2/3/11

I shouldn't...but I do

I am a rule follower. Just ask Sydney. I am a rule follower. That's what the rules are there for.

Except when I need to bend the rules a bit.

When you make a quilt for Project Linus, you aren't supposed to sign it. And, I sorta don't. But, I do put this cool embroidery of kokopeli dancers in each of my Linus quilts. Unobtrusive, not overbearing, not drawing attention to myself, not giving the receiver a way to contact me. But, they're there. In a way that I doubt that even Project Linus could object to. My mark. Not an X like people used to sign with, but a mark, nonetheless. This is an embroidery pattern that's programmed into my Pfaff, so just load a colorful thread, add a stabilizer and let her rip.


I've started stitching on the February quilt. I'm joining all the smaller pieces into 9 1/2 inch blocks. Most of the smaller pieces are assembled. I did it the other day, when I didn't have anything else easy to sew and I didn't want to start anything new and complex. Now that they're together, I've piled them in my Linus basket with three other quilts that are started for Linus and all the other 9 1/2" blocks so that I can lay them out and put them together quickly. Because I have so much going on this month, I want to piece the quilt one weekend and then quilt it another, maybe even leaving the binding until a third weekend. I just need it finished sometime this month. These are some of the pieced blocks. The fish fabric near the left is my focus fabric.
See the ball of yarn in a couple of these pics? That is me darning a handmade sock. A sock that the dadgummed dog chewed a hole in. She's gotten to two pair of my hand made socks. She doesn't like the cheap white ones. She goes for the handmade wool or wool/cotton blends. Dratted dog. And, the spool of thread on the opposite side of the oil bottle is what's left of a thread that she got into and chewed the outside layers off of. She's a very anxious dog and will chew on anything. The more I don't want her to, the more likely she is to give it a try. I caught her headed out of the sewing room last night with a brand new ball of sock yarn in her mouth because no one was paying attention to her. Poor thing. You remember that pic a few days back of me rubbing her belly. Poor thing.

This picture is of Sydney's fabrics that she is cutting for her quilt. She has refused to do the math to figure out how big it will be, preferring to cut blocks and then lay them out until she's finished. I let that work for her until last night when she was ready to cut the borders and I told her that she had to figure out the size before she could cut the borders. "Whhhhyyyyyyy?" Fortunately, this was at bedtime and I didn't have to explain. But, tonight, we'll be working it out. Should I give her a calculator or make her do it on paper? Goodness knows she could use the practice. And, it would be so mean.....Mwaaahaaahaaaa


And, this is my progress in the men's shirt sew along. I got the button placket in the left front side and got the pocket attached. I used what I've learned in applique to shape the curves and they were really easy for me. I noticed that Peter did something similar using cardboard instead of freezer paper and he clipped his curves instead of pleating them over like we do in applique. But, I'm thinking they look pretty good. This is the muslin, so I wasn't interested in whether the strips matched, so of course, when I finished, I saw that they were close enough to make it look like an accident. But, it wasn't. Or, maybe it's an accident that I got so close when I wasn't trying. Of course, if I had been trying, I would have been more like a half inch off than an eighth. ;-)

Okay, that's it for me. The elevated project I'm working on is having some issues...a bit of a sluggish start. Yesterday was a day fraught with opportunities for me to make a mistake; sort of like walking in a minefield. I woke up this morning, way before the alarm, very stressed. So, I got up and went to the sewing room and started working and clearing off and giving myself a good talking to about how this isn't my fault and my success lies in my ability to roll with the punches WITH A SMILE ON MY FACE. Gradually, I relaxed and by the time that Rob left, I was feeling better and by the time that I woke Sydney, my shoulders had relaxed and by the time I left for work, I was whistling. So, I guess all's well that ends well.

Take care and have a great Thursday. I've pulled my smile out of my pocket and pasted it on...I remind myself of Melanie Hamilton, always smiling and graceful, even during war.

Crap! I'm more like Melanie Hamilton during the burning of Atlanta...needy and weak and prone to faint.

Lane

5 comments:

lw said...

I love the dancer embroidery-- and so will the kids the quilts will go to-- they look like they're having fun.

My daughter's dog Moxie is also anxious and will chew up anything handy-- clothes, CDs, books. After the last episode, our vet told us that she's anxious when she's alone because she feels she has to guard the den-- the entire house-- and knows she isn't up to the task, so she gets anxious. She recommended crating her or limiting her to a small space when her family is out. It works great. No missing bras or chewed up CDs since.

Becky said...

Lane, you make me smile....weak, needy and prone to faint. You are one of the strongest people I know! Now the prone to faint part I don't know about.....but it WOULD work if there was a nasty job to be done!!! :)

Becky (My Fabric Obsession) said...

I'm a rule follower too. I really have to force myself not to follow them. It's just ingrained in me! Love your embroidery though, that's a great personal touch to your charity quilts!
Cracking up at your daughter not wanting to measure. Give the girl a calculator - you want her to keep quilting don't you? By hand would just be torture. :)

Unknown said...

I think the focus fabric for the Linus quilt is really neat. I am sure that some child will find it fascinating and give them a lot to look at. I think signing it with embroidery is a great idea and not "rule breaking" at all! Are you planning on doing a Linus quilt a month? I am hoping to get 6 projects done in one year! Boy you are ambitious!

I like your muslin and think it may come out good enough to wear. I agree that if you had tried to get that pocket perfect - it wouldn't have worked.

I am happy for and proud of Sydney for wanting to quilt. Make her measure, but with a little help! When I made a quilt for the Baby, she kept saying, "longer, longer" and now I think it is as long as 2 single beds!! I don't think their brains can figure size well!

Hope your project goes well. Just remember to breathe!

Yvonne B. said...

I liketo "sign" my quilts too I put a butterfly made with circles into the quilting.