MIL wall hanging

Today is my last day at work before Christmas. Tonight I intend to sit down at my sewing machine and finish the wall hanging. Most of the pieces are cut out and all I have to do is place each piece and then tack down before machine applique with a blanket stitch. I am looking forward to doing this tonight.

Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Saturday morning Breakfast Club

The third Saturday of each month is Breakfast Club at my local quilt shop. In November we started a pattern called Fiesta Eggs. This is supposed to be a simple pattern that a beginner can use.

Well we learned different about 1/2 hour before we were scheduled to be wrapping up. Therefore, we scheduled a December third Saturday to complete the project.

In December we all thought things were going well and basically they were, but we made slow progress. Since there are only four regulars we decided to continue with the project in January.

I do have my homework cut out for me. Since my project is in red and green I decided to make the corner stones of the shashing into an eight pointed star in gold and the shashing in blue. I need to get all my shashing done before the January Breakfast Club meeting

MIL Wall Hanging -- new deadline

Well, they changed the dates on me at the nursing home and I have not finished the wall hanging. I will just have to settle with December 25 as the deadline.

Perhaps I will get to work on the hanging this weekend. It is supposed to be rainy Saturday afternoon through all of Sunday. A perfect excuse to seclude myself in the quilting!

Have a great day

MIL Wall Hanging

I have a definite deadline for this project. The nursing home where MIL lives is having a Christmas party on 12/14 and the presents have to be in the activity room no later than 12/11. This wall hanging must be finished on Thursday of this week. I have most of the pieces cut out. Now to machine applique them to the background and hang bells, apply stars and apply dark buttons for Santa's eyes.

Have a great day

Christmas presents

Surely I wouldn't start a Christmas gift after Thanksgiving? You want to bet.

I have started on a Santa wall hanging for my MIL. I have almost all the pieces cut out. Since NASCAR season is over I can plan on working on it Sunday.

Right now I am mostly working on my knitting.

Have a great day

Quilter's Design Table

JoAnn's had a sewing table on sale and I showed it to DH. He said to go ahead and get it as my Christmas present. I spent all Saturday afternoon and evening putting it together. I got to bed at 2 A.M. The next morning DH helped me with a few things that I couldn't put together. All in all the dratted thing had 23 parts and too many screws, hinges, casters and wooden pins to count. I could not believe how stiff I was Sunday morning.

I am starting to set up the table to work on my Christmas presents. I have several mini quilts in mind to give to my daughter. I will post about them later.

See my new blog about knitting. I also have a blog called the bucket list. I hope you get a laugh from it.

Have a great day

Serger

I finally had enough money in my credit union savings account to purchase a serger. It is one of the least expensive of the Singer sergers on the market. I still have to read the directions and then find some fabric to practice on. I still have to make room for another machine.

Have a great day.

Organization Tips

Oh I wish I had some organization tips to give people who read my blog. There is only one thing that comes to mind right now.
1. A place for everything and everything in it's place.
2. Keep like things together in one place. (i.e.: All rotary cutters in a box, basket, or use a hanging shoe rack and keep them in a specific pocket.

I will try to come up with some more.

Anyone out there who has tips please share them with me and I will post them in a special side bar.

Shop Hop

This got on my blog empty. Too funny.

Last Saturday (9/12) I continued on to a shop in Burlington, KY. It is called Cabin Arts and is in two buildings right next to each other. You will never believe it but a couple from Dry Ridge arrived just after I did. Reunion.

The shop is lovely and has a good variety of fabrics and patterns. I certainly hope they are included in the Tri State Shop Hop again next year.

After getting lost in Lawrenceburg, IN and getting lost again I finally found the main street and there was the quilt shop. The city has changed so much with the casinos pouring money into their city and county budget that they have totally remade the main thorough fare. The Quilt Bug is a shop I have been in before but they have changed their store greatly. Good quality fabric and several patterns that I need to return and check out.

With my car not being real cooperative I thought about not stopping at another shop, but Best Friends Quilt Shop in Cincinnati yelled my name and I couldn't pass by. The have expanded their store front to double the size. Everything is nicely presented and they appear to be building up the number of quality fabrics that they are going to display. I saw a couple of wonderful patterns for Christmas that are in kit form. Once my quilting budget grows a little I will have to go back.

Saturday, 9/19 I continued on my journey. But first I stopped at Seam Sew Easy for the Breakfast Club class. The pattern is called Belgium Waffles and it is exciting to work on. I almost finished one placemat. I also discovered that some of the jelly rolls in my stash are not quality fabric. I will have to use a fusable on the back of the other strips in order to have a nice placemat. Nancy reminded me at noon that I had to get hopping so I left with the promise to come back and work more on the placemat's.

After a very long journey through the corn and soy bean fields of western Ohio and eastern Indiana I ended up at Pohlar Fabrics in Libery, IN. It is right across from the dock on Brooksville Reservour that I used to fish from with my 2nd husband. I remember the fishing with joy; the husband is in the divorced pool again.

Guess who I ran into at Pohlar Fabrics? My buddy from the Kentucky shops. She was all finished with her hopping, but came back to Pohlar Fabrics to pick up some more fabric. We had a nice talk and she encouraged me to take my time at Appalachian Quilts in Fairborn, OH.

Next a longer trip through the fields and I ended up in Trenton, OH. I didn't run into any other shop hoppers I know, but I had a lovely time with my friends at Valley Quilt Shop.

Next was the trip up to Dayton, Ohio. My first stop was at Sew-A-Lot, then Appalachina Quilts and finally at Sulfur Grove Quilt Shop. I will add comments latter.

More next posting. Have a great day, Karen

Shop Hop and Retreat

Saturday I spent the afternoon driving from one quilt shop to another following the Tri-State Shop Hop bunny path. I was able to visit 7 of the twelve shops. What a drive.

My first stop was Sew-Ezy Sewing Studio in Sharonville, OH. They had a demonstration of a quilt as you go process that I really like. I pickup up the pattern and fabric bag and the gave out a goody bag. There was a pattern that I will have to go back for. It was like trick or treat. Along with water and pretzels they included a coupon for a local restaurant and a body shop. The restaurant is one of my favorites and very close to where I work.

Next stop was Aunt Ruth's Quilt Shop in Sharonville, OH. I had been in this shop before and was glad for a return visit. They are super friendly and have a great selection of fabrics. They have recently moved to a new location and have more room for their class studio. I have attended their 2nd Saturday night sew for all and really enjoyed the interaction.

Glendale, OH was my next stop at Stitches. This is the store that I originally had my first quilting classes at. They were in Fairield, OH, but relocated to a lovely shopping center. While I was there I saw a jacket that would be perfect for me after being altered to a vest. I recently completed my CCW and need vests to cover the holster. (Yes along with everything else I am proficient with firearms.)

After the first three shops I had a long drive to Dry Ridge, KY. The Quilt Box is located in a very old farm house on a working farm. They even have a pond that husbands can fish as long as they release any catch they make. I was enchanted with the shop and while talking to the husband of the owner he mentioned Japanese fabrics. These are regular quilting fabrics with traditional quilt motifs. Not the usual Japanese pagodas and kimono dressed women. I overheard two staff members talking about how several patrons have purchased this fabric to make clothing. I will definitely have to go back.

I will continue this later.

Sewing Studio update

I have started to make progress in my sewing studio. You no doubt remember my moaning about it in several past blogs. Well it is finally getting the attention it deserves.

Last weekend I started going through all the "trash" that has accumulated in the family room. I have only made a dent; but a good dent at that. The recycle bin will be full next Monday. I may even stack several boxes of paper on top of the bin.

Once I get all the paper out and move the garden pots that have accumulated (I think they multiply like rabbits) then I will start to see more possibilities.

Last year during the back to school sales I purchases two or three book cases. They are waiting patiently for me in the garage. I cannot wait to put them together and use them for the magazines and books about sewing and quilting that I have gathered together over the years. How exciting to be able to go to a book case and pull out the very pattern I want. As I put things into place I will also be creating a database of title, pattern and location for each. Then I can go to the computer and say "I want a pattern with the Ohio Star" and find all the various books and magazines that use it. How exciting!

The other thing that I am so looking forward to is my sewing machines. Yes. I have many. Three or four are in the garage also. Mostly Singer machines, but also a treadle machine. I am going to get that treadle machine in working order for the next time we have a power outage. I will not be deprived of my quilting where there is no electricity.

I leave for my October retreat early this year. They had to change the date to September 26, 27 and 28. I so look forward to the friends I have made over the last retreats. I will be looking specially for Maureen. I haven't seen her since last year and I miss her kindness and gentle spirit. Some of the others just make me want to burst out laughing. They are a great group of women and I love them all.

Enough for now. Talk to you later.

Quilt Quild

I missed Guild again last night. I have been having problems with my pancreas and it's too painful to go running around. Now I will have to wait until October's meeting since we meet the first Monday of each month and the September meeting always falls on Labor Day.

Wonder how much I can get done on my list?

Have a great day, Karen W.

NQA Annual Show in Columbus, Ohio

Saturday I attended the Quilt show in Columbus. I had a great time. I met vendors from past years and some new ones as well. I enjoyed talking to one vendor from Marshall, MI. I attended college at Western Michigan University very near to Marshall and have fond memories of dinners at Winn Schuler's restaurant and seeing the town circle decorated for Christmas. I asked and they do still put up the Camel Crossing sign between the outer sidewalk and the circle to the Nativity Scene. Wonderful old memories.

I also talked to a vendor who's husband was in Alabama at a Bagpipe Competition. They sometimes go their separate ways and sometimes go together. She used to be a professional competitor in Scottish Dancing. Now in her late 50's she is no longer to compete, but still dancing when possible. She told me about a Bagpipe and Dance competition that is open to the public in northern Ohio in August. Depending on DH health we may go up to see it. He loves the sound of the bagpipe and I love the dancing.

While I was at the convention I saw a display for a powdered product that mends all types of fabrics. This includes denim, cotton, silk and wool. The way DH goes through his jeans I figured that it would pay for itself in one pair of jeans. Then I saw another display for Angelina that also uses the same powder. Two birds with one stone!

I really shouldn't mention this, but one of the group of quilter's that told me I was no longer welcome in the neighborhood quilt bees was at the convention also. I was walking up one isle and as she turned into the isle she immediately told the one woman with her that they needed to go back around. I think she ran away from me. Well that is what a bully does when they are not surrounded by their friends, isn't it? She still amazes me. Every time we pass each other at Guild meetings she looks down at her shoes. She doesn't have the graciousness to look at me and refuses to talk to me. Well that is her lose and my gain. I have learned that "good friends" that don't stay with you through the bad times are no friends at all. I would rather deal with a straight out enemy than a snake in the grass. ENOUGH ABOUT THEM.

I enjoyed the quilts on display and took so many pictures that I had to replace the batteries in my camera twice. When taking a picture of one quilt I finally realized what one of the quilt tops that I inherited from my grandmother was an Irish Chain pattern. I had always classified it as a 25 patch block. Funny how looking through the lens of a camera will may things look totally different.

Have a great day.

Studio Makeover

I keep procrastinating about my studio makeover. Tonight I will be taking all my quilting projects that are in the living room and moving them down to my original sewing room.

Maybe if I am in the lower area of the house I will be moved to work on the current family room to make it available for my studio.

All of the back issues of quilting magazines have finally arrived. My plan is to review one issue at lunch each day at work. Then I will take it home and enter it into my Quilt Magazine Database that evening. This will get the magazines put away as each one is entered.

I have gotten out the portable quilt frame and my Great Grandmother's quilt. They will be set up in the original sewing room and I will be working on the quilt until my guild meeting on June 1. That will give me 15 days to get it ready for viewing even if the hand quilting is not complete. I expect that Monday, May 25 (which is when the U.S. celebrates Memorial Day this year) will be a day of great progress. I intend to hide in my sewing room the entire day.

Have a great day.

Mouse Pad

I recently read in a magazine (new or back issue I do not know) that putting a mouse pad under the sewing machine foot pedal will keep it from walking across the floor. Yesterday I found an old one at work that I really don't know why I saved. I took it home and now need to get my machine out and try my new not to walk pedal.

I am finally past the 2 week lifting restriction and can get my machine out. DH has been working on the outside and is so tired that asking him to help me is more than I can do. He is exhausted by the end of the day.

Have a nice weekend.

Guild was fun last night!

Our quilt guild met last evening. DH was so concerned about my driving to the meeting and back. I did fine. But, and there always is a but, I should have taken him up on his offer to drive me. My pulse rate was up too high to sleep until almost 4 this morning. 2 hours of sleep is not enough!

The meeting was just what I had hoped for. The show and tell had a lot of Shashiko quilts and the students of the class from Sunday brought some of their work to show as well. The speaker is a member of guild and she gave her "Memory Quilts" presentation. There were times when I wanted to cry and other times when I felt inspired to new heights by her endurance. I think she was talking about another class in the future. I would surely like to go.

Guild is planning a trip down memory lane next meeting and they asked if we would bring in quilts that had special meaning to us; either our first quilt or one with special background or one that had been made by a family member. I signed up to show my great grandmother's "Grandmother's Garden" quilt. I have been hand quilting it since forever. Maybe in the next month I can get some more done before the show and tell. It is a precious quilt to me and one that will never get used. It will be stored and displayed in a safe environment.

Several members of the guild came up to me and we had wonderful conversations. My old "friends" of course avoided me. I don't continue to attend the guild because of them, but because it is where I belong. I learn and get inspired by all the members!

I found out that the group that was sending quilts to the maternity center in Alaska are not doing it at the present time. Such a worthwhile effort and so special to the mothers. I may have some fabric and patterns that I had set aside for future quilts and can put them to good use. I will ask Jerri if she will give me the address and I might just send up some quilts on my own. That would make the people at the center and the mothers feel so special. I love doing that for others!

With the restrictions the cardiologist put on me for the next two weeks I cannot make more than one trip downstairs each day. The one for today is done. Tomorrow I will get out GG quilt and look it over. Let's see if I can make it a little more presentable to my guild members.

Have a great day and keep on quilting.

Ohio Valley Quilters Guild May, 2009

Tonight is Guild meeting. James has promised to take me if I don't feel up to driving that far. I had an angiogram on Friday. The results are that I have a wonderfully strong heart and no repairs are needed. Guild will be just the thing to bring up my spirits. I am so limited in activities and cannot lift even my sewing machine. Looks like fabric and a rotary cutter are going to be my next best friends for the next two weeks.

Over the weekend when I was comfortable sitting up I started cataloging my quilting magazines. I wanted to use a database, but found that just a single spreadsheet on Excel will do just as well. I am listing each article. The columns are Magazine Name, Volume, Number, Issue, Publication Date, Article, Page, Regular Articles, Special Articles and A Flag if it is a project or article that I know at this time I want to go back and look at. It takes a while to enter each magazine, but in the long run it will be like a card catalog in the public library and very useful. I plan on entering my quilt books as well so that I have everything in one place. How organized LOL.

Tomorrow I will ask DH if he will get out my sewing machine and put it on the table for me. Maybe I can start sewing as well as cutting.

Have a great day and smile at someone.

Why did I take my sewing machine?

We got back from Orlando late Sunday after having a wonderful trip. I got my sewing machine out on Saturday and there it sat for seven days until I could pack it up again. Too much to do and not enough time to do it. By the time we got back to the Condo it was all I could do to get into a nightgown and fall asleep.

Max and Roxie traveled with us to Orlando and stayed in the Bass Pet Motel. They were happy to see us when we visited and really glad to go home. The kennel said they were welcome back any time.

We had a great time in Disney World and at Discovery Cove. I finally got to swim with a dolphin. I have been dreaming about this since 1992. Another thing to scratch off my bucket list. Oh...I need to start a bucket list.

The sewing machine is in the living room waiting for me to get at it. I stopped at two quilt shops on the way home and picked up more patterns and equipment for my quilt studio.

Have a great day.

Florida here we come sewing machine and all

We leave for Orlando tomorrow and I cannot wait. I am taking two projects that have all or most of the fabric precut and my sewing machine and a few tools for these projects.

We have three days at WDW with the entire family and then other things we want to do around the Orlando area. We also have a dolphin encounter at Discovery Cove and get to swim with the dolphins. Also there is snorkeling with rays and tropical fish. I cannot wait!!!!!

Have a great day.

Progress on MIL quilt

I have cut out four of the blocks for the quilt. By that I mean that a total of 17 blocks are cut as each one has four identical blocks placed in the top.

Saturday I was watching a video on QNNtv about EQ and realized that the top was missing somthing. No sashing. How amazing! I pulled up the design and added sashing in the same color as the borders. It is a really wonderful red. The cornerstones of the shashing are going to be white on white fabric. It really made the quilt pop. I cannot wait to start the sewing. However, I am going to have all the cutting completed so that I can just start sewing and not have to jump back and forth between.

We are leaving for Orlando on April 9th. I will be taking the cut pieces for my MIL quilt and Navajo Tears with me. In my spare time between Disney World and Discovery Cove I will sew and chat with our family. I cannot wait.

I hope we will be taking my DH computer with us so that I can post while I am down south, but if not I will update you when we get home.

Have a great day and enjoy Spring.

Helen's Quilt

I have actually started my MIL quilt. It has twenty five blocks 6 different patterns. It is based on the Christian Cross and then moves to other patterns that have crosses. I have cut out the one block that will represent five in the top and another block that will represent four in the top. That leaves me with 4 blocks to cut out. I am so excited. Surely you can tell by reading this.

Too many times I have posted my intentions and then life gets in the way. Not to be a Pollyanna or a goody-two-shoes, but no more intentions and only completions. Unless I have to get on the pity-pot.

We are leaving for Orlando on April 9 and I have packed "Navajo Tears" as one project. I want to have Helen's Quilt as my other project. I think two tops to piece should be more than enough. There I go again with my intentions.

Friday evening the Patchwork Party Spring 2009 started showing up on the websites of the 12 quilt shops that are participating. I was having so much fun with the blocks and the fabrics that I stayed up until 4:00 A.M. on Saturday. That was a long day, but really got my creative juices flowing. I still need to do some cutting on the PP Spring 2008, but I don't think I will get involved in the new one.

Have a great day.

Vikki Pignatelli at Guild Meeting

This month our guild had Vikki Pignatelli as our guest speaker. She also taught two classes over the weekend. I was fortunate enough to be able to take her Curves class on Saturday and her trunk show and talk at guild was inspiring.

I finally got my sewing machine out of moth balls after no sewing since early November. It felt really good to be creative. I learned a lot about myself as well. By going outside of my comfort zone I discovered that the zone is much larger than I ever knew and it can be increased with little if no culture shock.

The curves class was great. Finally a way to applique without struggling. Well that isn't quite true. I did have difficulty using the blind hem stitch and staying in the ditch. My accuracy needs some more practice! The technique Vikki teaches is going to be so useful. I think that hand applique will diminish in my piecing and quilting.

Tonight after two doctor's appointment and several errands I will get to work FINALLY on my grandson's Cub Scout vest. It has been sitting too long! After that I will continue to work for a hour or so each day on my quilting. I have been immersing myself in reading for the last month instead of creating I have been involved in someone else's creativity. Now it is time for me to express myself.

Have a great day and keep quilting!

Quilter's blogs

I frequently read other quilter's blogs. I laugh with Ami Simms and learn with Myrna Giesbrecht along with many others. Today I changed my thought for the day in this blog and it made me realize that with all the teachers I have had over the years I have gotten so many good tips and occasionally a not so good tip. We learn through experience.

(Thought for the day: Creative minds always have been known to survive any kind of bad training.)

Another lesson I have learned over and over is that we often make the same mistakes time and again. Each time life shoves my mistakes in my face and they are mistakes I have made before I try to learn. Sometimes I am more fortunate than others.

New Year's resolutions are definitely a thing of the past. I know that I will not keep them. Instead I have to set small specific goals and work until one is done before going on to the next. I am applying this at work as well as at home.

Have a great weekend.

Guild Meeting

Last night I attended my quilt guild for the first time since November. At that time DH was still in the rehab center recovering from sepsis, pneumonia and kidney failure. He had lost over 30 pounds in one week and at one point was on life support.

My former friends in guild ignored me. In fact I said hello to one and she just walked passed me. They all gathered in a corner near the membership and name tag table. I would never treat a worm the way they treated me.

I know that some will believe what I next say is a lie, but I would never wish any harm to them, I would never wish they have to go through a devastating life change like mine and I will never attempt revenge on them. They were my friends. They are now people that I know but do not wish to associate with. I will be polite and keep my distance. I just want them to be polite and leave me alone.

We moved my MIL into a nursing home over the weekend and closed her apartment. She is adjusting very slowly. She likes the food and that is a big help. Everyone in the nursing home is so friendly and helpful. I think we made a good choice in where to have her live. She is not so sure about that, but I think she will come around to realize that it was for the best.

My quilting goals have gone totally out the window. Between my own recovery from total knee replacement to DH recover to MIL I haven't had my sewing machine out since November. Once things settle down I will start to access my works in progress and projects that I want to make or finish and set some specific goals.

I haven't done any knitting in years, but have a project I started two years ago for DH as a Christmas gift. It is a hooded sweater. I think I will take it with me when I visit MIL so I won't fidget when visiting.

Have a great day.

MIL Quilt

I received a comment about the quilt for my mother-in-law and wanted to respond. Thank you very much for the advice. This quilt is not supposed to be a special quilt. It is to be a bright and happy way to welcome her to a new home. The fabric is not high quality as I know that it will be washed many times. If I have the opportunity to make another quilt when this one wears out I will be pleased. It will show that she loves and uses the quilt which is my intent.

Just the same the advice is wise for a quilt that would become an heirloom.

We are fortunate to have many quilts in her family that have been carefully taken care of. The even survived a major flood in 1997 when the Licking River in Falmouth, KY covered the house she was renting with muddy water for almost a week. The quilts had been layered on a bed in her 2nd bedroom so there was almost no wear. We washed them two or three times on a gentle cycle and the mud came out. We did not allow them to dry before the first wash. We were very lucky. Most of them are crazy quilts and they look as good as they did before the flood.

Change in priorities

MIL is moving into a nursing home the end of this month. Because of my surgery I was not able to give her the quilt intended for Christmas. My new goal is to cut all the fabric, piece all the blocks, sew the blocks together, layer the backing, batting and top and sew it together like a pillow case and invert it. Then I will tie the quilt together rather than quilt it. I want to have it on her bed in the nursing home before she walks through the door or at least have it on my arm as the first thing to unpack.

All other projects will have to go to the bottom of the priority list for the time being. So many projects and so little time.

Our vacation schedule for 2009 has been fairly well settled. I plan on one week in Gatlinburg in March, one week in Orlando in April and three quilt retreats spread out through the year.

In the meantime I am slowly working my way into the family room to transform it into my sewing room / quilt studio. One item at a time each time I go down stairs. (Stairs are still difficult for me). My goal now is to have everything in place before we leave for Orlando so that I can pack quilting that is minimal in space requirements. Each time I pack I get a little better at taking only what I need and not over packing.

God bless you and keep you and your love ones safe and healthy.

Wheel of Mystery -- Quilt University

On January 2 I started a new class at Quilt University. It is called Wheel of Mystery. The pattern is also called Winding Ways and various other names. On January 9 we got our second lesson.

I have chosen to do a series of different red fabrics one each for the "flower" of the pattern and use black as a background. I am slowly cutting out the red fabric. I have four completed and need 11 more. I may start piecing the blocks together this weekend.

My recover from surgery is progressing. I came back to work on the 5 week anniversary of my total knee replacement (one week early) and will get a final full release on January 20. I haven't tried to drive yet as the knee is the right one and that is used from breaking and acceleration. I will wait for the total release and very dry roads before my first drive.

I have a very full day ahead so will cut this short.

God bless you and keep you safe and happy. Karen

Back to posting

I am recovering well from my surgery. I spent four days in the hospital and 10 days in a nursing home before coming home on December 22. I had additional medical problems that made it impossible to be discharged from the hospital directly home.

Quilting has not been an active part of the last five weeks. I am enrolled in a class at Quilt University called "Wheel of Mystery" and received my second lesson yesterday. I have chosen my fabric. I need to start cutting it and piecing.

DH gave me $50.00 as a Christmas gift towards the purchase of a quilting frame. I am looking at a Grace frame.

God bless you, Karen