Post Thanksgiving Catch Up

Thanksgiving, 2017

Thanksgiving came and went uneventfully. In our busy lives, this is a good sign. We had 13 people this year, and it was simplified. Everyday plates were good enough, and I left the plastic over the tablecloths. The shadow person you see is one son bringing the turkey in cooked and carved! Woohoo! Lucky us!

Jenna's Most Glorious Scrap Quilt

Almost Too Pretty to Say Scrap

A very dear friend was making a quilt for her granddaughter patterned after one she had seen hanging in a local restaurant. (Yes, in this part of the country we are surrounded by quilts even in restaurants. Most definitely works of art.) She first studied the quilt, searched for the pattern, then modified parts of it to make it her own. And as the Queen of Scrap, this project would make good use of her vast kingdom of scraps.

Train Ride from Tokyo Finish

A Hand Quilted Finish

At this very moment I am covered by this same quilt, feet up, and lap top engaged. My cup of coffee is within reach. I've worked a year to make it, and yet it gets used so casually. I wonder if I'd feel this way if I wasn't the maker. But I want to know how a quilt feels and wears with use. I like to record which batting I used, and there is a significant difference in the drape and warmth. There truly are battings better suited for different seasons, and may be too warm for summer so I'm enjoying now.

Jen & Jan's Mini Blog Hop QAL

The Little House On Daisy Street

I stumbled on Jan & Jen's QAL a few weeks ago, and though I said no more extra things for a while, this little house block spoke to me. It was so darn cute I said, "Count me in." From the first moment, I saw it in the 1930's reproduction prints on my shelf. I set to work, and it was a quick make, though my chimney found itself on the opposite side. 

Quilt Designs: Fabs, Failures & Why

The Best of Three
Navy Nine Patch

Most people will tell you there is no such thing as an ugly quilt. Let me bite my lip and rephrase it. (Let's be honest. We know this down deep.) There is something redeeming in every quilt made, but not all quilts 'work.' Most of the time we feel it when we're putting things together, but we know it when it's assembled. A color, a pattern, a border width, etc., just don't make the cut. We have a couple of choices. Rip it out and fix it if it's valuable, or live with it and learn. I chose the second option this week.

15 Stars 'Til Midnight Done: Day 14

"15 Stars 'Til Midnight"

Kids have the best sayings. They mix up parts of speech, and combine sayings. Several of ours were genius at it, and this would be something they would come up with. 

It's together at last, and measuring 72" x 91". Again, winter light makes for poor picture quality, but let's just say the dark blue borders gave this quilt new life. It was a pale gal without them.

Another one done, and ready for quilting.

Come on, Doxie girls.

Let's go sew.

How Instagram Saved My Design

The Process Is the Prize

You may not believe the above statement, but I do. I find more joy in working out problems than finishing the project. That doesn't--or shouldn't occur if using a published pattern, so I choose to go the organic route, and create my own. 

This started as an experiment in improv block making, and merged with another design I'd made a few months back. It's dominated my design wall for weeks, and I pushed myself this week to finish all the improv blocks. When it came to the setting triangles at the sides, I decided more improv blocks would muddy it up. It was back to the stash to find a fabric that would work, and once again the Moda Grunge won with it's unique texture. There was just one problem.

E's Hexie Finish, CST, and Pet Project Show #37

If I said I was writing this quickly so I could go to bed, would you understand? It was a hard day in the studio, and I have so much to share over the next few days with you. But this is the big one. E's Hexie is completely finished. The binding is a Timeless Treasures print in a peachy-orange, and I couldn't be happier with it. It's girly yet modern, and sets off the quilt with a soft framing.

Patriotic Quilt Flimsy Finish with Tips & Tricks

I've been blessed with a family that forgives. I apologize to them for rushing in with a quilt over my arm, and declaring an emergency while some were dozing. Getting a picture of the quilt top before the light fades does not constitute an emergency (to them), but they were still gracious to run outside, and hold my 5-minute-old finish before the light was gone.

What's Next? Dealing with It.

An artsy friend sent me this card last week, and 

I'm stuck on it. It pushes me to think. She 
would never call herself a great motivator, but 
she has a way of dropping Thought Bombs 
that stops me in my tracks.

Neither of us are empty nesters, but it's on our
 horizons. (I'm laughing because we have 11 kids 
between us. Will either of us ever be?) But we are 
mentally preparing for the next season of our lives, 
and it comes up in our conversations a lot. I know 
many of you who visit Pink Doxies blog are 
thinking this, too.

So, we ask ourselves, What's Next?

Which Road are we Taking?

How will we Know when we've Arrived?


 I got back into quilting because it fit easily 
into my life, and made me happy. Now I get 
my color fix, make neat things, and meet the 
most wonderful people through blogging. 
Sounds so cozy, doesn't it? Then what? 
What if I want more than that?

When we reach uncharted territory, it
gives us pause to think. The unknown can
be scary. We're now at the End of 
our Comfort Zone. I've been coming up
against this for the past few months. 

Where I'm At--One Place

I want to be able to create entire 
quilts from start to finish no matter the size. 
I'm making bigger projects now, and like this 
one, they don't fit in my domestic machine 
anymore--even my Janome with an 11" throat.

I felt like one thing I needed to learn 
was long arm quilting. It scared me, yet I spent
a lot of time looking into it. I visited stores, 
talked to friends, and even priced machines. I 
tried it a few times, but the learning curve was 
steep! I could do so many things on my domestic 
Janome, but it didn't transfer to a long arm. It 
was like riding a bike and rowing a boat--a 
totally different skill set. Was it a road I wanted 
to even go down? Was it worth it for me?

I have a neighbor just houses away with a
Tin Lizzie. She quilts commercially for clients, 
and was kind and willing to show me her machine
the day after my phone call. She even let me 
have a try at it. The next day my QST quilt was 
on her machine, and I was going to quilt it 
myself. She had faith in my skills when I didn't.

We drove an hour away to buy thread as she
does mainly Traditional quilts, and had nothing
in my color palette. We came home, pinned it
on, and after a few minutes we both knew the
color wasn't working. I couldn't see it enough
to follow the pattern. She happily helped me
rip out stitches for half an hour. At that point
I went home to sleep on it, but I kept waking 
up wondering if she'd be upset if I just wanted
to take it out of the frame. I was panicking I
would screw it up beyond saving. I loved this
colorful quilt.

The next morning, Mother's Day, she called
to ask if I wanted to try again. I had looked
at more patterns, watched some videos,
and drawn page after page with 2 hands
on my pen moving it at the same time.
I found this pattern on a porch chair, and
thought it was easiest enough to begin.

We re-evaluated thread color, and chose a
darker color even though I would have liked
a paler one. I needed to see it! This is a
lavendar shade, and she had a matching
So Fine for the bobbin thread. 

Away I went, down my first run, and by the end 
I was in tears. Good tears! It was so terrifying,
and I had managed to do a passable job, 
and not ruined my quilt.

You might be laughing to yourself that I'm
being overly dramatic, but you have no idea
how afraid I was of botching this. I've done 
that before, and have the mess to prove it.

With the adrenaline rush going, I kept on.
Sandy helped to coach me by checking if
thing were in place after each pass, but she
stayed out of the way. I'm a good 7" taller
that she is, and I'm sure it was quite a 
sight with me scootching down to run the
machine at her height adjustment.

A quick break for lunch, a minute to smell 
my gorgeous Mother's Day bouquet, and I 
told my husband I'd be done by 3.

When I returned, Sandy took her sewing 
upstairs, and left me on my own. I managed
fine, and in my head kept saying,
"I can do this. I can do this."
It was an empowering moment for me.

My work was not perfect. Shoot, I
even ran over my design a few times
trying to see under the machine head, 
but the whole quilt was done
in one day. I'm so, so pleased with a
passing job this time.

The lavendar thread was a solid choice 
for the backing.

Effy had to have a quick try at it right off.

I still have the edges to quilt on my Janome.
I've chosen to use my sit down domestic
for the control it allows me, and then the
binding. All can happen this week.

I don't know if I'd ever have done this had
circumstances not been what they were.
It all fell into place when it did, and I 
didn't have as much time to over-think it.
Thank you, Sandy.
Fear nearly stopped me from this uber-
thrilling adventure. I'm totally wiped out,
and have come down with a cold or
something already, and I wonder if it's 
from stressing over it all.

As for my card above, I think I would 
rephrase it to say, 

"Growth begins at the end 
of your comfort zone."

Gardeners who start seedlings know it helps 
to brush your hand across them once a day. 
You're simulating nature brushing by them. It 
makes the whole stem structure healthier, 
I understand, when the seedling pushes 
back against the stimulus. In turn, it 
causes it to grow stronger. 

As for the biggest questions I have
above, I still don't know. Perhaps
I never will. My answer for today
is simple.

Let me grow.

Come on, Doxie girls.
Let's all go sew.

Linking up today with~
Freemotion by the River
Quilt Story
Blossom Heart Quilts
Late Night Quilter
She Can Quilt
Cooking Up Quilts
Monday Makers
Show and Tell with Bambi
Hug-a-Bit Quilts

Floriography Quilt Finale

Floriography is defined as 'the language of flowers.' 

In times past, sending certain flowers referenced specific things, possibly secret messages or hidden meaning. We've heard of the different meanings of rose colors. Yellow for friendship, red for true love, and so on. Flowers mark milestones in our lives today, and I love both sending and receiving. Give me a bouquet of mixed wild flowers any day over roses, though. I'm all about color, you know?

Vintage Quilt Photobomb and a Turkey

All the quilts shown here belong to my husband's family. They were on loan awaiting a cloudy day to photograph. It gave me time to get to know them, and fall in love with this one most of all. I love every inch of this quilt! It has a lurid history that we are too proper to get in to here, but let it suffice to say, I think it's to die for. It's the ultimate Eye Candy. There's no firm date, but the family history puts it around the 1930's, and it appears to be made without a batting layer.