AVIARY / EGG QUILT

I've been living in Georgia for over four years now.  I still have quilt tops or quilt fabric or quilt kits I purchased in Milwaukee that I have to either start, finish or have quilted and complete.  It's a little overwhelming considering I am still quilting like a maniac.

One of the quilts tops I actually finished in Milwaukee is what I call my egg quilt.  I believe the fabric is from Three Sisters aviary fabric line.

The fabric is soft and girly.  I loved the "egg" fabric.  It is all bird's eggs with the names of the bird printed underneath.  According to pictures of the quilt top, I was making it in 2009.

I decided I needed to get my quilt tops quilted.  Taking them in to have them professionally quilted in chronological order seemed like a reasonable way to do it.  However, gifts come up and other projects I want done first, so this idea didn't always work.

But I finally took the egg quilt to The Quilt Shop on Main to have Karen work her magic on it.

I love the finished quilt.  It makes me laugh, though.  I was a "newbie" quilter when making this quilt.  I loved it, but wanted it longer.  So, I just kept adding borders!

Pink border print border, blue border and "egg" border!  I
think I got a little carried away!

Four borders later I felt the quilt was long enough!  And, it is a good queen sized quilt.

Now that it was quilted, I could not remember if I had purchased fabric to bind it with.  I dug around in my stash and really didn't think I had anything.  However, while downloading pictures for this blog, I found this picture.

Guess I found my binding fabric!  And, I think I know right where it is!

I also love the backing fabric which was picked out at the The Quilt Shop on Main.  I think it is pretty and has birds in it!  You can see the beautiful quilting job.

Quilt tops are slowly getting done, but now I see another problem arising.  How will I ever get the binding done on all of these quilts?  LOL

SWAP A BLOCK QUILT

I joined an awesome online quilt block swap.  So far we have made and are submitting  churn dash blocks and we are working on a holiday block swap.  I will post more on this later.  However, I do want to write about the holiday quilt block.

The rules are we should submit 12 blocks measuring 12 1/2" each.  We can use any block pattern we want.  I decided I was too busy to make a complicated block for holiday block swap so I decided to do a basic nine patch.  I picked out rich holiday fabric to make up for the lack of a fancier block and my laziness!

Rich green and red, both with gold specks, for the surrounding squares and great poinsettia fabric for the center square.

I alternated the blocks - some with red highlighted, some with green highlighted and always the poinsettia fabric in the center.  Making the 12 blocks for the swap went fast.

As I made the blocks I kept thinking of the other fabric in this line.  I liked the idea of a holiday quilt with black as the background.  I am not really a "cutzie, wootzie" person so laughing snowman or dancing penguins is something I wouldn't pick out for myself.  I also want it to stay out long past the holiday season.

Now, I have around nine quilt tops completed waiting to be quilted.  And, I have at least 4-5 quilts tops either started or waiting to be started.  I don't need more projects.  But, there is something about quilting that makes me act stupid!  LOL  So, I went back to my favorite quilt store, The Quilt Shop On Main, and purchased coordinating fabric.

It is beautiful fabric.  Deep, vibrant colors accented with gold.  I love the partridges and the pears.  I just think the fabric is elegant.  So, I needed to make a quick quilt.  I made additional 12 1/2 " 9-patch blocks and cut the coordinating fabric in 12 1/2" pieces and sewed them together.

I loved how it turned out.  Now for the borders.  It is a dark quilt so for the first border I went with a lighter color, picking up the tones from the light colors in the feature fabric.

This fabric has the same gold in it as the others.  So soft and pretty.

The first border really "popped" the quilt.  With the help of the "quilt ladies" at the shop we tried all different fabric ideas for the second border and ultimately decided on the same poinsettia fabric as in the center of the 9-patch blocks.  I think it is a good decision.

This is a simple quilt, but I think the fabric makes it look sophisticated.  And, check out this fabulous fabric I am going to use for the backing.

Not your typical Christmas quilt, but I plan on having this out from December 1 through January 31.

I love the way it turned out.  I have fabric left so I will increase the number of blocks I submit for the swap from 12 to 16 or 18.  And, I hope the ladies in my swap group forgive me for making myself a quilt and don't mind getting a simple 9-patch block!

FARM HOUSE TABLE - PART I

I love the old fashioned farmhouse tables.  Plank wood, plain or spindled legs, stained top and painted bottom.

Good example of what I want,  only I like thinner legs and
not quite so much distressing.  This table can be custom built for 
over $3,000.  Ouch!  No way I could afford this.

Since moving to Georgia four years ago I have wanted one of these tables for the dining room. Periodically I would scan the web looking for good deals.  I've been to many furniture stores looking and looking.  Either the costs were what I considered ridiculous or it was not made well or not exactly what I want.

My little drop leaf table with two of the chairs I 
like and want to use in my dining room. .
Picture is looking out into my screen porch and
Lady having some dinner in the foreground.

One issue is the little drop leaf table and four chairs I purchased for my kitchen when I moved in.  With the leaves up it was the perfect size for my small kitchen.  And, because I have a small kitchen I eventually purchased a portable island for storage and more counter space.  I didn't need the all of the chairs since I dropped both side leaves of the table to accommodate the island.  But, I love this little table and the chairs.  I wanted a farmhouse table to match.  My idea was I could use two of the chairs in the kitchen and two around the farmhouse table in the dining room.  At the head and foot of the table I would have two parson chairs with slip covers.  This was my plan.

Last fall I wandered into a little decorating store - one of those little stores somewhere between a junk/rehab furniture store and a design store - called One Unique.  I met the owner, June and we started talking about a farmhouse table.  Roy is the carpenter who works with June said he could make one for me.  Hmmm - we talked size, dimensions, color and stain.  A few weeks later they called me with a price quote.  An extremely reasonable price quote - less than a one fourth the cost of the table in the picture above.  But, I had bills to pay and time when by.

I sold my current dining room table for enough to put a down payment on a farmhouse table.  But, should I settle for something I saw at a local furniture store or keep saving until I could get exactly what I wanted?

I went into the funky store again.  Both the store owner, June and Roy, the carpenter, were there and we talked about building a farmhouse table to my specifications.   They also showed me several pictures of furniture recently built, including a farmhouse table close to what I wanted.  We decided I would return the next day with one of my kitchen chairs so we could match the wood stain and the paint color, which I did, and the order was placed.

On of the two chairs for the head and foot of the
new table.  Fabric will be used on the cushions on
both chairs.

The owner, June, asked about chairs and I told her my plan for using parson chairs.  As I was poking around the store (you need about three trips around the old house they use as the store in order to see everything) I noticed June was painting two wood chairs a pretty blue and had matching fabric nearby. They would be awesome when finished.  Well, before I knew it we picked out two chairs to use at the head and foot of the table.

Now, the two chairs do not match, but have the same basic curvy design.  June didn't have two chairs that matched, but she will paint them to match the color of the table I have.  I brought in fabric which will be used on the cushions.  Cost?  Fifty bucks per chair.  I could have never purchased even one parson chair for the cost of both chairs.  And, the fact that they don't match?  I don't care!  It will just add to the charm of the table and the over all look.  The fabric for the cushions is from the same fabric line of the valences I have in my dining room.  So, the fabric will tie everything together as well as the paint color.

Chairs will be painted to match the table and my current
chairs.  June will stain the chair carved details before painting and
lightly brush over them, which will make them pop.

Now I have to wait.  It will be about five weeks before the table is completed.  June promised me the chairs in about two weeks.  I will be able to watch the progress of the table and take pictures!  It is exciting.  The best thing is that I waited  and I saved up and I am getting exactly what I want.  Let's hope that in this incident the phrase, "good things happen to those who wait" is true!

FOSTER FAILURE

Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later.

After fostering for Mostly Mutts for 7-8 months and lots of foster dogs, along came Lady and stole my heart.

Lady was an owner surrender.  Apparently, her elderly owner had to go into an assisted living facility and there was no one to take her.  He took her to the local shelter and cried when he left her.  Luckily for Lady, she was only there one night before volunteers went and picked her up.

Lady was at the Mostly Mutts facility for a few nights and then I volunteered to foster her over the long 4th of July weekend! Ha!  Within a few hours I knew she was here to stay.

And, I have tried to find her original owner.  I would be more than happy to bring Lady to where he is for a visit and to let him know she is adopted and loved very much.  But, I have ran into dead end.  I will keep trying, though.

Nice to have another female in the house.  I got her a
"girly" girl tag!

Lady is an older girl - somewhere around nine or ten (probably not the 14 as we originally were told by her previous vet clinic).  But, she is full of spirit and loves to be loved.  She is also a perfect lap dog.  She can definitely keep up with Sam and Oliver!

Oliver, Sam and Lady

Lady loves Sam and Oliver and after a few days they were all playing well together.  Our daily walks can get a little crazy, but it's fun, too.  

So, no more fostering for me.  Three dogs in the house is plenty.  But, I can help the rescue group in many other ways and plan to.

Here is my "official" adoption picture.  Not the best of either of us!  But, now my doggie family is complete.  Life continues to be good!  Being a failure at fostering dogs is great!  A new little pup to love!