Weekend Plans

I'm really looking forward to this weekend. Ms. A is "movin' on up." My former struggling college student has a job that pays her bills (and allows me to actually keep my paycheck!!!), and is moving into a new apartment. She is too funny because she has "made it in the world," because she will now have a bathroom in her bedroom!!! I remember when I felt the same about the bath in our master bedroom! I'm off to help her move, calm her nerves about the higher rent and add retail support with all those little things you need to move in a new place. I'm taking my sewing machine so Joanns better be on alert as will be are on the prowl for curtain fabrics! See ya all on the flipside of this long weekend.

I'm ACTIVE again!

I can come out and play again!! Whoohoo!!!!! I'm reactivated on StashQuilts! Thanks Judy! Seems I can't let my blogoduties slide anymore. Whew! Won't do that again.

HOW DO YOU GET THOSE FANTASTIC PICTURES IN YOUR HEADERS TO FIT?????? I'M SICK OF MINE!!!! HOW DO YOU DO THE MONTAGES???? CAN YOU HELP?

My friends aren't quilters either......

Like they can deny it! Ms. CCCat has a new home in the hill country of Texas. She not only makes but collects quilts. These are a few of the ones I photographed in her new home. This one she made..... Love this!

This one she collected.........
I adore this quilt "ladder." Dowels and 2X4's and it's so cute. Which is more adorable, the doll bed or the quilt?
I couldn't resist this picture. It's another doll bed and it is stuffed with various quilts just waiting, begging to be taken out and used for decoration.

This makes me reallllly want to go garage sale"ing" and flea marketing! I think this is so, so cute. Maybe the next time I visit her I can get her to look the other way while I load the car.....

No, I'm not a quilter.....

RIGHT!

I thought I'd take you on a tour of my living room just to prove the fact that I am a quilter....

This is my chair.....On the back is my bestest cowboy quilt. I adore this quilt. I call it my healing quilt. Last summer I had a rough time. I quilted in many words, names and phrases that wrapped everything up in a nutshell. Whenever I lay under it I feel all warm and fuzzy.

Dh's chair with his golf quilt on the back. He doesn't use it as a cover as much as a headrest! (doesn't this chair look like an elephant!)
Couch #1. This quilt is covering a very large hole in the back of the couch. (this couch is older than most of you reading!) I made this for a friend while she was receiving treatments for cancer. She has since died and I asked the family if I could keep this quilt as she loved it. I cherish this one. The table next to the above couch. This little quilt was an auction item at our school fundraiser. I was the only bidder and at the end of the evening went to pay for it. I was told that I did not win the item. HUH! I had been the only bid all night long......I was sooo, sooo mad. Well, about 5 mins. later one of my school parents handed it to me and said that they outbid me so that they could give it to me as a gift. Nice, nice people!And what quilter's livingroom would be complete without their daylight lamp for handwork?
This is the table of fame complete with reversible tablerunner.... I back all of my table runners and most of my wallhangings with Hanukkah fabric. When the holiday rolls around, flip, flip, flip....instant decoration.
The wall hanging behind the table of fame.
This is a toothbrush rug my girlfriend made for me. No it's not supposed to be that color. Yes, it's dirty. Guess it needs to hit the laundry....... The fireplace (tell me.....who NEEDS a fireplace in S. Texas???? I ask you! Was the designer of these homes playing a cruel joke? What a waste of space!!!!) On the left is a semi-antique sewing box and the right my coil platter.

This is my poor unadorned other couch. Poor thing....it's naked!


Plus we have the table and lamp.

Looking at these photos it seems so disjointed but as a whole it all comes together and works.

I keep saying that DH is such a good sport when it comes to my habit. Our livingroom really proves that point.

Another coil bowl project

Are ya sick of these yet? I hope not....in addition to this I made two more bowls last night.....

As I stated in my last post, I'm totally stuck on these coil bowls. This one is my f-a-v-o-r-i-t-e! When I read the book, I couldn't grasp why anyone would want to make a fabric plate....until I saw the page with the appliqued plate. My mind immedieately went to the 100ft of red, white and blue wrapped line I had waiting for a project. I instantly knew what I was going to do. This platter has a very shallow lip ( about 1") around the edge. It is hard to see in the picture. I wanted it to stand on a plate stand so I firmed it up with fabric stiffener. To say I love this would be a major understatement. Even DH likes this one. If you are wondering....this took 100' of clothesline and 7, no it's not a typo, 7 bobbins (including embroidery) I used the large spool Coat's & Clark quilting thread.

I'm so stuck!

In a good way! I am stuck, stuck, stuck on these coiled bowls. I've wrapped sooooo many feet of the stuff that I get rug burns on my fingers after a while. Unlike the directions given in books and online, I like to wrap the clothesline before I begin sewing. Wrapping and sewing at the same time are too tedious for me. It takes a loooong time to wrap the cord but just moments to sew. When I begin a new project, I first open the clothesline and make a ball like it's yarn. I then wrap and wrap and wrap. Eventually I end up with a ball of wrapped cord.

I am doing this project at our groups annual make & take. We have been having committee meetings as we organize event. I wanted to wow the girls with my project so I started with this bowl and made the coil bowl to fit.

I have to admit that I impressed myself with being able to form it correctly! As I told them, it even has a sexy little curve to fit the bowl! I didn't realize until I looked at these photos that it isn't completely symmetrical but who cares! The plastic bowl fits perfectly inside and I did indeed wow them when I walked in with my salad.

This bowl took 97'3" of clothesline and 6 bobbins to complete. It is definitely a thread hog.

Kayaking

We do not own a truck. Sometimes I feel as if we are the only Texans driving regular ordinary cars! When we went to the shop to rent the kayak the first time, I thought the guy would fall over when he saw the little car we wanted to use to transport the kayak! It seems like good stiff wind and wiiinnnnnnnnnnngg, we may be airborne! Especially since we need to cross a big ole high bridge! However, not to worry, it works just fine.

Here is DH assembling all the junk. You really cannot take too much stuff with you on these things. There is not a whole lot of room.

This is one of the canals we went down the first time we kayaked. This picture is taken at the "dead end." All of the houses in this area are on canals. See the big boat on the right. Can you imagine owning it! We were dwarfed in our little kayak. This is a picture, far away, of the bridge we crossed to launch the kayak. I was trying to take a shot to show that we were in the middle of nowhere...water wise that it. It is amazing because when you are out there you realize that you have noone and nothing but yourself and your arms to get you back. On the right of us were islands but they are bird sanctuaries. You cannot land there. The left side has houses but is waayyy over there.
This shot was the second time we went out. I was trying to show how far we were from the car. (later when we got home, I measured on the map approximately how far we went. We went out about 2 miles before turning back. We actually paddled further than 2 miles because we went in and out of the islands.) If you look dead center you see a taller thing on the horizon. That is approximately where our car was parked.
Just a picture of one of the bird reservoirs. I tried to get a shot of the cranes or pelicans but they refused to cooperate. As a matter of fact, we got too close to one island and the seagulls were NOT happy with us.
DH....he may not look too happy but was having fun. He gets annoyed with my blog photos. I also think he gets immense pleasure out of looking rough and tumble in pictures. It never works. He just manages to look PU'd! That is why I love this shot of us so much! (scroll down to nearly the bottom of the link to see)

The best we could get of me. It would have been rather difficult for DH to run to the front of the boat to snap the picture! Although, the first day we went, other than the canals, we never left knee deep water...............................
......................which is evident here. DH is pulling me into deeper water. The combo of our big backsides and shallow water and we ran aground! You can see how shallow it is. Too funny! The great boaters in ankle deep water! I returned the favor the next time we went out and got stuck on rocks. Let me tell you it wasn't easy.

How does one end a long day of kayaking? *ok, ok, 2 hours of kayaking! Why at the dockside restaurant. This is thirsty business!

Its here!

Most times I feel that an entire book devoted to one technique is an unnecessary purchase. Usually it's stuff you can figure out on your own or find for free. Not this time! This book is awesome. I have really, really avoided buying it. When I demo'ed the processes to my friends, we all agreed to buy the book. I got it in the mail today and I'm so excited. I've wrapped about 100 ft. of clothesline and it's sitting and waiting for a project. Be ready for pictures......

Having Fun & Getting Ready

Sometimes half the fun of any event is the prep involved. Our group has an annual make and take evening. I will be teaching a project. Although I've written in the past what I'm teaching, I've shared my blog address with some in my guild and they will need to look through my blog if they want to find out the exact project! We try to keep in a secret. So, I won't be sharing the exact nature of the project here, just the photos of my friends testing out my teaching skills! I guess they were ok as everyone finished and then ran out and bought supplies to make their own!

Locker Hooking saved DH's Ears!

This is my table. I just love it. I think it looks like a quilting pattern that I'd never attempt! DH is a good sport and didn't mind that my habit extended into the livingroom.
Don'tcha just love this patchwork lamp! Again DH didn't care that it was "quilty."

This is my latest locker hooking creation. I needed something to take on the airplane with me when we went to Las Vegas. I didn't want to schlep the big rug I'm working on so I whacked off a piece of mesh and started hooking. Everytime someone asked me what I was making, I'd just say , "this!" I had no idea what or where I would use this "busy work" project. When I finished the project, even DH wondered "what are you going to do with that?" I found the answer.....

DH has been pretty good about not using this table for his "junk." Lately though, I notice the MP3, the headphones, ect. Ahhhh! "Don't use that table!" I just don't want to dent and ding it. DH thought I was nuts! We had a table that I wouldn't let him use! Enter my locker hooking thingy! I realized that I had made a really big coaster! Now he can put stuff on there without worrying about my shreiking at him! Plus it looks cute. Locker Hooking saved my marriage....not to mention poor DH's tired ears!

Quilting again?

Who could survive without friends? My dear friend CCCat is determined to get me back to quilting if it kills her! In that spirit, yesterday she "recommended" that we quilt one of "our" charity tops. (Uhmm.. I use "our" very loosely. I'm not sure I put one stitch into this top!) It looks very much like this one...although it's NOT this one! Once again I repeat how fortunate I am to have a friend willing to share her passion with me (sheesh in any other place that statement wouldn't look right! LOL!) and allow me to quilt on her longarm. Just working on it excited me enough to begin to think about finishing my quilts so I can get to quilting!

The girls are coming over today to work on our guild make n' take project. I will be teaching how to make coil bowls to the group in Sept. and we need to prep. Pics later.....(see! More quilty news! It is coming back!!!)

PLUS! THE OLYMPICS START TONIGHT. I love the Olympics and plan on getting a massive amount of Locker Hooking finished in the next 17 days!!

What I did on Summer Vacation

Las Vegas. To say we had fun would be a colossal understatement. Here we are on my key chain. This is the still shot of the video we shot in front of a blue screen. This was the culmination of a day of....ahem....adult beverages so it was rather silly! And a blast! The girls at the spa! Mud wraps, although nice are not what we will do the next time we go on vacation. It was fun once. But I do believe the "H" women are too uptight for this much relaxation.
While we were at the spa, the boys were busy with their own form of relaxation. They spent the day at a cigar bar.
One of the teenagers at work said to me "Mrs. H, you go party like a rock star!" I do believe we did this!
See the time? This would be A.M.
See where we were at that time? Sleeping? No way! Tired? You Betcha! I think we slept 12 hours the entire time we were there!

Just a shot of DH & I. He rarely takes a good picture. He makes funny faces or tries to look serious and all. We got him this time though. Happy after a day sitting at the cigar bar....next to Victoria Secret! They say they didn't go in but.................................

Just a shot of the dancing waters of Bellagio from the top of the Eiffel Tower! Cool!

What I HAVE been working on

Besides bowls, I'm hooked (no pun here) on Locker Hooking , (basically it is a single crochet with fabric on a mesh). You can see a demo here. Some books here. I saw a demo on America Quilts Creatively and couldn't wait to try it. My GF and I went looking for materials and found kits on clearance at Hobby Lobby for under $2.00! We bought them all. If I could find more I would scoop them up in an instant! The kits do not include fabric, only the mesh, string, a hook and the pattern. My GF is obsessed! She is on her third rug. I haven't finished my first but hope to soon! This is what I have finished.

It's just a simple square that they recommend you try for your first project. Doesn't look like much here but when you look at it on the table, it's kinda cute. Actually, I love it!
Plus it uses tons and tons of fabric. The rug I am working on will end up using 11 yards of fabric! No that is not a typo! You use all the flimsy, junky, ugly stuff and you cannot tell the differance! Just wait until you see my rug. You'll be amazed that this girl can actually crochet!