I've been reading....

Well, I say reading but use the term loosely as my eyes don't do all that much in the process. I tend to listen to all of my books. I've finally figured out how to load a CD onto my computer and get it into the ipod into AudioBooks. A big WHOOHOOO here as having it in the regular music is just plain annoying! Our library has finally started providing downloadable books. There aren't too many available yet but we are getting there. I decided to keep track of what I read and what better forum then my, currently sometimes, blog. (I am hoping the blogging bug will hit hard again soon and I will be a more regular contributor!!!! I miss it and yet don't miss the time it takes!!)

This is a great book!!!!!! It led me to.................

....this book. It was fantastic! If you love Little Women, you must read this. It is about Mr. March, the Little Women's dad. It is a wonderful story!!!!

This is definately a Young Adult read but there is something addictive about it and I am now beginning the second book in the series. We went to the dollar movies to see the movie and my opinion stands....never see a movie after reading a book. It was blah!

Another one that has a movie....No, I've not seen it. I actually read this book..... With my eyes!!!!!

Gotta love "reading" on an ipod. I read and sew or clean or drive. If I just sit still and listen, I tend to read and sleep!!! Not too condusive to remembering the plot of a story! Plus,when I read with my eyes, I tend to do so before sleep. I have a hard time holding a book while lying in bed. I know it's weird, I can sew with my hands but holding a book while laying down is hard on my hands. Let's not even go to how hard it is to read lying down while wearing bifocals!

Here...but struggling

I'm here....but struggling. I'm struggling physically (RA flaring), job-wise (still have

but it is H---L), quiltingly (not going on), bloggingly (not reading or writing) and mentally (because of all the above plus!) I'm not sure about continuing to blog. I love it and yet haven't seemed to find the time to get it in. .......Just know that I am going to hang in there a bit more and then hopefully be back full force!!!!!

In the meantime I'm going to leave you with a picture of this block. Such a simple block but I've not seen it in this setting. I did not do this quilt so I am only showing a portion of it. I love this and it is on my list of to-do...whenever I start quilting again~

I

Retreat 3

(sorry this retreat business is so drawn out! I've been readying for my in-laws and have had trouble at work....)

This is the kitchen of the Red Barn. On this morning, she had decorated the tables with flower pots wrapped in fabric & filled with flowers, napkins that matched the fabric on the pots and coordinating placemats. Each meal greets us with new centerpieces, placemats and cloth napkins. The upper shelf is decorated with discontinued Fiesta Ware dishes.

The windows are all covered in these fabric wrapped clothesline. Well, fabric wrapped is an odd way to put it. It is more like pieces of fabric tied around the rope. They are very cute.

This is a view of the sewing room. I am standing at the corner and getting as much in the shot as possible. See the open doorway? That is one bedroom. The sleeping is dormitory style and there are 12 beds to a room. The closed door next to it is one of the bathrooms.

This is one of the bedrooms. This one is decorated in the Christmas theme. There are another set of beds on the other side of the cubbies.

This is one bathroom. Each of the potties is covered by a different fabric. At the end of the room are two showers. There is another, identical bathroom adjoining.

This is what she uses as a curtain to give some privacy to those showering. It is not a shower curtain, just a "door." Click to enlarge, it's a rag quilt!

In "our" bedroom, this is the wall that is adjoining the sewing room. Friendship stars made from carpet!
This is one side of our bedroom. There is a wall with open doorways to....

The other side of our room. There are 4 of us that share this room. The other rooms are all pretty full as our retreat group is around 16. They can house up to 24. It is nice back here in our little corner because we have room to spread out all of our stuff. Plus, when it gets too cold we can grab an extra quilt! I always choose the bed on the left in the corner. I figure if I snore too loudly at least I won't be snoring in someone elses ear!

This is the view from where I sit. See the two women across from me? Mad women I say. The one on the left is a machine! She just churns out quilts left and right. The woman on the right is such a great quilter that she had quilts, quilts with an "s" accepted to the Houston show!!!

Here are the "5 AM-ers." We are the three "M's," Morah, Mollie, & Mary!!!!!

February Gift

Has been delivered.....You've seen these before but now they finally have a home!

My in-laws are visiting for two weeks. Yes I like them. No I don't find it an imposition. Yes it's tons of work keeping MIL happy. I probably won't be sewing too much over the next two weeks.

Stash Report

(GOOD GRIEF!!! I HIT ENTER AND SUBMITTED A BLANK PAGE!! Let's try again.......)

If I did this correctly, my stash report should be viewable here.
http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pgFvbjCmHjWsi9s5427gFSw
If not....well, I cannot seem to figure this out!

This report covers two weeks including shopping on retreat. I have no apologies. I am more concerned with the fact that since retreat I've not been sewing. So much has happened this week but this stash report isn't the place for it! Another post.....



Fabric in - YTD 33.16
Fabric out - YTD 18
Net +15.16
Ufo finished - YTD 2
Project Finished - YTD 12

Retreat 2

Before I go on and describe some more about the retreat facility, let me show off my accomplishments.

I finished 7 table runner tops. No quilting and binding yet so no pictures. I assembled a "Simpsons" quilt. Because I won't be quilting this any time soon, you won't see it for a while. It's a shame because it is big in the "counted fabric" department.

I can show these ...

The birthday banner. I free motion zigzaged on the applique. I don't like it. The next time I will try Herky Jerky
The two kippot (head coverings) I made for a former Hebrew School student of mine. I made him kippot from matzo fabric (you need to scroll down to see) and he has been wearing them for the last two years....no matter what the occasion!

The pillowcases for the quilt I just finished.(OMGOODNESS! I JUST TRIED TO LINK TO THE POST SHOWING THE QUILT I FINISHED AND I NEVER POSTED IT!!!!! YIKES!!!! THIS WILL BE REMEDIED SOON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

I also finished 4 wonder wallets but didn't take pictures.....I've discovered that I really stink lately at this blogging business.........I WILL get caught up!

Retreat 1

We were on our way!! After meeting at McDonalds for coffee, we headed to Humble, Texas and It's a Stitch. After doing some damage to our checkbooks we headed to Huffman to The Quilt Room. More checkbook damage here however, the girls at this shop were ready for us. They had coffee and cake and more importantly, lots on sale and a discount since there were so many of us at once! They were sooooo nice and since over at I believe Donna, With Needle in Hand is from that neck of the woods, I thought I'd take a photo of the shop and …uhm… well, I forgot her name!!!!!!! Here is the photo of us. See the bag in my hand!!! I bought the cutest fat quarters!

I took this photo so I could show some of the cute things they have in the shop. All the other photos were unflattering pictures of my friends backsides leaning over the cutting table!!!!

Off we went again. We laugh that it is over the river and through the woods to get to the Red Barn Retreat Center. You decide....Here is a shot of us entering the Sam Houston Forest.....

For a while I thought we took a wrong turn. The ROMAN forest??~!!!LOL!

Through more woods. I was trying to capture the feeling of driving with the trees surrounding you but even after many, many pictures, I couldn't' quite get it.

Have you ever wondered where wooden pallets come from? Have you ever seen so many in one place?

I don't know if these are the trees used to make the pallets or the pallets are for transporting trees but there are alot of trees here!


.....and back into the woods!

I took this by hanging my head out of the window like a dog. I musta looked like a nut snapping and snapping pictures!

When we finally arrived at the Red Barn, I forgot to take a picture of the front!!! You'll need to go to their website to see the full view..... I did get the carport, very convenient when to unload when it's raining....

....and the front door....

....and a few of the decorations.......more tomorrow!

My bags are packed

For better or worse, I'm ready to go to retreat. Better because what could be bad about a 4 day quilting holiday? Worse because I have been a chicken with it's head cut off lately and I'm not too sure I've packed properly. Whatever is, is and I'll make due. Who knows, maybe it's all packed correctly!

I've not had a chance, because of the chicken syndrome, to check out all of the stash reports for this week. I know that I bought but after this week it should be a wash.

I'm hoping that after retreat I will be back to being a good blogging friend and visit all of your blogs. I hope this chicken/head thing goes away so that I have time! In the meantime, have a great week and I'll meet ya back on the weekend with lots of pictures!

Stashbusting

Short report today......Getting ready to go to retreat!!! WHOOOOHOOOO!



Fabric in - 19 yards YTD 1
Fabric out - 13.25 YTD 13.25 Net + 5.75
Ufo finished - 1 YTD 1
Project Finished -0 YTD 1




Look out.... I have lots of fabric and projects ready to be finished this week at retreat! I will have pictures of my finished UFO after I return.........

A mini fininsh

I don't know if I eve showed this little wallhanging. Right now it sits as a table topper. I was too lazy to pick it up and take a photo so you get it at this angle!

I made it a while ago and when I did, I did something wrong and had to remake the hearts. I have been holding on to these little blocks ever since. In July I bought some placemats at Wal Mart for $.10! I put the two together, kinda like chocolate and peanut butter, and ended up with these. It isn't much, but it is one little leftover project that is no longer hanging over my head!

Stashbusting to date

Fabric bought - 0

Projects finished - 1

It's retreat time

Believe it or not, now hold your breath, it's retreat time and my sewing machine is in my house and not at the shop! Last year I had this fiasco which lead to this post before retreat, and the year before,this post which continued with this fiasco. I am not doing anything odd or weird between now and the time I leave!

I am very busy getting ready. Because of my mission to give a gift a month, I am going to work on many small projects. That means lots of pre cutting! I hope CCCat manages to keep her stuff to a minimum because with all of the extra thread and batting I need to take, I'll use more than my half of the trunk! Plus 7 days after I get home from retreat my inlaws come for a 2 week visit! Cleaning supplies abound!

I don't know if you've ever heard of the Red Barn Retreat Center but it is an absolutely divine experience. The food is fabulous, the owners incredible and the facility very condusive to accomplishing goals.

I will have pictures tomorrow as I have been busting away here. I have placemats to show and an entire queen sized quilt! I just need to get it bound tomorrow and I will take pictures. Hopefully at the guild meeting tomorrow night I will get good pics of another quilty gift that I've not shown yet.

Gift of the Month

This is going to be fun....but for different reasons for me. Check out the GOM Blog and join the fun.

I wondered if my girls were thrilled with their gift of a gift each month. They didn't seem as excited about it as I. I was late in getting to the post office to mail Ms. A's January gift. Yesterday I called her to tell her to check her mailbox. She said, It's January 7th, I was wondering about it! I guess they are looking forward to this.

Minkee Monday

I figured out a way to satisfy my need to "cat chatter" and some readers need not to read "cat chatter!" Minkee Monday seems to be the ticket!

Find the cat.

She loves to sit under this table. It cracks me up how she hooks the table cloth under her backside.

Sunday Stash Report

After reading the rules for Judy's Stashbusting Cooperative, I've decided that I would like to join in again. I plan on keeping calculations in a way that I will be able to handle. I fell apart last year with counting yardage. I am really looking forward to this. Join in!



My first report....



Nothing in, nothing out, nothing finished!! Whoo Hoo, I'm off to a great start!!!!!!

Do you Save Yours?

Do you save your posts? I have mine in a file for posterity. But there has to be a better way. I write each entry in blogger. Is that the most efficient method? When my entry is emailed to me I copy it, cut and paste and put it into a Word document. Most efficient?

I totally don't get Picassa and Flickr. I know they are photo storage but I tried to use both and as far as photo storage, I'd rather use Webshots. One of them is tied to blogger and if I try to delete anything from it it tells me that it will delete from my blog (I hope I am remembering right. It was a while ago that I played with these.) I see other blogs with links in their sidebar to pictures....I can't bear the idea of organizing another photo storage (other than on my PC). I want to spend less time on the computer not more.

Any help? How do you do it>

January Gift

One of my goals for 2009 is to give my girls a gift a month. January has been taken care of. February is finished and waiting and I am working on March.

2008 Accomplishments

I may not know how much fabric I bought, used or gave away but because of blogging, I've been able to document my work in 2008. I am amazed at the numbers. My favorite project this year, by far was the Wrapped Baskets. The most tedious project Mrs. S's anniversary quilt because it required long borders.

Quilts

1- Twin
1-Queen
2-Lap
5- Quilted only - some of these were donation quilts that I worked on with Ms. CCCAt

13-Fleece Blankets
5-PJ pants
3-Luggage Tags
5-Totes
71-Cloth Napkins (I need to photograph some of these)
5-Aprons
8-Placemats
2-Locker Hook projects (small)
3-Purse/Wallet combos
3-Pillowcases
12-Wrapped Clothesline baskets
Countless -Wrapped clothesline coasters and trivets
4-Table Runners
1-Wall Hanging
6-Coaster sets
1-Stitchery
4-UFO's

and the most amazing...

1- quilt started but not finished in 2008!

Another gift

Before I explain the photo, let me tell you something about my family. Without using real names, I'd like to explain the guys here. My husbands name is ABCDE. My sister's husbands name is also ABCDE. My brother's name is LMNOP and DH's brother is named LMNOP. My daughter, Mrs. S is married to PQRST (known as Mr. FancyPants) and my other daughter (Ms. A.) has been dating for a long time now,)a boy named , yes, you got it, PQRST! Now both of the boys, PQRST's names start with the letter C. Therefore, Ms. A's boyfriend will be known forevermore on my blog as C2. Add to the mix that Ms. A goes by her given name at home and for legal purposes but her Hebrew name everywhere else and I use the names interchangeably, you really need to concentrate on the conversation if you want to know which ABCDE, LMNOP or PQRST or daughter we are discussing! (For many years my friends thought I had three girls. Mrs. S, Ms. A by her given name and Ms. A by her Hebrew name!!!!)

Sometime this fall C2 and Ms. A came home. During the course of their visit I heard C2 say,
"What does it take to get a quilt around this family!" I cracked up because in my sewing room was his gift. I made this quilt in record time. Pieced and quilted in 3 weeks.

It is free motion quilted on the longarm. I used an allover patter and was amazed by how even I was able to get it. I used Brytes thread. The picture is a bit fuzzy

I am upset that I didn't get a betert picture. It sat there waiting for me to give it to him and get a picture and then I was sick and could have cared less! This was the best I could do. You'll have to believe me when I say the quilting is pretty cool.

2009

Last year I attempted to curb my fabric purchases. All it did was make me feel awful each time I bought something. I also tried, and failed to use my stash and only my stash......I think I figured out why these things are wrong for me. So, I have a new thing I'd like to try this year. I have projects, loads and loads of projects. Book, patterns, magazines, internet photos, on and on. I have wanted to do many of these things for quite a long time. Well, this is the year I am going to do it. I have a goal, loose but a goal, to do as many of the projects as possible. I don't care if it is fabric wallets, wallhangings or full quilts. I just want to do the projects that inspired me to purchase, download or print. In addition, I promised my girls a gift a month for the year and this will help me to get so many things finished. I am done with Jan. and Feb. and am working on March. Anyone want to join me? Let's just get things done. UFO's, WIP, PIMM, Kits, whatever. Just do it! Be ready for lots of little projects being finished here.

Minkee the Explorer

I apologize in advance to those of you that could care less......I HAVE to give a Minkee update. This cat is so amusing that even DH is in love.

First, she loves to look outside. I have no intention of letting her go outside but she loves going on the patio with DH when he smokes a cigar. Well, at least that is how it started. Now, she goes and stands by the door and MEOWS untill we let her out there. She even trys to open the door herself! She stands on her back paws and batts at the door handle. When that doesn't work, she goes up on the end table and reaches across to the door knob and bats away at it. One day she reached a bit too far and bam! hit the floor!
She loves nooks and crannies. We couldn't stop laughing when we saw her in the small space between the equipment and the cabinet. She tried to get behind all of that equipement but it didn't work. She settled for right in the nook and just sat there and watched us play guitar hero!

She opened, OPENED the cabinet and walked into it. We watched her slowly disappear inside and then proceed to explore the dishes. After the amusement of this one I rattle the jars and scared her out. That was the last time for that!

The funniest is one that I don't have a picture. I was sewing and heard, scritch, scratch, scritch, scratch. I went into the bathroom and there she was, in the tub, rubbing and chewing the faucet and knob that turns on the shower. I shooed her out. A while later I hear scritch, scratch, scritch, scratch, kersplash! I jumped up and got to the bathroom just in time for her to dart out like a bat out of hell! The bathroom was soaked! That big ole' girl fell into the toilet!!!!!! OH my GOSH we couldn't stop laughing!!!! She on the other hand was rather indignant! No more fighting over up or down on toilet lids in this family!