Lighthouse, Doggy and Kitty Quilts

Hi Everyone!

I am a bit blue today.  Things are going on in our business that are frustrating, and the dark skies always make me blue.  I'm a SUNSHINE person.  It was actually raining out of a sunny sky for a few minutes earlier today, and I thought that was just perfectly wonderful.  Why doesn't it happen like that ALL the time?

Remember my NEW 2014 quilting machine and how I told you I would show it to you when it came?  Probably not, but I will show you anyway, lol.  Jerry and my grandson, John, put the new one on the table right next to the old 2006 model last weekend.  The salesman told me to do that to be sure the new one was working properly before I took down the old one.

So here's a picture I snapped JUST FOR YOU:

The new one is much sleeker and has awesome lighting that shines down on the quilt.  The old Millie has now been removed and shipped back to APQS.  If anyone out there is looking for a great USED Millennium, you might want to keep your eye out for this one.  I imagine they will go all through it, put a warranty on it, and sell it.  It is in perfect condition already.  It is a 2006 model.

I was SHOCKED to put in the "How Does This Thing Work" DVD to find out it is EXACTLY the same as the one I got with the 2006 model.  There isn't even a picture of the new one in it.  I sure was disappointed!

And here is the quilt top I am working on.  It is just a piece of fabric that has a lighthouse print on it.  My mother loves lighthouses, and I bought this years ago to make for her.  I am quilting all the diamond shapes and around all the lighthouses.

Don't know WHAT color to bind it with.  Black?  Red?  Blue?  Blue would be the hardest because it would not match exactly.

And did I show you the OTHER bow tie quilt I found in Jerry's mother's closet?  I didn't like it and almost tossed it into the Goodwill bag, but I am SO GLAD I didn't do that.  It looks really good -- even with all of its flaws -- after quilting.  I am getting ready to put the binding on it.

I made a video for those of you who may wish to know WHAT a "pantograph" is and how the longarm quilting machine works.

This picture is the quilt BEFORE I quilted it:

The following two pictures are what it looks like AFTER I quilted it.

I really like it now.

Here is a little bit of the back side so you can see the design I quilted on it called "Leaf Pile".

And Jackie LOVES her first bow tie quilt.  I quilted bones in the bow ties.  It is her quilt ONLY if I am in the room with her.  I don't know HOW animals KNOW that blankets/quilts are for them, but all three of mine know.  I have made my cats several quilts.  I'll show you them in a minute in case you missed them.

Here is ONE of the quilts I made for my kitties.  This is just a piece of black fabric I quilted on.  It has cat paw fabric all over the back.  Total cuteness!  I made up those balls of yarn all by myself, although I'm sure I'm not the first to think of it.

Here is another quilt I made for Boots and Barney, our kitties.

If you look closely, you will see their names in this one.

And here is the FIRST kitty quilt I made for our cat, Meow Meow.

Meow Meow had six babies -- she ATE all the babies -- we spent $1200 on vet bills for her after a messed-up hysterectomy -- and then she ran off in the night and never came back.  So this quilt is a hand-me-down to Boots and Barney.  Thank goodness, her name was "Meow Meow" because it goes with any cat.

And I've got to run downstairs and fold the clothes, and pet my dog, and fix my face, and change my blouse because we are going to Alberta Creek Cafe for a Shrimp Boil tonight.  I will probably take a pic of that.

Hugs, Joy