Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Favorite Things

Sometimes you just want to cuddle up with the things you love.

Like a new case of cat food.


Or a new little box.





Even if that box is so tiny you really don't fit into it comfortably.

Wordful Wednesday is hosted by Angie at Seven Clown Circus

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

It's all about the music

related [litandlaundry.blogspot.com]
Miles would be proud


I admit I'm pretty excited that Wasabi Girl is showing an interest in vintage jazz. Music has always been such a huge part of my life that I know what rewards it brings.  The sooner kids discover great music the longer they have to enjoy it.

Jungle Boy is the classical music kid.  He can tell you all about composers and especially trumpet concertos, since he plays the trumpet.

Drama Girl?  Her love of music is firmly grounded in top 40, which is all fine too.  She spent a day last week with Lady Gaga turned up loud while she practiced pirouettes in the family room.  No legs were broken - on Drama Girl or the furniture, so I guess it all ended well.

As for me, my first love will always be classical music, but I listen to a lot of different styles.  I used to say I hated country music until I set up a sewing area in the garage.  There was only one radio station that I could pick up there - guess who really likes country music now?

How about you?  What genres make you smile?

Monday, August 29, 2011

Take my place and save a life



Thousands of patients with leukemia and other life-threatening diseases depend on the Be The Match Registry® to find a match to save their life.

Patients need donors who are a genetic match. Even with a registry of millions, many patients cannot find a match.

I've been on the national Bone Marrow Registry for over 20 years.  Quite a few years ago I was found to be a potential match, and had my blood drawn for further analysis.  I didn't match the patient in need, and I was disappointed that I couldn't help.

Now that I've had a hip replaced, I can no longer be a donor.  So I'm asking you to consider stepping up and joining the list for me.

Joining is easy, and involves sending in a swab of your cheek cells.  See the donor FAQs here.

I'm very honored that some of my facebook friends have offered to join the registry for me.  Thank you for taking the time to consider it.

Friday, August 26, 2011

Finished for Friday: Fat Squirrel

This is one of the blocks for Anne Sutton's block of the month "Henrietta Whiskers."  The quilt has a lot of squirrels on it and this one seems to have eaten too many acorns already.

I still need to add a little embroidery and there will be small buttons in the center of the wheels.  The acorns and scarf are felted wool.  To see the free patterns, visit her blog here.

I'm on a roll with applique now.  I'm enjoying it more as I'm getting better at it.

What have you been up to this week?  Link up and show us your accomplishments.  Have a great weekend!




Wednesday, August 24, 2011

The Hidden Messages in Food


It's the first day of school so I got up a little early to make a blueberry coffee cake.  I hope my kids get the hidden message.  The twins are starting 8th grade and Drama Girl is a sophomore in high school this year.  Wow.  Let's not get started on how time flies.  I'm just going to keep baking coffee cakes until they're out the door forever.

Friday, August 19, 2011

Finished for Friday: Wonky Skep

I'm still working on my applique skills.  This is not lined up exactly the way I'd like, but I was watching a movie at the same time I was stitching, and clearly, splitting my attention doesn't help my skills.   I'm not going to do it over though, just shake my head and chalk it up to a learning experience.

Almost done with the blocks for this quilt.  The next one is really cute and is the whole reason I'm making the quilt in the first place so I can't wait to get started on it.

What have you been up to this week?  Have you visited the Pets on Quilts Show?  Voting for the viewers choice begins on Saturday, and I would be thrilled if you would consider voting for my cuties in Monday's post.

Link up with your wonderful finishes of any type, and let us ooh and ahh!




Thursday, August 18, 2011

Autumn Musings

related [litandlaundry.blogspot.com]
Autumn Musings

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Design Wall Wednesday: Garden Stroll


This is part of my hexagon quilt from a pattern called "Garden Stroll".  It's been so fun to make - the hexies are paper pieced from a charm pack.  After I assemble these strips and inner border, there is a wide border that will need to be scalloped.  Any advice on tricks to make a scalloped border are welcome!  I'm a little nervous about it.

My design wall is on a big cabinet in the garage, which is why you see the handle on the left.

Just another week until school starts.  Although I love having the kids around, there's been a little too much of this going on lately:

The twins look like bookends while they play Mario Kart on the wii.


Sunday, August 14, 2011

Pets on Quilts 2011



SewCalGal is hosting a blog show called "Pets on Quilts" complete with many wonderful prizes. Join in and submit your own photos or just go see all the cute pictures. I understand she is collecting some of them for a calendar to benefit the humane society. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to submit my photogenic furry quilt lovers.



My rescue kittens, Hestia and Dumbledore, found this little doll bed where I had displayed a doll quilt I made from scraps.  It's one of the few quilts in the house that's hand-quilted.  When my son found Dumbledore asleep on the bed he couldn't help but tuck him in.  The kittens were only about two months old when these pictures were taken.


Dumbledore is all grown up and gorgeous now, and provides quality control for all finished quilts.  Hestia looks exactly like the cat in my header.


Friday, August 12, 2011

Finished for Friday: Applique Wreath

Here is the applique I worked on this week.  I tried to tweak the colors in the pictures a little - so the applique is correct, but my design wall came out a little weird!  It's actually just beige.

Here is the sampler quilt so far.  I still have a number of blocks to do but I like how it's turning out.


What have you been up to this week?  I'm sorry my linky stopped working last week.  Most of these link services are going to paid subscriptions, but this one didn't warn me before it stopped working.  I'm trying another type this week, let's hope it works.




Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Billy Elliot!

Last night we went to see Billy Elliot.  It's a musical based on the 2001 movie of the same name.  Billy is a young boy living in a coal-mining town in England during the strikes of 1984-1985.  After wandering into a ballet class he discovers his love of dance and dreams of auditioning for the Royal Ballet School.  Meanwhile his father and brother face the brutality of the massive police forces sent to their town to control the strikers.

The musical has won many awards, including the Tony award for best musical.  The music is by Sir Elton John.  We absolutely loved it.  We thought it would be fitting to bring along Jungle Boy's ballet teacher, since the story centers around a young dancer and his teacher.

When we got to the theater, his teacher and I made him do the "Billy Jump" in front of the marquee.  Forgive the blur of my cheap camera - you can still see he gets some height here.


Poor Jungle Boy.  I'm always making him do stuff like that.

After the show, we waited by the stage door and got to meet some of the actors including the incredibly talented Kylend Hetherington, who played Billy for that performance.  There are five boys who alternate performances in this demanding role.

Here is Jungle Boy with Wasabi Girl and his ballet teacher with Kylend.  I love this picture.  Kylend is such a cutie with those dimples.  He was so sweet to all of his fans.  The perfect end to a memorable evening.


Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Needlework Tuesday: Thinking of Halloween Already

You'll need to use your imagination and squint with this one.  This is a witch, riding a broomstick, with lots of whispy clouds in the background.  On the left is her butt, and you an see her knee and part of her trailing robe.  The broom isn't added in yet.

This is my work in progress today.  It's going to take me a while to finish but hopefully it will be done in time to display for this Halloween.  She's pretty cool looking.

I found a pattern for a tissue cover and I had to make it.  This you don't have to squint at as much I think.

Needlework Tuesday is hosted by Heather over at Books and Quilts.

Friday, August 5, 2011

Finished for Friday: Tiny little deer.

Here is the reindeer ornament on linen I was working on a few weeks ago.  I need to flatten his little pillow out a bit.

I always have such grand plans that I'm going to finish an ornament a month and have a dozen to give away as Christmas gifts.  I think this is only my first or second this year.  Too many other distractions!

What have you been up to this week?  Link up and let me ooh and ahh.  You can find the code for this button on my sidebar.



Thursday, August 4, 2011

Ballet Brain


While doing some weeding in a forgotten corner of the yard yesterday, Jungle Boy came upon this goose that had been abandoned by the previous owner of this house.  At least I think it's a goose.

He has declared that it's a black swan and has moved it to the center of the garden.  Then he danced some excerpts from Swan Lake to seal the deal.

I still say it's a goose.

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Design Wall Wednesday: Weekend Woolies

Weekend Woolies is the name of this pattern.  The fabrics are all flannel and since this picture was taken I've already sewn about half of it together.  You can see some of the floral setting triangles at the top.  It's going to be very pink and girly.

I see a lot of bloggers posting for "Design Wall Wednesday" but I'm not sure who (if anybody) hosts it.  If you know, please tell me so I can link up and give credit for the idea.

When I retrieved this photo from my camera I found a picture I didn't take.  Someone else in the family borrowed the camera and shot this:

Little Hestia sitting up where she's not supposed to be, enjoying a patriotic quilt. 

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Needlework Tuesday: Wreath

Here is a block I'm working on this week all basted and ready to applique.  It takes almost as long to prep applique as it does to sit and do the final stitching.   This is the centerpiece of a sampler I've been working on off and on.

Hoping to sit outside and work on this now that the weather is somewhat warm.  We've had a cold summer here in California!

Needlework Tuesday is hosted by Books and Quilts.

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