Been a looooong while!

I've negleted this blog for quite some time.  Maybe I should get back into it.  More of journaling than anything else. 

Well, I've been on a bag kick lately.  Why?  I'm not one to change bags alot.  I just enjoy the process of making them.  I love seeing how different fabric combinations look together.  In January there was a sew along for one particular bag.  I participated.  It was fun!  These ladies were also making some awesome wallets.  I decided that I needed to try these.  OMG!!! They are so addicting.   You can alter the wallet flap.  So many possibilites.  I have physically made 3, mentally hundreds! 

Why only 3?  Well I have been volunteered to make 7 pair of lined curtains.  If they were for me I could just whip them out, but they will be seen and even criticized by some people.  I feel anything that non family members see are a representation of my work and must be my best.  I took my time on them.  It would have been faster if the fabric wasn't so twisted.  We tried to save $$.  You get what you pay for.  I'm rather pleased with how they came out.  Now I just have to make the tie backs.

I woke up with one of those headaches!  I wasn't sure if I would be sick or not.  Had the feeling that I was but coffee smell didn't bother me like usually with one of these.  Give it about 1 hr and I was.  Once I was sick things settled better.

I really want to make another wallet!  I have 1 in mind to give that I wanted to make before the curtains.  Tore the house apart looking for the fabric even.  That had to go on hold.  I also was asked to make a special one.  I have to find my black and white fabric for this one.

My body wasn't in the thinking state, so I cruised the web looking for a certain paper pieced pattern I had done years ago.  I know I have it some where.  Key word:  SOME WHERE.  Looking at pictures is about all my body can handle right now.  Did I find it?  No.  I love this flower.  I'm not crazy about
paper piecing but will occasionally do it.  I'll have to go through the pattern box another day.  I did find other patterns that I would like to try down the road.

It's mid afternoon.  What to work on?  Wallet?  Tie backs?  Crocheted Hats for donation?  I need to keep my hands busy.  I'm sure I'll find something.  It'll be something simple I can assure you.

I'll try to keep you posted  Thanks for listening to my rambling and have a great day. 

Dona

Minatures

What is it with my love for minature quilts?  Is it the challenge of taking a large (regular) pattern and making it smaller.  Is it the cuteness of its small size?  Or is it the accomplishement of just doing the pattern and not having the ability (space confined) to make it a normal size?  I think it's the combination of all of the above.

I ADORE minis!

 It  took ME awhile to figure this out about myself.  Other people had figured that out long before I did.

Well I think it's time to do another one.  Even though things are still green around here nights are getting cooler.  I have even spotted some color changes in the trees.  We all know what that means.   My favorite time of year will be approaching soon.  Yellows, Golds, Browns, and Oranges with Black making it all pop!  I have admired roque quilter's mini Burgoynne Surround for ages it seems.  I want one for myself!  I didn't have the minature quilt magazine she used.  I could find a pattern out there.  I even have the quilt along pattern that she based hers on.

Well guess what I found while thumbing through and old book I had.  (Found the book while looking for Sharyn Craig's book I have).  I found Marti Michell's book Quilting for People Who Still Don't Have Time to Quilt.  The section starting on page 155 is Burgoynne Surround.  Ok, no excuses now.

I would like to blog about this journey.  I hope I don't get the "squirrel" effect.  Those that know me well would agree.

I have the pattern.  I have the common size of a piece.  Next is to determine the sizes of the other pieces in the block and pull fabrics.  I'm thinking Halloween fabrics.  I will have to see.  I will try to post pictures at a later date.  If you are reading this...stay tuned.

What a Week

We lost Treasure Tuesday night.  The heat and humidity was awlful!  It's been very somber around here.  SUCH a void.  He is GREATLY mised!  He slept in Cass's room along side her bed.  He's not there now.  So hard for her.  Rod found himself searching the house when he didn't greet him at the door Friday.  I found myself being careful not to step on him in the dark going into my room, but he wasn't there.

Work was stressful.  We had inventory Thursday.  They left the place in a mess and then the truck that came in Wednesday couldn't go out until Friday.  The weather has turned cool.  Normal fall weather.  You can bet that makes it busy!  So cleaning up, stocking, and waiting on customers made for an exhausting week!  Another truck today!  Don't know where it's going to go on the shelves.  We do manage somehow.  Oh yeah, working 6 days in a row doesn't help.  My whole body hurts. Needless to say no sewing has happened.

The week before I was finally able to make a small sewing area in my sewing room.  Now I have to work and live in it to see and feel how I want things permanetly.  You know how they say you have to live in a space before decorating.

Life will get back to normal eventually.

RIP

I Sir Treasure of Lil

Just a Note

Lots of sewing, nothing finished.  I just can't seem to find my gumption.  Ever do that, go around in circles getting nowhere?

Been 3 1/2 years here and it still doesn't feel like home.  Why?  I have all of my belongings, even added a few more vintage machines.  Got them working too!

This is a hard day/ evening today.  Treasure dog isn't doing well at all.  Not sure he'll make it through the night.  As if this weren't hard enough to handle, it's watching hubby and daughter handling it.  Just tears your heart out!  Then I start greiving for dad.  Never really got a chance to do that either.

Maybe that's why it doesn't feel like home.  Dad's never seen it.  I remember seeing this park from the interstate as a child and thinking it was a pretty park.  Look, here I am.  Miles from everything!  Don't get me wrong, it is beatiful here.  No neighbors in the back.  Both side neighbors are quiet and friendly.  But why doesn't it feel like home?

This angel will be testing her wings soon.  She's bought her 1st car with her graduation money and 1st loan.  Works full time at a daycare. Hardly see her anymore.  Part of that is my working nights and her working days.

Like I said just a note as to happenings around here.

later....

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....