A milestone...

for me.  I've been so busy installing this thermal window film to all the windows in our sunroom/kitchen and just tonight, I finished the last one! Window that is.  I still have the french doors to do.  And the living room.  And the bedroom.  And the stairway landing.  But these windows were by far the hardest.

I forgot to add in the transom windows when I did my initial calculations.  That brought the total number of window panes to cover in this room to 30!!!  I love having a sun room except when it comes to doing anything to the windows (cleaning, etc.)  The only way to reach the transom windows was to climb up this very tall ladder.  Up, down.  Up, down. Repeat again and again and again.  It's a good work out though!

I've got installing this stuff down to a fine art and I even created my own homemade rig to make things easier.

The key to installing this stuff is getting it very, very wet.  I'm hoping to finish these french doors tomorrow and then start prepping the living room windows.  There are only 6 windows (12 panes) in there.  I have to completely clean the outside of the windows first (even though the film only goes on the inside).

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I'm getting a new camera for my birthday.  (So I hope my pictures will start improving.)  Well, I picked it up yesterday!

Isn't it pretty?  Unfortunately I can only look at it right now.  The memory card I ordered for it isn't in yet.  And the expected arrival date is May 6th!  I'll just have to be content with reading the manual in all my spare cycles (tongue in cheek comment).

And finally, I ran for my camera (the old one) when I saw this.

I opened the dryer to put some wet clothes in and before I could throw them in, David jumped in.  This is the first time he's done that.  I don't think he was so much interested in it as he was trying to escape yet another bath from Gabriel.

Until later...

"But offer yourselves to the ways of God and the freedom never quits.  All your life, you've let sin tell you what to do.  But thank God you've started listening to a new  master, one whose commands set you free to live openly in his freedom!"

Romans 6:16-18 MSG

Stash Report Week #17

April 23-29, 2010

Two weeks in a row of no fabric purchases! Can I make it 3 weeks next week? It shouldn't be too hard. I'm so busy with home improvement projects (window film and bathroom reno) that I really don't have the time to pop into a fabric store. Which is fine, because let's face it, there's nothing I need.

I also haven't had the energy to quilt much either. I used 1 yard for the backing of Star Light and .25 yard for May's Camelot Snowman wall hanging. That's a whopping 1.25 yards used this week.

So...
Purchased-this-week: 0 yards
Used-this-week: 1.25 yards
Purchased-to-date: 86.25 yards
Used-to-date: 157 yards
Net used: 70.75 yards

Until later...

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." 

Philippians 4:6

Video of Sam...

I've been doing a lot of research on digital cameras lately because I'm getting a new one for my birthday next month. I know the features that I want it to have including HD Video. I want it to turn on quickly and snap pictures fast. I feel like I miss so many great shots because of the time delay on my old one.

In doing all this research, I started playing with my old camera - a Canon Elph that's about 8 or 9 years old. I discovered just today that it will shoot short videos. The quality's not that great, but I had no idea that it had this feature!

In playing with it, I captured a short video of Sam giving herself a bath and wanted to see if I could post it. So hopefully here she is in all her large glory...



Until later...

For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Ephesians 2:10

May snowman and other stuff...

Well, April is almost over!  Does anyone else think this year is going by incredibly fast?  Anyone over 21 I mean?  When you're a kid, time seems to go by so slow.  You're looking forward to the next milestone and count your age by degrees - 5 and a half, 8 and 3/4, etc.  I've got a birthday coming up next month and I'm going to remain 35 until the very day it arrives!

I've been making the Camelot Snowman calendar blocks for my mom.  She hangs each one up as the month arrives.  Only I still haven't mailed her the one for May!  I'm running out of time, but fortunately found the time to finish it yesterday...

I quilted this one in a cross-hatch pattern around the embroidery...

And I found these pretty pink buttons to match...

The buttons are just decorative though.  The tabs open and close using velcro.  I wrote a tutorial for making them that you can find here if you're interested.

Mr. Quilting Bug is continuing to make good progress on the bathroom renovation.  The electrical is mostly done (except for the steam shower) and he has most of the drywall up.  I could show you pictures of his work, but thought these were more interesting...

The hole in the floor is where the old plumbing vent stack was located.  And beside it is an old vent that needs to be moved/closed up.  Gabriel thought they were fascinating...

She kept jumping back from them thinking there was something down there.  I hope she's wrong...

And I think I'll end with a few more pictures from the last few days.

Sam, Jack and David

David

Gabriel getting her belly rubbed

Until later...

"Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically."

Romans 12:11 NLT

Last but not least...

David.  He's been with us the shortest time - only about 8 months.  But he's such a big presence.  He's our only boy, but I don't think we could handle another one!  He's a huge cat and not quite done growing I think.  His belly is gigantic and yet when you touch it, he's solid as a rock.  I guess there's just a lot of hair there that makes him look really fat  He's so big, I often forget how young he really is...

Favorite sleeping chair...

 Helping me cut fabric...

Look at those paws!

 Not a very flattering pose...

 Gotta catch that sunshine...

 See his feet hanging over the edge...

Such a sweet face...

 More of the same...

Can you tell this is his favorite spot?

  Nice shot of the belly...

 He is such a large cat!

Until later...

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

John 14:27

And then there is Gabriel....

Our Gabriel has a birthday coming up in a couple of weeks.  But until then, she's a very playful 3 years old.  I've already shared a lot of pictures of her playing ball and I don't have that many new ones.  But there are a few I've captured that make me smile...

She's forever rolling in stuff...

 Doesn't she look vaguely guilty?

 Yes, she sleeps in bed with us...

 All of them sleep in bed with us...

I

She's so darn cute!

Guarding her new bone...

One more post to come tomorrow.
Until later...

You keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on you,
because he trusts in you.

Isaiah 26:3

Another small finish...

I found the time today to finish another of the quilts made from the fabric used in Peace Be With You.  This is the smallest and finishes at 22" x 27".  It's called Mini Stars in the Eleanor Burns Day and Night book, but I've decided to call mine Star Light. 

It's nice to quilt a small quilt because it goes so quickly.  All told it only took about an hour and a half to do it.  I stitched in the ditch in the interior and the borders and did a curlicue in the outer border...

I printed the label on a fabric prepared sheet I bought at JoAnn's and ran through my printer.  I've tried doing labels several different ways, but I think this shows up the best and is the cleanest.

You can also use a pigma pen, but I find that the line isn't very thick and I have to go over it numerous times to make it dark enough.  It has a more personal touch because it's in your own handwriting, but I still like the look of the printed labels.

In the next couple of days, I'm hoping to do some more quilting on the Spider Web quilt.  I did a little today and spent some time marking a part of it with a water soluble marking pen.  However, tomorrow I think I'm going to focus on installing some more window film...

Until later...

It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for.  Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.

Ephesians 1:11-12 (MSG)

Sweet timid Moses...

Can you sense a trend?  After a picture filled post for both Jack and Sam, I'm sure you're not surprised to see another one.  This one is for Moses.  She is a 5 year old Siamese mix who was rescued from the pound when she was a kitten.  I don't have as many pictures of her because she loves to spend her time sleeping in our bed - under the covers.  You can tell she's there by the lump she makes sleeping.  She's also so dark in coloring that pictures don't often turn out.

She's more timid than the others, so if you come to visit, you will not see her.  She'll wait a minute after you've left before making her appearance...

Eating dinner...

 Her favorite position - with arms crossed...

 She reminds of the Sphinx here...

 Closeup...

Doesn't she look regal?

What's a basket without a cat?

Until later...

fear not, for I am with you;
be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Isaiah 41:10

Stash Report Week #16

April 16-22, 2010

Well, I managed to restrain myself and bought no fabric this week - despite having gone into 2 fabric stores (for needles).

I also managed to finish piecing one top (Spider Web) and completely finish another (Peace Be With You).  I used scraps from the latter quilt in making the former, so I only used an additional 2 yards for Spider Web.  And I figure I used about 3 yards for the backing and binding of Peace Be With You.  That's a grand total of 5 yards, but looking at them, it seems like it should be a lot more...

So...
Purchased-this-week: 0 yards
Used-this-week: 5 yards
Purchased-to-date: 86.25 yards
Used-to-date: 155.75 yards
Net used: 69.5 yards

Until later...

"These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world."

John 16:33

Peace Be With You...

I just put the final stitches on the binding to another quilt.  Originally I named it Prayers for Day and Night, but didn't care for that title.  I've now renamed it 'Peace Be With You' as that seems more fitting.  It is a prayer quilt for my sister-in-law who is battling lung cancer right now.  I just found out tonight that she's back in the hospital with another infection so please pray for her.

This quilt is based on the Day and Night pattern as depicted in Eleanor Burn's Day and Night book.  It finished at 52.5" x 63", so it's a good lap size for her.  My good friend Susan quilted it for me.  (She enjoys that part of quilting much more than I do.)

I think Susan did a great job on the quilting.  She did all over feathers in the interior and more symmetrical feathers in the outer border.  She also did a curlicue in the inner border that really looks good.

I ran out of the light blue fabric for the back and had to piece one together.  I like how it turned out and am glad I had to do it.

The book actually enables you to save the leftover pieces from cutting the strip sets and use them to make 2 other quilts.  I'm hoping to start quilting at least one of them tomorrow and will share them when they're done.  I'm eager to finish another one of them because it will go to Brenda along with this quilt.

Until later...

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you: not as the world gives, give I to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

John 14:27

All about Sam...

Having dedicated a post to Jack, I figured it's only fair to devote one to her biological sister, Sam.  (Yes, they're both girls.)  Sam is usually in the same position wherever she is, so the pictures don't look much different.  Although she's a big girl, she has lost several pounds in the last year.  Not because she's sick, but through a lot of effort on our part.  And she's much healthier for it...

Resting in the sun room...

Same pose, different angle...

 Resting on the couch...

Ditto.  She loves this pillow, but really doesn't fit on it...

Resting in front of the water bowl...

 Back in the sun room...

 Looking unusually alert...

 Resting in my sewing room...

 Here she's mad because her food bowl is empty...

F

Finally an 'action' shot...

 Back to resting in the sun room...

Until later...

And He said, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."

Exodus 33:14