Stash Busting Week 13

Here are my numbers for this week:

Stash - 163 3/4 yrds
Old Stash counted - 7 1/4 yrds

Fabric added - 0
Fab. added year to date - 15 1/8 yrd

Fabric uced -0
Fabric used YTD - 9 yrds

Stash Count - 171 yrds


I am feeling like I should just grab a number out of my head and call it good on the 'old stash counted', but - everytime I pull out a piece and count it, it's bigger than I thought it would be. So, I will count my old stash, and really see how much I have in there..... but when I am in that room, I just want to sew, so that is holding me up!!

And no, I do not fit into my jeans like I had wanted. I will though, I already see/feel improvements so I am not stopping!! My ribs are coming back!!! And I bought myself a pair of walking shoes yesterday to do my walking DVD's with. I now have Leslie Sanson's book, Walk away the Pounds, and I knew she would say to wear shoes!! I have been using them off and on now for a few years and I don't wear shoes..... I'm in my house and it's walking for crying out loud!! But, I do think it will help!! My shoes are so comfy!! It feels like I am floating on air!!!! So, it will probably help alot - so I have shoes now!! In the book she has a 6 week program, and I am going to follow it. I need to get fit. Feel strong. And lately I have been being a couch potato. I am either on here, watching TV or sewing.... not a very active lifestyle, so I am going to do these walking DVD's and when the snow is gone, I will pull out my bike and go for a ride!! And the snow is leaving, and others were on theirs yesterday so... soon I will have the breeze and the sun and I love riding my bike!!

Here is a top I made awhile ago. Dec???? Anyways, I think I am going to have to find it and put on the pile of 'to be quilted'. It's a bright one and I love it!! The pattern came from the book "Coffee Time Quilts" by Cathy Wierzbicki. There are a few things in this book that I really like - so ..... ahhhh, I really need to finish what I have already started, but there are so many, many great ideas and projects that I just am tempted to try them all... not a good thing!!

When is the last time you changed your sewing machine needle???? And since I wound all my bobbins last week (23 of them??) I am good for bobbins for a bit. But I should change my blades in my cutters...... soon!!

Make this week a great one and have some fun on April Fools day!! It's my sister's birthday, so we couldn't do tricks after lunch on her or she would ge mad!! lol!! Before lunch, fine, but after lunch it was "Leave me alone! It's my birthday!!" Memories!!

All the best.

Thinking things.....

"You can have what it is you want, or you can have your reasons for not having it"
~Werner Erhard

Well, I will fill you in on yesterday's 'talk'. Right now, the quilt shop is being started in the back of another store while she is waiting for the building to be built. So, it is in cramped quarters, and getting smaller all the time as stock comes in... so she is feeling a little stressed about it!! But I went and talked to her, and she asked me what I wanted. I told her I didn't know. And I don't.
So, she showed me a couple things, and as I was there ( I stayed for about 4 hrs!! just hanging out) I cut out a kit for a quilt that a fellow guild member is going to put together as a sample for the shop. And I got to take home the scraps!!
She told me to come and hang out when ever I wanted. And while I was there, I helped people, just like I was working there and it was comfortable. So, before I left, I told her I would come back today and cut her up some FQ's for the shop. She needs that, so we talked about where we could put them.
I am not 'working' there, but I am going to make myself avalible - but not schedualed/obligated to be there. I want to work there. I know I do. I can see myself there, but.... no buts. Say what you are thinking!! I do not want to loose myself in a job again. I do not want to put my heart and soul into it to have it thrown away again. When I really like something, I make myself avalible to it when ever needed, and that has been abused - I do not want to loose me again.
so, for right now, I am happy to be free to come and help when I want to help and free to leave when I want to. She is willing to give perks for any and all help she gets. And that is okay by me. I like perks.
And once the shop is up and running in the right spot - I can see me there, and possible teaching......... okay, relax girl!! Lets not get crazy!!!!

"Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone."
~Pablo Picasso

Mistakes. Why?? Oh Why??!!

Yesterday, I sewed up my boxed stars with sashing. I am not lovin' it, but it's done. I changed the sashing fabric, and I am questioning myself on the change. Should I have stayed with my first colour choice, or not??? Then, I thought, if I had stayed with the first choice, I would be woundering if I should have went with the second!!

Then I realized I do not have enough of the green for the border, so I knew I had to change that. But anyways, it is sitting on my design wall, and my daugher comes in. I ask her what she thinks? She says, "I don't know.... what's wrong with this blk???" and then goes "OH!! I see, this is wrong, the point is the wrong way!!" One of the 4 little blks, when I sewed it all together, I turned it around!!! I asked her to check the others and see if she sees anything else. She does!!!

So I have 2 blks I need to fix now. When she found the 2nd one, I laughed and said, "Nope, they are staying like that!!" but, I know I can't leave it.... so I am going to be unsewing today.

Funny how you can be looking at this thing all day, and not see what you've done!!! And I had to look at them alot!! oh well.


After I got the sashing on the blks, I pulled out the Double Delight and am now working on that. I will unsew, after I've got step 5 done.

I took the green fabric that I had thought I would use for the boxed stars, and put it on a pile to maybe make 'Jared Takes a Wife' quilt from Bonnie Hunters site. I am not doing it now!! But I can plan and make a kit.......

So, after I un-sew and fix, and step 5 is done, my Goose Tracks is next, then....... *heavy sigh* I have to get some PhD's worked on. Out of sight, out of mind, and that is just not right......... I love starting new!! But after a couple days, new isn't 'new' anymore - and I like my PhD's!!! (Projects Half Done!! When I told my guild this one, I loved to hear the laughter!!!) "I can't this weekend, I'm sorry, I'm working on my PhD. Maybe next weekend, but I've got to get this done!!" Sounds way better than "I'm working on my UFO's"
And with that, I am going to go watch "The View", then off to talk to a lady about ........ I might have job today..... And I am scared about it. Very scared. It's a woman who is starting a quilt shop in town, and she has made comments about me teaching!!!! WHAT??!!??! Anyways, she has also talked of working in the store and honestly, I am just scared. She said come talk to me on Tuesday, and it's Tuesday....... So, I am going to finish my tea and get ready and talk......

Stash Busting Week 12

Well, it's Sunday again. How did that come back so quickly???

Here are my numbers for this week:

Stash - 164 yrds
Old Stash counted - 2 1/4 yrds

Fabric added - 0
Fab. added year to date - 15 1/8 yrd

Fabric uced - 2 1/2 yrds
Fabric used YTD - 9 yrds

Stash Count - 163 3/4 yrds



And I have my "Boxed Stars" blks all made now, and the sashing and border found in my stash!! That is what I counted!! It is good to use your stash - I bought the sashing fabric woundering why I even looked at it, but then I pulled it out and put by these guys and it looks nice with it. It's calming - then I have a green to go around the whole thing. I wil show it later.

And I am adding a book to my list of things I've read. This one is called "The Avian Ark" and it's all about a family who has made their home into a bird clinic and self-taught rehabilitators so these birds can be released healthy back into the wild. Interesting read. Drawn pictures of the birds, but I would have like actual pictures because I had never heard of some of these birds before!! Another Canadian book, and another older one. I have books that I have collected to read, and don't.... But, now I am!! And my book list is basically for me to know what I have read this year!!! And to remind myself to make time for reading.

Have a great week. It's SPRING!!!! And I will see you next week!!!! With a bigger report and things done.

Goals for this week:

-Get boxed stars sashing & border on

-Goose BOM next step done!!!!!!

-And don't start anything if not on my list!!!!!!

and I just got reminded about Double Delight!! I am working on - or going to be working on I should say - Step 5 of Double Delight!! Thanks to Isabel at http://bellequilts.blogspot.com/ 's stash report, she mentioned this quilt and a lightbulb went off!!! Thanks!!!

And with that, I am outta here!!! (going to see what you've been up to!!!) ;-)

Cross Stiching.....

I started x-stiching when I was 13. I have done alot of it, hours of it, and most of it is in a plastic rubber maid container (yes I know! it has to breathe!!) and I have framed quite a few too, but ..... I used to do this when the girls were little and it was my relax time. I moved in with my hubby doing crafts, so he got used to me doing it when we watched TV and when ever I could.

Anyways, I have not done it in a long time, not like I did. But, I did find a designer and I LOVE!!! her work!! Below is a link to her alphabet:

http://mos.futurenet.com/pdf/crossstitcher/z.pdf

Her name is Margret Sherry, and her characters are just so bloody cute that I want all her graphs!!! Even just to look at them!!! This is what I got up a did today - x-stich. Then realized I should share these pattern with you. See where the 'z' is? Once you are at the site, the way I got the next letter, or the one I wanted, I would just change the 'z', put in the letter I wanted and it would show up. Tried it today, and ......didn't work. But, it might for you, so here is the link to the alphabet. this takes you from 'z' back to the letter 'l'.

My daugher, who never talks about having kids, when she saw these letters, told me that I have to make these for her kids - both of them!! They each need thier own, and she is having 2 you know..... uh, no I didn't!! Good to know!!! lol!!

And, guess who has not done what she said she would??? I started to make "Boxed Star" blks from Bonnie Hunter's site. It's all because of seeing this quilt when I was checking out everyones stashbusting and thought it was great!!!!
http://quilthollow.blogspot.com/2009/03/boxy-stars-nearly-finished.html

So, now I'm making my own version!!! I was only going to see how the blk worked and now, I almost have all the blks for a quilt!!! here is where I am at with this

I finally had to put the blk on my design wall just to see how many more I needed. And it was more than I though!! I was working on this the day my blender blew up and my counting was so off I thought I only needed to make 4 small blks (which makes one 12" blk) uh, no, try 13 more blks!! When I started this, I thought - make a blue/pink combination. Well, ends up that I don't really have enough pinks to make it work, so then I just pulled from my 2 1/2" strips, and these are what I made. Beautiful?? not!!!! But, I like scrappy - and this fits that bill!! I also use 'scrappy' as a way to get my skills honed (???) and keep myself occupied without feeling any pressure. And it's just fun!! Another car quilt?? Or camping?? Better yet, it can be moved to my cabin when I finally find it (or build it!!). Curled up on the deck or patio with a comfy quilt wrapped around you in the evening..... ahhhhhhh, yes, count me in!!!!

Am not sure what the sashing will be, the fabric I thought I would use, not enough of it..... but I will probably use blue..... or manbe not!! I will figure it out when I get there. And, because Bonnie uses scraps (and basically so did I!!) I have no idea how much fabric I've used for my report on Sunday!! Oh well.

Have a great weekend and see you Sunday!!!

Blender Explosion!!

What a way to start the day!! Every morning, lately, we have a smoothie. No, we don't follow a recipe or anything, we just throw fozen fruit into the blender and see what we end up with.

Well, this past couple weeks, we have had two new blenders!! The first one to come in was because our blender, the part that attaches to the blender, it just broke. I thought the motor would go, but it didn't!! Good motor!! So, we brought a Black & Decker 'Cyclone' home. Strong motor, looked good, and it was, if you could ingnore the part where once I put the blener onto the motor, it didn't always want to come off again...... so, yes, I would pour with the blender still attached to the motor!!!! It depended on how you attached it, the pieces would grab hold of each other and not want to let go... but I took it back when I could see the blades on the bottom of the blender coming apart. Home comes #2 - and today, it's only been about 4-5 days, as I am making this smoothy, I threw in a piece of frozen banana, and it make this grinding yucky noise, I see the blender itself moving and smoothy coming out the bottom and then silence!!!!!

Well. Uh. What just happened here??????

Besides the mess it made, The whole thing that makes a blender blend, was in pieces!!!!!!! I cleaned up the mess and took that baby back!! I now am the owner of an Oster blender. All metal - I am not playing with plastic teeth again, and where the motor and blender attach, it's just an easy, no teeth involved, put it on the metal thing sticking up the middle into the hole in the blender base!!!! YES!!!! This should be easy to put on and no surprises when you try to take it off!! And tomorrow, we are back in the smootie business!!!

That really threw off my morning!! I do not like surprises!! lol!!


So, here are some of my Stash Buster pics with the border on. And a close up of one of the blks! Basically my blks are outdoor things, flowers, bugs, trees, animals, balloons, just things that make yout think 'outdoors'. And my border and setting trianges are baseballs!! And I did use the red I bought!! So what do you think??










I don't know why they are looking like this..... weird. Lately when I try to post a pic, it does not look like 'normal' even though I have not changed what I do when I try to post.....

Let me try to show the bug blk. then call it done!!! Have great Wednesday!! Hmmm, so why did that one work out bigger than the other two???? I just don't get it!! I am going to go make myself some tea and not worry about it!! OH!!




I forgot!! I want to share a 'recipe' with you, if you can call it that!! I do not usually cook with cans, I like fresh foods but I do use canned to go into my stuff. Anyways!! My hubby, the other day made this and I loved it!! It's soup - so here goes...
Campbell's Chunky Soups - get New England Clam Chowder
Sea Food Chowder
Chicken Corn Chowder
and a little can of Camplbell's Potato Soup.
Put all of the above into the pot, and mix in a 1/2 Potato soup can of milk. Heat till good to eat. This to me is the perfect camping food!!! It's all canned, it's really good, and very filling!!!!! So, I just thought I would share with you something I would never have thought to make, and something I really enjoyed!!! (could it be because no one was bugging me with "what for supper??' question and just had supper made when I realized I was hungry?? lol!!)

Anyways, I have already started another project - and have not done my BOM's!!! But I will. Yes, I will - Plus Step 5 of Double Delight!! off to do dishes now! Some fun, huh Bambi?!

Stash Busting week 11

Okay, I changed my numbers!!

Stash - 168 1/8

Old Stash Counted - 0

Fabric Added - 2 yrds

Fab. added YTD - 15 1/8

Fabric used - 6 1/2 yrds

Fab. used YTD - 22 1/2

Total Stash Count - 164 yrds

(I counted the Stash project with borders because they will be on this week, and I just fudged it with the fractions... so I am going to leave it as 164 yrds stash. I am getting better at the math, but it's not always easy for me......) But I do have pictures!!

Judy's Stash Buster!! It works up very quickly. I am thinking it would make a great car quilt, for those times when you would like to have something to wrap around you, or to sit on (put it folded on a bench and it would be a little softer to sit on it!!) But, lets just get it to the finishing stage before we start to use it!! lol!)

I made more 'Twilight' Blks yesterday! Since each pattern says to make two blks and I do not want the blks the same, on one, I just moved the two colors around - on the other I choose two different fabrics. The one with the orange blks, when I had the two fabrics side by side. they looked really good together, each the same intensity - in the blk, orange took right over!! I was woundering if it would have been that way if I had reversed their order, but oh well, it's done now, and I am not re-doing it!! (she says now........)

Funny, I kinda like the orange blk..... it looks cosmic... (is that a word???!) I am going to leave it....

This coming up week, I am doing my BOM's!! I got my CAM. BOM on Tuesday, and the Goose Tracks one is out today!! So I can go work on that one - at least print it off anyway. I am liking those blks. And I could do my guild ones, (but those blks are just not speaking to me, no desire to work on them.......) and I found my PhD of the flip flops.... thongs - they are thongs!!! But I have to remember not to say that in public!!! So I just might pull that out and work on it because, it's snowing out there again........

Till next week - change that needle, wind some bobbins, and let your self be free!!!!!

The Sun is Out!!

It is a beautiful sunny day here on the flat lands and I am inside with a mission. And Mission Accomplished!! I am done Step 4 of the Double Delight!! All 30 blks are done and on my design wall!! YEAH!!!! Last night, I made myself sit there till I got them all figured out (trying to not have two blue squares of the same fabric on top of one another in a blk. At then end, I let one blk be that way!) And all the seams have been pressed open, so that took some time. I just wanted to keep the bulk of the seams down. But you know what?? I like 'em. And I am really glad they are done!!!

I am also working on JudyL's Stash mystery - and they do go together really fast. That is also the reason why I will have different numbers for my stash report this week.... yes, I bought some fabric!! But I did not have a red, and I thought I could use it, and sitting on the shelf was one I thought would be perfect. And it will be, if I use it......... I keep changing my mind on how I want to finish that top, but what ever I decide, at least I will have fabric for it now!! The mystery is going to be kept in my cars trunk. That way, when I want to do an inpromtu picnic, or just lay somewhere in the sunshine, I am ready!!! So, I might make the backing of it out of denim... hmmmm, that is a good thought!!

And, before my hubby left for work, (he works out of town and left a few days ago....) he asked if I wanted to cook up the turkey we have had stored in the freezer for forever. I said yes, and it was left at that. I thought we would have that for dinner before he went away to work. Well, the now thawed turkey was found in our downstairs little fridge!!! He always asks if I want to cook it, but nothing ever is done about it!!! And he hadn't told me he had taken it out of the freezer!!! It's still fine and now it's cooking - so guess what we are having for supper tonight!??! And I will have leftover turkey meat for sandwiches and freezer meals!! That is why I need to get another turkey (or two, three......) this Easter. It is a cheap meat when you get it on sale!! And it goes a looooooong way!! And besides that, it's good!!!

Oh, here are my puppies!! Okay, they are not puppies, The girl, Zoe is going to be 11 yrs old next month, and the boy, is 2 yr. old Scrappy. We got him for her, as she had just gone through a horrible pregnancy that caused her to loose all the puppies while they were still inside her and was going through a major depression. I never thought she could get pregnant, she had never been caught before and at her age??? 9?? I know you can at that age, but I just thought she had something wrong inside that she just couldn't get pregnant. Surprise!! Well, she was so sad, so lethargic, that we knew she was headed to the playground in the sky..... so we decided to get her a puppy. The best thing we have ever done for her!! The ol' girl runs!!! And plays!! And jumps around!!!! And he is such a good dog. I just love him - even though I am not a male dog fan, he had changed my mind. Here they are:

This is Zoe. And here's my boy - Scrappy.

Now, it's time to do some more sewing and get ready for my guild meeting tonight...... Personally, I would rather stay home and watch CSI and sew but......... I used to have fun going to these meeting. I need to get the fun back. Okay, another mission.. can I do this one????

lol! Hope so. It's Friday tomorrow. I hope you have great plans for the weekend. I am making a picnic quilt - and then I will make plans to use it!! AFTER the snow has gone!!!

To the design wall then!! DD blks gone (for now) Stash Busting mystery, climb aboard and lets make a quilt top out of you!!!...........

Stash Busting week 10

Well, I have no changes for the past two weeks!!! The above blk was for a friends quilt - we all made a blk for it and this was mine!

I have been sewing, but no numbers to report. I did pull out fabrics for Judy L's mystery, but have not started cutting them so I can't cout them! All my other projects are still works in progress, so I won't do their numbers till the project is done. And, I have not been leaving the house to go to any stores so couldn't buy anything either..... And I did not count any of my stash, which I had ment to do. I had better stop staring out the window watching snow flying by and get my butt in gear to make some changes in my Stash Busting numbers!!

So, my stash number is still 168 1/8 yrds.

Okay, I have to get this post on the web, so I can do my Stash Busting report...... as little as it is, you can't have huge numbers every week!! Or, can you?????.......................... hmmm, something to think about............................ :-)

The Dory Award,for those who can't remember Squat!

I just found this on "Tactile Pleasures" site and it's not to be an award that's given to people, it's an award to be taken, so if this is you, feel free to take it!! I laughed when I saw it, and now I have my own award!! Isn't it funny!! This is how my week has been feeling, so right now this is perfect!! lol!

Books

I have just added another book to my list. I enjoyed the this one. I have actually enjoyed them all.
Chief Dan George, a very well known person who lived by Vancouver and is a movie star too!! Well, when I was a child he always seemed to be close by where my family and I were. We go to events and sure enought, he was seemed to always be around us. Coincident? Maybe, but My sister told me that I am in pictures with him. I just know, when I saw this book being deleated from the library here in town, I had to have it. I loved this man. And this book really got me to thinking about the first people on Canadian soil. We. No, they really did not understand these people at all when they came to this country and 'knew better' how things should be. I have more of an understanding of what these gentle souls have had to endure. I am glad I read this book. Glad I found it.

Same as "Book" by Whoopi Goldberg!! Some times I was shocked at what she said, other times I laughed and sometimes she managed to embarass me!!! But, she is right, I think, about alot of things I had never thought of. I liked to read her point of view. And I am glad to have read this book too.

"The Zoo that Never Was" is about a man and his wife who ended up spending alot of their days mending wild animals that got hurt around their acerage in the wilderness of Ontairo in the late '60's. They didn't mange to save everyone but...... The book starts out with him finding a bear cub in the woods by it's dead mother, and I found it a very interesting read. They never tried to 'keep' any of these critters, birds and anything else that came their way - they are wild animals and that is where they belong, but some choose to visit alot, or hang close by. True events and I liked it because living on the land has always been a thought of mine....... but would I do it if I could??? Am not sure.

My first book - "Cat o'Nine Tales" is 9 short stories. (Good bathroom book, quick to read each story.) One story will stay with me a long time. My little sis is trying to be divored...... and I won't get into it. But one story, is about divorce and I loved it!!! If something along those lines could happen with the judge during her case, I would celebrate......... Loved it!!!

And today, because I like to sew with noise around me - my CD player going with either music or some one giving me advice or how-to's or telling me a story, today I picked up the Unabridged (the only way to get an audio book) "How to see yourself as you really are" by His holiness the Dalai Lama. My question is: Do I really want to see me as I really am??????

What if I don't like myself??? What then???? Maybe that will come in the next audio book "What to do now that you realize are not who you thought you were!! And what to do about it....."

Until next time - get those projects going and sew, sew, sew!!! We are in for winter weather tonight and today as I did my running around, I had the window open and my arm haning out!! LOVED IT!!!!!! So, I do not want to know tonight is bringing in blizzard like condidtions - thank- you!! But I guess it's better to know than not to know. Have a great Wednesday night!!!

Having trouble staying motivated.....

Well, today, I got into my sewing room, did a bit and felt my energy and motivation slowly leave the room.......

And, I started picking out fabrics for Judy's Stash Busting Mystery quilt!!

Not really a good thing, but that is what I did. So, now I have step 4 of the Double Delight spread around my room in pieces, but I have got these 4 blks done, with more waiting to be sewn together, well, pieces of them anyway!! I only have 26 more to go...... and it's taking me forever, at least it is feeling that way. And why wouldn't it??? Every time I go work on it, something distracts me and I leave..........

Well, todays distraction is - I will show you my fabrics that I have picked out for the mystery ..... I just looked for lights and darks, with no real plan, just wanted them to be light or dark. Then, I found myself choosing bug prints or flowers, butterflies, so that is my lights with other ones that will go with them.

The darks are blues, greens, a couple purples and some blacks, one dark red. I am thinking that it might be a nice combination....... I have trouble with getting things to match, and find that is probably why I like scrappy. So, this is the start of Judy's mystery. I will work a bit more on the blks above, and then I might do some cutting..... I was thinking of working on this quilt - the mystery - this weekend, but Judy has said she is emailing the next step for those who have shown that they are working on it!!! Well, I had better get working on it then!!!! And that is probably why I was so distracted today, I want the next step!!!

So, not that you can really tell what the fabrics are, but they are definitly light & dark!
And it's sitting on my ironing board, so I have to do something with them. Might as well cut 'em up and sew 'em together....... Another, 'hey I gotta try this'!! I am weak. But, I do have fun!!

Stash Busting week 9

Stash - 160 1/8 yrds
Old Stash ounted - 9 1/2 yrds

Fabric Added: 0
Fab. Year to Date: 13 1/8 yrd

Fab Used - 0 (I need to count up what I used making the green sashing and orange stars)
Year to Date - 16 yrds


Total Stash Count- 160 1/8 yrds

So, this is showing no change from last week, but I did get things done!! Not like the week before, but still my alien quilt top is done (I think..... ).

This coming week, I am going:
-to finish step 4 of Double Delight, thought I would have done it this past week, but oh well.
-Count more of my stash, and get some more of my projects that I have planned to do from my red binder worked on!! (this is the binder where I put the projects I want to do or am working on it, and these are things I want to do first!! No, the alien quilt was not in the binder.....)
-That means more 'Twilight'blks and hopefully get some of my guild blks done. Once they are done, I can stop feeling like they need to be worked on!!!


And maybe.... work on the quilt Judy had posted the other day....... should I???? Shouldn't I???? See, this is where I get myself into trouble!! lol!Here is another of my projects I am working on. It's a Judy Martin pattern from her "Scraps" book - 'Flower Child'. It's for my older daugher. And it is on my 'please finish me' pile. I had it up on my design wall one day (for a few days actually) and she really upset me, so I took it down and put it away... it will come out, soon, it's beautiful. I think so anyway. I just thought I would leave a picture here to show you that I love to piece things together.... quilting... well, I hope someday to be doing that too!!

Have a great week everyone, and I will see you next week!!!!