Other objectives

Although I had a four day weekend I did not have the opportunity to do any quilting. Most of the time was spent working in the kitchen, working on a toilet that will not flush and searching for 5 pistols that belong to DH. The kitchen is almost back in pristine shape, the toilet is still not working and DH found 4 of the pistols. Today he will be looking for the last one. Finding these pistols takes a load off my mind.

We did have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day with DD, SIL and GS. Jeremy is growing into such a wonderful boy. He and I had a long conversation and I must say he is fantastic. I love him too much to define. After dinner we had some target practice. Wait, you say. Jeremy is only 7. Well that kid can sure shoot a marshmallow blaster. I learned from him. What fun!

I have a very heavy work load during the next 15 calendar days and on December 16 I will be having my right knee replaced. I don't know how much blogging I will do in the meantime. I also need to stick very strictly to my diet so that my physical therapy after surgery is easier. 30 minutes 3 times a day for knee replacement physical therapy and some of it is patient driven. Thank God some of it is a machine that works on keeping the knee flexing. I will start at 35 degrees and end up at 110 degrees flex. After that any additional flexibility will be on my own.

Have a great day.

Getting ready

All my sewing equipment and projects that went on vacation with us are now in the house and ready for me to get to work. I had obligations for this evening that just got cancelled so I will be setting up a sewing area in the living room and working on the completion of the Navajo blocks. I have 8 left to complete and then the next step in this quilt top.

There is a new quilt guild that a LQS is starting. I have investigated it and am thinking about attending the initial meeting. Since it will be very close to my home it may be another way of extending my quilting.

DH is doing much better so I will be able to be more outgoing in my small group and guild attendance.

Have a great day.

Home Safe and Sound

We have returned from a very relaxing and restful week in Gatlinburg, TN. The sewing machine and my projects are the only remaining things in the car. I ran out of energy with the unloading. Thankfully the next vacation in April will be with a healthier husband and he can help with the unloading. He kept apologizing for not doing more, but he drove both ways and that was the saving grace.

I didn't get as much piecing done as I had expected. Creating 240 HST take a lot of time; with sewing and squaring up. I have almost 3/4 of my blocks completed for "Navajo Tears" and then I will lay out the blocks on the point with other fabric between. I have two options with the other fabric. Simple 8 1/2" squares or making QST and placing them in between the Navajo block. I will have to get my design wall out to make the decision.

This week is only 2 1/2 days of work. The rest will be some minor house cleaning after our vacation and getting ready for the holidays. Vacations are very nice, but there is always the let down and the recovery. Fortunately I love Thanksgiving and Christmas so this gives me a slow let down from vacation. I did some shopping in Sevierville for Christmas and only have a few items to purchase. Then the wrapping.

Have a great day.

Final day of vacation

Today is our final day in Gatlinburg. We are well rested and relaxed and ready to get back into the fray.

We will be packing all our belongings today after I do laundry and put everything but our morning needs into the car today. Then we will be on the road home.

Only one stop on the way home. JoAnn's has a super store in Knoxville and I plan on spending a little time there. I picked up two patterns from Holloway House yesterday and they call for fat quarters. I have to look at the ad from JoAnn's to see if there is anything I would die for.

Have a great day.

Gatlinburg, TN

We have been here since Saturday and have 1 1/2 days of vacation left. I have finished the hst for "Navajo Tears" and am putting together the last 14 blocks. Then I will need a surface to lay out the blocks and decide the order I wish to put them together in.

The quilt for MIL is still in the bag. We have been having so much fun here that very little sewing has gotten done. But that is okay. This is a time for us to reconnect and heal after two very hard years.

Have a great day.

Response to critics of "Sour Apples"

I received responses from two individuals on my blogs. One was a member of my guild and the other anonymous. I am not surprised by either. The one who is a member of my guild cannot imagine that the members of the guild could possibly have treated me that way. I never said all members of the guild. Check "Sour Apples" and you will see that only a few members treated me with such disdain. The others have treated me with respect and understanding. To anonymous I can only say that you are probably one of those who treated me so badly and now you are trying to make me out the bad guy (in spite of claiming not to be a member of my guild).

I have been able to move on. But these members (not all members) of my guild obviously have not been able to deal with the guilt and self horror they have after what they have done. I can only pray that they will move on with their lives and leave me alone. I haven't found any need to comment on their blogs and I hope that they stay out of mine.

This is my blog and I only recently reopened the ability of others to leave comments. The first two are negative. Be nice. You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.

Pain can be felt many ways and the response is not predictable and is often beyond control. Either you get it or you don't.

Have a great day.

Sour Apples

Right now all my former friends from Guild are enjoying their selves at a retreat at Blue Licks Battlefield and State Park. They are eating and drinking and sewing and sharing quilt tips and talking and having a wonderful weekend. I do envy them. I love retreats.

I have no hopes that these former friends will ever become my friends again. In fact I don't want their friendship. However, I cannot imagine cutting myself off from the guild and future quilt retreats. I am not sure what I will be doing about it, but a solution will be found that makes me content in myself. If they are uncomfortable about my solution that will be something they will have to deal with.

These former friends never understood what I was going through. They just saw my sorrow and anger at circumstances and could no long deal with it. Again, that is their problem. That my DH almost died on October 10 is something they know nothing about and I don't really think they would care.

I have lost one husband to an auto accident, divorced a second because he shut me out of his life and almost lost a third one to kidney failure, sepsis, staph infection and pneumonia. For three days we kept DH alive on a ventilator while trying to heal the infection, restart the kidneys without dialysis and clear his lungs from the pneumonia. That we have had four weeks of hospitalization to deal with; that DH has lost 30 pounds during his illness; that he is using a walker or wheelchair because he has no endurance; that I have been beside myself with worry; in all of these things they were not there for me.

They pledged their friendship and help and then withdrew it because they could not deal with me. I regret that they were unable to help me. I would have loved the support of friends. However, I am moving forward and getting my life in order. My DH still has dementia. He will continue to slide downhill into a memory loss. There will be times that I will want to strike out at anything to deal with the anger of my husband loosing his memory. I will find other friends who will comfort me. I will find other quilt buddies to interact with. I will go on with my life and be a happy and content person.

I can only feel sorry for these women and hope that they never have to deal with what I have been going through and what I have ahead. I wouldn't wish this on anyone. I have been at the brink of death and seen my husband pull back into a life that we never thought we would enjoy again.

Whether these women read my blog or not, I felt that I finally had to express my sadness at their reaction to my deepest pain. They were not there for me and I can never forget what they did to me. They are forgiven and written out of my life.

I am sorry for the sour apples...but I needed to get this written so that I can go on with my life. The pain inflicted has continued to eat at my heart and I don't want that pain any more. I don't want them to apologize. I just want them to stay away from me and leave me alone.

In spite of the content of my blog today, please have a happy and safe day. May God watch over you and keep you in his love.

Now are the days that all quilter's fear

Tonight I have to make my final decision on what to take on vacation. We are very limited as to space yet I want to take a weeks worth of sewing with me. What a delemia. I know I will take the fabric and patterns for the quilt top I am making for my MIL. I know I will take the fabric and pattern for the quilt top I am making for DH. I can see the possibility of one other project. No batting. No backing. Just the tops, the notions I need for the specific projects and my sewing machine and it's table.

We are planning some shop wandering while we are in Gatlinburg. DH wants to get a new Buck Knife. I want to visit two quilt shops. Other than that, if the weather is good and there is a trail that is handicap friendly I want to go into the Smokey Mountains National Park for a walk. I love the park. I have visited two of the waterfalls in the past. I realize that seeing another at this time is not possible. Neither of us can walk that far and I cannot push a wheelchair over the paths that go back that far into the park. I will settle for the peace and quiet and the sounds of nature. When I visualize a peaceful scene it is always this park or the property my parents used to own in northern Michigan. I love the sound of the wind through the tree branches and the sounds of birds and squirrels. Let's leave the porcupines and skunks out of it. They are too dangerous for my taste.

Have a great day and praise the Lord for all good things.

DH is home and I am quilting

Friday DH came home. We had a quite evening together and went to bed early. Saturday was the day we visited MIL. She is definitely using two cane at all times. We are waiting for her doctor to mail a release form so she can request a transfer of records to the nursing home I think she will really do this now.

Last evening I started working on the Sew to Win Blocks for Guild. Somehow my machine has readjusted it's self. My 1/4 inch seam was about three threads too wide on the first four seams and a 6 1/2 inch block ended up 6 1/8. I need to rip those seams out and start over. No big problem as they were the first four seams of the center of the wreath block.

Tonight I have several things on my to do list and those four seams are on it. I also have to start packing for Gatlinburg.

Did you know there is a big quilt show and retreat in Gatlinburg every March? I have been looking into it and cannot wait to see what classes are offered in 2009. Maybe DH and I can have another week in Gatlinburg before we head to Orlando with the family.

Have a great day.

Coming Home

DH will be coming home tomorrow morning. I will pick him up at the rehab center at 8:00 A.M. and have him home before 9:00. Once his he settled in and comfortable about being home with only Max & Roxie to keep him company I will be going into work for the remainder of the day.

I already have supper planned for tomorrow. Pork roast, potatoes, carrots and corn. Since the weather is supposed to be cooling I will be making home made dinner rolls as well. This will be a celebration dinner to pass all others.

This weekend we need to visit MIL and get her on the path to a nursing home. DH has been very worried about her the last four weeks and so have I. There is a nice nursing home within one mile of our house and we can visit daily or more often if needed. She has been fighting this for years, but now is the time to do it before she has another bad fall. Then I will have both of my patients to care for and watch over. With the help of the nursing center staff I am sure that MIL will be fine as long as we visit regularly and at different times during the day.

Tomorrow evening after supper I am getting out the fabric for MIL Christmas present quilt. I have a lot of fabric cutting and piecing ahead of me. If I can get all the pieces cut out before we leave for Gatlinburg then all I will have is the piecing to do while on vacation. Navajo Tears needs additional piecing but DH has become so observant that I don't think I can work on it when he is present. This presents a bit of a dilemma. This will take some thinking about. Maybe I can get DH to promise to look the other way so I can work on it. LOL It's worth a try, don't you think?

So many UFO's and so little time between now and Christmas. I have my work cut out for me. Fortunately I have a 4 1/2 day weekend the week of Thanksgiving. I hope to get DD quilt under the sewing machine for the next phase of quilting. I am fairly sure that Navajo Tears and MIL quilt will have to be tied rather than standard quilting. The time frame is too tight otherwise.

If you cannot tell I am in a better mood than I have been in a very long time. DH is showing signs that almost indicate that the dementia was mis-diagnosed. Only time will tell on that. The neurologist said not to come back for 3 months. We will see what happens in the meantime.

Have responsibilities to get back to. Have a great day.

Off Topic

Well, yesterday was a very busy day and I did not get any quilting in. However, DH had two doctor's appointments and we voted and had supper at Bob Evans. It was a nice road trip and we had a great time being together outside of the rehab center.

Nothing else to say, but have a great day.

Guild Meeting

I turned in my Sew to Win block and picked up a new Kid's Komfort kit at Guild meeting last evening. It was good to see my friends from Guild. I am the website support person and our president announced my request to be provided with updates for inclusion. Some of our members are hesitant about updating their areas in the website and I want to give them the opportunity to include their information without needing to update the website directly.

There were 25 blocks finished in the Sew to Win category. Unfortunately I was not the winner, but I am still going to continue to contribute to the Sew to Win process. I am sure that the winner was just as excited when she found out as the winner last month. I picked up two blocks this month. Each is a wreath with a Christmas color set. They look like they will be fun to make. I certainly have enough green and red fabric that I can make my own quilt top if I do not win at the December meeting.

After the major cleanup and rearrange at our house Saturday, I have reclaimed my corner in the living room for quilting and logically stored quilting tools so I can start quilting again once DH is home. Today is his big road trip and after I drop him off at the rehab center I hope to have some R&R time at home. I have some things to put away from grocery shopping and a load of laundry to fold and put away. Then maybe I can continue working on "Navajo Tears". There is some pressing to be done and I have about 50% of the blocks sewn. I would like to get most of the blocks finished before DH returns home. Then I can put the blocks together and finish the top when he goes to bed before I do. Otherwise his Christmas present won't be a surprise.

Have a great day.

Sew to Win Block

I finished the Sew to Win Block for Guild last night. It turned out really pretty. I hope I win this month, but have learned some new techniques that will be valuable in the future.

DH has been in the hospital now since October 10th. This has been the longest month in my life. He almost died in the first 24 hours and was on a ventilator to help him breath from 10:00 am on the 10th through 10:30 am on the 14th. He was in Intensive Care from the 10th through the 13th and in Telemetry from the 14th through the 17th. He transferred to a rehab facility on the 17th and I had him pulled out of there and transferred to Drake Center on the 23rd because of the poor care he was getting. Drake has him truly on the road to recovery! For a while there I thought I was going to be a widow before my 14th wedding anniversary. Now James is more lucid that he has been in months and is aware of thing around him that he missed totally. There has been some definite memory loss during the time just prior to his illness, but his dementia symptoms have reverted to those when he was first diagnosed. He has made progress that I think will impress the doctors to the point he will be allowed to drive. I am already acknowledging that I will be a passenger in a car he is driving. What a change!

DD and SIL spent Saturday helping me prepare the upper level of our bi-level home for DH to return to. Whether he is in a wheel chair or a walker he will be able to move from room to room with no difficulty. We moved furniture to make additional space between traffic areas so the house is more invalid friendly. God bless my daughter and son-in-law! They were so much help! I still have some minor cleaning to do between now and when DH returns home. It will be a breeze after all the assistance provided by the "kids".

I am looking forward to Guild this evening. Terry Tope will be our guest speaker. Her speciality is reverse applique and I cannot wait to hear her speak. She taught a class this weekend that I was not able to attend, but I am sure some examples of students that took the class will be shown during the meeting.

The Sew to Win block for the next meeting is a mystery. I cannot wait to see what they have planned for us. The President's block for our former president should be announced shortly. I definitely want to contribute to that. Also, they should be announcing shorting what quilt teachers will be visiting and teaching for Guild in 2009. I would like to that one or two classes if possible.

I need to get back to my responsibilities. Have a nice day.

Quilting again

It has been three weeks since I worked on my quilting at home. I did attend my neighborhood group on the 3rd Wednesday of October, but otherwise I have not picked up a needle or run the sewing machine. Last night I did some pressing of blocks that I am working on and tonight when I visit DH I will be working on my Apple Core wall hanging. The rows are all finished and now I have to sew them together. I think this is going to work out nicely. I need a piece of fabric for the background. I will be appliqueing the 5 by 5 cores to another piece of fabric. I would love to find something with apples on it, but that may not be possible.

If DH gets out of the hospital in time we are going to Gatlinburg for a week in mid November. I am already planning 3 projects to take with me. I will have to limit my quilting gear as we are taking the dogs with us. Have I introduced you to Max and Roxie? Max is a 95 pound black Labrador mix and Roxie is a 93 pound AKC registered Rottweiler. They do take up the entire back seat of the car so the trunk will be packed from top to bottom and side to side.

The timeshare we are visiting has an inside water park so swim suits/trunks will be in order. Both of us will be taking advantage of this I am sure. We have to get in shape for Orlando in April. Again that will be a trip with minimum quilt gear because the dogs will travel with us then too.

So many plans and such a positive attitude. I have my DH back (we almost lost him totally) and I am in such a happy place!

Have a great day.

I did some quilting

Thursday I went to my guild sponsored neighborhood group and worked on my Apple Core wall hanging. It was so nice to see everyone. It had been a long time.

Several of us are dealing with husband's with health issues. More people to place on my prayer list. One member is dealing with cancer and she is a fighter. I know she will win this battle and the war!

I don't know how much if any quilting I will get done this weekend. DH is being transferred from the hospital to a skilled nursing facility (rehab) and it is further away from our home than the hospital. I am also back on call for our daily reporting cycle at work.

Even though I am trying to take care of myself, it seems that I am fatigued all the time. I need some quality time to rest and gather some strength.

Have a great day.

Najavo Tears

Thursday evening I completed the first 14 blocks of this quilt. I haven't been able to do any quilting or piecing since then. My DH has been in the hospital with pneumonia, kidney failure and massive sepsis. He is recovering after being on a ventilator since Friday morning. All I have been able to do is to comfort him and read while he was heavily sedated. This morning the discontinued the ventilator and he is breathing on his own. We almost lost him.

I will post when I am able to get back to my quilting.

Have a great day.

More progress

I completed three more blocks last night. Then I realized that I had put the two side HST pieces on the wrong side and upside down. What a bummer!

Tonight I will be un-sewing the block and putting it back together in the correct order. This quilt is my top priority right now. I don't know how much longer DH will be able to live in our house. His health has taken a dramatic turn for the worse and I think he will be in a wheel chair shortly. I may have to take up the carpeting to make this happen.

Sorry to put such depressing news in my quilt blog.

I need to find a strong man to help me carry in two book cases and a student desk for my quilt studio. They have been riding around in my truck for weeks. Maybe I can use the wheel chair. LOL

Have a great and blessed day.

Progress

I have completed three more Najavo blocks for a total of seven completed. This is about 1/4 of the blocks I will need for the quilt top. I am planning on setting the blocks on point with earth tone fabrics between. The blocks take less time than creating the HST needed to put the blocks together. I still have 240 HST to make before I am finished. wow.

For the time being I am sewing in the living room to keep an eye on DH. He is struggling. I am taking one day at a time or even one minute at a time. There is no rush in this disease so I learn as I go.

Today I go on call for my employer. We have a daily cycle that will be my responsibility. For the next 7 days I will be responsible for any problems that crop up here at work dealing with our area within I/T. This will be the last time this year until year end closeout.

Be happy and enjoy life.

Charity Quilts Donated

At Guild last night I turned in the two finished quilts and the two finished tops for the Alaska Maternity clinic. I returned all the fabric that I had intended to use for additional quilts for the Alaska Maternity clinic as well. I am sorry that I will not longer be able to make quilts for this worthwhile charity. I love making the small quilts and thinking about the newborn babies that will have a blankie to love.

My membership in Guild has been renewed. I was not able to stay for the entire meeting, but my main goals were to turn in the charity quilts and pick up the Sew to Win block for the November meeting. The winner of the October Sew to Win was so excited when her name was called. I was very happy for her. Even if I didn't win, I know how to make the blocks and can make one for my self. That is the advantage of being involved in the Sew to Win process. The November block is a pine tree with HST along the edges. Thangles were included in the package.

This will be another learning experience for me. I use the method of adding 7/8" to the finished HST and making a grid of 3 by 4 square the enhanced size. Then I sew along diagonal lines between the squares and created 24 HST without having to sew on a small piece of fabric along the bias. The HST do need to be trued up to the correct size and there is some waste, but the finished project makes the loss of fabric easier to accept.

This last weekend I made 240 HST triangles for "Navajo Tears" along with socializing at the retreat in 1 1/2 days and started putting the blocks together. My next learning experience will be making QST (quarter square triangles). My heart almost quakes.

I have the NICU quilt top layered and basted. It is ready for quilting and binding. My deadline for this quilt is Sunday, October 19. We will be making another pattern for the NICU. Wonder what pattern they will choose to teach us.

After guild I continued to unpack from the retreat. I have almost everything stored or in place to continue to work on my projects. I have so many projects that are scheduled for Christmas gifts that I will be busy all the time.

Have a nice and blessed day.

October Retreat

I did make it to the retreat. I made some progress on my new quilt "Navajo Tears". I have 50% of the HST squared. I started putting together the individual blocks and putting the HST in a random order around the center square. I will continue to work on this after DH falls asleep each evening. This will be his Christmas present.

DH requested that I make a quilt for his mother. It is designed with a cross in the center and several blocks that will complement the cross. I picked up the fabric Friday afternoon after lunch at the retreat. Tonight I plan on printing out the instructions for the various blocks. I will work on this when DH is awake.

I have completed the 2nd Baby quilt for Alaska in the Trip Around the World pattern. I will be turning in all the quilts and tops for Alaska tonight at the guild meeting. I will be renewing my membership for the guild this evening as well. I don't know if I can be absent from home for the hours of the meetings, but want to continue my membership regardless. Of all the neighborhood groups that I have been involved in, I hope to continue to attend one of them. The others will have to wait until I am no longer a care-giver on a daily basis. I will no longer be able to leave DH alone in the evening.

My neighbor across the street is keeping and eye on DH while I am at work. I believe that adult day care will be necessary in the near future. DH is getting less and less able to be left alone for long periods of time.

Have a blessed and peaceful day.

Back again with a fire in my belly ("Working Girl")

The 2nd Alaska Baby Quilt "Trip Around the World" is in the process of having the binding stitched on by hand. I hope to have this finished prior to the end of the day on Thursday. The Alaska baby quilts will be handed over to Jerry at our Guild meeting.

From here on my baby quilts and other donation quilts that I purchase the fabric for or from fabric that has been given to me will be donated to the Linus Project here in Cincinnati. I have several ideas for quilts for the Linus Project and cannot wait to get started.

Packing is progressing for my quilt retreat this weekend. Since DH has pulled out of his deep depression and I have made arrangements for individuals to check on him while I am away and the retreat is only 20 minutes away from the house I feel confident that all will go well while I am getting some respite. For those of you who are not care-givers respite is a chance for the care-giver to replenish soul, mind and body while knowing that the person they are responsible for is being taken care of by responsible other people. My daughter is coming over to the house Friday evening. I still have to set up the visiting nurse to visit on Saturday and I am good to go.

Have a great day, Karen

Dear Husband

I will not be blogging for a while. My husband has gotten much worse and I will be trying to get him into the hospital today.

Please pray for us, Karen

Love of Quilting

My newest issue of Fon's and Porters' Love of Quilting arrived yesterday with two extra inserts. They are full of ideas and directions for new techniques. I marked the projects I want to put into my list of future projects.

It was good to have a bright light during a day of difficulties.

Have a good day, Karen

HAPPY DANCE

Our power was restored yesterday at 7:00 in the evening. We still have power this morning. This weekend will be general pickup after the storm both inside and outside of the house. I really need to run the vacuum!

I found the perfect pattern for a lap quilt for DH in an old issue of Quilt. It is a Navajo block and will work perfectly with my stash of red fabric and a package of six 1/2 yard fabrics that I picked up about 6 months ago. I am not certain when I will start it, but soon.

After all the restoration of normalcy in our home (from the storm and its aftermath) I am going to get the treadle machine out of storage and into the living room. It will be a statement of my love of sewing and once I learn how to use it again it will become my sewing machine for special projects and for power outages. I will never be without a sewing machine again!

Have a great day, Karen

Another Day Without Power

I got a shower for the first time since Monday morning by the grace of my daughter. Teresa and her husband invited us over for showers, laundry and supper last night. What a blessing!

No quilting news because we spent the entire evening with them. I love my grandson. He is so full of joy and happiness.

Today when I get home if we still don't have power I am going to try and dig out my treadle sewing machine and see if it still works. I want to quilt during my down time.

My employer has rewarded all employees who showed up at work on Monday after the terrible wind storm. We are all getting an additional 1/2 day of vacation for the 2008 year. I am going to cherish mine. You better believe it!

DH is worse. Weekly visits from home nursing. On oxygen 24/7/365. Don't' know where this will lead. God never gives us anything we cannot already handle. We don't know the strength within us until we are challenged.

Have a great day, Karen

Alzheimer's Day

Sunday is national Alzheimer's Day. Pray for those with Alzheimer's and other dementias.

Thank you, Karen

Daily Report

Last evening before the sun set I spent some additional time with a flash light in my sewing room trying to organize things and find two BOM packages that I want to take to my retreat in October. I found the packages and put them in my work satchel for the retreat.

We are still without power after 70 hours. I look at pictures of the aftermath of Hurricane Ike from Texas and know I have it easy compared to them. Still the thought of a shower or a clean set of clothes (Sunday is laundry day in our home) is really foremost in my mind. Our daughter got her power back yesterday and has invited us to her home for dinner, showers and a load of laundry. I am definitely planning on accepting this invitation.

DH is having difficulty dealing with the power outage. I hope that visiting our grandson will help him.

Have a great day, Karen

I keep finding things

Yesterday after work and before the sun went down I went into my old sewing room with a flashlight (yes, we still don't have power after 48 hours) and started rummaging around. I found several of my BOM packages that I plan to take to my quilt retreat. I also found another Kid's Komfort that needs layering and quilting.

It was really too dark after supper to do much. I don't see how our ancestors did any needlework with light from an oil lamp or a candle. How did they do that?

The dogs are adapting to the lack of lamp light. Although I think that they think we have gone crazy with the flash lights and oil lamps. I even am using a different alarm clock and they haven't figured it out yet. I get extra sleep time. Yeh!

DH is trying to adapt an inverter from his truck driving days to recharge his cell phone and laptop. Then he is going to try to get the refrigerator a little colder. We may be able to save some of our groceries.

Well, have a great day, Karen

Hurricane Ike

I hope that everyone who can read this and has dealt with the hurricane and its aftermath is okay.
Here in the Cincinnati, Ohio area we were struck with the remnants of Ike in the form of very high winds and gusts of wind of hurricane force. The greater Cincinnati airport was closed for a number of hours as they had to evacuate the tower.
My neighborhood had houses with shingles and aluminum siding blown off. Many people are using their grills to cook.
My employer is open for business as usual, but my home has been without power for 18 hours and I expect that everything in the refrigerator and the freezer is ready for the garbage man.
My prayers go out to those who have lost loved ones and their homes. May the Lord or higher power that you believe in guide and protect you in the coming days.
Karen

Update

Last night was spent organizing my quilting supplies with the goal of being ready for the Crafty Friends 2nd Annual Retreat in October. I found the hiding place of several of my supplies and organized them with the retreat in mind. I also labeled some of my mini storage boxes so I know what is in them without opening. A simple solution to something that has driven me to insanity from time to time.

I am on countdown to the retreat. With DH health declining so rapidly I do not think I will be to many more retreats in the near future. Until he is so ill that he cannot be left alone and must be institutionalized, by primary role with be caregiver. I don't know how I will juggle work and caregiver, but with each passing day the definition has become more clear and even with rapid changes, I seem to adapt. God says He will never allow something in our lives that we are not already prepared to handle. I am leaning on the promise with all my belief.

Today I completed the minor pick up of clutter in the dining room. I moved the knick knack cabinet that my MIL gave us to a corner that is a little more out of the way in case DH falls in that room. Then a quick dust and put back with crystal that is stored there. I also moved one of the extra chairs in the dining room to a more convienient place so that DH can walk around the dining table with ease. Just a little thing to make his day easier. The other extra chair is where I lay my purse and carryall bag when I get home from work. A few things had piled up and I sorted them and put them were they belong. My mother always said a place for everything and everything in it's place. I am trying to apply this more and more to my daily life.

This afternoon I will be running some small errands and then home to more straightening. If I get all my goals completed I will allow myself all Saturday evening and all day Sunday for quilting and piecing. Now that is what I call a reward and there are no calories involved.

Have a great day, Karen

Another quilt layered and basted

Well, well, I have the NICU quilt layered and pin basted. The thumb is recovering from all the pin pricks and will be fine in a few days. The backing fabric will not be a good choice for reverse quilting. The clowns are too random and far apart.

This weekend JoAnn's has a fantastic sale with many 40% coupons. I will try to take advantage of as many of them as I can justify.

Cleaning continues one item at a time. Since it is supposed to rain most of the weekend, I hope to get quite a lot done in the family room. Perhaps I can start to move my sewing area into the smaller area in the L shape for the time.

Works continues as normal. Today is payday and I have a little left after all the bills were paid. I think we are going to dine out somewhere inexpensive this weekend just for a change.

Have a great day, Karen

Alaska Baby Quilt #2

The Alaska Baby Quilt Trip Around the World #2 has been layered and pin basted. This morning I am wearing Neosporin on my left thumb and middle finger. Only two actual cuts, but lots of mini scratches in the upper layers of the skin. Luckily the left thumb is not used for touch typing, but the right thumb is used for the space bar.

Enough of my injuries.

DH had a good day yesterday. He mowed the lawn in the front and back of the house. It looks really nice since it is about 8 inches shorter than it was. I am amazed that my neighbors hadn't complained. During the winter one of them actually shoveled the drive and walk way for us. We have wonderful neighbors and I thank them for all the help!

I have another quilt I want to layer and baste tonight. It is a NICU quilt that started my walk down the road of Trip Around the World. I have the perfect backing fabric for it and I am thinking about reverse quilting by using the backing fabric as the pattern for the quilting. The bobbin thread will quilt the top and be totally different from the pattern of the fabric. I will have to mull over this idea and look at the top and fabric before trying this. I do not want to practice a new machine quilting skill on as important a quilt as this is. At the same time it would be a wasted opportunity.

The house cleaning continues to be one item at a time and it is starting to show. How nice.

Hurricane Gustav was declared a catastrophic loss, but our company was not hard hit so we did not set up cat loss reporting for it. Now we may have to deal with Hurricane Ike. Time to watch and see what it brings to the company. It is hard to see large losses both for the insured that we help and for the company itself in these hard economic times. We are fortunate to have good investment gurus here at the company and that makes for a tighter bottom line (no pun intended) on the balance sheet. Our stock has been taking a roller coaster ride lately, but seems to be on the road to recovery. That is good because my pension and my personal stock in the company is the basis for retirement.

Have a great day, Karen

Alaska Baby Quilt Finished

The binding is completed on the first Alaska bound Trip Around the World Quilt. It is folded and on the stack of quilts to be turned in at Guild.

I have two quilt tops that I want to layer tonight. That will be my only goal for quilting today.

Slow progress on the family room. One item at a time as I pass through.

Have started my specific list for my October retreat. Also, I have been contacting various agencies to see what I can do to insure that James gets the proper attention.

Have a great day, Karen

Studio Makeover

My teacher for Studio Makeover has had some major life style changes either chosen or forced on her. Family and personal goals have changed the direction of her life and as a result I will not be able to study with her. I honor her choices for it must be hard to make a 180 degree turn in your life because your know it is the right thing to do. There is always that little piece (I believe it is the adversary) that keeps telling you to ignore responsibilities and move in the direction YOU want to go.

I have the first two lessons of her syllabus and her book on Studio Makeover. I will use these along with my common sense and the help of DH to make a studio that will fulfill the functions I need and provide some quality time for the two of us to work together. I will be learning some skills from DH before he forgets the skills. This is foresight in my part, because I know there will be many things that I rely on him to do that he needs to teach me. It may help lessen his depression in the process.

Yesterday I went to JoAnn's to exchange a purchase I had made in error. They were kind enough to honor the 40% coupon on my new purchase. This is a wonderful shop for supplies for quilting and other crafts and the employees are so helpful. I love to go in and talk to them.

This morning while getting ready for work a did a couple of small chores around the house. Just putting away a pair of needle nosed pliers was a success and I did do more than just that one thing. I ran the dishwasher so it will be ready to empty when I get home. Another success. Each success builds the path to another.

I am not sure what my plans are for this evening. I will leave you in suspense to find out tomorrow.

Have a great day, Karen

Latest news

The binding for the baby Trip Around the World has been sewn on and basted for the hand work. I used a pale orange for the binding and I think it looks great. As soon as I figure how to empty my camera I will take some photos and post them.

No progress on the family room. Today is the day the garbage goes to the street so I have a deadline of sorts. I keep promising myself that I will work on this and then get involved in something else.

No change for DH.

I have all my quilt magazines entered into the database I am using. It is a great way to know what not to bid on for back issues on e-bay.

Today is open for examination.

Have a great day, Karen

A little corner of the living room

Last night I completed my second Kid's Komfort quilt. It is the one with the curved quilting. That will be two to turn into Guild at the October meeting.

Then I looked at the mess in my corner of the living room and decided that it would not do. Everything is now picked up and put into its storage place. If I make enough progress in the family room today I will move these items into a new corner and start using my studio.

It is exciting to see these projects reach completion. Each completion makes the finishing of the next item seem more possible.

Today I printed out the first two lessons from the Studio Makeover class. It is time to start doing my home work in preparation for my new quilt studio.

DH fell today. Just his dignity hurt. I am very worried.

The weather is beautiful today. I have turned off the AC and opened up the house to air. The dogs are outside playing in the backyard.

I have some errands to run and then I will attack the family room again. I can only do a little at a time. I am always exhausted. Between my own health and DH I tire very easily. Even to blog is hard.

Karen

Thursday Machine Quilting

Last evening I spent time trying to figure out machine quilting. I haven't done much beyond stitch-in-the-ditch and I was trying to do a long curve starting at the corner of four patches and swinging out into the patch on the right and then coming back to the seam line where the next two patches meet the previous two. Basically it grew into circles running through the intersection of the four patches.

It looks exactly like what it is; a beginner machine quilter trying out something new. Anyone looking at it up close will know it, but a novice will only see the circles. I am using a variegated 50/3 King Tut thread and it looks really great on both the top and bottom of the quilt. This will be one of the Kid's Komfort quilts I will be turning in at Guild at the October meeting.

DH had another bad day. I wish I could use different words for the good days and the bad days. He is so depressed right now that it is effecting his dementia and every day is not a good day. He finally figured out why his back is hurting worse the usual. He had put the lifts for his shoe into the wrong shoe. Since he is wearing a brace on his left leg that runs from inside the shoe all the way up his thigh, it makes his left leg longer and therefore he needs lifts in the right shoe. He hasn't been able to find the lifts for several days. He looked in both of his everyday shoes (right only) and did not realize that he had transposed the lifts into the left shoe. Once that was corrected he felt a lot better and the pain decreased measurably.

Tonight I am going to go through my stash and find a bolt of fabric I purchased on clearance that should work for the binding on all my Alaska quilt tops. I will need to get out the ironing board to iron the fabric and clear off my cutting table to make strips of fabric for the binding. This is a relatively new process for me. I usually cut my binding on the bias, but because these are quilts that have no curves, I am going to go with the straight of grain. Fun!

This weekend will be a continuation of changing the family room into my sewing room/quilt studio. My family room is L shaped and I have made some progress in the smaller area. If I can clear out what remains and take down the card table that I have been using for my grandson's coin collection I should have sufficient room to move my computer system and office furniture into this section. Once this is done I can start progress on the other section and have a place for R & R when my 60 year old body starts to complain. I really want to get everything totally out of the other area so that I can measure the remaining walls and mark exactly where the windows on the south wall are positioned. Then I can start drawing floor plans with more accuracy than I currently have.

BHG has a fabulous website for planning room layouts and I am using it currently to show a before layout and also working on a final layout. Having the before will allow me to know the dimensions of all my furniture and how they interact at this time.

This Studio Makeover will take about four months from start to completion and I need to have parts of it available for working at the same time. What fun ;).

Have a great day, Karen

Baby "Trip Around the World"

It has reached the binding stage. How exciting. I have to get several quilt tops together and go to Jo Ann's for a binding fabric that will work with all of them. Either that or get a neutral solid color fabric. That might be the better idea. With a 40% coupon burning a hole in my pocket I think I will be heading that way right after work. Then I will pull out my instructions for making binding and be on my way to a finished UFO.

I am practicing my machine quilting on a Kid's Komfort quilt that will be turned in at the October Guild meeting. I am getting so much done in the evenings that I cannot believe it.

I miss the interaction with my 'friends' but get so much more work done without the distraction. Maybe they did me a favor. I am sure that was not their intent, but you know the old adage. "When life hands you lemons make lemonade." I should open a lemonade stand at Guild. Naw. They ain't worth it.

The above is not an example of a Christian thought. But, remember that I am not perfect. It is what I do with my thoughts that makes my Christian walk. It is easy to forgive. The hard part is to forget the slings and arrows and go forward. With Christ at my side I walk through each day with an easier heart knowing that it is written: "Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather
give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay
saith the Lord." Romans 12:19 (KJV)

Have a great day, Karen

Tuesday Accomplishments

Last night I finished quilting the baby "Trip Around the World" and sewed a seam 1/4 inch from the edge. Tonight I will trim off the excess backing and batting and it will be ready for binding. I haven't decided what fabric to use for the binding, but I have time.

Tonight I want to layer the second baby "Trip Around the World" and baste it. I bought another box of quilting pins yesterday at Jo Ann's with a 40% off coupon. Jo Ann's is so great about coupons. When you sign up for the mailings you get them and also going into the store they frequently have coupons as you walk in. I am getting such bargains, that it is difficult to stop spending. However, I am getting my long term staple gadgets now rather than fabric. I think I have enough fabric and patterns to last my life time and beyond.

DH had another bad night last night. He is starting to show more episodes of sundowner syndrome. It is hard to go to bed and sleep when he is up and watching TV. I hope he doesn't start wandering. I cannot work a 40+ hour week and stay awake to keep him safe at night. I don't know what the solution will be when he progresses that far with his dementia. He did manage to keep his CPAP on all night long. His sleep apnea is probably the main reason for the dementia and using the CPAP along with his meds keeps him from sliding down the road of dementia to the point of total memory loss. Please pray for him.

Have a great day, Karen

Monday and Quilting

Yesterday I almost completed the quilting on one of the baby "Trip Around the World" quilts. I will finish the quilting this evening. Then I will layer the second baby "Trip Around the World" and start quilting it. The first was quilting with straight line quilting diagonally through the rectangles of the patches. Sewing through the bias was very interesting. The second I will be implementing some techniques I learned from one of our Guild's visiting quilt teachers. I am going to try a simple curving stitch down the seam lines between the patches. I envision the curves going into the patches and making a pleasant change to the puffiness of the finished quilt.

I made some real progress in the process of getting my family room ready for the studio makeover. As soon as I get one area in the back corner ready I will be moving my computer system into it. This way I can combine all of my hobbies in one area and free up the smallest bedroom to be what it is designed for. It has been my computer room and office since January, 2000. That is when I had my hip replaced. The computer remained there when DH had both knees replaced in December, 2000 and through several knee surgeries for me prior to my knee replacement in September, 2006. I am doing much better with the stairs now and feel that I can take my computer system back downstairs.

My EQ6 class is slowly coming along. I have fallen behind in the lessons and plan on setting some time aside each evening this week to play catch up. I want to finish the lesson prior to the end of the class so that I can ask as many questions as possible. This is a great product and I can see some fantastic quilts in my future.

A Christian friend of my was talking about how her walk with God is progressing. She reads from the Bible every day. I have been reading some scripture, but if I want to walk the walk I need to be more regular in all aspects of my spiritual life. Just praying is not enough. The Word of God is also necessary to keep me on the path. How wonderful to have a friend who likes me whether I am happy or sad, angry or glad; who takes me as I am and points the direction chich is most in tune with my goals of spirituality.

Have a great day, Karen

Saturday Successes

This morning I measured all the walls and doors and windows in the family room. I also measured some of the furniture and office equipment. I set up a room diagram of the family room as it exists now. Tomorrow DH will be asked to help me with the remaining measurements. Friday I had the 36 hours flu and today he had it. So much for my plans for this weekend. But I still had successes.

This evening I catalogued all my magazines that I currently have scattered about the house and put them into the magazine holders that I bought at IKEA. I have filled eleven of them so far and still have more to go. I also catalogued my printed quilt patterns from various websites that have free patterns. I guess I am showing my age as well as my mistrust of computers when I have to have paper instead of saving to a hard drive. I have had my share of computer problems and don't really trust them. And this is from a computer professional of almost 40 years. I still know that a machine can freeze up and then where are you left?

I also have shredded several documents that are no longer needed for tax or government purposes. Since none of the companies that I have started are in business and the statute of limitations with the IRS is past as well as with the Department of Transportation I can destroy all my records. I will have five or six four drawer file cabinets available for all my sewing and quilting records. AND I won't have to dust them either!

Have a great day, Karen

Thursday Evening

Surprise: I have more magazines about quilting than I thought I had. I was clearing off a chair in the dinning room that I set various "stuff" on at the end of each day and I discovered almost 20 issues of various quilting magazines. I am in seventh heaven!

EQ6 has a free software program to use as a database and I am cataloging my quilting books in one database and my quilting magazines in another database. Looks like I will have some data entry to do this weekend.

This is the beginning of a three day weekend. I have informed DH that I have planned out the entire weekend. It may be selfish, but sometimes caregivers need to do exactly that even if they are not on a respite. (For those who do not know what a respite is, it is time away from caregiving with no responsibilities but to take care of yourself. It is a time for reflection, healing and rest.)

I will digress only this far. Yesterday I had an appointment with my primary care physician. He treats me and DH. I told him about my quilt neighborhood group and how they had told me I am no longer welcome in their group. My doctor said, "Tell them to go to H---. They have no idea what you are going through. Until they have to deal with what you are handling they have no right to make any statement or to treat you with disrespect."

Have a great day, Karen

Wednesday and sorting

Yesterday during lunch I reviewed two more of my back issue quilting magazines. It is amazing how many ideas we can come up with when using the inspiration of other quilters. Sometimes it is an unusual color combination and sometimes it is a technique that we had never experienced. I am blessed by the quilter's before me and I know it.

Last night I availed myself of several quilt patterns that are free on the Internet. I am in the process of deciding what project to take to a retreat that I will be attending in October. Since my time between now and the retreat will be taken up in quilting and binding several baby quilts I feel that several small projects that will give me completions would be the best choice.

Oh, and I will take one large project that I can wonder over at the same time. If I finish the small projects then I will have something very new to start. How exciting. I cannot wait to see my friends that I made at the retreat last year. I am looking forward to catching up with their lives.

Today at work I am setting up all the necessary database tables to track claims from Tropical Storm Fay. After that I will be documenting everything I have done so that the auditors can review the project. What used to take 30 minutes to do now takes about four hours to document. Such is the insurance industry and the government.

Have a great day, Karen

Tuesday and Quilting Magazines

Tuesday I spent most of my lunch hour and evening reading quilt magazines. I have started to purchase back issues of various magazines on e-bay and have found some really delightful patterns and ideas to branch out into my own designs. What a delight to have the time to spend pursuing my love of quilting.

Just have time for a brief note. Tropical storm Fay has finally been declared a catastrophic loss and I have to do my thing for our insurance company so that we can report our claims and set aside our reserves. The insured must come first.

Have a great day, Karen

Monday and Quilting

I had so much fun last night. I spent the entire evening going through quilting books that I had checked out from inter-library loan. Four dealt with longarm quilting. Two on purchasing a longarm machine and frame and two on how to set up your own quilting business. Having had three businesses of my own in the past I was checking up on the differences between them and quilting. Did you know that if you earn more than $400 per year in quilting services you have to include it in your income tax? I never knew that before. Also, if you want to charge off your expenses you have to set up a business and keep books and file a separate income tax for the business as well as your personal income tax. All information for me to file away for the future. I do know that I will not do any quilting for money until after I have retired from the insurance business. One job at a time is all I want in my life right now.

Along with the longarm quilting books I also looked at two that deal with fat quarters as the basis for quilts. They were very interesting and I may purchase these two books in the future. In the meantime I am getting most of my quilt patterns from my quilt magazine subscriptions, back issues of quilt magazines that I am purchasing from E-Bay and the Internet. There are so many free quilt designs on the Internet that I may never purchase another quilt book. Not!

I am super busy at work today, so will have to cut this short.

Have a nice day, Karen

Childhood

I was just thinking about my childhood. Raised as an only child with parents that were unable to show emotions, but were always ready to fight I think I turned into my parents at an early age. I can sink myself so deeply into a book or a craft like quilting that I am unaware of my surroundings.

To escape reality in this way is both good and bad. Good because I can go to a zone where I am content and relaxed and the worries of the day are forgotten. Bad because I do not face reality and do not interact with those I love the most. I think I need a doorbell on my zone.

I certainly was handed a wake up call by some of my guild members. I cannot call them friends any longer, but I will admit that I have gotten to know them much better than I would have liked to. They have pointed out my faults to the Nth degree and have made the choice to isolate from me until I change my attitude. Being that I am 60 years old and rather set in my ways, change is difficult to say the least. Right now I am thinking over my opportunities and deciding what I am going to do. I probably will not post my decisions, but, then that is my option.

The old rhyme below sort of sums up what I have been thinking:

Monday's child is fair of face.
Tuesday's child is full of grace.
Wednesday's child is full of woe.
Thursday's child has far to go.
Friday's child is loving and giving.
Saturday's child works hard for a living,
But the child who is born on the Sabbath Day
Is bonny and blithe and good and gay.

I am a Friday's child. I was born on Good Friday at 1:20 A.M. To think that I was born on the day that Christians honor the memory of Christ being nailed to a cross to there suffer and die is awesome. I am so fortunate to have a Saviour that knows me through and through and is willing to forgive me for my sins and offer me a way to salvation. My spiritual life is becoming more and more a part of my daily and hourly thoughts. Forgiveness was so hard when I was young. I wanted to get even with anyone who hurt me. Now after 60 years I know that forgiveness is the easiest thing to do. Giving God the choice of how He will handle wrongs against me and how he will lead me down the path of righteousness is a blessing. I do not have to do anything but follow his lead. He will make sure that the path is laid in front of me and gives me the choice to follow. May I always follow the path to His glory.

Have a great day, Karen

Update

Friday evening I finished the top from the 2nd baby "Trip Around the World". I matched it up with the backing fabric I will be using. I then matched up the 1st baby "Trip Around the World" with it's backing fabric as well. I also matched up two other finished tops for baby quilts with their backing. That is four baby quilts that will have to be quilted. I think piecing of tops will have to wait for quilting and binding.

Saturday was spent with my MIL and our extended family. I had a chance to get better acquainted with my step grand daughter Brandy Jo and her half brother Austin as well. They are two very well brought up children. Shortly my step son will be the proud grandfather of four. His oldest step daughter is due any day. He is only 29 and a grandfather already. He always said he wanted a large family and he certainly does.

James and Charles have finally bounded as adults. I am so happy that this has happened. And to think they did it over a over heating battery in Charles car???

Last night was race night and we watched the NASCAR race at Bristol. I fell asleep before the race ended and right now I have no idea who one. That will have to wait until I have time to sign on to the NASCAR website.

I have photos of my existing family room for before pictures. Unfortunately I am having trouble uploading them to my PC. That will have to wait until some evening this week.

Today is laundry, family room and misc. I cannot wait until the 8th of September when my one-on-one with Myrna starts. Three months with an expert at designing a quilting studio. What an honor!

Have to get to my Sunday chores.

Have a great day, Karen

Cub Scout Vest

Today I spent my lunch hour finishing attaching patches to my grandson's Cub Scout Vest. For someone who has only been in scouts for 12 months that kid has so many patches my fingers are sore from sewing them on. They must use some of the hardest plastic in some of these patches. But Gramma loves the responsibility of putting them on. It is one way I can show him how much I care.

DD told me that there will be some more patches soon. I cannot wait. I love to put them on for Jeremy.

Tomorrow will have very little to do with quilting. We are going to visit my MIL in Falmouth. My DH youngest son, wife and daughter are supposed to be visiting at the same time. I will have to keep the two men apart. They do not get along well. DH son has a difficult past and it keeps coming up again and again. I hope that someday he grows up to be the man his father is.

DH has so many wonderful qualities and it is a shame to see them disappearing into his dementia. It is hard to deal with loosing someone while they are still there. I think I said this once before, but it bears repeating. I am loosing my soul mate and at some time he will forget who he is and who I am. A veil of tears.

Unless you have gone through this you cannot begin to imagine the fear and sorrow and anger that courses through me. I want to fix it but I cannot do a d... thing about it. I know that we all will die some day, but what a horrible way to go and how hard on the family. My MIL watches DH like a hawk. She cannot believe what she sees when we visit. Her heart is breaking just like mine is. Sometimes all I want to do is strike out at everyone around me and make them see that I am falling apart in side. All they see is the anger and it pushes them away. Why oh why cannot friends be friends when you need them most?

I need something happy to think and talk about. I got another e-mail from Myrna today. She is in the process of setting up the first lesson for the Studio Makeover. Until then I have 16 days to get my family room ready for the invasion of the major alteration it will be under going. Wonder what the garbage man will think on Monday? And then again on the following Monday? And finally on the last Monday before my class starts. I hope that a lot of what goes out will be recycled. That it will not end up in the land fill.

There are several project that I want to complete before the end of September. Wish me luck as I work on my UFO list and complete things.

Love you all, and have a great weekend. Karen

Studio Makeover

I paid and signed up for the Studio Makeover class being offered by Myrna Giesbrecht last week. Today I got an e-mail from Myrna informing me that she is taking the class another step and will be offering it one-on-one for three months at a time. Since I had already signed up I will get it at the original price. I was blown away. Of course I immediately replied that I was more than willing to take the class in the new format.

Now comes the hard part. I have always been known as a fast starter and then rarely getting to the finish line. I will have two lessons in one. First will be the sewing room of my dreams. Second will be learning a new pattern of behavior. At 60 years of age learning anything is very interesting and to change a behavior is even more challenging. I look forward with excitement and concern.

I still have to completely empty my family room in preparation for this undertaking. I will be taking before and after pictures...but I don't know that I will share all of them with you. I definitely will share the photos as the studio takes form from the empty room to the completed room. I have a photo album somewhere on webshots. At least I think that is where it is. I will do some searching and that will probably be where my photos will end up.

Enough for now. Have a great day, Karen

I digress

Today I need to sit on the pity pot for a while. The last two days have been (deleted expletive)! DH has had two very "bad" days in a row. It caught me off guard. Then he asked me to promise that I would not tell the doctor at our next meeting. He is so out of it that I don't know what to do. He is taking his pills at the wrong time and consequently he is drugged instead of medicated. Then my small quilting group on Mondays totally ignored me last night. I finally left at 8:30. I was the first one to leave, but I was close to crying.

Off the pity pot!

I have almost finished the second Alaska baby quilt. Only three rows to sew on and then the two major sides to sew together. I plan on finishing the top tonight.

Saturday I made a major road trip. Jo Ann's Fabric, Staples, Half Price Books and Meijer's. Polka Dot material...I didn't own a single piece. Sentimental Stitches is starting a polka dot garden so I loaded up on 1/4 yd pieces of each that Jo Ann's had. Along with that I got several pieces of fabric that will work as the backing for my charity quilts and some foam core board to make a design wall in my new studio. Staples was a stop for more color ink cartridges for my printer. I am going through them at the rate of two a month. Half Price Books was just to look for books by Chiaverini and another author. I ended spending $50 on books from idiot's guide to home security to beginning wood working. At Meijer's all I was going to get was two book shelves. I walked out with three book shelves, one computer desk, three lamps, three lamp shades and an African violet for my flower garden in the kitchen window. Wow, what an expensive day!

Myrna Giesbrecht is starting her Studio Makeover classes from her website on September 8. I need to gut the family room before that. After this top is completed the sewing machine is going to be packed up and I am getting to work! I am excited and just a little worried. I have never approached a total renovation of a room before. I guess the class will keep me on the straight and narrow and I will end up with my dream sewing studio in the end.

Have a great day, Karen

Oh how I wish I could work on my to do list

Good intentions never accomplished anything. If I don't work in my family room I cannot have my sewing room / studio. Does that make me go down there and work. Nope. I piece my quilt tops instead.
I have given up on trying to make the Trip Around the World a post on my blog. I just forget to take pictures as I go along and take off sewing. Sorry. If anyone wants the instructions and the photos I do have, leave a comment with your e-mail address and I will send them to you.
Last night I got most of the top put together. Once I have it finished I will take the two tops to JoAnn's and get backing and binding fabric for them. The fabrics for the tops are not "baby" fabric so the backs will have to be "baby" fabric!
Big weekend coming up. Two days to work on the house. I would love to give the family room floor a really good SCRUB! It has been too long since it had more than a lick and a promise (if you know what I mean). To do this I will have to put a lot of things out by the street for the garbage man. I have Saturday and Sunday to do this since the garbage man comes early on Monday morning. Wish me luck, please.
My next EQ6 class assignment should be available at 6:00 P.M. EDT this evening. I cannot wait to get my hands on it. If I can finish it tonight then that will leave me all of the rest of the weekend to work on house cleaning.
If you haven't already guessed, I HATE HOUSE CLEANING! I am my own worst enemy as far as this housewifely practice is. I strongly believe in a place for everything and everything in it's place. BUT, I don't have a place for everything I have and therefore do not put away things. I am known as person who is controlled by my stuff instead of me controlling it. I have several books on how to get rid of clutter. That is the problem...too many books about it and I cannot seem to follow the directions.
Enough.
Have a great day, Karen

History strikes again

Yep, I didn't go to the group meeting. Shame on me!

I continued to work on the baby Trip Around the World and cut one piece of the sewn together strips 1/2 inch too long. Just means that I have one less row to fudge with. I have been taking pictures as I go along. Once I figure out how to add pictures to my blog you will be able to watch as I go.

I have started to read one of the three books I bought through Amazon dot com about setting up a sewing room / studio. Looks like I have my work cut out for me. First I have to literally get every piece of furniture and all knick knacks out of the way and start measuring the walls, windows, fireplace and sliding glass doors so I can diagram the layout. I think I may have to throw away a love seat that I have had since 1982. It's in poor shape and I don't have the couch that went with it any more so I won't be too much of a pull on the heart strings.

After I finally get everything cleared out I have to figure where to put my 7 (yes seven) sewing machines. I could keep the one for traveling in it's case, but it is the most modern of all my machines. I will have to think about it. I have purchased several different storage containers and other things to make this studio my own. The Dollar Store and sales at JoAnn's are making this an easy transition.

This evening I think I will plan on spending one hour working on the family room and then reward myself with some more work on the quilt top. I would like to get it finished before the 21st so that I can give it to one of my friends who has a long arm and has offered to layer and quilt my tops for charity. Oh, I do so want my own quilting frame.

I wonder if Uncle Sam will hand out some more money for fuel surcharges and what my IRS refund will be next spring. Maybe I will have enough to get the machine to go with the frame. I am easy to please and don't need the top of the line machine. I requested several books from the inter library loan service in Ohio on long arm machines. One of them even tells you how to set up your own business.

Well, maybe after I retire I can supplement our income with quilting. Who would think I would ever want to go back into business on my own? I have been fighting with DH for years because he wants to start up some kind of business. After two failures in our own businesses I didn't ever plan to do that again. But, with only myself to contend with I might even consider it. We will have to see what the future brings.

EQ6 all weekend long -- almost

Friday evening was great! My employeer had Vince Gill and Amy Grant Gill come to the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio just for the employees and agents that were attending the August meetings. It was the first time that all employees and all the August meeting attendees were at a single function together.

Amy was really fantastic. She talked and sang and we got to know more about her as an individual as well as enjoying her songs. What a special lady. She was checking her oldest daughter into college on Friday morning, flew to Cincinnati just for us and was flying back to the college to finish the freshman processing.

Then Vince came on the stage. You just have to love the man. He projects this simple calm down home attitude and then belts out these songs that just go clear to your soul. I loved every minute of his singing and then Amy came out and sang back up to one of his songs as an encore.

This is a fantastic couple and I wish them the best in the years to come. We had quality entertainment for a non-stop hour and 45 minutes. My employeer is the best!

Saturday morning I started my EQ6 Sampler class from Quilt University dot com. What a wonderful class! I started and finished the assignments before lunch and had my homework posted on the gallery website at Q.U. before supper. I finished my EQ6 Mystery Quilt Lessons 1 through 3 and posted them on the EQ6 Mystery Yahoo Group Website. To say I am a little psyched is an understatement.

Sunday evening I got out my sewing machine and started sewing strips for my second baby quilt sized Trip Around the World. I will start taking pictures tonight and taking notes of the process as I go. I will post them here if anyone is interested, feel free!

I was wandering aroung the internet after I finished my EQ6ing and went out to the HGTV website for Alex Anderson's "Simply Quilts" videos. Guess what was up first. You will not believe it! Myrna Giesbrecht was her visitor and there were four episodes to watch including a walk through Alex's and Myrna's studios. How great for background on my own studio makeover! So many things are falling into place that I am truly blessed.

I actually attacked some of the chaos in my family room so that I can start on my studio. The crunch to get it finished before September 1 is off. My orthopaedic said I don't need knee replacement as soon as I thought. But the pressure is still on to get my own place to sew and just be calm by myself. Sewing in the living room is a nice way to spend time with DH. But, DH is sleeping most of the time in his easy chair. So much for togetherness.

Tonight is the Caregivers Support Group. I have missed the last two months. I better get my act together and attend tonight! Even if I don't think the meeting help I know that I will need them further down the line. It is called denial and it isn't just a river in Egypt!

I am really leaning towards getting that Grace machine quilting frame. I need more research and to talk to friends in Guild to get feedback. I am thinking and thinking about this. I will not leap before I really can justify the expense!

Have a nice day, Karen

What am I doing?

Last night I read two more of the quilt magazines that I picked up from Guild. They must have had 100 issues of old magazines that someone was giving away. What was interesting is that a magazine from the 80's had the same pattern as one of my magazines that I got within the last two weeks. The traditional patterns never go out of style, do they?

I purchased EQ6 a few months ago and have been dabbling with it ever since. Recently I became aware that EQ has mystery quilts on their website. I started with the previous quilt about two weeks ago and finished it up last night. Boy did I learn things about EQ that I hadn't learned yet. Tomorrow is my first lesson from Q.U. called EQ6 Sampler. It is taught by Fran Gonzales the EQ guru. I am sure that I will learn bunches from her. Also have another EQ mystery quilt to start. Looks like a lot of time will be spent on the computer.

The three books and the floor layout portfolio that I ordered have all come in. I started a basic layout for my sewing room/quilt studio and I don't have enough room in the family room to put everything! Maybe I should get the actual dimensions of the room and the placement of the windows, fireplace and doors. I always seem to do things backwards. I definitely got the carriage before the horse on this one.

Tonight my employer is taking the entire company to an event. It is to be held at the U.S. Bank Arena in downtown Cincinnati. We are getting free parking, free entrance to the Event and free beverages and snacks inside the arena. We won't know who the entertainment is until the introduction at 8:00 this evening. The last time CFC did this they had Bill Cosby come during the business day and all the employees were outside enjoying a carnival kind of atmosphere with ice cream and soda. If they could get Bill Cosby, can we even imagine who they will have tonight. Some many names of entertainers are being speculated about. I imagine that only 5 or 10 upper level management know who it is for sure and one individual in Corporate Accounting that paid the fee to the entertainer. I will let you know who it is when I blog next.

I am not sure exactly what I am going to do this weekend. I know that reading is OUT! I cannot afford the time. I have too many UFO's to work on and time is getting short on the Alaska baby quilts.

They last few weeks I have been struggling with envy. One of my friends from Guild has a new Grace quilting frame and a new long arm quilting machine. I die of envy every time she blogs about it or mentions it. I have been looking at a Grace frame called Gracie II. It will take a long arm quilting machine or even a regular sewing machine. The amount of space that is available for quilting depends on the machine. It can be anything from 6" to 18" for the professional long arm. Am I getting too self centered and wanting this too much? I have the cash to pay for the frame and it is upgradable as far as the machine for the future. I figure the frame and the necessary accessories will be about $1250. Is that too much to be spending? I have to really think about this. When I talk to my DH James he seems to encourage me. Is that because he knows how much I love quilting or because he then thinks that we can go and get a new motorcycle for him. You know the yang and yang of that type of thing in a marriage. I must not pursue this aggressively. Patience girl, patience!

Enough for now. Have a great day, Karen

No quilting since Thursday

Machine is still in bag. Fabric is cut and waiting. I am reading books. I am in a funk.

Will not take it out on you.
Have a nice day, Karen

UFO weekend starts early

There is an UFO weekend at Q.U. and I am part of it.

Thursday afternoon I cut the 10 FQ for my next baby Trip Around the World quilt top. Then I had to go to sleep from 3 P.M. to 9 P.M. I am part of the team at work responsibile for the month end closeout. I was called in at 12:30 A.M. and will be working until 7:30 A.M. Then I can get back to my UFO goals.

Have a nice day, Karen

Elm Creek Quilt Books

Last night I spent most of the evening crying over a book. I am reading the Elm Creek Quilt books and because I don't own all of them I am reading them out of order. Yesterday I picked two of them up from the library and read "The Quilter's Legacy". What a tear jerker! I love these books, but the next morning I have swollen eyes from all the crying. It used to be "sad movies make me cry" but now it is "sad books make me cry". If you haven't read these books I highly recommend them!

I got all the fabric for the 2nd baby "Trip Around the World" quilt top ironed. Then reading got in the way and that was all my quilting.

DH took his pills out of order yesterday and was a zombie by 7 in the evening. I don't know what to do about this. I cannot monitor his behavior while I am at work. There has to be a solution, but I haven't found it yet. Pray for me.

Have a nice day, Karen

Success oh what sweet success

The top for the baby quilt for Alaska maternity hospital in the Trip Around the World is complete. I could only find one of the two FQ's that I needed. So I improvised. I used fabric glue stick and a very light interfacing and glued the remainder of the FQ to the interfacing. Then I cut a 2 1/2" strip balancing the interfacing evenly on either side of the strip. It worked out perfectly.

I only had to "unsew" one more set of squares that was out of order and finished the top and ironed it. I have one more with different FQ's to make and then off to JoAnn's for backing for both quilts. How exciting.

My reqular Monday night group Quilted Chaos is not meeting this month. The hostess is on vacation in Washington, D.C. Therefore I have the entire evening to cut out the 2nd Trip Around the World and proceed from there.

This weekend is a Q.U. cyber retreat. I have sent myself three goals. 1) Organize all my fabric. 2) Organize all my projects. 3) Layering finished tops to start quilting. If I finish these then I will start somthing else. I do not think my DH will like my cyber retreat. When I home he wants my attention. It must be hard not to have any hobbies or things that he can do. Here he is stuck at home 24/7 with nothing but two dogs to play will. I would go crazy! Thank God for quilting.

My trip to JoAnn's on Saturday after our visit with my MIL was amazing! Between all my coupons and the sales and my AQS 10% discount I purchased $122.00 for only $61.00. What a bargin. I still have my 40% coupon left and it doesn't expire until August 9th. I wonder what I will do with it?

Have a nice day, Karen

Oh really dear

If I hadn't made a cutting error and the FQ's I purchased had actually be 18" by 22" I wouldn't need to purchase two more FQ. I will probably finish the quilt top this weekend and then I will start a second creating instructions as I go along for anyone who wants to make a baby Trip Around the World quilt. I am sure the second will go much easier than the first did.

We are going to visit my MIL tomorrow. I will be rewarding myself, as I usually do, with a trip to JoAnn's. My list is long and the sale this week is great.

Have a nice day, Karen

Oh dear

I spent more time unsewing than sewing last night. Isn't that a nice way to say I used my seam ripper more than I wanted?

I was working on my Baby Trip Around the World and kept getting the fabrics in the wrong order. Then I made the oops of the evening and cut two of the panels in 2 1/2" instead of 3". I may have made the goof of the century and now may not have enough material. Since it was late I stopped. Tonight I will gather the troops and see what I need to fix this.

My second mistake was breaking my new rule of not picking up the living room and dining room before going to bed. My only excuse was I was very tired.

I will attempt to finish this top tonight.

Have a great day, Karen

Progress on Trip Around the World

Last night I set out the sewn strips for this quilt top. I cut two additional 2 1/2" strips of each of the ten fabrics. Tonight I plan on sewing the strips together and cutting the individual rows to see how my plan of 10 FQ to make one Trip Around the World baby quilt will come out. I will cry if I don't have enough fabric.

Yesterday was one of DH bad days. He is so depressed. He asked me to set up the necessary paperwork for a will, durable power of attorney and a living will. I will be taking care of this in the next week. He is certain that he will not live much longer. I cannot figure out how to comfort him. His left leg is so swollen above the knee where the quads were reattached and it scares him. I am believing the doctor when he says that the new brace will help this area heal. James thinks he is facing amputation. Off the pitty pot!

Earlier this week I was talking to my non sewing daughter. She has always said that she would never take up quilting. I think she is slowly changing her mind. HIP HIP HOORAY!! I would love to share this adiction with her. She is very good in the crafts that she has taken up and I believe that with very little instruction she will become an excellent quilter.

The only regret I will have is giving up one of my sewing machines. My mother left DD her sewing machine, but I have had it in my home for over 10 years. That will take me down to only seven sewing machines. I currently have my great grandmother's antique treadle machine, a antique treadle machine I picked up at a garage sale, my MIL Singer in a cabinet, a portable Singer that I purchased from a co-worker, a cabinet Singer purchased from same co-worker, my original Sears Kenmore machine, my DM Montgomery Ward Signature machine and a Singer 9410 that a friend no longer needed and gifted to me. What a wonderful collection.

I cannot wait to get started on my sewing room/studio. Myrna Giesbrecht will be offering her Studio Makeover soon through her website. She no longer teaches at Q.U. I am sure many students will miss her, but it is great that she is taking some of her classes and providing them on her own.

Oh, bye the way, when I took the NICU free class at Best Friends Quilt Shop they mentioned they were going to start a Dear Jane Club. I cannot wait! This should get me back on track with my tiny squares.

Have a great day, Karen

OHAD not

Last night I was supposed to go to my Monday Guild small group. Instead I fell asleep in my arm chair and didn't wake up until my DH asked me if I wanted a peanut butter sandwich at 8:00. That is an evening shot in my opinion.

I did do some internet surfing and downloaded a few quilting patterns for future reference. Just what I need, another UFO project.

Today my BOM from Everything Quilts arrived. It looks like a really fun block. I cannot wait to start.

Tonight is laundry night, so I should get some quilting done in between loads.

Have a great day, Karen

Another top finished and another top started

I finished the top for the Alaska quilt and added a border. It is all ready for layering and quilting. Then I started "A Trip Around the World" for the Alaska maternity quilt project. I cut ten fat quarters into 2 1/2" by 22" strips and then started sewing the strips together. I need 6 pieces 3" wide out of each panel that is number 1 through 10. Then I need 4 pieces 3" wide out of each panel that is number 2 through 1 and so on. I have the 1-10, the 2-1, and the 3-2 rows done. When I have all the rows done I will put a single piece 2 1/2" by 3" between a 1-10 and 10-1 row and have the top row of the quilt done. Once I have completed the top and made sure that my directions are workable, I will post them here.

I have two of these baby "A Trip Around the World" for the Alaska maternity quilt project to do. Boy will I have a show and tell at the next Piecemakers group meeting.

Tonight is the mid month gathering for Quilted Chaos. I still don't know what I will be doing there. Have fun and talk with my friends most likely. I wish I had some binding to fasten on a quilt but I am no where near to that process on any of my projects.

So far I have been able to keep most of my promise about keeping ths living room and dining room straight on a daily basis. Last night I had to leave my iron out because I forgot to turn it off after my last strip was ironed. I will have some picking up to do tonight when I get home from work, but I can do that while I cook supper for DH. I did some major inroads into the kitchen this weekend. Only two mor surfaces to work on and then some major scrubbing and I will be done. The next cleaning project will be the landing between the the stairs. I do progress, but slowly.

Have a nice day, Karen

Quilt top completed and another started!

Last night at Piecemakers I finished the quilt top for the NICU "Trip Around the World". It turned out really great. The only problem I encountered was the way I had been instructed to press the seam allowances. I will never, never, and never press my seams open again. The points where the rectangles came together were not even close. From here on I will always, always and always press to the dark fabric so that the seams will click into place and the points will line up. Now all I have to do is a border, layer, quilt and bind. All??? My binding clips arrived from JoAnn's so I am ready to go. Hooray!

I really got on a roll last night and started my next Alaska maternity quilt. It is a simple 6.5 block surrounded by three 2.5 strips sewn together and cut to 6.5. Then all it needs is arranging and putting together. I got 4 rows of 6 together. After I looked at it I think another block will be needed to make it big enough. It was to be 5 blocks by 6, but I think 6 by 6 is really needed. Fortunately I have enough fabric to do this.

This weekend I have two goals. 1) Make my kitchen as neat and clean as my mother always kept her's. She was a fanatic about clean kitchens! 2) Get the rest of the books into the bookcase.

After these goals are met I am going to quilt to my heart's content. I have been granted a reprieve on my Patchwork Illusions class. The next class I am signed up for at Q.U. is going to be delayed because the teacher is having surgery. This gives me more time on the Patchwork Illusions homework. Everone else in the class is having such success and I want to be included!

Have a great day, Karen

Sweet & Sour -- Happy & Sad

Last night I continued working on my NICU Trip Around the World quilt top. I have the right side together and ready for final pressing. I have the rows for the left side ready for pressing before assembly. I may actually get the top finished this evening. I also set down a larger baby quilt with the Trip Around the World pattern on graph paper. It looks like 9 fat quarters will be perfect. I am going to JoAnn's this evening after work and take advantage of their $.99 sale of FQ and pick up some pastels and baby prints that will work well in 2 1/2" by 3" rectangles. This is going to be fun!

My daughter called yesterday on her way home from work. We were discussing this and that and I mentioned that we wanted her, her husband and our grandchild to come over for a visit. She said that as soon as I finish cleaning the kitchen they will come over. They haven't been in the house in almost 8 years. I am finally feeling better after all these years of poor health and the house is starting to look like a home instead of a collection of stuff. Stuff has ruled my life for far too long and I am getting the better hand of it. Before I went to bed last night I actually picked up everything that was mine in the living room. Now I have to continue this on a daily basis and start working on DH to do the same. If we can keep it clean and straight on a daily basis it will stay that way. Oh, I pray we will succeed on this!

Tonight along with finishing the top of the NICU quilt I need to cut out the fabric for one of my Alaska maternity hospital charity quilts. It's going to be 6.5" squares and 2 1/2" strips sewn together to make 6.5" squares. I am not sure how I will alternate the strips blocks. Will have to get it up on the design wall to make sure what is pleasing.

Tomorrow is the big day. DH and I will visit our primary care doctor. I have many concerns that I will be addressing during this appointment. DH driving, DH applying for conceal to care permit, DH using credit cards, DH not remembering, DH getting lost, DH etc..... Fortunately the doctor is on James side and also has been through it with his own mother. I know he will give us good guidance. If only DH will follow the recommendations! Pray for us, please.

I have to get to work on my Patchwork Illusions homework. I have all the fabric, the value finder and the template. I have no excuses to be procrastinating on this! All I have to do is sit down and do it. My classmates are getting too far ahead of me. I think this will be my Friday project after work.

Yesterday I received not so good news from Hancock's of Paducah. My fabric for the background the of Fairy Dust quilt is on backorder. Oh, sadness and woe.

I must end this and get to work. Have a wonderful day, Karen

NICU Trip Around the World

Saturday the patterns for the Fairy Dust quilt arrived. I have only to wait for Hancocks of Padducah to send me the background fabric and I will be ready to start this quilt. It will be my first major project with paper piecing. What a ball!

Yesterday I went to Best Friends Quilt Shoppe for a free class. It was a Trip Around the World in a small size to be donated to the NICU. I had a ball.

It was a totally new pattern to me. I had seen it in pictures, but to try and construct it was a real trip. That plus the directions didn't seem to go with the finished project. The instructor finally made the instructions work and I got most of the right side of the quilt top sewn together. I was very careful when packing the strips so that I can put them up on my design wall and have them in the right order to sew together. As soon as I finish the entire quilt and take it in I will be entered into a drawing for something from the shop. Since it is a really nice LQS I hope I will win something. However, the main reason for this was to learn to make the smaller quilt. I intend to send some of my quilts based on this pattern to our maternity hospital in Alaska that we donate baby quilts to.

We are finally in our own bed again. Yesterday my DH and I finished clearing off the books from the master bed and we finally had a good night's sleep. I feel totally refreshed! And James used his CPAP and didn't snore all night long. While we were camping out in the living room he snored every night.

We picked up the new dining room table Saturday at IKEA. It looks so nice, although it is under a table cloth. Even though it is considerably smaller than the old table it seems larger. Maybe that is because it is 45" in diameter and the old table was 36" by 60". I love the new table.

Thursday is Piecemakers and I have to cut out some fabric for an Alaska quilt. I think I will also cut out fabric for another baby Trip Around the World and work on both Thursday evening.

Have a great day, Karen

Patchwork Illusions

My value viewer and 60 degree diamond cutter ruler arrived from Karen Combs on Wednesday. With all the chaos about the rug cleaning and furniture moving I haven't had a chance to use them for the process of choosing my fabrics for my first illusion cube.

We are still sleeping in the living room. James was just to tired and despressed last night to help move things out of the master bedroom. We have to get moving on this so that we can begin living like human beings.

My plan is to pick up the new dining room table at IKEA on Saturday and have James computer desk and the new table in the dining room before the end of Saturday. That should leave me Sunday for quilting.

Our LQS, Best Friends Quilt Shop, is having a NICU quilt making class on Sunday. It is free and the results will be "Just a Little Trip Around the World" quilt for a baby in ICU. I cannot wait for this free class. Maybe some of my other friends who take classes at Best Friends will be there too.

I have to get moving on all these things so that I can get back to my quilting. I am going through withdrawal...I'm melting. LOL

Have a great day, Karen

Pictures sent & house cleaning

I used my husband's digital camera and took several pictures of my fabric for Patchwork Illusions. After cropping one I sent it to Quilt University. Karen Combs recommended that rather than keep them in the same color, to arrange them by value.

I finally gave in and ordered the value lenses and Karen's diamond template to work on my homework in this class. I cannot wait for them to arrive.

On the home front we got everything out the dining room, living room and hall and had Stanley Steamer come in and clean the carpets. They look almost new except for the few stains that could not be removed. I am going to wait until the carpet is totally dry and try Oxi-Clean in a concentrated form and see if I can get out more.

The new couch was delivered yesterday evening and it looks so large compared to the old one. Because I had to take all the books out of the book cases in the living room and hall we had no bed to sleep in last night. Stanely Steamer recommended that we do not load the book cases until we remove the block underneath. That depends on how fast the carpet drys. Tonight I will replace the books after we remove the blocks from under the book case and then we can sleep in our own bed. The new couch is quite comfortable, but it is not going to become a regular thing!

The new dining room table will be picked up this weekend on Saturday or Sunday. No more card table to dine on! Hooray.

I am laying down the law to myself and DH that we will not dump anything in the living room or dining room and that they are to be kept neat at all times. Also, the frequency of dusting and vacuuming will be more often to keep it all clean! This is my new year’s resolution in July. LOL.

After I get one more room into my austerity program I will start on my sewing room /studio remodeling. I cannot wait, but have made a promise to myself that there are priorities and the studio comes second!

Have a nice day, Karen

Progress not Perfection

Last Saturday was the first day of my Quilt University class Patchwork Illusions with Karen Combs. I purchased some fabric from my local box store (Walmart) on Saturday with the intention of combining it with my stash.

Monday evening I took the time to lay out the fabrics by color and then light to dark. When I was finished I had almost 60 fabrics. They were all layed out so neatly and then I couldn't find my digital camera! LOL? So I put my fabric carefully away. Tonight is laundry and camera search. No reading! No quilting! No piecing! What a bore, but got to get it done. DH is down to his last pair of tidy whites and complaining. I don't blame him at all.

Have a great day, Karen

Sewing Room / Studio

Saturday I rewarded myself for going to visit my mother-in-law by going into the Dollar Store and buying out almost every Sterilite storage box they had. I must have spent about $125 on storage for my new studio. Right now they are balanced on the back of the couch in the family room. As soon as I finish getting the living room and dining room in my new austerity format I will truly start on the studio.

My house is a bi-level and the studio will be in the family room that is directly beneath the bedrooms. It is the coolest room in the house during the summer (which is a good thing) and has a fireplace so that I can keep it warm and attractive in the winter. I am so excited about this new studio. I will be able to have quilting friends over for mini retreats.

I am still waiting for my pattern to be sent from Starr Designs that I ordered at the NQA show. I am getting impatient to see it! I still have to purchase about 12 yards of a pale yellow fabric at my LQS to use as the background fabric. I am thinking about Moda Marbles or Fossil Fern at the background, but will have to see what they actually look like next to the HQ bundles I picked up at NQA.

Several of my quilting friends are passing around vintage quilt magazines. We put a post-it on the page of a pattern or article that we want. At the end the magazine will be taken apart and the individual who want the patter will get it. If more than one is interested a copy of the original will be made so as not to run afoul of the copyright laws.

I picked up several pieces of remnant fabric at our local big box fabric store (Joann's here in Cincinnati) on Saturday. That also was in reward of my trip to my mother-in-law. Several are fleece and will coordinate with other remnant pieces of fleece that I have purchased for my quilts for the Alaska baby quilt project that Piecemakers is supporting. Last Thursday at our meeting we took out an enormous storage box with fabric and tried to coordinate fabrics together into packages that will be used to make tops for this project. I picked up so additional fleece then.

I have so many new projects that I need to list on my blog that I will wait until I get some time at home to do it.

Have a great day, Karen