On my Design Floor is my PhD project:  Afternoon Tea by Judy Flanagan, Quilter’s Coop, which I started in 2003/2004 in a class with Celine Perkins (Perkins Dry Goods).  I had most of the 28 8-inch blocks done, and then it went into the closet.  That’s never good.  Things tend to not come back out of the closet.

However, back in June, Pam B and I thought it would be fun to have a PhD program in our Wednesday day group of quilters.  The requirement was to find something “significant” (after all, this is for a PhD) that was approximately half done that you had abandoned.  We had very good participation numbers, as it seems nearly all of us have lots of PhDs in bags or boxes in our closets.  Well, then there was Luanne…who starts one project and finishes it…who had to quickly get something half done so she could play along!  We like her anyway.

Wednesday is graduation day, and true to form, I’m not ready.  Also true to form, I will be done by 1:00 Wednesday!  So here’s a photo of my PhD quilt before going on the longarm:

It’s big, 91 x 94 and I really like the vertical setting on this quilt (picture it rotated 90 degrees — or turn your head sideways!). 

I started this quilt, as I said before, in 2003.  At that time, I really didn’t have any Civil War reproduction fabrics in my stash.  I wayyyyy overbought fat quarters for this quilt.  (The class was two block patterns per month, two different colorways of each, for a total of 4 blocks produced at home per month.)  I never seemed to have enough lights, and every time I went back to the shop for another class, more fat quarters came home with me. 

Because this quilt wasn’t finished, I’ve kept all the fabric I bought for this quilt in a large container, “off limits” for any other project.  I have enough fabric left in that tub for at least two more quilts!  This is how stashes get out of control.  But on the plus side (and there’s ALWAYS a plus side when you’re talking about fabrics), these are beautiful fabrics that I still love.

Check out JudyL’s blog to see who else is answering the question, What’s on your design wall???

Well, gotta get back to work.  The clock is ticking!

–Sue

Tracy is a dear friend’s daughter.  Tracy (along with her sister Kerry) seem more like extended family to me, like nieces without gifting obligations!  She grew up across the street from us and was DS#3’s best friend for a number of childhood years.  Tracy has a fun blog where she talks about life in suburbia with her three small children, the creative things she does to keep them amused, and she also has a nose for a bargain.

Go check out her give-away post here, and be sure to leave a comment (she’s giving away wool socks!!!).  To read her older posts, just click on the header of her blog.

–Sue

BLOGGER’S NOTE:  OOPS!  I just remembered another BIG piece of fabric (a custom-dyed back from Vicki W) that I forgot to report, because I need to calculate what that wide yardage comes out too.  I’ll add it next week.  Oooooh, and I was looking so good this week!

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This is a two-week report, as I’ve been AWOL the last week or so.  I guess just a little too busy with a house guest, Thanksgiving, two family dinners in, a family dinner out, a couple of play days with quilting friends, shopping for some replacement appliances, and frantically trying to finish my PhD quilt (Project half Done) — WHICH IS DUE WEDNESDAY.  This Wednesday.  Yes, we started in June.  Yes, I had as much time as everyone else.  Yes, I’m one of the two who initiated this project.  No, I’m not done.  Yes, I must be done.  It’s not an option.  Sleep is an option.  I’ll post a “progress” picture on Judy L’s Monday’s Design Wall report tomorrow.  So, back to the stash report…

Purchased This Week:  My Michael Miller Fairies panels came to the door.  Honest.  They just came to the door.  I had to let them in…I mean, they’re Fairies…they would have gotten in anyway.  I now have Christmas, autumn pixie, pink, yellow, and blue Fairies (plus the coordinating panel for each with the small blocks).  5.4 magical yards in.

Fabric Used This Week:  6 yards in setting the blocks for my PhD Afternoon Tea quilt.  8.5 yards for the backing.  .75 yards for the binding.  15.25 yards out.

Judy L’s stash-busting reports have really been educational for me this year.  This is the first year I participated, and I would never have guessed I would use 200 yards in a year.  Two football fields in length, 42″ wide.  Wow.

Of course, I don’t think I would have guessed that I bought almost that much either!  What it has done for me, though, is to really make me aware of what fabric is coming in and getting used, and even more importantly, I’ve been more conscientious about using some older fabric where I can and shopping my stash first.  Overall, even though my numbers have stayed pretty close to even, my stash has been greatly improved because more old fabric is out, and I have lots of lovely new fabrics in.  Thank you, Judy!

–Sue

I know, I’m slow getting this up — I don’t know where the time went!  Anyway, check out the adorable elf-style Christmas stocking pattern on Linda’s blog.  Really cute!  And add a comment to the posting.

Sue

Today on the blog hop, Roseann of Rosebud’s Cottage shares a pattern for a 13″ x 13″ table mat that’s perfect for placing under a plate of cookies.   mmmm, cookies…

Be sure to leave her a comment to be entered in the drawings.

–Sue

Only two more days to go of this 12-day blog hop.  Today’s featured designer is Carrie, and she has a fun project on her blog today.  It’s making decorative candy canes.  Check it out, and while you’re there leave her a comment to be entered in the drawing!

–Sue

We always seem to see these American Coots when we’re in Texas.  They are quite distinctive looking, and sometimes their black feathers look like black velvet.  It’s their red eyes that are so unsettling though. 

This guy was munching his way through the foliage in the water.  That’s one thing I’ve noticed about birds is that they seem to spend most of their waking hours searching for food.

Here he is as today’s puzzle:

–Sue

It’s been pretty chilly here in Minnesota, although we’re s*n*o*w-free right now, and that’s a good thing.  It’s been a nice, long fall, unless you have allergies.  Then it’s been a nice, long allergy season.  That’s okay.  You can take a pill for allergies.  The only “pill” I know of for winter is to go south.  So grab your sunscreen and your flip-flops and let’s go back to Port Aransas, Texas!

As I’ve said 30 or 40 times before, Port Aransas is my favorite place to be, and for me the main attractions are the beach and the Leona Turnbull Birding Center.  (Of course, later on, a big attraction is the other fun Winter Texans who make their way south!)

I wish I had a magical 360 degree picture of the birding center.  Most of the bird action is out towards the open water and back towards the reeds where the ducks and other birds hang out.  If you go up the observation tower, hower, and look towards land, you can often see a variety of birds.  Since this is Telephoto Tuesday, I decided to choose some pictures where I really used my telephoto to full advantage.  Here’s a picture towards land (just a piece of it, I couldn’t get it all in one shot).  And it’s none too scenic, but trust me, it’s full of birds!

I was watching for the roseate spoonbills.  They like to congregate back in this area, and you can usually see them in one of the smaller ponds.  This trip, however, I only saw one land, and it was far, far away.  I took a photo, but you couldn’t even tell what kind of bird it was!  I did find a great blue heron:

And two of my favorite pictures from the whole 12 days were of egrets back in this area (different egret on different days).  Look at this guy coming in for a landing!  What a wing span. 

And probably my most favorite picture.  I’m way zoomed out because he was in a tiny pond towards the back of this area.  This was taken probably about 5:00, and the golden sunlight made the colors look so rich.  Isn’t this a peaceful scene?

Thanks for visiting the Texas coast with me today!

–Sue

Today’s featured pattern designer is Sherri Falls of This & That Patterns.  (She makes those cute little patterns for little zippered bags, small wall hangings, and a lot of then use charm squares.)

Sherri has a pattern for a Christmas candle mat, but it could be done in any colors.  Very nice!  And be sure to leave a comment for the drawing!

–Sue

Well, sort of.  Same quilt on my design wall for probably the last month, so I won’t bore you with that picture.  Off the longarm and ready to deliver is a little baby quilt:

I used one of my newer pantographs called Cascade by Keryn Emmerson.  It reminds me of a Linda V. Taylor one that’s feathers but more densely quilted.  This one allows a little more loftiness.  I also used a puffier poly batting for this quilt.

Now on the Gammill (are you ready, Bert??) is my aunt’s Freeze Frame quilt (Judy Laquidara’s design).  As I mentioned before, this is Bert’s first quilt, and she did a wonderful job.  Her borders lie FLAT!!!  Great job!  She chose Popcorn by Jodi Beamish for the panto (one that I like a lot and use a lot), and she allowed me to choose the thread.  I chose a muted mustard color, and used Hobbs 80/20.  Here’s a peek:

Click here to see a previous picture of the whole quilt top.

I’ve also been working on a UFO, one you haven’t seen before called Afternoon Tea, started in 2003 *gasp*, and I have a due date of December 2nd to have it completely finished for our DayStitcher’s group PhD project (Projects half Done).  That is graduation day *double gasp*.  The pressure is on!  Photos on UFO Thursday.

–Sue