Quilt Show: Small Quilts

I went to a quilt show over the weekend.  The quilts were displayed in two galleries.  The first was all large quilts (posted here).  The second area had smaller quilts and wall hangings.

This village quilt was matted and framed.  It made a pretty picture.  Lots of little detail.

(Click on any photo to enlarge.)

Quilt Show: Large Quilts

Saturday was a rainy blustery day - perfect for spending indoors at a quilt show.  Too many photos to stuff in one post, so today is the large quilts.

These quilts were presented over pews.  It was wonderful to see so many, but  bummer that I couldn't photograph better.  But look!  There's some really neat stuff.

So Small

I took the photos for this post nearly two months ago and just haven't gotten around to writing about it.

Any good guinea pig guide will tell you that guinea pigs need room to run around.  This means a big cage and better yet, floor time.  It is a delight to watch guinea pigs race around or popcorn all over the place.  One of my favorite memories is Teddi and Eclair racing across the living room floor.  It's been years since I've witnessed a good set of zoomies.  There's plenty of room and traction in my living room, but I think I adopted my girls too late for them to feel the need bolt and leap across the floor.

Why can't we go upstairs?

I Like Thursday: Finishes

I got lots of stuff done this week.

I like that I finally put up the window feeders.  One or two titmice watched me as I washed the window and hung the first feeder.  I had just stepped in the door when the first one landed.  They started flying by the second window, awaiting that feeder to be hung as well.  By the time I started to work that window, the chickadees were watching me.  I didn't have a chance to step away from the window before the first chickadee alighted.  In the hour that followed, word got out to the nuthatches and house finches.  It was quite the party all afternoon.

Tidal Pool

After I finished Stepping Stones, there were lots of extra Homebase pieces left over.  Since I had enough to assemble half a small quilt, I decided to sew them together.  This was an opportunity to use the bright fabrics that I loved but didn't work with Stepping Stones.

Turns out the cut brights alone didn't look right, so I raided my stash for other primary colors.  This is the end result.  I had to purchase more background fabric to finish and the new stuff is from a different bolt.  The slight shade difference shows in bright sunlight, but given the scrappy nature of the quilt, it works.

I really like the wavy quilting I did on Stepping Stones.  I played with a few different designs for this quilt before simply quilting wiggly lines with my walking foot.  That was more of an adventure than I anticipated; I'm pleased with the final results.

Quilted Name Tag

Yeah, I've made yet another contra dance name tag for for myself.  I love the one I made last year.  However, it's large, heavy and is held on by magnets, so I can't wear it on a strappy tank top.  I wanted one that was smaller, lighter weight, not as breakable as sculpey and that could be pinned on a tank top.  I had seen some really cool name tag badges people had made for quilt shows, and decided to try something in that direction.

I dithered over a bunch of designs that were too big or boring.  I found this interesting paper pieced design.  I shrunk it down a ton, then badly transcribed it to freezer paper.  Not my best work but I wanted the name tag done for the Fall Ball, so I ran with it.  It took a couple of hours to make, so if I really hate it, I'll take what I learned from this and create another.

Dinner Out

When Wedgwood was on a hay/pellet/water diet prior to her surgery, Mabel ate breakfast lettuce on the floor.  Now that Wedgwood is eating veggies again, they have breakfast together on the floor (although Mabel gets a few minute head start while Wedgie gets medicated).  It's a fun way to start the day, with Mabel creeping towards the fridge hoping she'll receive lettuce faster.  Occasionally breakfast ends with a lap around the living room. 

Dinner is still served in the cage... except last Tuesday night.  I failed to specify where the greens should be delivered, so they were placed onto the floor.  There was much wheeking and confusion.  I decided it was fast to put two guinea pigs on the floor rather than pick up the multiple pieces of lettuce.

I Like Thursday: Slow Stitching

Not a whole lot of photos this week.

I like that I caught Mabel trying to hide under the hay.  I would have loved to see how she did it, since the hay had to be dragged over there.  So was it moved for this purpose? or did she just take advantage of hay being there?

I found myself hand stitching a binding, tacking down the front of a vest and hemming a dress this week.  There is something so soothing about working with thread and needle by hand.  My eyes aren't always thrilled with it, but not enough to stop me.

The Best Place to Snooze

A clean cage and new cozies.  Both Wedgwood and Mabel were enamored with the new cozy.

Wavy Quilting

I fought so hard to quilt the first seven lines on this quilt.  Took me hours between ripping out the first two lines and dealing with snapped thread.  The next 10 were a little easier and faster.  At that point I wasn't sold on the design, but forged ahead with the last set of lines.  I whipped through those in less than 30 minutes.  Wonderful!  I didn't snap the thread once even though I was cruising along with the walking foot.

I based the quilting on this tutorial.  I wanted to do the criss-crossed lines they described because it looks so cool.  However, now that this quilt has been resting on my design floor for a couple of days, I'm not so sure.  I suspect another set of wavy lines would be too dense.  I don't see a place where a criss-crossed pair of lines would look right.  At this point I should just bind it and be done with the quilt.  I risk ruining it if I try to add any more to it.  It's so hard to know when to stop.

Cotton Twirly Skirt

I finished the skirt in plenty of time to wear to Friday's dance.  Hemming it was so much easier than I expected.  The stretch fabric eased so nicely.  I had to do a little extra work on the pocket (I forgot to sew the top of it down).  I love it!  I wish I had thought to do this with the other two skirts I made (they have a little pocket tacked on the inside of the waistband).  I'm so happy to have used this fabric to make something I will enjoy, as it was intended.  

It got several compliments last night from people who recognized it from my blog (thanks for reading!).  And doesn't it go nicely with that top?  It's certainly not too short, so I will make notes on the pattern for the amount of fabric required for this length.  The skirt is a good color to mix and match, so I am hoping it will get lots of use dancing. 

Huzzah for a finish.  On to the next project!

I Like Thursday: Gratitude

A few days ago I was in the middle of a mundane task when it hit me what a lucky life I lead.  That I have the time and the luxury to be making a bed, topped with a quilt I created, in a warm and comfortable house, looking forward to a weekend of dancing with friends and time with my partner. 

I like the apple sauce and strawberry jam my friend just gave me.  I look forward to her apple sauce every year.  She gave me several more jars to deliver to various friends.  I enjoy how they light up when they get her apple sauce.  It's fun to be the delivery person.

I like that I've wrapped up some small stuff:  a new skirt I will dance in on Friday, some knot bags.

All over the Place

Once again I'm stalled with quilting.  The thread kept snapping at the needle while quilting the little Homebase.  I've swapped out the needle, the bobbin, re-threaded everything multiple times, and I concluded it's the walking foot.  The foot works fine as long as I stay in a straight line.  But if I try to turn a curve too sharply, either the foot or the feeds rub against the needle and snips the thread.  (I've never been happy with this foot - my other walker is much sturdier, but I am hesitant to try buying another walking foot online without seeing it first.)

In troubleshooting the problem, I discovered the spool of thread I was using shouldn't be on top of the sewing machine but on a thread stand.  Fancy that!  I don't have one of those, but discovered a great work around.  I have had this ornament holder stuffed in a cupboard, unloved and unused for years.  Works pretty well, too!

Bath Time

Various stages of unhappiness

Guinea pigs are generally self cleaning - like cats.  I've had to do the occasional rump-dunk for a sick or arthritic pig that couldn't groom all their fur.  I've been lucky enough not to deal with long-haired guinea pigs.  In all the years I've had guinea pigs, I've given only a full bath to a pair of pigs (before I discovered permethrin shampoo is not a good way to treat for mites).  My bath-avoiding streak has come to an end with Mabel as my unwilling victim.

Mabel's fur hasn't felt quite right since she came home with us.  It felt a little dirty or greasy.  I dug up the bottle of bunny bath a few weeks ago and decided I couldn't ignore it any longer.  Mabel needed a bath.

None of my pigs have wanted to be near running water.  Eclair and Teddi nearly hurt themselves trying to leap out of the kitchen sink.  So I decided to bathe Mabel in the shower, since it would give her room to move, have better traction than the stainless steel basin and there was no risk of her leaping any distance to hurt herself.

I Like Thursday: Remnants

It was a packed weekend of running errands, last minute changes and long drives.  But I've found time to play around with photos, edit videos, cut some fabric.

I snapped these late last week.  One wouldn't usually describe decay as beautiful.  But I love the colors, the textures.  I've not seen anything like those little yellow cones before.  They're really tiny.  They died back the very next day, so I was lucky to have caught them at all.  They've started to peek out again with the rain this week.

I really, really like those shots.

Out Cold

I walked by the cage on Friday afternoon and found Mabel and Wedgwood out cold.  Just look at those sacked out pigs.