Progress...

I've quilted 4 more tops with two more in the cupboard to go!  Here is a little "Eye-Spy", nap time quilt for Grandma's house. Beckham already quite likes it. I tried to pick things that the kids would know.  A big thank you to Kathie for giving me all the novelty fabrics! I never would have had the patience to hunt them down and buy little pieces of them!  My friend did an exchange to get her fabrics, I thought that was a good idea too, if you don't have a Kathie.

Here is the first block done for my Snowmen A-ZZZ (A Crabtree Hill pattern, I believe). I am working on blocks B & C at the same time, so I should have two to show soon.  This should be completed for Christmas 2025 (maybe).

Meanwhile, I am counting down the days till I am done with working! I think I gave my notice too early, because I am super impatient and just want to be done! Mr. Handsome ordered up my new car, the one I'm driving is giant, which is quite handy sometimes but gets horrible gas mileage, and it's 10 years old, so it's getting a little raggedy and we're starting to have to put a little $$ into it, never fun.

I was going to get the red one (arrest-me red), but decided to go with the more sedate white one.  So excited, I've wanted a mini for 10 years! They finally came out with a 4 door, all-wheel drive so I can fit some grandbabies in it, pack up my sewing machine, table and projects for quilt retreats and drive in the snow.  Mr. Handsome says we'll call it "The Mini-Quilter"

Note to Self...

My Quilting Machine is up and running! I was looking at my unfinished projects and realized I had not quilted/finished this little baby for my newest granddaughter, who is nearly 3 months old!

     Got it finished up quickly! I am excited that I will finally have something for "Show and Tell" at quilt group this week!  My big 3 year project "Eye-Fooler" quilt is up next for quilting, I just have to pick up a back for it - 7 + yards - it's a big one!
     I am kind of excited that I have this funky little clothesline on my back patio from when my dryer was having some hiccups earlier this summer - (note - do not squish the vent thing behind the dryer!) Anyway, my quilt colors are MUCH better when photographed outside!! (duh). I don't have to look at my outdated carpet (bleck), I don't get weird shadows, etc. I am keeping this line up forever!
     My "Note to self" is to get my machine serviced more than once every six years! The timing was off, among other things, now it works great. I am excited to get through the stack of tops while enjoying my nice, cool, beautiful basement!

Fall is Coming

     I know we are in the dregs of summer (my least favorite, sweaty, sweaty, season) - But I am looking forward to Fall with a vengeance! I have a quilt retreat in September (the celebrated Birthday Month), plus I will be heading to Missouri to visit my wonderful daughter, Brookie, My Cookie to see my newest granddaughter, who will soon be making an appearance! 
     Followed by a retreat in October AND November (see why I need to quit my job?)  I am super excited about the classes I've signed up for at the Utah Quilt Guild retreat - A class on organizing my sewing space - always a favorite with me.  A class on "designing for dummies" - yes, that's me for sure! A scrappy Bulls Eye quilt and class from a national teacher - Anita Grossman Soloman (I bet she gets tired of writing all those names) with a cool, new (to me) paper-piecing technique. 
     I did get my magical machine into the shop, so hopefully I will be quilting again soon!  I have a few tops that are all ready to go!  I did go back to my quilting bee today after a month's absence and it was so wonderful to see all of my quilting buddies and chat a bit. I also finally finished the first embroidery block from my Block of the Month that started several months ago, so I am feeling a bit accomplished! As soon as I wash off the water soluble printed pattern, I will post a little picture...
     Hope you're having a good day today! My day is much better than yesterday (went to the doctors for my physical - bleck)
    

Confession

     So, after showing you all my fabulous new studio, I have a confession to make! My quilting machine is broken! I have to get Mr. Handsome to dismantle the machine off of the slide-y thing and take it into the shop.  So, even though my space is gorgeous, not much quilting has actually been done in it's spacious, beautiful-ness.
     My other confession is that I've quit my part time job! I am so excited about this, I can't even tell you! I am working until the end of summer, but that's it! I will now be free to go to quilt retreats without feeling guilty about leaving my boss in the lurch! I can fly mid-week to visit family (I fly standby, so that's a biggie!), I can go to my Grandma's 92 birthday party in the next state, since I won't have to take another few days off work right after a quilt retreat this fall, etc. I am amazed at all of you who work (full or part time) and still have some brains left in your head to blog and do other fun stuff! (Like quilt and raise children to name a couple!) 
     So, I am hoping to be quilting more, blogging more, doing more service in my neighborhood and just being a grandma more - something I enjoy immensely! 
     That's the big news of the day (you were expecting something else?)

At long last, the studio remodel!

So the 3 grandkids are safely back in Missouri and Grandma has her life back! Here are the pics of the fabulous remodel of the quilting studio and my new laundry room!
First - Before pictures:

 

 

 

My studio was very functional, but kind of dark and bleck and NO Storage:

I would need to turn on several switches and plug in random lights to get enough light to work.

The 1970's paneling was cramping my creative mojo! I don't have a before pic of my laundry room, it was just in an unfinished area of the basement.
Early in the demolition:

The hole to the left was Mr. Handsome's great idea to build the storage into the unfinished part of the basement, since the studio is sort of narrow. So we cut 2 cupboards, and one set of open shelves for storage:

Amazingly enough, all of my sewing supplies (except batting) fit inside of these two cupboards!

This one on the left and there is another way down on the other side of the door to the laundry room.
The basic set up is still the same, and I am currently using my E-Z sewing table, debating on whether or not to get a bigger sewing cabinet. I did pick up (thanks, Megan!) a little white cabinet that has taken the place of the rolling plastic drawers to the left of my machine which is helpful.

 You can see I do not want to put any holes in my beautiful new walls, so I am using those sticky hooks for now. (or nothing!). The old IKEA chair is not my first choice, but I seem to have spent all of my pennies, so it will do...

 We closed in the stairs, so they are not such a death-trap, but needed to leave them somewhat open or we could never get furniture up or down again.

And, I got a fabulous Vanishing Design Wall! (I couldn't bear to tack up a $3 table cloth on my new walls)

 

The new carpet and all of the lights are fantastic! Here is the laundry room:

 Am loving having a counter to fold laundry on! It came in especially handy after I became the mother of 3 for a month! The floor is super uneven, so we just painted it.

 

We did have a VERY UNFORTUNATE FLOOD, right after completion, which meant we had to REDO the carpet and clear everything out to dry it, etc. But it also got me new carpet and paint in the two bedrooms down there, which are now very lovely!