Did Anybody Sleep Last Night?

If you live in central Michigan, you probably did not get much sleep last night. Spring brings wild thunderstorms that's for sure. Last nights was strobe lightning, consistent thunder, and at 4:00-ish, hail and lots of it. I guess we have more storms in our future later today.

Dianes Squirrel quilt is done and today I'll be working on this big one for her...

I think this should get a custom E2E on it. Or, maybe just some wide straight lines through each block. You can't tell from the photo, but this is a rag quilt and it's flannel. Snuggly is what should be done so nothing too thread heavy.

I did my strip on DW, completed a Scrappy Goodness block and then cut the strips for the outer block on the Pineapple. Once that was done, and since I'm doing this one opposite of the pattern, I needed to cut more scrap strips as well. I was just about done when Jim came back (he has the buggy out now for the year) from the neighbors north of us and said Brenda wanted me to come up for a visit so I finished those after returning around 7:30. 

Here's some hail left over from last nights storm still on the ground five hours later and this isn't even from the drain pipe which has even more...

Oh Hail!

All day on Marty is in my future and since I'm getting such a late start, I better hop to it.

A Few Favorite Things

Next to working in the studio, I love to also work in my little kitchen. Yesterday was the actual Christmas day, but our Christmas with the family is both tomorrow and again either Monday or Tuesday. My two eldest boys can't seem to get along/get dates together due to schedules and the flu this year. 

It's a good thing they're not coming up today though...

Since last night

We are in the middle of an ice storm right now. It's been raining with temps in the high 20's so everything is coated in a layer of ice. And, it's still raining and it's still below freezing, so not sure how much of this we're going to continue to receive.

After we got back from moms around 5:00 yesterday I couldn't settle on doing anything. Until a fire finally lit up under my behind and I pulled out a new project to start (since the Alaska quilt is now done). I remember bringing all of the supplies back from Shipshewana last month and am excited to be working on this for the next?

I've already done the first AWAT so now I'm doing the second

I have all the fabrics and started cutting out for the first block...

Have to make 12 of these

This looks like a simple block, but after cutting, sewing, sub-cutting and organizing, I've only gotten this far...

Everything always takes longer

I'll be in and out of the studio today. I have to make cookies, deviled eggs, fudge, and Jim is working on the ham for tomorrow. With any luck, this rain will either a)turn to snow or b)get above freezing to melt all the ice before people have to head up this way. 

Scooting Along

My wall hanging is up and it looks great in the spot I wanted to put it. Here's what's on Foster today...

Twirly Quilt

I had to put off long arming for a bit yesterday. Seems we had a bit of a weather situation...

Forming a possible tornado

We hung out in the neighbors (very) nice basement for a spell waiting for the weather to pass. Ignore the picture of the next insert, but turn up the volume and just listen...

Almost an hour of continuous thunder; that is not wind you hear as you can see not a branch is moving in our white pine. Our 70-year old neighbor said he had never heard or seen anything like this in his lifetime. Jim and I know we haven't either. 

Working on bags this morning and then hopefully hop on the long arm at some point today. 

Windy Today

It is windy out there, but I don't think it's so bad that I can't work on the big machines. Here's the border on what Donn'a Dahlia is getting...

Feathers and channeling

I have a swirly feather something or another I'm going to put into the background I think, but I'll be working on this piece all day today. I didn't think I was going to be able to get to this quilt yesterday, but I hustled on Bernadettes quilt to see if I could at least get it started.

Jim picked up some more boards for the flooring so while he was working on sanding and trimming, I was putting together the sashing and cornerstones for the make-it-up-as-you-go top. 

I have a customer coming to pick up later this afternoon. Had one drop off late yesterday afternoon and I have a couple coming on Friday. So far.

And what's with this crazy weather? Yesterday was February, right?

And it got even warmer after this pic was taken

And today we have freezing temps and some snow spitting out there. Only in Michigan.

Even 4-WD's Can Get Stuck

Part of my afternoon/evening was interrupted by this...

That's not the driveway

And this...

Beller Construction Movie

We received a lot of wet, heavy snow yesterday. Temps were at or near freezing so it was a snotty snow that just seemed to pull you into wherever it wanted you to go; usually, where you didn't want to go. I had to get the Dodge out of the garage and pull Jim out. The snow blower next door was clearing a path for the neighbors' construction crew. But not after they got stuck in the ditch at the roadside. Joan cancelled coming over until next week because of the weather.

I would be done with Joyce's quilt if not for the curiousness on what's going on around me. See...those windows around the house are sometimes (oftentimes) very distracting. Especially with somebody who is a little ADD. Only one more row to go and it'll be done this morning. I'll move on to Sandy's Kaffe quilt this afternoon.

Last evening I did manage to get the first and third borders assembled on this little quilt. Only the second and fourth borders to go. 

1st and 3rd borders assembled

Wind Advisory

We have a high wind advisory today, and it's supposed to last until tomorrow morning. I'm going to quilt anyway because I have three more tops that came in yesterday. Two were picked up, but I'm up one now. I can't let the weather dictate my work any longer. Although, I think in a lightning storm, I may make an exception. The winds are out of the west so I should be okay; it's the southerly winds that concern me more.

I'm still working on Lynette's and Linda's quilts, but after I worked in the studio last night, I shifted over to Christmas presents. Here's Yammy Cat all blanket stitched. 

Doesn't he look unamused?

Pod Cats are still in the works; it's mostly blanket stitched but I ran out of steam last night. 

I have a new customer coming at about noon today but only for a consultation on fixing a top she has inherited. She has an APQS Lenni and can quilt it herself, but has experienced some health issues, so I may actually end up doing this one for her.

Written in Sand

Thankfully, goals are written in sand and not in stone. My goal of getting Joyce's quilt done yesterday fell short. I hustled my hind end off to try to get it done and yet...I'm still a few hours away from finishing. Today will be the day as I have to get it in sent down to her ASAP. 

It's a snowy and very cold (in the 20's) morning. How is it I was in capri pants and short sleeved shirts just a week ago? Granted, I was still in Indiana, but Jim said it was just as warm up here while I was gone. 

A frozen Quilting at the Lake

I love this pic. It's the winter version of my logo.

And I have to get a little personal because I'm a proud mom. Here's a pic of Caleb and Lia (son and DIL) at the Military Ball on Veterans Day week last week. 

Even Sparty got into the act

Nails this morning. I have to run over to Pieces right afterwards and then I have a customer coming to drop off a top. I'll be finishing Joyces quilt in the afternoon/evening and maybe get a little more quilting on Bernadettes top in before calling it a day. 

Ice Storm!

This is the view outside the studio window this morning.

Look at all that ice!

It's pretty, but very dangerous, especially since the winds are coming up. While this picture looks like we've gotten through of the worst of it, it was a brief sun appearance and we are now getting (more) snow. And wind! The trees are creaking terribly. Here's hoping the electricity stays with us today since this is what's on the frame...

Deb's Coral Reef. Pattern by Judy Niemeyer

I've started the piece already. But it's a LOT of detail, change of quilting, change of thread colors, marking, registration placements, and rolling back and forth to get the whole section done. It's going to be on the frame for a few days. 

Tomorrow is supposed to be day 1 of retreat, but I'm afraid of the roads and the weather on whether we'll be able to actually have retreat. I have another quilt top cut out giving me three projects to work on, but our county is in a state of emergency and travel is to be done ONLY for emergency vehicles and plows. 

A Little Something

Most of yesterday was spent in the yard, but after getting cleaned up and re-showered, I managed to get my new Angela Walters' Build a Quilt block #7 done before settling down for the night.

At least a little something here in the studio was played with.

Today is starting out cloudy and rain is expected later which provides the nearly perfect reason to stay inside and continue on with the t-shirt top.

And as much as I hate to keep mentioning the weather, let me explain before you judge.

In Michigan, we receive about 170 good days a year to go outside; seriously, that's our average up here. It's a little higher downstate, but in the norther portion we have a slightly shorter growing season and much more adverse weather. Let's put it this way, yesterday morning, I had heat on in the house, because the morning temp was 42 degrees.

When a day in the mid 70's with sunshine presents itself you. go. outside.

If you don't go outside and do something, anything, you're either sick, have a  funeral to attend, or are just plain...well...you know.

I don't have a normal "job" to punch a clock for, so I have the freedom to pick the days I want to "work" on customer quilts. And, I have the freedom to take advantage of the [few] nice weather days our state hands us. During the winter months the blog is mostly quilting, because after about mid-October, the thought of going out in wind, rain, snow, and mud isn't very appealing.

So, now you know about my weather discussions of late.