Giveaway Teaser and O.T. Tang Update

Ohhhhhhh....

laaaaaaa

laahhhhhhhhh..... Don't you just love this pattern using this Laurel Birch fabric??? I love it too but can't see myself getting around to it. Maybe you can..... I have the pattern and fabric for the basics of this quilt and will be offering a giveaway sometime before the month of February is through.... stay tuned....

I have been busy but can't tell you doing what.... this is the kind of stuff that scares me.... the passage of time vs what I have to show for it.... January gone already....

Here is the Butthead.with kidney stones...

Mr Tang (now better known as Fang because he's bitten EVERYONE inc vet AND hubby) is still aliitle insecure.... even with his purple coat on of which I thought I had the gammet on.... obviously it's not that hard to cook up a pattern for a dog coat. Again... I almost made my fortune but was alittle tooo late once again... LOL.... Mr Tang now has a new notation on his chart..."Owner must apply muzzle before exam". I guess he does look like one of those mutts that would nail you given the chance.

Mr T is sitting pretty here ...the surgery was $524...additional outgo per month.....$17.99 for 5# bag of Royal Canin SO, can of SO $2.25 ..... Cha.Cha.....freaking ching....... his best bet is to stop biting the hand that feeds him. We have 2 other dogs that have to go on eating as normal... have I mentioned before that I must have a hole in my head to have 3 dogs???

I was hoping to use this for the Creatve Cues word "Track" but I don't think this will fly. However these stitches sure look like a track to me. This was some pretty serious surgery that I really shouldn't be making fun of... after all, he's my little butthead kid that I'd probably spend even more $ on if I had too. (Fingers crossed) If by chance any one knows anyone who is going through this with their dog... please see here.... Very good info.......that can maybe help someone out.

There have been a few glorious days of sun

and blue skies beyond imagination...

There was a sad deer who passed through our yard this week. See the weird rope attached to his foot???

It looked like the rope could have been a trap of sorts but we couldn't tell...... there was no way we could have done anything to help him and he hasn't been back as far as we know. Life sure didn't hold much good for him.

Everything But the Kitchen Sink Kind of Post...

Don't any one faint, but I got a block done... (sorry about photo quality here)

All these dinky seams left me with just stitching around some of the portions. Tacking down the center leaf with mono filament thread reminds me of how great it is for its invisibility while at the same time how awful it is to stitch with. There was a bad spot in the orange patch above the leaf where the seam ripped out.. don't ya just love that? A mend necessary, slightly visable but covered well. This will become a Thanksgiving adorn-ament of sorts.

I read so many quilt magazines while gone that I can't tell you where I found this... but I saw a Hospital Gown pattern available through Lazy Girl Designs. Free downloadable PDF patterns here. Child and adult sizes available. I thought of making a few for my dad in some really cool prints. Think he'd like that. I talked to a fellow guild member today and got the lowdown on the meeting I missed. The soldier pillowcases are due at the next meeting. Found a great tutorial here at About.com. Guess I'll do one for each gender. A few of the girls are going to a show in Marquette the first weekend of Nov, so thats something to look forward to for more inspi.

Saw on Sharons B's blog her ideas for the new years challenge. I was a dud at participating in the Stitch Along at SF and I really wanted to work it.... now with TIF coming to close it will be really easy to take that time spent and parlay it over. I'm really bad at multi tasking my creativity and feel smothered into a kind of paralysis when too much is bouncing around. Constantly at work on that one.

Speaking of embroidery (and my dread of separating floss) I saw this little gadget in Quilters Home Magazine. (BTW... the PDF Tuffet Pattern is adorable.) It is a weighted clip that you hook to the end of the floss that spins and allows you to get out the amount of strands you want with out tangeling. Puffinco Thread Separator ,there is a video on the page that demonstrates. I know those clips are in the garage and if I hot glue a rock to it, do you think I'll get the same results? LOL

Trying to make the space more conducive to sewing standard pieced quilt blocks today. My ironing area was always a literal pain in my back and I think I've got it right now. I could always stand it just long enough to make CQ blocks, But enough blocks for a quilt ?? I want to enjoy this eh?... I'm right handed so I set up a low table at a 45 degree angle right next to the machine. Even though it takes up more space, who cares.... I'm in here for the winter duration now. Seems like every year I re-situate things in the home for the winter months. Is it called nesting or simply trying to keep the couch from being set afire by the woodstove?

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Ahh... the stove. Another good thing about winter. The best Christmas present I ever gave Dan was a set of Paula Deens cookbooks. Thank God my metabolism is as such or else....

Popovers and Captain Jacks Corn Chowder was fare for Sundays football game (I won't even touch that subject) Not the most healthful in way of her "calls" for butter but DEE-licious. Her site is full of scrumptious things.

Not able to let him be the best and only chef in the kitchen, I must put out every now and then to save face.... apple pies in autumn are a hands down fav.

I'm trying to search out bread recipes so if anyone has any they would like to share , I would really appreciate it. You can email me through the About Me tab on sidebar.

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And last but not least.... while looking at the photo I'd recently posted with T and C, it looked as if I have no grey. Well, I liked the unintentional photo wizzardry but the truth is....... direct sunlight is very forgiving and some other lights give the geriatric glow. All in all, I think the worst is over and if my timeline is right, it only took 6 1/2 months to get to this tolerable stage where I feel I can see this through with out having a meltdown and shearing it completely off.

It is what it is.... and today I'm okay with all of it and extremely grateful !

3's a Charm with these Halloween Finds

Of course I couldn't stay off the internet .. was looking into spider webs and other Halloweenish / Fall notions... let me share some of my wanderings of the past hour and save you some time...

Crazy Patch Pumpkin Pattern - Fraser Valley Quilters Guild - Lots of renditions for this, too cute

Creepy Buttons - The Button Drawer - baubles
Halloween Banners - Sparkle Jars - Do look around Gayles posts for other Halloween eye candy

Looking for vintage Hallowed Fabric? - Warm Biscuit - very stashable

Wool Felted Pumpkin - CJ Stitching and Blooms - Judys great tutorial
Beaded Spider Tutorial - Jewelry Making About - more possibilities

Embroidered Beetles Anyone ? - Stumpwork, Goldwork, Surface Embroidery - Jane Nicholas

Quikie Visual Ideas to Run With - Love to Sew - "chach"

Another Patchwork Pumpkin - The Calico Cat - Is this not adorable ? (scroll down some in link)

I think I have my fix for the week and I hope I've left enough of me to not feel bad for my absence... heres to the other side of a better week than last..

PS Just Checked into Judes What If blog... looks like "Crazy Left Overs" is feeling autumn too. I could just wrap myself up in Judes cloths and hibernate.