May 22, 2014

We had such hard winter this year that a lot of the plants froze. The oleander 'fence' that belongs to the neighbor behind us, froze and was cut off. I used some of the pieces of oleander to construct trellis.

 This trellis was not quite finished when I took this photo. I wanted the wisteria to have a place to grow. I think it will only get prettier over the years.

 ... a sand snake that was looking for it's dinner in the back yard.

 This quilt belongs to Deanna B.... She was really happy with it.

 My frist tomatoes of the season. We ate them tonight and they are really good. The hollyhocks are so pretty this year! The hummingbirds love them as well as a pair of yellow birds. The male is really really yellow with a black hood. The female is rather plain. The also drink the hummingbird's food. Dave fills up the feeder (32 oz) every couple of days!

I for bought  a small pond pump and installed it the end of April... It look me a while to get the pipe buried. I don't run it all the time because of the evaporation  and water loss to do leaks. I did not build the pond or waterfall, so I don't know what kind of underlayment they used.  The birds (and probably other animals) enjoy it as do us humans!

It has been a busy month for me..... I finished this 60 inch piece for Bev Nelson. It Liked how it turned out. This was only her 3rd quilt. 

Candice has moved to Moab for the summer. It is good for all of us. She and Season have planted a huge garden and it take her a lot of time to keep it watered. She is selling her pottery, some jewelry she has made as well as a few of my bags at the farmers market in Moab. It is held every Thursday evening.   She will be back when school starts in the fall. That is the plan anyway.

This week I put a refinishing coat on the wood floors. They look better, but the areas that are really badly scratched still feel very rough on my bare feet. I wish we could get them all replaced with something that will not scratch (but not carpet). That won't happen for a while.

I finished another big edge to edge quilt for a client and did not get a photo taken. I am currently working on an edge to edge for Wanda B. It is looking good. It should be finished tomorrow and then I can get then next one on the frame.  It is a custom job that will take me a while longer than the edge to edge quilts. It has been a long day and I am ready to go to bed. 

May 4th

It is May already!!!!!! I don't know where the time has gone. I have been working on client quilts and doing some of my own work. I haven't taken photos lately. I need to post some of my current work.  The art group I belong to, Painted Hills Fiber Artists, has a web site..... well kind of. We are hoping to have it up and running by the end of this month. It has been in the process for a few months now.  I do need to learn how to take run a web site I guess. I have purchased my domain (Glad Rags Art),  but I really am not that great with the computer. Putting things on the blog is easy. Maybe working with a web site is not that hard either. I just have not been interested and was happy to let our young friend take care of it. She has a life that includes two little children. All of us in the group know how hard it is to make your time go around.  I have never slept that well and did a lot of my extra stuff at night after everyone was sleeping.  I still do a lot of stuff in the evening.  We do need to get it up and running though. So...... maybe it is time to learn something new.....maybe?
Candice, our oldest daughter, has been living with us while going to school. She is going to spend the summer in Moab helping my parents, planting a garden and selling her pottery at the farmers market (and enjoying her birth place).  It is very quite with out her and her dog Po. I frankly don't miss Po...I am sure Po is happy where she is. As long as she is with her mom.  Candice will be able to spend time with Season, her cousin, too.  Season works at the Blue Pig in Moab and her husband, Micah, has been promoted to floor manager of the restaurant. If you are down Moab way..... The Blue Pig is a wonderful place to eat. It is on the Southern end of town, across from the grocery store that used to be called Millers.
I will be posting photos of my progress on my art quilts and hopefully will have photos of the current client quilt I am working on by the end of the week.  Keep your fingers crossed.

Tuesday April 15

 Another week has started........ I do wish I could slow time down. It's all going by to fast. My husband and I went to Moab a week or so ago and both caught the flu/cold that is going around there. I am still coughing by feel much better. Dave is on the mend too.

I finished the Dixie Quilt Guild's quilt last night. Lael picked it up this morning. She will get it bound and ready to travel to HMQS. (If some of the guild members are going to take it, display it and sell chances to win it.)  I am donating most of the cost of the quilting.

I am pleased with the finished product. I did put two layers of hobbs poly down in it. I was very disappointed with this roll of the batting. It is so very thin. I don't believe I would purchase it again even if Teryl was still going to be selling it. Polydown has been my chosen batting up until now. I don't know what I will use in place of it. I used Superior threads. Magnifico on top and Sew Fine in the bobbin.  I like the look of Magnifico. It is a lovely thread. But I think the ends fray way more than Glide thread. I am sorry I won't be able to run into the shop and pick up a new Glide color. I don't like to purchase thing on line if I can help it. I like to see the true color and have the item in hand.

I used Teryl's inside out circles to make each of the circles and then used Ronda's Ruler to do the fill.

I must get to the store and purchase some eyelash yarn and get some patterns ready to send to Moab.

Sandy's quilt

Tuesday April Fools

I don't do any kind of April fools jokes. But today's weather sure was a joke. I really am ready for warmer weather. I just hope we have a spring.  Dave and were going to head to Moab for a few days, but decided we will wait until Thursday. That will give Dave Friday to take care of the stuff that needs to be finished at my parents and then we can hang out with friends.

The Dixie Quilt Guild's retreat was the weekend (27-29). I did not take one photo. I am hoping someone else did. We had a great turn out 83 ladies. Everyone had a good time. One of the friendship groups I belong to was in charge of the retreat. A lot of ladies went to a lot of work to make it a success. We had a wonderful tea for a get together.  I got another block finished for Season's Hawaiian quilt. I have four done. Candice suggested that I do pillows. I just might do that.

I went to Rosie's today and picked up some water-soluble wax pastels that all of us PHFA members purchased. I haven't used mine and probably won't until I get back from Moab.  I am anxious to get some more work done on my park quilts. I managed to loose the address of a friend's blog. I am sure it is somewhere... I just need to look. One of these days I will get things organized....yah right.

I finished a client's quilt and will get it off the long arm and call her tomorrow morning. The next quilt I need to get going on is the guild's quilt.  I need to get the needle guild that is over the needle fixed. It is loose and it not suppose to be.  I have e-mailed Teryl McKnight and asked her how the part is attached and if I need to order it myself or if they have the part. I am pretty sure they had a show this last week in Masa AZ. I will give her a call or John a call later if I haven't heard back.  I don't know how long it has been loose. I have just had the problem of it shredding and then snapping the thread with a certain movement. I can't figure out any other problem.

Well it has been along day and I am tired. I will write more another day.

I finished the quilting on this quilt of Wednesday.... now need to get the binding made and attached and hand sewn down.  The get it back to my client. I think she will be very happy with it. 

I am home again after spending a great few days with quilt friends in Mesquite, NV.  We had our annual quilting retreat.  Everyone had a great time. It is so neat to be apart of such a wonderful group. 

I think the retreat will be held back at Zion national park next year. There are a lot of ladies that really want it there. I am happy with any where they decide. We just have a great time. One of the friendship groups I belong to were in charge of it this year. The ladies worked really hard and it showed!

I got a bit of laundry done and was going to quilt, but decided to write a few thank you notes to some of the vendors that donated door prizes for the retreat. I need to get them done by the end of the week.  Quilters are the best!

Mother Superior's quilt.....

Well another week has rushed by. It has been a very productive week for me and I am very happy about that.  I finished the quilting on Heather Purcell's quilt. We used Superior's monopoly on the top and  a gray bottom line (#623 sliver) in the bottom.  She says it is the color she uses with monopoly always. It did match great. I will use it again. I have not used bottom line before. I usually use sew fine in my bobbins. I really liked the way the bottom line sewed in my Innova and I did not use a full 5 bobbins for this 81 x 81 inch quilt. 

I had a great day with the Painted Hill Fiber Artists group today. We had our monthly meeting. Rosie hosted us. We had a great time talking and laughing and enjoyed a great lunch.