Outta the Loop

Three weeks of quilting...
25 bobbins of thread...
3,978 curse words...
5 needles...
one very tried quilter...
one very excited piecer...
Outta the Loop is finished!
Well, almost.  She still needs binding and bling.  But she is quilted and she is amazing!

If you have no clue what I'm talking about, click here for the original post.  A super quick summary for those too lazy to reread, the quilt is based off of Jacueline de Jonge's "Elements of Nature" pattern.

Anyway, I started quilting this a few days before we lost Mabel.  In a strange way this quilt has become my "peace" -- I really think all that stitching helped me focus and start healing.

Our labels for this quilt are pretty cool... I'm a lefty and Eyvonne isn't.  Eyvonne traced her right hand and my left.  We each have our own label to document our thoughts, feelings, ideas, whatever... like I said, pretty cool.  Needless to say, you will find a memory of Mabel on mine!  No worries, once they are on the quilt I'll be sure to share.

So back to the quilt... Here is the full finished quilt - front and back:

And even the best of us change our minds...

This poor guy didn't have a chance!

Fresh off the frame and ready for show and tell!

And finally, the latest pics...

I know it's been a while since I had a meaningful post.  You know other than a recap of my photo a day challenge.  It's just so much has happened -- both good and bad -- and it is kinda' hard to combine the two, so I will try my best.  You'll just be reading along, me on the other hand will be going through an emotional roller coaster over here...

We'll start with the bad - Mabel, our most loving fur-girl! ...and here come the tears.  Some of you know how hard this past year has been and how much we have gone through.  But, everything turned for the worse back in the end of January and we had to make the hardest decision ever...

Mabel was just shy of her 9th birthday.  Mabel was my favorite dog -ever.  Mabel was diabetic.  Mabel was full of both cancerous and non-cancerous tumors.  Mabel lived a great life.  Mabel never knew she was a dog -- she thought she was one of us and Peaches was our pet.

We will miss you Mabs!

Here's why I said roller coaster... where do I go from here.  I always like to start with the bad news - it's done, it's over - now on to the good!  Me, I'm taking a quick break to get a cup of coffee -- you all can keep reading...

Yummmmm, that's a good cuppa' coffee!

Where to start... 

Wonderlust and The Choice both hung proudly at Road to California.  No ribbons, but I'm sure lots of people enjoyed looking at them just the same.  Which leads into more good news.  Two of my quilts, The Choice and Stella Luminosa, will be traveling in a special longarm exhibit with Original Sewing and Quilt Expo for all of their 2013 shows - how freaking exciting is that?  What an honor to have been asked to participate.  So, if you're at any of the OSQE shows (and there are a lot of them) make sure you check out the exhibit!

AND.... as if all of that wasn't big enough news.  Here it comes -

I am now a Gammill Quilting Artist - whoa, this is big fantastic news!  The formal announcement has yet to be made, but you can visit my artist page on their website and check out all the other good stuff as well!! They have a great new forum which is fantastic for those needing help and advice.  Click here to check it out!  And, if you happen to be visiting Gammill HQ you can visit four of my quilts while you are there -- yes four, Oliver, Clouds in My Latte, Iron Acanthus, and Simon's Folly -- they are living there for a little while.  Lots more big news coming up about this awesome-ness so stay tuned!

Photo A Day - January 2013

Once again I've made an attempt to follow along with Fat Mum Slim's photo a day challenge.  I managed every day for January!  A total accomplishment saying how insanely busy I am right now.  I'm also keeping it simple and sharing a collage of the photos instead of each one individually.  So here goes:

And the pics, in no particular order: