Ice bound

We've had an interesting storm sequence this week with mostly ice coming out of the sky and accumulating on the ground. I had hoped for real snow so I could put a big bowl out, collect the snow and make some instant ice cream the way we used to do it when camping in the snow at Yosemite. (snow and Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk stir it up and add whatever flavorings or extras you'd like -i.e. chocolate chips ;-)) The weather has prompted my husband to work at home for parts of the last couple of days. A different scenario than normal. It has been nice to ask him a question without waiting for him to get home, or get a mechanical thing fixed that takes him about 5 seconds and I might sit there and wonder how to approach the situation and what tools I might need or how to just fix it. Yesterday he even took me out to lunch--I think he just wanted to go out and drive in the stuff! But...I'm not complaining!

I've been able to get some quilty things almost done (binding still to go!) that I'm preparing to give away next week (full blog post on WIP Wednesday next week) as well as a couple of client quilt tops that were requested to be done so they could be finished in time for trips being taken by my clients and the quilts are being given as gifts on the trip out-of-state. Always fun to have more of the story and be a part of making it successful. Still have Charmed Network-EVA version to quilt...but there is next week.

Tried a new pantograph this week that I've had since I got my machine, but it just seemed like the right design for this quilt. It was one from a package, so not on a roll and wasn't long enough, but after a couple of photocopies and some tape, it was good to go. Rather than moving the panto for each row to get the alternating effect, my husband helped me see how to set the laser light and then just move the laser light each row so that the pattern itself stays in place. YEAH! It actually was much quicker once I got the system figured out. Perhaps making a 2nd row of copies and taping them to the other one in the right alternating pattern would allow me to do two passes before moving the quilt vertically--that would also save time. Ah....things to think about.

I'm excited about spending some quality time with Irena Bluhm who will be presenting a 2 hour lecture at the WSQ-Spokane Quilt Guild meetings on Thursday next week and presenting an all day class on Friday which I'm going to also attend, she is also doing another one on Saturday. If you're not familiar with her work, use the link and check it out. I tried to apply some of her techniques in my Supernova-Blackhole with the quilting I did on that one. I was also inspired by her painting/coloring of fabric after quilting it, but haven't learned her style specifically yet. I'll try to blog about it after my classes next week, but it probably won't get posted until Saturday night.

I hope you have been able to stay warm and productive. I'm glad to have more daylight hours!