PugMom Quilts!

Thursday, August 13, 2015

Kaffe's Blue City Life in Progress

Like the hungry child at the buffet whose eyes are "too big for her stomach" (meaning that you take more food than you can possibly eat), I always think that I will get more done at a quilt weekend than is humanly possible, at least for me.

Last weekend I had hoped to completely assemble my newest quilt project (Kaffe Fassett Blue City Life), bind three quilts, and possibly start a new project or work on one of the UFOs that has been living in my car. In actuality, I enlarged a quilt back by adding two gi-normous strips (which took way more time than it should have), made a sample birthday block for our swap next year, completed the remaining 20 blocks for my Kaffe Blue City Life, made two dog pillows and bound one quilt. Not shabby, but perhaps I shouldn't compare myself to my friend Kim G., seen in the previous quilt post, who assembled five quilt tops in the same time frame. She also speaks several foreign languages fluently and has naturally curly long blond hair...

Here are a couple photos of my Kaffe Fassett Blue City Life blocks.

The quilt will get more anemic purple sashing around each block.

Since this quilt is for me, I will probably put it away until my next quilt weekend this fall, because I really should be working on my brother Jeff's surprise 50th birthday quilt, especially since his birthday is October 1st.

Thanks for visiting!

Pugs and kisses,
Nancy

Wednesday, August 12, 2015

August Quilt Weekend

I am still recovering from lots of fun at my August Quilt Weekend with my Brown Bagger buddies. Such a disappointment to return to real life after three days of sewing, sewing, sewing! Attendance was at an all time high with 18 ladies in the house. Lots of ideas were exchanged, lots of fun was had. We held two birthday parties, put together gift baskets for Cheryl and Jean, played three rounds of Right, Left, Center (Kim P. scored big and won twice, Sally also won), and played lots of Trivia Crack with Nancy D.

If I know my friend Kim G., she has been not so patiently waiting to see her quilts published in the blog. Without further ado, I give you the quilt tops of Kim G.

Yellow Kaffe Fassett Circles. Kim put her new Accuquilt cutter to work.

An original quilt design by Kim. She silk screened her blocks.

If you didn't take art history, you may not recognize artist Frieda Kahlo.

This pattern is called Nine Easy Pieces.

This is the same quilt that we just made for Terri's birthday. It is a Missouri Star Quilt Company pattern.

Another Missouri Star Quilt Company pattern

Marion finished the top of her t-shirt quilt. It is a gift for her oldest granddaughter, Sydney, who just graduated from college. Maroon and gold are Sydney's school colors.

Nancy D. finished two baby quilts and celebrated her birthday with us!

Nancy made home-made strawberry shortcake for us. Yum!

Terri was working on her Halloween villages quilt.

I put the binding on this batik Yellow Brick Road quilt, quilted by Kate.
We NEVER have a quilt weekend without a Yellow Brick Road quilt.

We saved all our fabric trimmings and stuffed a pet bed with them, which I will donate to the MSPCA. It's kind of hard to see in this photo, but it's basically a little fleece pillow. I've started stuffing a second, larger pet bed with the remainder of the scraps.

My generous friends filled the back seat of my new pugmobile with donations for Sue who teaches quilting to ladies at a local shelter. Thank you Kim G., Sally and Terri! Even my co-worker Dianne picked up some pins for them at a local garage sale.

My friend Kim P. also contributed some photos for my blog.

These are Debbie's Batik Tumblers. Debbie also bought an Accuquilt cutter.

Marion got her Yellow Brick Road quilt back from Kate who machine quilted it for her. It is made entirely of plaid flannel. It will keep someone nice and toasty this winter.

Kim P. made this cutie pie mug rug for Jean to accompany the red polka dot mug.

Wendy made this baby quilt which is a pattern by our friend Kate Michell. Kate was also at our weekend and was busily designing a block of the month pattern. Stay tuned!

Here is Karen Pratt's newest pattern, Trillium. It is not on her website yet.

Karen has also been designing religious quilts. I'm not sure if she will be selling this pattern.

We picked our Brown Bagger birthday block for 2016. It is Dresden Squared by the Missouri Star Quilt Company. Kim G. and I each made one. We discovered by accident that you can cut it differently when you square your Dresden Plate. It was fast and easy to make. You do need the Darlene Zimmerman Dresden ruler.

Thanks for visiting!

Pugs and kisses,
Nancy

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Let Sleeping Pugs Lie

Pugs love to sleep. Romeo will actually put himself to bed in his crate when he is tired. Elvis and LarryPug prefer the sofa.

Pugs love to nap. My pugs nap with one eye open so they don't miss anything that's going on. Pugs love a warm lap, a soft pillow, or in a pinch, even a pile of laundry (clean or dirty, doesn't matter) will do.

My pugs snore a little bit, usually when we're watching television at night, which annoys Mike endlessly, but I think their little snuffling sounds are cute.

I love this photo of Romeo. He looks like a sleeping pug angel. Wallygator is at front left. Unlike his brother Larry "Hannibal Lector" Pug who chews his stuffies to death, Romeo prefers to lick his to death. Wallygator has been with us for many years. I keep him safely away from LarryPug, who bit off part of Wallygator's tail and yearns for another bite.

Snoozing in tandem on the couch. Elvis and LarryPug.

Thanks for visiting!

Pugs and kisses,
Nancy

Saturday, August 8, 2015

Cape Cod Quilt Show 2015, Favorite Quilts, Part Two

Hello Dear Blog Readers,

Here are another ten beautiful quilts from the Cape Cod Quilt Show. If you missed Part One, click here.

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this rainbow bargello quilt. Ironically, I bought a kit to make this exact same quilt a couple of years ago at this same Cape Cod Quilt Show. I must dig it out and make it! Several of my favorite quilts were made by Laurie La Conte. I don't know her, it's just a coincidence but we obviously have the same taste in quilting!

Somewhere Over the Rainbow by Laurie La Conte

Under the Sea by Liz Kramer

First Kiss by Laure La Conte

Close-up of First Kiss

Bright Hexies by Judy Farrar

That thing with Feathers That Perches in the Soul by Julie Lariviere

Confetti by Beverly Hailey

Close-up of Confetti

Modern Squares by Hilary Ward

Down by the Sea by Laurie La Conte

Check out the amazing quilting in Down by the Sea. In the sandy color areas, she has quilted sea shells and star fish.

Another close-up of the wonderful quilting in Down by the Sea.

Holiday Lights by Beverly Haley

Duluth Trees by Hilary Ward

The PugMom Quilt Posse! From left to right: Sue, Marion, me and Joannie.

Here are the out takes!

Taking silly selfies with Marion. #1

Taking a second one that pretty much looks like the first one.

Squeezing in Sue!

Anybody want to see what I bought??? Thanks for visiting!

Pugs and kisses,
Nancy

Friday, August 7, 2015

Cape Cod Quilt Show 2015, Favorite Quilts, Part One

Last Friday, Marion, Joannie, Sue, and I went to the Cape Cod Quilt Show. We saw our friends Nancy D., Kim P., and Wendy there. I also ran into my friend Etta, who I haven't seen in at least a year.

Lots of great quilt and lots of vendors to buy yummy fabric from! Below are ten of my favorite quilts from the show. I'll do a second post with another ten.

Kailey's Quilt.
The maker's name isn't listed on the photo I took of the label. If you know the maker I am happy to give her credit! Check out the close-ups of her beautiful machine quilting below.