Trying to podcast is sometimes like…

calling a really good friend and getting a busy signal! Frustrating; but you really really want to talk so you keep trying.

My frustration is trying to coordinate ‘time’ with ‘umph’ – you know what I mean?  Because I know that it will be long phone call – so much to say, catch up on, laugh about – but it has been so long that I wouldn’t even know where to start!

I need to tell you guys about so much! Moving; the house; the sewing set-up; the latest project (this is a goodie for everyone), and so much more!

My parents are in town at the moment but I promise – a new episode filled with quilty goodness is SO on the way!

Now for a pretty picture…. From the NQA show … and a UFO of mine… inspiration to finish!

Landscape Quilts and a crazy lady

Before we get onto the crazy lady portion of the post – I thought I should start with some pretty pictures because without pictures;  the blog police come out. (just kidding – aka quilt police).

Anyway.

This quilt was so delicious in person.  Literally stopped me in my tracks! I couldn’t believe that this was actually made up of BLOCKS and not just a whole cloth! Unbelievable seam matching!

Sorry the last one is blurry…

Onto the CRAZY LADY Portion of the post. In order of appearance.

1 – Moving:

• Packers coming on Monday
• TWO 3 year olds constantly underfoot. Wanting to play arts and crafts with everything I am trying pack.
• Why am I packing – see above – because the packers cannot lay their uckyiness (no offense) on my pristine fabric – because I have a feeling we are talking long term storage in boxes and I need to label it all PERFECTLY so that I can find it one day – because no one loves my treasures the way I do. You understand.
• Racing to put ‘like items together’ so that the packers don’t put weird things together in a box. It makes unpacking a night mare.  I am even trying to round up all of my tension rods (weird obsession, I know, but I use them for everything!).
• Making yet another ‘run’ to the donation center today. How much stuff we don’t need is truly remarkable. And how much of it was brought from California in the first place is even more remarkable.
• Gathering up all of the kids clothes that they have grown out of. Third round. We knew we were moving in February. Round One. Summer came. Round Two. They keep growing! Round Three. And giving to a neighbour that can make good use of them. EXCEPT of course for the precious articles that I can’t bare to part with. Wait until the next move, I guess.
• Fruit Flies!!! I hate them. Enough said.
• Still have to go through the kitchen and get rid of weird food items like shmushed granola bars.
• Etc. Etc. Etc.

2 – Car:

• Hey, why not get a new car? I mean, it’s not like I’m busy or anything, right?
• Jarrod says I am definitely manic because I went out for milk and came home with a new car. No, seriously.
• Truly the easiest and smoothest transaction I have ever partaken in – so odd, eh? And a really good sale.

3 – Selling the house:

• Can you believe that 3 days before we are to move out of our own private Athens we receive a BID ON THE HOUSE!!!! A truly pitiful offer, really. Still in the counter your counter offer phase but pretty sure the deal will go through because we are basically giving away the cow, the milk, the milk carton, the fridge to keep it cold in, the glass – you get the picture. I am just happy that we are not in a worse off position like so many others are. At least we will pay off our mortgage. But the renovations? Free. Getting back what we paid for the house? No.
• Realtor just called. Sold!

4 – Goodbye parties:

• Thankful that people give a hoot about us and want to ‘say goodbye’ but why in the last few days before we move when we have a zillion things to do? Like right now, I have to load the (new!) car with the donation run and then pick something up to bring to the potluck (why we have to bring something I don’t know but whatever) and then go to said potluck. Bye bye rest of today.

5 – Sanity:

• I have assembled little ‘kits’ of my own for 2 projects in addition to the ongoing Grandmother’s Flower Garden quilt. Really, I have no idea when I will be back in ‘production’ ha! so I am making sure that there will still be accessible quilty goodness to ensure an outlet for all of this pent up stress (rage!?).

So – this crazy lady is signing off for now.

I’ll be back soon.

After we drive from here to there with the kids in the backseat. Yippy.

So Tiny – I mean TINY applique

It was a total surprise and delight to see some of Pat Holly’s work in person at the NQA show in Columbus last weekend.

She was a guest on the ‘The Quilt Show’ with Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims recently and I was impressed with her work then but my goodness; nothing beats in person.

Let’s put this in perspective – this is a 12″ Finished Quilt!

Holy Cow – Gorgeous!

The circles in lime around the center are about 1/16th of an inch.

And Sew it is…

I had a FABULOUS time at the National Quilt Association’s 41st Annual Quilt Show in Columbus, Ohio yesterday.  Today, June 20th is my 39th birthday – all I wanted was to go to this quilt show without the twins, for the whole day, and without being expected to prepare breakfast, lunch, or even dinner.  Thanks Jarrod for giving me everything I wanted:)

The quilts were so extraordinarily gorgeous – this was one of the first times that I actually spent time (because I had it!) looking at all of the quilts, photographing some, and drooling over many more!  I hope to be able to keep posting more of these impressive quilts over the next little while!

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Gee, I guess I can TOTALLY relate to getting carried away!

It is SO big that the whole quilt isn’t even displayed! It is folded over at the top.

The detail is incredible.  I mean, look at that basket! All of those lines are appliqued – all of those flowers are made up of many layers… wow.

Little, Tiny Circles.

I love the color choice of this flower! It is all 1 piece and it is perfect.

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More to come!