As the Frog Turns

2011-12-03T14:05:00.035-05:00

Email me for requests, or stop by on Sunday afternoons. Shipping options coming soon.
Available items include:

Coasters
These are a thoughtful small gift for a stocking stuffer, co-worker, or host/ess. 100% cotton, quilted in a spiral square pattern. Washable.

Available in various fabrics
$10 set of 4 (size 4.5" square)
$12 set of 4 (size 5.5" square)
$15 set of 6 (size 4.5" square)

Bohemian Linen Scarves
These linen scarves are intentionally distressed and deconstructed. The look is casual and funky, the material is luxurious and breathable, making this a great piece to wear almost any time of the year. Each scarf is deliberately designed to fray and wear just a little bit further as it is loved and broken in. Fabric trim and embellishments are sewn to both sides, so there's a beautiful look no matter how the scarf is wrapped and worn. Choose from finished scarves, or order one with your own size and embellishment choices. More style pictures coming soon!

100% pure linen scarf base; embellishments and trim in a variety of fabrics including cotton voile, lawn, and cotton/linen blend. Some scarves may have rayon or other fabric trim. Each is different, so please do ask.

The linen has been washed and dried to prevent further shrinkage. Cold water wash and air drying are recommended to preserve the overall character of each scarf. Press with a hot iron, but remember that a semi-crushed look is part of the charm.

$38 (flat trim)
$44 (ruffled trim)
Sizes available: 9 inches by 80 inches, or 14 inches by 72 inches

Headbands

Each woolen felt headband is finished with a sweet flower and button adornment. A variety of colors are available.

Size 'little girl' (about 19 inches around, with the elastic stretching another 2 inches)

Size 'big girl' (about 21 inches around, with the elastic stretching another 4 inches)

Kaffe quilt

2011-09-25T13:48:00.002-04:00

Quilt top finish in 1 day - easy peasy lemon squeezy! This would have taken even less time if the stupid bottom tension screw hadn't worked its way out of the bobbin case and fallen into the body of the machine. Turns out my new machine is a lot harder to take apart than those vintage babies. Finally shook it out onto the cutting mat. I can't believe I didn't lose it; it's about the size Horton's Whos.

On Friday night, I went to the open sewing lounge at Stitched, my bestest LQS, and met up with a couple of friends (June, for one) for some sewing (and nachos after - mmmmm, cheese). I made yet another wristlet, just for me. I also fell in love with a half yard bundle of this, and immediately thought of the Kaffe Fassett Bar Codes quilt. I don't think this is an exact repro, but who cares? This fabric is gorgeous, and the colors seemed perfect for the fall. I plan to back & bind with Kaffe Fassett shot cotton, and do simple straight line quilting. Maybe variegated thread for a change? Definitely heading back to Stitched tomorrow on my lunch break.

I was nervous about sewing these long strips together without buckling or bending. I cut selvage to selvage, and sewed 2 strips together to get the length I wanted. When sewing these long strips together, I sewed pairs, then joined pairs, then joined the fours. I also started in the middle each time, sewing from the middle to each end. I think this really helped keep everything from stretching, too. Does anyone else use this technique? Is it so standard I'm silly for even mentioning this?
Update: That is my friend Susan holding the quilt. Thanks, Susan!
Disclaimer: No spiders were harmed during the photographing of this quilt top.

Quilt for Abby

2011-09-20T07:52:00.001-04:00

I am very sad to write that Abby Lola Shadowfax McGuineapig passed away on Saturday, September 17. She left us too early, and her cause of death is unknown. No sign of trauma or distress, just...gone. Her longtime companion, Flower PetalEars McGuineapig, mourns her deeply, as do we all. She was laid to rest in a quiet ceremony at home, with only family in attendance.

Susannah with the burial quilt she designed for Abby:

Abby Lola Shadowfax McGuineaPig, sweet cavy girl

Vermont Quilt Festival (Or, the Post In Which I reveal My Terrible Potty Mouth)

2011-06-29T20:51:00.005-04:00

Disclaimer: I swear. A lot. I haven't done so previously on this blog (I think??), but I hear there are some tender-hearted readers swimming around in blogland. Apparently, I can only go so long without writing the word fuck. And some other stuff. None of this comes as any surprise to anyone who knows me in real life. Also, this post has no pictures. June has pictures. I link to June quite a lot in this post. None of June's pictures have any swearing in them. End of disclaimer.

Last weekend I went to the Vermont Quilt Festival. It was my first quilt festival EVER, AND I went with my new friend June. I met June through the Sew, Mama, Sew Giveaway Day. I entered loads of giveaways, I won one. And the one that I won? That one was hosted by June, who unbelievably lives in the next town over from where I work. Crazy, in the really good kind of way. June dropped off my win (oh rats, I don't have a picture, because I am a lazy, lazy blogger, so here is June's picture) to me at work, with her absolutely adorable girls in tow. We didn't have very long to chat, but decided to go to VQF together. We met at her house, so I got to see a lot of her work, including this quilt, which I want to copy, and her stash (it is serious fabric geek fun to paw through someone else's stash), and the beautiful things she sells through her Etsy shop.

Then off we went, to brave the crowds and try not to knock anyone over (hips could be broken). We had a blast, and it's a huge reminder that the vast majority of the quilting world are older women. I'm younger than the crowds at the festival; from the 'lost generation of sewing'. June represents the up and coming crowd: all those hip young mamas who manage to sew and craft while raising their tots. We admired quilts, made each other laugh, ate cheeseburgers for lunch, and generally had an awesome time. It was so much more fun than if I'd gone by myself. And we even met up with another friend, a co-worker of mine. We saw my friend Jen, working her socks off at the booth for her store Stitched, we bought a little bit of fabric, and June graciously tolerated my cat quilt jokes. My favorite competition quilt was by another friend that I met at Stitched, the very talented Hope Johnson. She followed this year's theme of 'Yankee Ingenuity', and had the coolest quilt based on tangrams (pictures by June).

We also got to play on a couple of different long arm machines. I really, really need to find a place that rents long arm machines in Vermont. The HandiQuilter was our favorite. We goofed around a bit to get a bit of a feel for the machine. There were 2 arms set up on the same roller, so we could practice simultaneously. Then June drew a cat (as a rebuttal to all those cat quilt comments), and I drew a mouse. Okay, I know it sounds like we're about 6 years old, but that's how it felt! It was like discovering drawing for the first time. Fun, fun, fun. Definitely an "if money were no object" moment.

My favorite non-competition quilt had me gawking and squeaking and being a one-woman freak show. The back story is that I do believe that the technique and software used to create these embroidered blocks are new. Like within the last couple of years new, this being able to create an embroidery design from a scanned picture. The subject matter is NOT new. And it's hardly traditional. I stood and stared, torn between the competing emotions of "The Glory of This Cheese is Divine to Behold" and "What the FUCK???". Luckily, June had a camera and took pictures. You need to go here, and here, and here. Yes. That is Fabio. I can't believe it's not butter, either. In case you're wondering, that's Sean Connery hidden behind the handbag. Yup, that's crazy-ass Mel in the coveted center square. All the teeth? Who else but Tom Cruise? And Kevin Costner in his 'Water World' heyday. Tom Selleck, one of the only human beings on whom a mustache belongs, looks weird because the quilt was hung so it sort of rippled through his square. Not a good look for Magnum. Why the theme of 'mega-stars of the 80's' to show off the latest fancy sewing machine capability? Fuck if I know.

The Dude Quilt

2011-06-15T19:13:00.003-04:00

My sweet nephew went behind my back and grew up on me. He just graduated from high school. He spent a lot of time with me when he was a baby, and I was the one who taught him how to make all the animal sounds, beginning counting, stuff like that. One of the many, many cute things he did was pretend to be different animals, announce what he was, and then hug me. The absolute best version of this was, "I'm huggin' pig!" I still crack up when I think about it. And now he's 18 years old, and out into the world. He was overdue to receive a quilt anyway, so this was part of his graduation gift.

His preferred color scheme was blue, black and grey. Without this guidance, I never would have made a quilt with this strict and limited palette. But every guy who's seen it, including the nine year old hockey player next door, thinks it's great. It's the Dude Quilt. Horizontal straight double line quilted, Kona medium grey sashing, framed back design using the Michael Miller jigsaw print and blue and grey Kona.

It's wrinkled from being rolled up for over a week. Dirt splotches are a mystery, but back into the wash it goes. Hmmm, now that I think about it, the dirt and wrinkles just add to the dude-ness...maybe I should bang in an oil stain or two? It's a very, very simple design, and he loves it. And I love him.

3 Bottled Rainbow Blocks

2011-06-05T20:16:00.000-04:00

Petal

Ocean

Indigo

Quilt-a-long at Stitched In Color.

Migration, Redux

2011-06-04T09:27:00.000-04:00

We've had a bit of rain in Vermont. Not as bad as some parts of the country, but it's not what would be termed good. In between the rain, my daughter and I managed to hang these on our crab apple tree a couple of weeks ago during a few hours of sunshine. 62 birdies were in the tree, and most the name of a neighborhood kid under its wing, and the kids...well, they flocked. It was really fun. Then the rain came back, so we have a few birdies left to distribute.

Note the umbrella & rain boots. Our kids are prepared!

Give me your fabric opinions!

2011-05-30T17:31:00.001-04:00

Fabric, fabric, fabric...there are certain pieces, collections, and modern fabric designers that I adore. I'm pretty new to the world of modern quilting and the accompanying designers, so there are lines of fabric that I missed because I came late to the party. For me, the 'ones that got away' include "Lightning Bugs and Other Mysteries" from Heather Ross, "Neptune" from Tula Pink, "Uptown" from Erin Michael (particularly those paint-by-number birds), and I suppose Denyse Schmidt's "Flea Market Fancy", although I have mixed feelings about that last one...mainly because of the crazy-stupid prices it goes for now. On the other hand, I have what I consider to be a lovely little stash of "Mendocino" by Heather Ross, and Erin Michael's "Lush". And here is my confession: it's become difficult to not be a hoarder. I have a few stacks & pieces of fabric that I've been hesitant to cut into...and my budget doesn't really allow for buying fabric that won't be used. What's hard for me to put under the rotary cutter? A complete set of fat quarters, for one. Out of print fabrics, for another. What if I make a mistake, and I can't GET ANY MORE??? The world might run out of gorgeous fabric any minute, you know. You really can't be too careful.

When I first started quilting, I made all the rookie fabric purchasing mistakes. Some people just have naturally impeccable taste. I am not one of those people. I see photos of other blogger's fabric shelves, and it all looks perfect and cohesive. At the back of my fabric shelves (and those shelves are deep so I can shove a bunch of orphaned fabric back there) I've got a stack of stuff I'll never purposefully put into a quilt. Batiks for one, but I use this to make summer clothes for my daughter, so it doesn't really count. Then some 30's repro stuff, which is totally cute and completely not me. You know what I'm talking about: the pastel fabrics with little elephants and scottie dogs. Maybe I'll make a crib quilt some day? And then some truly crazy bright orange stuff. I don't know what I was thinking, but I know it was super cheap and it just sort of called out to me. I believe the word my friend Tia used was 'lurid'. I'm glad I wasn't grown up and decorating a house in 1975, because I would have been ALL OVER that burnt orange, harvest gold, and avocado green color scheme. Would have had a big piece of Marimekko fabric on stretcher bars, too, just like my best friend's parents did. I continue to buy some good quality fabric I don't like on purpose, so I can check stitches & tension, practice free-motion quilting, and generally experiment. It has to be super cheap, ideally $2/yard.

Another rookie buying mistake I made was getting a lot of very distinctive prints. You know, prints with big repeats, and/or lots of colors, what some folks call "focus fabrics". I'm now making up for this by seeking out monochromatic prints, dots, and the 'almost solids'. There are some terrific 'almost' solids available right now. For me, this category includes Laura Gunn's "Painter's Canvas". The first of these came out with "Magnolia Lane", but there are now 30 colors. Also in this category is "Grunge" by Basic Grey; a few new shades are included with every collection. The way the different colors are layered on these prints is kind of mesmerizing. I also seem to be a sucker for tonal stripes, like the pinstripes in Momo's "Just Wing It!", and Kitty Yoshida's wavy stripes.

I've read that many experienced quilters don't like the pre-cuts, but I think I'm addicted to charm packs. Yes, I know that the price per yard is higher, but I love love love having a piece of every fabric in a collection. The 10" layer cake size is a lot better for large scale designs. But charm packs are cheap! And cute! And cheap! And now in mini-charm size which is even cuter and cheaper (and quite probably totally impractical)!

Nowadays I plan in advance what fabric lines I'd like to get my sticky little hands on, so I can budget. My current list is: "Prince Charming" from Tula Pink, "Terrain" from Kate Spain, and "Far Far Away III" from Heather Ross. That last one looks like an odds and ends mix of leftovers from other projects, but I still love it. Especially those little guitars. I'm sure there will be more fabric that catches my magpie eye soon...which brings us to the issue of reissuing.

Trend alert! Reissuing/reprinting fabric has started to take off. I'll arbitrarily say that it's reprinting if it's a second run of fabric still on the market, and reissuing if it's gone off the market and then been brought back. To clarify, I'm not talking about vintage print reissues, like Tammis Keefe or Marimekko, but recent stuff. There was a huge, or at least very vocal, demand for more Flea Market Fancy. Free Spirit declined. I don't know what happened, but according to Denyse Schmidt herself, there will be a limited reissue of FMF in early 2012. The first reprint that I saw was Momo's "Wonderland", which seemed quite unusual for the manufacturer, Moda. Moda releases lines of fabric so fast it makes my head spin, and once they're gone, that's it. But Moda did a partial reprint of Wonderland, and I remember seeing a couple of sale listings for 'original' or 'first run' Wonderland fabric. Was there a way to tell? I'd very much like to know! And seriously, isn't that going over to the crazy side of fabric collecting? Lots of fabric lines stick around for a long time, and so must go through multiple printings, right? Reissues might have tweaks to the original designs. Heather Ross put out some Lightning Bug prints on Spoonflower (no longer available) that were in different colors with some small changes to some of the designs. "Knitmare on Elm Street" has come back from Michael Miller, in different colorways and under the name "Knitty Gritty". Side note - I think this fabric is hilarious, and the original seemed extremely collectible (I don't have any). But here's something odd: the companion fabric "That's Sew Wrong" languished on shelves, and is still available online at fire sale prices. I thought the sewing theme was equally funny, and I made sewing machine covers from it for me and my mom. What makes one fabric utterly desirable, and another one more or less flop? And finally, Moda is putting out another reprint in October 2011, the 'Pez' or "Magic Beans" fabric from American Jane/Sandy Klop. I hope it's going to be in more colors, because I really like this design.

Trend alert part deux! Big name quilt fabric designers are going mass market (or as some people might put it, to the dark side). April Cornell has long had fabric available in the big chains, notably in JoAnn Fabric in the U.S. Recently, Denyse Schmidt had a line of fabrics plus a couple of quilt patterns specifically for the chains. The cloth quality is fine, but the prints themselves are a little dull in my opinion. Do you think her DS Quilts line for the chains had anything to do with Flea Market Fancy coming back from Free Spirit Fabrics? Liesl Gibson (of Oliver & S patterns and fabrics) has the Lisette line of fabric and patterns at the chains. Now unlike April Cornell and Denyse Schmidt, who have quilting fabric lines for both the chains and the boutique/local/online quilt shops, Liesl G has very cleverly gone for a different market. Oliver & S is geared toward kids and quilting, although there are some gorgeous knits, but the Lisette line is women's apparel. If I had to predict the next big name to have fabric in the chains, I'd say Amy Butler...but she seems to be going another way, with an organic line on the way and finished goods like her bags, and the bed linens at Bed Bath & Beyond. One final note about fabric at the chains, specifically JoAnn's: it doesn't cost less. The DS Quilts, April Cornell, Alexander Henry prints are up to $10/yard. The only time I buy stuff at JoAnn's is when it's on sale or I have a coupon, and then I stock up on needles, cutting blades, thread, interfacing, etc. This weekend I picked up all four Lisette patterns for $1 each, and some Lisette fabric for 50% off.

I have to confess, I spend more time looking at fabric and projects online, browsing at fabric stores, reading blogs, and pawing through my own shelves than I spend actually sewing. My resolution is to sew more, and jump in even if it's just a half hour at a time. After all, that fabric isn't going to sew itself!

So here are my questions for you:
1. What's the fabric line you didn't buy, but wish you had?
2. Do you have fabric that's hard for you to cut into, or fabric you hoard?
3. What mistakes do you make when purchasing fabric?
4. What works for you in buying fabric?

I'd love to hear from other people! And after re-reading this very long post, I should probably state the obvious: everything I wrote is my own opinion. I'm not sponsored, and the links are just to illustrate what I'm talking about.

Zombie Outbreak Preparedness

2011-05-21T09:50:00.002-04:00

Author's Note: The "Appendix Z" link has been updated, and should work correctly.
So, the health organization for whom I work uses various protocol manuals, including the Laboratory & Infection Management Manual. A few months ago, I had the task of revising and reformatting this manual. Are you asleep yet? It quickly became clear to me that a major health and safety concern was not being addressed within the manual. So I fixed that, creating "Appendix Z: Zombie Outbreak Preparedness" . I distributed this document to my work colleagues on April 1, 2011, to little fanfare (although a few folks seemed very appreciative). Please note that I am neither a licensed health care provider nor in any way qualified to either direct a laboratory or set policy. So it was a bit surprising when the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) blatantly ripped me off. Here's the link to their zombie Emergency Preparedness and Response page, published May 16, 2011. You're welcome, CDC.

Migration

2011-05-10T08:26:00.001-04:00

These little birdies are part of a surprise I'd hoped to complete by May 1...looks like mid-May will have to do. I got the idea from a Sew Mama Sew! tutorial by Kasja Wikman, and had to whip up a few. And then a few more. And I couldn't stop. After I finished the first dozen you see here, I made about 50 more. Obsess much? But just wait until I show you the result...check back next week!

I made all of them from findings in my scrap basket and ~~cheap~~ value-priced ribbon, and the bit of stuffing is from cut up batting scraps - those little pieces that are too small or skinny even to use for fabric coasters. My own little twist is that each birdie has a name under the wing:

They're all living in my sewing room now, but will be flying off this weekend.

Bottled Rainbows

2011-04-27T18:37:00.001-04:00

I'm waiting for a few more solids for a "Bottled Rainbows" quilt. It's a ticker-tape style project, and the best part is how it's broken up. I plan to take my time, and work on segments when I feel like it, with no timeline or pressure. I made a doll sized ticker tape quilt, blogged here, and had a lot of fun with the improvisational aspects of it. And my kid's doll really seems to like it (such a rewarding feeling). So no new and poor photography, but stay tuned...

Round up

2011-04-16T11:20:00.003-04:00

Our lives have been readjusted lately...my husband has a new & intense work gig, that has been taking him out of town for the whole work week at least twice a month. Luckily for us, my parents live about 3 houses away, so Susannah can go there after school. But I definitely miss having my laundry folded for me. I have managed to complete a few small projects and a quilt over the past month. Once again, I neglected to take photographs as I finished things, so some of the following were taken by other people, using iphones and the like. A couple of these are pretty blurry, but it's all I have. I suggest squinting.

I made a throw pillow cover for my Mom, who loves flowers and bright, clear colors. The minute I saw this fat quarter of Jane Sassaman fabric, I had a plan. Like the other pillows I've made recently, it's a simple envelope closure. I really do know how to sew in a zipper, and the next pillow I make will be zippered. The back fabric is more Jane Sassaman from an earlier collection, that I had in my stash. The quilting is just a machine serpentine stitch, but I think it gives a bit more interest.

Next up, another banner, this time using stars. I made this for Tausha, who admired the heart banner. Tausha does so much volunteer work, and I thought it would be nice for her to get something for no reason at all (start squinting):

I made another pillow, this one with applique and inexpert embroidery. This was for someone I greatly admire, and who LOVES her dogs. You probably can't see it, but I embroidered the word 'devotion' on the back.

Okay, one more pillow to show (better pictures, I promise). It's another version of the dog pillow. I like the concept so much that it was fun to play around with different fabrics. ~~I found~~ My friend Erin picked the PERFECT print to use for the golden retriever silhouette. With every fabric line they design, Basic Grey includes new shades of grunge, and I love the stuff. It's one of those not-quite-solid prints that I just want more of, like "Painter's Canvas" prints by Laura Gunn, Moda cross-weave, and the teeny stripe in Momo's "Just Wing It!" "Origins" by Basic Grey is a current favorite fabric collection, and I have some pre-cuts and yardage waiting patiently to be put into a quilt.

In the meantime, I cut into some of it for this:

This pillow actually went to a friend of a friend, who recently lost her beloved dog. If you don't have pets, then you may not understand the emotional bond. And if you do have animals in your life, then you know that some are just really, really special. This dog was incredibly important to this woman and her son, and I felt the pain of her loss even without knowing the dog.

I finished a quilt for the little girl next door, who is not only super-cute, but deep in the throes of the dress-up, shoe loving, princess-y, pink-purple-sparkly stage of little girlhood. Far, Far Away (I & II) to the rescue:

Hey, I think that's the Wood Cutter holding up that quilt (you can't see the wood shed in this photo).

Here are the four blocks, each about 26 inches square:

The back, along with an appliqued & embroidered shoe that someone happened to lose in the garden:

And finally, a week ago, a sign of spring after this long, long Vermont winter:

Uh huh. It's about time.

Snow Day

2011-03-07T16:26:00.001-05:00

This is what our crabapple tree looks like in spring:

Here is what it looks like today:

That's right, Susannah is stepping into the tree. Not climbing, stepping.

Sunday afternoon with my daughter

2011-03-07T09:07:00.001-05:00

The weather here was just vile yesterday afternoon. After helping our neighbors with their flooded garage, and a calorific lunch at the Wayside, we ditched any notion of venturing further and hunkered down at home. Susannah made a very cool throw pillow cover with some fabrics she bought a while ago. Those cute Michael Miller deer! I wanted to keep the project super simple, but she INSISTED on the pieced front. The back is a simple envelope closure. I love how it turned out - so mod. Anyone out there sewing with kids: opinions on using rotary cutters? My daughter is 10, and I'm pretty hesitant about putting a rotary cutter into her hands. Input would be appreciated. Anyway, this topped off a relaxed weekend, but one with THREE finishes: my linen cargo skirt, a quilted throw pillow cover for my mom, and Sus's project. I'll add more pictures as I get them. I'm just terrible at photographing projects before I send them off into the world.

Love

2011-02-13T21:33:00.002-05:00

Valentine's Day - forget the overpriced flowers and chocolate, and the overly hyped romantic dinners. Let's just say it's a good thing to celebrate love. Maybe it feels extra special in my little town, because for years now the Valentine Phantom has been plastering hearts all over town. Whoever the mastermind is, I admire the sheer persistence and dedication. Being out and about at 3 a.m. on February 14 is canNOT be fun. But every year, the Valentine Phantom makes the whole town smile for the day. That's LOVE.

Here's who I love:

Who do YOU love?

Cake Rock Beach

2011-02-08T07:55:00.003-05:00

Skip this if repeat projects bore you...more wristlets! This is really about the tenth set I've made, and I loooooove them. It's true, there are a lot of pieces to this. Cutting takes for-EVAH, so I had a couple of hours of production line cutting. I have a stack of flannel lining and fusible interfacing pre-cut, plus several sets of fabric. So I can sit down and get right to the fun part when it's time to make a new set. My friend Jen H recently had a big, fat birthday. As is our habit, a group of girlfriends in my neighborhood got together for a small celebration. These occasions are especially notable when Heidi bakes. I skipped dinner, and went straight to the perfect cheesecake with lemon curd OR (more honestly, AND) caramel sauce, washed down with a glass of prosecco. Swoon. Back to the wristlets: I wanted this set to be something Jen was sure to like and use, and to that end, I invited her to go "shopping" in my fabric stash to see what she liked. This confirmed what I already knew: Jen has amazing taste. She chose 3 fabrics from Joelle Hoverson's "Cake Rock Beach" line. Why, oh why, hasn't Joelle continued with fabric design? Anyway, this was not anything I'd looked at for this project, and it has turned out to be my favorite set so far.

Conversation Hearts

2011-02-06T12:05:00.001-05:00

So my friend Tia told me about home made conversation hearts. More trouble than they're worth? Oh yeah, but so cute. Here's a link to a recipe. My tips: make sure the sugar dough doesn't try out before you roll it out for cutting. Some of mine are pretty grainy for this reason. This is a messy project. Powdered sugar was flying everywhere, and I'm kind of surprised I'm not still stuck to the floor. I also managed to kill my hand mixer (Black and Decker WITH TURBO BOOST) at the end there. If you attempt this, have an extra bag of powdered sugar on hand for the hand kneading. I added in a lot more during this step than I expected. For flavors, I used peppermint and vanilla extracts, and a super secret ingredient (shhhh...lemon and cherry Jell-O). I would have used Kool-Aid packets, but couldn't find any. Kool Aid flavors would have been excellent.

Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous

2011-02-04T20:13:00.001-05:00

Hey, I learned to make tassels! This scarf is voile and velveteen - Anna Maria Horner's "Innocent Crush" fabric line. The voile was obnoxiously slippy to sew to the velveteen. It's been much easier sewing voile to voile. I don't have a walking foot for my favorite machine; maybe that would help. The scarf is worth it though, it feels totally luxurious. I went with the 'luxury' theme, and taught myself how to make tassels (much cheaper than adding yachts or polo ponies, but now that I think about it, should luxury be 'cheaper'? I'm going all out on the next luxury scarf...). I used three colors of grey and lavender for the tassels, and I really like the subtle variegated look. This scarf was my first commission, and I hope the birthday girl likes it! Here's a picture I love, because it looks like a rolled up magic carpet:

I had experimented with a first scarf for myself, with a beaded fringe, but I think I'll ditch the beads in favor of: TASSELS!

Ticker Tape & a question for my vast horde of readers

2011-01-24T08:27:00.003-05:00

I made this a while ago using teeny scraps. When I started quilting, I read about scrappy projects, using up scraps, scrap swaps, even selling scraps. So I saved ridiculously small pieces, without understanding that for most folks, "scraps" means anything smaller than a fat eighth. But a little ticker tape quilt can use up eensy little pieces. The first one I saw was created by Amanda Jean (tutorial here). This particular quilt is doll sized, and has been used constantly - I'd love to try a lap sized version. Wondering if anyone has made one with pinking the scraps? Does it look weird? Less fraying, less charm? Leave a comment & let me know!

Pay It Forward craftiness

2011-01-21T12:47:00.003-05:00

sew blog 022
Originally uploaded by micmacker@gmail.com

Here's my first completed project for my 2011 Pay It Forward crafting whatsis from Facebook. This is for Cheryl, whom I've known since high school. Cheryl gets to be first because last year, I only completed half of my pay it forwards. Oops. I chose a lot of blue for Cheryl to match her eyes, and I just think she'll get a kick out of the owls.

watching the game

2011-01-17T07:20:00.001-05:00

I have zero interest in football. When the Barry and I first moved in together, I had no idea how much he LOVED watching the Patriots. In the throes of early love, I tried, I really did. But if you can't find it in yourself to embrace someone else's thing under those conditions, it's never gonna happen. Watching sports on tv is just. not. me. The frogs, though, are on Barry's side.

Easy laptop cases

2011-01-15T10:50:00.002-05:00

In my desperate run of pre-Christmas sewing, I needed an easy project that a guy would like. I found this free tutorial by Elizabeth on her blog Oh, Fransson! If you're new-ish to sewing, check out her patterns, both free and for sale. Lots and LOTS of photographs of each step, and instructions that simply could not be clearer. She has a new book out, too, "The Practical Guide to Patchwork" that's high on my wish list. I don't know Elizabeth personally, nor is this a paid endorsement, I just think her work is terrific.

So I think Zachary liked his laptop sleeve, but I'll bet Elisabeth stole it from him.

I went on to make another sleeve sized for an ipad - the pattern is customized according to measurements.

I have a couple of panels of this Italian alphabet fabric - wish I'd gotten more.

A few of my favorite things

2011-01-09T14:14:00.007-05:00

I ordered zippers and pulls from Jennie's Etsy shop Zipit. I'm a new fan - unbelievably attentive service, great prices, and really fast shipping. She threw in a few extra zipper pulls at no charge, which was both unexpected and sweet. I swear on the head of Bob the frog, I will never buy zippers from JoAnn's again. Watch for a future post about how much I hate that store.

The zipper pulls are now stashed in a little zakka bag I made.

Which brings me to one of my favorite things:

Maybe some day I'll have a fancy computerized sewing machine, but right now, this is my favorite. Vintage 70's Viking, with embroidery cams (they fit into the back). That's how I did the little hearts on the bag above.

And here's the goofy cover I made. This fabric cracks me up: "That's Sew Wrong" by Michael Miller.

And last year's Christmas present from my DH. Who doesn't love peg board?

See those things on the left near the basket, above the pliers & jewelry tools? Those are some of the 58 headbands my daughter and I made as a fund raiser for her 5th grade field trip. They're reversible & $5 each if anyone wants to buy one. I'll throw in free shipping to the U.S. The trip is to Boston, but if we don't sell more of these, she won't make it past White River Junction.

My favorite things in the sewing (ahem) studio - not including fabric:

Sort of from left to right: my machine with embroidery cams, Grammy's pin cushion (probably over 60 years old), an inexpensive Sunbeam iron WITH A RETRACTABLE CORD (because life is too short to wind up cords), little zakka bag, Gingher scissors that cut fabric like butter, my Kona color card (it's the affordable version of Le Corbusier's color palette), my trusty 45mm rotary cutter, cute tape measure on a lanyard, and a signed print by Heather Ross (who called me personally about my order for her studio sale! I was awkward in a fan-girl geek kind of way, but she was sooooooo nice. We had a conversation and everything).

And here's the dark underbelly of my very small space:

Yes, it's the tenement housing of fabric. The problem is space. I don't have any more room for shelves. As it is, I have to take the sewing machine off the table - which is too high for sewing and too low for cutting - to cut fabric, and the ironing board half-blocks the bedroom door. But I make it work, and I pretty much know where everything is. And hey, I can reach just about everything without getting out of the chair.

Babies at Christmas are like chocolate with caramel

2011-01-07T08:30:00.001-05:00

This Christmas, we had another family of three with us: my friend Lis, her partner Zach, and her gorgeous girl Faelen. Faelen is now a year and half, and shares a birthday with my daughter. The two girls adore each other, with Faelen following Susannah (when Sus isn't toting her). Between the Christmas tree, the guinea pigs, the toys we hauled out, and the refrigerator magnets, that little girl had a very busy schedule. But you know what her favorite thing was? The box of corks on the butcher block shelf. You know what my favorite thing was? The incredibly yummy pasta dinner Lis and Zach made for us. Still thinking about it.

I started Faelen's quilt last summer, and even had the quilt top done for her birthday. Yup, took me another six months to finish a baby quilt.

2 out of 1,000,000

2011-01-02T20:32:00.001-05:00

In early December, I made a couple of pillowcases for the 1 Million Pillowcase Challenge. Jen, owner of Stitched in Williston, collected pillowcases and dolls to be donated to the local hospital. Thanks for the inspiration, Jen! I used a really quick method I read about on Karamat. After cutting and pinning (the pinning was a little fussy for me - geez, do I hate pinning) it was super fast, especially with a serger. Fast, like under 5 minutes fast. I felt like Wonder Woman.

Bad, bad poetry. Just awful.

2010-12-25T14:04:00.001-05:00

If you're into amateurs writing bad poetry, check out this posting from the Hawthorne Threads blog. Merry Christmas!

Only one broken ornament

2010-12-13T08:00:00.003-05:00

Our Chrismas tree is cut, placed, & trimmed. It looks a little small compared to other years, but no new scrapes on the ceiling, swearing by the DH, or general grumpiness ensued, AND that thing is TOTALLY STRAIGHT. We've gotten away from our formerly traditional Xmas tree fight, wherein I insist on a tree that inevitably turns out to be too large for our small space. He wised up last year, and now brings a tape measure with us on our tree expedition. I tried to pick a fight last year anyway, just to be in the spirit of things, but it didn't work.

I made a tree mat on Friday night. I can't call it a tree skirt, because I was too rushed to plan out the skirt part, so just have a needle-catcher-thingie, also known as a mat. But man, I love that Alexander Henry holiday fabric. Reminds me of the work of Margaret Bloy Graham, children's book illustrator.

Those are blocks of wood under the tree, not presents. I really cannot explain why they are there.

Going to Cape Town

2010-09-23T10:38:00.004-04:00

This little quilt is heading to a sweetie pie in Cape Town, South Africa. I hope it gets there fast, because Miss Aryanna is super tall at 5 months old. Wait - can a baby be tall before she can stand up? The quilt front pattern is 'Charm Squares Baby Quilt' (a Hunky Dory charm pack) by Elizabeth at Oh, Fransson!, and I got it from the Sew Mama Sew! website. I am a big fan of both of these websites, especially the tutorials. I especially look forward to the publication of Elizabeth's book this fall, "The Practical Guide to Patchwork".

Cara's giveaway

2010-09-23T08:17:00.000-04:00

Ok, I really don't understand WHY she's giving away this gorgeous fabric, but she IS! Clearly, she is a better woman than I, I who would be crouched over this lovely little stack, rubbing my hands together and chortling in a disconcertingly greedy way. I lust after every single one of these fabrics. You can enter the giveaway, too, but if you get the prize instead of me, I'll weep bitter tears. Seriously, this is such a nice giveaway - check it out.

My week

2010-08-16T22:12:00.000-04:00

Killer strep throat, killer malware, computer killed, MIRACULOUSLY brought back to temporary life, husband's back thrown out, job interview. Geez, these are first world problems. But I made a bunch of stuff. I should take some pictures and post them, right?

WIP

2010-06-22T07:55:00.003-04:00

A work in progress...what I need to finish is the binding. My first plan isn't working, so I'm going to try a scrappy binding. The quilt top is a pattern from Elizabeth at "Oh, Fransson!". Look familiar? I posted a photo of the top in May, and lots of people have done their own version of this. This size uses 12 fat quarters, plus fabric for sashing, back, and binding. I loved putting the colors and patterns together so much, that I'll try a larger version sometime. The back is my own design, with the fox applique modified from a piece of clip art. I did the wonky scrappy strip & the fox, but it felt unfinished. Last week I hacked apart the back, adding in the two fabric strips. I'm much happier with the finished result.

I used a combination of zigzag and straight stitches in 3 thread colors. Why don't people use a zigzag when machine quilting? I thought it was a nice little twist. There's probably some huge reason why this is bad, like it will bring on the zombie apocalypse or similar.

Lint much? I hope the little guy cleans up all right.

An unexpected day

2010-06-21T19:22:00.003-04:00

What choice did I have, with my family out of town and no car pool to work? I made a quilt for my nephew Will, who is about to turn 1. Still have to do the binding...

I bought this monkey fabric a while ago, thinking it would be great for a baby boy quilt. Love that retro 70's print (it's from the Riley Collection by Anna Griffin, Windham fabrics). The wavy blue is from the same collection. I don't know what the green is, but the stripes and dots are Heather Bailey's Nicey Jane. The back is Kona solid Charcoal. Overall pattern is modified just a bit from a "Fun Quilts" free pattern. The applique initials are my own design. Simple straight line quilting made a bit wonky.

Sometimes...

2010-06-08T21:39:00.003-04:00

Sometimes things don't go so well. Sometimes I have a couple of hours to sew, and nothing works. I cut fabric incorrectly. I can't figure out a pattern. I sew and nothing lines up. Nothing is finished. I want fabric I don't have. Bleah.

Welcome Spring quilt (design by Cherri House for Moda Bake Shop)

2010-06-01T16:26:00.001-04:00

This pattern was a freebie from Moda Bake Shop (LOADS of free patterns there), designed by the talented Cherri House. I used Moda's Hunky Dory fabrics by Chez Moi for the front, and the back is wide sheeting fabric I purchased from jackrabbit fabrics on Etsy. This pattern was really fast, and I love the end result. The snail applique is my own design, with a scrap of Anna Maria Horner Good Folks fabric.

Quilts at Rest Rock

2010-06-01T10:24:00.008-04:00

Susannah, Isabelle, Caleb, and Morgan on the dock at Rest Rock

I spent the weekend over at my extended family's camp at Lake George, New York. Lots of kids, good food and drink, water, and sunshine. Since I started quilting last November, I've completed a total of six quilts, with several more in the works. Five out of six quilts were together this weekend, along with their very cute owners. I love that all of these are being used and loved...taken on car trips and to camp, cuddled up in for movie nights and brought outside for picnics.

The front of Susannah's quilt and Seahorse applique detail on the back of Sus's quilt
(seahorse pattern courtesy Elizabeth at Oh, Fransson!)

Susannah - my sweet girl

Isabelle on her quilt, and a look at the back. She was sad to leave the lake. I know just how she feels.

Caleb, his quilt, and his gorgeous mama LizO

Here is the first quilt I made, as modelled by Matt

Morgan and Rylie with Morgan's birthday quilt

This is the first quilt I did with a pieced binding. I really like the look, but don't think you can see it well here.

Morgan's nickname is Snail

AccuQuilt give away over at Bejeweled Quilts by Barb

2010-06-01T10:08:00.000-04:00

The AccuQuilt fabric cutter is in the "maybe some day, like after I win the lottery" category, but it would be a seriously sweet piece of equipment. Check out the link in order to enter a very cool giveaway over at http://bejeweledquilts.blogspot.com/, and while you're there, have a look at what she's been doing with her AccuQuilt.

Caroline's Christmas quilt, finished just in time for Easter

2010-03-28T17:55:00.001-04:00

Yes, this quilt is indeed over 3 months late. It's been sitting in my sewing room, complete except for hand sewing the back of the binding. Way to procrastinate! Geez, the poor kid waited long enough.

New Wave quilt

2010-03-28T17:51:00.002-04:00

Oh, Fransson's New Wave quilt pattern - top is done. You can access the pattern & lots of info about it here: http://www.ohfransson.com/oh_fransson/2010/03/new-wave-quilt.html

Mom's quilt (top)

2010-03-28T17:49:00.002-04:00

My mom's favorite colors are sunny, bright, and summery. Lots of yellow, green, blue, red - all bright, no muddy colors. She definitely shows her Scandinavian heritage through her color preferences. So for this quilt, I used a lot of Heather Bailey fabrics, along with a smattering of Amy Butler and Paula Prass for Michael Miller. I'm working on some pieced squares for the back. I'm not sure the colors really show well in these pictures, so I may attempt another photo shoot. The pattern is Turning Twenty, which uses 20 fat quarters. I've read about people sewing this quilt pattern as a break from more complicated projects. It's true that it's very easy, and it made me happy to use big pieces of these pretty fabrics.

Susannah's quilt

2010-03-28T17:43:00.001-04:00

I have several works in progress, and at the top of the list to FINISH NOW is Susannah's quilt. "Why are working on that other thing, Mom? Why aren't you finishing MY quilt?" It's the largest quilt I've done so far, so the thought of pinning the quilt sandwich is intimidating. Plus, I wanted to do some free motion quilting on it, maybe in a wave pattern. But...I've never done any free motion quilting. Looks like a couple of doll quilts are in my immediate future.

Oops

2010-02-17T13:20:00.001-05:00

I've been making various small things, and giving them away before I remember to take a bad photograph. In frog news, the tank is sparkling clean. No photo of that, either.

Thinking of our neighbors

2010-01-29T12:26:00.003-05:00

Jane was here.

Oh my

2010-01-20T09:51:00.004-05:00

Marjorie is back with Bob, and this morning I accidentally saw them in amplexus in a semi-private corner of the tank. Marjorie looked unbearably smug, and Bob...well, Bob just looked dazed and a bit winded. We may have a bunch of little frog princes and princesses in our future.

Valentine's Day project

2010-01-20T08:36:00.004-05:00

Once again, I shoved aside my current project list in favor of something new. Now I need to make the cards to fill these fabric envelopes. Here's the tutorial by Jennifer Casa on the Sew Mama Sew! blog. Yep, I had fun, except for the bits of hand sewing I was forced into. It was a great way to use up some linen-look fabric I had lying around for, oh, 15 years or so. The envelope lining is from a new Moda line: "Oz" by Sanae. I pre-ordered this from Over the Rainbow a while ago. The layer cake cut (10" x 10") is exactly the right size for this project.

For Susannah

2010-01-20T08:26:00.001-05:00

I haven't finished Susannah's quilt, so I made her a pillow case to tide her through these winter days. I'm sure the quilt will be finished just in time for a summer heat wave. I love Heather Ross fabrics. Not just because of her designs (which are super easy to love - you'd have to have a heart of stone to NOT love them), but because of the way the fabric feels. This is a line from Free Spirit. It's exactly the kind of material you want to sleep on. Disclaimer: In addition to my notoriously amateur photography, the wrinkles are from Susannah's cute little sleeping head.

winter weekend relaxation

2010-01-17T13:48:00.000-05:00

Winding up a weekend of sewing and cooking, two of my favorite things. Simple sewing, simple cooking. I made a quilt top using the turning twenty pattern and Heather Bailey's Pop Garden fabrics. This one is for my mom - lots of yellow and green with splashes of bright red and blue. Pictures to follow when I can get someone to hold it up outside. I'm planning the back now, and need one more special piece of fabric for this - I'm going to use a strip of the yellow Bird Seed (Alexander Henry fabric). Falling behind on other projects! I need another week home alone with the sewing machine.

Thanks to True Up

2010-01-14T07:39:00.000-05:00

Wow, one of my favorite fabric/sewing sites, http://www.trueup.net/, gave me a gift certificate to http://www.fabritopia.com/ for blogging about my favorite fabrics of 2009. Kim at True Up had a bunch of gift certs to give away on this one, and I am utterly charmed at the way she matched gift certs with random winners, taking into account our comments and tastes. By the way, if you want a chance at some free fabric-y goodness THERE IS STILL TIME TO BLOG OR POST YOUR 'BEST OF 2009' - this giveaway doesn't close until Friday.

Now, should I put my winnings toward a fat quarter stack of this or wait until this hits the market?

Quilt #3 - Caleb's Forest, finished December 2009

2010-01-09T23:46:00.009-05:00

I made this one for my friend Caleb, who loves animals and walking in the woods. The animal and green prints are "Frolic" by Wendy Slotboom for In the Beginning Fabrics, and the back is from "Full Moon Forest" by Tula Pink for Moda, and the backings for the rough applique pieces are from "Flutterby", Tula Pink. I used a nameless red solid for the front strips, and the red with white polka dot binding is "Housework Whenever", In the Beginning Fabrics. The red strips and the little animals on the back are all meant to fray at the edges after a couple of washings.

Quilt #2 - Springtime for Isabelle, finished December 2009

2010-01-09T23:39:00.004-05:00

I made this quilt for Isabelle. The colors don't look very good in this photo, unfortunately. Info for fellow fabric freaks: on the front I used various Amy Butler prints and "Wildwood" by Erin McMorris for Free Spirit, and the front strips and the binding are Jennifer Paganelli from the "Bell Bottom" line for Free Spirit. The back has a piece of "Leanika" by Dena Fishbein for Free Spirit (love those lovebirds), "Par Avion" by Paula Prass for Michael Miller, another print from "Wildwood", and Kona solids. I can't remember what the pink floral is.

December project #4 (out of order)

2010-01-09T23:24:00.004-05:00

I used the scraps from my first quilt to make this throw pillow cover. This is a simple envelope-style cover. I would have done it differently if I had started from scratch, but the scraps were already sewn together. Quilting thriftiness. This went to my mother-in-law, who requested a quilt similar to my first one.

My new hobby

2010-01-09T22:29:00.016-05:00

I started quilting at the end of fall 2009. Here are some photos of my first completed quilt, finished in November. New Year's resolution: get better at photography. I used a jelly roll of "Arcadia" by Sanae for Moda. The sashing and backing is Moda Muslin Mates, and I used the wrong side for a softer tonal effect. I can't remember what the orange floral binding is.

2009 favorite fabrics

2010-01-03T14:51:00.001-05:00

Kim at True Up is having a 2009 fabric round up, where people are blogging about fabric "best of 2009", plus she's having a lovely give away. So as brandy-new fabric aficionado here are my thoughts for best of 2009 (and I totally took advantage of True Up's fabric round up - thanks, Kim!).

Favorite Juvenile Print: Wendy Slotboom "Frolic" for In the Beginning Fabrics
Favorite Trend (Motifs): leaves or sprouts on vines in a stripe pattern, a la Orla Kiely (see Taxi Trio, Bloom and Grow, and the Sunny Tender Sprouts pattern in Art Gallery Fabric's new "Filigree" line)
Favorite Trend (Motifs): Runner Up - Owls - love all those owl fabrics
Fabric Motif Trend Prediction: Foxes (this has nothing to do with anything in the True Up categories, though)
Favorite New Designer: Laura Gunn "Lantern Bloom" for Michael Miller
Favorite Quilting Weight Cotton Collection: a tie - Art Gallery Fabrics' "Revive" line (I think it's 2009, let me know if I'm wrong) and Sanae "Arcadia" for Moda
Favorite Fabric Shop (bricks and mortar) - Franklin Mill Store in Franklin, Massachusetts (luckily for me, my in-laws live a short drive away)
Favorite Under the Radar/Sleeper Collection - Sanae "Arcadia" for Moda
Favorite New Fabric Worked With - double gauze, even though it frays fiercely if you're not careful
Favorite Print From Country of Choice - Heather Ross "Far, Far, Away" for Kokka (Japan) - yes, even though she's an American designer. Second choice - Asuka "Girly and Bitter" double gauze for Nina's Sewing Factory (Japan)
Favorite Overall Designer - Anna Maria Horner, because of the colors, the designs, and most of all, because of the variety of fabrics. Quilting weight cotton, cotton voile, textured voile/dobby, home dec weight, oilcloth, and flannel - come on, how can you not LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT!!!
Wild Card Category - Favorite Fabrics from 2008 I'm still working with and loving: "Lush" by Erin Michael, "Mendocino" by Heather Ross

Character spotlight on: Ernst

2010-01-03T12:02:00.001-05:00

Ernst possesses the soul of a dark and tortured poet. Often acting the part of a quiet loner, he tends to stick to his own lilypad.

Favorite drink: Glenlilliepadh, an obscure single malt scotch, served with dram of pond water.

My end of year holiday

2010-01-03T11:55:00.001-05:00

So very nice to have time off at the end of the year. All the frogs are thriving, more about them later. I've been sewing quite a bit, and making soup when I take a break from sewing. Embracing the craft of sewing has been a total kick this fall, mainly because I've started making quilts. I started quilting about 15 years ago, and didn't get very far. Why? Probably because the fabrics available then didn't really turn my crank. I still have that first quilting project sitting in my sewing room, and honestly? Not going to finish it. Because it's super boring. I'll re-purpose it into doll quilts or similar, I suppose.

So about a year ago, I broke out my 15-year old $100 Kenmore beauty from Sears. I made a few things, picked up some nice apparel fabric over the next few months from the ONE non-chain, non-quilting fabric store within driving distance. Then that lovely fabric store, the late, lamented Threadneedle in Essex, Vermont, closed its doors last summer. That's when I started exploring some local quilt shops, and the new fabrics blew my mind. New (or new to me) designers like Heather Ross, Tula Pink, Denyse Schmidt, Erin Michael...holy cow! Cotton fabric is so much fun now!

And the crafting, sewing, blogging, selling - the sheer volume of artistry happening now is fantastic. I've been inspired by blogs like Oh, Fransson!, Film in the Fridge, The Selfish Seamstress, and so many others. So off I go with my rattly little machine, having a blast.

Hawthorne Threads

2009-11-11T11:38:00.003-05:00

Great new fabric website - check it out!

2009-07-14T21:47:00.003-04:00

Vanessa attempts to contact the Loch Ness Monster through a séance. She is unsuccessful. Lilith feels Vanessa is misguided in her efforts, and introduces Vanessa to a natterjack. Vanessa immediately develops a crush on the natterjack. She loves his accent but can't understand a word he says.

POETRY CORNER

2009-07-12T11:44:00.007-04:00

Ernst reads his latest poem to the group:
"Murky water hiding secrets
Spent my life avoiding egrets
Now is not the time for regrets."
Depressed, the rest of the frogs demand Ernst's whisky (Glenlilliepadh single malt).

2009-07-12T11:39:00.003-04:00

Character Spotlight On:
Bob: Passionate and melodramatic he nurses a recent heartbreak. He comes from royalty, but this has been a closely held secret. He yearns to play polo, however, he is a frog. He has a strong and assertive breast stroke.

2009-07-12T11:24:00.004-04:00

As the Frog Turns: The Lives and Loves of 8 African Dwarf Frogs
Marjorie, feeling neglected by an emotionally distant Julio, turns to Binkie for consolation. Binkie has always thought Marjorie to be quite glamourous with her lovely skin mucous, and is flattered by her attention. Julio watches another soccer match.

2009-07-11T11:26:00.005-04:00

From Facebook, June 25, 2009:

As the Frog Turns: The Lives and Loves of 8 African Dwarf Frogs
The frogs are kicking out a memorial dance party:
"That this is thriller, thriller night
'Cause I can thrill you more than any ghost would ever dare try
Thriller, thriller night
So let me hold you tight and share a
Killer, diller, chiller, thriller here tonight" - MJ

Comments (from FB):

Lisa Allan Aronson at 9:35pm June 25
Looks like those frogs got some moves! MJ would be proud!

Nicole Neimann at 9:29am June 26
thanks for your call last night -so thoughtfull! your frogs are thrillin me babe.

2009-07-11T11:25:00.003-04:00

From Facebook, June 24, 2009:

As the Frog Turns: The Lives and Loves of 8 African Dwarf Frogs
Bob receives a letter from Africa, but does not reveal the contents. He is clearly shaken. Marjorie tries to snoop, but is discovered by Lilith. A confrontation ensues, with minor web slapping.

Comments (from FB):

Leigh Chandler at 7:05pm June 24
Smackdown!

2009-07-11T11:23:00.001-04:00

From Facebook, June 23, 2009

As the Frog Turns: The Lives and Loves of 8 African Dwarf Frogs
A despondent Bob approaches Vanessa for a web reading and psychic healing. Vanessa senses Bob has a family secret from his past, but reassures him that his long life will be filled with love and croaking. They do not see Claude eavesdropping on their conversation.

Comments (from FB):

Leigh Chandler at 8:40pm June 23
Vanessa seems like a crackpot to me. Bob will have a LONG life filled with love and CROAKING? Seems like she's giving mixed messages...

2009-07-11T11:01:00.003-04:00

From Facebook, June 22, 2009:

As the Frog Turns: The Lives and Loves of 8 African Dwarf Frogs
The group is shocked when Claude mysteriously appears, suffering from amnesia although otherwise healthy. He remembers nothing after leaving class last Thursday...

Comments (from FB):

Leigh Chandler at 8:22pm June 22
The real question is how Lilith will react to all this...

Kim Flippin at 9:35am June 23
Ed has a good point. You should get a German Shepard...

Sarah McGinnis at 1:12pm June 23
I really don't think we could handle 8 big dogs.

2009-07-11T10:52:00.003-04:00

From Facebook, June 22, 2009:

Sweet Jesus - there are EIGHT African Dwarf Frogs in the trifle dish...how did I miss this?

Comments (from FB):

Ed Carmien at 6:54pm June 22
Because they breed like...like...frogs? Or math is not your long suit? Or there's a cyborg infiltrator, looking for John "le frog" Connor, leader of the future frog resistance against...oh, never mind.

Cheryl Farnum Rendino at 6:57pm June 22
Now wait just a minute. I'm so confused, there are so many characters in As the Frog Turns, I don't know if eight is MORE or LESS than you expected!!!!

Sarah McGinnis at 7:07pm June 22
Read on...I've changed the title.

Cheryl Farnum Rendino at 7:11pm June 22
Did Claude come from a Froggy bar, perhaps? Or maybe from a plane which broke apart in the sky? Drawn to the trifle dish by a mysterious electromagnetic force?

Cindy Schoenfeld at 12:39am June 23
You aced your writing class in elem school, but flunked math?

2009-07-11T10:42:00.001-04:00

From Facebook, June 21, 2009:

As the Frog Turns: The Lives and Loves of 7 African Dwarf Frogs
Marjorie finds Julio watching a soccer match. He does not notice her freshly polished webbing. Lilith ignores Marjorie's complaints, saying "You get what you croak for." Lilith has always admired Bob and thinks Marjorie is a fool.

Comments (from FB):

Cheryl Farnum Rendino at 2:53pm June 21
Yes, but what about Julio?

Sarah McGinnis at 2:55pm June 21
all will be revealed

Leigh Chandler at 5:32pm June 21
I see a big barfight coming on...

2009-07-11T10:05:00.001-04:00

From Facebook, June 20, 2009:

As the Frog Turns: The Lives and Loves of 7 African Dwarf Frogs
Bob passes out after drinking Ernst's bottle of rare Glenlilliepadh single malt whisky. Bob is overheard mumbling, "Marjorie, why? Why? Ribbittzzzzzz…" Ernst, annoyed, retreats to his lilypad to write poetry with themes of betrayal and petty theft.

Comments (unedited from FB):

Cindy Schoenfeld at 11:44am June 20
Sarah, you haven't changed much with your humor in all these years...hilarious! I'm enjoying your soap opera!!!

Cheryl Farnum Rendino at 1:34pm June 20
I can imagine Sarah's early grades report cards... "Sarah has a... ahem... um... vivid imagination."

Cindy Schoenfeld at 1:45pm June 20
Yah, for sure...I bet she got an "A" in writing!

2009-07-11T10:03:00.003-04:00

From Facebook, June 19, 2009:

On today's installment of "As the Frog Turns", Marjorie appears to have shifted her affection from Bob to Julio. Emotionally devastated, Bob attempts to jump out of the tupperware container. Lilith tells him to not be such a pollywog. There are other frogs in the pond.

Comments (from FB):

Leigh Chandler at 3:39pm June 19
OH MY GOD! BOB CANNOT kill himself over that tramp!

Cheryl Farnum Rendino at 7:24pm June 19
Little does Marjorie know, Bob is a prince in disguise. What a dimwitted wench.

Conrad Boucher at 7:32pm June 19
Poor Bob. It's not easy being green.

2009-07-11T10:02:00.002-04:00

From Facebook, June 18, 2009:

Today, on "As the Frog Turns", the 4 frogs came back to us, along with one more buddy. African Dwarf Frog Total: 7. Bob is happy, but the rest are still nameless. The guinea pigs feel quite superior.

Comments (from FB):

Kim Flippin at 8:50am June 19
I hear frogs taste like chicken.....

Sarah McGinnis at 3:01pm June 19
These might taste like really tiny chicken.

2009-07-11T10:00:00.001-04:00

From Facebook, June 17, 2009:
On today's episode of "As the Frog Turns", 4 frogs went back to the classroom. Tune in tomorrow.

Comments (from FB):

Cheryl Farnum Rendino at 4:46pm June 17
The suspense is killing me! What a cliffhanger!

2009-07-11T09:55:00.002-04:00

From Facebook, June 16, 2009:
Our family is now larger by 6 African Dwarf Frogs.

Comments (From FB):

Cheryl Farnum Rendino at 11:32am June 16
Ribit.

Nicole Neimann at 3:43pm June 16
are they residing with the guinea pigs??!

Ahava Java at 5:52pm June 16
lol. cool!

Conrad Boucher at 8:14pm June 16
Sounds exotic. What are their names?

Sarah McGinnis at 9:36pm June 16
Haven't named them all yet, but the one that almost got away is Bob.

Cheryl Farnum Rendino at 9:43pm June 16
I think if you have a Bob, you better have a Phil.... there ya go, name them after the punch lines to jokes about men's names.

Conrad Boucher at 8:09am June 17
How about posting a pic and then take suggestions from your FB friends? Sounds like a party!