Busy Busy Busy!

I've been neglecting my blog due to the holidays being so busy this year.  The kids are coming!  All of them under on roof!  So I've been trying to prepare  for the event.  And its going to be a week early so I was really rushed.  And I still had to keep up with my quilting class that I've been teaching one a week to a friend.  Plus still look for a job.  I'll be so glad to get back into the workforce.  Staying home and sewing is great but having a place to go and feeling like you are contributing to society is nice and very missed.   Any way here's all that's been going on in Podunk!

A quicky to put together and quilt, for the up coming event!

Some of the quilting, it could be better but I was pressed for time. 

Made this instead of wrapping a sheet around the bottom of the tree.  I gave all my christmas decorations to my daughter 3 years ago and never replaced them until this year.

We had  sew a thon!  2 days = 16 hours and ....

We have a top!

Simple quilting, becuase its faster.

And TADA!  All she has to do is put on a binding.

I was so disgusted when it came out of the washer, lesson learned on color stabilizers.

Good friends! And big cheesy grins!

I'm thankful for my best quilting buddy!  Connie and her big cheesy grin!..LOL

This gal has become a wonderful role model and friend in the last 20 years.  She's been there for me through some rocky stuff. And has recently picked up my love for quilting.  She's newly widowed and wanted to make a quilt from her husbands shirts, and this is the pattern she picked.  She was told by a quilter of 50+ years that the quilt block was to hard for her.  So she turned to me, and together we figured it out.  We've been working on it now for about 5 months or so.  I think for the first quilt its coming along nicely.

I WON!

  And I'm very thankful!  I cant believe it!  A few months ago I posted a tip at Marcus Fabrics.  Totally forgot about it, and today in the mail I get a package.  I knew I hadn't ordered so it was really a surprise.  And here they are its not much but its FREE!

How handsome!

This is my middle child, handsome little devil(I'm a little biased).  And he has a remarkable personality too.  A real catch if I do say so myself.  Being that this is "Be Thankful" week here at my blog, I'd have to say that I'm thankful for this wonderful kid.  As you can see he plays music(guitar, banjo, harmonica, and tries at the piano), self taught in each.  He was a premie, couldn't wait to get here and do it all.  Screaming at the top of his lungs and hasn't stopped since that first day.  At the age of 7 we found out he had a lazy eye, at the age of 17 we found out he was actually legally blind in that eye and the glasses we had been buying every year were useless.  He's lived on his own since he was 18(now 21), has a lovely girlfriend, and is starting college next year, finally.  Determined to do it on his own, pride, gotta love it. 

Derek and Kristi, Aren't they just adorable?!

His own made up super hero, I don't know where he comes up with this stuff!  Such a goof!

How did I get here?

  And I'm not talking about the birds and the bee's(if you don't already know I'm not going to give you the famous "talk").  How did I get to where I am today?  Eight years ago I was newly single, 3 kids in school, cramped little apartment, with no quilting knowledge.  That's when I made this hideous quilt that my kids used to it almost fell apart.  My first real quilt and its okay to laugh.

I've come a long way from that in the last 8 years, and thankful for every minute of the journey.  Even the not so quilty moments of hard times.  At one point while being single I was rationing food and  heat in order to keep the bills paid.  So starting today for the next week I'm going to post about what I'm thankful for the most.  Looking at this picture and knowing where the I was when I made that quilt I would have to say I'm thankful for my best friend that has stuck by me for 30 years, no matter how low or broke, drunk, or plain unreasonable I was.  Love you Barb!  I encourage anyone who reads this to do the same.  Really look at your life and see where you are and where you've been, and thank those that held your head as you puked!

I'm nuts about this little guy

  Living out here in Podunk we have a lot of critters and few human visitors.  Today while taking my walk this little fellow took a liking to me.  After a few minutes of playing with him I had to stomp my foot on the ground to make him go away, he was getting a little to close for me.  In my mind I was seeing him attacking me and then I would be on the 6 o'clock news.   Ray Stevens wrote a great little song that also popped into my mind.  Heres a video of the song...cute!

My BIG struggle!

If there's one thing that really gives me trouble its choosing a quilting design.  Most of the time it takes weeks, sometimes months.   That means the tops pile up while I try to decide how to quilt them, taking notes, making templates, marking and remarking before actually stitching.  You see quilting on a frame is new to me.  Four months give or take.  So this simple quilt was supposed to be a quickie and it has stretched out to over a month since I started piecing.  Its been on the frame for 4 days now and this is all I've managed to stitch.  Someday I hope to make that quilt that you almost cry when you see it.  Thats what I want, the "TO DIE FOR QUILT".  This quilt doesn't fall in that category, it falls under the "WHAT WAS SHE THINKING" category.  But it'll be a finish and practice.

Let it snow ! Let it snow! Let it snow!

Boredom made these little pretties.  They would make a great little wall hanging using fusible webbing.  I found the tutorial while reading on a forum.....  http://jillilystudio.blogspot.com/2010/12/snowflake-tutorial.html , now I can't stop making them.  Takes me back to my younger years of the simple life of wonder and amazement that making these can bring to your life at that age.  Take time to stop and smell the flowers or in this case create a snowflake. 

 

I went to my first quilt show this week!

  And it was amazing.  Well overwhelming is a better word.  How do you take all that in and not get just giddy like a little school girl.  Being so excited I kept forgetting to take pictures.  And when I did take them I forgot to take pictures of who made the quilts.  So being fair to the owners I'll not post your pictures here because I can't give you the recognition you so deserve.   I'll be going to another in 2 weeks and I'll excitement under control and have a little show and tell. 

 Well we'll just have a little quilt show of our own.  Here's what some things I'm working on and some finishes.  I bought this panel from our local quilts shop, but you can purchase it at blockpartystudios.com  they have several different patterns and panels.

 And this is what I made from this lovely panel.  I love the softer colors.  In a few weeks I hope to have the quilt finished that's currently under construction and will match this little beauty.

 Finally after a year this one has made it out of the sewing studio and to its owner.  Every holiday I try to make a wall hanging for my mom to put in her hair salon.   Machine issues and a busy season but this in the UFO pile for quite awhile.  That dark spot you see around the face is just water I used to remove the marking pen.  Patience is not one of my best qualities or I'd waited for it to dry before taking the picture.

Done and Gone!

This was finished  and given to a breast cancer survivor.  I'm pleased with it even though its not perfect.

Sneak peek

 Here's what I got on the frame this week.  Made of scraps, except for the border and about a yard of white on white(I ran out while piecing, gave me a good reason to go shopping!). 

 

 

 

 

I read somewhere to quilt out of your skill level and you won't be sorry and so far they are right.  I'm loving this!

If I got paid for.......

   

....All my mistakes this week I would be out buying more fabric. Which I now need due to my senior blonde brain farts.

Excitement just rages inside me everytime I looked at these fabrics, Civil War Repos. Blues, browns, reds, so earthy, just makes me feel warm. Searched and searched for just the right pattern, design,... until I decided to take a few ideas from a few places and make it my own. Instead I'm making some simple undoable mistakes. Right now I'm rich in mistakes. Oh the shear delight in knowing that I'm human has been overwhelming in this last 24 hours! Carefully cutting and piecing the first block...beautiful! The block is only 6 1/2 and I figured 9...sigh...thats ok I'll make adjustments to the entire pattern and everything will be fine. Now that I know it works I will cut all the blocks and strip piece my work of art. Tedious and carefully I starch and cut, sew and press. Squaring up each little Hst. Perfection! Man I'm getting so good at this quilting, a master! Lovin my day, geese are flying over, spring is near, sun is shining through the windows making the quilt blocks even warmer to the eye, radio blaring classic rock station..."If you cant be with the one you loooove...love the one your with...." My happy feet just cant stay still, I'm wiggling my butt as I make my ever so careful squaring up cuts. Man could life get any better than this!? Took a break, went to the store to get supplies for Homemade Baileys Irish cream. (Just a dab in a cup of coffee make the world a happy scrappy place). Awwe...Life is good...sipping my tastey drink admiring my work with my feet prop on my desk. When all of the sudden it must have been the whiskey, I noticed my fatal error in my blocks! All my Hst's match up perfectly but my 1/4 around the edge...well its not there! It took it off! What in blue blazes was I thinking! Oh gosh I start inspecting all my blocks, Holy Mother of.....everyone of them! Taking a closer look not only did I cut off my quarter inch seam I've put my very faint background stripped fabric in different directions! Chugging down the remaining tastey drink, I plop my defeated butt down in my chair slumped over, rubbing my head. Shaking my head I realize that if I were paid for all my mistakes I could retire at the age of 42. Not just these mistakes but all lifes mistakes...lets have another drink. Moping to the kitchen to drown my sorrow, radio still on..."Sweet home Alambma, where the skies are so blue..." I plop back down in my chair, Oh well I just have to go with it, I swivel around and look out the window...Wow thats one of the prettiest sunsets I've ever seen! Deep purples and flourescent pinks...I step out on the porch to see the splendor. Standing there I realize how beautiful the sunset is even with the dull brown cornfield as its frame. Back to the sewing room looking down at my now wonderful blocks again. They arent perfect, but I still love these fabrics. All is not lost I have 18 more blocks to make I can make these better. At least I caught my error before the entire set of blocks were done. Returning to the kitchen and fixin another, life is darn good at this point, I'm not a big drinker. So I turned off the sewing machine, put away the sharp objects and once again had my love affair with my fabric, just looking at it, wondering if the quilt would be as warm as it made me feel (it could be the tastey beverage).

The next morn its back to the sweat shop of horrors. After spending way to much time on the QB and surfing the net for all things quilt related its back to the sewing machine. Which must have had to much to drink last night after I went to bed because this dumb machine about every 12 inches or so of sewing will start bunching up thread on the bottom. Being the expert sewer that I am(HaHa) I realize that I forgot to change out my needle and clean out the bobbin area. Daggone I'm good! Patting myself on the back for a job well done I continue to sew. Stupid Machine! Whats your problem! I look up and low and behold the thread has somehow jumped out of the thread guide....shew that was a close one I thought I was gonna have to take it to the shop. Ok onward to the sewing....What the!..again it bunches...I slam my hand down on top of the sewing machine "What the blankety blank is your problem!" (you dont want to know what I really said, all the birds outside stopped chirping). Taking a deep breath I went back over the basics in sewing, checked the thread, the tension, the bobbin, made sure theres no lint or thread under the bobbin, checked needle, changed it again just in case theres a manufacturers defect. Nothing, all these things checked out ok. I just dont get it I started sewing and she sewed like a dream. Lifes is good again, I guess just like men every once in awhile you just gotta shake them up a bit. Or so I thought...KERCHUNK! I'm furious...boy would a tastey beverage.. but its only 9am. So I sit and look at this foul piece of metal and plastic all put together looking pretty but little did I know she was like a Black Magic woman, just sitting there waiting to destroy me! Its taking all my will power to not pick this machine up and toss it on the ground and jump up and down on top of it like a out of control 3 year old. I sit back in my chair puzzled. I consider myself handy, can fix or mend about anything. This is not gonna win. Out to the garage I go, soaking up the sunshine, taking a minute to watch the blue birds at the bird feeder. Yes! Spring is just around the corner! Getting my implements of distruction, I head back into the The room of doom. Very carefully taking the bobbin area apart, inspecting each little piece, looking for any signs of wear. NOTHING! In my aging years (42) my fingers dont work like they use to so putting it back together was a chore. No wonder the shop charges so much. He looks to be twice my age and his hands are twice as big, how in the world does he get these microscopic screws back in there! Back to the garage for a telescopic magnet. Finally I manage to piece this stupid, outdated, overpriced, misfuctioning piece of crap back together. Swearing off ever working on another machine. Defeated again(the second time in 24 hrs) I set back and look at my monster, snarling at me, laughing at me, and what to my angry I should I see....My thread spool. Yep 1 hour and 30 minutes, 3 teeny weeny impossible screws, I see that my thread spool (has the little notch for the thread to be secured on the top) is turned to the outside when its supposed to be on the back side so the thread doesnt get caught when coming off the spool. Guess whats caught in that notch, yep my thread! That was the problem the whole time! Is it 5 oclock yet I need a drink! Life is good I'm sewing again. And feel like a very rich woman with all the knowlege I gained today. I may not have alot of money but I have something better....Baileys Irish Cream Homemade!

So are some of the beautiful blocks, look at the bottom edge of each one, oh well, life is good!