Near Disaster!!

OMG!!  It finally happened!! Yesterday afternoon I was outside with Sam when I heard a shout, looked up and saw the ground give way and a big piece of construction equipment fall into the ditch they were digging. I ran inside, got the phone and called 911. By the time I got back outside, they had gotten the driver out and said that he was okay. I relayed that to the dispatcher and went back inside to get my camera. That only took about 30 seconds, and when I got back outside someone was shouting for an ambulance!  Go figure! 

The police and ambulance had to wait for Big Yellow to move some dirt and tamp it down so they could get to the injured driver.

Short story......the driver apparently had minor injuries and is okay. The crew spent two more hours digging out enough dirt so that Big Yellow and Big Blue could get in there with cables to lift the fallen equipment back on its wheels. It had kind of jack-knifed when it fell over, so they pulled and heaved to straighten it somewhat. It took awhile to get it running again, and someone actually was able to drive it out. Unbelievable! There were a few things broken and banged and dented, but it didn't look too bad considering everything that happened.

I did take lots of pictures, but too many to post at one time.  This whole project has created some really dangerous situations, and I don't think this accident will convince the city that some kind of precautions need to be exercised. Lots of unstable ground, kids climbing the piles, curious nuts trying to drive down, and even a dirt bike or two.


This morning the power company took their truck out from our side yard without too much damage. Yes, the pole is still standing!

Paradigm Shift

Last Monday one of my friends and I went to visit Thimbles and Threads quilt shop in Draper, UT. Cathie (owner) has been busy, busy, busy updating most everything in the shop, an open house, getting ready for the shop hop in June, along with everything else she does. Now I'm busy, busy, busy (along with some of my other friends) making shop samples.....yes, I left the shop with lots of fabric for two quilt tops. This is the first one, from the current issue of McCall's, called Paradigm Shift. I really like the asymmetrical setting for this one.

Should something be called "work" if you really love doing it? I love making shop samples! It allows me to play with new fabrics, try new patterns or ideas, improve my piecing skills, and above all, use colors or textures that I normally might avoid.

Best of Show - Paducah

Sue McCarty, of Roy, UT has been awarded the BEST OF SHOW at the AQS show going on in Paducah this week.  Wow!  Her quilt, Tribute to Tolkien, won best of show at the HMQS last year, and has also won awards in CA and TX. Sue is a true quilt artist.  If you'd like to see the award presentation, click on the following link www.wpsdlocal6.com/news/local/91670204.html to watch the news video of the award ceremony.
I've had a couple of quilts quilted by Sue and they are wonderful. Now I can say that I know a soon to be famous quilter.  Way to go, Sue!

Road Construction Update

Okay! Last Friday, the power company, city planners, and the engineer were here and we ended up with a BIG truck in our side yard holding the power pole so it didn't fall into the big dig. Well, it's still here, still holding onto the power pole ( was only going to be 2-3 days). The retaining wall looks like it's almost up where the pole is, but there is a long way to go until it is finished. Unfortunatly, Mother Nature has not been very cooperative the past three days. Wednesday afternoon we had rain and hail, but some of the crew worked through it. Oh, yeah....there was a lot of lightening as well. Yesterday brought more rain and as you can see in these pictures it created quite a mud hole. Then this morning, out came the yellow tape (see top picture) after a meeting of the minds. We don't know why this part is taped off, but it doesn't instill much confidence in the safety of our neighbors or ourselves. Yes, it's still raining and the mud is increasing.

These pictures are all taken from our upper deck so you can see just how close all of this digging is to our house. What's really scarry is an article in the paper and on the news, yesterday and today about mudslides and rock retaining walls giving way and a house on the verge of sliding down to visit the neighbors below them.

Now that I've vented a little, it's time to get some sewing done. I've got 42 quilt blocks finished and ready to put together.....black, white, and lime green. You can see it when the top is together.

Chaos 12x12 project

Finally! It's finished! This really represents my creative life....decisions, decisions, decisions! I used a small panel for the crazy lady, enlarged it, cut her arms off and switched them from being on her hips to holding fabric up. She started out as a nurse, so I cut off her cap, used "Texture Magic" on a piece of gray fabric which became her brain, and thread tangles (from the dryer) for her hair. The words were printed on fabric as well, and the little bits and pieces are simply fused on. Once I decided on trying the Texture Magic, everything else just kind of fell into place. Oh, she also has beads for earrings and her jumper is colored with marker and colored pencil. This was a fun piece to make. Hope you all enjoy it.

More Road Construction!

Yesterday was very interesting.  A very nice guy from our power company came to tell us that he was very concerned that the power pole on the back corner of our yard was going to fall into the gully that's been created by the construction crew.  One of the anchor cables was exposed when the big blue machine was moving more dirt for the retaining wall.  Mother Nature just doesn't like having her surface re-contoured like that.  Solution?  Back a big power company truck into our side yard, break our plum tree branches, put a choke hold on the power pole, and leave it like that until the construction crew gets the retaining wall up and everything stabilized.

If that's not enough to be concerned about, there is a 20-25 foot drop-off from the edge of the grassy area to where they are digging.  No retaining wall there yet either, and the edge is so unstable that our dog won't go near it because the sand/dirt gives way.  It seems to be mostly sand and since they've taken all the trees and undergrowth out there really doesn't seem like there is anything there to keep us from sliding right down to the creek.  Just pray that we don't have an earthquake here....there was a 4.6 quake not too far north of us on Friday afternoon that was felt in three states.

This big yellow guy is directly behind our house as viewed from our upper deck.  There isn't much more than 20 - 25 feet if that between the house and edge of the grass.

Big Blue is right underneath the power pole piling up dirt and retainers.  So, big yellow behind us, big blue to the right and big power truck beside the house.  Very interesting. I watched some of the "Big Dig" in Boston and now this, and I'm convinced that sometimes these guys just think they are in a big sandbox with their toy trucks, having fun moving the dirt and then putting some back again. No disrespect intended, that's just what it looks like to me. They really do work hard at what they do and it is fascinating to watch how precise these heavy equipment operators are with these huge shovels. So, now to enjoy a quiet weekend without any more drama.

Florida Trip

How's this for a backyard visitor!! The picture is a bit fuzzy because I'm taking it from inside the pool cage (screened in area). She doesn't look too big in this picture, but she was the size of my Brittany Spaniel, Sam. She stayed and watched all of us watching her, for about ten minutes, and then just sauntered away. I did go out and try to get another picture, but she was a bit too far away. There is also a resident raccoon and a few bunnies, but they didn't hang around long enough to have their pictures taken.



The main reason for my trip was to help take care of Makayla and Tyler, my two youngest grandkids while my daughter, Karen, had back surgery. I had so-o-o much fun with them.  We went to the park, did a little shopping, colored Easter eggs, went to Fisherman's Village, and the Military Museum. There was a time-out, too, because they had to find out just how far I would let them go! lol  It seemed once was enough.
They even made some yo-yo's for one of my quilts!

This is a shot of the marina at Fisherman's Village.  I didn't get any pictures of any of the really big yachts. It was just a gorgeous day to spend outside.

I came home to snow on the ground and lots of snow in the mountains!

Trunk Show

Robyn Orchard presented a wonderful trunk show at the Ogden Quilt Guild meeting this afternoon. Ogden's theme for this year is how to use your scraps to make beautiful quilts. One of the best web sites for patterns and ideas for using scraps is Bonnie Hunter's site at

www.quiltville.com . There is a lot of information and tips for cutting and storing strips, bricks, and squares of various sizes which Bonnie calls her "scrap savers system". Robyn showed us just how beautiful quilts made from scraps can be. Organizing all those bins and boxes of fabric can be daunting if you try to do it all at once. Instead, Robyn suggests limiting your cutting and sorting time into 15 minute segments. When the timer goes off, walk away and do someting else unless you are on a roll, then set the timer for another 15 minutes. It really is amazing how many strips, bricks and squares you can cut in what seems like a short amount of time.

Here are a few more beauties!

Quilts for Cars

Oh, yes!  Quilters love their craft and they really love to let everyone know just how much they love it!  Quilts were originally intended as bed coverings to keep you warm.  Most of them were made with scraps that were from old clothing or traded with other quilters.  Fast forward 100+ years and we make "lap" quilts to snuggle under while watching TV or reading, wall quilts (hangings) to help insulate our homes, art quilts, and more.  There are quilt blocks painted on barns and even tours to see this wonderful artwork.  What else are quilters doing with orphan blocks?  Click on the link below to see just how creative we quilters are!!

 http://quiltspluscolor.blogspot.com/2010/04/in-spring-quilters-fancy-turns-to-quilt

First Spring Daffodil

This is the one and only flower that has decided it might be spring! Wrong! It rained and then snowed yesterday!! I spent eight days in Florida helping my daughter who had surgery. The weather was a warm 82 - 83 F (hot) . The daily reports from Utah was snow, snow, snow...enough to need the snowblower.

Hubby had to have sinus surgery this past Friday and can't smell much right now, but should be able to really "smell the roses" this year. Lots of leaf buds on the trees and tulips poking through the ground, uh, snow, so my favorite time of year is almost here.

Finished Tote Bag

This bag will be perfect for my upcoming trip and the next quilting retreat. The pattern is from "The Creative Thimble" and their instructions were easy to follow and understand. The zippered inside pocket is big enough to hold my laptop and the other five inside pockets will make it easier to find things. There are two pockets on the front and a full width pocket on the back along with a luggage strap. The side pockets can hold a good sized water bottle or whatever. I didn't take a picture of the top of the bag, but it has a full zipper so nothing will fall out! I'm really happy with the way it turned out and can't wait to put it to use.

"ADA"

Yea! I finished "angel doll" last evening! She was designed by Debra of Wattlebee Designs. Debra had a giveaway on her blog and I won! That seldom happens. I had been visiting her website trying to decide which pattern I wanted to order (they are all so-o-o cute) when I got the e-mail that I was a winner. Now I have to order another one to make, don't you think? Ada measures 19.5" and is designed to hang on a wall, so she will keep me company in my sewing room (studio?).

If you want to visit her site it is: http://wattlebeedesigns.com.au

Time to get back to finishing some ufo's.......... so I can start some more?

Thimbles and Threads

Thimbles and Threads in Draper has a new owner! Cathie is a quilter and already had a long-arm quilting business, so she really knows what quilters want. She has a lot of plans for her new shop, so if your travels take you to the SLC area, stop by to see the shop. There will be an open house in April and I made this top as a shop sample. The pattern is from the Moda Bake Shop called "I'm Blushing" and uses a Blush jelly roll. The designer of this quilt is Natalia Bonner and I think she lives here in Utah, too. 

 Cathie is going to put this little quilt in the bathroom in her new shop.  It was so much fun to make. I used the wrong side of the white fabric for part of the rolls to make it look like the unprinted side of the rolls.  This was made using some of the Blush fabric line....can you tell I really like this fabric!

Blooming Christmas Cactus

Here we go again! This plant had so many blossoms the first time it bloomed that I thought it was done for the year. Well, it has continued to produce a few flowers since last fall, and now has about a dozen more buds. Yes, it still blooms with red and white tinged with a bit of pink. Someone told me not to move or turn the plant while it is blooming because that will cause the buds to fall. I haven't touched it and I think she's right! Just had to share because we all love flowers.....especially with two inches of snow outside! I'm so-o-o ready for spring. We've been teased with some really nice sunny days, but I want more!!

2010 or 2011 Valentine Quilt?

I started this little quilt a few days before Valentine's Day, and finished it a few days after Valentine's Day. The question becomes.....was I late finishing it for 2010, or am I really early for 2011?!? Since I usually decide to make something just before the event and race like mad to make the deadline, this time I just went with the flow. So....I'm going to say I'm ready for next year! Doing the free motion quilting for this quilt taught me that by just relaxing a bit, without a deadline, gave me the rhythm needed to make it a fun thing to do.

The whole point of this comes down to one of two things: give yourself plenty of time to enjoy and finish a project, or accept the fact that you won't get it finished in time, but it will be ready in plenty of time for next year. Will I follow my own advice? Probably not.

Quilts For Kids

This little crib quilt came as a free kit from Quilts for Kids. The kit had a pattern, strips cut to size, backing fabric and a label. The fabric is wonderful, current, and bright. All you have to provide is the batting, a little time, and the return postage! The finished quilts are distributed all around the US to various hospitals and groups. I was very happy when I opened the package and saw that the fabric was really good quality and the pre-cut strips were straight and the right size! Now I just have to wash it and send it back to the organization. How easy is that? I know, I know.....a lot of folks will say that the quilts we make for charity should stay in our own area, but this is a national organization that distributes quilts where they are needed. The makers of "Downy Fabric Softener" has partnered with "Quilts For Kids" to provide 10,000 quilts to children in hospitals.

If you'd like more info, visit Downy.com/HelpingKids or to request a kit, go to Quiltsforkids.org

BOM Placemat

One of the guilds I belong to is doing a block of the month, but after so many years of doing these, it becomes a question of what to do with these blocks. So, this year I have decided to make placemats. Thanks to 3 Creative Studios for the idea. Check out their blog for some really good ideas and freebies. Anyway, the first block is "paper pinwheels". It had a plain 6" center so I decided to replace it with a pinwheel, added borders to the sides and this is the result. I won three, one yard pieces, from the same line in 2003! It's wonderful fabric but really didn't go with anything I had or any project on my to do list. Sad that it had to wait so long to become part of something but I'm happy with the way it turned out. If you look close there is some of the salmon-y color in the little flowers.

Finger Painting?!

I'm almost (notice I said "almost") embarrassed to post these pictures, but we had too much fun not to share. The first picture shows the gelatin "plate" with a few squirts of paint on it, paint bottles, and Brandy's hands. You can make the plates in any shape....we had rectangle, round, domed, and large square ones. It's really amazing just how tough and firm these things are! We were able to pick them up, wipe or rinse them off with water, plus you can re-use them for several weeks if you store them in the fridge. Just make sure they are well labeled....can you just imagine what would happen if someone tried to eat some?

Okay, next picture is Kaye's large square plate with various colors on it. See the big comb? That really created some interesting patterns. Once the paint is on, a piece of pfd fabric is carefully laid on top and pressed into the paint. We used a brayer, rolling pin, combs, and a baker's bench knife, not forgetting to mention our hands, to spread all that paint around. The gelatin plate "gave" just enough to allow us to push and skoosh and smush all we wanted. It really was like being in kindergarten or even pre-school.

Yep, those are Brandy's hands again. We gave up on the plastic gloves! Acrylic paint washes off!

It took us awhile to figure out that we were probably using way too much paint........some of the pieces are stiff as a board! Think a sewing machine needle will go through 1/4" of paint? We tied a clothes line across the kitchen to hang some pieces and the rest are on the floor. Now the big challenge is what on earth will we do with these? Some are "very interesting", our polite way of saying yuk, but you just have to imagine some neat stitching and embellishing on them.

Yo-yo's and Applique

Yo-yo's....I need many, many more of these cute little things! This project was put away for awhile (not telling how long!), and almost forgotten. It seems that January is the month to dig out our ufo's or phd's and make a list of those projects begging to be finished and this one was yelling pretty loud. Anyhow, the pattern calls for 384 yo-yo's. Yes, 384!! Not to mention all the applique and bias stems! Each hexagon block has 6 yo-yo's.......that comes out to a lot of blocks, 64 to be exact. Time to re-think this project even though I love, love the finished quilt, it needs to be quite a bit smaller. The design comes from Barb Adams and Alma Allen of Blackbird Designs and is in their book "Lovina's Pressed Flowers".

There are just too many new and exciting patterns, fabric, and techniques that I want to try, to ever get everything finished. Example in point: tomorrow three of my friends are coming over to play with jello! I just put my gelatin "plate" in the fridge to harden. Phil just rolls his eyes and shakes his head when strange things happen around here. Anyway, what does fabric, gelatin, and paint equal? Check back in a few days to find out. If you subscribe to Quilting Arts magazine, check out the cover of the Aug/Sept issue for a hint.