OK OK I’ve been lazy. Here I have been home longer than I was on vacation and I haven’t updated the blog. I have been busy, just nothing exciting enough to post about. Well that’s not exactly true. I joined a Twinchie Swap, before I left for Africa, and as usual, I had plenty of ideas but didn't implement any until the last possible moment. So next, What’s a Twinchie? Like a quilt, it consists of at least 3 layers, top, middle and back that is quilted - that is about where the resemblance ends; they are then embellished with anything that fits! Oh, and it's only 2 inches square. I would love to show you, but until the participants receive their Twinchies I have to keep the secret…

I was asked to recreate the 'chicken blocks' for a friend from her hand dyed fabrics, which I have gotten appliquéd and beaded. They look cool, not sure how I am going to set them yet… but I got a brain storm for what I am going to do with the larger chickens, recreated from the "Sparkly Chicken Swap". I can’t wait to get going on that! But alas I have another project that has to be done first. I am swapping blocks, this time receiver’s choice, either Fall or Halloween. Today, I got the Halloween ones nearly done. I have plans for the Fall ones, but they have to wait until later next week.

Tomorrow I will drive about 3 hours up to Madison, WI to meet a friend- Karen, and go to the Wisconsin Quilt Expo! I plan to take a camera, and hopefully I will take a couple of pictures that mean something to me later and if the quilts aren't exciting enough -there's the vendors!

Axel is healing up very well, so while I visit Wisconsin, he is visiting the kennel again. I also have to tend to the motorhome on Saturday morning. We are bringing back to the city this winter and I have to move it over to the repair shop to complete the repairs that were put on hold earlier this summer, due to lack of parts, technicians and time.

Pictures and more later!

Back to Quilting

I can’t believe I have been home for 3 weeks!!! Where did the time go? I keep thinking of more things about South Africa, but I suppose it’s become a bore for everyone else. So we’ll move to quilting/sewing for a bit.

I have been back in the quilting studio, and besides straightening it up, I have finished my “Sparkly Chickens” for an online swap! I was very late getting my chickens done, a whole six weeks late. I had fun making them and adding the sparkle to them. Here is a (terrible photo) of all 12 of the finished chickens. I had to wait until the owners received theirs before posting a photo. I didn’t want to ruin the surprise in the mail. I have been asked by a friend to recreate my birds in her hand dyed fabrics, so I get to go shopping for just the right colors at her house!!! That is enough to make me get going early!!!

I have also been busy getting some class samples ready. Before I left for Africa and to help keep

me busy while DH is away I signed up to make some store samples. Well I made purse, which had directions that were poorly written and not very clear for some of the steps, which I mentioned when I dropped the bag off at the store. It was asked if I would teach/help anyone interested in making one, I said yes thinking no one would need the help. NOT. I will be at the shop this coming Sunday 8-23 and 8-30…. I might have only 2 interested, but I hate it when I get so frustrated in making a project that I throw it in the trash in total disgust!!! So in order to show how… provide a visual… of what to do, I thought having 2 bags in process would assist those that need to see. There is a reason that the garment patterns all have picture/diagrams!!!! One of the visuals is from a fabric that I brought back from Africa and the other is from some really old US cottons, that I picked up somewhere… Sometimes I am glad I have yardage that I would never use in a quilt, but would sacrifice for something like this, (this bag may never be completed). So glad I am ready early. I just realized that it is this weekend!

A quilting friend, Kim, presented me with a quilt!!! Not just any quilt, a hand pieced BOM she did

last year! It’s already gracing a bed in my house and will cover a guest next week! Kim doesn’t put a label on her quilts, so that is the one thing I must do, next week, get a label made for the quilt. It looks, very warm and comfortable- don’t you think?

Well that's all for now. I lead a very boring life at home! So boring I forgot about a guild meeting last night. I was busy making more 'chickens' and worked right through, well that and Project Runway season 6 began last night!!!

More Later!!!