3/29/16

Let's Book It: Sweet Tweets

Just now I was trying to come up with some phrases that use the word "tweet". Google disappointed me this time. Everything I found had something to do with Twitter. Just so you know, I tried Twitter once, and honestly...I just don't get it. It took me a long time to warm up to Facebook too, which is social media I love to hate. But don't get me started because I have other things to show you.

For one thing, I finished up the table runner top I wanted to make as my project for

My projects for Let's Book It have been limited to small quilts and table runners that can be finished up without adding to my list of WIP's. This month, I wanted to make a runner from this book:


The Let's Book It challenge has inspired me to make quite a few of these runners. This time, I wanted something for spring, and so this one appealed to me:


The pattern has those brown ends ruffled and the center strip is ruched. I didn't like either of those features, and so I was going to leave off the ends and just use a strip for the center. The bird motifs are fusible applique. I had in mind to use this fabric from my stash. I have three yards of it.


Then I started thinking, which set off the smoke alarm. When I had that shut off, I cut two panels for the ends of the runner. It's a quick and dirty method for doing the same thing. The design on the fabric appeals to me, so what the heck?


And then, I used scraps of fabrics to complete the runner. Nothing fancy, but it gets me the spring runner I wanted. When I quilt this, I have in mind to use a shiny Sulky polyester thread to outline the birds, branches and blossoms. As for the rest of it...probably some leaves and flowers.


Also, I used this scrap of fabric for the back.


It wasn't quite long enough, and so I added a strip of green in the center to get the extra length I needed.


There are two quilts already in the pile for sandwiching, and so I just tossed this one on top with the others. I'll get it sandwiched and quilted next month.

That meant there was just one thing left on my March list of goals...to quilt the Mom Cats.


If I'm remembering correctly, this was another Let's Book It project from the book, Cat's Meow, by Janet Kime. It was started April 22, 2014. It's just about time to finish it up, don't you think?

Before I could get started on that, I had to clear all the crap that's been accumulating on Eliza's work table. There were some things from our trip back in January, and a lot of free motion quilting tutorials and pages torn from magazines. Those needed to be loaded into my quilting notebook. Also, a wonderful bag of thread spools from my friend Ila, who is something of a quilting fairy godmother. Ila has from time to time sent me wonderful stuff when she gets in a mood to clean out her own sewing room. She's sent me empty bobbins, needles, and now, this great bag of thread. Thank you, Ila. Your cast-offs are always appreciated.


As for the quilting, the book shows this done in a diagonal grid, and that style is one of my favorites. Also, this is a good chance to practice quilting straight lines with my new ruler templates. When the Live, Love, Teach quilt is ready for quilting, I'm planning to do a lot of straight line quilting on that. There's no time like the present to practice using those templates.


I'll just be stitching in the ditch around the cats, and so none of the straight lines are very long. I'm using the 6-inch mini ruler from Handi-Quilter, and it's going great. As I was doing this, I realized these templates are also helpful for stitching in the ditch. I can set my needle in the seam, line up the ruler, and then quilt away.


It's a small quilt, and so I was able to get quite a bit done in a short period of time yesterday afternoon. Here's where I left it.


I'll get some more done this afternoon, but I need to go out for a while today. Tuesdays are the day I pick up farm fresh eggs from our CSA farmers, although the CSA won't get started for another month or two. Also, I need to make a quick trip to the grocery store, and I'm going to brave the craft store to get some things I need for my class next month.

Before I sat down here, however, I took some time to put some make-up on Eliza. I saw these pretty decals on someone's Facebook page, and knew instantly that Eliza needed some. They're available from Urban Elementz, called Tattoo Elementz


It was a little intimidating when I read the instructions, but it really was quite easy to stick them on. I had to reposition one of them a couple of times when it didn't want to fold nicely over Eliza's curves. Here's how she looks from the other side.


After I took this picture, she started dancing around the room singing,

  I feel pret-teee, Oh so pret-teeee, I feel pret-teee and wit-teee and gay! 

Oh boy. Hopefully, she'll settle down by this afternoon, and I can get some more quilting done.

14 comments:

NancyA said...

I, too, love the diagonal grid--but I do it with my walking foot on my domestic machine. (I am not brave enough to try free motion yet.)
I love your blog and your sense of humor--I am still smiling with the image of Eliza dancing around the room singing. Thanks for always brightening up my day.

Sally Trude said...

Given Twitter is for cats, I'm wondering if your attitude towards Twitter reflects Smitty's jealousy of Sockington's million followers (and hence the name change to Sockamillion.)

Best Regards,
Molly Cat (formerly Molly Kitten)

Cathy Smith said...

Oh, yeah! Ever since I saw the quilt celebrity Berninas this past year I have been wanting to gussy up my Pfaff. If there weren't so many sewing machines taking up valuable real estate around here I would have purchased one JUST for the graphics! I'm heading over to that website right now! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Dana Gaffney said...

Eliza looks so pretty, I have regular puff stickers all over my machine which need to be redone, I'll check out the tatoos. Have you tried to find the source of a picture lately on Google, everything comes up pinterest, very annoying. I'm pretty much over social media, no time, no desire.

Cath said...

I have to admit, I am a bit perplexed by Twitter and don't get me started on Instagram...I have tried but it just doesn't appeal! Lovely to see your Mom Cats reappear for quilting and doesn't 'Eliza' look smashing in her new makeup? I might have to get those for my special 'girl' too!

Vroomans' Quilts said...

Doesn't Eliza look splendid! Jealous, I've always wanted a tattoo. I don't twitter or pin or instagram. Facebook is for our shop only and I don't remember that half the time. Is that a Joel Dewberry bird print? Great that a project uses up what's on the shelf.

Debbie said...

Love your machine tattoos....so pretty and fun! And purple is always loved here. Great bag of colorful threads.....I see lots of stitches in your future. Great interpretation for your runner....never follow those rules. Just have fun. the cats and spools is a great combo and your straight lines look great! I pin a lot, but ignore the other social media stuff too.

Susan said...

I can see why Eliza was singing and dancing. She is very pretty.
Not following a pattern? How radical--LOL. All books are recipe books--if you don't have or don't like something in the recipe, you figure out what you can replace it with. I must say I like your version better than what the book pictured.

VickiT said...

How funny your blog was the very next one I read after visiting Quilt In A Day. Eleanor's store has those same 'tattoos' for machines. I had no idea until I saw the email today with the daily sale special/s. This was one of them, but I didn't see the Aster's you chose. Those I really love. I was happy to see them on a machine though since the picture of Eleanor sitting in front of her machine only showed a small area of the tattoos on her machine. Now I need to go back and see if maybe I just missed the Aster's on her site, especially since they're on sale.

Judy1522 said...

Eliza looks so pretty with her decals.

sophie said...

Love the decals. Are they easy to apply?

Dar said...

You are so funny. i can just hear you singing along with Eliza.! I love the tatoos too.

Kate said...

The table runner just about sings spring! I love the backing fabric, but I'm a sucker for big, bright flowers (goes with nothing in my house, so I quit buying such fabrics). The quilting on the Mom Cats looks really good. Love the machine tatoos. Very fun and pretty.

quiltzyx said...

I can just imagine how happy Eliza was after her make-up job! Nice!!
The runner is very Spring-y, nice job! And your quilting on the Mom Cats is swell.
I have a Twitter account, but only use it for the giveaways that ask me to tweet. Also just got Instagram, but I don't think I've posted any of my own pics yet. Time will tell.