moving to a new normal?

"New Normal"  whatever that is.  Now I get tasks like paying the household bills and yard work in addition to the inside work of cooking, laundry, grocery shopping, cleaning.  Not that all the inside jobs landed on me.  How else would I have gotten so much sewing done without him pitching in as he did?  DJ was a good helper, not with cooking, but he really pitched in with the household tasks saying "I live here too so I'm just doing my part".

Cooking and dusting was not his "thing".  I could ask him to stir something but you would swear you thought he was beating cake batter doing it.  Dusting, I would have to grit my teeth as he didn't do it like I did. (spray the cloth, not the surface and no circular motions and quit spurting that stuff all over the place!)  So minor in the scheme of things, you know.  Part of the age old thing--- my way, his way or done?  The laundry disagreements were finally resolved with "let me take care of my darks and you do your own darks, in a separate load."  Undies, I didn't care--go right ahead.

So what have I done today?  Well, now I have to be concerned about the automobile maintenance.  I was one week and about 200 miles past the time I should have gone to get the oil changed.  Then I had to tell the fellow at Cobb's that DJ was no longer with us when I went to pay.  He had just had my car in for an oil change about 10 days before he died, as a matter of fact.  I know DJ always loved joking around with this guy and he gave as good as he got, telling me about their conversations when he returned home.   I told him I had sold the 2nd vehicle but you would not believe all the Cobb's service slips I found in the vehicle maintenance folders.  He smiled when I said that.  He told me what a great guy DJ was and how sorry he was to hear of his passing.

Then I was off to look at push mowers and pick up some Round Up for around the fence and the kudzu patch later this spring.   Oh, I may not have told you about the lawn mower deal.  My neighbor Robert's riding lawn mower had transmission troubles that was beyond repairing.  Getting a brand new one is not in the budget right now either.  He mows yards for a couple of Glynda's beauty shop clients and has more acreage than me to mow.  I think you might figure out where I am headed.

I have no desire to get on that riding lawn mower though DJ tried teach me when he had his heart surgery back in 99.  (I did it once.  The neighbor did it once and then the grass dried up just in time, LOL.)  Thing scares me and I felt like I was going to fall off of it.  Anyway, our rider was a 17 yr old Craftsman, well maintained. Robert was welcomed to it if he will help me keep the yard mowed this season.  The neighbor across the lane and the one next door have also offered to help so I think between us, we can get the job done.

Why a push mower? I had always told DJ if he would get me a push mower I would do the back yard, which is fenced and has a couple bushes.   It would be easier than him having to shift, turn, shirt, back up etc.  Well, I have one now just a basic 20 inch Murray 300 series.  Got the manual on the table for lunch time reading material.   I can do the back yard is the guys will just take care of the front of the house and the side yards.  I figure one can just do a few extra swaths when he does his side yard.

Robert is going to have to give me a lesson on how to use the weed whacker.  Turns out I have three of them out there.  One has a battery pack, one is electric and old.  The third one is just plain hard to start.   He said I needed to get the Round Up for around the fence so I don't tear up the weed whacker.  I need to locate the owners manual first.  Actually I am hoping that the frost we are expecting tomorrow morning will take a toll on that danged purple nettle stuff out in the yard that is getting away from us!

Meanwhile INSIDE the house:
I have been slowly and steadily going through drawers and boxes in his room,  Parts of the closet are cleared out, the other dresser completely emptied.   I still cannot deal with taking care of his shirts and slacks.  One of these days but not now.  I am getting rid of the old bed frame and chest of drawers though.  (It had belonged to the ex-wife and I have always hated that them, bruising my legs or stubbing my toes more times than I care to count).  I bought just a metal frame that the box springs etc set up on.  Much better!  50 bucks of happiness just seeing that stuff go away.  I cannot ditch the bed in case I have overnight guests but a simple frame will work just fine.    When we moved in here, I had made the dust ruffle originally on the bed as well as the valance on his window in a  navy blue plaid  and backed with ticking fabric.  The box springs edge is just plain ugly but the old dust ruffle is much too short in length.  I may get a chance to try out the gathering foot on my serger yet.  I saved it just to remove what is on there now and attach whatever needs attached.

I had called Center of Hope and scheduled a pickup for the bedroom stuff on Monday.  I was over talking to my across the lane neighbor when they pulled up.   Willie asked me what I was giving away---when I said a queen bed frame and dresser, he said he needed some furniture as he had an empty bedroom to furnish.  (Recently divorced and the grand kids stay over a bit.)  Had I known he needed it, I would not have called for the truck.  I had to apologize for their making the trip for nothing but there were a few odds and ends I had planned to take over in the car so they took them.  Willie is supposed to be over this afternoon with a truck and his brother to pick up the stuff.   He is one of my lawn care volunteers so again, I'm bartering.

I have plans for the big office desk to go into the master bedroom and put a small computer desk in here which will get me some more floor space to sew/quilt etc.  Other than that I am not making any other changes in the house other than to continue to downsize,  my stuff and his.   However, I was looking at one wall and thinking that I might be able to have an " honest to goodness" design wall on one wall and on another wall, space for that treadle machine that is stored in the attic of my parent' garage in three pieces.  The dresser needs to be gone first and I have to have some way of transporting it down here but it could happen.

One of my quilting friends had asked if I was going to move into the master since it is the larger room.  My response was along the lines of "why would I do that?"  I'm comfortable in my own room.  All my clothes are in there, the books and entertainment center.  Frankly I don't want to move any of it!  I had enough moving things with putting down the floor in the sewing room.  Little did I know how much stuff I would be moving and transporting with DJ's passing soon after that.   Slow and steady, slow and steady.

I need to shift gears anyway as I finally have the needed forms to deal with the financial matters.  Then there are the taxes to worry about too.  Any wonder that I am still not sleeping all that well??

Creatively??  What might that be?  I seem to recall that I was always sewing or thinking about sewing once upon a time, LOL. Okay, I AM going to participate in the stitching blog hop with sew we quilt and will need to work on the pattern I picked out late last week.  I had a question so was waiting to trace off the design till I heard from our cheerleader Pauline.

I had also decided that I wanted to do some knitting in the evenings in the meantime.  I am going to be a great auntie before long, after all.  Susan at Patchwork Reflections had pointed me towards this pattern in the past.  I am just starting the pattern rows.  Actually I was to that point yesterday but had to start over last night as I had messed up the math a bit.  You need multiples of 8 plus 12 stitches for the garter stitch "frame" around the basketweave.   The pattern is on Ravelry Mary's Blanket but sized for premies and I wanted it bit bigger and cast on 124 instead.  Pick up work.

Look who has made himself comfortable atop the heap!  My campaign to get him to use his perch in the new location is semi-working.  If I only open up that one blind in the morning, he is sort of forced to go looking for the sunny spot.  However, just when I think I have him "trained", I'll head out to the kitchen to find him sitting on top of the microwave staring at the blinds, as if to say "hey, open up these things.  I can't see out!"

Bama Belles met yesterday and I do have a bunch of quilt pictures to share with you. I'll do that in a day or two.  A few quilts were pinned including two that I had left in the closet back in December. That is what he is sitting on while the finished ones are atop the armoire awaiting documentation and assigned numbers.    I'm not ready to quilt my two tops now but it does help that they are ready for when I AM ready to do so.  The tops are the Puss in the Corner shown HERE and the other is On the Boardwalk, shown HERE back in December 2013.  The 2nd one is actually the Mumm fabric challenge I issued to the girls last year with a bunch of our donation fabric in that line.   One of them asked what we were going to do as a challenge this year----not sure, haven't thought about it yet though I do have fabrics that were given to us for that purpose.   Jane, bless her, did the binding on the donation quilt that will be going to Friendship Quilters to fulfill my membership requirement of a minimum of 1 donation quilt for the year.   (THIS is it before the borders went on it. Beth will get a picture of it when I take it to guild)

Well, the timer is sounding for the dryer and I need to scare up something for lunch.  That's how things are shaking out around here. Hanging in there the best I can-------

uncharted territory

Skyler cracks me up sometimes.  I had taken several bags of shoes, hats and gloves over to the Baptist Service Center late this morning.  Once the car trunk opened up I needed to re-load but this time with my quilt show entries that had been waiting on the armoire for months in their own special pillowcases.  Since I had been gone on errands for about an hour and half, my silly kitty was practically jumping through hoops trying to get me to play with him or something.  He may have angling for treat bite #3 too--hard to tell which.

Anyway, he was leaping from pillar to post, couch to couch, bed to bed trying to get my attention.  The pets he was getting were not enough.  Then it was almost like a light bulb went off.  "hey, the top of that thing I can never get up on is open and it is even HIGHER than the dresser!"  Up he went--from the bed, to his window seat to the armoire top.  See that little dot on the wall?   There are two hollow wall anchors up there for two pictures that are now on the mantel.  Skyler was frantically pawing at both of them thinking it was a bug, that wasn't moving.  He gave up and began rolling around up there instead.

.............and rolled about some more till he decided to duck behind the curtain to take a look.   He must have thought the bed was a better bet on this cold, rainy, damp day as he is snuggled up on the throw at the end of the bed.   Look at the cute face, will ya?  He was actually sitting on my lap last night when I flopped on the couch to watch TV with the fleece throw he loves over me.  I could not believe it!  Surely he is not turning into a lap kitty?

It probably won't stay empty long as Lois already told me she had quite a few donation quilts ready to turn in and I already have 4 from our last meeting.  I'm waiting on the numbers to put on them before they get tucked away till we are ready to distribute them.

I've already been able to cross off a few items from my daily "to-do" list but there is one small thing estate related thing that I could do.  Till next time------------

A little this and that

DJ called me into the living room with a "get your camera"  Skyler was trying to hide behind the lumbar pillow that he uses in his recliner and sometimes on the kitchen chair against his back.

He tries valiantly to keep the cat hair off of it but that is a little difficult when it either sits upright on the recliner or the love seat when not in use.  Both of those spots are Skyler's preferred night time sleep spots.  Or they will be till the weather turns cold and he bunks with one or the other of us.  I think that one shot  made it look like he was a baseball umpire.  I may have baseball on the brain though since they are down to like 10 games to go and the Cardinals are 2 up in the National League Central.

I can finally share a picture of something that I made for my pal Norma recently---right after I made my hexie hop version I made this one for her along with the accessory pieces.  I mailed it off to her in late August and it arrived yesterday to her home in BC, finally!!!!  She asked for lime green and I accommodated that but used some accent colors to go with it and striped fabric instead of piecing the detachable pin cushion..  The pattern is from Curry Bungalow  I just made the contrast cuff a bit longer and used wider boning.

The rotary cutter hold is something that she didn't know was coming and patterned after one I had received from our guild president at Christmas last year.  The thread holder was just something I was goofing around with.  It is a hexie on the ends so that made sewing it on a little harder than if I had used yo-yo's like the one I have.  LOL  In the end I got the flap just hair too long but I was NOT starting over.  Nor did I want to put it in the blog hop, as I would have ruined another surprise for her!  I hope it will live happily in her home.

I was not going to sign up for the upcoming "WICKED" hop mostly as I had hoped to get caught up with some other projects.  Also I will be going "home" soon to visit with my family in early October.   However, Mdm. Samm announced that there were still a few openings.  I think it will jump start a Halloween quilt idea that Norma and I collaborated on last year. Wendy, the head cheerleader, approved me so I am IN!

Since that time I have been thinking about and looking at all manner of Halloween elements in my computer files and notebooks.   This picture just happens to be part of it.   I have tweaked my design, have a rough print out of what I am doing and have begun cutting.   I am afraid that there will be another spell of blogging without many pictures of what I am up to. Well, so be it -- participating in the hops is so much fun!  I missed the pin cushion hop and elected not to do the batik one though I am anxious to see how the theme was interpreted.  Soon I will be able to cross something else off my list which is okay with me.  If I have time, there is one other craft type item that I may try but it will depend on what day I am assigned and how quickly my other plan comes together.

On a personal note:
I received a call from my sister in IL this afternoon.  Diane and Rick will be passing through Alabama on their way down to Destin, FL on Saturday morning.  She has never been to my home though my sister Janet and her daughters have.   It should time out that we will join them for lunch and then they will complete the 5 plus hour drive to their destination from here.  It is a little bit out of their way but as Diane says, 40 minutes away and not stopping to see us is not an option!   Had we not made connections, then I will be seeing her in a couple of weeks but it is not quite the same thing.  Woohoo!

And sew it goes---------

almost!

On today's stitching plan trim and assemble that last 5th column of blocks and then join the rows.  I got as far as the first border as well.  Skyler jumped on over from his seat in the window to give it the kitty roll and paw of approval.  Picture taken about 7 or so.

I just got done seaming the binding for three quilts and the little flap of color that goes between the Stack and Whack body and the border which showcases just what this fabric looks like before it was whacked.  I'll press some of that pile tomorrow, LOL.

I do hope to have this project wrapped up by tomorrow afternoon or evening which is actually sooner than I thought/hoped it would be done.  I had to do some unsewing yesterday though.   After I sewed both the 2nd and 3rd columns "upside down" of how I had laid them out hoping for some separation in the rosy pink and the purples of the blocks.  I was also trying to keep the more "packed" blocks away from the ones with lighter predominance.  When I put the first row on "wrong" I thought "it is was it is and it is staying"  The second one??  Nope, can't do it but I took the first row off and reversed it.   I also took out and replaced one block from the middle or row 3.  I know I would have looked at it and wished I had done so every time.

I used a "new to me" tool take the long row loose and it worked great!   I won it in the guild raffle table grab bag last month----and it is that purple thing near the pencil and small scissors.  It has a razor like edge that you use like a scalpel to cut the threads in the spread seam.  Yeah, you have little threads to pick out but I have that even with my Clover ripper.  I asked the gal at guild who told me that it was meant to be ripper where I could find a couple more for backup.  There were no markings on the packaging.  She said that you could get 3 in a package and maybe Walmart.  A little research (good old Google) told me that this thing was most likely an eyebrow shaper!!  LOL who knew??  Obviously not ME but then I was blessed with decent eyebrows, if not long eye lashes.  I looked when I was at Dollar General earlier today---yep, three to a pack and not pricey either.

And here is that silly boy again.  He enters the room and leaves the bed area by way of the quilt rack most of the time.  Strops his paws on the quilts just like one uses a scratching pad.  It would be far easier to enter the room on the floor and then jump up on the blanket chest at the foot of the bed.  A good leap of about a yard onto a narrow board. You have to just shake your head and wonder what he is thinking!

That's it for tonight----just found out that Mamma Mia is on network as DJ was flipping channels in the other room.  I've seen it about 4 times but I'll still watch the end and sing, whistle, hum ABBA songs for days.

And sew it goes------

silly kitty

Where Skyler's food bowl wound up last night. Note: he shares with his friend Mz. Mouzie who normally lives on or near the couch.  Also note cat, waiting for his treat bite.

Where his bowl actually belongs and enjoying said treat.

The other silly thing he does:  gets out of the litter box in the adjacent area in the laundry room, comes back to food bowl and tries to cover it up as he would the litter.  He often flips the placemat over the bowl contents.  I need to get another plastic type as he uses for his water bowl here in the sewing room but it is interesting to see how things look when I get up in the morning.   Silly boy!

a little quilting

I got a little quilting done on this Mock Trip Around the World pro bono quilt yesterday. Top. was completed 11-27-12 and shown HERE. Year is half over and I still need to turn one in for credit at Friendship Quilters.  Before I got deep into the HO HO HO hope I thought it best to quilt one or two first and then hit the dedicated sewing as August 2nd will be here before I know it!

This morning I spread it out on the cutting/pressing table to see just how many zig zaggy, in the ditch lines I have to go.  It took Skyler less that a minute to see what I was doing and hop up there to rest on the quilt---on the pin side, no less!   Obviously giving it his kitty stamp of approval, in spite of the impediments to comfort.

I must say, the wastebasket does not normally sit atop the table.  The box fan has been to augment the cross ventilation and augment the a/c. When I am set up to quilt in here, there is very little room to get around the table and forward table.  The large blue tote of Christmas fabric, with HO HO HO stuff atop it that you see to the extreme right is scooted over from has become its usual spot to where the wastebasket sits.  A quilter does what a quilter must do to get the job done, right?

I will get this finished some time today but am going to the Ashville Quilt Shop with the quilting pals in about an hour.  I had hoped that the binding was already seamed but alas, it still needs stitching and pressing.  I could get started on the 2nd quilt I pulled and binding them both at the same time, I guess.  We'll see. 

And sew it goes----------

Saturday check in

 The resident cat was conked out on the bed till I went in to check on him---and re-load a recharged battery into the camera.  I caught him mid-yawn and meow so it looks like he was baring his fangs at me, LOL.  He relocated to the window perch right after the picture taking as though he would be a safe from the flash over there.

I've been piddling around the house today doing little home tasks and such.   A sewing room vacuuming was top priority as I had been paper piecing a good bit in past days and the floor looked like it!

I had the sewing table free as I was preparing to  swap out machines so took the time to mark the Halloween stitchery.  So far the only sewing I have done is stitching down the 3 non-selvage sides of this piece so it will not un-ravel.

I am up to block 27 on my FWIS endeavors.  26 will need to be re-done or replaced as I got an iron stain on it plus one segment is a little wonky.  Wonky enough that you can tell that the piece is crooked.  A little demoralizing  after spending the better part of an afternoon working on it.  Thankfully, the one I finished up with was a variation of a wrench type block and it went so much better---fewer pieces to mess up too.  You will see it soon enough.

Actually I was down to one kitted up envelope but the block it contained has been moved down to one of the lower, later rows.  I cut out three more to get to the 30.  At this point I am a quarter of the way done.  I will be putting this aside for a short time.  Jane and Aline are pinning a QOV top up for me to quilt as I type this probably.  If they plan on getting this turned in before the facility opening I will need to quilt it up for them fairly soon.  Monday and Tuesday probably.  I play with my 3 blocks today and Sunday in other words.

There is supposedly some rain on the way in and I wish it would just get it over with.  I want those fall temps again and lower humidity.  I let my hair air dry today and you would not believe how curly it is---ringlets in the underneath layers.  Why bother with the hot blow dryer if it is going to do something like it is did anyway?

Well, off to whip up a block called Swallow---odd looking thing that dates back to 1929.  Fits my vintage type plan anyway.

Sunday evening

I would give anything for him to tell me what he was finding so fascinating about the floor this morning! Oddest thing, a few hours later he was doing his "best Snoopy atop the doghouse" pose on DJ's desk chair.

This being Sunday both Cher and Norma were asking what project is next up on my list.  I took things easy last night, though I was on the hunt for a pattern which I eventually located.  Along the way I found something that may work for a guild "top secret" project so no hunt is without rewards.

I mentioned several things in response.

DJ's neck things did NOT get done last week.  He told me he was in no hurry.  While not sure that was such a good thing to tell me since I DID leave a shirt of his that asked me to iron for months one time.  I did the hand finishing on those two wall hangings instead.  Here they are finished up----one and a spare.  He's happy and I'm happy that it is out of the way.

 2nd choice was to pick up with the Prairie Stroll donation top, last seen HERE.  I was thinking about doing this at Bama Belles on Tuesday but have another plan now.  The machine is revved up from the neck things, the blocks are all done.  Assembly should not take all that long----nice Sunday evening/Monday project.

3rd choice----start back on Popsicle Sticks------I drug the fabric tote out but will need to see just where I left off on it.  Too much water over the bridge, LOL.  It is going to be a pretty quilt, I think as it will have all my favorites in it!

And then there is this------the veteran's home did NOT open in July as planned.  They totally messed up the floors in moving beds, equipment etc in from what we were told.  Now they are shooting for Labor Day weekend or less than 3 weeks away.  Margaret, the coordinator for this project and former state QOV coordinator had brought in about 10 quilts that will be donated by our guild members but we need to finish our binding first.  One of mine was among them.  Odd that it is one of the ones I made this year and not the one I turned in way back in September last year but whatever, Line Art/Skinny Strips will not be done in time for the opening though I certainly did my part to make that happen.   Craig Heyer of Over The Mountain Quilting in the BHM area quilted this one as he had volunteered his services for some of them at Margaret's request.  Since the backing is a golden colored print, he did rings of stars on it.    I believe you can see them from this angle.

  

I think binding this will be a good project for the quilt meeting since I will have far more table space to spread it out than I do at home.  As long as we get it delivered back over to Pell City later this month, it should be okay.  I believe Jane and Aline have one to take care of as well so we can probably make the run together.  Decision made.

The guild also passes out little quilty gifts in our birthday months.  I was one of about 6 guild members with an August birthday.  Here is what came out of the reach in and grab one----a bit of a fall feel, don't you think?  Not sure which project it will show up in but you just  never know!!

And sew it goes-------back to top assembly for me.  I woke up entirely too early this morning so hard telling how long any ambition will last, LOL.  Hope you have had an enjoyable weekend.

quiet Saturday morning

Skyler wants to  play!   I drug out his kitty cube a few days ago and he has really taken to it.  He'll get bored with it soon enough and I'll put it away for a time.

Can't find him?  He might be sleeping in there. It also makes a great running spot at 100 mph.  The way he was digging in those back feet suggests that he was waiting for me to approach him from the front so he could leap out at me.  He looked even more silly before I got the camera!

Here he forgot that he could run out the other way through the cube---which he had done several times BEFORE the camera came out.  Possibly he is running out of steam as well.

At the present time he is monitoring the front door for any passing birds and passing baby spiders or encroaching ants.  Gotta love that hunter instinct.  By afternoon he will sack out for hours on end.

Quilting continues----I have had a good week in that area but I am really pushing to have these donation quilts done by mid-week.   As of this writing, I have done-----

• Hot Mess Jelly Roll 1600
• Picnic BQ 1
• Aline's Turning 20
• Triple Rail---did the last 3 vertical rows and binding yesterday afternoon
• started this Faux Log Cabin right after that

I WILL get this Faux Log Cabin finished today!  That leaves just Linda C's two quilts and my two small personal projects in the stack.  The decks will be cleared for piecing/UFO completion.  Yeah, I will need to do the binding on the August piece.  The Belles will help with the binding on the donation quilts or I'll do it but over time.  Too bad I hate the way it looks when I try to machine finish it as an electric needle is sure faster!

And sew it goes--------I am a woman on a mission.  

What's next? need some motivation or an action plan

Well, I am still at the hand applique stitching but almost done.  That leads me to the "what's next?"  question.  One plan has me cutting the first 10 Farmers' Wife Sampler blocks out----they would ready for sewing when I am ready, even at a Bama Belles meeting.

2nd plan:  pin this one so I can quilt it up and actually display it in the coming month.  If it is done then I have binding to do at the quilt meeting.  If I am going to pin, then I would pin the ancient Country Thread inspired Row Robin piece as well though quilting it would go lower down on the stack.

3rd idea----tackle this stuff first.  That is not all of them as the mostly done one is on the pressing/cutting table.  Skyler is starting to use it for a nap spot the past few days and thinks it is "his" at this point.  I don't "feel" like quilting but seriously, when I examine my goals and motivations, when do I ever really feel like quilting??  It is a means to an end and piecing is my true love with embroidery right behind that.  That is why it has been relaxing to do the hand button hole on this button up.

This pile, as I have said before, is the first thing I see every morning.  It truly needs to be dealt with.  6 are my donation tops, 2 belong to other group members.  One I volunteered for and the other, I did not but it still needs to be completed for the kids.   Some would be a little faster finishes than others----let's be optimistic and say if I quilt some every day, I could be done in a week and half, maybe???  What good are they doing a child just sitting there?  Suck it up and just quilt the darned things. I was on a roll with them before I went back to Illinois in June, got side tracked and never got back on the rails.  Just do it, Linda.

If I am so much into what I "feel" like doing, if I could make anything I wanted to make?  I would finish up the Prairie Stroll top that I started at the sew-in----also something I could do at Bama Belles on Tuesday.  If I am into the throes of quilting, it would be a nice break for a day or so.  What else?  Finish up the Popsicle Sticks quilt top last seen in February HERE packed up for another day and  HERE as blocks in progress.  I think it is a going to be a nice bed sized quilt in my favorite colors and I want it on the bed eventually.   I also know that the leftovers in the container, some of them at least, will be going into the Farmers' Wife Sampler.  BUT I really cannot start taking fabrics out of there until I know, for sure, that they will not be needed in PopStix.  (It is a mix of stash and a Me and My Sister Amelia jelly roll that I got with my Christmas money last year and fabric I found on markdown sale at the quilt shop.  Some of the selections can be seen HERE ).  Any over-cuts can be used for some of the 6 inch blocks that  make up the FWS---not all of them but some of the fabrics should go with the Vintage Modern selections I have made.

Okay, have I kicked myself in the butt enough to make me want to get the ball rolling?  Maybe but I may need the nudge of quilting friends.  You have my permission to nag, LOL.  I do well with short term goals so I will say "just for today, I will finish THIS top and pin it.  Any time leftover?  Finish quilting the one I am almost done with and maybe start another".  There, was that so hard??  LOL.

Meanwhile, this one wants to play!  Anything to keep him from sleeping his day way on the kitchen chair pushed up under the table.  "His" chair pad got soooo badly covered with cat hair (dark forest green solid---bad choice of color!) that we recently tried an experiment.  I got one of the least cat haired cushions out of the storage room---mine since I don't use one.  That one is DJ's now, Skyler got DJ's and the two worst ones were sent thru the washer.  If this experiment did not work, then nothing lost.  If it did, we have some to fall back on when company comes.  Actually what cat hair remained seemed to brush right off and they don't look too bad.  Shed away, Skyler but I will snap you up for some window perch time.

And sew it goes------

WIP Weds

 Well, I haven't worked on it yet today but I will.  I quilted up this Habitat Patience Corner top pieced back in January 2011.  I like the block but the quilt not so much.  Hopefully all  this particular donation/challenge fabric is now gone!

The green is the Habitat fabric in question.  The larger figured piece was the main fabric but we did not have enough of it to go around so others got the companion print.  I made two quilts:  a Jungle Nine Patch and in series, made a Puss in the Corner from the leftovers.  You can see those quilts and what the others did with it in THIS POST.  Mine are clear down at the bottom.   Turns out I only thought I was done with that stuff, LOL.  Others leftovers landed at my doorstep and this was how I elected to use them.  The floral print was not one that I could ever find a use for either so bam!  all in the same quilt.  That reminds me too--that I still have a panel section of the Michael Miller Romance to do something with as well but that was a little easier to work with though my challenge top is not even pinned yet as I need to mark it first.  I can always find a ton of other things to do first though I have come close a time or two.

Next top up will be Staggered Bricks that dates back to August 2011.  I'll start on it once I get the binding applied on the one pictured----after lunch.

What else have I been doing?  Walked--went okay but a small blister that had developed on my right heel was bleeding by the time I got home.  I had tried wearing a thin pair of cotton socks under my "diabetic/circulatory socks" and there must have been a little bit of sheer.  Left foot is fine which is just the opposite of two weeks.  Still I got my walking in and will go out again tomorrow with nu-skin and large bandaids on my heels.  The shoes feel fine.

I was also playing with my Farmer's Wife Sampler quilt layout again. I cannot resist tinkering when I see some other blocks I  like better.  At this point I am not sure how many of the original blocks even exist in my version but I will find out, LOL.   I know that the book has 111.  Last week I had 176 block in my sketchbook and I have 188 now.  A couple are a few I "discovered" by tweaking with the EQ7 Serendipity button---what fun with that one!!  Frame, tilt, merge two blocks, clip and flip, shrink and flip, Kaleidoscope and Fancy Star.  One block called attic window I did include but tilted.  Now I like it on point a lot better.

I took this picture of Skyler last night.  He looked so cute cuddled up on the back of the love seat.  Earlier with the paw/leg up over the eyes but of course by the time you get the camera he is no longer doing that.  Mostly I am glad that he was laying somewhere besides the kitchen chair.  He would lay on that thing for hours unless I roust him to his window perch or another locale.

Well, noon whistle is about to blow here and DJ will be asking me about lunch.

Hope you have a good day in whatever you chose to do.

sewing and more sewing

 I've been sewing like crazy the last two days---and loving it.

One I cannot show you but this one I can.    BU #20 Give Thanks.  I got it to the point where I need to do the button hole  applique.  I prepped the binding and tabs before I called it quits.

Tomorrow is the Friendship Quilters Christmas luncheon.  Show and tell, installation of officers (I'm the incoming secretary) and other program year wrap up things.  I'm guessing that I will just take the day off or do some hand work tomorrow.

I snapped this picture of Skyler this afternoon.  AWWWWW isn't he the cutest little thing?   I almost didn't see him hidden under DJ's throw.  He loves to burrow under anything cloth or fabric.  Sometimes  if you cannot find him he is hiding under the quilt on DJ's bed.

Nothing much else going on here today seeing as I was kind of "chained" to the machine.  Hope you have had a good day---------

WIP Weds

If I live to be a 100, I will never get these silly photos to load in the order I want------grrr.

Skyler in his favorite spot lately---watching the birds from the bedroom perch. He is so near but yet so far from their nest in the holly bush. The problem is that he almost insists on having the blind and/or the window open as soon as it is light so he can start his patrol. It has made for some early, early mornings lately.





I finally got the giftie quilted on Monday. Not an easy process because neither of my quilting machines seemed to be doing a very hot job of it. It is a gift after all and I want it to be special instead of adequately holding the layers together. SIGH. I am working on the binding now. Obviously can't show you yet.

Just to have a quilt related picture, I took my hand quilting to the meeting yesterday. The binding is dark fabrics, dark thread and I needed far better light than I had available to me at the church. So hand work it was though I debated about this or the basket blocks right up till the last minute. One block of the 12 is done and most of the the one you see hooped up in this earlier shot. Maybe I stand half a shot of getting this one done by Christmas! One of the Belles asked if I was planning on quilting something more in the sashing area, other than the SID I had already done. I wasn't necessarily but may see if I have a nice cable that would fit there. I have a bunch of quilt stencils in my sewing room closet and if you don't use them now, then when?

We had a good time at the meeting. Some of the girls could not stay long for various reasons but it is always good to catch up with each other. In this case a lot had happened since we last met. We met on the 26th and the EF4 tornado for one thing and whatever they termed the morning storm---straight line winds or tornado in roughly the same area came the very next day on the 27th. Some of the girls have been busy helping with the Salvation Army tornado relief efforts. The old Fort McClellan commissary has been set as the distribution point--good plan since it is centrally located in the county plus has a big enough warehouse space to do this. They were helping sort the donated materials and getting what the people needed on their lists once folks were I.D'd by FEMA number. Another of the group and her husband are first responders so she was telling us what her day was like during the storms. Another related how the family farm was hit earlier in the day by the first round of storms---outbuildings destroyed, downed trees, power out but no one hurt. Cows are missing though. I digress...................

Rosa has her house on the market so is purging things and brought a big pile of magazines to share. I came home with a few issues to study a bit closer. We have a library cart at the meeting place where we have some quilt books and other literature to share with each other so I stashed the mags on there for other meetings and ideas.

Silly me though---I went off without my camera! Aline shared a quilt her daughter had made that was recently picked up from the long armer----French Braid in deep rich, masculine colors. Gorgeous! Lois had a cool top that definitely requires a design wall, not sure of the pattern source but I will find out down the line.

Janet was working on binding that cool runner she had started at the sew-in but needed help with the join. Brenda was pressing fabrics in preparation to a cut a 5- 1 yard quilt pattern she had picked up at recent Atlanta shop hop. Beverly was binding her gift quilt for a great-nephew while Rosa had her machine out working on her hidden spools.

Jane was busy dispersing quilt show entry forms for the JOY guild show this weekend. Many of our group are members of that group but the show is open to anyone, not just member owned and member made. LOL, how many do you want, Jane? Quilts and wallhangings, I have. Which ones already have sleeves on them? I got busy this morning and filled out entry forms for 4 of my collection. I saved out my most recent completions so I can share them at the Friendship guild on Saturday though.

And that is how it goes here. I best get my fingers to stitching this binding as unfortunately, it does NOT stitch itself. Darn it, LOL!

officially finished

Spring--- officially finished. Pattern source: Nancy Halvorsen In Season

I even stitched in the word "welcome" this time though it is a little subtle. Thing was, I had stitched down the sleeve thinking I was NOT going to do that part. Oops! Un-sew and then re-sew that part. I am still not entirely sure how she means for you to transfer the lettering when you put the fabric on a light box? Dressmaker carbon?? I wrote it on a band of freezer paper and then tried to copy it directly above or below but I think I just got lucky that it lined up. Any ideas of what to try next time out?

Skyler, up on the plant stand. He gets a good peek at the birds outside thru the little window when the front door is closed. I should also state that there used to be a plant on there but some little furry fellow kept trying to chew on it and got himself in trouble a good bit. Goodbye, plant!

We finally have a nice sunny day after a week of clouds, rain, cold and damp. I was able to give the grill a test run for our noon meal---grilled pork tenderloin. YUM! DJ and I decided that we deserved to enjoy every bite after all the trouble we had with putting the thing together, LOL.

Hope you are enjoying a wonderful weekend----------think I will do a little more embroidery even though it is NOT on my "list".

checking in

Just a bit ago DJ asked me what I have planned for the day. I am finding it particularly difficult to get motivated today since I am going on only 3 1/2 hrs of sleep for the 2nd night in a row. Hate that! DJ and Skyler are both morning "people" so no way are they going to let me crawl back in bed and try to cop some zzzz's anytime after 7 a.m.

You try to put everything out of your mind so you CAN sleep but sometimes thoughts keep coming unbidden. That block at left is part of what I was thinking about in the wee small hours of the night. I need to make a 3 inch finished friendship with a half inch finished frame around it for a name tag for the Pell City Quilt group at some point. I want to foundation piece it so I eliminated a few lines when I drew it up in EQ. To me, this is spinning backwards but that is their insignia, being the Friendship Quilters. I should have just gotten up at 230 and drawn the darned thing instead of thinking about "what size did she say we were supposed to make?" I have a Gordian Knot class scheduled on Saturday with the guild but I think I can either fork over the quarter for NOT having a name tag OR use my old one for this trip anyway. I am not sure where you are supposed to be embroidering or inking in your name (continuity needed for the quilt show in the fall.)

This is what I am actually working on --well, Friday and Saturday anyway. I took Sunday off except for marking the top's 8 inch squares. I finally decided to go with a sitting cat shape and the shape of a cat's face alternately. I found the shapes in my foundation piecing software, printed them off, scanned them to re-size and then printed it up to the size I wanted to fill the block. All that remained was to transfer to thick template plastic and mark around them. I'll set up to quilt the blocks this afternoon---after lunch and a couple errands are run.

The pattern itself is called "Leap Frog" but only because of the fabric the designer used to make it--found in McCall's "Quick Quilts" May 2001. Cher brought the pattern to the Belles attention when she came to Alabama from her Oregon home for one of the groups Sew-In's way back when. I re-sized the blocks to use this fun cat prints and some of the go-with's gifted to me from my pal and fellow Bama Belle Linda S. This will finish about 63 x 81. Better yet, it is one less project piled on the armoire when finished!


I did a little baking this morning to use up some ripe bananas. These are Banana and Cream Chocolate Chip Muffins from the Taste of Home site. I prefer to make jumbo ones and then DJ and I split one for "coffee break" time around 10. We don't do this every day even when we do have something on hand in the freezer. He is just as happy with a piece of toast and I try to hold out till lunch most days. Pretty good actually in spite of my mis-measuring the liquid. It calls for a 1/4 cup of 2% milk and 1/4 of sour cream. I was talking to DJ at the time and poured a 1/2 cup into the batter so all milk it was! The mini chocolate chips added just the right hint of chocolate so I don't think I would eliminate that part from the recipe. I don't know how they will freeze with that dab of cream cheese (fat free version) in the middle. Guess I will find out!

And lastly, here is Skyler in play mode---at that point he was pushing off the couch back with his paws and about to take off running. His toys are there and they might get a token pawing but mostly he just wants to run at top speed up and down the hall using the couch for a launching pad.

The weather is staying reasonably warm---highs in the 60's and even close to 70 by our thermometer. I figured if it is going to stay that warm I can resume a walking schedule. Even if it cools off again, and it will, I can get back in the habit and adjust the time I go. I am breaking into it easily so I don't aggravate my back, hips or knees. Just a mile every other day for a week or two and gradually increase my rate and add a lap or two as we go along up to 2.5 miles/5 days a week.

Soon we will be changing the clocks to Daylight Savings Time (hate it! and how exactly does that save energy????) and it be spring by the calendar anyway. DJ said we have a daffodil open this morning so I will be sure to check that out when I get ready to roll on outta here on my errands.

I have quilt group tomorrow so will need to pack up for that-------hope you are having a good day and thanks for stopping by.

today's goals

This is where I left off last night with #7 of 11n11 and the sewing weekend---all the strip sets are done. The pattern is The Craftsman Quilt from the Quiltwoman.com site and like the one I did over the last two days, designed by Anne Wiens. Basically the same fabrics, plus 1 since I didn't have extra of the focus fabric to use.

SO since all my grocery errands are run, menu planned for the week, frozen stuff pulled out to thaw, etc I am ready to put this puppy's borders together and finish up the top.






This is who has greeted me when I have headed back and forth from the kitchen for the last 10 minutes. I do not have a clue what he wants and he won't tell ME. DJ had left to help someone next door so he might be hoping he will come back soon. Who knows??



And look what has just come up in our back yard---yellow crocuses. There is a bunch more but I just focuses on this clump. We also have some purple ones planted but the yellows always arrive first.

Well, the quilt top will not sew itself so I guess I better get to creating! Tomorrow I hope to switch gears and go back to the pieced and appliqued birthday project. But it has been sewing the last few days too.

I'll post the finished top in a bit----------

WIP Weds, #22?

No progress here in the sewing department on ANY count. No embroidery, no borders on the May block, no cutting, no sewing, definitely no quilting. Nothing, zip, nada, zilch............well, you get the picture.

What I did do was go through a stack of my old cooking magazines and enter the recipes into my cooking software. Now I can donate all those to the friends of the library and regain some space on the book shelf. Another bonus---some new recipes to try in coming weeks. Who can't use some inspiration or a new twist with the same ingredients? For example, I can heartily recommend last nights dish, Fish Tacos in Avocado Sauce. Unfortunately that link may not open for you unless you subscribe to one of the Reiman Publication family of magazines--this one was in Taste of Home. Tonight I am trying Meatball Sub Casserole which hopefully gives us some for the freezer down the line.

So what is on tap for today now that I am done with THAT big project? I have a mailing to send out to the quilt group regarding our summer schedule. The church where we meet is having ARC camp in the fellowship hall again Tuesday-Friday all through June and July. This is the 3rd year they have done this and the pastor gave me a heads up a couple of months ago which I appreciate. The first year it was a surprise due to a communication breakdown. Last year we tried to meet on Monday's instead which didn't work out very well. SOOO this year we have some field trips planned for two of the meeting and we will meet at two of the members homes the others. I can't trust that everyone will read their email (if they even have email) in a timely manner so a mailed note it will be.

Then if I have time today, I will start cutting. Norma and I plan to sew on our version of Terry Atkinson's Bridge Creek Blossoms on Friday. Other than washing some background fabric, I am no way near ready. I am going to make a donation quilt sized version to test the pattern this time around. LOL, maybe I'll even get those borders cut for that May block. The box of homespun fabrics has been parked on the sewing table all week, waiting.

To keep this from becoming a pictureless post, I thought you might like to see some of the flowering stuff around the yard again. In my travels around the county I have seen stella d'oro day lilies as well as the tiger lilies out. So far the angel trumpet variety are the only ones in our patch under the Rose of Sharon bush. At least I think that is what they are called, LOL.













The gardenia bush is just starting to bloom, on the east side of the bush that gets the morning sun. They smell heavenly and look so pretty till they brown up. DJ said to wait to take a picture till more of the buds open up in a few days. See how well I listen?






I had not even noticed till I left to walk this morning that the crape myrtle was flowering! The pink and the red bushes are not but the more mature tree version sure is. See how gray it looks outside? Been like this for about 6 days running now. Oh the sun might peek through but not for long stretches plus we have had rain and even thunderstorms over the holiday weekend. They still say we are behind on our rainfall totals so I shouldn't complain too much about rain but ugh, this dismal humid stuff is getting a tad old. Only good thing is that DJ can get some of the yard chores done when there is some cloud cover and it is a bit cooler out.





And look who was waiting for me when I came back up the lane with camera in hand? The screen section of the door is about 21 inches up so you can see how long he is when he stands on those back legs to peer out and meow at me. I honestly don't think he wants to try to sneak out but he wants ME back in.

I promised DJ some muffins for 10 a.m. coffee break time so best get out to the kitchen. What kind? Not sure but I guarantee you that I can find a recipe pretty easily. Blueberry, maybe? I'm craving chocolate so we'll see. I normally make these decisions when they can go a couple directions on the way out to the kitchen, LOL.

Thanks for stopping by............................

Finished to flimsy

Here is the view I saw while I attempted to join the top and bottom halves on the donation quilt I had been working. Skyler loves to dive under any protective covering--- a quilt, a towel, the sheets and blankets while you try to make the bed, a piece of fabric, even a quilt block. We ordinarily play a round of "where's the kitty?" but not with quilt tops still in the machine, LOL. He cracks me up! At least he was not laying in the front of the machine this time!



To the right, the finished remodeled top. You know, I did not notice that a block in the bottom row is not oriented the same direction as the others till I rotated the image. Well, it is too late now----IIWII. I had debated about trying to use a rusty colored leftover fabric that I had on hand for cornerstones. It might have worked with the other fabrics but I found I had just enough to use that yardage for backing. Back to the "no stones" plan then. I still pieced it as a pre-sashed blocks rather than line up long narrow rows of sashing. Since I used a tone on tone the seams are not glaring and would it matter a whole lot if they were? I seamed the backing and binding before I called it quits for the night.

It is supposed to hit 90 today--ugh. I believe it, as it was 68 when I left to walk at 8 a.m. I added another lap this past week so I am at 1.4 miles now. I must have sped up to a 5 minute lap because I still only got 25 minutes in, LOL. Some progress, however slow.

In spite of the heat I am going to set up to quilt some of those donation tops. Yeah, I know--hot stuff on my lap. Jane has been asking if I have any done tops done for her to work on binding. Nope, I keep saying in response. Well, that pile in the bedroom is not going to get any smaller. I have vowed that I am not going to pin any of the tops I have ready (3 at this point) till I get something, anything moved along. Two of the 7 in the pinned stack are ones I either assembled or made start to finish so I'll start with them.

Hope you have a great day and thanks for stopping by-----------