Sunday, October 27, 2013

The First "Let Me Surprise You" Blocks are Done


The first four of 16 blocks for Charlotte Angotti’s Let Me Surprise You kit are stitched.  These are the corner units.  The dragon fly fabric in the center and at other parts of the blocks has to be set in specific positions for the design to work the way Charlotte intended, and I can already see that one block is twisted.  I will need to make eight of the next units and four of the final batch.

Monday, October 21, 2013

Yikes!

I --- wonder --- why --- I’m --- the --- one --- in --- our --- marriage --- who --- always --- finds --- the --- SNAKE!!!!!  ( --- and husband is never at home when it happens --- )  Can you see it in the photo?  It blends in, but it’s there.


I was just about to pluck out some errant grass in our flower bed when I saw this guy just inches from my finger tips.


I never got a good look at its head to see if it was triangular shaped.  By the time I flagged down a golf course mower who came to help me out, it was gone from sight…but probably still somewhere around our yard.

Today is a housecleaning day as I prepare to host a group of ladies from church on Wednesday.  After this encounter, I decided I would rather do chores that seem safer…like vacuuming and mopping and dusting, and leave the weeds where they are.



As I can squeeze in a few moments, I am continuing to sew units for the “Let Me Surprise You Quilt” by Charlotte Angotti.  I think I'm getting close to putting some blocks together so I can really see the design.

Sunday, October 20, 2013

A Good Week

We've enjoyed a really great week here in Central Texas.  We had well over an inch of rain and the daily high temperatures are in the 70s.


The next quilt to be addressed is the design by Charlotte Angotti, which was one of the three Hawaii Quilt Cruise kits.  It is one of her “Let Me Surprise You” designs that was presented as a mystery.  I absolutely love the fabric selections, and this kit was pre-cut by laser, making the piecing go very quickly to a certain point.  I've already been cautioned by several of my shipmates that the final assembly will require dealing with some very bulky seam intersections.  We’ll see how it goes from here.


The pretty stiletto was one of the gifts from the cruise sponsors, Stitchin' Heaven.

Sunday, October 13, 2013

Slow Stitching on a Rainy Sunday



Me…well I love a rainy Sunday, but the dogs…not so much.


It was a perfect day for some slow stitching, so I worked on prepping Jane Stickle blocks and hand applique.




I’m linking up with Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching linky party today.

Saturday, October 12, 2013

Pohihihi is a Flimsy


I stitched the last seam in the top this afternoon and Pohihihi is a flimsy.  No matter how I tried, I could not even out the light which was streaming in the windows on the left.  The border fabric is not washed out like it looks in this photograph.



Yesterday some friends and I went to a quilt show in Blanco.  While there I found this fabric for the backing, which I have also pieced.  The colors work and it sort of looks like molten lava, which was the color way for this quilt.  Now it’s time to think about how I want to quilt it.

Sunday, October 6, 2013

More Progress and an Addition to Our Pack


Rows 1 and 2 of Pohihihi are pieced and on the design wall.  Three more rows need to be assembled.  It feels good to make some visible progress. 



One week ago today, Bob and I drove to San Antonio and came home with Maddie, our new rescue dog, making us once again a pack of eight paws and four feet.  (We lost my little lap dog, Chloe, to lymphoma some weeks ago.)  On Thursday Maddie passed her well-doggie visit with our vet with flying colors, the last hurdle in the are-we-really-going-to-do-this-process.  She is a stewpot of DNA and of indeterminate age, but she certainly knew how to worm her way into our hearts.  

Friday, October 4, 2013

Pohihihi

Whenever I have been able to grab a few minutes of machine time this week, I've been working on the Debbie Caffrey quilt from the cruise which she named Pohihihi.  That is the Hawaiian word for “mystery” and the kit was presented as a mystery during the cruise.  This quilt does not require paper piecing and its components are larger than those of the other two designs, so it is going together fairly quickly.  I’ve completed all the blocks and hope to start laying them out this weekend.

During the trip I learned that the Hawaiian alphabet has only 12 letters.  That’s why there is so much repetition in Hawaiian words like “pohihihi” and “humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa.”  I will not attempt to retype that last word.  I had to cut and paste it to get it right the first time.  I am told this is the Hawaiian word for trigger fish, the state fish of Hawaii, and also the longest word in the language.


Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Jane Stickle Block Progress


I completed two Jane Stickle border triangles in September.  Preparing for and then going on the trip slowed progress.  I now have 28 triangles completed with 24 triangles and 4 corner kites remaining.