I have also been knitting and completed 2 more sweaters from that fun one piece pattern; one for a new baby girl and one for her big brother.

They are knitted exactly alike, just with larger needles and yarn for the bigger one! Quick and fun!

Yesterday I entered two more shows and discovered that it was too late to enter one that I had planned on. It is surprising how long it takes to do show entries. They are all different so it never becomes routine.

A new book is out, “Cutting Edge Art Quilts” by Mary Kerr. I have quilts in it and my copy finally arrived. It is a beautiful book and I have enjoyed looking at all of the amazing work!!

“Just Dandy” is in the Topeka Designer’s Show House and I have reports that is looks wonderful there. I hope to get by and see it soon.

I was really glad to be asked to participate because it is good for people to see how nice quilted art looks in a home setting.

In between all that I am still battling the weeds, a never ending war that I seem to be loosing. Now that the weather has turned hot, with no rain all week I am having to water the new things.

Sunday was the great grandson’s third birthday party and he had a great time, especially with his favorite gift, the John Deere tractor! It’s battery powered and he mastered steering and even backing up very quickly.

For some reason, probably because it wasn’t calico, I bought this whole line and have, over the years, only used a little of it. There was enough to end up with this almost twin size quilt that a teenager might like. Four different black and whites will make up the back and this is next in line to be machine quilted.

These are smaller, baby or toddler size. The smaller one on the top features a red truck print along with an abstract which is also on the back. The one below that has a very old teddy bear print with plaid and an an early Virginia Robertson print with plaid and two orange prints on the back. The larger one started with the Noah’s Ark animal print and attempted to use up the leftovers from the preceding ones, with an African print on the back. It is quilted but still needs a binding.

This one started with an old circus print. The back is black and white stripes, I quilted it yesterday, and have yet to bind it.

This endeavor was not fun.  I did use up a lot of fabric, which was good, but not enough to warrant the time I spent away from what I enjoy doing. I don’t think I can stand to do anymore and will probably just donate some fabric so people who enjoy this sort of thing can use them. I do feel good about having some quilts to donate that I hope someone will enjoy, but that is time gone, that I will never get back, and I do have art quilts that I am anxious to work on!!

So they canceled and we had to wait to be rescheduled. When we were finally back online I discovered that AOL no longer worked. There went another few days as I worked with my “new best friend” in India who called me every day at 4 for 3 or 4 days. I got to where I could understand him pretty good and now things are seemingly back to normal. Knock on wood.

During that time I was pretty busy though. Maybe tomorrow I will show you. You will be surprised!

It is gorgeous, I am so happy with it! There is a six page spread inside with lots of pictures and text detailing my process.

Look for it wherever quilting magazines are sold and watch for my workshop at Empty Spools, Asilomar!

Quilting it took a long time due to the size of it and the density of the stitching. These are my dogs, a Komondor, 145 lbs and a Shepard mix, 165 lbs!

I took the photo several years ago and have wanted for some time to make it into an art quilt.   Komondors are a fairly rare breed and it is not easy to find them in art so I was especially interested in doing this for a special exhibit that will take place at International Quilt Festival in Houston in the fall.

For those of you who are not quilters, my work is entirely pieced by machine from bits of commercially printed or hand dyed fabrics and then machine quilted.I love the search for just the right fabric to portray my vision.

Koms are always white and are usually shown with long cords to the ground so they resemble a big rag mop. I don’t show this one so I keep his cords cut back so as to lessen the amount of stuff he can collect outside.  Still he can bring in a lot of trash as he loves to roll in leaves and dirt.  They both have huge feet and I dread mud season!

The Kaw Valley Quilt Guild met yesterday and I learned that my quilt “The Merchant’s House” won First Place in the Viewer’s Choice voting in the show last weekend.

I have resisted getting involved with social media, because I feel like I am stressed to keep up with everything as it is! But Studio Art Quilts Assoc. has a Pinterest page for the SAQA Benefit Auction and they have posted my donation, “Northern Cardinal” along with others there. And IQA has posted “Who, Me?” on their Facebook page about “Celebrate Spring”. When I looked last week there were over 600 hits! People love puppies!! Celebrate Spring debuts in Cincinnati April 11-13.

Last night was First Friday at the Topeka Art Guild Gallery and the presentation for awards for the judged show that is up right now, “My Earth, My Art”. This is predominately paintings, a few photography works and my quilt art. One of my entries, “Bignonia” won the second place cash award!

It’s a great show, if you are in the area be sure and check it out before the end of May. My “Colorado Kids” is also there on display.

Also in the area this weekend is the Kaw Valley Quilt Guild Quilt show at the Toyota dealership on Hwy 59 (Iowa St) in Lawrence, KS. It’s always a great show and three of my pieces will be there, “Merchants House”, “Mon Grand Pere” and “What’s Up at the 4-H Fair?”.

I will be there late Sunday to see the show and pick up my things.

Empty Spools at Asilomar has posted the teachers for the 2014 workshops, including ME in the first session; not sure when it is open for enrollment, as the current 2013 offerings are going on now.

I finally finished the quilting on the dogs quilt – oh, dear – I really do need a name for it! I still need to block, trim and bind it though. I am looking forward to starting the next one!!

Yesterday I quilted most all day, I NEED to get this dog quilt finished; I don’t remember ever spending this much time on one quilt. Not so much the hours, but the calendar time. I guess I just need closer deadlines to keep my nose to the grindstone. I tend to get distracted. It’s coming along, though and a few more dedicated days will do wonders. I am planning a couple more projects which I hope will be smaller!

It only lasted an hour or so until the wind and the birds knocked it off but it was pretty neat while it lasted.

The whirligig thing looked pretty, too, until the wind came up and the drifting started.

It was the kind of day you want to stay inside and hunker down with some fun project. I finished my 12 inch square for the SAQA auction which I was hoping to get finished in time to send it to them before the April 1 Early Bird Deadline.

In the past my entry has always been in the A group. but I am slow this year and it will be in the B group, I think. “Northern Cardinal” is from a photo I took after the last snowfall, and it came out even better than I expected! I want to keep it!!

The background fabric is a batik with a subtle tree branch print that I purchased especially for this piece. I highlighted some of the print with the quilting lines.

It was a quick fix and I got the layering done and the quilting started. I’ve had a few days to work on it and it’s coming right along. Those are white tipped pins in the eyes to help me decide where the sparkles go.  The eyes don’t come alive til they get some sparkle.

Yesterday I taught a hand quilting class so did not work on it at all and today I finished up the tax prep so will not work on it today either, as it is getting late and I am tired of sitting!

We’ve been getting rain and the snow is all gone. For the first time in 8 or 9 months there is water in the farm ponds. Just a big puddle but what an improvement. Imagine the mud that two big dogs can track in with these big hairy feet. The Kom is 145 lbs and the Shepard mix is 165 lbs! They are loving this weather!