Emergency Sewing (long post)

My daughter calls me on Christmas Day and asks what I'm doing.  I tell her that I'm trying to get everything ready for Christmas Dinner.  We have dinner at 6:30 - 7:00pm so that everyone can visit with their families.  Makes it quiet for hubby and I in the morning.
Well it seems that my niece's sewing machine decided to die.  She still had presents to finish for Saturday.  I told my daughter to let me know if she wanted to borrow my singer(back up machine).  I didn't hear another word about it. 
Yesterday my daughter calls and asks what I'm doing and I tell her that I'm sitting on the couch with hubby and Kira.  We are trying to spend as much time with her as we can.  She wants to know if I can help my niece sew some dresses together.  I'm game.  What does she need done?  My niece calls and she is in tears.  She can't figure out a pattern to turn a mans dress shirt into a dress.  She is trying to follow a written pattern with measurements for a smaller child and enlarge it to fit her girls and her nieces using her father's shirts.  I tell her to bring them to me and I will figure it out.  It is now 4pm on Friday.  She stops and shows me what she is trying to accomplish.   It shouldn't take long I tell her not knowing that she needed a total of 3 dresses.  She is still in tears as it has taken her over 8 hours to make one and she still isn't done.  I check the web site and draw up a pattern from the instructions.  I send her home to finish the one she has been working on. 
I cut out the first one and get it sewn.  I have my granddaughter try it on as she is the same size as I'm making.  I make some changes to the pattern and call my niece.  My daughter sends her some pictures.  She is happy with it and asks me to make 2 more.  Not a problem.  I get busy and cut the first one out, sit and sew it up.  I go to do the next one and discover the back of the shirt that she wanted me to use is missing.  Now what do I do?  I call her and she says to use the other shirt and let her know how I make out.  This shirt is rayon and I haven't sewn with it in years.  I give it a go anyways.  I cut it all out and put it away until this morning.  It sewed up like a dream.  I did make sure that I put a ball point needle in to make my life easier.    Here are the finished dresses.  I really think that they are night shirts and not dresses.  

 

Sorry I've been MIA

I have tried to write this post many times and I sit and cry every time I try.  This time I will post it so that if I'm missing for a while, you know why.

Our beloved German Shepherd, Kira has not been herself lately.  So, I've been busy running her to the vet at least once a week.  They have run many test and done a slew of blood work.  We finally have an answer and one I was not prepared for.  Kira has cancer.  We go on Monday and see how far it has spread thru her system. 
I have had two different Reiki practitioners tell me that it won't be that long.  She currently has good days and bad days.  Today is one of her good days. 
I had always figured that I would lose Loki (whom my blog is named for) first.  He is a 12 year old black lab - rottweiler mix.  He is gray on his muzzle and he is starting to slow down a bit.  Kira had been acting like a puppy up until the beginning of the month.  She is 8 years old and just a happy go lucky dog while Loki is serious.  Deedle is the youngster of the group and Kira's playmate.  He is 4 years old and he too is a black lab - rottweiler mix.  He is my Houdini and goof.  He loves to figure out how to get out of the fence.  We tell him he is a goof because he brings us all sorts of things that he feels should be in bed with us or in the house.  I don't need branches, rocks or other animals leavings in the house. 
I'm sad to see her like this and I will miss her when she goes.  I'm trying to figure out a way to pay tribute to our Kira.  I just feel that her life is being taken away from her all to soon.  I feel the same for people that have to deal with this too.  One of my best friends just lost her husband to cancer in Oct.  They had been married 13 months.  Not enough time together in my book.

Should be interesting

My daughter called me and asked what I was doing.  I told her that I was looking for the sizes for wheelchair lap robes so that I can come up with a pattern for quilt guild.  She then asks if I could do some sewing for her.  I'm game, what do you need?  She does Reiki and needs some new covers for her table.  I ask what size and she goes silent.  Okay... what size is the table.  She sends me to the website and I find her table and the dimensions.  It will need 2-1/4 yards to make a cover and then I need to add elastic to hold it in place.  I start checking the website and they are getting anywhere from $30 to $60 per cover.  I figure I can make one for about $10 - $15.  In the future she wants organic cotton for her covers.  So you know who is checking the web for organic cotton.  I'm just going to get some regular cotton for now and get a few made for her and after the first of the year, I'll get some organic cotton and make up a few more.  I may just pull some fabrics from the stash and make a few.  That should hold her until her business takes off.  She bought 2 covers when she started out and she has only been doing this for a few weeks.  I hope that she can turn this into a full time business.  I enjoy the perks of sewing for her as she is giving me free Reiki and it helps to relax me and I find I'm more productive and creative. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

I wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.  I hope that you all had a great day and will stay safe in the Black Friday Rush.  I'm not participating in Black Friday that I know of.  We typically stay home and I sew and hubby works on what ever.  One of us has to go out though as we have to take his brother in to work.  Maybe I'll do it and stop at Joannes for the sales in the morning.  Just a thought.
Enjoy the rest of your day!

Stash Report 11/24/13

I did some sewing this week but have not finished anything so nothing to count this week.  I did visit a beautiful quilt show in Old Forge, NY at Vue.  It was a nice drive up but not a nice drive home as it started to snow.  I drove home in white out conditions almost all the way.  Add high winds to it and I was amazed that we didn't see more accidents.  My friends Lisa and Linda went with me and were glad that I drove as I have an all wheel drive vehicle.  It was definitely needed yesterday.  Winter has arrived to Upstate NY as I woke up to 4 inches of snow.  Time to find my gloves.

Used this Week:                        0 yards

Used year to Date:                    3.75 yards

Added this Week:                      0 yards

Added Year to Date:                 13 yards

Net Used for 2013:                    9.25 yards


I just corrected my count as I apparently can't seem to do subtraction in my head for the past few weeks.  Soon I hope to be positive in the used column.

To see what others have done with their stash go visit Judy L's site Patchwork Times.

Stash Report 11/17/13

I finished a small wall hanging that I started many years ago.  What is funny is I had quilted it and put the binding on and never hand stitched it down.  I'm not sure why now.  But it is finished.  I think that it may need some more quilting but it is a wall hanging and one of the first things I quilted. 

Used this Week:                        .75 yards

Used year to Date:                    3.75 yards

Added this Week:                      0 yards

Added Year to Date:                 13 yards

Net Used for 2013:                    6.25 yards

To see what others have done with their stash go visit Judy L's site Patchwork Times.

Stash Report 11/10/13

I remembered that I wanted to take part in the stash report!  I wish that I had more to report than I went and bought 10 yards of muslin to make dolls with for one of the local hospitals.  One of our sister guilds makes dolls and gives them to the children's hospital.  They were doing 100 every 3-4 months.  Now the hospital wants 100 a month.  This group can't keep up so they put the call out to some other guilds.  I volunteered to make a few.  I bought some template plastic so I can trace the pattern and just cut a bunch out at once.  I just need to make some up and get them delivered to the other guild.  Hubby and I decided that I should try to do 10 - 12 a month.  We figure at some point it could very well be one of our grandchildren there.  He will help by stuffing them and putting their hospital gown on them.  I'm glad he doesn't  mind me sewing to help others.

Used this Week:                        0 yards

Used year to Date:                    3 yards

Added this Week:                     10 yards

Added Year to Date:                 13 yards

Net Used for 2013:                    7 yards

To see what others have done with their stash go visit Judy L's site Patchwork Times.

Stash Report

I've been sewing!  I'm working on Linda's quilt and the top is almost done.  I'm counting it as done as I still need to put one strip on.  I ran out of the gray thread that I was using and had to run to JoAnn's.  Tomorrow I will sew that last strip on and take some pictures.   I'm debating on the backing fabric so I will count that next week.I have a few pieces that may work.

Used this Week:                       .5 yards

Used year to Date:                    3 yards

Added this Week:                     0 yards

Added Year to Date:                 3 yards

Net Used for 2013:                   0 yards

To see what others have done with their stash go visit Judy L's site Patchwork Times.

Quilting Day

I'm actually sewing today!  Yesterday I spent the day ironing and cutting.  My friend Linda, her husband of 13 months is terminal with brain cancer and he has taken a turn for the worse.  I'm making the top from my friend Lisa's stash as she had pink. Linda's favorite colors are pink and teal.  Lisa had fabric that filled the bill.  I found a pattern that Lisa and I liked. Its from Quilt Trends summer 2013.  The pattern is "Chain Reaction".  I'm making it smaller to make it a hug quilt for Linda.

 

I haven't taken a picture yet of the floral that I'll be using for the wide strips.  I have them hanging in the closet to keep the cats off of them as Linda is allergic to cats.  When I  get all done with the quilt I'll send it thru the wash.  Lisa has a mid arm and offered to quilt it.  I took her up on her offer.  I'll take more pictures as I sew up the blocks and post them later today or tomorrow.  The only fabric that came out of my stash is the binding, so I will post that on Sunday.  More later.

Quiet Friday

I'm sitting here reading blogs while I wait for the furnace guy to get here.  He is only half an hour late already.  I have things that I want to do but we need heat and soon!  At the start of the heating season we have "Bob the Furnace Guy" come out and give the furnace a tune up and make sure everything is all set for the season.  We have discovered that it cuts down on the number of times that we have to call during the season. 

I have picked up a few quilting magazines in the past few weeks and I'm seeing a lot of modern quilts in the magazines.  I'm thinking about trying my hand at one in the next few months.  I'm still working on a pattern for the applique that I want to do.  The way things are going I'll have it done for next year.

My daughter just called and asked me to watch my granddaughter this afternoon and evening.  I guess that it won't be a quiet Friday after all.

Guild newsletter is done!

I just finished the guild newsletter.  I'm glad that it is done for the month.  Now I'm off to get some groceries and possible this afternoon I can work some more on the applique idea that I'm trying to design for fall.  I'm leaning toward something that can be used for the entire fall season and not just the holiday aspect.  I may make it reversible so that if I get tired of one side than I can flip it over and look at the other for awhile.  I may even try to start sewing today or tomorrow as I really want to get this done.  I may even try machine applique as I have always hand appliqued.  A new skill that may come in handy I think.  I'm also working on my machine quilting on my Bernina as my Tin Lizzy is not set up currently.  Soon I hope.  I'm working on getting my rooms set back up to be sewing rooms again instead of bedrooms.  It looks like it may take some time as I want to paint and upgrade lighting.  Hardwood floors are going in also.  I don't plan on children/ grandchildren moving in again for a long time(I hope). 
I will try to find the instructions I wrote up of the tissue holders that we made for guild and post them in the next few days.  I think that they would make a great little stocking stuffer. They are quick to make and don't use much fabric.  Two fat quarters(depending on size) will make 6 to 9 tissue holders. I had some fat, fat quarters so I got 9 out of a couple. 

Stash Report

No sewing or quilting for me this week, just too busy with the grandchildren.  I hope they all get healthy soon!  I did not buy anything at the quilt show last weekend as I didn't have time to visit the vendors.  I did see the show though and there is a lot of talented women in the guild. 
I did make a purchase this week.  I had a quilt that needed a new back.  I had started quilting it and the back just didn't work for me.  So I took it all apart and I bought fabric that was in the front of the quilt to go on the back.  It looks better to me already.  Now to get it quilted and bound.

Used this Week:                       0 yards

Used year to Date:                2.5 yards

Added this Week:                    3 yards

Added Year to Date:                3 yards

Net Used for 2013:                -.5 yards

To see what others have done with their stash go visit Judy L's site Patchwork Times.

Guild Newsletter

I've spent part of the day working on the guild newsletter.  I wish that I could figure out a different view for the back page that I liked to work with and that was easy to read.  The last page has all the officers listed with their phone numbers.  The new president would like her email address instead.  Problem is this is posted on a web site and I don't feel that everyone's email should be made public.  Mine is as I'm the editor of the newsletter.  I have had my email hijacked a few times and DH has made it right.  Now we have massive protection.  I don't know how he does it as he is an IT director at work.  I don't ask. 

I'm thinking about starting a hand applique project that I can take with me when I have to take grandchildren to appointments.  I typically sit and read but I think that I would like some hand work to do instead.  I'm working on some designs in my head that I want to put on paper and see what it looks like.  I wanted the ideas to stew for a while to see if someone else had already put them on paper or pattern form.

Time to get back to the newsletter!

Guild Quilt Show

What a busy weekend at the quilt show!  I spent most of my days running the tea room.  I'm a good choice as I'm a diabetic and have learned that I can't eat all the baked goods that are brought.  I did have a single chocolate chip cookie as that was in my limits of what I could eat.  My son made a buttermilk pie that was to die for, so I heard.  He studied to be a french chef for a while before he decided that it wasn't for him.  He makes great pie crust and cakes now.

I did see the show on Sunday afternoon.  It was very pretty and busy with people.  We had quite a few more visitors on Sunday than Saturday.  I'm not sure as it normally works the other way for every other show I have attended at guild.  The person in charge seems to think that because of the SU football game and the local shop hop, we didn't have many visitors on Saturday.  Hopefully we made a profit, as this is the money for the next two years of programs.

I should have taken my camera with me.  It didn't occur to me until after I was there.

I'm now working on a quilt for one of my friends.  Her husband has cancer and it doesn't look good.  I'm hoping that the doctor is wrong as they have been married a year.  She had finally found her soul mate and it looks like she may lose him.  My prayers are with them constantly. 

Time to work on the newsletter for October.

Cutting out some blocks

Yesterday I cut blocks out for the guild 2nd place winner.  From all the scraps I had left I had enough to make 2 blocks.  With the two blocks I had, and the two I cut, a table runner and a pillow will be made.  Hopefully someone will appreciate what I'm working on.  I will try to take some pictures but I just figured out why I've had so many problems with my camera.  The battery has gone completely dead and won't work at all.  Time for a new battery or maybe a new camera. 

Tissue Holders

I finally finished my tissue holders yesterday and turned them in.  Now I can start working on the other projects that I need to get done.  Here is the picture of the 30 of them.  The guild made 525 of them.  Hopefully it will be enough for our guest at the quilt show.

The colors aren't true to life as the ones that look blue are purple.  The hardest part was turning them and pressing them.  I think I may be making some for the local meals on wheels to go with the placemats that we make at Christmas time for them.  I think that would be a great gift around the holiday time.

Stash Report - Sept. 8, 2013

Well, I can honestly say I haven't done much sewing and I need to get something done for our quilt show in 2 weeks.  I have been designing stuff on the computer and on graph paper.  I prefer the computer but currently I'm out of colored ink for the printer and have just discovered that I can't get ink anymore for that printer.  I really don't want to purchase toner cartridges for the color laser printer.

I have a table runner that is almost quilted and I want to finish it for the show.  I also have the top which was posted on June 29th.  I hope to get it quilted and bound for the show.  I am also thinking about our challenge for the show and I may have something to finish from a class I took in thread painting.  It actually will go great for the challenge so I will be working on that tonight or tomorrow. 

With all of that I have nothing in and no finishes, so nothing out.

Used this Week:                       0 yards

Used year to Date:                2.5 yards

Added this Week:                    0 yards

Added Year to Date:                0 yards

Net Used for 2013:                2.5 yards

To see what others have done with their stash go visit Judy L's site Patchwork Times.

Vacation is over for another year

Vacation, a time to relax and enjoy.  We went to Vermont.  Bennington is a nice small community that has a rural feel to it.  I love to go and visit Hubby's family there.  I would love to move there if hubby could find a job near there.  He would like it too.  We discussed it again this year that maybe we should think about moving as my job is gone.  The company closed shop and my choices if I return to the same job are in Detroit, Michigan or Muncie, Indiana.  Neither appeal to me.  Neither does leaving my friends and family that live here.  My dad would visit me and I'm sure that one of my sister's would too.  His siblings probably wouldn't miss us as they don't talk to each other. 

We had fun and that was the main objective.  We finally got to meet his cousin's children.  One boy and two girls and his cousin has her hands full.  Ted just started kindergarten, Annie is in arts preschool and Ellie is going to be two next week and is also starting preschool.  I don't know how Christy keeps it straight on where everyone has to be and at what times. 

We did go shopping in Manchester.  It was fun to see all the outlet and regular stores that we don't have here in the Syracuse area.  I just wish that we could have found time to visit a quilt shop or two.  Maybe next year when we go. We also went to Garlic Fest.  That was fun!  There is a bunch of different foods made with garlic.  Shortbread cookies are good with garlic in them, bacon too.  Ice cream is also good with garlic in it.  Kettle corn with garlic is excellent!  They also have maple items, and this year I tried maple bourbon.  That was wonderful.  I may have to send for a bottle as they had sold out by the time I got back to buy a bottle to bring home.  I can see using maple bourbon instead of rum in rum balls.  Same for rum cake.  That would be a nice thanksgiving treat.

The leaves are starting to turn colors and the children have gone back to school. It is time to get busy quilting again!

Stash Report

I thought that I'd try to do the stash reports again and see if that will get me quilting and sewing more.  I haven't done a whole lot this year and really need to get a move on.  I did make 30 tissue holders and you can get 3 tissue holders to a fat quarter.  So I used  10 fat quarters.  I may need to make more as the guild is still short about 150.

Used this Week:                    2.5 yards

Used year to Date:                2.5 yards

Added this Week:                    0 yards

Added Year to Date:                0 yards

Net Used for 2013:                2.5 yards

To see what others have done with their stash go visit Judy L's site Patchwork Times.

Cutting out tissue holders

I spent part of the day washing fabric and cutting it out to make tissue holders for quilt guild.  Our show is only 5 weeks away.  We are short 300 tissue holders for a thanks for coming gift.  I cut out 30 tissue holders and now I just have to sew them.  That is tomorrow's job.  Hopefully I can sit and get them all stitched.  It shouldn't take to long as there is only 4 seams and I plan on chain stitching all of them.  Here is a picture of all the ones that I cut out.

The 4 stacks on the bottom have enough for 6 holders each.  The 3 on the left have purple fabric for the inside, not blue as the picture shows.  The three on top, I had enough fabric to cut out 2 holders each.  I may piece a few and see what happens.

Quilt Guild

Quilt Guild was interesting last night, to say the least.  We have a new President.  Surprise!  I'm the editor of the newsletter and nobody let me know.  Wow! 
Our show is just 5 and 1/2 weeks away.  I'm hoping to get some things finished and in the show.  I have 3 different tops that are done and need to be quilted and bound.  I was hoping to have my mid arm set up and to practice on it and have some stuff quilted.  Not going to happen for this show.  I'll be happy to get what I have finished and bound.  Just saying.
Back to guild last night.  We always have had a friendship night in August and never a full meeting.  Because our show is a month early, we decided to have a full meeting.  I was surprised at how many showed up.  Normally we only get 10 people.  Last night we had 30.  Good turnout for this group.  I think it was because we met where we will be having our quilt show.  We went and discussed how things will be set up and alot of members are not real happy with the choice that we made for the show.  We didn't have a whole lot of options for finding out that we couldn't have our show at the school where we normally meet.  I think that it will all work out and they will like the venue. 
I won the fabric raffle and have 4 new batik fat quarters.  Batiks are so fun to work with.  I really like the colors as I needed some more lights/neutrals.

I just want to sit and sew!

This week has been crazy!  I spent Tuesday steam cleaning carpets.  Wednesday, I spent part of the day sleeping as I totally over did on Tuesday. I also went and got my hair cut, which I'm not real thrilled with.  I hope my regular stylist comes back soon from maternity leave.  She is having twins and still hasn't gone into labor so it may be a few months yet.  I miss her.
Thursday I took one of my daughter-in-laws grocery shopping.  We went to 4 different stores and saved $200.  Quite a bit for someone who has never used coupons before or been to BJ's or Sam's to shop.    She has no idea how to comparison shop or to go through the ads and buy what is on sale and match a coupon with it.  I'm slowly teaching her to read labels and compare name brands with store brands.  We were taught in school how to do this.  They don't teach how to comparison shop any more!  We are raising a generation who has no idea how to do basic skills that I learned many years ago in school.  I'll get off my soap box now.

I hope to sit and sew later today or tomorrow.  I need to relax and just sit and sew.  Maybe I'll get the backing on one of my tops and quilt it.  I only have 3 tops to get quilted for our quilt show in Sept. which is 7 weeks away.  

Busy, but no quilting

I spent yesterday steam cleaning rugs.  With the adult children and grandchildren gone, I'm finally doing some spring cleaning.  They finally found an apartment and moved into their own place.  I hope that today after I go get a hair cut I will be able to sit and sew.
Hubby and I were discussing making the basement into a sewing room for me.  I would get a 12' by 20' area(more or less).  I hope that it will be enough space to set up my mid arm and sewing studio.  That way if one of the children has to move back in, then I still have a sewing studio.  I may have problems with the stairs but at least I'll be able to wash my fabric and have everything in one location instead of in two rooms where every thing is crowded.   Something to think about and play around with some design options.  We will need to put some more lights in as there is only one in there now for the whole area.  I'll take some pictures as soon as Tim gets the rest of his stuff out.  That way I can see what I have to work with.

Sorry about that

I started a post last night and as I was finishing it, my computer decided that I needed to up date.  Boom!  Everything is gone, teaching me a very valuable lesson.  Save your work.  I don't remember what I wrote about and have no clue how to get it back.  Hubby says that it is gone for good and not to worry.  I will find something else to write about.
I do remember that the title was no sewing week.  It talked about the weird week I had last week.  It was very weird. 
Saturday(July 6th), my ex-husband showed up.  We haven't seen him in over 15 years.  He rides up on a motorcycle and asks if my older son lives here and if he can give him a motorcycle.  DH comes in and looks at me and my son and says "there is some guy outside and he wants to give you a motorcycle Tim".  We both look at him like he just hit his head or something.  We all go out and I look at the guy and say to DH and Tim that it looks like my ex.  He has decided that he wants to give Tim his bike and he stops and visits for 6 hours.  Then he looks at Tim and asks for a ride home as he lives 2 hours away.  Tim takes him home.  We find out later that ex may be dying and has decided to leave everything to Tim, which is a motorcycle.  I can deal with this.
Younger Son (Tony) lets his best friend borrow his truck to go to work.  He drops Tony off at his job and goes to work.  His friend gets out of work early.  He is supposed to drop the truck off on his way home.  Instead he decides to go out drinking.  He is not supposed to drink if he has Tony's truck.  My DIL hears a crash and calls 911.  She walks outside to see what has happened.  It's 10ish and she starts toward the crash site.  Tony's friend staggers up with some other guy and tells DIL that he is so sorry.  She keeps asking him for what.  He finally tells her that he trashed their truck.  She stands there dumbfounded and he takes off.  Nobody has seen him since.  He did call and apologize for totaling the truck.  He won't tell anyone where he is as he knows that he will be spending some time behind bars.  The truck is totaled.
For some reason I can't seem to sit and sew.  I hope that this week will be better.  I have stuff to finish for our guild show in September. 

Happy 4th of July!

We are enjoying the fireworks around us, as we have a river and a lake within half a mile from us.  We can just sit and watch out the picture window in the living room or go and sit with the mosquitoes outside.  I'm happy to sit inside with the air conditioning and no bugs!  The dogs are sleeping and shouldn't have to go out for a little while.  We do have a fenced yard but I have 1 maybe 2 that have jumped the fence.  Hopefully it will quiet down soon and we can take our night romp through the yard and be done for the night.  It is almost bed time for me and I'm looking forward to a good nights sleep.

Quiet Sunday

Today is a quiet day.  My son is on third shift so everyone is trying to keep quiet so he can sleep.  All I'm doing is watching videos (on the laptop) and laundry.  The two grandsons that live with us are at the sitter while their mom is at work.  When she gets out she will go to her mom's for a few hours so he can sleep.
I know how hard it is to sleep with everything going on during the summer as I was on third shift for 6 years.  You learn to run a fan or air conditioner for background noise.  I may cut out a quilt later, but a lot depends on the temperature.  If it is too hot than I don't like to be in the sewing room currently as my son has my fan.  Another week and then he rotates back to first or second. 
I have been doing some doodling.  I am working on quilting ideas for the various quilt tops that I need to get quilted.  I also have been taking pictures of items that I want to thread paint.  A couple pictures have some interesting aspects to them and may end up as quilting ideas.

It's been a long time

Wow!  Where has the time gone.  I hadn't realized that I hadn't sat and shared anything in quite some time.

We have had some health issues to deal with and are finally past most of them.  One I will live with most likely for the rest of my life.  I'm hoping that with the diet and other changes that I have made that I will not have to depend on medications for quite a while yet.  Time will tell.

I have slowly gotten back to sewing and quilting.  I took a class at one of the local quilt shops on thread painting.  I'm still working on the one we started.  I'm not sure that I will post a picture of the first one or not. I am working on other designs to do.

We did find a venue for our guild quilt show.  We had to change the date though.  It is now 6 weeks earlier than it has always been, so I am trying to finish up items for the show in all the hot muggy weather that we have had.  Today I'm watching some videos and working out a pattern for the 2nd place raffle quilt.  I may just make a table runner instead of a wall hanging.

I'm trying to get quilts done for all the grandchildren for Christmas.  Three are started and in various states of being done.  4 more to go.  I will try to post pictures as I finish them.  I  do have a top done from a class that I took in April. But with 6 grandsons and 1 granddaughter, I have a tendency to finish girly stuff before the boys. 

Finding Fabrics

We have been challenged in guild to make either an 18" x 24" quilt or  a 24" x 36" quilt to go in a gallon size ziplock bag to ride in the state police cars.  They will be handed to a child during a stressful time and the child will keep the quilt.  I have been looking thru my stash trying to put stuff together.  I don't have a lot of child type fabrics.  I have a bunch of solids that I may turn into a chevron type rainbow.   I thought that I could also do a disappearing 9 patch with all solids.   I'm hoping that with such a small size that I can get a couple done before Tuesday when we have guild. 
As for guild, we just found out that due to budget cuts we can no longer have our quilt show at the school.  We are searching for someplace to have our show in the fall.  We may have found something in a nearby hotel.  I just hope that it will accommodate all the quilts that we hang and still have room to walk around and see the vendors.  It looks to be an interesting year at guild.

Sewing Blocks

I have actually been sewing blocks.  We did a block exchange in guild and I decided to join late.  Like at the last month, since a few other people dropped out.  11 months to catch up and 1 month just like everyone else.  I did do it.  It took me an extra day but I managed to get all the blocks done and turned in a day late.  I wish that I had taken pictures of all the blocks that I did.  I received a set of blocks back and I'm short 2 from having a queen size quilt top.  I will take some pictures and post them later.  I'm not sure if I want to follow the pattern or set them in a different setting.  I will have to play and see.  More tomorrow as it is almost bedtime.

What a year!

A great many things have happened since I last wrote in my blog.  We have had a new grandson bringing our total up to 6 grandsons and 1 granddaughter.  During the summer we said goodbye to 2 of our cats and adopted my daughter's cat.  We also had to buy a new vehicle as his decided that it didn't need a hood or struts anymore. A friend lost her baby in the last days of her pregnancy.   In the fall we had 2 weddings and a vacation in Vermont.  One of my husband's coworkers 6 month old passed away from sids.  Now that winter is here we haven't slowed down yet as my father was diagnosed with prostate cancer.  He has had surgery and is doing very well.
While all of these things have been going on, I still run my daughter-in-law to work and may watch 2 of the grandsons.  Sewing has not been on my radar.  Computer time has not been on the horizon.
With that being said, I decided that this year is going to be different.  I have my sewing machine set up and I have started to sew again.  I also have set up my computer so that I can use it too.  I have gone back to using lists to get things done around the house and have added time in my day to sew and use the computer.
I will try to post more about what is going on in my little corner of the world.  Here's to a better 2013!