I started quilting the dinosaur panel, purchased at Joann’s, with lime green thread. I thought it would be cute. Dino child was so unhappy she didn’t want the panel. I had only done a little in the green and was unhappy with my stitches so I was okay with ripping much of it out. We settled on basic black, after I refused to do it in red. I am glad to say it is done and she is VERY happy with it. I put it on the floor of her play area and noticed in a short time there were little dinos all over it.
She said they were eating the grass with the others, but I think there were some battles involved too. The next day, I was in the kitchen, I know, rarely happens (I wish), anyway… heard a bit of a crash. She had flipped the toy dinos off the quilt so she could put it over her as she watched TV! (Very glad the floor had been cleaned before the mat went down. Oh, correction, before the lap quilt was on the floor.)
It was a fun, light project. While I don’t think it is her favorite thing ever, I am pleased that she is using it. One thing that made this a bit easier, especially since I was moving around and working on several things while she was home, was the little bin in the top right of the picture.
That is one of the little box bins I made last fall. I put the tools for binding the quilt in it so easily had the supplies at hand when I had time to work on the project. It has the thread, which is already running through a thread wax so I pull what I need and it’s ready for the needle. It has snips, yes, they are the scissors found in medical kits and they are sharp with tiny points and I love them for sewing. Clips hold the binding down ahead of where I am working and make corners easier. Rounding it out are the seam ripper and a couple of needle threaders. I put a lip balm in there because well, it’s Michigan and it’s cold. Also note the little bit of batting under the bin for catching threads. Was an extra little thrill to find it naturally sticks to the bottom on the bin.
Added the pictures of the island rescue dogs for joy. They appreciate the raised beds and being close to where I am – when they are not in the bedroom where the bed is further off the floor and even warmer.
Speaking of the kid’s favorite things… for Christmas a year ago, I made her a parrot hat from the pattern book, Crocheted animal hats by Vanessa Mooncie. She wore it once in a while through the winter. Suddenly this winter, she is not only wearing it, she is sleeping with it. This has been going on almost three weeks. So I gave in and ordered a bit of yarn to make her a another one. Based on the yarn I had, we decided on a zebra and a giraffe. Oh my! I’ll keep you updated on that. Fortunately, you won’t ask every day as she does.
I mentioned in the last post that she had only had a couple of days of school that week. The next week, last week, she didn’t have school at all! It got so cold, they were not going to take a chance on someone getting frostbite, which could happen in a few minutes, or worse.. Our school doesn’t have buses, so no waiting at the stops, but just getting out could easily turn into a tragedy. It was so cold, they canceled mail delivery! This week started well with two full days, but last night they put out the call cancelling today due to an ice storm. Did you know we are in Michigan only so my daughter can finish med school? She will be though the physical school part in a couple of months, but it will be a year till we know where she is to do her residency. Times like this, I would like to be back in the warmer climates we are used to, but it would mean uprooting the kid this summer and again in a year. While we may change houses, I think we’ll stay close to her friends and school for now.
We recently joined the Y and she got in a lot of swim time during the break. Mom doesn’t care for swimming, but found she could study while the younger plays in the pool. Her schedule had her at the hospital very early but only for a couple of hours. Worked out well for them and gave me a little focus time. Still feel projects are going slow, and changed some around to be more flexible. And the table shows it!
On here we have the art idea I have carried around for a year. The crochet hooks are out in preparation of the new animal hats I will be working on. (learn more in my next post – hopefully!) Under the ironing board is a fabric I found in the house. I don’t care for it, so I am going to use it to practice free motion quilting, and make the dogs some bed pads, before I take on the quilt top waiting in the wings. Top and bottom are remnants of the dino panel project. Almost forgot, the cardboard box in the back, holding up the art piece, has the blocks for the quilt-as-you-go kitty blocks. Only a few are finished, as in quilted and applique done, but I’m not in a hurry. I knew it wasn’t going to make it for Christmas, and Valentine’s it out of the question since she has been home so much. Maybe housewarming when we move? Haha. I do hope to move out of this house soon, so we’ll see.
Such a long post! Guess it is easy to tell my head has been busy even if I’m not getting things done as I’d like. Here’s hoping for great things to share with you next time.
Take care of yourself, you are much loved.
Cathy
Busy Cat Studio 