The quilting begins (or how I took over the living room)

The quilting has begun. Tomorrow will be the first day I have had off of work at the museum (or on museum business) since Sunday, July 16 when I finished the quilt top so you can imagine how eager I am to start quilting!

We have been very busy this week getting the house ready for a guest who will arrive in August. Nick Walker, George's nephew from Peoria, Illinois will be spending a semester with us as he prepares for a possible graduate school chapter in his life. Since we always want to have a guest bedroom in case the kids or others pop in, we decided to change the TV room (the fourth bedroom upstairs) into Nick's room. We borrowed a twin bed, moved my desk in and got him all set up. This meant, however, moving the TV elsewhere so now it is in the living room, a situation George is not too fond of but realizes the necessity. We also had to put the loveseat from the TV room into our bedroom which meant moving other furniture out of there and into the guest room. It was a game of musical furniture. A big thank you goes out to our friend and around the house handyman, Tim Jones for helping with all the moves.

So the TV is in the living room and as I like to watch movies as I quilt, I set up my quilting station smack dab in the middle of the living room. As the quilt will be finished this weekend, George knows this is only a temporary take-over. He is planning to ride all weekend as he is in training for a 420 mile ride on the Blue Ridge Highway next month so I can quilt this weekend to my heart's content. Somewhere in here I need to clean house, however. Ugh!

I just noticed as I proofread this post that you can see my watermelon quilt, finished in 1996, on the green checked couch behind me (see first picture in this post). Cool! Actually, it is very warm ...90+ degrees for today and this weekend so I will be wearing my hair like this all day and night, especially as I quilt, to keep it out of the way and keep my neck cool. I wear a long sleeve shirt to keep myself from looking like a junkie, scratched and pricked from all the pins int the quilt.

Well, I am off to quilt so ta-ta for now!

Another little gem from the thrift store

Some pictures of a vintage Sunbonnet Sue Overall Sam quilt I picked up at our local Goodwill store for $49! It looks to be about 1930-1940, in pretty good shape with only a few stains, no rips. A real find which I was very happy to give a new home.

Pinning the layers of the quilt, accompanied by a cat

I am at the pinning stage now. Almost done, here are some pictures. Had to work today so I did not get as much done as I wanted to. I will finish the pinning tonight but not do any quilting until I return from my buying trip to Philadelphia. Yeah, I do have to work for a living!

Vinnie kept me company while working in the dining room on the quilt. I posted these pictures of him because I was marveling at his markings, both stripes and spots and then compared them to the "big cats" on the quilt - stripes and spots! Art imitating life or life imitating art?

The back is finished (or stop me, Becky, from adding any more stuff!)

Okay, the back is definitely and finally finished. I embroidered the Dr. Seuss quote tonight with my new Sears Kenmore sewing machine. My poor old Goodwill guy is giving up the ghost. The embroidery was a dream with this new machine as compared to last night with the old machine. I ... am ... in love!

In case you cannot read it, the quote is " I meant what I said and I said what I meant. An elephant's faithful one hundred percent." Becky and I really struggled with a quote for this one. We considered Paul Simon's "It's all happening at the zoo." and "boy,n.: a noise with dirt on it" from the Not Your Average Dictionary. Suess just seemed to fit and faithfulness is a good thing to promote in young humans (and old ones too!)

I thought I would have all day tomorrow to quilt but my volunteer had to call off so I am stuck working a Saturday 11-5. The good news is I will have next Thursday off instead.

I have brought the table topper up to do the pinning. I may lay it out tonight but I don't think my back can take anymore this evening.

We're making progress and oh, by the way, I sewed the dancing hedgehogs on upside down!

Signatures and date on!

The signatures and date (I've given myself til July 31 to wrap this puppy up) are on the back of the quilt. Becky's name is quite long now - first time I have stitched Newcomer and I get extra points for monogramming Allmendinger twice! Becky, we need shorter names!

Tomorrow night, the quote...if I survive that long.

and photos for the back - long on smiles!

I don't know about you but I love putting photos on the backs of quilts. It helps to complete the story the quilt tells, who lovingly made it, who was the loved one who received it. In this case, the quilt is for Wyatt and it is made by the team of Leiner and Newcomer, both nee Allmendinger, mother and daughter, cross-stitcher and quilter, Grandmother and Aunt Boo.

When we have all gone on to what comes after, someone will see this quilt back and recognize the love between the people it binds.

Another night of sewing. Almost finished with the back. Tomorrow, maybe, it will be ready to embroider! Gotta sleep now....

G'nite.

Working on the back

After working like a crazy woman all weekend, I took Monday night off and I'm getting the back ready tonight. I will start doing the embroidered signatures and such tomorrow. Becky, of course did the fantastic cross-stitch. Thanks, puddin!

Time for sleep. More tomorrow...