Call me Ishmael

This is my Moby Dick.

I recently finished up this lovely for my bed after only a year of stitching. Actually, it was my "project-between-projects." You know... that thing you do when you really don't have anything else to do but then when you're sick of it you tell yourself that's it's OK not to work on it?? Yeah, that project.

The center stars are paper pieced and then there were something like 60 flying geese units and I think about 35 or 40 Ohio stars... The thing is just so darn big!

How big is it??

Well, technically it's only about a full size quilt but it's just one of the largest quilts I've ever done. I actually had to move my kitchen table OUT of my kitchen in order to baste it.

You can't really see the block but look real close. I used my embroidery machine to quilt a floral-esq design into each of these plain squares. I did this sixty times! Hoop, stitch, unhoop...hoop, stitch, unhoop... SIXTY TIMES. I actually stripped the screw on my embroidery hoop! Luckily, I'm in good with a machinist who whipped me up a very fancy new screw in a matter of minutes. ;)

Was it worth all that hard work?? Are you kidding! Check out how FABULOUS it looks on my bed!

History 101

A week or so ago I snapped this pic of Ava heading out the door with dad for their weekly library trip. A little Daddy/Ava time, this used to be a trip just to grab a few dvds and some picture books. But now that she's able to read, these trips to the library have taken on a whole new meaning.


Alas, this post is not about my beautiful daughter and her amazing ability to read big kid books.


Oh no. It's all about the bag.


That's right, the bag.


Held snugly under Ava's arm is a corduroy tote bag complete with two outer pockets, cotton webbing handles, strawberry ribbon and red and white gingham check lining. We came across it during a recent cleaning of the attic and she asked if she could use it. This bag is thirty years old!



Not only that but this silly little corduroy tote bag was the VERY FIRST thing that I had ever sewn in my life!


When I was about seven or eight years old, my friends and I spent afternoons at the local Girls Club. My friends took dance class -- I took sewing class. In this class we learned how to make tote bags. No pattern, no fancy sewing notions. We cut with scissors and the blind hem stitch on your machine was as close to a "decorative stitch" as you were going to get. My mom would take me to So-Fro fabric at Lincoln Plaza and help me to pick out the corduroy, cotton lining, handle webbing and ribbon ties.


Thanks, Mommy.


Back in 1980, everyone got tote bags for Christmas. Gramma Grace, Gramma Rita, Auntie Phyl, Katherine... EVERYONE. I know my mom still has hers and I have mine and the one I gave to my grandmother.


And that's how ALL OF THIS began.


I think I'll show Ava how to make a tote bag.

Phase I: COMPLETE!

HIP HIP HOORAY!

On Wednesday I officially completed 58 fleece bathrobes for the Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Resource Foundation.

And then I slept.




Only 342 left to go.

Ava's quote of the day

OR things you hope you'll never hear your daughter say


Mom?

Yes.

Can my friend Dominic come over to play?

Ummm... sure (having never heard the name Dominic)

Good. He's going to bring his "nun-chucks" over.