Friday, April 19, 2013

Has it really been a week?

A week has passed since my last post. I know I must sound like a broken record but where does the time go?

I think most people who are fortunate enough to have a "hobby"...as most of us who have found their way here do...find that we are never bored.  I know I'm not.  I always manage to have some kind of project on the go to keep me busy and to occupy my mind. 

This past week I got my Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt ready to send off to my friend Alice to be custom quilted.  I'm so excited to see what magic she's going to perform and as always, she has "carte blanche" to do whatever strikes her fancy.



I also started and completed my April mini challenge quilt on Kathleen Tracy's Small Quilt board.  Kathy challenges us to complete a small quilt of her choosing every month, usually from one of her books or freebie patterns.  This month she provided us with the Contrary Wife block from which we were to create a small or mini quilt of our choosing.  

On Wednesday of this week I completed the hand quilting and binding of mine.



And the back, complete with my personalized cotton twill label.



Yesterday was another full day.

My friend Debra (no blog) and I went to our NSL (Not-So-Local) quilt shop where we purchased our Husqvarna machines for further instruction.  Debra has a Husqvarna Ruby which is a combination domestic and embroidery machine that she purchased not too long before I purchased my Sapphire 735.  



This was my second lesson and I feel so much more confident now when using it.  I started piecing another mini quilt while at the class yesterday and everything went very smoothly and my 1/4" seams were bang on!  Yippee!
In a typical friendship, friends will do favors for each other without expecting anything in return.  

Just last week Debra, Nora (another quilting friend) and I were talking about manicures and pedicures and the fact that we hadn't pampered ourselves in a VERY long time.  

On our way back home yesterday, Debra surprised me with a gift...a pedicure at a local spa!

I can assure you that my ugly feet will never be used in a foot commercial but let me tell you that I feel so elegant with my red-painted toe nails and oh sooooooo smooth soles and heels.

Now don't laugh...



Aw, come on.  You promised that you wouldn't laugh!

And guess what?  We both booked an appointment to return next month!  

Thanks, Debra!
When I arrived back home yesterday, Frankie just couldn't help himself from checking out what was in my sewing basket.


Ha, ha!  No room for you in here, Ollie!
Happy stitching!

  

36 comments:

  1. Your grandmother's flower garden came out great! :0)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Your quilt will be fabulous when quilted. Can't wait. Frankie is also awesome.

    ReplyDelete
  3. The flower garden quilt is a winner! When you were ready to scrap it did you ever think it would look so good? Lovely!
    What a great little mini quilt. Love your fabrics--your choices always work so well together.
    I'm not laughing--I've never had a pedicure. I have enough trouble just going to the foot doctor and exposing my less-than-beautiful feet.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Love that Little quilt and your tag!!!! Very cute the g f g is beautiful. Oh fun red toe nails!!!! Spring is in the air. Sandals and flip flops soon
    Kathie

    ReplyDelete
  5. Lovely photos the quilts are brilliant your cat has beautiful eyes :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks for the chuckle...ok..ok.. out and out belly laugh!! YOU are hilarious...not your feet!! :o))))
    Love your quilts!!
    P

    ReplyDelete
  7. Congratulations on GFG finish Kaaren! It is absolutely gorgeous!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Grandmother's flower quilt is BEAUTIFUL! And your mini quilt is amazing and so pretty. You sure quilt beautifully. How fun to get to be pampered. Something we all need to do:) love Annette

    ReplyDelete
  9. How fun to be pampered. You deserve it! I await the marvelous quilting to be down on your GFG. I'm clicking your link to see Kathleen Tracy's Challenge. I know I shouldn't but I love the look of your mini and can't resist.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I must stop at the local spa soon to get a pedicure AND a manicure. It's been a long, long time for me, too. Sometimes I wonder why I spend the time and money on my nails and then come home and hand quilt or knit!!!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Your GFG quilt is gorgeous! I love the borders you've put on it. It's good to pamper ourselves! Have you had a facial? I think that should be next on the list!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Both quilts look beautiful. I always live a pedicure. My feet feel like they are walking on clouds for days

    ReplyDelete
  13. Your flower garden quilt will be a family treasure - that's quite an achievement because that's a lot of handwork - it's beautiful. Red is my color of choice for tootsie time weather - doesn't it feel good to pamper yourself once in awhile and to enjoy it with friends is even more special.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Your Grandmother's Flower Garden looks amazing, can't wait to see what she does with it. I heard that you and Debra took a little detour, looks like you had a great time!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Love both your GFG quilt and the Contrary quilt. Great fabrics in both. As for the toes...too cute! Today was sandal weather!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Nos tenemos que dar de vez en cuando un capricho, y por supuesto al mes que viene otra vez al spa. Me encantan tus pequeños quilt. Besos.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Nos tenemos que dar de vez en cuando un capricho, y por supuesto al mes que viene otra vez al spa. Me encantan tus pequeños quilt. Besos.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Love all that you do!!!! Your quilts are gorgeous!! A gain I cant wait to see the flower garden quilted!!!
    A pedicure...Heaven and I promise I did not laugh at your foot.!!!!!
    Kaaren, I am working on a small quilt right now too and you may have mentioned before but what thread do you use for your hand quilting? I might like to try hand quilting this one when it's pieced.

    ReplyDelete
  19. kaaren.
    Your quilt if beautiful. I am sure you will enjoy it

    ReplyDelete
  20. I can't wait to see the quilting on your quilt!! And I love your small quilt.

    I didn't laugh at your red toes. I think that there is nothing better than a pedicure. It's my one indulgence every month or so.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Your GFG is beautiful, Kaaren. And that mini is adorable. Way to go!

    I must admit - I did snicker when I saw your cute little piggies. LOL I haven't pampered my feet in a very long time. Lately I've been thinking that my little piggies and I would enjoy a little pampering. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  22. The gfg looks good, can't wait to see what the quilter does with it. It always impresses me what longarm quilters do.

    Like the toes, you go girl! Be bold!

    Don't you just love the name contrary wife. It fits me.
    Always planned to make a quilt with that bock. Thanks for the reminder.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Love the quilts. Isn't fun to be pampered -- and you get to go again in a month!

    ReplyDelete
  24. My philosophy is this. If God meant me to do my own toenails he would have put them close enough to my eyes that I could see what I was doing. Enjoy!

    ReplyDelete
  25. can't wait to see how the GFG gets quilted.
    Your little quilt is adorable.
    Pedicures are an affordable luxury, I just love them!!

    ReplyDelete
  26. That Grandmother's Flower Garden is amazing. That will be so pretty all quilted.

    ReplyDelete
  27. I'm sure I speak for many of us in saying I can't wait to see the Grandmothers Flower Garden after it's quilted! Very cute CW block... love the fabrics you used!

    ReplyDelete
  28. Love what you did with the edges of the Grandmother's quilt. Amazing finish - especially when you were so unsure of how to proceed. Great job! And you're not alone with the ugly feet (although I didn't think they were ugly!) My daughter tells me mine are the ugliest in the world - and no you will not be seeing them anytime soon!! Have a great weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  29. How nice to pamper yourselves, I think we girls don't do enough of that in our lives!!! The only colour to paint toe nails is 'red', otherwise what's the point LOL!!!! Good for you, having hand and foot massages too is the most relaxing!!!!
    Look forward to seeing your GFG quilted up, and you did a nice job of selecting fabrics for April's Challenge too, I've made a small one, hopefully get some handquilting done on it today!!!

    ReplyDelete
  30. I LOVE your little quilt, Kaaren! The color combinations are perfect! I happen to be making a little quilt at this very moment with similar colors for the 4th of July! I think you red toenails are quite elegant ;>) Now for some great shoes to show them off - right? Looks like Frankie finally found his very own basket he doesn't have to share!
    Cheers!

    ReplyDelete
  31. I love your grandmother's flower garden. I've always wondered how other people quilt those too so I'm looking forward to seeing how she does it.

    Overall, how do you like your machine for piecing? Have you done any quilting with it too?

    ReplyDelete
  32. You are funny. A nice red toe can really lift the spirit. It is a cute thing really!!!

    ReplyDelete
  33. Your flowergarden looks so wonderful. I`m looking forward to see the quilting.
    Your cat`s blue eyes are so fantastic.

    Grit from Germany

    ReplyDelete
  34. love the quilts, love the toes!
    My DD gave me a gift of a pedi 2 years ago and I've never looked back...
    good for you for booking next month.
    Can't wait to see what projects you have up your sleeve next :-)

    ReplyDelete

I try to reply to all comments and would love to reply to yours, especially if you have a question. However, I can't unless you have your email address visible in your settings.