Heartstrings torn...

What a day!  The last couple of days have been very hectic.  I'm itchin' for some stichin' !!! It's my sanity.  I thought I was going to be almost finished one of the dresses today but plans change.  Tomorrow should be calmer.

Yesterday, after being at work for only an hour, my poor sobbing daughter called.  It broke my heart to hear her in such pain.  Her wisdom teeth had decided to make themselves known!  I have been there and know that pain.  I couldn't leave work...it was killing me.  I also knew that there wasn't a quick fix either.  She doesn't tolerate pain well.  It was such a rush this morning getting an appointment made, between school nurses calling and trying to get an early dismissal for her.  I had just an hour to pick her up and get her there.  It's a 1/2 hour commute just to school, then another 20 to the dentist.  We have a consult in July to start the process for them to be removed.  Poor girl, her pain is just beginning I'm afraid.  We did manage to get a prescription for a pain reliever.  Extra strength Excedrin and ibuprofen were just not enough.  I quickly looked at the meds and though it was just a form of tylenol 3, no big deal.  Imagine my surprise to find out it was the generic of Vicadin.  It worked though and that's the main thing.  She was finally able to eat something substantial.

I had forgotten about her phobia of skeletons.  We call him Mr. Bones.  Kind of a mother daughter joke.  I love halloween, my favorite time of year.  Mr. Bones cannot be part of the decorating.  It's ok if other homes use him, just not us.  I couldn't figure out why she wouldn't look at her xrays.  Then it hit me!!!  I thought it was cool..."no mom, that's just creepy!"  Then she started the crying laughing thing.  I tried to make light of it saying it was just her and not Mr. Bones..."I don't care, it's still creepy!"

                                                 Here she is for Winter Ball this past January!

Well, I didn't get to sew but I did manage to get a belt for my featherweight.  I kinda wished I didn't stop though.  I was patiently waiting for my turn.  I turned around and what did I see?  No, it can't be!  Yup, I think it is.  OMG!!!! It's a RED EYE!  I didn't look to close.  It's not a treadle, but it looks like it could be turned into one.  I had noticed some tiny hand writting in the bottom left corner of the case "1916".  She shines!!!  I asked how much for it.  "Ah....Ah.... $100?  That's what they call that huh? A Red Eye?"  OMG!!! he doesn't even know what he has.  (No wonder I don't take my machines to him).  I didn't get it.....yet!  I need to think on this one, but she sure is pretty!  I have Saturday off.  Not sure if he's open then or not.  Didn't even have my phone to take any pictures.... 

We shall see......

Sew Together bag

I had been wanting a bag like this for quite a while.  I finally bought the pattern.  I've made several different style bags and this one went together pretty easily for me.  The one part I had trouble with was binding the edges after the lining (piece with all the pockets) is placed with the outside. Not the easiest task along those pocket edges.  I looked to the writer's blog...nothing.  I looked at other's blogs who had made it, no mention about this problem.  Guess it's just me.  Finally got it finished.  Then the gal's at work saw it and wanted one, and I made three more.

I found that the ladies at quilt barn were doing a sew along after I had made a few.        http://quiltbarn.blogspot.com/2014/03/my-sew-along-bag.html .

 I want to figure out how to make the pockets deeper.  I want mine to be more like a general handbag.  This one is perfect for a sewing kit, make up bag, pencil bag, crochet hook bag, etc.
 This isn't a pattern for beginners.  There aren't a lot of pictures.  If you follow the link to the sew along it will definitely help.  I didn't discover it until after I made mine.  When I make another one I will try to remember to take some for how too's.  Also when I figure out how to make it bigger I'll do a post on that.

A Rainy day here and we have to go get base fabric for one of the prom dresses.  I post on those later also.  Just wish this 3 day head ache would go away!!

Blurr....

The last few months are a blur.  I hibernate in the winter.  Many times I don't even know what day of the week it is.  Go to work, go home, sleep, go to work, go home....never ending cycle.

I try to take pictures to document how I have been sewing.  I seem to migrate from one project to another, but I know I'm not the only quilter (sewer) that has this skill!  We are multi-taskers!  Some tasks just take longer to complete.  

I'm a quilter at heart, but I have 2 prom dresses that need to be completed.  By the end of May!  I know I will get them done.  I do seem to work better under pressure and never does procrastination happen here!  My heart wants to quilt.

Working full time and weird hours, I'm beat when I get home.  You would think nights would be an easy time to keep this blog updated.  What seems to hold me up is the transferring of pictures from card to computer.  I thought keeping a tally of stash fabric used on each project and new purchases would help.  It did for a while.  I had wanted to keep track of projects on a monthly basis.  It all came down to just taking pictures.  I figured out how to get the date stamp on the camera.  You have to understand electronic devices and I are not the best of friends.  I still have a "dumb" phone for emergencies.  I do manage to get by.

Spring seems to finally want to be.  We've had a couple of warm days and most of the snow is gone.  The daffodils are starting to sneak out of the ground, tree buds are slowly coming out of their shells, and flood warnings and mud season have started!  The other night I had to wait for 2 bunnies playing tag in the drive to move in order to park the car.  They were having so much fun and were so cute to watch.  Maybe we will have babies again this year.  

More to come....

January Accomplishments

I have had a busy month.  It's been bitter cold the whole month.  Almost everyday temps in the -double digits.  This is the weather I remember as a kid.  My fingers get really cold and painful quickly.  I had severe frostbite when I was 7.  I couldn't even hold a spoon.  This weather is just like it was then.  I remember that vividly!

Just what have I made you ask?  Lets take a peak! (hopefully lots of pics will be showing)

I wasn't going to make Bonnie's Celtic Solstice until she posted her clue with the 4 patches.  I decided to make mine smaller using 2 1/2" units instead of 3 1/2".  I haven't finished the top yet but am starting on the blocks.

pinwheel & chevrons

peaky & spike

Celtic Solstice

Here is the January block for Judy's (Patchwork Times) Scrap Challenge.  We share the same feelings with scrap quilts.  If I'm to shrink my stash I need to work way out of my box.  This challenge should help.

January organized scrappy

4 bonus corner triangles for each diamond

12 blocks later

This was a quilt as you go without any hand sewing.  It just needs binding. I used the bonus HST's for the corner stones on the sashing.  It's a very pretty baby quilt.  5 1/2 yards was used.  All from my stash!!!!

In between these I was playing with different blocks:

dancing stars

maple leaf

mini puddle jumping

I took Camille's Craftsy Class:

Hash Tag - class exclusive pattern

Swoon

mini swoon- just had to make it smaller after making the big one!

These are not all that I have done this month...more to come on that later....Dona

I don't make resolutions, I make new goals.  Here are a few for sewing that I'm going to try this year:

1.  Fabric Diet!
         My stash is HUGE.  I have a large amount of scraps (what I call scraps).  When we moved I said                  things were going to get organized as it came out of storage.  This is a slow progress.
2.  Yardage Used Chart
         I have watched others keep track and am amazed.  I never kept track of how much fabric a project              takes.  This will also help me keep track of projects I've made.
3.  Blog more
         I have already messed up.  Well I guess if I keep to some of the other goals, I might make a post once          a month.
4.  No new UFOs
         By using the fabric usage chart, I hope things will be completed instead of being just a flimsy.  I really          don't have the space to store them and I do get bored easily.
5.  Finish old UFOs
         I have to many of these to count.  The get stored in a couple of totes.  Those that need to become a              flimsy and another that are finished tops.

I still do not feel like this is my home.  Maybe it's because I lived so long at the other place, maybe because my dad will never see or give his approval of this home, or maybe it's because I don't have my own little space yet.  My room that was to be my sewing area has become the catch all room.  Maybe I should make a #6 goal.  Little by little my space is coming.

So I'm going to try and stick to these 5 and see what happens.  Just writing this has me thinking of others that I can add but I don't want to overwhelm myself (I tend to do that).  This blog should become my life's journal.  I'm a very private person and it's hard for me to share myself.

Here's to new beginnings.....stitch by stitch....Dona