Monday, March 18, 2013

Spring Break

So I abandoned all my other projects.  Why, you ask?  Because of this.


This, of course, is the border of Rachel Howells, by the Scarlett House.  I was in love with this one from the moment I saw it!  If you go to Tanya's blog, you'll see why.  Gorgeous!  I think I'm going to start the interior next.

A friend told me to pull out one of my old projects to remind myself to work on it sometime.  Another project to work on -- uh oh!  But I do love it.


It's my clamshell quilt using Kaffe Fassett fabrics.  I really should work on it again sometime.  I checked around the house and I still have all the fabrics and supplies.  Whew!  You never know with me and my ability to lose things!  While digging around, I did find at least one thing I'd been missing for a while, so that's nice.  Anyway, I think I stopped working on this quilt when a certain kitten came to live at our house.  I wonder who?

I had a problem with my laptop crashing, so we made an appointment at the Genius Bar at our local Apple Store.  I was a bit worried that they wouldn't be able to diagnose the problem, or that they would have to send my poor laptop away to be fixed.  But no.  The Genius who helped us ran some diagnostics, plugged in a program that he thought would make the laptop crash based on what we'd told him, and lo and behold.


He got it to crash.  So he told us we'd have to leave the laptop with them to be fixed -- new motherboard with video card etc.  Would they have to send it away?  Nope!  Apple trains the staff at each Apple Store to be able to diagnose and fix computers right in store.  Wow!   So we left my laptop at the store, and a few days later, right when promised, I got an email and a phone call telling me I could come get my laptop.  And it's fixed!  I've always been an Apple fan, but I have to say my experience when something went wrong convinces me even more that Apple knows what it's doing.  Sorry to sound like an Apple ad.  :D

It's spring break at the boy child's college, so it was time to go pick him up at the train station.


And boy, has the boy child's hair gotten long!


Um, yeah.  Long.


I'm hoping he will go for a haircut while he's home.

Thanks as always for stopping by and saying hi.  I hope everyone has a great week!

(All is right with the world......)

49 comments:

Bertie said...

Looks exciting Margaret, love the flowers, unusual! I do remember seeing this quilt on your blog, so we are really all the same when losing projects lol!
Good for Apple, I must admit their stuff is wonderful.
O yes long hair, grown like mad and does Milly notice ??she just wants to be snuggled up to him ;))

HollyXSing said...

Oh Margaret...I love Rachel! I have the chart and Jean at the attic is to send me the NPI and linen! I love this one, too!

It's nice to have your young one home...long hair and all!!!!

I am jealous!

All the best,

-Holly

Loraine said...

I love your new start. Tanya does such a wonderful job with her reproductions. The flowers look a little on the hard side, especially since they are all different. How are you liking the border?
I love your clamshell quilt. I'm glad you pulled it out to work on again. I can't wait to see more progress on it.
I'm glad your son made it home for Spring Break. He looks like he has matured this year at school.
Great to see a post from you. Hugs to you.

Charlene ♥ NC said...

Ah, yes...Mia's content (Mom, too)! It's only hair - gather ye hugs while he's home!!

Great beginning on Rachel. Love the colors. I saw Tanya's note about the border flowers being different.

Lovely clam shell quilt.

Michelle-ozark crafter said...

As long as Mia is happy! LOL! Your stitching and your clam shell are beautiful!

Laurie in Iowa said...

You're making great progress and Rachel... she looks wonderful.
I'm in love with your Kaffe clamshell quilt top. Are you hand piecing the clams? I hope little Mia allows you to continue working on this beauty.
Ummmm... yeah, his hair has gotten a wee bit long. :-)
Is Mia playing nice with the boy child?

The Inspired Stitcher said...

I can see why you are smitten with those flowers. Wow, they are nice. I'm amazed you got that far on the quilt. It looks great too. I be miss Mia is happy to have her boy back as is mom too.

Mugwump Woolies said...

Love the new sampler...lots of red in the border! Interesting quilt...and his fabric is always wonderful!
We are Apple fans as well...don't think I'd ever switch.
Mia looks as if she is standing guard!
Have a great week,
Robyn

Annie said...

I love your 'if it feels good, do it' policy. Have fun with the red thread!

That's a lot of hair! But musicians are known for that.

Yea for the Apple Geniuses!

Poussy Stitches My Love said...

Oh le patch de toute beauté mais quel travail !!!!!! splendide !!!
bisous mon amie !

BrendaS said...

Love your start on Rachel! It's a beautiful sampler isn't it?

Glad your son is home for Spring Break -- enjoy your time together!

Chocolates4Breakfast (Terri Malinovich) said...

Rachel is some kind of gorgeous, isn't she? Yours is looking beautiful, too.
Love the clam quilt - you really should finish it.
My ds has grown his hair quite long and shaggy, too. But, I guess thye might as well do it now. They'll both have to conform soon enough!

Laura said...

Love your new stitching project! Great colors! The clamshell quilt is totally cool!! Finish it!!! Have a great time with your son at home!

Beth said...

Oh that border is to 'dye' for! And what a wonderful quilt - I've been a K.F. fan forever it seems. I like your final comment with Mia and the Boy Child - all is right in the world indeed.

Deb said...

Ha! I'm smiling at that picture of Eli because my son came home for Spring break last week with a head full of crazy hair. He was going to get a haircut, but didn't!!

Love your start on Rachel. I finally picked up my copy today and can't wait to start on it, but it will be a while because I have to get Ann finished.

Love your clamshells and you should start working on it again!! I just bought some fabric to start on one, but that will have to wait awhile too - I have to catch up with Siobhan on baskets!!!

Leneslines said...

I really like the new one. I can understand you letting everything else go:) I have never tried clamshells, but I think I prefer hexagons, myself.

Looks like Mia is a content little kitty again!

cucki said...

Love your start on Rachel...
Glad your son is home for Spring Break ... enjoy your time together xxx

Vonna Pfeiffer said...

Sweet Boy Child and Mia....together again! :)
Love your start on Tanya's Sampler...it'll be done in no time, I'm certain!

Roberta said...

How nice that your son is home, Mia is very glad we can see.

Love Rachel, but that border is a tough one.

The clamshell quilt is very pretty, so you need to get back to finishing it.

Kim said...

Love your new start, bet your glad to have our son home for a bit, he looks good and happy, even with the long hair!!! :)

Kim said...

Love your new start, bet your glad to have our son home for a bit, he looks good and happy, even with the long hair!!! :)

Kevin said...

Wow! Love the start on your Rachel Howells sampler. I have this chart, but now I MUST get the supplies ASAP so I can start her!
Your son's pics made me smile. Ah, memories. Hope you enjoy your time while he's home from school.

Linda said...

Oh Margaret, your stitching is simply gorgeous. Another great sampler you've started. Boy child is a little shaggy!! lol Mia does look content.

Linda

Ann at Beadlework. said...

I knew before I got to the bottom part of the last photo that Mia would be there with her favourite person. The quilt is amazing, you should stick with it.

Keeper of the Crowes said...

I don't blame you one bit for abandoning your other projects. Rachel is so beautiful. Can't wait for the update next week!!! Love the picture of Mia with your son. She looks so happy to have him home!

Glenna said...

Awwww--Mia's clearly content! Loving your Rachel--I'm limping along behind you, but it's also what I'm working on most of the time. I love the hooked pillow (?), by the way. Could you tell us more about it? Did you make it? Buy it? Do tell!

P.J. said...

Oooo, I am drooling over that border and have not even seen the rest yet; beautiful work! That quilt is great work as well. Oh Mia, so happy with her boy child. :-)

Jackie's Stitches said...

I love the red border on Rachel! Good idea to pull out your quilt and keep it in your vision. I'd like to see more of that rug hooked project underneath it! : )

It looks like Mia is in heaven!

Samplings from Spring Creek said...

With those lighting needles of yours you will have Rachel stitched in record time--she is a beautiful sampler (I added her to my stash)

I hope you resurrect the clam shell quilt--its beautiful and you have so much done.

Miss Mia is one happy girl with the return of the boy child!

Kim said...

Beautiful start, Margaret! I've got the silks and chart on the way! LOVE LOVE LOVE the Kaffe Clamshells! Mia is so sweet....I'm sure she's purring....happy he's home too!

Mouse said...

love those poppies ... wonderful start you have made and that quilt will be fab once finished ... I am intrigued as to how you are putting it together ...
and awwwww mia looks so happy now her favourite person is back home :) love mouse xxxxxx

Chris said...

Gorgeous start to this new sampler.
I think you need to finish the clamshell quilt, it is amazing.
So glad that your computer was fixed quickly.
Mia looks so content. Have a great spring break!!

Nicola said...

Good morning Margaret, I am sorry for the delay in commenting but I am woefully behind with my blog reading, so much to do and not enough time.

Rachel is soooo beautiful and as soon as I saw her on Laurie's post I ordered her. Being from Wales a Welsh sampler is a must stitch.

I think that most boys go throught the long hair stage, it's a rite of passage.

I adore the last photo caption. How true for dear sweet Mia.

Catherine said...

Great post! I am in love with Rachael too!! Must do that one one day! And that quilt is bea~u~ti~ful!! Lol at your son's hair!! So cute to see him and Mia doing what they do best together!! Hugs!

Carol said...

I can see why you picked Rachel for your next sampler, Margaret--a real beauty with all that red!! And your clamshell quilt is lovely--I do hope you'll finish it for us all to see.

Enjoy your son's visit--it is always a shock to see the hair. My son did the same thing his freshman year :) And now that same son has shorter hair, but has grown a beard--guess they just like to keep us guessing :)

Vickie said...

Aww, Mia and her crazy haired boy child. ♥
Love Rachel! So pretty.
You simply MUST work on the clamshell quilt again. I ADORE Kaffe Fassett.

Giovanna said...

I was wondering why you hadn't started that sampler yet :-) Nice start, and nice going on the quilt. Glad your Macbook is OK, I would be in fits without mine.

Melody said...

Your quilt is really pretty! Also the sampler border looks great.

I'm glad your son got to come home for Spring Break. I hope your weather is more Spring-like than ours! We are cold and blustry still.

Ruth said...

really, I'm not the only one finding lost widgets when searching through, well, non-widgets? I feel so normal now.

Congrats on the lovely stitching and quilting and on getting Mr. Furry successfully home on break ;-)

Dawn said...

Love your new start.
TTF - I have a clam project I pulled back out this month too. Not Kaffe, but alt light and dark rows. I'm sure yours will soon be finished!
Long hair was funny - but the sampler wall in the background - WOW!

Stitch Wizard said...

Beautiful start on Rachael and I love pansies and red too. Your blog is so much fun to read and I love your quilt too. I will love seeing your progress!!

Love to Stitch said...

I love this one!! Love the border, the red and those BIRDS!!!! I ordered the pattern, now have to see what I can do about starting this soon :) Fantastic progress. How fun your son has returned home for his birthday!! He has great hair too :)

Katrina said...

Love Rachel!!!!!! Glad your computer is all fixed and I do like the long hair :-)!!!!

Debby said...

I just love Rachel! And it's great to see that the boychild is home again, great for mama, great for Mia!


Greetings from Debby

Anne said...

That border IS gorgeous! I love those violets! Yet another sampler to add to the list! I love that quilt you have going on there. Are you quilting by hand? I spent some time last night reading up on quilting and the techniques and I kind of like the hand method. So glad you got your computer fixed. That is great service! It must be so nice to have your long-haired son at home :D Mia is in bliss too!!

Melanie said...

What a great experience with your laptop! I really should save my $$$ for one of those and go totally Apple. I'm just wary of it because of how many pc programs I'll lose/have to track down again/etc you know? *sigh*

Super great start! The colors really do pull you in.

That quilt is gorgeous but holy heck does it look like a lot of work. Yikes.

Jean said...

Beautiful boy, with his lovely Mia, hope he had a good birthday. Your border is stunning, love the colors.

Sherry :o) said...

Hope spring break is great - time to catch up and hang out together. Boy, your house must have been quiet with your husband out of town last week. I am alone almost every night - husband leaves at 8:30 and son working afternoons. I get so used to it that it is harder when they are around for a few nights in a row. LOL. Bet Mia is loving your son home for extra cuddles.

Solstitches said...

I'm in love with that clamshell quilt. Gorgeous!
Lovely new start on Rachel.
Margaret