Shut Off The TV Kids

Grandma Jean went shopping for all the grand kids yesterday and didn't buy one video game.  OMG.

Have you noticed our younger children are getting as obsessed with TV games as the older ones.  I really fear they will lose the ability to use their imagination.

This year I have decided not to play into this TV frenzy.  Bought games that they will have to play together at a kitchen table, and enjoy the company of each other and their parents.

Kylee my 10 year old granddaughter loves to play games, and I decided it was time for my other grand kids to have fun playing together through games.  Hopefully, they will learn you don't have to be in front of a TV to have a good time.

Ky and I have spent, literally, hours playing games at my dining room table.  We have such a good time, we talk and laugh and really enjoy being with each other.

So kids Merry Christmas, have a good time playing with your new games that don't bleep, bing, bang or whistle. .

Xmas shopping

No not on black Friday, not for me.  Made a mistake and went to Joann's for batting that day, it took me 45min in line just to get the batting cut, and another 15 to check out.  BIG mistake, but I was in Janesville anyway at drugstore so what the heck just stop in and pick up the batting needed. (I thought it was a good idea)

While in line, talking to a few other customers, asked if there was something special going on that I wasn't aware of.  The answer was no.  Then why the heck was there so many people, including me, standing in a long line to cut yardage.  Haven't a clue. Women had as many as 10 bolts in their baskets, did they think the material would be gone from the store by Saturday.  Must have.  One woman told me she had been there in the morning and the wait was 3 hrs. And She Came Back For The Afternoon Line. (maybe there was a movie playing in back room and nobody told me or a concert hmmm, they must know something I don't)

Now when you go to this store, you must get a ticket, like we used to in meat markets.  They call your number when its your turn.  I knew it was a mistake in staying when there were 20 people in front of my number, but like I said I was in Janesville anyway, and didn't want to make a second trip.  So like all the other dumb lambs being led to slaughter I stuck it out.  You should have seen the excitement on all our faces when 3 or more numbers were called and nobody appeared.  Those chicken ladies left before their number was called.  Anyway, our faces lite up like we just won something wonderful.

One good thing about standing in line, you do start talking to other women, and the conversation always leads to quilting with at least one or more woman.  I handed out my business card to two women.

This morning I used the batting  on a scrappy quilt for one of my friends, Kelly, lives in Ft Wayne and was home for Thanksgiving, but didn't stay more than 2 days so will have to ship it off to her.

Landscape stitch

Thanksgiving 2010

Its 4pm and all have eaten their fill and headed for home or other family celebrations.

Had a really good thanksgiving for one exception Bill and Donna could not come down this year and we did miss them.  

Food was excellent (thanks me) and Toby made an really great sweet potato puff.

I am sitting in my recliner with my feet up and putting together a few thoughts now that the house is quite again and I can think.

I am truly blessed with a wonderful family.  Great kids, and even better grandchildren.

Our house is so little, that when company comes ( and I love them coming over) it sound like a bee hive buzzing.

All in all it was a very nice day.

Oh yeah the bathroom did get finished in time for the big day.



floor treatment that took 2 nights to dry



Like the rest of the house its just an itty bitty thing, one person at a time please, but very happy with the results of Wayne's hard work.  Thank you honey.

Windmills Finished

Finished the quilting and sewed on the binding to Windmills today.  Thought I would show you the completed wall hanging

I now wish I had made it into a lap or bed quilt.  Not ready to  hang this yet.  Taking to next Barn Chicks meeting to show the girls.  Maybe it will be one of the patterns to be used into book of patterns the Barn Chicks are thinking of doing.  Quilted with the landscape stitch.  This is one of my favorite stitches.

Up Early

Been awake since 4am. Couldn't sleep anymore.  So many patterns running through my head don't know which one to work on first.

Still thinking of designs for the stack and shuffle method patterns.

What do you do at 4 am and no one else is up. 1 could go to sewing room
                                                                        2 browse the web
                                                                        3 check out face book

did 2 and 3 and found my sister-in-law doing what she does.   Check out her blog Two Red Threads  or click on Blogs I Follow. She is amazing and love her to death.  Really wished she lived closer.  She and brother Bill are coming for Thanksgiving, but that just doesn't give us enough time to play.  Going to try to talk them into leaving later on Friday, so we can do some playing in my sewing room

She has talent just oozing out of her.  Her brain must be working all the time.

Windmills My Original Design

Well here it is, my first attempt at designing an original quilt pattern by ME.

All sewn together, not quilted yet (of course).  Just hanging on my design board for me to inspect and note changes to be made on the next Windmills that I will be doing.   I realized after doing all the drawing and cutting of pattern I didn't leave enough room at top for 1/4" seam allowance.  Even so I still like the way it looks.

If you are familiar with "Buggy Barn" patterns you know you stack your fat quarters, iron on pattern drawn on freezer paper and cut through all layers.

Then shuffle your colors so they are all mixed up before sewing together.  I am so O C D about how my colors lay next to each other I had to lay each block out on my design board before I started any sewing.

It didn't really take that long to lay them out once I separate darks from lights and laid them out using light background for 3 and dark background for the other 3 blocks.  I also laid the pattern out on material, making sure I saved enough room on outside of pattern to conserve on material, as I used the excess material in my sashing.

Please let me know what you think of my design.

Creative

I'm so excited about the new design pattern I have come up with.  Putting pieces together today, have 2 more blocks to finish.  Using the stack and shuffle technique from Buggy Barn and Pieces From My Heart patterns, I have come up with an entirely new and different quilt pattern.

My first attempt at designing this style of quilt pattern is becoming quite a learning experience and creative flow booster.

I have always wanted to try designing my own quilt, not just putting pieces together a little differently from original pattern, but really making one up in my head and putting to paper and then fabric.

Now just to let you know, I really like what I have designed, but it is a first attempt and I will have to tweak the pattern a little, as there  are a couple of things I would change to make it even better.

Hopefully tomorrow I will be able to take pics of the squares, before I put them together into a wall hanging.

Progress

There is progress in bathroom.  The repair man came yesterday and fixed the big hammer boo boo. Did a great job cant even see where it was broken.  Caulking around tub should be dry enough tomorrow for  SHOWER in the morning. WHOO HOO.

Another trip to Menards today picked up new sink/cabinet and cabinet for over toilet.  Wayne is in there painting as we speak.  Still much to do, but the shower is going to be usable by tomorrow or next day at the latest.

boo boo gone

ugly pink going bye bye and soon the ugly wall board will be gone as well

this is going to be replaced

Enough of the bathroom progress.

Last night went to meeting of Barn Chicks, lots of show and tell.  Dee Dee and I showed our "Trees Up" and Margie showed her Christmas Package quilts.  Many others were shown, but the funniest of all,  one gal (name unknown to me right now) brought a zipper bag of ashes.  She had 12 squares finished from one of the Buggy Barn patterns, she disliked it so much, she burned it in her fireplace.  She said no matter what she did to try to make it look better, it just got worse.  Her sister even said "she did the right thing".  It must have  been really awful.  I know the feeling.  That's how I felt about my first attempt at Trees Up.  Use wrong colors and you can create something really ugly.

Mary Kay came up with a challenge:  Try to design your own pattern using the stack and shuffle method that is used on the Buggy Barn patterns, with the possibility of publishing a book from our patterns.  I thought about it most of the night. (thanks Mary Kay) Actually thought of several possible patterns.  This morning I got up and proceeded to draw up a pattern.  Picked up the material on way home from Doc appointment.  Tomorrow I will put it together to see if I came up with a winner or another ugly one.

Tinkerbell Quilt

A good friend has asked me to make a quilt for her granddaughter for Christmas.


Purchased the Tinkerbell material on line from Fabric.Com.  Whenever I have trouble finding a certain pattern always go to this website.  I can usually find what I'm looking for there if I cant find in local stores.  After receiving Tinkerbell, shopped locally for the other materials to make the quilt.

It only took two days to design, cut and sew together the quilt, made for a twin size.  Lucky for me I had not started to quilt it right away.  Received phone call, change of plans, little girl is no longer in a twin bed, now needs a full size quilt.  I don't usually like to make excess borders just to make a quilt larger, but since the quilt was done, and all the Tinkerbell used, I had to enlarge borders.  It still turned out pretty.

I tried something new this time, never did it before, I did a machine sewn binding front and back.  Its prettier than this picture shows.  And yet again, the camera dulled the colors. They are lavender and turquoise.  Also used a new stencil for the stitching.  I like it very much, even though it took a great deal of time to do.  This quilt measured 86x101 so large enough for a full drop and pillow tuck.

Bathroom Progress

So this is how far Wayne is on getting the bathroom done.

This is the studding for the wall, where pipe runs up for shower.

This is what happens when you drop a hammer on a tub.

This is the piping for the shower.

Wayne is going to build shelves in this wall, and then Enclose the wall/piping and put in the tub surround, but where is he now?  HMMMMMMM, nice day today, took me to lunch, and he is next door talking to neighbor.  Get your butt in here and get busy dang it.  Already sick of the mess.  My patience is running thin.  But keeping my mouth shut. If I try pushing him, would not be worth it, he works at his own pace.  It will get done, and soon, I HOPE.



Margie's Xmas Package Quilt

Another Pieces From My Heart pattern:

 Small 48x51 but very pretty.  I copied pattern so I can make one some day,

This is the pattern she chose for our next meeting with the Barn Chicks @ Loose Threads this coming week, 17th.  I did the Trees UP quilt for this upcoming meeting.

Update on shower remodeling.  Plumber came today to add the piping needed for shower, and had to replace all of the tub pipes, so $500 plus later and he has gone for the day.  Has to return after Wayne gets the surround in.  We can use the tub but not shower just yet.

Wayne made a boo boo, while building the wall for shower pipe, he dropped the hammer and put 2 big chips in the tub.  So this will only cost $200.00 to repair, man coming next Wed. to patch the chips.  Who knew simple request to add a shower to the existing tub would cost so much.  It better be worth it.  Had we gone with the original plan of changing faucet and adding hand held shower head, with surround curtain would have cost us only about $100.00.  But like he said, might as well do it right. UUUUGGGGGHHHHH

Bowling In Rio

What a good day today.

Went to Rio to visit with the grand kids and Ken and Deena.  Brooklynn and Emma were bowling, so we went there to watch, toooooo funny.  Didnt get any good pics of the bowling, but had a good time watching.

Gutter balls the name of the game, but they do try hard, and there is coach there giving them advise and showing them every step of the way.  If they keep up with it, they, of course, will get better.

Naturally had to hold my little Lexi as much as I could.  She is really gaining weight.  Such a good little girl.

After the bowling we all went for lunch at our old bar ( Packer Inn) now BBJacks.  They completely remodeled and opened up back room to make a kitchen,  It is more of an eat place than bar, which is good.  It looks great and food is just as good.  Next time will take pics.  Batteries went dead while at bowling alley so no more pics for the day.

Before leaving for the day, called my addicted quilt client.  Hadn't heard from her in a week and thought something was wrong.  She is way behind in quilting. HAHAHA.  She hasn't been quilting, busy doing other less important things, (big laugh)  She guaranteed me she will get back at it this week.  Whew, thought something was wrong when I hadn't heard from her.  Now how many quilters will call customers to See if they are OK, just because they hadn't heard from them in a week.  If you knew how much time she spends quilting you would be concerned too.

Visit w/Doc

I have been having real pain in my heel of foot and right thumb.  The foot is so bad I can hardly walk sometimes.  I have an appointment set for 18th with my regular doc, 6mo check up.  But, no, Wayne insisted I see someone today.  Couldn't see my reg doc, she was booked up, so saw another doc.

Xrays of feet and hand results:  Plantar Faciitist in feet. Need to get arch supports and don't do my long arm quilting for hours barefoot (which is how I like to quilt),  Nuts, I hate wearing shoes in the house, but I guess I did this to myself for all the long hours I spent quilting barefoot.   I just hope the arch supports help.

Now for the thumb, explained to doc how bad it hurts, cant hold anything tight, or even just moving it sometimes it hurts.  Xray, nothing showing.  Doc said  he doesn't know why it hurts.  Maybe, carpal tunnel, maybe not.  Now isn't that a good answer.  So just hope it heals itself, because that's the only way its going to get better.

Neither one of these ailments is going to keep me from my quilting though.  Push through the pain.  I'll get through it.

Update on shower addition.  All set for plumber coming on Monday, so maybe by Monday night or Tuesday morning, will have the shower ready to be used.

We're At It Again

Back to the remodeling. I have requested adding shower to our tub, so now the remodeling begins. Wayne is doing the demolish before the rebuild.

Been to Menards 3 times this week. First we were going to just do a simple change faucet to one that converts to shower with hand held shower head and hose. Got the faucet, shower head, curtain rod and curtain.

Next day, nope not gonna work, too much wall board and wood to do it that way, need a round curtain rod to surround the tub area so the rest of walls don't get wet. Back to Menards to return rod and pick up the round one.

Next day, nope, decided if going to do it lets do it right. Back to Menards return round rod, purchased tub surround. Now we can proceed with the hand held shower head, with hose that screws into new faucet. Now we are ready.

Nope, now instead of the hand held shower head, going to build up the wall, called plumber and going to put in the piping to do a REAL shower head coming out of the new wall that Wayne is building.

Maybe by next week will get my shower that have wanted for 9 years.

Keep your fingers crossed. I am going to sewing room.

Loosening Up

You know how you make something beautiful and because it is so beautiful, you are afraid to use it.

I make my quilts for others and say to them, "please use this, it is made to be used and enjoyed".

Well, I am guilty of the opposite.  I have made so many beautiful quilts for myself, and have not used them.  I have this big dog (Belle) who will not stay off my bed.  So I deny myself the pleasure of using my quilts on my bed.

Today I have decided to loosen up and go for it.  Nervously I made my bed this morning with the quilt entered in the Edgerton Quilt show.   Let's see how strong I am  and  if I can continue to enjoy this quilt as it was meant to be.

I needed a pick me up this morning, after last nights election results.   Yikes.  Enough said about that.

What will be will be and we shall see how it all pans out.