1/28/23

Shop Hopping

Good Saturday morning to you, my friends. It's still too dark outside to see what kind of day we'll be having today. The weather is supposed to turn clear and cold, although the forecast was for another day of rain today. As we transition from rain to clear and cold, we'll have our best (or worst) chance for snow. I wouldn't mind if some of the white stuff fell.

When I left you yesterday, I was heading off to slow stitch the names on the latest Shop Hop blocks.


Mike and I had to make a short trip into town yesterday. When we got home, we had some lunch, and then Smitty insisted we get on with our sewing for the day.


The embroidery was done, and I just needed to do the cutting and piecing. From there, it was just chain piecing to finish them off.


Smitty likes how the white, gray, and black fabrics compliment his furs. He's thinking this could work in his next "Sexiest Cat Alive" photoshoot for Cosmeowpolitan magazine.


Regarding the quilt blocks, you might remember a trip we took a while back when we drove our truck camper to the manufacturer in Yakima, Washington, for some work. To reach Yakima from where we live, one must drive through the Yakama Nation. Here's a little graphic I found online to illustrate.

So when I visited The Quilter's Cafe, this fabric seemed like a good choice. Yakima was originally the home of the indigenous Yakama tribe, and so this block honors Yakima's first citizens. I didn't write a separate post for this shop, but you can read a little about it at the link I gave you above.


Next, was this shop we visited in Albuquerque, New Mexico. We were doing some sight-seeing in New Mexico on an ATV-riding trip. We were there the weekend of the balloon festival, and so no other fabric would do. This was a great shop. If you're in Albuquerque, it's a must see. You can read more about it right here.


Finally, this one from a shop we visited on the northern edge of Tucson, Arizona. I believe this might have been the same ATV-riding trip. This was a fun shop. It had some incredible quilts devoted to Native American culture hanging on the walls. It was almost as good as attending a quilt show. You can see some of the beautiful quilts and read about the shop right here. This fabric seemed like a good one to represent the shop. My understanding is that it is under new ownership now.


This was the same shop that gave out the free "cactus cat" pattern. I had to promise to give it a good home, and I stitched it up during the past year.


Okay, so I've been making these Shop Hop blocks three at a time now. With the completion of the three from yesterday, I'm down to the final four. Next time this project comes up on my WIPs list, I'll make the last ones. They'll be set five by five blocks, and that will make a nice size quilt. My dedicated snoopervisor helped me to lay out the 21 blocks I have so far.


Here they are. The camera block will be in the middle when they're all sewn together.


Okay, so next, I'll be making the third barn block. These take longer than you might think. The little barn quilt is like making a mini, and so accuracy is important.


If I can finish that, I'll get to work on the next block for the Purrfectly Pieced quilt. This might be the last block for this quilt.


When I showed this picture last time, one of my friends objected to the duck with scissors through its head. Since then, I've learned this is a vintage pincushion. I've never actually seen one "in the flesh," but here's a picture I found online:


There are lots more of these in different configurations. Just Google "images of duck pincushion with scissors," and you'll find more pictures.

The Purrfectly Pieced quilt is applique, and I won't be able to do the top-stitching until Big Bertha comes home. Without having Big Bertha's knee lift, top-stitching applique is a very tedious process. And let me just say that Big Bertha needs to get herself home. There's an awful lot of sewing piling up in her absence. I called the shop yesterday. At the start, they told me a turn-around time of two weeks, and it's been longer than that. As it turns out, they haven't even started on my machine yet, and so he thought Tuesday might be the day. I wondered aloud if it didn't make more sense to set up some kind of appointment system. I could have had my machine at home these past two weeks, and so it's more than a little annoying to know it's been sitting idle in their shop all this time. Next time I take it in, I will try to make those arrangements ahead of time.

Okay, so it's time to get a start on my day. It's a walking day for me, and so I'll either get outside or else take a stroll on the treadmill. Also, I simply must stop procrastinating on housework, although procrastinating on housework is one of my favorite things to do. Who's with me on that?

12 comments:

Barbara said...

There are no makeovers in my books. The ugly duckling does not become a beautiful swan. She becomes a confident duck able to take charge of her own life and problems. ~ Maeve Binchy

Julierose said...

So annoying and frustrating about your machine repair delay!!
Your Shop Hop quilt is coming together beautifully--I love that shadow and the gray background is perfect...hugs, Julierose

Magpie's Mumblings said...

Housework procrastination is a thing. I know it. So is walking - as I sit here chatting with you putting off the dreaded 'hall walk' that my conscience is telling me I have to do - sigh.
I always enjoy seeing your quilt shop blocks - what a great way to have a diary of the places you've visited.

Cheryl's Teapots2Quilting said...

I have a chicken pin cushion with scissors thru the neck.

Anonymous said...

We have a painter coming on Monday to paint the kitchen & living areas of our house. I’ve been putting off all week getting out a ladder and vacuuming the grunge off the top of the kitchen cupboards. Tomorrow is football, so i have no choice but to tackle it today ... yuk! When the painter stopped by yesterday, she also told me that yes, we will have to pull out the fridge to paint behind it! Yikes ... that means 14 years of grunge behind the fridge will be revealed! NOT looking forward to next week, LOL! So that’s my procrastination! Candy

BJ Coleman said...

All in with you on Housework Purrcrastination! Who wants to invest time in such short term satisfaction as housework!!! I am more interested in the dust bunnies I can make with fabric dust! Bonnie in GA, where it is beautifully sunny today��

Susan said...

Seems to me the more I do housework the more there is to do. But look at it this way--if your are dusting, you are doing arm exercises. If you are vacuuming, you are also doing arm exercise (both arms if you switch off) and walking steps (unless you can vacuum the whole room from one spot. Laundry, more arm exercises and probably some more steps if you have more than one load and also to put it away. Just about any household chore will involve these. :-)

Karen said...

I'm with you on putting off housework. You get it done, then you keeping having to re-do. Ugh ! Rather quilt or stitch.
Storm coming. As long as the power doesn't go out (has been quite a bit lately),We're good.
Hey ! Your snow is in my yard..

Sara said...

Your shop hop quilt is so clever. Glad your snoopervisor is on the job!

Tammy J said...

I totally agree with housework procrastination. I'd like to know more about your whiteboard schedule and how you decide what comes next.

Christine said...

Sometimes I think tradesmen forget we are paying their wages. Just because they are the only ones available shouldn't mean they can hold us to Ransom....
Your shop hop quilt is looking good.
I'm a born procrastinator.... My Dad told me that when I was a young teenager, I was sooo proud..... Then I found out what it meant!!! lol

piecefulwendy said...

Well, it you could see the dust bunnies in the corners of my house, you'd know I stand with you on the housecleaning procrastination. Fun to see all your blocks and projects - and kitties, of course!