Wordless Wednesday

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Lizard's Final Quilt

Three weeks ago, I wasn't sure I could ever touch my sewing machine again. I'd been trying to teach Lizard to quilt again as art therapy.

He picked out the guacamole fabric, and he did the design. I cut the batting and the solids, but he put all the charm square layers together. Meticulously.

I laid the unfinished project out on the floor to try to finish it a couple of days after Lizard's Celebration of Life. All I could do was look at it and cry for about three days.

He was able to do only the X's. He couldn't do the seams. We got only halfway through the project before he had to go into the hospital. He had planned to let me try to sell the finished quilt for him.

I finally finished it last week after two full days of working on it. I found out I can use my sewing machine again. It was painful at first, but it got easier with each block. I think Lizard would have been proud of me for sticking with it until I finished.

I posted on social media that I was thinking of selling the rag quilt in my Etsy shop with all proceeds going to The HealthWell Foundation, which made it possible for Lizard to take an extremely expensive medication for nearly two years. The Foundation helps many people afford life-saving medications. I think Lizard would have wanted that.

Within four hours of posting, I received a text from a charitable fan who'd made a generous donation to the Foundation and who asked if they could have the quilt. I will be delivering it in person this weekend. I think Lizard would be dancing with joy.

Linking up with Alycia Quilts.

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Wordless Wednesday

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12 More Toes and a Change of Heart

As I began laying out the finished Lizard Toes blocks (on the guest bed because I have no floor surface big enough except our driveway, and can't quite leave a flimsy outside overnight!!!), I realized my original plan of 6 blocks by 8 blocks didn't need to be quite as long and really needed at least one more row in width to fit our master bed. Good thing I had to lay this baby out on a bed before I began putting the blocks together! I do not need another large quilt that doesn't fit a bed!

I decided I could add one more block and make the quilt 7 blocks by 7 blocks, effectively 7 feet by 7 feet. It was difficult to select which color to use for the 49th block background because I have SO many amazing green batiks. I opted to use a piece from the (smaller pieces) stash box instead of the folded fabric stash in an effort to use up scraps. I actually had a piece big enough and had to trim off only a couple of inches on one side and a very small slice on a second side.

The first few appliqué blocks back in 2014 were done with YLI thread in the Alaskan Twilight and Seamist colorways I'd bought at my first Denver National Quilt Festival. I'd never seen fancy quilting thread before then! The zigzag stitch I'm using, of course, made quick work of the first actual quilting thread I'd ever owned, and my starting colors didn't necessarily look as perfect on every block anyway. My thread stash grew over the years, and I used King Tut De Nile and Arabian Nights and Signature Spring Grass and Aqua Waters on the blocks I finished this month. Now I'm going to have to restock at least a couple of shades because I've nearly finished off a few of my favorites!

All 48 original Lizard Toes blocks are made from leftovers. I wanted my 49th block to be from scraps, too, even though it will be different than any of the 48 paired blocks. Each original block pair includes one solid and one batik, making 24 opposites. (Although I discovered as I began putting the blocks together I'd made a mistake, but I'll get to that in a minute.) The 49th block will be unique because both the background fabric and the solid fabric do not appear in any of the other 48 blocks.

The color for the 49th lizard was difficult to choose because I have many purple, blue and green solid scraps that work well with the batik background I selected. I must strongly favor the cool rainbow color spectrum because that's what composes most of my scraps!!! I narrowed my choices down to three favorites, one each from the cool hues, and asked Lizard which he likes best. He should have a say, since the finished quilt will be covering him, too.

After having me audition the three samples three times each, he picked the same blue I was leaning toward. Made the choice so much simpler! Great minds think alike!

I'd been trying to complete a quilt block a day every day since the beginning of April. The lizards helped me stay ahead both times I took a break – once to use up my mountain of selvedges for a crocheted rug and once for taxes (gag!!!!!!!!!!) – because I had so much fun with the appliqué process, I could do four in one sitting! I did not feel that way at all, however, years ago when I was cutting out the individual lizards.

When I first began this project back in 2014, my intent was to put the paired blocks together. It was exciting to arrange finished blocks on the floor each time I finished a new pair.

When I picked this project back up as my hopefully April WIP finish, I decided I want the blocks to be random instead of paired. I wish I'd used a more diverse assortment of solids when I chopped up these blocks and lizards, but I was using leftovers I had back then. There were fewer colors in my leftovers to pick from then. That means some of the solids bump up to each other now, but they were doing that when I was doing the paired layout, too, so I tried really, really hard not to stress about it.

I wanted to make sure I didn't have to rip out any blocks accidentally sewn together in the wrong orientation this time (a mistake I make almost every single block quilt I make), so I marked the bottom left corner of each block with a pin to make sure the lizards weren't dancing in the wrong direction when I began sewing. Nevertheless, the final layout took a long time because I kept moving blocks around (and therefore pins, too...) so they wouldn't touch similar blocks, and even as I assembled the final quadrant of the flimsy, I was still moving blocks and wishing I hadn't already finished sewing the first three block segments together.

I also wish now I had placed a layer of batting beneath each lizard. But perhaps I can simulate that when I begin the quilting.

When I first made the decision to add one more block, I planned to put it smack dab in the center because the colors would stand out. By the time I finished the appliqué, though, I decided I would like it better off-center. It's funny how I've become totally anti-center over the years. Too much art class back in the '70s, I guess! So now the unique block is right next to the very center block, and that's one block I did not move around at all!

Words cannot describe the joy that washed over me as I finished the final block!!! (Yes, I finished the 49th block before I finished six other blocks... because I liked the colors of the 49th block SO much!) A total of 588 toes!!! Finished!!! It may be a while before I ever cut out another lizard for appliqué!

As I was laying out all the finished blocks, I was stunned to discover I'd made a mistake with one of the block pairs. I apparently liked the batik so much, I made both blocks identical. Had I noticed this before making the 49th block, I could have made that extra block with a solid background, and if I kept the twins far enough apart, no one would ever know I'd screwed up. Which got me thinking... Who is going to see this quilt??? Lizard, and me. It will be on our bed. It is not going on display anywhere except my blog. Who cares if I have ocean spray and periwinkle too close to each other in a couple of places?!? Who cares if I have three batiks pieced together without a solid in between? We both love this design, we both love the colors, and that's all that matters! If I don't point out the mistake when I finish the quilt, I bet no one will ever notice, even if they study the photo.

Even though I might have done things differently if I was just starting this quilt today, I am pleased with the final layout. I was excited but so intimidated to finally be ready to quilt! I thought I'd have to have to layer the quilt sandwich on the driveway, and that would require a good weather day. No wind, no rain, no snow. Not an easy order to fill in the Rocky Mountain foothills spring!

Upon finishing the fourth quadrant, I was being snarky and commented, out loud and to myself, that this project is equivalent to two baby quilts and two lap quilts, all joined together. I suddenly realized I could quilt them as quadrants, and then sew the quadrants together by hand! I actually enjoy quilt-as-you-go and love the hand-sewing. For the first time since I began this quilt in 2014, I wasn't intimidated by the size anymore!!! I don't have to procrastinate anymore! Each segment will fit perfectly on the longarm, and I might even be able to do something creative with the backing this way!

I'd purchased a huge chunk of wide Tahiti Dreams for the backing before discovering I could convert my old, ugly, skinny metal blinds that came with the house into state-of-the-art, modern and gorgeous Roman shades. I wasn't sure I'd have enough Tahiti Dreams left over after finishing this quilt to make matching shades for our large bedroom window. If I cut the wide backing into quarters and maybe even throw in a few off-center coordinating scraps (which would provide visual interest as well as use up even more scraps... YAY!!!), I might have enough of the wide backing for both the quilt back AND the Roman shades!!! Holy cow! This is brilliant! I'll never be afraid of a large quilt again!!! Unless it's already assembled... I have two large assembled WIPs, darn it!

Linking up with Alycia Quilts and Confessions of a Fabric Addict.

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Friday Funny

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Piece of Cake!

One of The Lizard's co-workers made a cake for Lizard's birthday. After all the employees dug in, the little toppings appeared to be waiting in line for their fair share.

Dieter and Wolfgang wasted no time getting in on the action.


When the cake was all gone, Lizard, like a good dad, carefully washed the frosting off all the young'uns. They sunbathed on the kitchen counter for a while.

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My Better Half

About a year ago, my husband The Lizard retired following roughly 30 years in a backup career he used to put himself through college and graduate school. He's never been able to land a job in the field of his dreams due to lack of experience. (How can you gain experience when every job in your field requires three to five years of experience?)

Never in his wildest dreams did he suspect it would be so difficult for a college-educated, middle-aged male to find a new job in a new field when he retired. After much research (and a ton of encouragement/elbowing by me), he decided to try his hands at launching his own business, where he can be his own boss and do something he loves.

I've long thought this move would take him into the world of bicycle maintenance, but he repeatedly warned me it would take up all his weekend time, and instead of cycling with me on our favorite rides and tours, he'd be running the mechanic shop at a stop along the way. Every. Single. Ride.


He's been watching me knit, crochet and quilt for more than ten years now. He sees the joy it brings to both me and recipients. He sees the creative process. He's felt the explosions of imagination on every level.

For my 50th birthday, he endeavored to learn to crochet. After numerous frustrating tangles, he cried wolf. No, he did not cry like a wolf! But he did decide crochet is not for him.

He expressed interest in learning to use the knitting machine I bought used from a graduate student approximately two decades ago, but I've taken the Toyota out of the box only twice and have never tried to use it. I did join a Colorado machine knitting club a few year ago to learn how to use the machine, and I successfully knitted a swatch on one of the member's similar machines. But I've never had the time to really dive into getting my own set up and therefore have not shared much in the way of machine knitting enthusiasm or triumph.

The Lizard fashioned a quilt frame for me when I finally lost patience and sympathy for the splintered and unfinished one I'd inherited from my grandmother in 1979. He's helped me stretch quilts onto the frame, and he's helped me roll up framed Works In Progress (WIPs)to get them out of the way when we have company.

He's often said he would like to learn to quilt, but not by hand. That meant we would have to invest in a long-arm, which isn't realistic for our budget, or I would have to gain confidence in free-motion quilting in order to teach him.


Then something miraculous happened. He found a photo of a rag quilt he loved. Both of us grew up in quilting families that used up what fabric was outgrown or worn out in our own households. Both of us love using up scraps of any leftover project, sewing as well as cycling maintenance.

I have plenty of fabric for him to work with... You know the old saying. She who dies with the most fabric wins. I have more fabric than I can ever use in about six lifetimes. I think I'm winning.

However, there's something special about using fabric you pick out yourself. Especially when you are first learning.

In August, The Lizard picked out a fat quarter bundle for his first project. Three days after its arrival, he was putting the final touches on his very first quilt.

He's getting more and more comfortable with my sewing machine. He still hates my rotary cutter and still threatens to use a box cutter when cutting blocks. He marvels that I allow him to occupy the Design Floor (in the dining room/living room) where I work out my layouts (or playouts, as we affectionately call them).

He never complained when I had a project on the dining room floor for a day or two at a time. Why in the world would I ever complain if he does the very same thing???

I've long had an idea in my head for a logo and name for an Etsy shop I dreamed we'd one day run together. I'm very proud to announce it's time we finally give birth to this baby! Our first "child"!


Introducing... (drum roll, please)... ArroyoLizard. Initially, I wanted to name his shop B.D.Eyes, a cute and logo-worthy moniker. The B. and D. were for Brett & Deborah because this venture would be a collaboration some of the time, and the embroidered B.D. Eyes logo would feature Beady Eyes. Because, you know, lizards have beady eyes, and snowflake creators have lots of beads. We both have an eye for color, we both have an eye for wildlife, and we both have an eye for mountain and desert vistas. Plus, we love to work together. The plan was to have fun creating together.

We'll still collaborate, and we'll still have fun creating together, but The Lizard is doing his own quilting now, all by himself, and it's only fair his shop represents the work he puts into his creations. He's hoping to soon add "mandanas" to his shop. He has a collection of bandanas I've made for him during the last ten years. They are custom made to wear beneath his bicycle helmet so his head doesn't get burn marks from the sun beating down through the helmet vents. He's had enough compliments and interest from other male cyclists to warrant launching his own little mandana factory.

ArroyoLizard will feature creations by The Lizard. When we do occasionally collaborate, such as when he tries his hand at some of my designs, we may open that third shop. With or without B.D. Eyes, I plan to design fabric exclusively for him to use as a quilter. So that will be a joining of our talents, too.

His first few projects have been rag quilts to familiarize him first with my sewing machine, and now with his own. (We invested in a $99 machine earlier this fall when we thought my machine had permanently bit the dust, just as I began teaching him to use it. Thankfully, my 33-year-old baby is still plugging along!) The Lizard has now mastered threading both machines, winding bobbins, reloading bobbins and now is even learning all about tension. I hope to have him free-motion quilting by the end of the year. I anticipate he will have much more confidence than me because he's a good driver and a good cyclist. He can hold the pedal steady, and he can steer! He hasn't spent 20 years being afraid of machine quilting like me. I think he's going to really excel!

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Friday Funny

The Crested Butte wildflowers were so phenomenal this year, we thought we'd make a video, sweeping radiant fields of yellow flowers. The plan was for The Lizard to GoPro across a huge field of blossoms while I zoomed in on him from the opposite side of the meadow before panning across the fragrant basin to fade out, then mix the two movies together for this year's blockbuster Snowcatcher Cam.

Filming didn't go exactly as planned...

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A Whole New Mug

(affiliate links to my designs)

On the day of our 10th anniversary, The Lizard accidentally broke the mug I designed for him as a wedding gift 10 years ago.

So I designed a new one.

ImageStation, where the first mug was created, is long gone. So I used Zazzle. The new mug has arrived.

I should have made the anniversary phrase lizard-green so it would stand out more against the desert turf, but I love the mug anyway!

Best of all, Lizard loves it, too!

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The Adventures of Dieter and Wolfgang

For years, they collected dust on the top of my magazine bookshelf, along with three other little cycling miniatures and a much larger cycling kokopelli.

Before that, they were triplets, a trio of railroad miniatures my dad sent after custom painting them in Tour de France leaders' cycling jersey colors. He'd ordered a population of unpainted figures for his model railroad layout and didn't care for the cyclists included in the 500-count package. He thought he might get a good laugh out of me when he sent his "rejects".

I don't think he ever expected the two survivors to reach viral status...


The yellow-jerseyed cyclist matched a real-life jersey in our closet, so I enlisted the services of The Lizard for a staged photo I wanted to enter in a monthly contest. The Lizard has since named the second and third cyclists Dieter and Wolfgang, so in turn, I guess I should name the yellow guy Jens. Ya, dat name fetes perfektly!


Here's what I wrote about the photo contest way back then:

While pedaling up Squaw Pass two days before the DGrin challenge was to end, I came up with the idea for this "Feathered or Scaled" shot.

The following morning we set out on our bikes with camera and prop for a nearby dam so I could have an uncluttered sky background for the shot. Less than 30 minutes later, we were chased home by lightning, which pretty much lasted the rest of the day.

We tried again the following morning. The Lizard posed, and I pulled the little cyclist out of my pack, only to discover he had been dismembered! I had only two hours to get to church, so I didn't have time to go back for another cyclist and a new matching jersey, if we even had one. I used the cellophane tape I'd planned to use to attach "Jens" to my finger to perform surgery right there on the dam. Of course, the unexpected delay cost me the morning's pink and orange sky. I did manage to get Jens somewhat back together and taped onto my finger. I got in position and took a number of shots, and we headed home so I could get to church on time.

After church, I downloaded and checked out the shots and wasn't happy with the results. I thought The Lizard should be better lit via auxiliary flash. Plus, my on-camera flash reflected on the tape. The Lizard volunteered to pose again. He found a green jersey, and off we pedalled once again to make another masterpiece, and by golly, another storm moved in! We tried to work fast. In my haste, I didn't think to put a scrunchie in my hair, and my unruly locks kept blowing into the frame. I also didn't like the cluttered greenway background we were forced to use, but we couldn't do any better because lightning was flashing. Plus, my auxiliary flash kept getting knocked down by the wind. I didn't want it to break. Eventually, we gave up.

I heavily photoshopped the tape out of the best exposure from the morning shoot and submitted it just hours before the contest deadline. After all that, I didn't make the contest finals. Nevertheless, the experience made for a good story.


Dieter and Wolfgang, joined by Bender, had their initial 15 minutes of fame as I prepared for my second (unsuccessful) climb of Pikes Peak.

Back up on the shelf Dieter and Wolfgang (and Bender, of course) went, and there they stayed until The Lizard needed some experienced riding partners.


After learning the mini cyclists have an affinity for snow and water, The Lizard invited Dieter and Wolfgang along for a little mud and dirt. And rock.


And grub.




They've been joining him regularly ever since. The Lizard fashioned traveling quarters for them from an empty Altoids tin.


He carts them along in the same pocket with his camera and phone. Because, you know, they are so tiny, The Lizard's 30-plus-mile jaunts are like three trips around the world for them.


They've had some real adventures together! The Lizard features little snippets about Dieter and Wolfgang's antics on his blog. I suspect the boys are going to pirate Ride the Rockies in June, since they didn't get drawn. They didn't learn of the annual tour lottery until it was over.

I suspect they'll be legal and official members of Team Snowcatcher next year. Maybe they'll even get their own Facebook page...

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