Mary's Offset Gradients Quilts + A Show Ribbon for Talia's and Michelle's American Violet Quilt

Yippee, Skippy -- I get to share another of Mary's jaw-dropper quilts with you today!

Offset Gradients (Spectrum) Quilt for Mary

Mary's 57 x 78 Offset Gradients (Spectrum) Quilt, Pattern Available on Etsy Here

Mary used the Spectrum quilt pattern from Alison Glass to make her Offset Gradients quilt, and you can find that pattern for sale on Etsy here (this post contains affiliate links).  You can see Mary's completed quilt, all bound and finished, and read more about her process on her blog Quilting Is In My Blood here.  Oh my gosh, I love how this quilt turned out SO MUCH!  It was so hard to pack this up and ship it back to Mary when it was finished!!

Offset Gradients with Sunrise Chevron Quilting

We used Hobbs 80/20 Black Cotton/Polyester batting for this quilt because of the deep, rich fabric colors.  An 80/20 batting gives beautiful definition to a quilting design without getting too "puffy."

This is one of my favorite quilts that I've quilted because it's such an excellent example of how you can achieve the visual impact of custom quilting with an allover, edge-to-edge quilting design.  

A Sauntering Squirrel Swooshed By -- In a Kaffe Fassett Tiered Maxi Skirt

Hello and Happy Memorial Day Weekend, Everyone!  My birthday was May 27th, so I took advantage of Memorial Day sales on top of a birthday coupon from my not-quite-local quilt shop, Sew Much Fun, to buy yards and yards of Kaffe Fassett Collective cotton fabric prints that I plan to transform into long, swooshy skirts with my serger:

Birthday Flowers From My Sister, Kaffe Fassett Fabrics for my Skirts

I'm planning to make one skirt with the purple Japanese Crysanthemum-Antique (yes, this post contains affiliate links) alternated with Spot Plum (the two fabrics on the left), and another skirt from the Japanese Crysanthemum-Scarlet alternated with Zig Zag-Cool.   I'm linking to independent Etsy shops who carry these fabrics for your convenience, but I recommend pairing fabric prints in person at your local quilt shop if at all possible.  I spent a LONG time dragging fabric bolts around the shop (and made a big mess -- sorry!) before I was satisfied with my selections. 

Inspiration:  La DoubleJ Tiered Maxi Skirt, $590 from Nieman Marcus

The Tutorials

This new "squirrel project" first invaded my consciousness when I saw Sharon Madsen's How to Sew a Multi-Tiered Maxi Skirt tutorial on Bernina's We All Sew blog last week.

Sharon Madsen's Skirt for Bernina's We All Sew Tutorial

I love wearing easy, comfortable styles like this for summer, and I am seeing tiered maxi skirts cropping up in all of the high end retail shops this year.  This is definitely an on-trend look for Summer 2022, and it would be a great beginner sewing project if any of you have daughters, granddaughters or other girls in your life who are interested in learning to sew.  

Two Sweet Baby Boy Quilts for Julie

Good morning, my lovelies!  I am taking some vacation time away from my studio, but I've scheduled a few blog posts to publish while I'm gone since I have quite a few fabulous clients' quilts to share with you.  Today I want to show you two adorable baby quilts, both made by my client Julie and quilted by Yours Truly.  

Julie's 47 x 49 Blue Diamonds Quilt

Julie is one of my favorite clients to quilt for and she blesses the new moms in her life with the sweetest baby quilts that are beautiful, practical, and so very on-trend.  I'll bet the recipients of these baby quilts get asked all the time, "Where did you get that awesome quilt?"  

Her 47" x 49" diamond quilt is made up of simple strip pieced triangles alternated with plain white triangles, so the top came together fairly quickly (while the baby was still a baby!).  This is one of those "why-didn't-I-think-of-that" shower gift projects.  All you really need is a jelly roll (an assortment of 2 1/2" wide x width of fabric strips in coordinating prints) and some solid white.  And it's fabulous!  I love these bold Kaffe Fassett fabrics she used, and the high contrast, graphic prints are perfect for captivating the attention of a newborn whose vision is still developing.  If you want to make your own version of this quilt, there are plenty of Etsy sellers offering jelly roll precut strips in Kaffe Fassett prints like the ones Julie used here (this post contains affiliate links).  However, I personally have a TON of leftover strips from my pineapple log cabin project that would work well for this.  It would make a nice RSC (Rainbow Scrap Challenge) project too, don't you think?  I believe Julie used a 60 degree triangle ruler like these.

Modern Mix Quilting Detail, Stitched in Omni Thread, Color Natural White

We chose Anita Shackelford's Modern Mix quilting design because it repeats many of the shapes in those Kaffe Fassett prints, and because the soft curves and spirals are such a nice counterpoint to the straight lines of the diamonds.  

Rebecca's Ultimate Etsy Gift Guide for Quilters and Crafters

 Hello, friends, and happy Nearly Thanksgiving to those of you in the United States!  Today's post is something I've never done before -- a shopping guide chock full of gift-worthy goodies that I personally would love to find under my tree on Christmas morning.  If you have quilters, sewists, or embroiderers on your shopping list this year, I have some suggestions that are sure to be received with delight.  (If YOU are the quilter/sewist/embroiderer reading this post, you may find a few items for your OWN wish list).  What's more, every item on my list is in stock and coming from a small craft business owner via Etsy -- and none of them contains those pesky microchips that are delaying just about everything else you might want to buy for the holidays this year.

A Few of My Favorite Tools

Each of the items on this list is something I personally own and love, or something I currently have on my own wish list.  Feel free to share this post with others, post on social media or wherever.  Disclaimer: this post does contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you) if you make a purchase after clicking my link.  I do appreciate your support of my wicked thread addiction!  😉

 Beautiful Tools: Where Form Meets Function

The items in this section are a pleasure to own and use because they combine the finest craftsmanship with beautiful design.  Bonus: They make great Instagram props to "style" your work-in-progress photos.

1. Hand Embroidered Felted Wool Pin Cushion from Etsy maker Martha of Quilt Shenanigans.  Who is this good for?  Anyone who does any kind of sewing at all can use a pin cushion, and these must take Martha hours to individually hand stitch and embellish with tiny beads.  Her hand stitching is exquisite, the felted wool is soft and luxurious to the touch, and the pin cushion is well-packed to hold its shape and is stable on a flat surface.  Even the slenderest pins slide in and out with ease, and she has lots of beautiful designs in stock to choose from.   

My New Favorite Pin Cushion, made by Martha of Quilt Shenanigans on Etsy 

2. Handmade, Hand Paired Embroidery Scissors from Maison Sajou.  These are manufactured by a 200-year old company in France, but available in several Etsy shops.  I got mine from Penelope Textiles' Etsy shop.  A few things to know: There are lots and lots of cheap imitations out there for a fraction of the price, but while the mass-produced knockoffs might look just as cute as photo props, there is no comparison to the way they actually cut.  It's like the difference between a Wustof steak knife versus the plastic knife that comes with your takeout order.  The lesser version SORT of cuts, but not cleanly or easily and it's not a joy to use!  Authentic Maison Sajou scissors are individually handmade by French craftsmen, with hand paired blades that are kept together throughout the entire production process to ensure that they match up perfectly. They are sharp, accurate, and cut smoothly and cleanly all the way to the tip (which is absolutely crucial for snipping the inside corner seam allowances in needle turned applique).  Who is this good for?  Anyone who enjoys any kind of hand stitching like cross stitch, embroidery, needle turned applique, or hand quilting would love to receive a pair of Sajou scissors!  In addition to the Hare design that I own, there is also a cute Eiffel tower version, gorgeous Art Nouveau Peacock scissors, and other historic reissue designs to choose from.  Of course, if you just want a cute pair of scissors for a photo prop, those cheaper knockoffs will suit you just fine!

Hand Paired Hare Embroidery Scissors from Maison Sajou, via Penelope Textiles on Etsy

Megan's Vintage Kaffe Fassett Shot Cottons + Curly Weave E2E Equals Magic!

 I don't normally post a client's post before they get it back from me, but my client Megan was so excited by the "teaser photos" I emailed her of her finished quilt that she gave me permission to post them right away.  If she loves this quilt now, I can't wait until she sees it in person because it is just unbelievably soft and cuddly and even more gorgeous in person than it looks in the photos!

Megan pieced this striking quilt using vintage Kaffe Fassett shot cotton stripes (affiliate link -- you can still find these on Etsy!) that she's had in her stash for awhile, and when I saw the pictures of her quilt top I was instantly smitten by the way her unexpected cool turquoise sashing and binding fabric contrasted with the mostly warm, autumnal tones of her striped fabrics. So much energy and life in this pairing, don't you agree?

68 x 78 Shot Cotton Swatches Quilt with Curly Weave E2E Quilting

I was delighted when Megan decided to go bold with her choice of quilting design, playing up the modern vibes instead of going with something "safe."  

Nearly Completed EPP Monogram Block + Backing, Binding Fabrics Selected for Welcome Home, Baby Quilt

You guys, as soon as this pandemic is over and the quilt shows start up again, I need to sign up for an in-person English Paper Piecing (EPP) class.  I am happy with how my EPP monogram block came out, but I'm pretty sure it should not have taken me this long to sew just the one block:

EPP Monogram Stitched and Trimmed

That's what I miss most about live-taught classes -- the individual feedback you get from the instructor looking at your work up close and saying things like "When your stitches get that small, you're not sewing anymore.  You're WEAVING!"  But, not having anyone to show me how small EPP stitches need to be in order for the seams to be tight and secure, and knowing this is going into a baby quilt that will hopefully be used heavily and laundered repeatedly, I erred on the side of too many tiny stitches rather than risk too few stitches spaced too far apart.

6.25 x 6.25 Monogram Block Center, EPP Completed

Those hand stitched seams are about eight times stronger than my machine pieced seams.  Overkill, but glad it's done!  So, after I finished all of the EPP, I pressed the block from the front and back and let it cool before pulling out the card stock templates from each patch.  They came out very easily despite the swipe of glue stick I used to adhere them to my fabric patches prior to basting the edges.  I tried two different ways of thread basting, by the way.  I started out not basting through my card stock templates at all, just tacking the seam allowances at the corners of each patch without stitching through to the front of the work at all.  If I was making a Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt with thousands of 1 1/2" hexies, that method would be a great time saver as there's no need to go back and remove basting threads at all if they don't show on the front of the work.  But I felt like my longer trapezoid edges weren't well enough secured with this method, so I switched to the more traditional method of basting all the way through to the right side midway through.  It wasn't a big deal to remove the basting threads with just one EPP block in the project.  

Basting and Templates Removed, Seam Allowances Opened, Excess Trimmed

After removing the pink basting stitches and the card stock templates, I pressed the block again from the right side and then flipped it over to carefully open up and flatten the outer seam allowances.  I deliberately avoided removing that outer crease line with my iron so I could use it as a reference as I trimmed the excess seam allowances to 1/4" from the points on my "C."  This center portion of the block measures 6 1/4".  

Right Side View

Pardon the fuzzies on my dark Indigo fabric; I've still got batting fuzzies all over my cutting mat from when I was joining batting scraps last week.  The last step to complete this monogram block will be to frame it in Indigo strips with Wasabi corner stones to float the "C" and get the block to the 8" finished size required by my quilt, but there's no reason that bit can't be done by machine.

This is the 42 x 42 Baby Quilt I'm Making

This block would probably be done, and the whole quilt top would probably be together, if I hadn't scampered off with my mom to visit my Not-Quite-Local favorite quilt shop yesterday afternoon.  I had not been to a quilt shop since pre-pandemic, so it was quite the treat.  However, we got stuck in accident traffic on the way there and by the time we arrived at the shop, there was only an hour left before their 5 PM closing time.  And I had a HORRIBLE time finding a backing fabric that would work with this quilt!  It would have been so much easier if I'd started by selecting a print backing fabric that I liked and then pulled my solid fabrics from the print for the quilt top palette.  But NO, I didn't do that -- I wanted to come up with my very own palette from the Charley Harper illustration on Pinterest...  

I saw so many fabulous prints that would have been perfect if only my Bone fabric had been whiter, or if my Grasshopper green had been more turquoise, or my Indigo had been black...  My Wasabi yellow has an awful lot of green in it.  Which I personally loved until I tried pairing it with print fabrics that had a true yellow.  Blech -- those fabrics made my lovely Wasabi fabric look like BOOGERS!!!  This is why I had to pick the backing fabric in person.  (When I'm matching fabrics in a quilt shop and I'm not bringing a whole quilt top or block with me, I just use a safety pin to hold scraps of each of my quilt top fabrics together while I'm shopping).

Backing and Binding Fabrics Purchased

Anyway, as you can see above, a couple of Kaffe Fassett prints from Free Spirit Fabrics saved the day.  The circles/squares print will be my backing and the variable width stripe will be my binding.  I know I could have saved myself a lot of aggravation (as well as frantic rummaging through a quilt shop that was about to close) by choosing a solid backing fabric, and I know that solid backing fabrics show off the quilting better than busy prints...  But I could not help myself, because it's for a baby, and I like brightly-colored, happy quilts for babies.  This will be lovely.

Well, that's all for now, as my Saturday is slipping away from me and there is still a lot left on my very aspirational To-Do list for today!  I'll be linking up and sewcializing with the following linky parties:

SATURDAY

·       UFO Busting at Tish in Wonderland

SUNDAY

·       Frédérique at Quilting Patchwork Appliqué

·       Oh Scrap! at Quilting Is More Fun Than Housework

·       Slow Stitching Sunday at Kathy's Quilts

MONDAY

·       Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts  

·       Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt

Backing Seamed, Borders In Progress, and a Mismatched Pattern Lament

First of all, I want to thank those of you who reached out to me with words of encouragement, commiseration, empathy, and scripture after my last dispirited post.  As burdensome as this forced isolation is, it would be so much worse without technology and the Internet as a lifeline of connection.  I love all of you so much!

Spirit Song Quilt Top on Wall, Backing Fabric on Ironing Board

Okay, so I only actually sewed ONE seam on Monday, but at least it's something that is crossed off the list now, right?  It took me over an hour to clear off everything from my cutting table, finding homes for everything rather than just shifting piles from one surface to another.  Then I had to change my needle, wind a bobbin, thread the machine with matching thread, tear my fabric edges along the grain line, snip and tear at the center point, press both lengths of fabric, pin them together, sew the seam, and then press the seam open.  Whew!!  Just TYPING all of that is exhausting!  ;-)

I Sewed a Seam Yesterday!

You who know be best will understand that it PAINS ME to post this photo on the Internet, flaunting the mismatched pattern repeat for all the world to see.  Am I doing this as an exercise in humility, or as an act of self-flagellation?  Either way, it had to be done -- I have nothing else to show for myself, and no one wants to read a rambling blog post without any pictures!

See? I AM Perfectly Capable of Pattern Matching!

I know the lighting is awful in that photo, but there is a vertical seam running straight down the center of the photo that you can only see because the seam allowance creates a white "stripe" where the dark table doesn't show through.  I would have loved to be able to match the pattern like that on my quilt backing, even though I would have had to purchase additional fabric and even though it would have taken me more time.  Note to quilting fabric manufacturers: I love your beautiful fabrics, but I wish you guys were better about ensuring that large scale repeats could be matched just within the selvages, and I wish you published the horizontal and vertical repeats for your prints the way home dec fabric manufacturers do.  The drapery fabric shown above is a 54" wide drapery weight linen from Robert Allen (Eleria pattern in Graphite, but this project was 7 years ago so the fabric may be discontinued by now).  The large scale print has a horizontal repeat of 54" (the full fabric width) and a 27 3/4" vertical repeat that matches up approximately 1/2" to 3/4" inside the selvages, and that's typical for home dec fabrics marketed for interior design use.  So, because the repeat information is on the memo samples, web site, and every fabric bolt, you (or your interior designer/workroom) can easily calculate how much additional yardage needs to be purchased in order to match up every seam perfectly like the one in the photo above.  

Yes, There Are Two vertical Seams in This Window Treatment

Even with the variety of extra-wide quilt backing fabrics that we have today, I still find myself frequently falling in love with a 44" wide fabric print for a quilt backing.  

In Flight, color Indigo, from Free Spirit Fabrics

With this particular fabric (pattern "In Flight," color Indigo, from Murmur collection by Valori Wells for Free Spirit Fabrics, available from various etsy sellers here), I believe I'd have lost a good 10-12" of fabric width if I'd brought that seam all the way in to where the patterns would match, and of course I would have needed additional yardage to do that, too, which I did not remember when purchasing the fabric...  It might have been possible for me to achieve a pattern match with this fabric if I'd purchased additional yardage, but the entire state of North Carolina is under lockdown now due to COVID-19 and our governor and health officials do not understand that stores that sell fabric are essential businesses supporting the mental health of quilters!  And so, we make do.  I know; it's just the backing, but for the hundreds of hours that go into designing and crafting a quilt, I really would like to be able to match my patterns on my backing seams!  So: 

NOTE TO SELF FOR NEXT TIME: When considering a large scale print backing fabric, VERIFY & MEASURE PATTERN REPEAT AT THE QUILT SHOP and increase yardage to accommodate pattern matching!

That's a note to quilt shops as well, by the way.  If shop associates who are working at your cutting table ask customers what their intended use is for large scale patterned fabric and offer to help calculate how much extra would be needed to match the pattern repeat for a quilt backing, it's a win-win.  Happy customer with invisible pattern matched seam on the back of his or her quilt, and happy shop that is selling more fabric!  Whatever -- it's done, it's nice and flat and square, measuring 94" x 87" so it's plenty big enough for my Spirit Song quilt top, and it's ready to load on my longarm frame.  

And so I moved on to my borders.  The 1" FW (finished width) inner border for this quilt is from the same fabric collection (Dots in Blue, Murmur Collection by Valori Wells for Free Spirit Fabrics, available from Etsy sellers here).  

Dots in Blue, Free Spirit Fabrics

As you can see, this fabric has dots arranged in a subtle stripe pattern that runs parallel to the selvages.  I briefly considered cutting my borders on the cross grain to display the striped effect, but decided that my quilt top had enough going on already.  And so, to avoid that blue stripe from showing up randomly in one or two borders but not in all of them, I cut the lengthwise borders one at a time, single layer, avoiding the area where the dots are spaced farther apart.  

1.5 Inch CW Blue Borders and 5 Inch CW Floral Borders

The wider outer border fabric went faster, since I was able to cut those strips with the fabric folded and let the blossoms land wherever they wanted.  That's another one from Free Spirit Fabrics, by the way -- they seem to be my current favorite quilt fabric company!

Painted Daisy in Magenta, Kaffe Fassett Collective for Free Spirit Fabrics

In case you're as smitten with this fabric as I am, I should warn you that it's an older, non-reorderable pattern.  However, as of this writing there are some Etsy sellers who still have some Painted Daisy fabric here.  

First Border Pinned, Ready to Stitch!

So far I've attached two of the skinny blue borders to the long sides of my quilt.  Hopefully today I will get ALL of the remaining borders sewn to the quilt top, and maybe even get Spirit Song loaded on the longarm frame!  

SEW...  Time to revisit last week's sewing goals:

Last Week's To-Do List for March 25-31

1. Procure batting for my Spirit Song quilt
2. Add borders to Spirit Song to complete quilt top.
3. Piece Spirit Song backing
4. Make Spirit Song binding and set aside
5. Load SOMETHING on my frame -- either a practice piece, a charity top, or the Spirit Song quilt -- and START QUILTING!

Well, I accomplished two out of five and the third is in progress.  Looking at that list again today, I realize that I should have put down "Clean up studio, clear off cutting table" on the list as well, because that needed to be done before I could accurately measure, cut, or pin large pieces of fabric and I always underestimate how long those "housekeeping" tasks will take.  Getting my workspace organized and set up for what I want to do next should definitely count towards productivity, don't you think?  With that in mind, here's what I hope to accomplish in the studio this week:

Tuesday's To-Do List (on Wednesday!) for April 1-7

1. Attach remaining borders to Spirit Song to complete quilt top
2. Set up longarm machine for quilting: Clean and oil machine, new size 3.5 needle, thread with monofilament in needle and either So Fine or Bottom Line in the bobbin.  Test tension and do some "warmup practice stitching" 
3. Load Spirit Song on longarm frame
4. Begin SID (Stitch In the Ditch) quilting with monofilament thread

And of course, my One Monthly Goal for April is to get Spirit Song completely quilted!  If I could have it labeled and bound by the end of the month, too, that would just be the icing on the cake.  Wish me luck!

I'm linking today's post with:

·       One Monthly Goal at Elm Street Quilts: Elm Street Quilts  

·       Colour and Inspiration Tuesday at Clever Chameleon

·       To-Do Tuesday at Home Sewn By Us

·       Let’s Do Some Ruler Work at The Quilt Yarn

·       Midweek Makers at Quilt Fabrication

·       Wednesday Wait Loss at The Inquiring Quilter

·       Needle and Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation  

(I'm not actually linking up with the Ruler Work linky today, just visiting the other links since I didn't quite get to any ruler quilting yet.  But I'll be visiting the other link partiers for inspiration, and hope to link up some ruler quilting later this week since Karen's link party runs for a full week).

Stay home, stay safe, and HAPPY STITCHING!

Border Fabrics for Spirit Song!

Well, I haven't stocked up properly on hand sanitizer or toilet paper, but I did make it to the quilt shop yesterday to select borders and backing fabric for my Spirit Song quilt!

Borders, Binding, and Backing Fabrics for Spirit Song Quilt

The blue print with flowers and birds (at the top of the photo) is for the backing.  The blue-on-blue spotted fabric will be for a narrow inner border, and the glorious pink, purple and orange Kaffe Fassett floral print is for a wider outer border.  That rainbow sherbet kind of batik that you see a sliver of along the left side of the photo is from my stash, and I'll be using it for the binding.  I even remembered to pick out a blending shade of 50/3 cotton thread for hand stitching the binding, which I usually forget until it's time to stitch the binding on a Sunday afternoon, the quilt shops are closed, and I don't have the right color.  Success!  Picking out the fabrics is my FAVORITE part of quilting.''

First Two Rows Sewn Together

I did get the first two rows of this quilt sewn together earlier in the week, and it was fun to see that secondary design emerge, crisp and clean, when I pressed the seam.  HOWEVER, upon closer inspection:

This Needs To Be Fixed!

HORROR OF HORRORS!!  Those two seam allowances are crisply pressed in opposite directions and YES, I pinned on both sides of the seam intersection, but I must not have had the two seams butted up against one another tightly when I pinned them.  I know that a lot of people would call that good enough, and I know that it wouldn't be glaringly obvious in the finished quilt.  I also know that I'm going to rip that bit out, repin, and restitch it because I absolutely cannot live with it like that, not after all the pains I went through to get the blue triangle points as close to perfection as humanly possible!  

That's actually what prompted me to take a field trip to the quilt shop, because I knew I would regret it if I left that mismatched seam alone, but I didn't have the heart to rip it out right then and there.  I was TIRED.  But now, after picking out the border fabrics, I'm feeling more motivated to get back in there with my seam ripper and get this fixed.

By the way, my border fabric is ANCIENT -- from the Philip Jacobs for Kaffe Fassett Collective back in 2012 -- and it was still full price.  Also I left ONE yard on the bolt, so hopefully my brain was paying attention when I calculated cut lengths for my borders.  The quilt shop does not have enough yardage to give me border-length cuts, and it's not a current fabric anymore.  I did find someone on Etsy who has two yards of it left, though.

Painted Daisy Magenta from Free Spirit Fabrics circa 2012

Anyway, I'm slightly annoyed that this discontinued fabric was being sold at regular price, but not because I wanted a discount.  No, I'm annoyed because leaving the bolt in with the current Kaffe Fassett offerings led me to assume that this was a current fabric, too.  When a fabric is current, you know the shop is probably going to get more in, or another shop will have it if you find yourself short.  I would have purchased the whole bolt if I knew that it was an 8-year-old pattern that I can't get more of easily!  This one reminds me of another early Kaffe Fassett Collective fabric by Philip Jacobs that I fell in love with and can't get more of, Iris and Peony.  I just really love those reds and purples together.

Iris and Peony in Red, Philip Jacobs for Kaffe Fassett, Sadly Discontinued

Incidentally, a quick search just turned up a few half yard and fat quarter pieces of this fabric on Etsy as well.  Of course the Etsy sellers have INCREASED the price of these "Hard to Find, Discontinued, Rare Early Prints" so I still got a bargain on my Painted Daisy fabric by paying the "regular" price for it!

In other excitement yesterday, Mister Puppy Wumpus dug up and chewed through a section of fiber optic cable in the back yard while I was enjoying my coffee on the deck, certain he was harmlessly digging up tree roots around a stump.  This is why I'm not getting any quilting done, people!  Puppies have to be watched CONSTANTLY, and by the time he falls asleep for a nap, I'm exhausted from chasing after him and I need a nap, too!