The Design Wall on Monday.... - No! It's Thursday, isn't it!

Geez - I loused up - at least - in part on purpose - although it would be easy to do so accidentally. 

My walls are {{{{{CHANGING}}}}}  But actually that's probably a good thing!

On the big wall are elements of Sweet Treat.  And one lonely row of Double Duty (this is just the top half, mind you!) - the reason for the change - Double Duty now has setting triangles and is in process of becoming "attached"  - but I'm not posting pictures this week of new changes - mostly because I don't have the other "blankie" strung up for an additional design wall.  Besides - I am HOPING to get that doo-dad at least mostly finished this weekend!  So gaze at last week's offering - and go from there!

Instead - on the design wall are the Sweet Treats quilt - which I am sooooooooooo behind on.  Wierd looking hanging thingies are in reality blocks that I have to "fix" (someday I will learn to sew STRAIGHT seams! and not gigantic ones at that!) Why did I hang them up?  Because I'm not really sure I like the color arrangement yet - and keep playing with them (which is why I'm behinder than otherwise)  Oh yeah - I also discovered I can't count - I have an extra block!  Anyway - this is my "take" on the May colors - and sashing will be white (although I think I like the pale blue of the flannel sheet better!)  Hope to get this one also done this weekend.  Hopefully! 

Re the Weave it to me - I was wrong - class is NOT this Sunday = it is a WEEK from this Sunday (YIPPEE!!!) - and I want to have that one done done done!  Mostly because I want to spend the next 2 sessions doing some applique across them.  Thoughts there are to applique vining flowers across the "lattice weave" and/or to have kitties and puppies playing hide and seek behind the lattice with birds and butterflies making their appearance as well!  LOL - this is funny - this quilt has gone from a rather maligned "it has got to be boring quilt" to one I'm excited about - and that I LOVE the color play in!

Oh yeah - can you see the "oops" in the second row?  I didn't notice until I was uploading my photo into the folder!  So - guess what I will be doing this evening!

Other quilts involve the mini Threadhead sampler - which hopefully I will finish today - and will post a picture then!  Was soooooooooooooo embarrassed - I was following along faithfully - and talked with my dd Wendy - who mentioned 2 (not 1 like I did) 9 patches and FOUR (yup, I did only one) four patches!  TG the basket was only one - although I did have to search everywhere for the pieces for that and the churn dash that I had "just had in my hot and grubby hands" - searched 2 hours, gave up and went to bed.  Next morning I headed to quilt shop (where I live) - and lo and behold - out of my Underground RR top fell all the missing Threadhead pieces!  Geez!  so no I am pinning and labeling EVERYTHING and trying to track everything through when I take it in my hands.  Is this a thing of getting "more mature" as time goes on?  I wish!  I've been this way since I was in elementary school and definitely have NOT improved any!

Anyway - I did the rest of the TH pieces and have attached all the thises and thats and now only need to finish up.  Picture will be posted when I am done.

Items NOT touched this week - include Arizona Skies, my shoe fly and the re-do on the Paper piecing.  Sigh!  This last one while a delight (and falling apart - I forgot to lock the seams!) is hanging around my neck like a millstone - and needs to be done!  NOW!  TODAY!!!!

NEW class - Irish Double chain -= and I had pre-cut all the fabric - so was able to get quite a bit done.  Still - no design wall for this one (I ran out of DW's! LOL)  Will take pix probably on Monday - IF I finish one of the other quilts!

AND TA-DA!!!!  Home to me!

My Row by Row - which the other ladies did miraculous things with!  This is part of the swap I'm so behind on! 

BEST OF ALL!!!!!  Home to me from Canada and my dd Wendy - came my Carpenter Star!!!!  OH MY!!!!

By the way - the rows and lines ARE straight - just not on my bed!  Will try to get a better picture of that!  Also am sending a more detailed picture of Wendy's gorgeous quilt work on the star itself!  She truly did a fantastic job - completely outdid herself! 

I showed the quilt to the ladies at the post office when I got it - and the long lines and postmistresses just were totally wow-ed!!!!  I also took it to my quilt shop - and then the next day to quilt class (also at the shop - EVERYONE loves it - and even Maureen who is very good at quilting said that she couldn't even come close to the quilting job that Wendy did!  I just love it!  I only wish that the photos showed up better the quilting that she did!!!!

Stash Report for 05-13-12

Man!  I have 2 (yup TWO) flimsy's just about ready for final quiltling!  And with 2 more not far behind!!!!  One is the Threadhead Mini Sampler, another the sweet treat (well, it's a bit farther back than almost done - but not THAT far!), a third - the Weave It to Me!  AND I have another block in Underground RR just about done as well - leaving only 2 more blocks, sashing and cornerstones, and all the borders in the world (can you tell I don't like putting on borders???)

HOWEVER the word is ALMOST - and almost is NOT completely done!  So - for this week....

Used This Week:  0 yards
Used This Month: 3.0 yards
Used Year to Date: 46 yards
Added This Week: 0 yard
Added This Month:0 yards
Added Year to Date: 15.17 yards
Net Used for 2012: 30.83 yards

And I am soooooooooo glad I didn't buy the fabric I saw yesterday (just darling!  and I didn't have enough in spare cash at the time!)  AND am so glad we don't count rulers on this one (found the CUTEST 4.5 inch square ruler!!!!)  Did also buy 8 clear plastic shoe boxes - for squares and rectangles - I am tired of fighting with my odds and ends!!!!!  My strips are just fine and all organized (thank you, Bonnie!) but the squares - oh my!

Design Wall Monday - 05-07-12

YAY - I think I have the cord for the camera to computer - at least I have a cord that fits properly into both camera AND computer.  Let's hope it is the right one!  Now to figure out how to upload pix - cause it didn't show up automatically!  So I have to figure out what drive!

Anyway - all this to say - HOPEFULLY I will have pictures of quilts - past and present to put on my blog!  Hopefully!

Design walls - and I'm short three! - (1)my big design wall - my poor Double duty is still there - didn't get to it last week.

(2)  The interior lid on the top of the shoe box - I move this! theArizona Skies (really known as Tequila Buzz - I just like my colors better! LOL) - I STILL have to take some of my blocks apart and probably re-size a bit!  THEN it will be all systems go!

(3) the portable (top of the plastic chest) - Weave It to Me - Looking really cute - ready for more strips - AND sewing strips together - definite progress made!

(4) over my sewing machine - Row by Row - I do NOT like the way I did one block - am re-doing it.  It is the only one I have left - no major problem - BUT I forgot to lock the seams!~  Therefore.....

(5) (On the inside lid of the large shoebox/bin I keep this on in - Sweet Treats - this is a quilt-a-long that Judy is doing - so far I'm up even - so far!  Oh yeah - my take on the April color palette was slightly different from Judy's - hence the pink and purpley things!  This is what showed up on my computer.  Sorry no red - and I had to really for the orange - my stash is sadly lacking in the tones I needed for that!..

There really should be 3 more.....

(6) Currently sharing the one over my sewing machine -  Joan's Mini Sampler quilt - I'm behind on this one..... 

(7) On the inside lid of the box I store this one on - Churn  Mill Dash - this is one I've long wanted to do!!!!

(8) On the inside lid of the box I store this one in - and sometimes over my sewing machine -  Underground Railroad

Apparently I sew/piece about like I read - 6 - 8 or more at the same time! LOL

Stash Report for 05-06-12

A finish on a flimsy this week - table topper - was 2011 New Year's Mystery quilt from About.com - ABSOLUTELY cute!

Used This Week:  3.0 yards
Used This Month: 3.0  yards
Used Year to Date: 46 yards
Added This Week: 0 yard
Added This Month:0 yards
Added Year to Date: 15.17 yards
Net Used for 2012: 30.83 yards

Preserving Kettle - 05-02-12

Am taking stock of what I have, what I have planted, and when it is sort of due to be harvested and marking that on my main calendar so I can be on the lookout for it.  Also am trying to determine whether the item is to be canned, dried, preserved some other way and whether pickles or jellies get made from it.

State of the Garden - 05-02-12

Hmm - this was SUPPOSED to be a Tues post.....  Oh well!

In reality - it rained yesterday and somehow I thought it would be dry enough today I could go take a look-see.

PLANTED:
PEAS (Sugar pod: Golden Sweet, Oregon Sugar Pod, Carouby; Snap: Sugar Snap, Sugar Anne snap; Regular: Telephone, Lincoln, Green Arrow, Asparagus)
ONIONS: Red sets, Yellow sets, white sets, shallots
CARROTS: Danvers, St. Valery
RADISHES: Mixed Rainbow,
SALAD: French Endive (mixed)
MUSTARD: Tendergreen
LETTUCE: Lettuce Blend
POTATOES: Blossom, La Ratte Fingerling, All Blue, German Butterball, Marris Piper, Yellow Finn, Purple Viking, Desiree, Mountain Rose, Sieglende
SWEET POTATOES: Beauregard
SCORZONERA
SALSIFY: Sandwich Island Mammoth
HAMBURG PARSLEY
PARSNIP:
KOHLRABI: E. White, E. Purple
TURNIPS: Purple top, Golden Ball, Rapa di Milano
BEETS: Chioggia, Golden, Italian, Ruby Queen, Detroit Perfected, Crosby, Detroit

TRANSPLANT: COOL SOIL:
BROCCOLI
CAULIFLOWER
CABBAGE
COLLARDS
BRUSSEL SPROUTS
SWISS CHARD

TO BE PLANTED: COOL SOIL -
KALE
LETTUCE (more - x 2 x sections
CELERY
SPINACH
SWISS CHARD

TRANSPLANT: WARM SOIL:
TOMATOES
TOMATILLOS
PEPPERS (SWEET)
EGGPLANT
JALAPENO PEPPER (1)

TO BE PLANTED: WARM SOIL:
CUCUMBERS,
PEAS:Speckled butterpea and Dixie Speckled Butterpea
BEANS (all)
OKRA
SWEET CORN
SUMMER SQUASH
ZUCCHINI
WINTER SQUASH
MELONS
WATERMELON
PUMPKIN

Design Wall Monday - 04/30/12

On my big design wall still hangs the Double Duty Quilt that I had on there last week (actually last month would be more like it!)

The "portable design wall" (extra lid to the plastic chest) has elements of the Arizona Skies on it - in various stages - although almost all have been sliced and ready for the final sewing.  Still debating and think I will have to re-do 2 - possible 3 squares: 2 because I managed to slice them BACKWARDS!!!! of the way they're supposed to be! :(  and the third because I was tired and didn't read my ruler right.  3/4 is NOT 1/2!!!!  Blast it anyway!  Other than those 3 - am at point of re-sizing quarter blocks and sewing together! 

Another "portable design wall" or rather should I say plastic shoe box lid - holds some of the elements for the Weave it to me quilt.  Quite a bit done there -  would like to have it ALL sewn together up to the borders by class time!

The fourth holds the individual sampler blocks I'm working on between sessions of other quilts.  Almost done there (TG!)  For the most part - looking great - though I would be happier yet if some of the sizes weren't wierd sizes for blocks - at least of those that I'm copying!)

Pix - I still need to get that cable going from camera to computer.  Then will insert pictures as possible.

Stash report for 04/30 (oops again!)/12

ALMOST done with 3+ quilt flimsies!  Key word there is ALMOST!!!!  What can I say!  Unfortunately until my almost is a definite for sure - it doesn't count as USED.  Sigh!


Used This Week: 0 yards
Used This Month:0 yards
Used Year to Date: 43 yards
Added This Week: .67 yard (it was butterscotch - a close blend, not match, for one of the fabrics used in my Arizona skies of which there was a sad amount lacking!)
Added This Month: 6.67 yards
Added Year to Date: 15.17 yards
Net Used for 2012: 27.83 yards

And I had best get finished up on those flimsies or I will NOT be posting net USED at the rate I'm going!

28 things!!!!

Oh lordy - now Judy's done it!  And my compulsive/obsessive me gets to make a LIST of 28 things to get done in next 4 years!!!!

(I'm also going to post this on a separate page so I can keep track!)

01. Quilt 28 QOV
02. Quilt 28 quilts
03. Knit 28 pairs of socks (Baad Judy!  BAAD!!!!)
04. Sew 28 items clothing
05. Adoption inquiries on 28 children (not all at once!)
06. Donate money to charities 28 times
07. Shiny sink for 28 days
08. Declutter for 28 days
09. Exercise - yoga for 28 days
10. Mandarin Chinese lessons for 28 days
11. Make 28 items for newborn layette - charity
12. Make 28 baby blankets
13. Unpack 28 boxes
14. Food Storage for 28 months
15. 28 lapbooks
16. Read 28 fiction (this is EASY for me)
17. Read 28 Non-fiction (this is NOT easy for me)
18. Lose 28 pounds (and keep it off!)
19. Use net of 280 yards fabric
20. 28 birdhouses and birdbaths
21. 28 fun surprises for Wendy
22. 28 fun surprises for Nathan
23. 28 fun surprises for Lynn
24. 28 consecutive days posting on my blog
25. Plant 28 trees/bushes
26. Cull 28 movies/books
27. 28 weeks of manicure and pedicure complete with nail polish
28. 28 bottles of conditioner/body lotion used

Preserving Kettle

Today - am preserving a lot of not much! 

HOWEVER.... I thought it might be nice to:
(1) Draw up a tentative harvest calendar (when whatever is in season - and underscore when MY stuff is supposed to be in season
(2) Write up a tentative list of what I wanted preserved how!!!!  (ie, Peaches.... spiced, canned, pie filling, peach jam, peach cherry marmalade, peach amaretto chestnut conserve (no, I don't have a recipe for this - sounds like a possibility though!), peach pickles, peach ketchup (yup - there IS such a thing - use on or with meats!), dried peaches, peach brandy, peach liqueur, and just for fun - peach ice cream! - along with a hoped for buy in (no, my brand new baby peach tree is NOT ready for this!)

Game plan would be to keep this in my notebook - and then post on a month calendar of events maybe, posting the more interesting recipes along the way (and no, I'm NOT trying the super old fashioned way of bottling peaches - ie, filling bottle with water and putting lid on.)   And then put how much (if any) I actually did do.

And yes, I HAVE made all this - in a single year - had a windfall of 22 bushel of overripes and seconds for 22 dollars!!!!!!  Was great!  Would have been better if greedy gut that I am I hadn't set my eyes on the plums (seconds also) and got 7 bushel of those as well as apples.  Still and all I DID get all that put up - (TG that not all the seconds were ripe and could hold a day or 2!!!!) along with the sweet corn, green beans, tomatoes (all by the bushel) that my dd and a neighbour thoughtfully picked for me!  Shall I say that it was also one of the hottest weeks of the year and I didn't have air!  And went without sleep for 3 days running before I collapsed in a pile of peach peelings, snoring away madly!!!!

Keys are MODERATION and SPACING THE HARVEST ALL OUT!!!!

State of the Garden - 04-24-12

Garden tilling done (whoopee!!!!)  I wasn't going to till and was going to set up completely with lasagne gardening - but due to opening up - and tilling under a new area - I without thinking turned under all the gazillion leaves in that area - so - no raw materials for a while at least!

Game plan - this fall - will set up 2 - 3 more long beds (28-30' x 4')  That's the thought anyway - we'll see!  Do know however tilling is NOT for the weak at heart and those who are iffy about garden plans!

Peas are in (whoopee!)  except for limas and cowpeas which go in May 1 or thereabouts.  Beans - posts are in - need to string the fence - although I will probably wait until after beans are planted - in another week or 2.

Salad and Coles - growing wonderfully in greenhouse - EXCEPT for those plants which are drought stricken (dried up)  Next year - I plant in FLATS - NOT in peat pots!  Still need to get my marigolds going though - but will probably seed those out in the garden proper.  Am putting onions in with salad stuff - should deter some  bugs - even tho onions are a "root" crop!

Potatoes and roots - have put in the add on section - am thinking I need more - I also bought in some sweet potato plants Beauregard I believe.  Have set up tall hills for those since I have no desire to visit China by digging my way through the earth!  My seed potatoes arrived - and I have some of them planted.  Am at point where I need a row stretcher or some such!  Still need to get the rest in - plus also need to get the rest of the root crops in toute suite!

Tomatoes and buddies - doing great in greenhouse - a few dried up though - will have to see how all is going.

Squash and Sweet corn - not yet - not yet! 

Whew!!!! 

Still need to get the rest of my herbs in.

Did get some flowers, etc. from a very nice lady in Southwick.  I still want to get some Lilac bushes and would like to ge a lot of varieties of peonies and Iris as well!  and - oh yeah - petunias!

I think I need to clone myself at this point!  And will actually be doing great to get everything in and growing well - and then, of course, begins canning season!  (which is sort-of right now - tail end of winter)

Hope to find the cord that goes to my camera - then will post pix of everything.  Hopefully it all will grow.  So far the best growing are the gazillion baby maples that seem to be EVERYWHERE!!!!

Design Wall Monday

Well, this is where all my pix of my 4 design walls will appear - with current projects on them! 

Why 4?  Well - there's the big over-all one - that I am trying to finish - and needs some adjustment - my Double Duty quilt. 

Then there's the one I hang over my sewing machine - big enough for a couple of blocks or so - actually one FQ in size - and that's for trying out patterns or helping me focus on the "now" picture.  This has sampler projects, new blocks, etc. - currently sampler projects on it.  Pinned because they may be there a bit.

Then there's the portable FQ one that I slapped together from the top of one of those plastic drawer thingies (I stacked the drawers - 2 high - so didn't need the extra top)  It's portable.  And I can show Wendy on Skype.  Unfortunately - it is also bigger than sometimes I can focus.  Not on there yet - but will have my Underground RR quilt on there to show W. next Monday - which hopefully I will have the outside borders on it.  Have been working on the blocks LE style!  LOL

Then there's the one I threw together AT the sewing class yesterday - the inside lid of my shoe box project.  Didn't have a felt lining at that time - however I'm taking care of that today!  AND if I'm careful - could probably throw in a pocket for various rulers etc. that I carry too.  That is just right for the class!  This one has the class project.

Now - as soon as I can get photos uploaded onto my computer I can show here.  However that involved my re-discovering (AGAIN!) what I did with the cord from my camera to the computer!

Stash Report - 04-23-12 (oops!)

Spent most of the week in the garden - then decided to get tiller after all - not easier (as muscles will testify to) but faster!  And I'm behinder already!

Still.... Sewing....  New quilt starting yesterday (Sunday)  After quilt/lap robe is done - I'm going to applique kitties, puppies, etc. on it - at least that's the game plan - we'll see!

No projects completed - yet!  Did go to fabric shop however :D  And added from there - needful since I had ALMOST - but NOT QUITE enough FQ for this coming quilt!  TG I don't have to account for ALL I spent there!!!! ( classes - which are Open Sew ad infinitum - a way to blackmail myself into working on the quilts - and having fun while doing it!)  Also added 2 patterns - Irish Chain in a Day which will be used in a class - and Grandma's Scrap Bag - Miss Rosie - which will be used in my fall quarter of the Quilt a quarter class (we're going to do some swaps here!  Hmmm - might be fun to MAKE a pretty bag to go with the swap stuff!)  New rulers added - the Cleareview Triangle 10" (All mine measured 7" :( and I NEED the 10") and as of yesterday - Pam, clever sales woman she is, demonstrated another ruler  - Creative Grid Quiktrim - which - oh my!  I'm going to love this ruler - right up there with my Loc-Bloc!!!!  Again we shall NOT discuss costs, save that the 2 rulers were definitely under 40!

Used This Week: 0 yards
Used This Month:0 yards
Used Year to Date: 43 yards
Added This Week: 2.5 + 6 FQ = 4.0 yards
Added This Month: 6.0 yards
Added Year to Date: 14.50 yards
Net Used for 2012: 28.50 yards

Still in the black, but BOY! I had best get busy!!!!

Preserving Kettle Report 04-18-12

ORANGES:
Orange rind dried - 4 oranges worth
Candied Orange Rind - in the process of - so this will go on next week's

Not enough Asparagus to count
No strawberry blossoms.  I have hopes though!

Preserves, and putting food by

Orange marmalade is the food for the day - not a lot -- but some.  Also from the peels - I'm candying some and drying the rest. 

DRIED ORANGE PEEL Peel orange. Remove all white parts.  Dry in drier or in very slow oven.  When completely dry and tough and brittle store in closed jar for use in tea, making an incense, or flavoring (ground up) in cookies, etc.

CANDIED ORANGE PEEL Peel fruit.  Remove all white parts.  Cut in 1/2 inch or smaller squares - can also be cut in shapes like flowers, hearts, etc.  Put rinds under dripping faucet for day or 2 then put into pot of water (3 parts water to 1 part orange peel - and bring to a boil.  Cook 15 minutes then plunge in cold water.  Drain.  Weigh.  Equal amount weight sugar as oranges plus just enough water to make paste.  Cook over medium heat stirring constantly.  When thick to way I like it - pour rind and syrup into warm jars, seal with sterilized lids.  Store in cool place.

I would LIKE to make some orange liqueur - but unless my son or my dd drinks it - it would go to waste - either that or age more than 100 years!  With this - the rind is what's important again - white part being removed.

Garden report - 04-15-12

GREENHOUSE - FINALLY all the coles are popping up and GROWING!!!  So are the onions!  OK - I planted late - by about 3 weeks! :(    Tomatoes, peppers, eggplants and tomatillos aren't up YET - but I do have hopes!!!!

PEAS/BEANS BEDS - Most of the peas are in (also several weeks late!)

SALAD AND POTATO/ROOT CROP BEDS - Am running so behind that I decided to finish making up the lasagne beds for these 2 - then flat gardening - with added in leaves - tilled, I hope - definitely NOT lasagne style - for the salads, nor for the potatoes and root crops. 

CORN/SQUASH AND TOMATO/EGGPLANT/SWEET PEPPER/TOMATILLO BEDS - However when I get to these - I SHOULD have time enough before they are ready for planting to get these 2 rows of beds set up!

Then this fall after everything is done for the year - I'll finish up at least the Salad section - and do the Potato/root crop section either then or the following spring.

HERBS - most of what I want to do here is done!

PERRENIALS/STRAWBERRIES - this is as done as it gets - unless I want to lose a bunch of plants in the process!  Strawberry plants doing ok - not as prolific as I would like to see - but give it another year and I think I'll be considering another bed.  Horseradish is in its own square - and honestly I only want the one main plant - considering the number of rootlets it puts out every year!  Asparagus - hmmm - what there is looks great - BUT we are talking about less than a 25% survival rate - so I am considering moving the asparagus bed over to the orchard area.  Mind you, I'm only CONSIDERING it!  Maybe I'll just start one all over there!  Rhubarb SHOULD be coming out my ears.  It isn't - too shady and the soil makes a BIG difference - this will DEFINITELY get moved! 

ORCHARD - I added 3 new trees this year and 1 bush arrived - so current count here is.... 2 apple (one probably will have to be replaced - just hasn't taken well to transplanting from being heeled in entirely too long to its new place.), 1 peach, 1 cherry (North Star), 1 pear.  I still want to get plums but both the garden catalog was out and so was my money for this!  :/ 

BERRY PATCH - this is still in transition - I HAVE lots of raspberries - stuck (heeled in) in the middle of my potato patch - and they gotta get moved!  Question is - before or AFTER they bear raspberries.  Each possibility has it's positives!  And yes - I may pull a switcheroo - probably be a good idea anyway - planting the potatoes where the raspberries are going - and letting the raspberries do their thing this spring where the potatoes are.  This is NOT a permanent arrangement - and if I say that often enough I may actually believe it!

This is where the Asparagus and the Rhubarb patch will be re-located (which leaves the question - what to put where the asparagus and rhubarb currently are and from where they will be re-located - hmmmmm)

CHICKEN PATCH - oh, I sure wish!!!!!  Not this year anyway - but will start doing some discussion with the city re hens only.

Of course there will NOT be a GOAT PATCH nor a CALF PATCH - although I sure wish!  And although I THINK there is enough room - there really won't be a WHEAT patch either - although the section on the other side of the fruit trees MIGHT work.  Oh well - can't have everything!

EQUIPMENT ADDED: son brought over his wheelbarrow - sure helps my VERY ouch back in hauling compost from the current position to where I need it.  This too will get moved to the top of my side of the driveway.  And a leaf bin (hardware cloth) will be added.  Son is starting to get into the act big time - it's funny!

Oh yeah - current count of the garden shovels/spades - 5!!!  LOL

Stash Report for 04-15-12

Didn't complete any projects this week but I did get some ideas from my dd about what to do with some of my projects. Spent most of my time on the garden or fretting about "what to do" with my quilt projects.

Used This Week: 0 yards
Used This Month:0 yards
Used Year to Date: 43 yards
Added This Week: 0  yards
Added This Month: 2.0 yards
Added Year to Date: 10.50 yards
Net Used for 2012: 32.50 yards

Stash report 04-08-12

Didn't complete any projects this week (close - but no cigar! :(   ) but then I didn't add anything either! LOL
It's a NEW month!!!

Used This Week: 0 yards
Used This Month:0 yards
Used Year to Date: 43 yards
Added This Week: 2.0 yards
Added This Month: 2.0 yards
Added Year to Date: 10.50 yards
Net Used for 2012: 32.50 yards

Currently (today) finishing up my log cabin quilt.  Also hoping to get that last strip done - then a new project and a bunch of sampler blocks (including one repeat - which I hope to duplicate for a quilt for a little one in England)

Tomato Tuesday (will be on Thursdays)

This is an idea I saw on another blog.  Kind of keeps me accountable for (1) planting, (2)care and maintenance of those beds (SHOULD be tomato/pepper/eggplant/tomatillo Thursdays!)  However....

Today I planted the seeds - only 2 weeks late for bell peppers and eggplants  for this region (March 22-28) and 1 week late for tomatoes (hot peppers would have been March 15).   Tomatoes, Basil (I'm raising some with the tomatoes this year in addition to my herb garden), cilantro (herbs), dill (herbs), Thyme (herbs) plus Oregano (I already have that - and it has been doing very well!) all are to be planted around here from March 29 - April 4 - IN THE GREENHOUSE - or inside - whichever!  And -= if I have extra tomato plants - I may try raising some in with the strawberries - SHOULD work.  Hopefully!

But then I also planted all the cool/cold weather crops (coles, onion seed) the week before - only 6 weeks late!  :(  Poor dears will be raised during hot weather - may have to put up some sun shading for them - either that or sink the peat pots into the ground a bit earlier than otherwise intended. (Leeks were supposed to be transplanted today in this region - I just got through putting in the seed!  Hmmm!)

Anyway - currently they are in the greenhouse - WAITING to grow. 

Also - pruned my poor apple tree.  The other 3 trees have been waiting to be planted - think I will scout around and see what I can find for a spade!  Nathan gets busy and forgets - besides - these are MY trees - and he more than has his hands full!

I quilted/cleaned with Wendy this past Sunday - was great!  I always have fun doing that!  Anyway - I think she is jealous - she wants A LOT to get started on her garden as well!

Nathan who was always the kid who was not about to garden - says he will be getting hot peppers and tomatoes and some potatoes - planting them in planters on his deck.  I think he will enjoy that!

Speaking of potatoes - MY potato order hasn't come in yet - and I'm getting VERY nervous!!!!  This would be the second year I've ordered from Ronniger's - and I know they have been super busy.  I just don't want to miss my planting dates (like I have the onion seeds!)  nor do I want my potatoes lost in transit!

Stash Report 04/01/12

Sent off one swap this week - have one to go, then samplers

Used This Week: 2.0 yards
Used This Month:27.50 yards
Used Year to Date: 43 yards
Added This Week: 2.0 yards
Added This Month: 3.50 yards
Added Year to Date: 10.50 yards
Net Used for 2012: 32.50 yards
Also worked on several other quilt things - but not finished.  Hopefully this coming week will see them done!

It's leftover Wednesday!

I'm TIRED!  Sent package to friend, did some sewing, got things ready for greenhouse onslaught.  (tomorrow will be teaching day IF they call tonight!) and menues planned for tonight and tomorrow.  Problem is - I'm too tired and sleepy to cook!  Not that I'll waste away or anything - but instead I'll wake up at 2 AM ready to eat a bedpost or something - and that is NOT good. (Neither is the bedpost!)

Selected colors and patterns - tentatively for another project.  Want to sew - spirit is willing - body is shot!  So tonight I think I will recoup a bit then cook supper  - not sure what I will have.  What I WAS going to have has been changed around a bit.  But I'll get over it - or not!

Do you know what is frustrating - is when you KNOW you have something - you've seen it in your house at least a dozen times or more - but can NOT find it no matter what!  It's like that this evening!  Tomorrow I'll look again - and probably locate it right off!

Stash Report - 03-25-12

No major change this week - due to not feeling well and sleeping almost 24/7 - well the first 4 days anyway.  DID try sewing weekend - ended ripping it all out!  Cut up quite a bit on Sat.  Should have more done by next weekend.


Used This Week: 0 (I was NOT feeling well most of week and slept most of time.  When I did sew - I ended having to un-sew every little bit - drat it!)
Used This Month:25.50 yards
Used Year to Date:  41 yards
Added This Week: 0 yards
Added This Month: 1.50 yards
Added Year to Date: 8.50 yards
Net Used for 2012: 33.50 yards


As of today - the 25th - this afternoon - I added one pattern for a class, 0 fabric (shopping from my stash first!), and have nearly finished 2 more items on my list! 

Stash Report for 03-18-12

Used This Week: 1.50 yards on 1 swap plus 30 yards on log cabin - swap has problems. BIG ones! = 31.50 yards CORRECTION - Log cabin used 24 yards - which included backing, binding which I am sending along to be quilted.  I can't add!!!!!   Total used this week - 25.50
Used This Month: 25.50 yards
Used Year to Date:  15.50 + 25.50 = 41.0 yards
Added This Week: 0 yards
Added This Month: 1.50 yards
Added Year to Date: 8.50 yards
Net Used for 2012: 33.50 yards

Stash Report 03-11-12

Used this Week:  1.50 yards
Used this Month: 1.50 yards
Used year to Date: 15.50 yards
Added this Week:  1.50 yards
Added this Month: 1.50 yards
Added Year to Date: 8.50 yards
Net Used for 2012: 7.0 yards

Earrings

Many years ago - way back when my daughter was growing up - I had my ears pierced.  I had a lot of earrings too.  But over the years, I got sloppy and didn't always wear them. 

When my son was born some years later, he was attracted to the pretty dangly things hanging from my ears - and would grab and pull.  Needless to say - I was NOT happy.

So - I stopped wearing them - just for a while, I thought!

Then I couldn't.

So - this week I decided WEAR the earrings - OR re-home them!  so I bravely took a set of posts - and tried them - knowing they would probably be tight.

Tight is NOT the word I have in mind!  The first earring went in ok - was a bit ouchy - but then it had been a long time. 

However - the SECOND earring - it was like re-punching the whole earring - the HARD way - a gazillionth of an inch at a time!  OH MY!  Pain!!!  Definite pain!  And once I had managed to push the earring all the way through (we will NOT talk about punch the earring - not at this time!) it continued to let me know it was there all day long.

I took them out at night - to let my ears relax - then put them in again yesterday.  Again - first earring - the left one - fine.  At least until both were in!  The second earring continued to be a royal literal pain!

Again - I took them out at night.  Today I am relaxing my ears.  Actually - I'm chicken!  Although I suspect the hard part may be over.  If so - I will put them in this afternoon. 

However I AM re-thinking my decision to wear earrings and wondering if it really is too high a price to re-consider re-homing them!

A Funny Thing happened....

A funny thing happened on my way to clean yesterday - I got a call to come substitute teach! 

YAY!!!

Especially since I Love to teach! 

Although the teaching yesterday was more all-day reading (all classes - 5).  Which was as well.  In the interest of "modeling" reading behavior - I decided to join my young students - and read one book by noon (quite interesting) and ALMOST (with exception of 50 pages) completed another by school dismissal (this one was of one of my favorites - the young Sherlock Holmes).  Still and all it was a nice restful day.  didn't accomplish a thing at home - in fact, I got home and proceeded to fall asleep over the computer so took myself off to bed for a nice nap.  Woke up several hours later - fixed and ate dinner, played TM for a while, made plans what all I was going to do today - and went back to bed. 

Does it help any to say that while the classroom was definitely overheated - my apartment was definitely the other direction and I felt like I was freezing???? (This despite the thermostat saying it was 70!  The thermostat LIES!)

So - what to do?  Son is supposedly coming over today so we can (oh joy!) clean and clear off that side porch, put up plastic so I have a temporary (read the word TEM PO RARY!!!! and pray that isn't for the next 5 or more years!) greenhouse!  Should be easy enough - hopefully.  6 ml plastic which is what the greenhouses use.  Lathing to hold the plastic in place so it won't rip.  Hopefully. Wind the plastic around the OUTSIDE of the posts.  Put something across the porch floor to cover the 1/2 inch wide cracks between boards - and cover that probably with cheap indoor outdoor carpeting.  Get a table (potting table for now) and set it up. 

Oh yeah - door - flap on one end - so I can use that as a doorway. 

Gro-lights - that's the only thing that is tricky - not even sure I really need them since I get a lot of indirect light during the day - as in this is NOT a south facing exposure - but east with another house maybe 20 - 30 feet away.  Some shading - but NOT really that bad at all.  Still and all.....

Gro-lights - a shoplight suspended by chains with electric cord probably wound around and through the chains - and plugged into my kitchen (no outside outlet) after being wound through windows - including the busted one (storm window is busted - NOT the inside one).

SHOULD work.  Hopefully it will!

AND if son does NOT show up (as in NO ONE in their right mind looks forward to cleaning off that porch - in the snow, yet!) - then I can haul stuff up to the fence.  There are some doors - and I have clothesline, hammer and nails - and can rig up a way to haul the jerry-rigged toboggan with it's full load of JUNK to the fence for easier access.

It's Gorgeous Out!!!

Everywhere around me is covered with snow - SOFT snow - but it is absolutely gorgeous!  I keep feeling like I should break out in singing "sleighbells ring...." etc. - but I'm concerned my neighbours would throw hard slushballs at me!

Best part though - I don't have to go out in it!  I can sit here at home in my sewing room - and sew and sew until my machine falls apart!  That is, AFTER I have finished my morning routine AND have done some anti-procrastination items!!!! 

Anti-procrastination - on the schedule for today - Declutter dining room the rest of the way - and toss as much as possible (NOT the books though!)/  Also - sitting down with my lesson book sheets and working on that!

And then a mountain of sewing!  Yeehaw!!!!  First off - gettting those charms ready to go. (all ready - just need the envelopes)  Then the RxR - I have most of the messed up stitching removed from the first one (thank you Janome!  sarcastic humor here!) and only need to sew blocks together.  Like my new machine for sure - I'm not fighting it all the time! 

And a baby quilt - that only needs to be finished being quilted. (borders only and binding). Which is part of my March project (there is another baby blanket) from last year! 

first big package ready for Wendy. 

IF I can get out of my driveway - and this is a major if here! - send all this stuff from the post offfice!!!

List what I can on Freecycle.

And solve world peace! 

It's SNOWING!

I just got back from the grocery.  Earlier I had picked up the mail - and my garden seeds were in.

Let me tell you - that is a wierd feeling when the garden seeds come in - and the area is in the midst of an old-fashioned blizzard!!!  Not quite white out - but ALMOST!  Definitely hazardous road conditions - if only because the weather had been so warm - and acted like we were going to skip winter this year!

Nevertheless....

Re the grocery store - I picked up a bunch of spices and herbs.  Earlier this week I had decided to finally tackle my spices and toss those whose expiration date was past.  I expected a few to be tossed.  OH MY!  I tossed a bunch!  Worst were the ones I remember "inheriting" from my mom and dad when dad passed on.  Dad died in 2003.  Mom had passed 5 years earlier and I KNOW she didn't invest in any new spices during the last few years of her life.  Shall I say that the spices I tossed were definitely "vintage"?  Now I know of someone who likes to hold onto spices and herbs beyond their usual expiration date - he says it gives the spices a richness and mellowness he wouldn't find otherwise.  Mine should have been so rich that they NEVER would need to be used!

So - while I carried home just a few dinky bags - there were a lot of spices that I USE in there (garlic, tarragon, red pepper flakes) at least to tide me over until my herb garden perrenials decide to do their thing again! and then there was the tobasco sauce - now in hot and beastly cry your eyes out hot!  Got some of that! 

Also picked up some canned chili.  Could have made some homemade - but wanted some pre-canned at least in stock.  Wanted Taylor's chili - but couldn't find it.  There is something about cold weather, snow and the need/desire for Taylor's chili!  Yum!

My Camera and Me

I thought in terms of putting pix of quilts on posts - or at least on other pages - that it might be nice to take some NEW pix.

Well and good!  Unfortunately that involves me using my digital camera. 

NOT well and good!  I'm not sure what all happened to it - but it required major cleaning up.  Which I did.  What didn't happen was for me to remember WHAT to do.

It seems it is a more difficult procedure than the old Brownie camera of grab, point, and click.  Now I have all these buttons, programs and who knows what else to do.  And I don't remember how to do this.

I DID try to take a picture of my shelves (which do NOT look great - it is for MY practice ONLY.  So far I only see this wierd line across the camera.  NOT good.  the flash worked - I think.  Not sure.  SOMETHING flashed.  Just hope it was NOT something that wasn't supposed to!

Read the directions?  Uh - re the directions - I KNOW they are here - SOMEWHERE!!!  And eventually I hope to find them.  Hopefully before son's 50th wedding anniversary (he's getting married this Sept.)  Sure would be nice to use this at his wedding!

And re using my phone - NOT a good idea - and I'm not just talking about how it costs me minutes.  Although that too.  But my cell phone has ISSUES!  One of which is probably me!

So that leaves the old disposable camera.  Hey - if it works - don't knock it!  I just have to remember that I took it to the printer. (Hmm - that's what calendars are for!) and then find a way to upload or fax it to my email!  Still - that would take less time.....

Ta - Da - and Ta - Don't

Are you ready for this????  I can (TA DA) upload pix from my digital camera now.  All I have to do is..... TAKE SOME FIRST!!!!

Seriously though - I can upload pix of my quilts, etc. on the quilt page and go from there.  I also need to think of what is going to happen to the other "pages"

You know what is silly?  I just got a new sewing machine (I got mad at the one I had - which had a LOT of probs - and was acting just like the Janome that Wendy had) - but I am totally intimidated by it!  You see, when I first turned it on - I had switched to the new quilting foot - and the needle came down, broke in half - and the point hit me on the chin!  then vanished who knows where!  Even though I wasn't hurt - I was soooooooooo lucky that it didn't hit my eyes!  And now - I'm scared silly of it!

As for the broken needle - despite repeated searches (including hands and knees) I can't find it.  That will last until sometime I go padding in there in my bare feet, I'm sure! 

So - I'm slicing and dicing.  Just not sewing - but I need to get over that FAST!  I mean - there is a limit to the amount of fabric one can store all sliced and diced.  I think I reached that point long ago - but who knows!

Re reaching that point - I read on Bonnie Hunter how to sort fabrics after slicing and dicing them.  I don't do most of my fabrics that way - ust the ones left over from various projects.  And store them like Bonnie does - by width.  and color group (light/dark).  Whenever she gets a full bin she starts up on a quilt = and uses up her fabrics that way.  I did that.  In fact - I did my Log cabin that way - I think I totally upset poor Maureen when I walked into class with 3 bins with strips neatly folded in them.  But seriously - it was easier doing that than otherwise.

But then Bonnie Hunter FINISHES up using her fabrics that way.  I've hardly made a dent in mine.  I did sort out some fabrics for Freecycle (Non-quilting type - scraps and even some yardage) and will have more to come I'm sure).  But I have a hunch I could sew up a dozen quilts easily from my scraps - and KNOW I can from my yardage - EASY.  (My sewing room resembles a fabric store - only not so well organized!) AND make several year-around wardrobes (that's FOUR seasons worth of clothing) without sneezing twice.  And STILL have yardage left over.  So - uh - why aren't I doing that?????  Well - I USED to have the whole thing of TIME.  Now however - I have more TIME, ENERGY (wish I had this much when I was in my 30's!)  - so maybe I'll give SOME of it a try.  At least until I figure out what else I want to declutter!

Stash Report - 02-26-12

Used this Month so far: 14 yards
Used year to Date: 14 yards
Added this Week: 0 yards
Added Year to Date: 7 yards
Net Used for 2012: 7 yards

Actually this is good.  I've sliced and diced quite a bit - just haven't finished the projects yet (will have some finished hopefully by end of day!!!  Woohoo!!!)  Will count then!  Hoping to send tomorrow the stuff I was working to send last week (week before, month before, etc.) 

Am still intimidated by my new machine (Brother runway one - has bells and whistles - and is COMPUTERIZED - which means my son LOVES it!)

Stash Report - 02-19-12

Used this Month so far: 14 yards
Used year to Date: 14 yards
Added this Week: 7 yards
Added Year to Date: 7 yards
Net Used for 2012: 7 yards

Still in the black! woo hoo!

Good Morning! It isn't Groundhog day anymore!

Well - Groundhog day is long past!  FTM so is Valentine's Day.  Presidents' Day is coming up this coming Monday. 

News here - Log Cabin needs only the outside 2 borders and backing and off it goes to Wendy for quilting!  I finally got the fabric for the outside 2 borders yesterday - and think it will look terrific - and help actually tone down some of the red distraction in that little flower in the Navy Calico strips - that and with the deep navy outside border - just what was needed! 

The backing is a Civil War Repro - and I positively drool over it!  Sure hope there is enough left over for a vest for me (I have this thing about vests!  Some folks are like that about socks - I'm like that about vests!)  Should look great - will help tie all colors together and look special in its own right!  Haven't gotten the binding yet - but am seriously thinking it will be the red.  Possibly the navy - won't really be able to tell until the rest is done.

Other news - I have a new sewing machine.  As in BRAND NEW - and it is computerized (which is both a plus and a minus as far as I am concerned!)  Am learning how to use it now.

Have got a lot to sew up today - as well as all the housework I've goofed off on.  Wish me luck! 

Am re-setting goals for coming week, etc.

GROUNDHOG DAY!!!!

LOL _ and where else do we celebrate the appearance of a critter who we usually do NOT see - and when we do, unless it is February, we complain at the destruction he does in our yards! 

Posted recipe reply to Wendy's comment this morning.  Guess I need to address the subject of my cooking!  (Alright, Wendy and Nathan - time to stop laughing, pick yourselves up off the floor!)

Reality is - I make these WONDERFUL menues, fantastic recipe concepts - and sometimes am even a superb cook!  Then there are the other times!

Foods I can usually cook well include breads (including rolls, an occasional brioche, challah, pastry, pastry pockets, meringues - and on and on), USUALLY soups - including some of my own creation. 

Refrigerator soup - Set pot of water - about 4 - 5 cups or so on to boil, open refrigerator door - add leftover greenbeans, the last of the tomato juice, scan the vegetable drawer, any leftover chunked up meats/sauces/etc. (usually one - maybe 2 kinds of meat IF I use meat - NOT a sweet/sour recipe though - that goes in something different).  Journey through my dried foods - and maybe add some dried corn, maybe beans or peas, dried carrots, whole grain - wheat, barley - add SOME of each.  Bring whole thing to a boil. (Maybe add a cube or so of appropriate flavored bouillion to soup)  Turn off (dried beans - remember????) 

Leave for about an hour (alternative is to add maybe 6 -7 hours to cooking time) then turn back onto a simmer.  Cook for a while longer - maybe adding rice at this point if using.  Season appropriately - for me - that is Mrs. Dash - and a tour through my herbs - usually involving savory if I have beans, thyme, maybe sage - whatever I think will taste good.  Oh yeah - and lots of garlic and PEPPER!  Including maybe a dash or four of hot pepper.  Add potatoes during last hour of cooking.  Make sure that you have added tomatoes - whether juice, fresh from garden or canned (or frozen tomato marbles, LOL)

I think that's it.  Oh yeah - you need toast with this.  Great for cold winter days or when you have a cold.  Or - just about any time!

Other than that - quilt class last night - log cabin - she is so great at teaching that class!  AND is so helpful during those times when class is not in session and I call frustrated that my quilt is NOT DOING what it is supposed to!  Anyway - quilt top is DONE - excepting the borders (need to get some different fabric from what I have - which isn't enough) which has to wait until day after payday!

Now on to clean house, sort papers (UGH UGH UGH) today and tonight - work on another quilt project for at least an hour.  At least. 

It's FEBRUARY!!!!!!

Yeehaw!  It's February! 

LC quilt ALMOST done.  Love the outcome - but the making of it - OMG - BORING!  This one is a scrappy blue and light!  HOPE I have enough deep blue for outside border!

Other than that - ummm - have been doing a lot of not much!  So now it is time to pay the piper and do a LOT of much - AND quilt!  STILL have those samplers to finish - not hard - just I am scared to death of them - have already mucked up 3 blocks I'm doing for one!  Grrrr!  Keeping blocks - but they are entirely too small to go into this quilt!  Drat it anyway!  One would think I can't divide by 4 (instead of 2 :/ 

Cooking - made chopped chicken liver on toast points last night - thought I'd died and gone to heaven!  My tummy had been feeling peckish all day - apparently this is what I needed, despite my misgivings.  That I was CRAVING them - for sure!  Even dreamed of fixing and eating them!  OH MY GOODNESS were they good!

Homemade bread - pumpernickel - TG for bread machines and grain grinders - love LOVE LOVE mine!  Nothing like freshly ground flour! Esp in homemade bread!f

Soups galore - have made chili, bean soup, cholent (exceptionally good - think stew and there ya have it!)  Need to make some homemade mixes - ie biscuit mix.

Looking forward to Fri eve - have my mind set on Chinese!  Yum!  General Tsao's chicken.

Needless to say - it is lunch time - and I''m waiting for my chili to thaw!  Menues in process of being made out for coming week.  This PM - sewing rows together - won't finish - but will tonight - and then will do borders I think.

I'm Excited!!!!

I'm excited!  I took a sample of my background material for my Double Duty quilt with me - and they STILL had a little bit of it left on the shelves!!!!  Yee Haw!  I can finish that quilt!  And I'm cheering!

That being said - what am I doing today?  Not working on that quilt - at least not yet!  Because I had gone to class last night for the Quilt in a Day Log Cabin.  And I like THIS method of constructing log cabins sooooooooo much better!  At any rate - I am correcting mistakes from last night (Ribbit! Ribbit!) due to the lighting and my head getting in the way of the light (at least that's MY excuse - and I'm sticking to it!) where I would invariably sew wrong side to right side!  Grrrr!  So - I'm doing that and trying to get the rest of the 36 blocks for the square Queen's LC quilt at least through the second round!  Then  I'm putting that away - and probalby collapsing - at least after I slice and dice the setting squares for the DD quilt! and read through and set up for the PP for that one blasted strip!

I'm not even worrying about housework today - although I could very easily do SOMETHING to make my life - and day - a little more productive - at least in terms of chores!   I DID do my morning routine - and everything looks pretty straight.  Tomorrow I'm doing my WHB.  May do some paperwork (MUCH needed) later - or may not - not sure yet!

Oh yeah - am using Bonnie's Orange Crush 4 squares as LE - Gosh those are cute cute cute!

My Carpenter Star

And there ya have it!  That's my Carpenter Star - and it's at Wendy's awaiting final quilting!  LOL - she changed her mind from meandering to Custom quilting - says the star is begging for it!  LOL  I'm just glad she's doing it because I know how insane her schedule is!  AND she is EXTREMELY good at quilting! 

Right now she says she is figuring out 3 different possibilities - and will send those to me when she is ready. 

As I said - I'm excited!  Can you tell?

Do you know how many squares 150 4-patches is?????

Egads!  I figured I was in trouble when I saw the 150 4-patches.  But - not to worry - I could sew 2" strips together then slice and dice them!  NP

Yeah - right! 
My first problem came when I realized that I DO NOT cut straight - and that the guiding lines on my ruler LIE!!!!  There is at least a micron difference between one side of the guiding line and the other!  And invariably by the time I've sliced and diced my way past the 3rd or 4th I'm well on the way to sewing curved lines!

Not to worry.... Maybe!  I just straightened the line out - best as I can - and then used my handy dandy slicer thingy to even things out.

Now I love to save fabric.  In fact, I'm a fabriholic!  As both my adult children will readily testify to!  But - do you know that how many times I'm wasting that little tiny pieces - just to "straighten out that line"?  And probably not succeeding terribly well at that!  Let's just say that my giblet bins are exceeding 2 oatmeal boxes as it is!  (although, to be honest, not totally from yesterday either!)

Speaking of saving fabric - one thing I love to do is sew strings together to make larger pieces of fabric (squares).  Somewhere in this mess I have bits and pieces of some Taz fabric - which I am using in a Taz-man quilt - and which I figure to have completed - oh say, maybe around 2025 or so.  Cute designs!

This morning I got a chance to peek at Wendy's (daughter) Orca Bay mystery quilt (Bonnie Hunter
mystery quilt).  If you get a chance, go see it!  She uses her string squares so effectively - just darling!

I can feel the urge to sew creeping up on me - I got 100 2-patches done (equals only 50 squares - don't get excited!) - but today is paperwork.  And HAS to be paperwork - or else the paper monster is going to rear right up out of those baskets/boxes, etc. and come get me!  Besides - I'm STILL looking for my passport which is somewhere in there!  IN A SAFE PLACE!  Ugh!  That and my studies! (which if I'm going to do them, I'd best get my rear in gear!)

Man - life is Soooooooooo much happier now that I can do paragraphs and such!!!!

Life here... - house LOOKS like it is cleaned up - relatively speaking.  The relative part is  because I STILL have a lot of things with no home at present (don't worry, Mom!  I know it is in the middle of the floor where I put it - but I'm building shelves next day/week/month/year....you get the idea! - and then we'll put stuff away!  I'll even help you!  (NOT!)

I'm slowly - as in sloooowwwwwwwlllly - unpacking and putting away the rest of the binsd I brought here to MA when I moved from IL.  I did say slooowwwwwwwly didn't I?  That's because I moved here in 2005 - Dec.  Moved to this place in 2006 August.  Remodeling so far over 2 years (and this year we tackle - gasp! - the two bedrooms).  Still not done. 

Seriously - we've acquired another house as well - and with remodeling that (easier - no one in it!) and there really isn't any time!  Also - with remodeling here - I may be moving to the other house - which has 3 floors (hmmmm - stairs?) and which may/may not be sold as condos - or rented out (for more $$$ than I currently allocate for my rent) 

Still and all - it has a HUGE back and side yard - just perfect for a lot of gardens - BIG veggie garden, along with herbs, flowers, orchard (mini) space. and playyard for kids!  Am seriously thinking of it.  I do love this house here though - but NOT the partying that the kids upstairs do!

Plus - I'm almost unpacked.  This would mean re-packing and putting stuff away again!  Ugh!
So - just thinking on it.
More later.

Later....

back from PT - and have been officially discharge - not because I don't need it anymore - but because my insurance runs out tomorrow - and I'm back on Sr. Citizen garbage starting tomorrow!  Most Drs. approach that like the Bubonic Plague - and apparently PT's are no different!  It is funny though - that those things we paid for most of our life (and, trust me, we DO pay for them - beforehand - from our paycheck and at present - from Soc. Security amount deductions!) that the actual benefits from them - while helpful - are NOT as good - and that Drs - most of them - REALLY hate Medi-whichever one it is that you have to be 65 or older for!  Why?  Outside of the fact that they are VERY slow to pay - they will disallow AT LEAST 20% of the actual bill (which means (1) EVERYONE'S bills get hiked up, (2)at the least the patient's bills are inflated to compensate for that 20% or more!)  MAJOR ugh!

That not withstanding - dd called - and instead of doing what I WAS going to do (every hour - 15 minutes study, 30 minutes papersort and/or process - I'm behind again!, 15 minutes house clean).  It WILL get things done - trust me! and the time is short enough I can stand to do that.

Anyway - dd called - I'll be doing that tomorrow - today is sewing day (which I was going to do tomorrow).  Yeehaw!

So far - I've gone through the rest of that tub, started on the next one - stuff put away or put in with laundry - or with ironing - depending.  I've sorted and gotten stuff together for a Bonnie Hunter Leader/Ender mystery - an old one - Orange Crush! =- and I'm ready to go.

Maybe more later - if not - tomorrow!

Today.....

Of course - now that I finished up the other post - what I want to do.....

1. Morning routine, of course
2. Send Non-Sew Swaps (REALLY - this is ridiculous - these are NON-SEW!!!)
3. Finish up sewing swaps for sending on Monday.
4. TOTH (Top of the Hour) - alternate between 15 minutes Sewing room sort and toss (yup - am actually tossing SOME) fabrics or Ironing some of the fabrics/blocks/yardeage already to go.
5. Would LOVE to journey out to SH Quilts and get my log cabin book - which of course, is probably the ONLY one I don't have!  I have IFmore than enough fabric so that I can do a light/dark scrappy one - and actually am looking forward to it!  Also am hoping that I can do this block without wanting to run screaming from the room.  I LOVE the overall look - but as fiddly as I am - I REALLY do NOT like that I fuss so blasted much over each and every stitch! (which invariably has to be done over again!)
6. IF I get my swaps done in time this weekend - or even today (I am setting a goal - just for today) - then I will get to (EXCITED tones here!) start on .... (notice the START on) Bonnie's Orange Crush quilt! 

I wasn't so thrilled origiinally at that particular quilt - as I saw it with all that ORANGE in the print out part.  But WOW - the final quilt is just delicious!  SOOOOO - I gotta do one!

I Have Such Wonderful Children...

Seriously - my kids are great!  Of course they're fully grown - one married and one certainly thinking that way! 

Anyway - Wendy gave me all the info I needed to "fix" my blogs so that there was PLENTY of spaces!  AND I have a FEW of the old pix save - but (sniff) not many of those I managed to earn!!!!  I rather imagine that if I contact the lady I got them from and went to an old website I might find them - certainly hope so!

I also hope to get my regular photo pix up and running as well!

BUT.... until then, I'm sewing up a storm!

Oh yeah - finally did send the Carpenter Star Quilt on to Wendy - will do a show and tell when it eventually gets back to me!  I know she's busy - and this may take a year or more to get there - but I don't want to push her.  She does such beautiful work!

Woo Hoo!  Wendy has TWO books coming out! - One is a collection from Breeze - that's a literary group she belongs too - most definitely will enjoy that!

BUT the OTHER one - that's an anthology of some of Wendy's works!  Oh so very cool!  Can hardly wait to see and read!

Congrats, Wendy!!!!! 

Son called yesterday - honestly - am so excited about the "other house" near here getting worked on - have been staying away.  BUT - we are also working on MY room, the sewing room, living room and dining room here this summer - and possibly upstairs as well - hopefully!  Would LOVE to have that front porch done as well - but we'll see!  I may move into the other house in the interim.  Do wonder though how much it would cost to rent this unit out - I REALLY do not like moving - although you would never believe it with all the moving around I do! (Upstairs to downstairs, to son's while my bathroom and kitchen were being remodeled). 

Besides he is wanting me to move orchard trees and garden over there - which I think would probably be a good idea.  Soil here is certainly better than it was for sure!  AND I would have a LOT of garden space over there - trees, a huge back AND a huge side yeard as well.  Hmmm - have to think on this one!  Briefly! 

Downside - it does have STAIRS in it - 2 sets - but is like a condo - sorta!  And I really like that!  Plus it will have or has soundproofing between the units - which is even better! 

Would miss my neighbours from here though - even if I moved only 2 blocks away!  Folks just don't like to really walk and visit like they did when I was a kid growing up!  I have neighbours from many different countries - and I thoroughly enjoy each and every person as well as the flavour and customs of each different culture!  So very neat!

And, too, all the big dogs (the ones other folks are scared of) know me and act like overgrown puppies around me - knowing that I love them all!  LOL - Frustrates my neighbours (especially the ones who say their dogs are fierce watch or guard dogs!  NOT!) no end!

Does anyone know how......

Does anyone know how to put paragraphs/indentations, etc. into their posts?

Mine seems to ignore all indications that I want a paragraph or any kind of spacing - no matter WHAT I do.... (and yes, I even would skip up to 2 and 3 LINES in order to give my - and your - eyes a bit of a break!!!

PS - Wendy just called - AND...... (Ta Da!)  I can now.... not only edit - but ALSO do paragraphs, identations and such!!!  (such an easy thing to figure out!  LOL)