The Lazy Dog

The fox was a bear. I made the head twice. I made each leg at least twice. I made the tail twice. I even made the body twice.

After much fox wrangling, the lazy dog turned out to be a piece of cake.


Of course, THIS TIME, in addition to drawing out the dog, I figured out how I would piece him together beforehand. I cut out and identified all the pieces. I did not paper piece him, but the construction was much more controlled. The dog body is made from a batik fabric I was given. You could say I "fussy cut" the pieces of the dog's body. The way they are arranged is very deliberate. You can click the photo to enlarge.

Now, I want a little bird, and I need at least one butterfly. Then I can start putting it all together.

It would be nice to finish the top before I go on vacation next month, but that might not happen, given the house has to be clean for the house-sitter.




*Susan R, "Le renard brun rapide saute par dessus le chien paresseux" is simply "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" in French.

Le Renard Est Fini

Le renard brun rapide saute par dessus le chien paresseux.

(Like the song says, "It's my party and I'll cry if I want to." It is 2 AM as I post this, and if I want to write in French, then I will.)

Bon soir, bonne nuit!




(You know Clare, French words with the "accents" would be fun!)

Doll Quilt Swap 8 Received!

I received my quilt for Doll Quilt Swap 8.

Jodie from West Virginia, made it for me. Here is the back:
Here is what she wrote: "It was a challenge for me as I like to have a plan... From your information of likes/dislikes I chose the following: bright colors, geometric designs, arty, wonky, pink and black and white. This is my first attempt at wonky, and I really thought I wasn't a fan, but in the end I was rather fond of this. I hope you like it too."

Rest assured, Jodie, I really like this a lot. It's cheerful and happy and exquisitely well made. Thank you so much!

Oh My Aching Back!

Crawling around on the floor tying a quilt is rough on my knees, but that's nothing to the back pain I've had after finishing the binding. I've been taking pain killers for the last two days.
I add the binding on the biggest flat table I have - my dining room table. It's the standard height, so I have to half bend over to work. Ouch. Won't be doing that for a long time!

My work table in my sewing studio is higher, and set at an angle so I don't have this type of pain when I work piecing a quilt together. In fact, except for sitting down to sew, I do most of my work standing up.

The quilt, by the way, is about 64" wide by 96" tall.

Wonky House Quilt Finished

Watch this space on March 18, 2010 for the full reveal.

As always, now that I've finished a quilt, I get to clean the sewing studio. And the rest of the house too. (Yech.)

Last Look

Woo hoo! I've got the binding all sewn on, now I'm just folding it over. I've got one side almost finished, and since today is Friday, I probably won't go to bed tonight until it is finished.

As you know, I won't be able to show you the finished quilt until next month, so enjoy this last look.

Millie Moved

Millie sure does know how to get my attention. Last night I had to sit down so she could curl up next to me and get her "scritches". After a good 30 minutes, she was satisfied, and jumped away. The quilt has now moved to the table, where I will add a 6" wide strip of fabric to all four sides for the self-binding of the quilt. I've never done it this way before, but it's a lot easier than trying to make the backing exactly 6" larger all the way around and then lining it up perfectly.And this little cutie pie will be the owner of this quilt.

Amost Tied...

Um... Millie, you gotta move over so I can finish tying this quilt...

Work, work, work

Tying a quilt while watching the Olympics on television requires having a few tools handy. Note the tv remote control. The portable phone is nearby, because getting down on the floor is a lot easier than getting up at my age.

I've got about 2/3 of the quilt tied.

Olympics & Devon Town

I've been working on Devon Town. Really and truly.

Color

Wonder what this is?It's a secret, that's what it is.

Back to Devon Town

Devon's christening is next month, and I have to finish his quilt. Last November when I sewed the top together, one block got more crooked than wonky. The more I looked at it, the less I liked it, so last night I took out the offending block and straightened it out.

Unfortunately I can't show you all the whole quilt until I present it to him and his family next month, so this is just a sneak peek.

My Quality Inspector

Last night I shortened the sleeves of a ladies' undershirt, so they wouldn't stick out past the sleeves of my blouses. Not very quilty, so today I present Millie, my Quality Assurance Inspector. She makes sure all the quilts I make are filled with love and kindness. She also adds that little je ne sais quoi.

The Wall

This is the wall in my dining room where my quilt "Letters From Home" hangs. While the quilt is away on a "working vacation" the wall is empty, and ugly. I've lived in this apartment almost 26 years, and it's in an old building. Many years ago I covered the wallpaper with the cheapest thing I could find, burlap. You can see the fake flock wallpaper through the little hole where a smoke detector once was.

You can also see the outline of the wallpaper underneath. Before I hung the quilt on this wall, a piece of artwork hung there, and you can see its outline too. I'll hang "The Quick Brown Fox" on this wall when it's finished, but that will not be for a couple of months.

I hate big blank walls. I asked myself what could I do to improve its look. Covering it up was the obvious solution, but with what?It didn't take me long to figure out a solution! So last night I stapled up some white flannel. It looks better, and I can use it as a design wall.
The brown fox is jumping on the wall today. It's a good place to store the components while it is in work, and it's a great way for me to study it.

(I haven't done any more work on the fox. I had to clean the house, do the groceries and the laundry. You all know how it is.)

Almost a Fox

The fox is coming along. Right now the fox is in about four large pieces, and the tail isn't even finished.

Looking at this photograph, I realize his head needs to be tilted a bit lower, the angle of his neck at his body is too sharp. An easy fix. Otherwise, I'm pretty happy with it.

And yes, dear son, he is a quick brown fox.

Little Foxes

Here is the original fox (on the right), and the beginning of the new fox (on the left).
And the new fox so far. You can click the photo to enlarge.OK, I admit, I'm being pretty fussy about sewing it together. That green eye is a button. I've given myself the weekend to get the fox sewn together, then I have to set this quilt aside. My godchild's christening is in March, and I want to get his quilt finished before the end of the month. (I hate rushing.)

Got Fox!

OK, the fox I started sewing over the weekend DOES look like a reindeer. LabMom, I agree with you. I didn't think it looked like a real fox either.

Oh, to be cursed (blessed?) with an idea that won't let go.

Yes, Ma, the quilt doesn't NEED a fox.... but Deborah is right; it would look SO AWESOME with one.

Angie, this is an art quilt, and would go on a wall. I can't see the point in putting a fox on the back where nobody would see it.

Tonya, you and Gwen Marston have taught me to GO FOR IT. So I'm going.

My problem was that I was trying to free-piece a fox without having a concrete idea of what I was doing. Driving home from work last night I thought, "Lynne, you dope! You're an artist. Draw the damn thing out first!"So I had to do the usual research. I found this picture of a jumping fox. The picture is blurry, as the fox is actually jumping, and the light is behind him, so it is all in shadow, so no color hints there, but the pose is perfect. I'm happy with this, and my drawing is the right size for the quilt.

Even though I have this really nice drawing, I will free-piece the fox, so he's bound to look a little funky by the time I am through.

Of course, next I have to find a lazy dog. I might already have found one.

As Oscar Wilde is reputed to have said, "Oh, the anxiety. I only hope it lasts forever."






OH! Did you know the phrase "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" is an example of a pangram and has been around at least 100 years?

A Very Little Project

Last week we all got new security keys to the building where I work. The keys are business-sized cards with a computer chip in them. You wave it in front of the security panel, and the door unlocks for a few seconds. Sounds good, right?
Not when it's 10 degrees and windy, and you've got the thing in your wallet, in your purse which is over your shoulder behind your laptop bag. Have to stop, put everything down, remove gloves (remember it's 10F with VERY STRONG WINDS), find card, gather bags, wave card, open door.
Ergo, a lanyard. Leftover piece of binding, metal clip from stash of findings, and about ten minutes at the sewing machine. I made the thing extra long so I don't have to take it off to wave it in front of the security panel (which is mounted just above my eye level).

Works like a charm.

Heh!

Five Feet

OK.. I know you can only see two feet. But I am five feet tall, and when I buy pants, this happens a lot.

Sure, I can sew. Sure, I can hem a pair of pants, but to tell the truth, this kind of sewing has zero appeal to me.

And I just bought four pair of pants, and they all need to be shortened.

(Sigh)