I love being "forced" to stay home. Like when I was teaching and we had snow days. I see no reason, now that I am retired, to give up snow days. So I take them happily. The Chicago Public Schools were closed Friday because of the weather, and of course I had to honor their decision. My sister came in the day before to pick up the various Hungry Caterpillar projects, and now I'm turning the studio over to all things Chris.
My sister-in-law Chris, John's sister, sold her Oak Park house and moved to Orlando the end of January. This
colorful log cabin was something I started in early January with Chris's daughter Molly in mind (not knowing whether Molly would like this). Chris told me that she really liked it and that it probably wouldn't fit into Molly's bedroom. So...HOUSEWARMING PRESENT FOR CHRIS!!!!! The piano key border is stunning although a lot of work. But I love the end result.
This weather has been perfect for all the little bits of sewing required. And for the pin-basting. And for starting the quilting. I wondered a couple of days ago whether I could get this finished in time for our early March trip to Orlando. The answer: you betcha.
Not only do I have a sister-in-law named Chris, I have a nephew named Chris, and guess where he lives. Yep, Orlando. And guess who is having their first child? Yep, Chris and his wife Andi.
Andi has chosen navy, khaki, green, and white for the baby's room. A baby Trip Around The World is going to be perfect for these colors. Notice the little bit of green grunge in the corner. I love this fabric and may have to use some of it in the back of the quilt. Andi's baby shower is in early March, and that's the primary reason we're heading down there. But of course we'll be staying with Chris and her husband Jerry. Turns out they live two miles away from Chris and Andi. So convenient!
Meanwhile, on the first floor I've been hand quilting this big Trip Around the World from those wonderful Janet Clare
Wordsmith fabrics. I took a tip from
Chawne Kimber and am combining machine quilting with hand quilting. And I must say I like this look very much. Besides, it's cold out and sitting under a quilt while working on it is rather perfect. Let John call me Betsy Ross all he wants to. Sometimes as I work on a quilt, it comes to me who it is for. This one? for grandson Sammy. He's in Northern Michigan, and this is one warm and big quilt!
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| A look at the combination of the machine and hand quilting. |
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Every year, for the past 11 years, I have printed out my blog. It's pretty exciting to see this record of what I've done. I do wish I had been better about keeping track of what I have made and where various projects are. But these books help a bit.
I can put a picture on the front of the book as well as on the back. So these books give me a chance to review what I've done in the past year and which projects I want to put on the cover and back. My tribute to all things 8.5" x 11, which is in my dining room, won out for the front. And the Glam Clam that was hand-pieced and hand-quilted won out for the back.
Gotta get back to all thing Chris!
