(s)Crappy Christmas Quilt - Part Deux

I'd like to thank you all for your advice and words of encouragement about the (s)Crappy Christmas Quilt. As you can see, my team has been working to make it salvageable. But alas, I think it's a lost cause.


Butch and Sundance just aren't big enough to cover it up as much as it needs to be. They did manage to run away and play with some of the blocks, but Momcat retrieved them and put them in the wrong place. By that point she'd lost heart so much that she didn't even change them back.

Tried two borders. Yuck. Tried one black border at 4.5" which is what the pattern calls for. Yuck. Think we're sticking with the current 2.5" black border.

I'm doubtful that this quilt will find its way onto the shop's wall. Momcat was considering donating it to Project Linus but then thought, haven't those kids suffered enough? Perhaps a home for the blind???

This quilt can best be viewed from a hill in Missouri if you're standing in Finland.

Momcat and I have been mewling about what to call it. As in the previous post, Figgy Pudding Explosion is one thought. Here's a few more:

• Yuletide Muckabout
• Christmas Gone Awry
• Was I Bad?
• Santa's Angry
• When Elves Go Wrong
• Noel NOOOOOO!
• Cruel Yule
• You'll Poke Your Eye Out!
• Clean Up in Aisle Four
  

Feel free to submit some of your own labels for it here. I think it would be some fun reading!

I took a close-up of Butch and Sundance using the Pi-cam. Butch's ears are laid back. He just can't rest on a quilt this ugly.



Yours,
Piwacket

The (S)Crappy Christmas Quilt

Ever have a project with a pattern that you loved, fabrics that you loved, a process that you loved and then you started putting the blocks together and stopped to say "Holy crap!" That's the way we're feeling right about now with this quilt.

Meet the (S)Crappy Christmas Quilt AKA Christmas Ribbons.


Momcat Linda took it to the shop's design wall for some help. A committee developed to look at it and compare it to the pattern. Everything was done according to plan, the fabrics are adorable, but it's just not coming together.

Linda: I'm not feeling it. I can't even see it anymore. I don't know how to fix it.

Jan: You did everything right, and the pattern in the book is very scrappy with all different colors.

Jessica: Maybe it will look better with the border.

Linda: You really think so?

Jan: I don't see the ribbon. In fact, I don't see a ribbon design in the book either.

Linda: I think it must be just after the kids have destroyed all the presents that Santa left them. This is the mess under the tree waiting for Mommy to clean it up.

Jessica: Maybe it will look better with the border.

Linda: I hope so. But I'm not sure.

Jan: It's a big quilt.

Linda: I don't think we should call it Christmas Ribbons. Maybe Figgy Pudding Explosion.

Jessica: I think it will look better with the border.

Jan: Use two borders. Use a thin solid black or navy inner border. And then your print outer border. And you have to miter your borders. I think it will look very cheerful when it's completed (grimacing in pain as these words come out of her mouth).

Linda: Aarrgh!!!


Today I've avoided the sewing room. Momcat is not to be trifled with. She just finished sewing all the rows together and realized that one block is turned the wrong way. Let the unsewing begin!

Maggie is doing her best to hold Momcat's place in the book. Maybe it's her fault for covering up the directions. Yeah, let's go with that.



Hiding under the bed until the storm passes,
Pi

So That's What's Been Keeping Her Busy!

A couple of weeks ago Best Friends Quilt Shoppe underwent a huge renovation and expansion. This involved knocking down a wall, painting, putting in new floors, moving all the inventory off-site and then back in... total deconstruction in order to create. Going from 2200 square feet to 5500 square feet is a lot of work.

Although Momcat is employed there only part-time, everyone helped as much as possible to make this a success and rejoiced at the grand re-opening. Here's a peek at how it looks now.

This is the view from the front door. The bed is on loan from the furniture store. Look at those floors shine!


Still from the front door, looking to the right.


From the front door, center and left.


Half of the classroom, with a student using the space to finish up her quilt top.


Kids' Corner


Looking down the wall at samples, with associated fabrics beneath the samples on the shelves.



Jan, the owner, has much more planned. More fixtures and more inventory to fill up this glorious space. More kits ready for purchase rather than being special orders. More options through the webstore and everything in general to be not only the biggest, best place in Cincinnati to shop for brights, batiks and blenders, but the best spot on the web as well.

If you're ever in Cincinnati, please stop in and say "hi" to Momcat (Linda). She'd love to cut some yardage for you or show off the store samples to inspire your own creativity.

Piecefully yours,
Piwacket

A Thousand Words Thursday

Notice that Momcat is the only one not in, on or around her bed. She'll be returning to blogger land soon....very busy around here.

We're "Up!"

According to Momcat, Up is one of the best movies ever. She just got home from seeing it in 3-D with Philip and Jill. She spent a lot of time talking to Maggie about it, so I'm assuming there must have been a DAWG or two in the film.

It was an up day for lots of reasons. Jill surprised Momcat with some "thank you" goodies for the French Lick vacation the two of them went on recently.

Look at this gorgeous tool caddy. Closed.......


...... and open. Jill even supplied the essential tools for all sewers on the go.

These beautiful note cards feature old-fashioned quilts. Momcat and Jill both love Civil War and early Americana quilts, so these cards are perfect.



Next are a couple of darling pairs of quilty earrings. Momcat wasn't able to attend the NQA show in Columbus, Ohio as planned, so Jill brought this lovely bling home.




Amish Booty

While at French Lick there was an outing to an Amish Flea Market, restaurant and store. You've already seen the concrete geese, scary dolls and sweet chicks.

Momcat loves little cubbies. She was excited about these finds.



This is a table top cupboard. It's big enough to hold cat treats. At least, that's what would be the most logical thing to hold. Momcat may have other ideas.


The above is a spice drawer and an Oatmeal Cookie scented candle. My guess is some sewing notions might find their way into the little drawers.


Every quilter keeps a list, but how many actually have quilt designs on their papers?


This towel rack will find its way onto a kitchen wall eventually. Sometime in the next month or two the kitchen is going to be painted. The towel rack should be a nice way to display the towels, especially since Trouble likes to pull the current ones from the handle on the oven. For some reason, our beans don't like to dry dishes with towels that have been on the floor.


Maggie Update

The other reason Momcat is up is that Maggie has grasped the idea of using the backyard as her potty. She hasn't yet discovered the best way to get our beans' attention. She seems to think that they should just know that she's staring at the back door.

On the other hand, even with a bout of diarrhea, she's made it outside all day after coming to get Momcat. I hate to admit it, but she's a good doggie.

Since I have vast keyboarding skills, I've been giving Maggie spelling tests. She knows how to spell only one word so far.

I hope you have an Up day, not filled with poo.

Piwacket

The Poky Little Puppy

Maggie and I have finally found something to agree upon. Momcat brought home the Poky Little Puppy line of fabric and it may be the cutest fabric ever. (Here we are napping after our intense discussion.)

What happy memories this story brings to Momcat. It was her favorite Little Golden Book. She kept her copy from the time she was about 3 and then read it to both of her little boys, until the book finally fell apart. The line from Quilted Treasures is just precious.




We already have three projects to do with this material:

• The Quilted Treasures free pattern for the line.
• The story book.
• A Hyde Park quilt using the line (from the book Super Simple Fat Quarter Quilts)
  

Before we can get to those projects, however, we have some things to finish.

Today Trouble and I took turns helping Momcat do the binding on the Sweet Dreams quilt for the shop. KT did a great job of quilting darling flowers on it using yellow thread. I took a picture with the Pi-cam of the back as well so you can see the quilting a bit better.





I know Momcat looks draggy and tired in that picture. A few months ago CatDaddy moved out. And just a few days ago he let Momcat know that he wants that to be a permanent arrangement. As a kitty, I don't really understand words like "divorce," "attorney," or "collaborative agreement." I just know that Momcat and CatDaddy have been married for almost 30 years, so this is a big transition.

I overheard her tell a friend, "I'm not going to get the T-shirt that says My husband left me and I'm a bitter woman. Instead I'm going to be grateful for the love and family we shared, and allow myself to mourn this loss, then dust myself off and move on."

As a woman of faith and humor, I know she'll be okay. It's my job to make sure of that.




I wish for all of you sweet dreams,
Piwacket