Prior Blog Post Explanation

This is really strange, Blogger isn't liking me today.
I got permission from my granddaughter to share the previous post from her blog.  I think that it's adorable.
Her blog is here
I also got permission from my niece to share her 15 year old daughter's first quilt, it's the post prior to the one about my great granddaughter. 
PS  I had been thinking of either a SewEzi table or a Gidget II
Today, after googling like crazy, I ended up ordering this:
http://www.sewperfecttables.com/sewing-table-original.shtml
and getting a really good deal for it on ebay:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Janome-Bernina-Viking-Pfaff-Singer-SEW-PERFECT-Table-/230586030613?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35afff9a15



It was more than I had planned to spend but it looks so sturdy and it got a really good review:
  http://sewing.patternreview.com/review/notion/826
I'm very excited to get it for my Juki and hope that it will make free motion easier.  

My 2 Year Old Great Granddaughter

What Makes Mackenzie Happy?

She loves when Mommy does her nails :)

It's amazing to see how many of these she can eat.

If Mackenzie comes to you with a normal crayon in hand and says, "Help." it is because her crayon is in one piece and has the paper around it still. This is unacceptable to her, she will only use broken, paperless crayons.

"Rumor Has It/Someone Like You" by Glee has been played (not kidding) over fifty times. Mackenzie can sing her version of the song and mimics the dance moves to the best of her abilities. Glee's Performance of it

She loves Elmo and all her Sesame Street books. She isn't a fan of the show though.

Want to see Mackenzie super excited, bring out the stickers! She loves to "decorate" whatever she is wearing at the time.

She loves to sing and dance to this song!

Mackenzie = BIG FAN

Two of Kenzie's favorite things, kitty cats and smelling flowers!

A new addition to Mackenzie's growing collection of "buddies", Valentina came into Mackenzie's life today when we received a package from Grammy and Sweetie Grandpa and Mackenzie is in love :).

This is Mackenzie's favorite thing to say, we are not sure why she says it many many times throughout the day. We think that she just likes the way it flows? Maybe? She's a silly girl! 

Counting, especially with her Leapfrog friends.

Hilltop Park, it's down the street and she loves it! This picture doesn't show the toddler playground but it's the one she loves the most.

She gives the best hugs and she loves to be hugged. 

So- These are just several of Mackenzie's many favorite things, I'm sure I'm leaving out some big favorites but it's almost 1am and I think my sleepiness is getting the best of me. I love my little girl and it was fun to look up all the little things that make her happy and think of the times they did. She's a very sweet, loving two year old. While I was registering for classes today, the lady from the college was on the phone helping and heard Mackenzie in the background and asked me, "Is she a terrible two or a tolerable two?" and I have to honestly say she is definitely a TERRIFIC two! She has her meltdowns and times when she has her own ideas of how things should go but overall she is a very obedient, kind and loving Mackenzie :)!

(Thanks google images for most of the photos! )

New Quilter in the Family?

I received an email and a photo from my niece.  "Wanted to show off the quilt Harp (Harper, 15) made for her friend's baby.  The friend & her new husband are big into hunting if you can't tell.  She made it in her sewing class, for her first quilt I think it turned out awesome.  And, even better, she enjoyed doing it.  And Kolb (Kolbie) saw the opportunity to have her picture taken, she can't pass that up, lol."   I agree, I think that Harper did an awesome job and I think that Kolbie is an excellent model. 

Two to Go

The last border really isn't green, it's predominantly turquoise, but I think that it's reading a green due to the poor lighting and the fact that there is a lot of metallic gold in it.  I still have my blue and purple piano border and my last plain border to go, and then the top will be finished.  I'll have a genuine flimsy. 

I haven't even started on my piano border though, so it may be a little while. 

Oh, I almost forgot.  I wanted to ask for advice if anyone has any to spare.  I'm getting a sewing table for my Juki in the hopes that my FMQ'ing (read here, meandering) will improve a bit if my quilts aren't catching on the extra protuberances of the sewing machine caused by it's not being set into the table.  I have seen the Gidget 2 That Leah Day sells and the SewEzi  if you have one of these please let me know how you like it, or if you have another suggestion, I'd love to hear it.  I need one about that size (small) as that is the amount of room that I have.

Is it a Conspiracy?

It's Monday and even though there isn't a Linky today, it seems like posting is a bit of a habit.  Besides, while I was working on this yesterday, I think I discovered a conspiracy.  I've read on different blogs estimates as much as 4400 pieces in this quilt, and where there are lots of pieces it's obvious that there are also little clingy threads.  I thought of wrapping some masking tape around my fingers, but that seemed like a lot of trouble, and then I remembered.  How many times have I seen pictures of cats on blogs, many times sitting on an ironing board.  I haven't got a cat or dog, but maybe threads and pets are somehow connected.  What if some of the "quilting ladies" have discovered that cats pick up threads and carry them off so that they can clean themselves as I've heard that cats do.  What if they are like big soft furry brillo pads when it comes to threads.  Maybe, dogs are similarly helpful, and take the threads outside and shake them off.   I've also noticed that many times these same "quilting ladies" have more than one pet, so I think that perhaps it is a conspiracy and they are trying to keep them all to themselves. 

Body of Orca Bay - Sunrise Sunset Done

The body of the quilt is finished, now on to the five borders.  I like working with smaller pieces better than borders and backs, but it has to be done.  Still have my by the end of the month goal, so it seems doable.  I really should try for better lighting outside, but not today.

Bonnie Quilt Collage

I've seen on a couple of other blogs where people had grouped their Bonnie mysteries or Bonnie quilts so I thought I would, too.  For one thing my blog needed a break from so much orange, for another, I just learned how to do collages (http://support.google.com/picasa/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=19539) and last, I like Bonnie's quilts just like you probably do.  The Carolina Straightaway was my version of Carolina Crossroads, I just did one of the blocks.  My Roll Roll Cotton Boll is smaller, but I have another in process.   I made the strip twist for my grandson and had some leftovers, so made the small one which covers the big fuse box in my sewing room.  Orange Crush is on the bed in my sewing room and Iowa (Carolina) Christmas is on DH and my bed until my Orca Bay Sunrise Sunset is completed.  DH says it makes him feel like a king.  Bargello Bowl went to a Sister-in-law after she had some surgery.