Thunder, Bangs and Sleep

It's that time of year again for Thunder in the Desert.  It's not what you would think.  We aren't getting major thunder and rain storms - which we would welcome just as much - however, drum corp international is here this weekend for another showing.  Do you know how I know it's that time of year again?  They are rehearsing and staying at the junior high and elementary schools surrounding my home.  (one a couple blocks to the north and one a block to the west)  I can hear them practice over and over and it's not helping my headache at all!!

I have been crashing out since I got back home from teaching a class in Andrews.  The class was awesome and I think the ladies really enjoyed it.  I taught my funky stars quilt and threw in a couple of other things, also.  Anyway, about 7 that night I was nodding off watching television so I made myself get up and go to bed!  That is how tired I was!!  SEVEN O'CLOCK!!!!!  I slept until about 11:30, played on the computer for a bit and went back to sleep until 11.  Needless to say, I have slept a lot in the last couple of days.  My body really took me at my word that it could crash after Saturdays class and it did!!  I have been trying to fight off a sinus infection for over a week now and it may just now be clearing up after all the sleeping I have done (and taking NyQuil) for the past couple of days.  Now I am ready to sew.  I have a couple of quilts on the wall that need just a bit more to finish up.  Once the tops are done I will photograph and post them.  So, here is the list of quilty things to work on in the next couple of days:

1.  Olive garden quilt - add a couple of borders
2.  16 patch quilt - finish sashings for last row and add borders
3.  Blogger's BOM - make blocks 10 and 11 (due out tomorrow)
4.  catch up and make all the blocks with the color challenge from 15 minutes play
5.  decide on a layout for the color challenge blocks.

Now the squirrels are adding to the banging and noise by throwing down the green pine cones from the tree next door onto my porch roof which in turn causes McCallum to bark like someone is attacking the house.  Which, if you think about it, is what the little squirrels are doing with their pine cone bombs. 

Taking some Tylenol and moving on to the sewing room to block out all the excess noise with the sounds of sewing and a movie. 

Weekend Workings while Wallowing in the Wasteland

We had our second - well, officially, second - quilt-in of the year.  (remember we snuck one in during spring  break so that one doesn't officially count) I had a lot to work on this time.  Not that I got everything done, but there was quite a bit that got finished on Thursday night.  I made the peach color challenge bits and pieces to go toward putting that quilt together.  I may have changed my mind once again on how I want that quilt to go - I am thinking about putting the blocks on point with some sashing of made fabric.  That would be really beautiful, but let me get a few more weeks behind me before I make that final decision.  That is why I am just making the parts and not putting them together yet. 

Since the 25th was during this week, I also got the new Blogger's Block of the Month pattern and made my two blocks for that quilt.  I am really enjoying my process for making these blocks and can't wait until the 25th of May for the next installment.  I think we are up to block 8 in that series. 

The next thing I worked on was mentioned in one of my recent postings - the Modern 8 Create challenge for April - at least I think it's for April, it could be for May. Taking a picture of something normal around your house and then distorting it or zeroing in on something to make it not what it was. I first took a picture of my modern picture frame.



 I focused in on the dots and tried to make them elongate and the more I played with it, the more I didn't really like that idea.  So, I took a picture of my hot pink wire shelving.

While that is a fun piece in my office, it would be totally boring for me to replicate as a quilt.  Doable, but boring!  So, the next item that caught my eye, was the cool flowers on my Puff's tissue box.  Hmm, that might be fun.  Click.

Interesting.  I especially like the laughing pig in the pyramid shelving caught in the edge of that picture, but that is not what I want to work on right now.  Okay, let's put this in paint and AHHHGGG - totally frustrating!  I can't make it do anything I want it to do.  What if I put it in a word document?  Yes, that is the trick.  Now I can stretch it and squish it and totally distort the picture.  Just what I wanted.  OOPS.  The picture below isn't the finished saved version.  It is a blown up version, but not a stretched and distorted one.  Let me go on a hunt and find that one.  Just a second.

Okay, it won't let me pull it over to here without a major headache so just pretend that I did and below is the quilt I am making based on that picture.  I haven't decided on the borders yet, but this is a start.  It has been a lot of fun and everyone at Bee was interested in what I was making.  Maybe we will have a few more making an art quilt based on an everyday picture.  We will just have to wait and see. 

I also found this pear pincushion pattern out in blogger land and as soon as I find the place, I will link up so you can make one, also.  I thought the pattern was a bit on the slender/small side so I fattened it up some and now, I am not sure - even though this is totally cute, I am not sure if the slender one might have been better.  I do know that it would have been harder to sew together on my machine - not impossible - just a little tougher.  I might have to make the apple pin cushion (from the same person) using that small 1 1/4" X 3" pattern just to see if I like it.  By the way, the original pear was only 1 1/8" X 3 1/2" with dips and curves down to 1/8" at the smallest width.  (that is without the seam allowance - not to scare anyone)  I might have to sew another one by hand.  Oh, one other thing, actually two other things.  The stem is a piece of brown strip - about 1" wide and 10" long rolled tightly and then the end tucked back on itself and hand stitched down.  Then I took two pieces of fabric and fused them wrong sides together and cut out a leaf shape.  I stitched all that to the top by hand.  The stem is a little tricky, but I got it to stay on there really well.  If you try it and can't figure out how to attach the stem, e-mail me and I will give you my technique. 

My friend Kathy made these adorable owl pin cushions - one is for her Stocking swap box!!  I may have to swipe her pattern and make me a few, also.  They are adorable and I don't know if you can see the middle one or not.  According to our friend, Gerrie, he has a massive headache. 

Thank goodness his headache was all gone by the time he left for home!