OMG - It's a Snowman!!!

Howdy Friends!!!

This cute little Patchwork Snowman Table Runner was on my guild's UFO list for August, and it is also my OMG project for the month, so I'll be linking up with Heidi over at Red Letter Quilts.  This was a start-to-finish project, fresh out of the kit bag.  These aquas were included for the backgrounds....  

Although I think they are all very pretty, I ended up replacing two of them - the one on the left was too light, and the 3rd one was too dark.  I wanted them all to be closer in value so they didn't detract from the fun snowmen.

As you can see, Rocky jumped into his Quilting Kitty role and chose new fabrics pronto!

I really loved all the blacks they provided for the hats, especially that fun bias plaid!!!

I was also happy with the creams, although I did have to replace one of them with the fabric on the right...

..... because it had something weird going on with it ....

Now, bear in mind, this kit had been in the bag for over a year, maybe longer.  Whatever that stuff was, it didn't show up until I began to iron the strip.  Then it began to turn brown and oily looking, even staining my ironing board!  I've never seen anything like it.  This was a batik, so I'm thinking maybe wax gone rogue with age?  Needless to say, it went in the trash immediately :*)

Here are each of the faces, before stitching down or adding the button smiles.

At first, I set them together as the pattern showed, so that they faced in two different directions...

But I decided I didn't care for that.  No matter how I looked at them, they just looked upside down!!!  So after discussing the problem with my husband, we decided to put them all in the same direction and use it as a wall-hanging rather than a runner.

I stitched down the appliques as I quilted, something I have begun doing often with wall-hangings.  It saves so much time not having to stitch them all down first, then stitching around them again when I quilt!  First, I had to stitch-in-the-ditch to anchor the layers ...

And then I stitched down the applique shapes.  As always, Snoopervisor Rocky was right there, making sure everything was as it should be!

Next, I quilted in the backgrounds with some fun circly-curlyques ....

and some very primitive snowflakes....

Leaving no stone unturned, the Snoopervisor checked every possible nook and cranny for problems...

Still not satisfied, he crawled through to the back to check on things there....

Boy, talk about checking everything with a microscope!!!

All the way through to sewing on the binding, he never let up on his standards.... 

Hmmmm..... Mom, I think we have a little problem right here!!!

Sheesh!  He's a tough Snoopervisor to work for!

It wasn't easy getting this to the point where he could give his seal of appurroval, but we finally got there.  

Of course it was time for a nap after all that hard work!

This little guy sure does love his job!!!

=^..^=

And speaking of his job, Rocky would love for you to go over to the Pets on Quilts contest going on right now over at Lilypad Quilting!  There's not much time left for voting and the race is hot and heavy!  Rocky says it's easy to vote .... Just click HERE - and leave a comment to vote -

Cat - #2 - Quilter Rocky!!!  

He will send you lots of purrs and head butts if you vote for him.  

(He secretly has his heart set on winning those luscious hand-dyed fat quarters from Terri Stegmiller.  I think he has excellent taste, don't you?)

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

=^..^=

August Hopes and Dreams .....

Since life has been so busy lately, I'm leaning toward calling my plans for August more like hopes and dreams LOL!  We have a trip to Carolina planned this month for our niece's wedding and a nice visit with the kids and grandkids (and my sweet Mom!), which will carve out a good chunk of the month.

I did manage to finish up my July OMG - "Moon Over Meowmi" - but failed to find the time to write up a blog post so I could join the linky party :(  Oh well, I guess I would rather have the finish than the blog post, right?  Always look on the positive!!!

Of course, "finished" is a relative term, since this is only to the flimsy stage, which is all the farther I was prepared to take it for now.  There are already several quilting projects in process, and they have to be cleared before I can do this one.  As I said HERE when I posted the project as my July OMG, this project was begun way back in 2013, almost to the day, so to have it this far after sitting for 3 years is a WIN in my book!

I got down to business with this project at a quilt retreat last week.  The background fabric is a hand-dye by Colorways by Vicki Welsh.  I purchased both the pattern and that piece of fabric from Vicki.  The next piece that I thought would be critical to the success of Meowmi was the black.  Did I want a solid, flat black, or maybe a fun and funky print?  I never dreamed I would end up going with a slinky, shiny, glossy black that is anything but cotton!  Can you see the shiny black pattern fabric in this picture below?  It is a glorious fabric!!!  I have absolutely no idea what kind of material it is.

I came across it in my Miscellaneous Fabrics drawer while looking for the iridescent gauze remnant I had picked up several years ago and put back for the moon.  I keep things like Minkee and rayons, etc, in that drawer, fabrics I don't ever look for but sometimes happen upon in a remnant sale or at Goodwill - like a magpie, if it shines and glitters I'm hooked LOL!  I ended up falling hard for the black for my cats.  I even love that it frays a little on the edges making it look more like fur!

I really wanted a piece of white fake fur for the bellies, but didn't have time to shop before going off to retreat.  I was lamenting about this when Carole pops up and says did you say white fake fur?  I don't have fake fur, but I do have a nice while fluffy fabric with lots of texture - would that work?  Would it ever!

This white is just fluffy enough against the slick black - it's perfect!  We were all pretty amazed that someone "happened" to have the exact fabric I needed for my project - and enough of it that she could share with me :)  That was fun!!!

The iridescent gauze I had saved ended up working well for the moon, but I had to add a shiny silver behind it to make it show up enough.  It still needs a good trim, but I want to quilt it first.  See how sparkly and moon-like it is?

I also found this AMAZING piece of blue-green slinky fabric that I had picked up thinking I might make an infinity scarf out of it.  It worked perfectly for the bowl the cats are sitting on....  and who needs a silly old scarf when you can create an amazing bowl for cats to sit on?  Am I right?

I had a terrible time deciding what to use for the rim of the bowl.  I originally had a sparkly brick red piece, but I melted it on the iron - the retreat's iron!  Thankfully it came off okay :*)  I finally went with a wonderful blue grunge that looks a little like pottery. Everyone says the swirls in the bowl fabric look like fish figures :*)

As for the leaves, I decided to go with a variety of green cotton prints and batiks to change up the texture.  The tree is a gorgeous brown/black batik, so I think it all works well together.  The leaves will be 3D and will branch out beyond the binding when the quilt is done.

For someone who is not an art quilter, this quilt was a fun challenge for me!

This was my first retreat away from home since Rocky came to live with us, and I was a little worried about how he would handle it.  He's used to me being in and out all day, and tagging along at my heels wherever I am in the house.  As luck would have it, My Guy also had business meetings several nights that week, so Rocky spent two days alone from 6am to about 10pm.  My Guy said he almost attacked him when he walked in the door in the evenings LOL!!!  Here he is begging him not to leave him again ....

I was curious to see how he would treat me when I came home.  Gypsy used to very pointedly ignore me for a day or two just to make sure I knew how displeased she was with my deplorable behavior.  But Rocky's sweet nature doesn't seem to have space for such airs and punishments... he was delighted to see me!  For the next two days, he barely let me out of his sight....

I couldn't even read without him right there demanding my complete attention!  What a little sweetheart he is :*)

So that was it for July - wow did it ever go by at the speed of light, right?  As for August, my Guild UFO number this month is #3, and that means that my August OMG project will be my Patchwork Snowman Table Runner kit by Shabby Fabrics. 

I love that this is a new project - not even pulled out of the bag yet!  I realize that some don't consider an unstarted project a UFO, but for me if it has been sitting on my shelf kitted up (by me or someone else), then it is a UFO and needs to get DONE!

I love the colors in this kit and look forward to having a Christmas finish this early in the year :*)

There's also a bonus project I'd like to finish - it's one of those that I mentioned clogging up the quilting queue ....

This is my August Calendar Quilt - it's only been in the works for a couple of years LOL!  I got it appliqued and fused down last July, and had every hope of getting it quilted this July but that obviously didn't happen.  This is as far as I've gotten...

These quilts designed by Kim Schaefer have the cutest little details!  This little bee will have to be quilted in a light color so his head will show up :*)

I'd love to finish it this week if possible so I can enjoy it on the wall for a while this year.  And since the September quilt hasn't even been started, it might get to stay on the wall until October :*)  After this one, the Blooming Nine Patch (BNP) is next in the queue for quilting.  I want to finish that one SO badly!!!!

I'm linking up with Quilting is More Fun than Housework for this week's Oh Scrap! party!

Julie over at The Crafty Quilter also has a fun UFO linkup party ....

And I'm also going on over to Red Letter Quilts to join the linky fun there!

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

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