There is nothing better...

than when your grandkids run up to you to hug and kiss you! Here's a pic of two of my three. This is Devin and Corinne. They are the BEST! Devin is 3 and Corinne is 2.5. They are cousins.

And this is me with Devin and Mia.

It seems there are quilts or projects everywhere you look

So I was looking around our condo in Arizona one afternoon, and it struck me...  my obsession is everywhere.   Everywhere you look...    These are pictures of just the living room and dining room, too.  I leave this inexpensive Kenmore machine there so I can do my piecing.  It seems I never have time when I'm home because I'm usually doing my machine quilting.  Most times we go there I take one small overnight bag with an outfit or two, and then three large bags of quilts in various stages of completion.   To the untrained eye, it may look messy, but to a quilter, ahhh, it's eye candy!  Of course, I love it! 

Another Home of the Brave Quilt

I did a quick 'swirl' on this one.  I had wanted to do a panto with words on it:  courage, bravery and honor, but didn't like the way that it was directional.  I think the swirls look nice on it.  I love the fabrics that were used on this quilt.  I do not know who pieced this one, but it was done extremely well.

Stash busting!

This is the cutest quilt, I think!  I got the idea from Mary Johnson, who has a fabulous blog http://www.maryquilts.com/.  I did have to buy the tan batik, but all the dark "logs" are scraps from my stash, and the back is also from my stash.  I used the panto, Square Spiral, and it was fast and simple.  Now I just need a place to hang it!

Morning Glory is Done

I recently finished my most challenging quilt to date -- not the piecing, gosh, that was done years ago -- but the quilting.  I made this quilt probably five years ago from a block exchange with my quilting circle, Loose Threads.I made about 30% of the blocks since I wanted to make it a large queen/smaller king size.  I quilted it early on in my longarming days, and it was horrible.  I had used variegated tan king tut in the white areas (don't ask my why, I have no idea) and stippled it, no less!  Ugh!  Then I did some hideous leaf/vine things in the green/white border with white thread.  Ugh again!  I was too embarrassed to give it away and couldn't bear to toss it in the trash.  So for months I carried this thing with me in the car from place to place, state to state, and skinned it with a rotary cutter.  When I had the three pieces completely separate, I was almost sad.  Notice I said almost. 

 Anyway, here it is, and I am so happy with the results.  I would proudly give this away or put it in my local quilt show.

A New "Cat" in the Neighborhood

Well, I guess the snow is drawing the bobcats to lower elevations because this is what I saw at 9:00 a.m. this morning from my studio window.  I'm glad it wasn't a mountain lion, but I did go to check that both our little dogs were in the house! 

A couple years ago two bobcats were having a territorial fight in the trees above the backyard.  I heard Dean yelling.  It was 1:00 p.m. and little neighbor children were outside playing.  He thought they were going to jump out of the trees right inside of the fence of our little back yard, but they didn't, luckily, and ran off to new areas.