W.O.W. -- White Oak Weekend: October 2012

A fine time was had by all.  No surprise there.  I'll be a woman of few words (for a change), since a picture is supposed to be worth a thousand of them.

Pat  was making a classic triple Irish chain in an up-to-date modern color palette:

Kathy put together another of the "sniper" quilts she is making for her Marine son and his platoon.  They are all solid red and solid white, each using a different pattern.   This churn dash made some of us see secondary patterns, which, oddly, are not so clear in the photo.

Nancy put together and bordered a queen-size quilt in blue batiks and white.

Our favorite over-achiever, Ruth, had several projects with her, including a good sized string-quilt and a small hand-pieced wall hanging.

Though I managed to get the first border on the main top of the Quilt from Hell, I discovered problems with the pieced border I was planning.  First, I was short of the two fabrics I had wanted to use, and, second, to use the background I chose, I would need to redesign the entire method of making it.   Forgot to take photos and am still struggling with what to do.   /complaining

I had brought with me twelve "pointless wonder" star blocks for another project destined for someone who has been very supportive during the past few years.  Got the blocks laid out and sashed, ready for a border.  Didn't like any of the possibles I brought with me, though.   (This seemed to be the retreat without borders for me!)

Saved the best for last.  Our dear Judy, was assembling some swap blocks of "cool" batik sawtooth stars on white using a setting that made small stars in the sashing.  The picture does not approach doing it justice.  It is an absolute STUNNER!  Lucky bride and groom who will receive it as a wedding gift!

As usual, I didn't take photos of a number of other projects. But, also as usual, we laughed, we sang, we danced.    These retreats are always a place to share, and to show we care.  I am blessed to have these opportunities to do so.

One year anniversary

One year ago today, these two came to live with me.  Know variously as the "Terrible Tortie Twins" or the "Terrific Tortie Twosome" or another variation on "T" words, they have brought so much life and laughter to my otherwise-sorta-empty house!   I almost called them "Smidge" and "Smudge" (for the smudge of orange on her face), but cooler heads prevailed.  In retrospect, there could not be a more apt name for his one than "Sassy:"

And Smidgen:is still a wee one -- smaller and lighter than her big sister.

Sassy likes to help me sew. 

While Smidgen prefers to nap nearby.

 Both like to climb into things -- boxes, bags.... whatever

 

Smidgen also likes to burrow and "hide" under the newspaper.

 

While neither one is particularly outgoing -- probably because I was the only one in the house when they came here to live -- Sassy will eventually come out to meet guests, while Smidgen is more of a "momma's girl" who is quite skittish with other people until she becomes accustomed to their presence.  She loves to sit on my lap when I'm sewing by hand and chase the thread.  Not. Helpful. At. All.

However, there are times when I could swear that they are, in fact, simply one organism, split into two halves.  

They have never been separated for more than a few hours.  They groom each other, play together, and sleep together -- usually with Smidgen splayed out on her sister. 

By my count, they are my 13th and 14th cats since I adopted my first at age 20. Call me a crazy cat lady.  No denials here. I love them and hope to have many more years together. 

Visitors -- Part 3: Down the shore

Monday brought perfect weather to go "down the shore" for the day.  Nothing fancy, no place special, just some time near the water.   D#1 had to go back to DC for work, so D#2 and I joined Wonderful Friends for the ride to Atlantic City -- easy to reach, available parking, boardwalk to stroll,  and no beach fees.

(Photos courtesy of Wonderful Friends since I forgot my camera;)

Godson (center below) managed to connect with a couple of his friends from University of Northern Ohio (UNO) who live in New Jersey and went off with them for a while. 

Like all good things, our day "down the shore" had to come to an end.  And, unfortunately our visit was doing the same. 

Visitors -- Part 2: Philly

The day before the Affirmation, all of us gathered for a trip into Philly.   Hopped the train the Center City. Left to right: German daughter, Boyfriend of German daughter, D#2, D#1, and Godson. 

Lunch at Reading Terminal Market, where each of us found something
to our  liking. Finding seating was even harder than deciding what to eat!

Wonderful Friends, D#1, and I took a lengthy stroll to the College of Physicians of Philadelphia where we

visited the Mutter Museum, which calls itself "America's finest museum of medical history."   Since it was the first such museum any of us had seen,  we couldn't say if it is the finest, but it was memorable! 






 Beside the Museum is a welcoming and peaceful  garden, planted with over 60 varieties of medicinal plants, and offering benches on which to rest and relax. 

The younger contingent took the subway to South Street where they enjoyed looking around.

and making new friends.

German daughter and Boyfriend took a return train, while Wonderful Friends, daughters and I grabbed some dinner and then took in an evening show at Comedy Sportz. 

Reasonably priced, this family-friendly show never fails to elicit howls of laughter!   I think we have a new "in" joke among ourselves "Sploosh!" and I am certain that we will find the hand signal for the "groaner" foul useful in the future.  H/T to D#2 for the suggestion!    We chattered and laughed some more the whole way back on the train!

White Oak Retreat: April 2012

Between traveling and inertia, I find myself seriously behind on blogging, so here goes a first step to get caught up.  

Arrived home from Chicago on Wednesday night and, after work Friday, left for the much-anticipated spring White Oak retreat.  We had, as usual, a wonderful group of women where  I met Suzan for the first time, as I'd missed the fall.  The others the regulars I've known and loved for several (or more) years!  Here's what I worked on.

Started Friday evening with red, white, and blue star blocks made by the Uvulati for a quilt to be given to a veteran in hospice.  One of our international members, Judi, had sent fabric and I'd agreed to set blocks into a top.  Came out quite nicely, I believe:


 



Wrapped up that top on Saturday morning, and turned my attention to a top that I had thought was finished.  You may remember the pastel + fish jelly roll "mile a minute" I finished a little while ago. 

 

I had not planned to put borders on it.  But a few weeks later, in my LQS, I found this, which demanded to be added! 

So....  I added a white border first, then the stars, with green and white QST corner blocks

That project wrapped up and added to my pile of projects to quilt with my new QE4 (Pfaff Quilt Expressions 4.0).  

I seldom use a single line of fabrics for a quilt, but I was quite taken by the "Amelia" charm packs when I found them a while back and bought a couple, plus some yardage for borders.  I borrowed a book of patterns for "Schnibbles" from Pat Deck and found one I liked a lot.  Got the center of the top finished.

 
The last project of the weekend was one made of scraps that I'd pulled out sporadically but wanted to get done and ready to quilt.  The strips were done, so it didn't take too much to finish the main part of the top:  In one of my shopping expeditions I bought fabric for a small border but didn't get it added during retreat.

When I arrived home on Sunday, I discovered that the water heater had been leaking and I had a wading pool in the basement.   I do thank heaven for small favors, as, had it happened during my previous or succeeding trips, it would have been four days, rather than two, before I got home!   After doing the limited amount of disaster control possible, I unpacked my sewing stuff, keeping in mind that I was to leave for Paducah on Wednesday morning!

I caved

Joined

All because of

I'm like a kid in a candy store. Already have 50 titles in my queue, not including other TV series.

Doomed.

A Tale of Two Kitties

It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. Best: there are two new kittens in my house. Worst: we lost two long-time feline family members in 2011.   I was left with a single cat for the first time in ... well, let's just say "decades".   And, having been adopted into a home where two cats already lived, Tabbitha had never before been an "only" so she wandered around the house, lost and confused.  

As I've been staff (dogs have owners but cats have staff) to at least one cat since I was 20, I know that loss is inevitable.  I also know that (un)fortunately, there are almost always many eligible animals "out there" when the time feels right to seek another. Since each fur-kid has a unique personality and cannot be replaced, I had always let more time lapse between losing and adopting, but the emptiness of the house (and Tabbitha's neediness) nagged at me.  Consequently, I spent WAY more time than I should have perusing the websites of the local SPCAs, the listings of other cat/pet rescue groups, or postings from individuals with adoptable kittens.   I knew "kitten" was the only way to go, so that Tabbitha would more readily accept the newcomer(s).   Of course, I started out thinking "kitten" -- singular.  Little did I know...

My daughters and I agreed that another all black or orange tabby would not be the best choice, as our memories of Charcoal and Mustard are too fresh and comparison would be inevitable.  I've always had a soft spot for tortoise-shell cats, but was also open to black & white or gray & white (tuxedo or otherwise).

As I was plotting out a Saturday trek through three counties to look at kittens in several shelters, I discovered a listing for a home in Fort Washington where a litter that included two torti sisters was being fostered.   Excitedly, I made an appointment to go see them the next night and forwarded the photos to my daughters.  Unhappily, the next day, the foster "mom" emailed that someone else had come the night before and decided to take both of them.  I was so-o-o-o disappointed that I hadn't even gotten to see them!   But, as fate would have it, the day after, another email arrived informing me that the original adoption plan had fallen through and they were still available!   I was THERE that evening, and, even before I saw them, I began to think of the reasons to take the pair.

So ten days ago, I took the tiny cat carrier -- big enough for both of them -- and brought them home to stay.  They are easy to tell apart.  One has a streak of orange on her face, as well as a small spot on her neck and on a couple of paws. She's adventurous and brave, usually the leader of the scouting party when they decide to explore some heretofore unknown area of the house.   And she has the typical torti-attitude.  Hence her moniker: Sassy.

The other is the tiniest one of the litter -- visibly smaller than her sister -- and is a totally brindled-torti, with just a splash of orange on one paw.  Her eyes are rimmed with lighter fur giving her the wide-eyed look of a reverse raccoon!   Since she's such a mite of a thing, she has been named "Smidgen." She looks so innocent, but don't believe it for a minute as she's always right behind her sister in their expeditions around the house.

We're having a good time getting to know one another.  Tabbitha is mostly unimpressed, while they are a little wary of the large fluffy one.

They have begun to "sleep" with me.  If you can call racing around chasing each other, pouncing any time my legs moved under the covers, crawling under the quilt to box with each other (and tickle me in the process),  using me as an obstacle course, and playing "Queen of the Hill" with me as the hill, "sleeping".  But eventually, they settle and, if  I wake up at night, I find them curled up side-by-side, in the crook of my arm.  Fingers crossed that I get at least a part-time lap cat eventually.

Taking a class with a friend

Spent Friday looking at the quilts, combined with a session of S.E.X. (that's Stash Enhancement EXpedition for the uninitiated) at the modestly-titled "Pennsylvania National Quilt Extravaganza."   On Saturday, my friend Pat and I took a class with John Flynn who has his own method of making a Double Wedding Ring quilt.  The DWR demands attention, precision and respect because of the many pieces in the arc and the curves!    

When I signed up for the class, I knew I wanted to work with rainbow colors, in batiks because .... well, because I love clear, bright rainbow colors and batiks and had never used them in a project!    I spent a long time looking for the "right" background, since I wanted an "updated" DWR.  I had a FQ of a white with black "squiggles" (technical term) that I thought would be ideal.

However, nothing I could find in stores or online approximated what I thought I wanted.  I bought some white fabric with small black dots in case I continued to be unsuccessful.    Then, on our Saturday, Labor Day weekend Fabric Expedition to Berks County, I found this batik with pale gray dots spread out sort of topographically on a white background:

This seemed to be a good alternative and, now that I look at both choices, I much prefer it to the black squiggles.   The layout will be warm color circles intersecting with cool colored ones and four-patches in black and white. So this is what my DWR will look like...

... someday.