Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Dear Santa

You know I have tried to be a really good girl this year - I've been on time to work most days and have been pretty nice to my family. (Well, don't ask the teen-ager, she's a little crazy right now and doesn't think anyone is nice!) I've finished quite a few quilts this year for other people, but nothing special for me. I've really had my eye on this one:

Madeline kit by Fig Tree Quilts

I think it would look so cute on the door to my sewing room. I just love everything about it, from the cute design, to the lovely fabrics, and it says handmade on it! (Which you know I love!) I promise if you give me this I will make it right away and enjoy it all year long (no UFO pile for this one, pinky swear!).

And, Santa, if you could give the great folks at the FatQuarter Shop a little extra treat in their stockings, I sure have enjoyed getting to know their shop and all the wonderful things for quilters they have. They sure work hard and they deserve it!

Sincerely,

Pamela

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Breaking News

There was a major collapse of overloaded scaffolding on site here at the Pamelaquilts Studio last night. No deaths were reported, but there are mounds of mismatched strips of fabric covering the floor under the cutting table that will take some time to be put back into position. There were no witnesses to the event, but the noise was heard in the Dining Room during dinner and disregarded. The comment heard was "what are those darn cats up to, now?"
Upon closer investigation it was discovered that the cats had nothing to do with the incident, but that the collapse was caused by a total disregard for safety and weight bearing limits of the flimsy plastic drying rack that was serving as a catch-all for scrap materials. The structure has been reinforced and put back into position, hopefully there will not be a repeat of this disaster - there are plans in place to continue the strip sewing operation that had been put on hold for some time allowing the needed supplies to build up disasterously.

An audit has begun in order to find more projects that dangerously close to toppling over and destroying other sections of this area. These projects will be scheduled to begin after the start of the new year. Hopefully this will clear the area and make it attractive to human habitation once again.




In other news, operations are under way to continue the completion of the wholecloth quilt project. One quilt was quilted yesterday, and is slated to be bound this morning. The second quilt will be pinned, quilted and bound before the close of the day - the chief contractor is very good at making dead-lines, and will not be missing this one.






This is your reporter, the slacking quilter, signing off for now -






Pamela






Monday, December 14, 2009

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas....

After a very busy month of November and working like crazy to get projects finished this month I am looking forward to some play time in my sewing studio. Once I do some archeological excavation in there, of course! There are mounds and piles and detritus enough to keep me busy just cleaning up for a week, I think. Definitely need to add some type of organizational work to my list of resolutions for the New Year (like every year!).


I am very happy to report that I finished my parents 50th Anniversary quilt and they loved it -




I've also finished three other custom quilts, then have two more of the wholecloth ones to finish up this week before I officially take two weeks off from "work" for the Christmas holiday. I intend to watch some movies with my daughter, make cookies and fudge, (and probably eat them, too), and just relax. It seems like every year I get a request about this time for one big job that really needs to be finished by Christmas, but if it happens this year I am turning it down. I want to enjoy my holiday instead of working like a beaver to get stuff done! I've already rehearsed my response - "Gee, I would love to help you out, but I don't have the time to take on any work until after the first of the year." Each morning I will give myself a pep talk about this because the last two years have been really exasperating with trying to sew for other people, and get my own projects finished at the same time. I want time to play games with my girls and laugh this year!


I have so much I want to catch up on blog wise, that I could really start to ramble, but instead I think I will focus on one thing at a time, so I will be catching up on all of the November stuff a day at a time instead of cramming it all in one post.


Today I am working on the wholecloth quilts I am making for a client. They are both batik on the top, and I have chosen coordinating cotton backings for them. I know one I am going to quilt with spirals, but the other I am still thinking about. I know that something will inspire me, though and it will come out wonderfully - seems like it always does. One will also have a piece of batik art on the back, whichever one ends up getting the back that's a little short of fabric! (I wanted 5 yards, but there were only 4 1/2 on the bolt). I am hoping to get both of these quilts done by tomorrow night, we'll see if I'm up for the challenge! At least my evenings are free for the rest of the month, no more meetings or events to go to - that seems to be my good sewing time.


Well, the backs are in the dryer (should have washed the fabric yesterday, oh well) so I am going to go through a layer in the studio. I am working on making a list of UFO's to work on next year. They have really piled up, and it seems like I'd better get some of them done to make room for all the new ideas that are percolating in my brain!