Trying to keep up

I made myself a promise to be more timely with my blog posts this year.  I lost track of it last year after switching jobs and the posts were less than sporadic.  So I was hoping to make a new time in my "schedule" for it.  I'm still hoping, actually.  :-)  I have a really high level of respect for the people who do a post every day!

I got the February quilt in my calendar quilts series finished this morning.  The pattern called for tan and pink, but tan is not a color I care to use much of.  I had fun quilting this one.  Just flipped open a book of designs and off I went!

Poor Kitty hasn't been feeling well.  Look where I found her yesterday morning!  Hopefully cuddling with a quilt and a bunny will help her get better.










Last week was the big reveal for the quilts in the Museum Quilt Guild's challenge.  This year's theme was "Carnival".  My entry was not the best expression of the theme.  It was a piece I began last summer as a way to get to know my new sewing machine. I grabbed some scraps and started sewing and cutting and resewing. You can see that part in this post.   At some point I thought one part of it looked like a roller coaster, and if I did the right stitching, it could be a carnival!  I decided to play with threads and stitches, doing some embroidery, then loads of quilting.  Then came the beads and glitter and..

this is how it turned out.
I call it "Lime Green had fun at the Fair" 

I had a blast making this piece!






And here's a better look at some of the "attractions"

I quilted the funhouse tents ( or maybe the beer tent?) into this section.

This is my "Tilt-a-Whirl" (or teacups?) ride

The far left has wavy quilting like one of those slides.  The embroidery on the black section was meant to look like a merry go round

I quilted and beaded the ferris wheel.  The lower part here reminded me of a funhouse maze.  The beads are people lost inside.

See, you have to use your imagination.
The rest of the quilts can be seen both at the Guild's and  Kathi's blog

My green tip this time has to do with the pile of outdated fliers I saw in the trash at a local "Family Dollar" store last week.  They were tossing them! The store had no recycling plan for anything other than their cardboard.  I made sure to mention it to the employees and then contacted the company at their website to complain.  You can speak with your voice and your dollars, to stores and businesses that are not environmentally conscious.  Make sure they know why you are shopping elsewhere.

I am grateful for:
A beautiful winter day with sunshine sparkling on fresh snow.  (a rare occurrence this winter)
My hubby who goes out and cleans off my car when it snows
Caring people who do the right thing
The creativity of others, which inspires and challenges me!
Family time, when I can get it.