Word Play Quilts from Tonya Ricucci

It is not often that Toi gets caught in a embarrassing situation. He is the grand bully in our house and he gets his way when he wants it. Yesterday I came home from a walk with Choco and found a very quiet, apologetic Toi sitting on the sofa.

"Excuse me... I seem to have a problem and need some help."

Toi had tried to shoot through the handles of a paper bag and they had gotten caught around his "waist". So there was Toi wearing a backpack of sorts. The other cats found this very curious.

"Excuse me Toi... I think you need to lose some weight!"

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Let me tell you... Blessings never cease around here! The postman handed me a box that held a book I'd ordered from Amazon. Tonya Ricucci's WORD PLAY QUILTS was my Christmas present to myself. I have been so looking forward to this book! Of course in my sewing room I have reams of printouts from Tonya's Wonky letters tutorials and many more copies of her quilts for inspiration. But all in one book?!!! Yeah! And Tonya had asked if a quilt I'd made for Leiya could be photoed possibly for her book. Of course, of course!!!

Oh my! My quilt is on the back cover of Tonya's book! I don't know how that happened! It's pretty but it's not Tonya's and it has Japanese on it (which looks like squiggles). But I am SO happy. La~la~la~♪♪♪~~

Definitely go check out the book. Making a wonky word quilt with Tonya's technique really MAKES the quilt your very own!!! There will be none exactly like it in the whole wide world! Sew a message to future generations in fabric and wonkiness!!!

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2009's New year picture was taken again in California at a softball field. Tetsu and I had gone to Ohio for Leiya's high school graduation. The three of us had flown to California to visit my mother and Tetsu was only staying one day longer. Takumi was due to stop in that night after work to give Tetsu a high five. We were spending the afternoon at my niece's softball practice when Takumi drove in early. Another "quick, quick, take our picture" photo but we all look happy!

Our animal population changed during 2008. Lemi passed on of old age in February. Chip showed up in our back yard in August and Toi pranced into our house in October. So in clockwise order starting from the bottom, there is Cleo, Patora, Velvet, Toi, Chip and Choco.