SO EXCITED!

After nearly a year (I'm a terrible sister), the tree skirts are being finished! A friend I met on the bus has a newer sewing machine with a longer arm that can automatically quilt. She's going to stipple the tree skirts for me so they're actually nice! Now I just have to figure out how the hell to trim them in the round! EeekkK!!!!

WEDGIES -- IN A GOOD WAY

----------------
Now playing: 8½ Souvenirs - Minor Swing
via FoxyTunes
If there is such a thing. Anyway, I got a few questions about the tree skirts -- like how did I make the strips in the wedge shape. Answer: I cheated.

I used a wedge-shaped ruler I purchased at my local Craft Warehouse (my favorite craft store, by the way, which my family has dubbed "Crap Warehouse" even though it doesn't really sell crap). It's a 10-degree wedge ruler. And the ruler comes with a pattern. I tweaked my pattern, however, to use more of the fabric, since I cut my large strips without buying the ruler first (didn't have the extra $$ at the time). So I flipped the ruler over and did opposing strips.

I actually find I like that better. It's a little more intriguing to look at (or if you're my coworker Stretch, trippy). I really like it a lot, and I plan to make many more. I just have to remember to buy double-sided tape. Having tape really makes all the difference -- tape down that wedgie, or you're screwed!

TREE SKIRTS

I am so sorry that I haven't posted for two months! I was distracted by NaNoWriMo for November, and then I've been sewing, sewing, sewing, but without the time to post. So here are four pictures of the tree skirts I made for my sisters for Christmas. Enjoy!

The above two pictures are of Mary's tree skirt. She owns a very retro-decorated house, and she really loves Christmas. She's quite sentimental, like I am.

And these two are of Ginna's tree skirt. She has an old house, but it's pretty modernly-painted and decorated, and she's not as sentimental as Mary and I, so I picked something not so Christmasy. She loves it!

DISTRACTED BY BABIES AGAIN

I had so much to do this weekend, that I got absolutely no sewing done. Not even any designing. Why? I was distracted by kids again, George especially, which I'm sure is not a surprise. My friends and I took their babies to Boo at the Zoo Saturday. It was a lot of fun, but we all decided that we were never going to do it again. There were WAY too many people!

But here are some pics of the cuteness that was the group of kids we went with.

This is my friend Elena, her husband, and their two children, Thomas and MaryKate.

Zoo Boise's brand new, juvenile giraffes. I think the younger one was a little cold!

My favorites were the tigers. I love big cats!

George as Tigger and his mom, Jami!

George and his Auntie Hattie (me!).

GIFT EXCHANGE

Want to do something cool for someone totally random this year for Christmas? I do. I'm joining a gift exchange for bloggers (and lots of other people, too). It's hosted by LaBoudoir. Follow the link below to sign up. Should be interesting!

http://laboudoirblog.blogspot.com/2008/10/sign-up-for-gift-exchange.html

PROJECT RUNWAY

Okay, some of you know that I watch very little reality TV that isn't related to cops, except for COPS. That one gets old fast.

Anyway, the one non-crime-related reality TV show that I will watch religiously is Project Runway. I missed a few episodes here and there, but was always able to catch up thanks to cable's sometime annoying habit of replaying episodes over and over. Yesterday, I got to watch the final runway show and was totally impressed.

First of all, it was the first time the final three were all women. There was a woman from Africa and two very young girls from the States. Korto, from Africa, was one of my favorites this season. Sometimes, her work was a little over done. Other times, it was absolutely beautiful.

My least favorite was Kenley, and although I thought it was cool that three women made the final, I sort of wished she hadn't been there. Her attitude and even her voice pissed me off and made me hate her clothes, even if they were actually quite whimsical and lovely.

My favorite was Leanne. Her work was gorgeous. Simple and modern and fresh. And totally classic at the same time. I always judge the final runways by the adage, "Would I wear any one of these pieces in public?" When I can answer yes for each piece, that means the designer did a fantastic job, in my opinion. Granted, I'm not model-thin by any means, but I would wear each one of Leanne's pieces, even the ones that were entirely neutral (not my favorite color palette). And she won.


Congrats, Leanne, this season's winner of Project Runway. I love your collection!

THE DISASTER THAT WAS HARVEST FESTIVAL

So it totally sucked to be honest. The weather would have been perfectly crisp but for the fact that it was so windy chairs were falling down and we were shaking all day.

I got up at 7:30 Saturday morning to help my mom. I was ABSOLUTELY frozen by the end of the day. We only sold about six hats and gave away a couple of order forms. There just weren't enough people -- they took a look out their windows Saturday morning and said, "Screw this!" It was miserable!

I didn't get anything sewn for the event. I used Malu's bargello that I gave her for her birthday last year. That was all I had. By the time I thought of making stuff, it was too late. Maybe for the Arts and Crafts fair this year. Who knows? Oy.

At least nobody missed anything. However, the parade did break the five-minute mark this year! It was cute. One of the guys drove his tractor backwards, which was pretty funny. When I asked my mother why he did that, she goes, "Because it's Ray." That pretty much summed it up. Oh well!

SDC

This is totally off-topic -- it has nothing to do with quilting or anything of that sort. However, I just have to share it because it's so damn cute!

Yesterday was my birthday, and my friends and their babies were going to come to my work and take me to lunch. Unfortunately, plans changed and they couldn't make it. So Jami, who has a little boy, George, sent me a birthday pix message last night. Here's the pic:

How cute is he? Don't you just want to pinch one cheek and kiss the other? And how about those eyes? They are totally taking in the entire world, aren't they? My Georgie Porgie is just so cute. I had to share!

An update, October 21, 2008:

I plastered this photo all over my work computer's desktop. It makes me so happy to close my programs and see Georgie's adorable face looking back at me. How can I not smile?

And he was "Idaho Correctional Facility Inmate No. 467915" at my costume party this past weekend. How appropriate for a five month old is that?

MY FIRST ESTYBLOGGER CARNIVAL

I recently got the opportunity to join the EtsyBloggers Street Team. It's really cool! I get to interact with Etsy shop owners who also blog about what they do. Guess what? That's me, too!

One of the requirements of being a member is to participate in at least one EtsyBlogger Blog Carnival. This week's topics are to either discuss your work or what you do to relax.

Since I work for a city government, I don't necessarily feel comfortable discussing it anymore than saying I run a library, basically, for one of the city departments.

However, I love to talk about my hobbies outside of quilting! I am a former English teacher and have degrees in English and History. I've been an avid reader since I can remember, and I've also been an avid writer since I was about 11.

Most of the time, if I'm not working on a quilt design, I'm reading a book or writing a story. Usually, if I'm reading one book, I'm reading three. Right now, I'm working on The Turning of the Screw and Other Stories by Henry James, The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis, and Lost by Gregory Maguire. I haven't really picked one to focus on at this moment. That's sort of what happens -- I'll dabble in about three until one really catches my attention and I finish it, then pick up the next most interesting one. I read on the bus to and from work a lot -- put on the iPod and ignore the people between whom I'm squished. Y'know, the men who are too rude to get up and allow another woman to have a seat and the boney, spiney women who think they can take up as much room as possible, especially if that includes poking you in the side for 20 minutes.

I get a lot of reading done with this method, elbows in my side and all. And I get funny looks, too, when I start to chuckle out loud about what I'm reading. It happens a lot. Oh well! If you're interested, I actually blog about my other hobbies: queenbookworm.blogspot.com and etasjes.blogspot.com. Enjoy!

TABLE RUNNER PREPARATIONS

So I have all the strips cut for Mom's table runner. It might not be totally finished by the time Harvest rolls around this weekend, but at least Mom'll have something to decorate her table. And I'll get some coasters done -- quicker than potholders. Sets of four or six, depending on how much I have left over. I'm just going to do pinwheels since they're so easy. And kinda crazy quilting since I have such an old machine! Wish me luck!