Another UFO Challenge finish

The Bear's Paw Quilt did get finished to meet the deadline for Judy's UFO Challenge!  I'm two for two and that's a very good thing.  I must thank my overnight visitor, Bear, for his assistance.

He helped me snip the last thread on the binding.

And he was the perfect model for the Bear's Paw Quilt!  Click on my UFO Challenge tab to view another photo and my entire list of entries.



The next number Judy has drawn is #1.  Another easy quilt for me--my Rick Rack Road.  It has a completed top, back, and binding, and just needs layering, quilting, and labeling.  I'm determined to get this next quilt finished earlier in the month. 

Design Wall Monday--2/28/2011

There's nothing on my design wall, but I've been checking off steps for various other projects.  Yesterday I made piping for some pillows I'm making my DD Erica. I had a special helper.

This is Bear, who assisted me with the miles of piping.  He of course favors blue of all shades.  Bear belongs to my dad but I requested a sleepover so Dad drove him over.  More about Bear's activities at Casa de Orts later...

The Bear's Paw mini quilt got its binding and will be completed today, just under the wire for Judy's UFO Challenge.  It looks really wonky here, having been thrown over the bedcover!  See more Design Walls at Judy's Patchwork Times.

Pilgrim's Progress

Though I have never read that book, the title often crosses my mind when projects are at a slow creep.  Still, they are getting done!  First up, the Bear's Paw project, my #10 for Judy's UFO Challenge.

The other day I posted that something organic would have to happen in the borders of the quilt. Well, this was the first attempt.  Too small, too fussy.  An hour's break and more thought produced a keeper:

Ah, much better!  Simple and classic scallops.

My primitive hand quilting aside...

...I've enjoyed getting this little project done.  It will not end up a pillow, however.  I've decided to coapt the pillow backing from the kit for binding and keep it as a mini, for my "someday" mini quilt gallery.

Next, the edict from DD Erica for taking home her finished pillows after her return to CA next weekend resulted in more handwork:

More stitching has been completed since this photo, and one more pillow front will need to be embroidered.  In the meantime, I have been studying up on pillow construction techniques using covered cording and zippers in a terrific comprehensive sewing book I have, from Reader's Digest, no less.  More progress to follow--and definitely a finish for the UFO #10 before the deadline!

Lucky

I came home tonight to find a squishy on my sewing desk.  It arrived sooner than expected.

I got mail from Kate Spain!  I was one of the 10 lucky names drawn for a "surprise" gift associated with the Moda designers Pillow Talk blog hop. 

These adorable 2.5" charm packs were in the squishy along with a handwritten note.  One is from Kate's Central Park line, and other is Buttercup from Fig Tree & Co.  Thanks, Kate, I'm definitely feeling surprised and lucky! 

Tuesday's Orts--Feb 22, 2011

This week's Orts brought to you by partly cloudy and freshly scrubbed Southern California skies. 

• I went with my daughter Elaine and my future son-in-law Chris to check out a wedding venue over the weekend.  It was a large old Victorian farmhouse on the coastal plain, surrounded by orchards and fields.  While beautiful and secluded, the site fee was $3,000 and did not include anything but the use of the grounds plus the separate structure housing the bathrooms and dressing rooms.  The house was private.  Gulp.  It started thundering and rain came pouring down as we left.  Maybe a sign?
• My future son-in-law has informed me that HE is going to win the HGTV Dream Home.  Pretty great if he did!
• I have been watching a few shows on Oprah's new channel, OWN.  I like Oprah well enough, but not her best friend Gayle King.  She always seems immature and annoying to me!
• Email comes to me from two groups I belong to on Yahoo--one of which is high volume and I am not reading them at all.  For some time (like over a year) I have been wanting to change the delivery method but couldn't remember my login, though I knew the password.  Finally I did remember and my inbox is decluttered instantly!  You can bet I wrote down the login name for future reference.
• Traffic rant:  Drivers entering from a parking lot or side street who look straight at you through the pouring rain and then pull out in front of you anyway, causing braking and bad words.
• The International Quilt Festival's spring show moved to Cincinnati this year and my sister, my Mom and I are going.  I hope it isn't still snowing in early April because I don't own heavy winter clothing!
• Son Nick is eagerly awaiting his youngest sister's return from AZ in less than two weeks--he wants to move into her old room as soon as she clears out more stuff.  Meanwhile, he occasionally spends time here watching sports on TV:

Mini cat and Russell dog love Nick!

Design Wall Monday--Feb 21, 2011

On my Design Floor today are two WIPs and a UFO.  Progress on the #10 UFO from Judy's Challenge is squaring up the Bear's Paw pillow top and getting it basted for hand quilting.  Only a week left to finish this UFO!
 

I failed at spacing the pattern's cable template for the border, so erased my marks as best I could. Something else will have to happen organically as I quilt!

A JoAnn's Fabric visit resulted in the purchase of flannels for the backing of the Kitchen Sink Quilt.  I sent a photo of my completed top to Kim Brackett, the designer, and she liked my version :).

Lastly, the blogaversary giveaway tablerunner was quilted and bound--the winner, Sherrill, chose the brown wicker print.  I like it!  See more Design Walls on Judy's Patchwork Times blog.

Outings

Last Saturday was spent outdoors.  I know, amazing, right?  My mom and I went to a BBQ for charter members of a botanical gardens project in the hills above our downtown.  We parked our car behind city hall and were shuttled up into the hills.  Our driver was an old friend so we chatted and laughed on the way up.

It was a bit hazy but there was no wind and it was a perfectly comfortable 70 degrees. This is looking south towards L.A.  That  mountain range in the distance is the Santa Monica Mountains (you can just make it out on the left middle portion of the photo.  I told you it was hazy!). 

We lunched on tri tip, chili, salad and garlic bread prepared by the Rotary Club, amid a colonnade of Peruvian pepper trees.

You hopefully can see the end of the pier sticking out, to the left of the tall building in the photo.  I showed you the pier up close here last week.

The Anacapa Islands are in the distance, about 13 miles off the coast.  The breaking waves seen beyond the palm trees in the foreground are at Surfer's Point, and there are always boards in the water.  See how steep this road is!

From the garden BBQ we walked down to view a new rock wall that is being built by master stonecrafters.  Someone had created this really cool balanced sculpture, which is about 3 feet high.

My mom and I couldn't help creating one of our own.  A bit less impressive, eh?

This is a dry stacked stone wall about 8 feet high and probably 60 feet long.  It is just beautiful.

The road leads to the Serra Cross Park.  Grant and I were married here 26 years ago.  Mom and I chatted with a couple who were at the cross planning their own wedding.  Father Serra, a Spanish Missionary who founded multiple missions in the state in the late 1700's, placed the original cross at this site.  It has since been replaced several times.  The city was forced to sell the property due to a lawsuit for separation of church and state, and now it will become part of an ambitious botanical gardens plan.

Mom and I decided to walk back to our car, down the very steep, narrow road.  We enjoyed vistas like this the whole way.

This archway is the entrance to Grant Park and sometime in the future the botanical gardens.

The plan covers a very large area of the hillside and has many hiking trails.  Proposals also include a cafe and picnic areas.  

My hiking partner.  Today is her birthday.  Happy Birthday, Mom!

We both loved this Craftsman style house at the bottom of the steepest part of the road.  Wish my photos were better.

 I had fun with Picasa making this shot look like a tinted postcard.  Hope you enjoyed the tour!