thank you for posting a picture of Daniel Craig!!! Can't wait to see him in the new James Bond movie. Good luck with meeting all your deadlines!

[Ramona Chester]

#1 - so happy that Rosie is okay! #2 - Marguerite is magnificent! #3 - the second I saw the Block Party ad in Quiltmaker and saw you were coming to the northwest - I couldn't wait. Glad to know the sign ups are open. I'm going to book my spot now!
Oh yeah, and thanks for the Daniel eye candy! And as for your #5 - the first part is obviously the number of blocks x block size (4x4in = 16) + I can only assume would be the the sashing and borders? I have lots of those important scraps of paper around too and notes in borders of quilt patterns and then can't figure out what I was trying to figure out!

[Mary]

Tell us more about the Quiltmaker Block Party. I live in the next town over from Portland.

The new quilt is fabulous! Who makes Chateau Rouge? I love that background color.

[Archie the wonder dog]

Dental surgery? Oh no, poor Rosie! I hope she's had lots of treats to make up for the indignity of being in a cage and then penned in! Your new quilt is splendid!
P.S. About the quilt maths...that's what titles/headings are for *wink*

[Jocelyn]

Okay, so are you saying that you have put the batting on three doors?? It's a little hard to see but it looks like three panels of batting. You just tucked them and taped them with blue painters tape. Although I don't know why you didn't use pink painters tape. That's the only color I have around here :-)

[Karen Miller]

Sending hugs to Rosie -- that pooch should be eating chocolate covered strawberries after those tooth extractions ! My Cayman (yellow nape amazon) would be saying "Poor Dog". He's a hoot !

Love the new quilt -- sure wish I lived closer to the west coast to attend the Block Makers !

Hugs,
Karen

[debby warthen]

Glad Miss Rosie is ok! It can be so hard to have our sweeties out of commission! I can't wait to see what you are cooking up! I hope Quiltmaker has another block party in the east/ midwest, because I missed this summer's and i really want to go! Have a great time!

[Glenda in Florida]

I can relate to those quilt math notes--I have them everywhere! Every time I run across one, I think how nice it would be to know what it all meant. Yesterday a guild member asked me for the dimension on a little block that I had enlarged to use as the backing on a guilt--I'll bet it was one of those pages I've run across and thrown away. I'll be spending time with my calculator and graph paper to re-create that one this week. And this time I think I'll label it!

[Mary]

I stopped by a wonderful quilt shop yesterday (Hollyhill in West Linn OR) and picked up a charm pack of Chateau Rouge for a little project. Is the yellow background in here? I didn't see it. If not, can you tell me what line it's from? Thanks!!!

[Barbara Hernandez]

The news about the surgery on the teeth is new to me. I haven't heard of this before. There should be more information on this.