I have a confession - I am a shameless thief!  In my previous post, I shared some photos from the wedding day.  Photos from my camera, which I put away before the ceremony began.  So over the last couple of days I have been skulking around Facebook stealing photos that family members have posted.  I should feel bad (and I do a little bit) but without them, I would not be able to share this precious moment.

 

As he is walking The Princess to her waiting Groom, Hubby is telling her her favorite *knock knock* joke in order to keep the tears at bay.

Nor would I have this sweet shot of The Happy Couple during their first dance.

 

(just look at all of those cell phones - I have some more Facebook friends to visit)

They chose for their dance (she also walked in to an instrumental version of the same) I think it's a perfect choice.

So a BIG thank you to Aunt TLP for letting me snag these to share.  And now back to work that I can call my own.

I've started quilting the hexagon stars, simple straight lines from side to side. I think I'm really going to like the end result.

First we rehearsed.

 

Then the parents waited in happy anticipation.

Dad nervously reviewed his welcome to the guests and toast to the happy couple.

 

He then prepared to escort the beaming bride to her awaiting groom.

  

I put my camera away to enjoy watching it all happen.  The ceremony was sweet and meaningful. The newlyweds are just joyous.  The reception was wonderful in every way.  The guests have all gotten on their way home.  The honeymoon has started.  I'm going to take a nap!

Learning to be a 'Blog Dog'  -  first, strike an adorable pose when the evil vacuum cleaner is in the vicinity.

 

Decide to investigate something across the room just as the camera shutter is closing.

 

Try out a funny face when you think no one is looking.

 

Lull the photographer into a false sense of security by posing ever so briefly.

 

Wander into a shot unexpectedly.

Plop yourself down in a spot when your presence isn't really called for.

  

Wait, I think Larkin is trying to tell us something  . . . .

 

Ta Da!!!! It's done - the Hexagon Star top is complete.  With apologies for the sunshine, I just couldn't wait another moment to share the finish.

And just check out the back.  It's almost as fun to look at as the front.

 

Now to piece a backing, get it basted and start quilting.  In quilting there is no rest for the weary.

Rainy days and Thursdays always mean quilting time.  Okay, not exactly a great song lyric but there's truth in it just the same. First I lit the fireplace.

 

 Then laid out the remaining puzzle pieces for the hexagon star quilt and got busy stitching.

 

This is all I have left to put together and I will be done Done DONE!!!!! with the top.  That's right, folks - the very next time you visit this blog it will feature a finished hexagon star quilt top.  Seven years in the making (three plus of those years where not a stitch was taken)  How long will it take to quilt it? 

When I pulled out the camera to take pictures, I discovered that some photos had been languishing there for nearly a month!  *shame on me*  Seems I have been relying on my camera phone lately.  When I posted the picture of the 'wedding quilt' I got some queries for more detailed photos that I didn't think I had.  So here are a few details (that I enhanced in an odd way via Picassa to show the design more clearly)

 

And finally a look at the whole-ish quilt with the binding stitched down (some of it is lopped over the fence) before it went in the wash.

 

And last but not least there were several of these.

 I was very nervous that the quilt would somehow disintegrate in the machine and I wanted proof of it's existence.  I am sure I will have the very same anxious moments with those hexagons but it will be a while before we know for sure.

Remember when?  This blog used to feature quilting projects with stunning regularity.  This year that all but dried up as I struggled for something - anything to post about.  Well, now the secret is out and I can share with you  . . . The Wedding Quilt!

 

A queen-sized whole cloth quilt that I have been working on (with dogged dedication) since March.  It is shown here before it was trimmed, bound and washed.  The blue lines help the design to be seen.  I held my breath while it was in the machine - not only in hopes that those lines really would wash out but also in fear that my stitches might somehow unravel. Everything worked out beautifully and it came out of the dryer that delicious crinkly look that I love so much.

 

This photo shows the VERY LAST stitches loaded on to the needle and my under the quilt finger in all of its stabbed and calloused glory.  Hubby and I had The Happy Couple over for dinner last week and presented them with the quilt - after all the sauces and salsa from our favorite Mexican take-out had been safely cleared away.  They seemed quite happy - The Princess said she thought they might be getting a quilt.  The Intended was impressed that all the stitches were done by hand, though wondered aloud why it couldn't be done on the machine (he's a very mechanical kind of guy).

Hubby and I had a little celebration of our own over the weekend.  We celebrated our 33rd wedding anniversary with a trip to The Happiest Place on Earth.  The weather was beautiful and we really enjoyed ourselves - though we checked our cell phones often to see if there was a frantic call from the puppy sitter begging us to come get our darling little charge.  That didn't happen making the weekend a complete success.  

We brought Larkin a souven-ear!

 

All of my doggies get mouse ears.  But at long last, Disney has seen fit to make them in a doggy size! After we took this photo, we had just enough time to run out the door to get to puppy kindergarten.  Somebody was graduating yesterday.

 

We still have a l-o-n-g way to go in the training cycle, but we are on our way.  Next week we start our second set of kindergarten classes.  These will be a LOT more learning and not so much 'recess' time.  Should be interesting.

When last we met, I shared a quilting finish.  It has been a long time coming to finish anything it seems.  Lots of starts and not many finishes.  So it seemed it was time to assess the collection of projects yet not done.  I have a healthy pile that I have ordered and I'm ready to start tackling.  If you've been with me for at least the last three years, you may remember this -

Hexagon Stars - the photograph is from three mailing addresses ago.  I put this one aside in favor of Martha Washington's Flower Garden because I wanted a bed sized hexagon quilt in just the worst way.  In the greater scheme of things, I am really quite close to having a completed top.  I just need to work out the odd pieces to fill in the edges, which is rather like putting together a jigsaw puzzle.

 

This is a corner piece all laid out and ready to be stitched together.  Let me just say that this is the perfect project to work on during this resurgence of hot weather.  It can easily be carried out to the patio for some shaded relief in the hottest part of the afternoon.  About the time these last pieces are assembled into a top, the weather will have cooled enough to make it pleasant to hold the whole quilt in my lap for hand-quilting.

A bright spot when it comes to the weather is that it's perfect for tea dyeing muslin.

 

I did just that with a couple of yards on Saturday afternoon.  It will be ready and waiting when I decide to take on a new project.  I know my resolve to only work on unfinished projects will only hold for so long.  Something 'shiny' with catch my eye  . . . and I will be ready.