Groundhog Day 2012

Groundhog Greetings to All!
And to all the groundhogs who are giving their weather predictions today, especially Gertie at the Wildlife Prairie State Park in Illinois. What an exciting day for these all-American mammals!
In Europe there was a similar tradition with hedgehogs, though I am not sure it is still celebrated...and certainly not with parades and speeches by the local mayor.


For those who still may not know the noble Groundhog, here is a picture:

This is Puxatawney Phil

Their coats are thick, soft fur and they have front paws almost like hands (sort of like a raccoon). To learn more about groundhogs, and even hear a selection of sounds they make, visit Hog Haven.


In 2008 I wrote a post about my pet groundhog Charlie. He was a great guy, and I still like to remember him snuggled in my lap, making a contented little woodchuck grunting sound.
I always wanted to make a Groundhog Quilt, but didn't really want to use the Sunshine & Shadows block for it.

Sunshine and Shadows block (also known as Roman Stripe)

A  Mystery Quilt class I taught had a great design, but a name I no longer wanted to use...so it has become Groundhog Day, my latest pattern. The two colors represent Winter and Spring, and you can see lots of holes for the Groundhog to pop up from:

Groundhog Day c. Sunnie Malesky 2011

Before I publish a pattern it has to be tested several times. This one also includes a scrappy version, which I made in pinks and greens. I had the top spread out for some final patch counting, and it took Shayla O'Puss about two seconds to appear for a nap:

Shayla was so happy on this top she didn't make a face when I snapped the picture!

I hope all my Faithful Readers have a wonderful Groundhog Day. I am very honored to be included in Gertie's celebration this year with a little poem I wrote back in 2008:
May your Winter be short and your Springtime be long;
May the shadows that fall on your life soon be gone.
May the sun shine upon you, may your joys never end...
and remember the Groundhog is always your friend!

Business & Busy-ness

Tomorrow is the birthday of Patchwork Pie, and I am feeling guilty about neglecting my posts!
Sometimes a person just gets tied up with so many things, nothing gets done. That's a good time to ask: Is this business...or it just busy-ness?
I bought a wonderful new Janome 7700 Horizon back in August, and this is as far as I've come:

It's about 1" too wide for the cut-out previously home to my Pfaff 1475. I'm hoping this is the week it finally gets installed. I'll use the extension table that came with the machine to go around the free arm, which means I'll have to adjust the shelf (it is hanging in there on screws) so the machine is just a tad bit higher than the edge of the desk.
I hope that is not too high to keep the pressure foot knee-lift (not in the pic) from working.
I did quilt most of two small quilts while my new machine was on the dining room table. That only reminded me of how terrible it is to quilt when the machine is at the wrong height.


So I have been busy with business, thanks to Cherry-Cherry (AKA "The Business Manager") who keeps me on track. I published the "Shining Sea" pattern, and am now at work on one called "Groundhog Day".
I always wanted to have a Groundhog Day pattern, and never quite found the right idea. Then as I was working on one called "Monkey Business", I discovered that there are are currently several patterns with that same title!
This was a no-brainer....it is now called "Groundhog Day", and you will understand why when you see it.
For those who made the "Monkey Business" quilt in a Mystery Quilt class, it's almost--but not quite!-- the same pattern.


It's a busy week coming up here! I have to celebrate the Patchwork Pie blog tomorrow, then lectures to give for two different guilds in town, the Bad Girls Pie Club is meeting Thursday, and Saturday is a quilt guild Tag Sale. After all that is over, it's time to sneak off for a 4-day Quilters Retreat.
Whew! Hope you are also busy with good things.