Do you remember me? It's been awhile... certainly longer than I expected.
Thank you for the sweet e-mails and concern - I appreciate it. Really. Rosie and I both do. We're both fine though I seem to be having some issues with allergies this year, worse than years past. I went to dinner the other night with a friend and by the end of the evening, my right eye was tearing, stinging and I couldn't open it. Do you know how hard it is to drive at night with one eye while texting a friend? Sheesh. (And yes, I'm kidding about that texting part.)
Life is good - just busy. I've been sewing a lot and getting some quilts done for a couple of new Little Bites patterns.
Yep. Flying Geese from mini charm squares. I've come to realize that the primary appeal for me with these little quilts will always be the puzzle aspect of it - what can I make using 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" squares?
The quilt above is made using squares I cut from the Florence collection by Denyse Schmidt. The background is Ruby by Bonnie & Camille and the alternating squares are that awesome yarn-dyed Essex Linen in Black by Kaufman.
More "mini" geese - these are from the Daydream collection by Kate Spain.
Yes, these will both be in an upcoming pattern. A friend asked me the other day about showing pictures of things I'm working on and I will tell you what I told her - if I don't show you what I'm working on now, I won't have anything to tell you about. Some folks think its a risk - that someone might copy what I'm doing - but I've decided not to worry about that. I'm going to do a "Scarlett O'Hara" and worry about it tomorrow - as in, if and when that happens. And I think I've mentioned before that the whole "I can't show you what I'm working on" thing makes me nuts.
In between spurts of sewing, I have been continuing to get the garage in order. I'll take a picture of it soon - as soon as the boxes are cleared. Boxes? After getting everything that had been moved from the garage into the house last November back into the garage, I finally got the "business" storage unit cleaned out last week. It seems a little odd - and even a little un-American - not to have a storage unit any more. It also feels really, really good. Though I am still having compulsive and spontaneous "I must clean out that closet right now" moments.
Rosie just plays while I do that.
As much as I love her sweet face, there's just something about Rosie's feet that always makes me laugh. It's like she's pointing her toes. Silly girl.
Did I tell you about a recent trip to Goodwill? I had spent a few hours clearing out some closets and bins... of fabric. I loaded everything into the car for a trip to Goodwill. It was mostly "novelty" fabric, especially some Christmas and holiday fabric. I drove up to the donation door and was a tad annoyed that there was a minivan already parked there, driven by a woman who appeared to be re-considering every item she had intended to donate. She was sorting through every box and bin in the back of her vehicle. I was tired of waiting - not an isolated occurrence - so I decided to start hauling my boxes up to the donation door instead of waiting to pull up. It turns out she was donating fabric. When she saw my boxes of fabric, she started sorting through my boxes with lots of ooohs and aaahs. Let it suffice to say that she quickly unloaded her boxes from the minivan, and after asking permission, began loading my boxes into her vehicle.
This was the Hook quilt I made for the class at Olde World Quilt Shoppe a few weeks ago. Assorted Reproduction prints, a background from Vin du Jour and a reddish-brown Primitive Homespun from Diamond Textiles for the alternating triangles.
This is one of the variations in a new Little Bite pattern coming soon. The fabric is the gorgeous Ladies' Album collection by Barbara Brackman for Moda, an old background from Blackbird Designs, and a Rustic Homespun from Diamond Textiles for the sashing.
I have to confess that all of these pictures have popped up on Instagram in the past couple of weeks. Because many of my sewing days are passed while texting with a couple of friends, I have my cellphone handy... meaning it's easy to take a quick picture and post it there. (If you're on Instagram - I'm CarrieRosieAZ.)
One last picture...
Yes, there are some big quilts coming. This one is titled Spin-o-Rama - a technical hockey term - and it's made with April Showers. Backing fabric is on the way and it will be off for quilting next week.
I promise to try to check back in more frequently - I have to show you the finished American Patchwork Tone-It-Down quilt. It's been quilted and mostly bound... yes, that means, the binding is on and partially sewn down.
But I'm working on it.
Right after I give Rosie a treat.
Toodles.
