Changing of the Guard!

 OK,  All you folks that have visited the Shadywood Quilts shop.... knows Shiner the shop dog.  He happily greeted everyone who drove up to the shop.  Might be that he barked at you because you went to the house front door instead of the shop.  He sniffed your legs to see if you had lotion on.   And Beth H...  he couldn't figure out where your legs were (because you were always wearing a long dress)..  If you were accompanied by a baby, or maybe a special needs person, Shiner was so in tune, and gave tender sniffs and nudges.   

Our beloved Shiner crossed the rainbow bridge a few weeks ago.  My heart is broken.  He was with us for almost 16 years and was my best friend.  He is no longer in pain, and I'm sure he is chasing tennis balls again with his new found freedom.. 

Love you Shiner.  

New Babies!!

We have new babies!  They were born March 1 and have already tripled in size.  Meet Gertrude and Gladys - those are the girls on the right.  Shiner is the Blue Healer looking at them, trying to decide if they are toys and what the heck are they doing there.  Since Houston has been so cold, we have their coop in the house, but they will be moving outside as soon as it is not so cold at night. We do take them outside during the day, and they mostly just run around in circles.

The next picture, 'the girls' are a few days older and feathers are popping out all over.  It is amazing how fast they are changing.   They say that chicks will bond to 'big' things, and I think they have bonded to hubby.  They certainly like to climb all over him when he gets them out of the coop.

Everyone has heard of PLARN, which is yarn made from plastic bags.  Not sure what I would ever use anything like that for, but have seen some interesting pictures.   However, I ran across an article from the Green Upgrader about handspun recycled newspaper yarn.  What a cool concept. I think everyone would have to agree that this would be a dying art as newspapers are going the way of the buggy whip.   I know a few peple (mostly older folks) that still get a newspaper delivered, but I find I can get pretty much everything I want to know from the Internet or news channel (Uh, yeah - that would be FoxNews). Anyway, back to making yarn from newspapers.  What is interesting here, is that they actually SPIN the paper, making it stronger and into a material that can be knitted (or crocheted).

Life is Good... .( or a Dog's Life)

How many of you have Plumeria and have been waiting for them to bloom? We brought back several 'stick's of Plumeria several years ago from Hawaii, and have patiently waited for the darn things to bloom. Well, finally after 3 (?) years, my patience has paid off. ONE of the plants is blooming. Can't say much for the other 6. I was thinking that this HOT Texas summer has been heck on all our flowers, I realized that we actually had quite a few blooms coloring our yard. 

 

So, I went around and took pictures of about 10 different plants that were in bloom in our yard. Oleanader, Impatiens (poor things wilt in the sun, then perk up again with a bit of water), Altheas, Vinca, and several varieties of Jasmine. These little pinks things always blossom after a good rain and pop up in the strangest places. The others I would have to go look up the names, but won't right now.

 

I've been busy finishing up lots of t-shirt quilts for kids that are headed back to back or off to college for the first time. (I remember those days!!). While it might have seemed that I was buried under t-shirts, I always enjoy looking at the collection of shirts that each person brings. It warms my heart knowing that these quilts will be treasured and bring fond memories to these people. I've really been enjoying several of the quilts that I finished the last couple of weeks because my customers are getting more creative with the fabrics they are choosing. I think the most popular fabric lines have been from the Sorbet Line from Sentimental Studios for Moda Fabrics. No links as this line is pretty much gone from the shelves, but I've included a sample of the fabric from the line. I just love the Peacocks and the colors.

 

My other favorite line is Urban Couture by Basic Grey for Moda Fabrics Especially the Red Grunge. I've been working on a simple quilt using 3 charm packs and some yardage. Look for pictures soon, as I plan on finishing that top at Retreat next week.

 

This is Shiner. Need I say it, he is one happy dog. This Blue Heeler is my shadow. Since I work from home, he 'might' be just a bit spoiled... I couldn't resist snapping this shot, as he was groaning in his sleep. I'm sure he is dreaming about catching a Frisbee or chasing tennis balls. 

 

Oh, and see that quilt is lounging on? That is HAND QUILTED - back in the days when I still did hand - quilting!!