U.F.O.s Abound

Working on getting the "Sewing & Quilting Mojo" back in gear.  I made a resolution to start nothing new! 
Back when we lived in WV, briefly, I was V.P. of the local guild and newsletter editor.  At the annual picnic we played QUILT-O, I was the first winner and got to pick a prize. With must encouragement I semi-guilt free selected the Moda Fat Quarter bundle. OMG 45 fat quarters of Moda. We had just had our semi-annual quilt show, with many handout patterns, one had stayed at the top of my someday pile - it was perfect!  So, this is the chosen U.F.O., back in progress!

 

 

Corner stones are 1"finished, so far I have 15 blocks in progress, about 10 or 11 completely done.  I really thought I might be a crazy to chose this project, with all the tiny strips and squares, but I am totally focused and the world is blocked out. 

Time Flys - Stuff happens!

Ok, things have been bad, but today was one of the worst. Simba crossed Rainbow Bridge!

Little Boo Man was 13 on June 9th. He was in a lot of pain, along with several others issues.

(OK - I find this unpublished)
OMG! It has been almost a year since I posted! 
We were not happy the tin can village.
We looked at 30 or 40 brick and mortar, real, houses.
Finally my DDS paid cash for a house we loved, that would fit us. - June
Hubby is wooed away to another school bus company, with great promises.
Meanwhile Hancock Fabrics (FL) goes out of business, crap I don't have a job! - July. 22, 2016  Once you been on the Titanic, you can see when all the leaks start the sinking.  So- I had been filling out applications for another job, for several months.
I had also been at So-fro/Cloth World(TN), when it went down. Next I started at Piecegoods shop, they had just bought Northwest fabrics and came out of a Chapter 11. Boom back into Chapter 13 and taken over by Mae's Fabrics, I cringed. Mae's had been all short piece flat folds, when I shopped at them in Florida.

Heaven is North Carolina

Just got to spend my vacation in heaven!  A week in North Carolina.  I always felt peaceful when I was at my son's home.  When we moved to North Carolina - I was finally home.  Unfortunately, my son's job required him to move back to Florida.  Gotta be where my kid is!  We spent last week at a friend's home and at Grandfather Mountain Highland Games.  No physical pain and such a sense of peace.  No Ibuprofen, no Aleve!  Cried from my friend's house to the South Carolina border. We hit the South Carolina border and the pain started. By Florida my hands and back are having spasms! Two days later it is a struggle to get out of bed to go back to my crappy job.  Took 2 Aleve and "nothing"! "God doesn't give you more than you can handle."  I left my heart in North Carolina on April 9, 2011.

Sewing Mojo Missing

I feel like I have misplaced my "sewing mojo".  I struggle through a few alterations and custom sewing jobs, for friends. I am always tired - go to work (yuck), come home take a nap, fix supper, go to bed, repeat!
My sewing studio is a disaster, to big a mess to function in. I walk in and walk out. "Depressing"!
Last "fun" project was a baby quilt for my DDIL cousin.  Went to a sew day at DDIL and DS house, "Here Mom this is the fabric".  No plan at 9am - okay quilt at 6pm. The quilt is on the back of crib is the results. Another power sewing day!

 

Twin Quilts for Twins

DDIL has a friend that is having twins and wanted to make quilts for them.  We "power quilted" for 2 days. Only plan we had on Wednesday morning was something with sea life and about 5 pieces of fabric. Our focal fabric, "a multi-color chevron", ended up being a little to loud and was used for the binding. I love a striped binding! The rest of the fabrics were from my stash. DDIL has mastered buttonhole stitch applique! She has fallen in love with my Pfaff 7570 and hopes "Santa Baby" will bring her a sewing machine with a few more stitches than the little Montgomery Ward "Sew Happy" I have loaned her.

  This is the baby boy's quilt. So cute - all the designs we drew up ourselves.

Mermaids on the baby girl's quilt have "attitude"!  I need to get the pattern typed and printed, to put on my Etsy shop. We had so many "Likes" on FB when I posted the photos - almost 200 in the first 48 hours!  Wow! I am so proud of DDIL, she has officially been bitten by the "Quilting Bug"!

One Less U.F.O.

Woo Hoo!!!

One less U.F.O.!  I bought a pattern and all the materials for this Beach Bag, when we moved back to Florida in April 2011.  Finally got it cut out and sewn up this past week.  The flip flop fabric pockets is only on the sides, not the bottom.  The green part is mesh (pet net), - so all the sand falls out when you give the bag a shake.

Now on to another U.F.O.!  Probably do some of my projects, that will go on my Etsy Shop page.  Haven't had anything on there for a while.

Wee Lad

The wee lad is already for his first highland games.

In his Stewart kilt and his balmoral on his head.

He is all armed for any "reiving" (trouble and thieving). 

A claymore on his back and a sgain dubh in his kilt hose.

Not sure what he may be hiding in his wee sporran!

Night Before Christmas

Twas the day before Christmas, not creature was stirring - but Grandma was sewing like a fiend!

I sprang from my bed at 5 am, not to see if Santa had been there - but to cut and sew on binding!

"Devine Miss M" wanted a Christmas Quilt, she said at Thanksgiving.

I think "Devine Miss M" liked her present from Grandma.

Christmas 2013

I think he liked it!  DYS is always the hardest to Christmas shop for.  Inspiration hit 2 days before Christmas.  He likes the Bucs and licensed fleece was on sale, where I work. I don't like the tied fleece blankets, the ties shrink the size of the blankets.  I used a tan solid fleece for backing. His response was:  "NICE! Wow it is huge, definitely can wrap up in this!"  "Thanks, Mom!"

Scrap Challenge

I seriously need to use up some scraps (major yardage). Will see if this gets me anywhere!

Words To Live By

Happy Valentines Day

Live well!

Laugh often!

Love much!

Happy Valentines Day!

People who.....

Happy New Year - I can hope! )-;

Warning I am whining a lot!!!

We seem to have more than our share of bad lucky!

If it weren't for bad luck we wouldn't have any luck at all!

 

2008 we managed to move to NC.  Yeay!!! Happy Dance!!!

Maggie and Simba had a fenced in yard. Happy dogs!

Christy had lots of windows to look out and tile floors to run and skid on,

Terrific two story craftsman style House with a two story studio/garage.

My dream home! "Grandma's Blue House", according to the Devine Miss M.

DMM had a swing in a big oak tree, she twisted it up and swung wildly!

We stalked "alligators" in the bushes.  Found babie bunny nests in the trees.

 

"BAB"!!! PGT industries closed the NC plant, so DS transferred back to Venice plant.

SO:....April 9 2011 we moved (back) to Florida.

We had left, in 1988, because of my allergies.

My allergies and Simba's are going crazy.

I can't get a job, but do have some sewing to do at home.

Not really what I want to be doing. but we need the money.

 

More details, and whining tomorrow. Good Night!

 

  

 

Resolutions

I have good intentions, to finish up a few U.F.O.s and "try" not to start any new ones.

These are only a few, of the pile.

I found quilt tops in a couple of trunks, I know I made. But didn't remember making them or when I made them, but it was my fabrics and my seam techniques.  Oh my!

 

Bow tie quilt top has been around for about 25 years, as well as the Pinwheel quilt top. Oooh, the Storm at Sea quilt top was DH's 50th BD present, it isn't as old as the other two, but......

 

 

Square with in a Square, also during my prolific 90s. I was the assistant in a class at Quiltfest, when it was still in Jonesborough TN, that was organized by Polly Taylor and her shop TN Quilts.

 

 

Yes, Basket quilt same time period! I loved the red Hoffman fabric.

This was the challenge fabric at Blue Ridge Quilter's Guild, in Johnson City TN. 

 

 

Oh, this is a newer quilt, started it in 2011, just need to decide on a border, layer it and get finishing it. Loved the civil war prints my friend got in at her shop, when we lived in WV. She was so kind to cut charm squares for me! It was supposed to go on the new bed, when we moved, back, to Florida last year.

 

 

Another "fell in love with the fabrics" quilt. This is neon tonals with "Doodle Cats" fabric. I used Ami Simm's "Twisted Sisters" pattern and template. The name of the quilt is "Twisted Kitties".

 

I will be ecstatic if I can just get one or two finished up.

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

 

 

 

 

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas, from Florida!

 

 

I will always dream of a white Christmas!

Carol's Hug

Carol over at Giraffe Dreams, wanted "verbs" for her birthday.  I said I would send her a "HUG".

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CAROL!

I thought that was such a great way to celebrate. I chose a "HUG", since I will be hitting the same birthday in March and really feel that was the needed "verb".  Or at least I will be needing a good hug then!  Where have the years gone???  WOW!

I love making word blocks! I think I am addicted!

Another giveaway

Mary Ann Kinsinger is having a giveaway over on her blog A Joyful Chaos

Givaway

Not here over at May Chappell's blog. 



She is giving away a pattern and fabric, both! How cool is that!

Going Dutch

I have followed several blogs for several years, one of which is Taniwa. Tonya has spoken of Tetsu's resistance to learn English, frequently.  Thought I would share my language barrier story, with you.

I married a Dutchman. First year we were married everyone reminded each other to speak English, when we visited. After that they didn't! So I started taking my sewing or knitting along. Oldest sister in law told me I was being rude. Told her, no I was being forgotten, ignored, and bored. So I stitched and they spoke in Dutch and I obviously learned to understand a little Dutch. In-laws were going Christmas shopping and asked DH in Dutch what to buy me. He couldn't remember the name of the perfume I wore, I walked through and told them. They all three were shocked and said I wasn't supposed to undertand that!  Surprise!

A traditional Dutch windmill (1100 Roe) standing in a winter landscape on the outskirts of Amsterdam, the Netherlands.