New Baby

Greetings Everyone! We got our second new baby last week and is she ever a cutie and sweet as can be. Her name is Cookie Dough and she weighs a whopping 3 pounds. She is a long hair cream, red, & tan piebald mini dachshund. Although she hasn't quite figured out yet what all the going outside is all about, I do get lucky once in awhile and she happens to go outside, so I praise her ridiculously and make a really big tado about it hoping she gets the idea soon... very soon. I can't tell you how many times I've tripped over these two new ones. I've decided they do better if I take them out one at a time rather than together. When together all they want to do is play with each other. So by the time I let each dog (that's 3 now) outside and they take their own sweet time doing their thing, then it's time for me to come in and do my thing and then it's time to start the whole routine all over again. So much for getting much done around the house. That all seems to be on hold for right now, but I'm enjoying them so much I really don't care. Here's a photo of Cookie:

For Sale

Here's the first set of quilts that I am listing for sale this month. More will be listed later this week. A photo of each quilt is next to its size and price.

If you would like to purchase one, simply enclose the price amount with your contact information and quilt name and mail to Arlayne West, 701 1st Street, Grimes, IA 50111. I will contact you about how you want to receive the package. Shipping and handling is already included in the price of the quilt. First come first served.



















Eagle Quilt
(Size 34 1/2" x 27 ") - $35

Japanese Puzzle Wallhanging

(Size "19 1/2" x 19 1/2") - $30

Flippin' Bowtie Wallhanging
(Size 26 1/2" x 27") - $30

This quilt block patter was my own

creation & was entered into a contest.

I didn't win but it was fun to make.

Small Maple Leaf Wallhanging
(Size 13" x 12 1/2") - $30
























Class Sampler Quilt
(Size 29 1/2" x 29 1/2") - $40
























Reach for the Stars
Star Galaxy Quilt with Embroidered Corners
(Size 73" x 73") - $400

Ginger's Assistance in the Sewing Room

Well, this weekend has really been productive. I've finished two quilts and got a third one ready to be quilted. Ginger has been lending me a hand with measuring the fabric and pulling to get the cross grain straight. She's not done too bad for her first lesson. :-)

Japanese Puzzle Class

Well, today I finally finished a class I took through a Yahoo sewing group called the Japanese puzzle. I learned how to do it, but I ended up hating it, so I stopped early on and threw away all the left over pieces. I decided to take what I had completed and turn it into a small wall hanging or table topper instead of a full size quilt. I found this quilt very confusing and just not that pretty, but staying within the idea of uneven pattern design, I put uneven black corners on it and then attached it to a multicolored tan-brown square background and quilted and bound it, so it would be done and I could move on to a more "fun" quilt top. So here is my sloppy Japanese Puzzle quilt topper.

Moving on to something much more fun, I spent much of the afternoon lovin' and playing with Ginger Belle. She is so cute and does the funniest things. She has a lot of white under her chin and down her chest and tummy that is pretty unusual for a red dachshund. Here's a new photo of her resting in my lap that Charlie took today. She has gained a whole pound so now she weighs 4 1/2 pounds. She played out of her cage a lot today and had no accidents, so she's really doing well. Won't be too long before I get to pick up the other baby and start training all over again. I can hardly wait.

New Baltimore Bliss Square

Well, I finally finished the April block for my Baltimore Bliss quilt. It was the most difficult one yet. Half way through it, I tore it all out and started over again with a little different method and now I'm really glad I did. It looks so much better. I started May's block last night and hope to complete it by this weekend. Then I'll be caught up until June 1. I still have a stack of UFO's (Unfinished Objects) to work on too.

I'm afraid I'm not getting in as much sewing time now with the new puppy to train. She's so cute I just have to play with her too. In a couple more weeks we can pick up the other puppy. Then I'm not sure if I'll get much sewing done at all for awhile. That's okay though; I want them well trained for the many long and happy years that we will have together. Dachshunds are such great little doggie friends. I know Ginger will like it too when she has another puppy to play with. Shasta doesn't like to play with her at all; I guess she's just getting too old (14 y/o now). Ginger has so much energy to burn, and you can be sure I can't keep up with her either. She does love to play fetch and that seems to be an easy way to exercise her in the house anyways. Outside she just chases Shasta all over the yard. It's so funny to see such a little thing chasing away the big dog. I'll try and get a photo of it and post it later on.