Here's a Finish!

Santa drove through our neighborhood on a fire truck.  Here he is -- freezing.  We have no street lights so the picture isn't very good... and who could see anyway!  We waited outside for a couple minutes.  Yikes did we get cold.  It was about 20º or so.  Hum, that pillow is sinking badly!  But he was a good sport.  

No quilting done today.  Long choir rehearsal after church as we tried to learn the music for next week.  This is a very low key choir... we only practice Sunday  for less than an hour.  Not too bad sound wise (unless you are music major!) Then we had a little bit of shopping to do.  Later we went to a party in the neighborhood.  Nice day but, as I said, no quilting really.  

But here are a couple of pictures of my finished rag quilt.  I had all the fabric and batting except one yard of red I purchased to add a little more color.  Pretty  cool.  This is the quilt that Pat helped with clipping.  I've already started the trimming and cutting of another rag quilt.  Don't know when I will make it but at least some of the cutting is done.  This is a present that I'll need to get out in the mail in the next day or two.  The recipient should enjoy it thoroughly! 

What a fun and fast quilt this is!  I'm sure a second, and maybe a third one is in my future.  I still have enough flannel for at least two more.  

Question

So, the question is who has been walking across the driveway?  When we got back from church Sunday there was this perfect set of footprints. What animal made them? I am guessing a squirrel.  Any naturalists out there who can verify this? 

The rag quilt is sewn together ready for clipping the fringe.  That will be done over a few days so as not to destroy the hands.  I should have done some yesterday but I didn't.  I did get some hand quilting done on the carolina lilies quilt.  The quilting in the blank squares looks great and I like to do it.  The quilting in the pieced blocks is a pain and looks... um... well add the word of your choice.  I have one motif in the plain block and then I need to mark the corners that are plain quarter blocks.  (and, a million pieced blocks .. ok 8 or 10) I will probably start the borders as soon as all of the plain inner blocks are done. 

Late in the day I made some Raisin Rats for Pat to take to work.  He loves raisins so I thought I would try the recipe.  Yum. I made them with golden raisins.   I have 5 dozen cookies to make for  a community cookie swap.  Haven't made up my mind what I will take.  Any suggestions?  I was thinking of doing pressed sugar cookies in the shape of trees. Except they make such small cookies. But they would look Christmas-y.

I'm off to finish quilting the wall hanging.  I hope to get it hung this weekend and then I'll add a picture here.  Ruth emailed to say she has my quilt ready that she was long arming (is that a verb?) so will have to get the binding ready for that.  And, the clipping... it should be at least started!!  

Happy quilting all!  Stay warm (or cool if you're down under!) Bonnie   

A Peak into the Studio

Here's what I've been working on for the last few days.  This is all from the stash.  I did order 2 different reds to add to the mix.  I probably could have done without them but ... I've got to help the economy somewhat!  Today I sewed about 40 blocks with the X.  Then I laid them out to start to get a sense of what this rag quilt will look like.  I thought I would have enough of the dark green and black plaid to do the whole back. Of course not.  I'm not all that much short so I thought I could pop in some of the black and brown plaid. And, as I was laying it all out I thought putting some of the green/black on the top would add interest.  I've got what I have made laid out but will not angst over it until the other colors come in.   And, while I've been cutting all this if I didn't have enough left for the 8" blocks I've cut them all to a smaller size.  So, I might make another rag quilt down the line.

At Wed. sewing group I basted that wall hanging for our bedroom.  It will be quilted this afternoon.  Or at least it will be started.  The rest of Wed. I hand quilted on a Christmas lap quilt.  I'm not really fast but I keep plugging away.  I have most of the motifs done in the open squares.  I still need to mark the quarter squares in the corners.  And, I have most of the pieced blocks to outline quilt. And, not to mention the border.  I was happy to see I have the border stencil that goes with the blocks. The quilt is a Carolina Lily that I made as a mystery at a retreat many years ago.  I am sure it will continue to be worked on, especially on Wednesdays, because it is easy to grab and go and it helps keep me warm!  

Back to the studio.  I really want to get a few more quilts quilted.  I think I have 2 lap size and one table runner basted and ready to go.  We'll see whether I can get them done! 

Happy quilting from rainy, northeastern Pennsylvania.  Thank goodness it isn't cold enough to be snow! Bonnie 

Quick Notes and Then Back to the Studio

I have been trying to take a picture of the woodpecker that visits my bird feeder.  This is really a small bird feeder but the smart woodpecker has figured out he (she? -- don't know where the bird book is since the move.) can sit on the outside and still reach the seed through the cage that keeps the bigger birds out.  Man does the feeder rock and roll when the woodpecker comes for a visit. The feeder can be viewed from our great room and every time I see the woodpecker visiting I grab my camera and go to a window without the screen and try to snap the picture.  He never stays around long enough to get the picture.  Now my plan is to get him used to someone being in the room looking at him. Ha!  As if that will happen.  

I'm going to put dinner together and then go back to working on the current quilt.  It's going to be a Christmas present -- don't tell my friend who is getting this!  It will be a cozy rag quilt.  And this recipient lives where the snow falls -- quite a bit some years!  

Have a quilty Tuesday -- happy quilting.  Bonnie