Monday, August 8, 2016

Moving in the Right Direction

I've gotten a fair amount of work done in the past week. August can be a gloomy, dreary month in our part of Alaska. So far...that's what we are getting. I might be one of the few people happy about spending more time inside.

I experimented with making Seminole borders in my setting triangles for my quilt, "Midnight Blooms."


Loving the direction of this quilt. It has been a big challenge for me not to "biggie size," this design.


Here's the EQ7 rendition of my design. Finished size is 63 x 76 inches. I'm actually going to join in on Design Wall Monday over at Judy's Patchwork Times. I can't remember the last time I joined her link up. Always some great projects to see there.


Hot off the quilting frame is this baby. I am a little frustrated with myself for falling back on "pebbling" as a filler. I really need to expand my repertoire. But I just wanted to actually get quilting instead of just stewing on design options. The binding stage is one of my favorite steps so I will probably do some more bonding with the quilt and feel better about it as it relaxes and puffs up now that it is off the frame.


I finished a Jim Shore cross stitch Santa ornament, "Best Friend Santa."


More house projects...though this one won't get finished until next summer. I am having my handyman build a series or raised garden beds on the sunny side of our house. That big window leads to my sewing room. He's only about a third of the way through. Every time I hire my handyman to tackle a project...it means more work for me in the future. How will I ever get my house projects done????


The first three feet against the house will actually be a gravel walkway. Lots of fill will need to go into these boxes...so much work for next spring!

I could be like Eli and just sleep all day and play all night. He got a new cat tower in my sewing room and just loves it! 


The best part is...this top basket is about 5-feet off the ground...just out of reach from Kinley. I put another tower in our bedroom and he slept in our room last night. Kinley on the bed with me and Eli on top of his cat tower. My husband is out of town so I figured it was a good time to see if the cat and dog would actually sleep in the same room and allow me to sleep too. We all slept!

6 comments:

Karen - Quilts...etc. said...

Love your new design!! I also very much like your raised beds that your handyman is building - do you have a rainy August that you are inside - the weather must be ready to start getting chillier way up in the north were you are

CecileD said...

I can imagine the scene in your bedroom ! The cat, the dog and you in the center ! I hope your husband finds a little place for him ! Ah ah !
Your quilt is stunning ! Love its colors !

Sally said...

The newest quilt looks wonderful...I love that background fabric! Eli looks so contented in that top basket...I might need to get one for our own elder statesman, Gilligan...He is definitely an UP kinda cat.

carol fun said...

Midnight Blooms is fabulous... love that seminole border! And your quilting looks wonderful... it adds such dimension. Good luck with getting all the 4 legged creatures to coexist peacefully!

Donna quilts said...

Glad to hear the Eli and Kinley are sorting themselves out. Having had cats and a dog, I know that eventually they get to be "chums". How nice it will be to look out your sewing room window next year and check out your garden boxes. Will they be flowers or vegetables? Your midnight blooms quilt is looking great.

Suz J said...

Adding the seminole border to your setting triangles is a great idea, and really finishes off the design perfectly. I know what you mean about "falling back" on tried and true quilting designs. But sometimes we have to remember that there is nothing wrong with the old... and new is not always better. Finished is BEST!