3 down, a gillion to go….lol

Here are the first three completed turtle blocks of gillion for the unknown number of turtle/tortoise quilts. I can’t finish the tortoise blocks because I don’t have the money to get the background fabric at the moment. I’d like/hope to be able, after the first of May, be able to find some beidge/light tan batik for the background of the tortoise blocks since the turtle blocks have a blue batik background and both the turtles and tortoises use the rusty batik fabric.

 

This is Norman my furbaby as of this morning. He’s grown some since I first got him, and he’s developed the “I own you” attitude of every macho chihuahua! We’ve got an application in to able to get him nutered for $10 instead of having to pay full price of $85. Hopefully we’ll back on that within the next 2-3 weeks.

 

Turtles and Tortoises

There are over 250 species of turtles. The fesh and salt water dwellers are called turtles and the land dwellers are called tortoises. So the blue backgroud blocks with the green on the outside rim are the turtles. When I get the beidge material for background with the green on the inside of the “shell”, those will be tortoises. This is the first turtle block in progress of appliquing the turtle on to the “water” background. The shiney bit in the midle of the block is the needle….lol!

 

TurtleMania

God bless my dh! I was saying how I’d soon have to stop working on the turtles for my quilt and work on the turtles for dgd’s quilt because I just didn’t have enough differant green fabrics to make mine looke good. So today dh gave me the little bit of $$ to get some fabrics! I got 18 differant, 19 total, straight 1/8ths of green fabrics. The strip on the far right, yes that’s just one, I got two of because it has that panel on both ends that takes up a bit of fabric.

Now if made according to the pattern there’s only 8 turtles per quilt/wall hanging. With the three good fabrics that I have, that makes 21, so that’s a possible total of 42 differant turtles! So obviously I am either enlarging the quilt, or I am making more than one. Possibly I may even do both, enlarge the quilt and make more than one of them. I have yet to decide fully.

 

My Long Awaited Return!!!

I may, or maynot, one day explain why I was gone from “blogland” for so long. Sufice it to say that for now, at the very least, I am back.

This is the current quilty project that I am working on. I am, or rather soon will be, working on it in a “two at once” fashion. In other words, I’ll be doing two quilts at once! Okay, not quite. I’ll be constructing the turtles for two quilts at the same time, but not doing the blocks just yet.

This is a badly out of focus picture of the first turtle applique that I finished for this quilt. When I get alot more turtle appliques finished, I’ll see about barrowing Erchin’s brandspanking new digital vidio/still camera, which takes much better pics than mine does I can tell you that (TY to his Godmother!). This quilt if made as directed, comes out about crib/wall hanging size. I am doing a wall hanging to hand on the huge staircase wall. I also want to do a more brightly colored version, with much wider borders than called for in the pattern, for Summer (grand daughter).

 

Edited to add:

Click on any picture to go to a larger view.

 

Pink Plaid Lady

This is a painting that my daughter-in-law painted and gave to me. I am unsure what it’s proper tittle is, so I call it the “Pink Plaid Lady”.

 

My New Fur Baby!!!

He was a rescue dog. The folks who rescued him had an older dog that didn’t care for him so they gave him to me. My mother went shopping and set me up with the basics: fabreeze, for pet odors; dog toys; dog treats, three differant kinds; dog collar; dog leash; dog cage; etc. Dad and my grandma brought him over here when dad got off of work today. I present to you…………………..Norman, my new fur baby!!!!!

 

Taco, Pins, Reclaimation Assistance

This is what I refer to as “reclamation fabric”. It is the fabric that for about three years served as the curtains in the kitchen window at the “dump/slum house”. I nolonger have a kitchen window, or need for kitchen curtain. But I absolutely love this fabric and I did make these in such a way that I could easily reclaim the fabric. The prints are just two differant color runs of the same print. The tan was cut and made into a long cafe panel that ran across the top of the window. The red is just one big panel.

Do I make placemats? Do I make coasters? I could use both. Decisions, decisions, decisions.

This is both sides of the same pin cushion. If you know the “Dear Jane” quilt, then you should recognize this pattern as H12. I made it for Bianca for PIF, and it will be mailed (with pins included!) first week of January. So if you too would like a nifty handmade goody, it may be sewn or knitted or crocheted, then scroll down to the PIF entry and say so. I have two more openings!

This is TACO, my parents’ chihuahua. I am babysitting Taco, have been overnight. He is the sweetest and most lovable little one! I want a little chihuahua of my very own now. DH said I could have one if I saved up the $$, so I guess I better start saving.

 

Facing Seasonal Facts

Lets face some facts of the season:  (1)I am not going to be able to make daily posts right now, saying I’ll try is just living in denial! (2)Tis the season to avoid sappy emotional television specials, and special versions of regular programs. (3)Winter weather can suck, no sugar coating it, it just plain sucks! (4)Starting to drive during the winter after 24 years of not doing so, can and often does suck! (5) It’s best I keep my political opinions to myself, I’d piss off too many people if I posted them and it’s just not the season to make enemies.

Hey, speaking of being pissed off, I am a little peaved at y’all. No one has posted under my Pay It Forword! I am serious, post a comment and I’ll make something crafty for the first three requesting it. I’ll contact you to get your information and get the item to you withing first 6 months of 2008, no garuntees of it being any quicker! (Don’t post request in comments for this post, comment under PIF!)

 

Stupid Servers………RRRRgh

I have been trying for an hour to even get the SWAP-BOT.COM page to come up, but keep getting the “Internet Explorer cannot display this page…..blah ….blah….blah….” type message instead! I have new rating, not a clue as to what they are because I cannot get on! I received ATC’s from a swap I am in but cannot give someone their ratings or let anyone know, because I cannot get on! I’ll give it one last try tonight then I am going to go bed and try again tomorrow.

 

Pay It Forward

 I left a comment on Cathicraft’s blog ( http://cathicrafts.wordpress.com/ ) and have now joined in a round of Pay it Forward! Here are the rules:

It’s the Pay It Forward Exchange. It’s based of the concept of the movie “Pay it Forward” where acts or deeds of kindness are done without expecting something in return, just passing it on, with hope that the recipients of the acts of kindness are passed on. You all know I’m already a PIF type of person. So here’s how it works. I will make and send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment to this post on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange. I do not know what that gift will be yet, and it won’t be sent this month, probably not next month, but it will be sent (within 6 months) and that’s a promise! What YOU have to do in return, then, is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog.

And yes I “barrored” the graphic and the rules from her blog. Hopefully she won’t mind, even if I don’t make it into her exchange I am still going to “Pay It Forward”.