Stashbusting Sunday

Uhmmmm.... This week I didn't even remember I had a sewing room let alone needed to stashbust! I did turn a few of the bazzillion luggage tags I made but that's about it. What I did do was this
I added the labels to 4 sides of 150 dreidles for my school party this week. DH glued them all together and a friend and I put the labels on. I wish I were the sort of person that could come up with ideas that were NOT adult time intensive. I'ts overwhelming! I know the children enjoy the projects but it's wearing me out! I was so stressed this past week (about this upcomig party) that I needed to feel better about myself. So, I went out and had beautiful nails attached to my horrid looking ones. I may be feeling nuts and overwhelmed but my hands look good! (note to self....next year, attach the sticky back labels BEFORE having fake nails attached to fingers.)

Gosh & golly

I've been busy! I'm getting ready for a big party at school and the details are killing me. Plus, I always need to reinvent the wheel. I make myself crazy!

On the cold front.....you guys need not worry! We rarely turn our heat on. Usually I spend such a short time in the house that it doesn't seem worth the energy used. Sleeping, you're under blankets (actually, I've found myself on top of the blankets the last few nights) and the rest of the time ....put on a sweater! My in laws live in Ohio and keep their heat at 65 or so. Besides, by the time the furnace gets reved up, the weather has changed and it's time to go back to air conditioning!!!

I can't sew too much for the next few days because I'm overwhelmed with "stuff." but love reading what all of you are doing and working on. Just think, by next Friday, my whirlwind of activity will be over.....AH!

I don't wanna!

I don't want to exercise! No, I'm not dreading the sweat or muscle fatigue. I don't want to change clothes! It's cold in here and brrr! Now don't take this as a complaint. I love it cold. I get to wear my "uniform" and cuddle under the blankets. This time of year a girl could get whiplash switching between air conditioning and heat. We opt to do neither so freeze or sweat accordingly. Showering this morning was a testament to our fortitude! This is what our thermostat read....

Needless to say, it was a fast shower! It's just that the idea of taking off this sweatshirt for even a moment is painful! LOL! It's only cold in my head right now!!! SIGH! I suppose I'd better move before I decide to wimp!

Sunday stashbusting

Got in just under the wire here....it's still Sunday but not for much longer. It feels so good to be finally sewing again. Putting the anniversary quilt in a bag was just what I needed to get going. I also did something else. I've given myself permission to NOT make holiday gifts this year. If I end up with a few, so be it. If not, life will go on. I was out of the quilting mood for so long that to try to catch up now would be silly. So after I spent 6 hours on schoolwork (good thing I get such an incredible salary that compensates for my working on my own time, on a Sunday......ROFL!), I made luggage tags. As I said in my post a few days ago, they don'tbust alot of stash but fabric off the shelf is fabric off the shelf. This is as far as I got before I just got plain tired.

All they need now is turned and finished. I also cut out two aprons from some $1.00/yd denim that I just had to own......2 yrs. ago! 1 1/3 yds / each one and I still have leftovers!

Oh Bother! Quilt Happenings! Pay it Forward!

OH BOTHER!

I've been trying to get this %**&%$ weight off and can't! I go up a lb. down a lb. but never under 165. URH! How can I go to Ohio in Dec. and eat Pizza Oven PIZZA AND CHICKEN if I don't at least lose 5 more lbs!?!?!? Bother, Bother, BOTHER! I exercise, eat sensible.....Thanksgiving didn't blow the diet out of the water.....BOTHER! I exercise at the gym a minimum of 4 days a week (it's actually more like 5 days), dance 3 nights a week,+ regular life. You'd think with the size of my backside & the amount of physical activity that the weight would be hittin' the floor behind me!

QUILT HAPPENINGS!

I've been sewing! YEe Ha! I'm busting stash. Well, my luggage tags aren't that big so stash busting wouldn't be an accurate term. More like stash tickling. But off the shelf and in a project is off the shelf and in a project. These luggage tags are great for hanging on sewing machines, notions boxes (we all have the same tool boxes to carry our supplies. Sometimes it gets confusing), backpacks. They are too easy and too cute. I need to go to Joanns today to get some notions. The biggest problem I will have is NOT buying some cute male type conversation prints. I can do this.


PAY IT FORWARD

I have accepted the challenge from Ms. ATET of Quilting in Cornfields. Sure I'm a little slower to take up this challenge then others but I finally have a good PIF project. Here is how it works. The first 3 to post a comment and express an interest in PIF will receive a homemade gift from me. More specifically, a luggage tag. I promise to have them made and mailed in the next 90 days. (But in case you ask...noone gets the naked cowboy tag! He's all mine!) There is only one catch , You have to continue to Pay It Forward by offering the same deal on your own blog.

Luggage Tags

We made luggage tags at our annual guild event. It is a make and take evening. The tags we made were the size of the ones pictured but all personal information was exposed. I adapted the pattern so the info would be on the inside. Here are two of them closed.... Here they are opened. A business card fits in the clear vinyl pouch.
Can you guess which one is mine and which one is DH's???
Here it is completely opened...to the outside.
This is a closeup of the inside.
Fun, fast, easy and I only needed to throw away 2 prototypes. Of course, after that it took three more "not so good looking" tags to get the pattern down right. But, I'm there now.

It's cold here!

Take a look at my weather pixie. She is finally DRESSED! I was very worried about her peeling off layer after layer this summer. She didn't have much left to peel at 96 degrees. It was a nervous time for the poor girl when the temps threatened to hit 100! But today...ah! All of you north of here probably don't get why DH and I do a happy dance when the temps are cold (now don't laugh at my definition of cold. It's all realative. Cold in south Texas is a different definition then cold in NE Ohio) Being transplanted Ohioians, we miss the cold and snow. When the weatherman tells us it's to be cold, dreary and overcast the next day, we smile and wait in breathless anticipation. Then when it is cold, we put on our sweat shirts, open the doors and happily shiver. It was bliss last night to sleep under the blankets instead of on top of them. It is windy (yeah!) cold, (yeah) nasty, (yeah) cloudy, (double yeah) and not a speck of sunshine in sight! My FAVORITE kind of day! It's 48 degrees. (Weds. it was 87) I get to wear my "uniform" today. Many years ago, the first time DH went to Alaska, he bought me a sweatshirt. I wore that thing on a daily basis. He began to call it my uniform. When I stopped wearing it he was quite concerned. I had stained it and could no longer wear it out of the house. The last time he went to Alaska was earlier this year. He covered his bases and bought me two new uniforms. I've not worn them since. He keeps asking, "when are you going to wear your uniform.? Today is the day! I'm all snuggled in my Prudhoe Bay sweatshirt, and ready to take on the day! WHOOHOO! I'm in bliss, sheer bliss!

Ya' know the luggage tags I've been threatening to work on all week? Well, yesterday I finally adapted the pattern and began the work. Then DH went off his rocker at 7:30 last night and suggested we go out dancing. What's a girl to do I ask? Turn down a date with DH to dance (key here is his suggestion, not mine! ) for a date with a Janome 6600? I think not! So we went dancing. It was fun because it wasn't so crowded and our terrible dance moves went much better (translation, we didn't knock anyone over on the dance floor!) Plus we worked off just a bit of the turkey, ect, from the past two days. I'm off today to finish the luggage tags, make a few aprons and hopefully post a picture.

Today is Thanksgiving....

In our house that is. So.....I'm off to cook. Anymore, I totally dislike the whole process. I used to enjoy cooking but it has become such a chore the last few years. Here is our low carb (DH & I), Weight Watchers (Mrs. S) and "I can eat anything in the world because I am so skinny" (Mr. FancyPants) menu

Turkey
Low Carb Stuffing -this has the potential to be horrible....
Regular stuffing
green bean casserole-the low carb way
mushrooms-sauted with onion & wine
spinach salad with savory spiced nuts, dried unsweetened cranberries, and vegis.
homemade raspberry vinegarette - has potential as used Toriani sugar free syrup instead of raspberries
.......And the PIECE D" RESISTANCE ( yeah, I'm intentionally spelling it all wrong in a funny attempt to cover the fact that I know what I want to say but have no idea how to spell it)......
Sugar free pumpkin pie &
Mrs. S's homemade sugar free-low carb pumpkin ice cream....YUM!!!!

We are all (with the exception of Mr. FancyPants) trying to lose weight before we go visit family. Mrs. S & I have lost over 50lbs. DH has lost 20. Mr. Fancypants needs to GAIN 20! So, we decided that cheating on Thanksgiving was not an option. THe meal may be bigger than usual but it is within our individual "diets." You just can't use every holiday, birthday, special occasion as an excuse to cheat or you'll never acheive your goals. We still have to get through potato laktas at Hanukkah, eating at Grandma Lil's house, MIL & SIL's houses. It will be harder to manage being in our hometown and being strong then not cheating on Thanksgiving. Our ultimate cheat though......We want Pizza Oven pizza, broasted chicken and potatos when we are in Ohio. We love it so much that last year when I went to Ohio, I took pictures of myself with the pizza box to taunt DH!

No goal list today......cook, clean and workout. That will be my day.

Yesterdays goals
1. Grocery shop for Thanksgiving
2. Pre-prepare many of the dishes.....
3. Workout
4. Dance lesson
5. cut luggage tags....I'll get there one of these days

Movin' Along

TADA!!!!!!! I have decided to quilt these and add the paint to hold the appliques in place. I nearly threw them away trying to applique through the heavy duty wonder under. To add insult to injury, they are not staying down too well as I didn't wash the fabric before I began. These have been in the drawer for a year now.


I made two this color...One, the quilting is simple meandering and looks good..... (double click to see my l-o-v-e-l-y quilting.)
The other I got fancy and tried...again...to do feathers. The feathers aren't bad. I made a poor choice in the style of meandering around the feathers and it looks messy.


I quilted simple loops on this one.
I put the finishing touches on these. They've been in the drawer since April. They have curly wild hair like me!

Yesterday........

1. Workout (DH insisted that since I was not feeling well, it wasn't' smart to go....that's my story

and I'm sticking to it!)
2. Pay Bills
3. Finish the last two table runners
4. General clean up
5. Choose fabrics for purses (I started but by the time I got there I was so crud infested I

didn't care too much)
6. Cut luggage tags
7. Finish the laundry

Today.....

1. Grocery shop for Thanksgiving

2. Pre-prepare many of the dishes.....we are eating tomorrow night instead of Thursday. It's

Mrs. S year to go to her in-laws so we are eating together tomorrow night. That will leave a

relaxing leftover Thursday for us.

3. Workout - no wimping today even if I do have the creepin' crud

4. Dance lesson tonight-this is where my extra interest has been lately. One of these days I'll

blog about it. I just haven't been blogging about quilting enough and feel like I need to do that

first

5. cut luggage tags....I'll get there one of these days

Best laid plans

I started out great yesterday. My body had different plans. I've been working at getting sick over the past number of days. I successfully held it off until yesterday. As the day progressed I felt worse and worse. I was determined NOT to go exercise until I had a gentle reminder (in the form of an "ata-girl" comment) from Susan. I went and exercised but it didn't help. This morning...UGH! My throat hurts and feels swollen. I'm so glad I don't have to work this week. This feels like one of those illnesses that will land me in the Doctors office by Weds. SLow to make a home in my body....long to linger.


On the plus side my goals for yesterday
1.

Workout

2. Make 4 luggage tags - didn't do BUT DID quilt one table runner! WHOOOHOOO
3. Choose fabrics for purses and fuse DecorBond - found the DecorBond......
4.

Clean up for 10 mins. in Dining Room aka computer junk room

5. Laundry.... not much there - did some but didn't finish

No picture on the quilted table runner....I need to finish the last two first. Hopefully tomorrow.......

So here are the goals for today......I'll try but there is no guarentee. My body is in mutany mode!

1. Workout
2. Pay Bills
3. Finish the last two table runners
4. General clean up
5. Choose fabrics for purses
6. Cut luggage tags
7. Finish the laundry

I'm off to medicate....Don't tell my grandma. She gets mad when we don't allow ourselves to be sick. If you see her, just tell her I'm fine. I know I'm going to tell her just that!

Clean at last

Neatness is NEVER underrated! I finished cleaning...rejoined Flylady and am off and running...literally!

Todays goals...

1. Workout

2. Make 4 luggage tags

3. Choose fabrics for purses and fuse DecorBond

4. Clean up for 10 mins. in Dining Room aka computer junk room

5. Laundry.... not much there

STASH! UFO'S!

Stash! UFO's! Books, Magazines,Patterns! Great Ideas! Translation? I have too much fabric, too many magazines, books, ideas....too, too, much! It is becoming overwhelming. It's no great secret that I've been slacking in the quilting department lately. Why? Could it be my interests are changing? I don't think so. I am feeling totally and completely overwhelmed by my sewing room! I walk in there.... well, first of all it is a mess. So last night I began to clean. This is how it looked when I remembered to take a picture. What I've been looking at when I go into my room, combined with increased interest in other areas has led to this horrific MESS!

So I began to clean. And stew. And get angry at my self. And wonder why I have so much stuff. I love this hobby of mine. I really do. I love creating. I love the feel of the fabric; the possibilities in every book, fat quarter and piece of trim not only in my room but in every quilt shop and fabric store. AHA! Therein lies the problem! I love the possibilites! I love the dream! Sure, I like to actually DO a project or two but the dream! AH, the dream! It's like dreaming of being a size 5 or being tall. It's like thinking what would I do if I won the lottery. It's that magical dream of a beautiful completed project. The thrill of buying the fabric and the possibilities within the new magazine. The problem is, there is always a bigger and better dream around the corner. So, we buy the dream faster then we live the reality! I have patterns that I've been dying to do.....for YEARS and years! The same patterns. I look at them and LONG to get them done. I can't though because I've got this unfinished project or that unfinished project that must be finished before I can start. Then, a new dream enters the picture and off I go again. Sometimes I can live with this and sometimes, like recently, it becomes overwhelming and paralyzing.

To be very specifiic, I HATE borders. I can't move on and finish anything else until I get one border on one quilt. I've been stuck here for months. Then I look around and see sooooo much stuff. It's embarrassing. So much gluttonly. There are people fighting to survive and I have a mini Joanns in my house! It wouldn't be so bad but I'm not using it. It sits. It waits. It collects dust. It becomes a junk room. Sigh, sigh, sigh.

So I am cleaning up the mess. Literally and figuratively. I went to a quilt shop yesterday and what did I buy? Exactly what I went in for. Yeah me! I needed an Ultra Glide foot and that's what I bought. Oh I had fat quarters in my hand. I put them back. I had a bolt. I put it back. I did buy one impulse pattern. I will use it this week. I used to belong to stashbusters but I barely have time to maintain my blog let alone that busy online group.

Sooooooo......what is the answer? How do I stay strong? Here is my tactic.

1. Rejoin Flylady....When I am this out of control all I need to do is look around and see that

other areas are also out of control. I don't actually read much of anything

flylady sends. It's too preachy for me but it reminds me to do

something. I see her emails and it gets me off my duff to clean up

something or maintain something. Her basic premise is all I need.....Get

going and do something. Keep it clean and neat.

2. Try that 15 minutes in the sewing room thing.

3. Talk to Mrs. S. Explain about the whole borders thing and put her anniversary quilt away

for a short time until I can face it. It still needs to be finished within a month or so but this

way I can move on and not feel guilty.

3. Keep the checkbook in the wallet.

Judy L coincidentally has written recently about the same issue. She said to me "I am beginning to see it more as clutter and an obsession rather than "my wonderful stash." She hit it right on the head! Soooo,..... like Judy, I have a new mantra. Mine is Lose to Gain! I'm losing weight to gain physical health. I'm losing fat to gain muscle. I'm losing fabric to gain shelf space. I'm gaining happiness by giving a finished project away. I'm gaining peace of mind by losing (finishing) a project. I'm gaining control by losing the clutter and finishing what I have started. I'm gaining control by not losing my hard earned dollars to sit on the shelf!

I'm off to start. And clean!

Let's do it!

Let's have a November push girls! Let's give it our all and finish a bunch of projects. Whether those projects are gifts, UFO's, Projects in your mind or whatever! Let's get it done. I've been inspired by Stitches in Time . I've been out of it for a while but am ready to get started again. Who's in? Like Ty Pennington of Home Makeover says..."LET'S DO IIIIITTTTTTT!

Goals for November

I'm going overboard on the ambition here....
1. Finish and quilt Mrs. S's anniversary quilt
2. Make luggage tags for all of our family
3. Finish and quilt Ms. A's quilt
4. Quilt all Hanukkah table runners

Now that I've posted this, I have to at least try to live up to it.

Curby and I

I thought I might post a picture of the almost new me. It isn't the most attractive of my face ( I hope!) but shows off the bod! I don't normally have my picture taken with a trash can......Curby, the robot trashcan, came to our school to talk about recycling. He joined us for our weekly shabbat celebration....It's such a blast. He dances while we sing songs and joins in on the prayers....very cute. Other than the fact that my "still hanging in there belly" is doing it's job and hanging over my pants, it is a good profile shot. At least it is one that I'm not toooooo ashamed of....Dh said it adds pounds....Hmmmm....think he might be trying to earn brownie points??

Thank you so much for all the suggestions on how to finish my table runners. Although I've tried to avoid using paint, I may just do that. Quilt the table runner and then add a thin, very thin, bead of paint around the edges. If I use a matching color, it shouldn't be too noticable.

On the quilting front. I've been doing just that. Well, piecing that is! I'm so thrilled to be productive in the sewing room again. I'm not burning up the thread or anything, but I've been the little engine that could. I do a little and a little more. So much better than just thinking about it.

Wow! Two posts in as many days.....Bloglines will think I'm ill......

Can anyone help?

If there is anyone still out there reading my blog(I've gotten so bad at posting. I'm just not willing to give it up quite yet because I know I will change again and want to post more often...)I need some help here. I'm desperate for a suggestion. I made 3 table runners last year for Hanukkah. They are still unfinished because thinking that I could skip a step, I used heavy duty wonder under. I've found that I can't get away with with the edges of the applique left unfinished. They look so blah. Now I'm stuck with the riffin' raffin' heavy duty stuff that will gum up my needle. Any ideas of what to do???? I need to finish these fast. Hanukkah is coming and I also need to decorate my classroom. My thoughts are to just outline quilt the children without actually touching the appliques? Do ya' think that will be enough? Not the greatest photos but you get the idea........

My toe and Dr. WhoGivesAWhoot

So my toe isn't broken. No thanks to my dear doctor, I found out yesterday. Yes, you read that correctly, yesterday. Nearly one week after having the x-ray. URGH! I've had no less then 4 primary physicians since moving here. I am at my wits end with this. I NEED a regular doctor because I visit many "ologists." You know rhuematologist, endocrinologist ect. So, here is my story. ....

I called Dr. Whogivesawhoot last Thursday at 8:31 a.m. and asked the receptionist if the Dr. needed to see me or would call in an x-ray. Since my phone remained silent all morning, at 11:50 I called back for an answer. I was told "He's been with patients all morning so I don't know." Hmmmm, I worked for a doctor for many years. How long does it take to ask the question??? However she told me to go to the radiologists after lunch and they would fax the orders. I arrived at the radiologists at 1:05, having waited the requisite hour. After one more hour of sitting, the radioloogy receptionist apologized for the wait but they hadn't recieved the orders yet. She seemed as confused as I about the delay. I finished with my x-ray at 2:30 and was told the Dr. would have the results at the end of the day. When I didn't receive a call, I just figured they didn't get the results in time. Friday, at 4:30 in the afternoon, I called there. It's not a very difficult question. Is my toe broken. I was told she "didn't know if the results came yet but the Dr. makes calls after 5:00." No return call on Friday, or Mon or Tues. Yesterday I called there and asked in my not so nice voice how difficult it was to let me know if my toe was broken. Naturally, she couldn't do anything but listen because the doctor returns calls after 5. Well, at 3, (my not so nice voice must have paid off) Dr. Whogivesawhoot called. No he told me, my toe is not broken. They have however discovered that I either have gout or a crippling type of arthritis. ARTHRITIS!! GOUT!! This ^*)(*%&@** man felt he was ACTUALLY INFORMING ME OF SOMETHING! Could it be rhuematoid arthritis I asked? "Well, perhaps.... " By this point it was all I could do to not shout into the phone. "I've had RA since I was 16 years old!" "Well, I suppose it could be RA," he finally conceeded. Now I know NOTHING about xrays, but my toes are all crookedy and curved funny. I have no idea if gout and RA look the same but I would imagine similar! Besides, it's my little toe not the big one that was in trouble. (the big toe is usually affected with gout). I digress though. The point is... MY DOCTOR, THE ONE I'VE BEEN GOING TO FOR TWO YEARS, AS HAS MY HUSBAND, HAD NO IDEA THAT HE WAS TALKING TO A PATIENT WITH RA! AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just wanted to scream at him. DH thinks it's hilarious! It's like diagnoising me with curly hair....WELL DUUUHHH!! This man is very busy too. I just am flabbergasted. On the plus side, the toe seems to be healing and feeling better.

I'm looking forward to wearing heels again, looking for a new doctor and fuming. DH just can't stop chuckling........

I've been waiting for this for years...and years!!

I'm jumping up and down as best as I can here! Jumping with joy that it is! For ONCE, I didn't quit. I kept plugging away, trying, working and finally, FINALLY my perserverance paid off. The scale finally MOVED! It not only moved, over the past two days it plummeted....downward. I am sooooo, sooooo, thrilledI haven't weighed this since college. Of course, two pregnancys, two c-sections, and quite a number of years later, have left my body not excatly in the same condition as college....but who cares! The scale MOVED! I haven't exercised since I hurt my toe but next week I'm going to the gym in flip flops and ride the bikes!

I have to keep the mommentum going!

A new Gold's gym is opening about a mile from my house so I switched gyms. I cant' wait until they finally open. I'm looking forward to group exercise classes. Maybe the scale will move the next 15 lbs.

On a quilty note....I made one, yes only one, pinwheel block. I still haven't attached the borders to DD quilt. I swear I am the BEST at procrastinating! sigh, sigh, sigh. I'll get there. Right now, no negativity in my head...only happy, happy, joy, joy. I'll be mad at myself for not getting borders attached yet another day. Today is one to think positive. I AM FINALLY DOING IT!

WELL PHOOEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am pretty rootin' tootin' sure I broke my little toe at school today. I got it caught UNDER a door. What a clutz! It doesn't hurt but is sure inconvenient. I am spending the day with my foot elevated and trying to decide what I'm going to wear on my feet tomorrow! No I didn't have an x-ray. Even with an x-ray there is nothing they can do for a little toe. I was walking into a classroom, the teacher was busy with the children, my foot got caught under the door and I managed to not let one swear word pass my lips! OOOOHHHH I was thinking them! I was in pain and wanted to shout out but not a sound came out! Boy are those little children lucky I realized they were in the room! I called DH and told him to be prepared....I've never broken a bone in my life and I plan on milking this for all it's worth....even if it is only a little toe.

How oh HOW?

I get stuck, absolutely stuck when it comes to borders. I HATE the measuring, measuring and measuring. Because I'm a nut, I rarely make a small quilt so I always have these long, long borders (well, they feel a million miles long to me). How do you get yourself to actually do what you hate? Often, I just make the quilt bigger and skip the borders but this particular quilt needs the borders to frame it. Plus, becuase I'm such a f-a-n-t-a-s-t-i-c quilter, I need the borders to square up and not lose the pattern once the quilting is finished. So........how do you do it! I read on other blogs..."I finished a few quilts this weekend or I just whipped this together yesterday"....and I see a finished top AND borders! I'm soooooo jealous! (Now I'm sure that part of the problem could be that ....well, I've heard that you actually need to go IN the sewing room to finish quilts! : ) ) I've been catching up on blog reading and see finish after finish. Again, the jealousy! I MUST get the borders on DD anniversary quilt and I'm totally stalling. Maybe today???????????

Have you read these?

For months and months and months I've wanted to recommend this book. I "read" it a while ago but couldn't remember the author or name of the book. It was finally back on the "books on cd shelf" at the library and I wrote it down. It is hands down one of the best books I've ever read. I could SO sympathize with the family in the story. I was in agony for the characters.

Another author I've so enjoyed in Cecilia Ahern. Her book If You Could See Me Now

was wonderful. With both of these books, I don't know if I it was the story or the storyteller (I listen to most of my books so I can do more than one thing at a time) that made them so very wonderful. I thought the Cecilia Ahern book was so creative! Another one of her books is P.S. I Love You. It is being made into or already is a movie. Another good story.

These books are what I call stories. I get tired of smutty story lines, murder story lines, blood and guts story lines. I like...stories! I've even listened to a few western series just for something different. Everything is ok once in a while...but mostly I just like a good story.

On a quilty note...I FINALLY finished the top of DD quilt. Only thing left is borders!!! I has to be done as her first anniversary is just around the corner!

Gotta Love Half Price Books

Some days you walk into Half Price Books and walk out empty handed. Not this time! I LOVE the Strips and Strings book! What wonderful ideas for our charity group. I wish I had more time for quilting! I paid a whole .75 for the quick quilts magazine!

Did ya' know that Simply Quilts is back on HGTV? Reruns but how nice it is to get that 7 a.m. quilting fix again. I may not love Alex Anderson but I do love my morning fix!

My girlfriend is off in Austin spending my money on fabric and I cannot wait to get it and touch it for myself. We have one quilt shop in our city that has the tone of fabrics I like. Unfortunately the owner is less than perfect and most of my friends refuse to patronize her shop. After many, many months of not going in, I decided to cross the threshold. Well, I shouldn't have bothered. I am extremely put off when noone can be bothered to say hello! The place is only the size of a peanut so it's not like I was lost in a cavernous place. I walked past the owner (in the front of the shop) and she couldn't even say hi. Yes, she was with a customer but hello or a head nod is not rude. I was in the store a full 10 mins before she HAPPENED to walk past me and say hello. URGH! When you add the other rude encounters I've had in the place, I have decided to join the ranks of those that would rather shop on the internet than go into that shop. I can be treated impersonally anywhere. Enough of that!

I'll try to post more of my banners soon. I forgot to take pictures.

Using the Quilts

I have been waiting since May to use these quilts in my classroom. I thought it would be fun to share the pictures.

This is looking towards my "back door."

This is one wall. It looks kinda sparse in this picture!

The aleph-bet (alphabet) quilt was made by Ms. CalicoCat, Amy. It is a perfect addition to my classroom!

The goal I have in mind with my new job is to create a classroom that is warm and homey. The most exciting thing is that THAT is the exact feeling I must be creating because it is the feedback I'm getting from other employees and parents. It is so rewarding to actually be accomplishing a goal! We have off duty policemen on campus during our school day. They come in to my room, have a seat in the rocking chair and just hang out....during classtime or not during classtime. It is particularly rewarding because they have no real stake in our school. They obviously feel comfortable. They are also learning a bit about Judaism which helps to promote tolerance (this is a big, big part of our school), knowledge and just basic understanding of another culture. The problem is that after the next week or so, I have no new quilts to display! I'm going to need to get busy!!

It's funny, I really miss "visiting" with all of you in blogland but for some reason am not getting to the computer like I used to. I know I will be back and in full swing soon, I just am not there yet. I do have a few more pictures to show....other banners I've created and an almost finished anniversary quilt top for Mrs. S. After that I'll need to move so I'll have quilty things to share. I do seem to go through this phase of non-sewing every few years.

Thanks for reading!

Weight Check In

Well, I'm still here...still trying to lose weight. I seem to be at a plateau. I've been messing around with 3-4 lbs. I gain them, I lose them....never getting under that evasive number I'm trying to get under. I keep exercising. I'm not complaining. I lost a lot quickly and this is the plateau I always reach. I would just love once to get below it before I get discouraged. On the plus side.....I bought a size 14 jean and a 12 skirt!(I'm sure the skirt is mismarked but I'll take it!) I came out this morning in my "skinny jeans" and DH said "hubba, hubba!" GRIN!!!!! That makes eating sawdust and paper a bit easier for today. (Whenever people ask how I've lost weight I tell them I eat sawdust and paper. One guy wanted to know what that was! I looked at him like he was nuts. "Sawdust! You know. Wood. Sawdust!" He thought it was some special type of diet food!!!!! Obviously someone that has never fought a weight battle in their life!)

It doesn't help that I've made 4 honey cakes ....................

and at least a million challah (bread) over the past few days!

I haven't eaten any of the challah but had to take a bite of the cake....it was the first time I'd made the recipe. Al I can say is mmmm...mmm....mmmmm..............

Quilting......uhm..........I'm trying to get DD anniversary quilt done. I'll get there but it's slow going. It's even a simple, simple pattern. I just can't get to it right now. I've been running full out since school started. I thought I'd gotten organized for my new job but realized...NO, I'm not organized at all. Eventually, things will slow down, the Jewish holidays will be over and life will take on a slower pace. I am excited though because all of the fruits and veggis I made earlier this summer are ready and waiting to be hung in my room.

Last but not least...this is too cool. I'm listening to local radio on the computer while I'm posting. TOO cool. Love the age we live in!

Do you know?

Why the pictures I've uploaded to blogger lately cannot be enlarged by clicking on them? Is there a setting I need to change? Is it coming from my computer??? Anyone know?

What I did this summer

Not much in the way of quilting. I did however finish a few of the many banners I need to create for school. I am trying to create excitement for my job. I teach at the Jewish Community Center and my class is called L'Dor V'Dor. L'Dor V'Dor is a hebrew phrase that means From Generation to Generation. I teach the Jewish Holidays and Traditions. . As opposed to having my own class, I see all of the students in the school each week. The only difficulty, is that I am teaching to 95% non Jewish children. So it is challenging because to most of the children (and parents) the words are strange and the holidays and traditions unfamiliar. So as a way to announce holidays and increase interest in whay I do in my classroom, I created these banners. The first is outside my room at all times. (my entrance is obscure so I am hoping that the banner will entice parents to come and see what I do).

The second is changeable.

As the holidays approach, I will change out the banner. Each Friday I will put out the "Shabbat" (hebrew for sabbath) banner. I hope that these hold up. I found the vinyl on sale at Joanns but fused and appliqued regular cotton fabric on top. I think that if I take them down over weekends, and treat them kindly, they may last for a few years. After all, other than the L'Dor V'Dor banner, they won't be outside for long periods of time. After the first week of school I received NO COMMENTS on my banners! URGH!!!! Oh well, given time, I hope that both the staff, parents and children begin to notice. If not......I'll keep on doing it anyway! You never know who notices but doesn't make a comment. Now, I'd really better get sewing as I have nothing quilty left to post about!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Strips and Strings

We are really threatening to finish one charity quilt with our group!!! I recieved the quilt back from a generous member of the Heartstrings group. She quilted it and provided the batting. Thank you Becky! All I need to do now is bind it and we'll have our first finish! We are beginning to develop not only a stash but UFO's in our little charity group! It is very overwhelming. We only sew two days a month and have more ideas and fabrics than time. I will have an up to date picture when I finish the binding. This was the beginning of the quilt. It looks nothing like this now!

Having Fun Here

(photo from the Electric Quilt webpage)

I have been trying and trying to design an Americana Quilt. A dear friend has been cleaning......Just like chocolate and peanut butter the two went together and she gave me Electric Quilt 5!!!!!!!!!!! (something she isn't using. She also gave me EQ 3 &4.....any reason to install them????) I may never know enough to design the flag that is in my mind but boy is this fun! How many times have we wondered what this color will do or that size....viola'! Plug it in and see. I don't see myself becoming a designer or fancy schmancy, I like traditional pieced quilts. But to get the color and what block does what with another......well, whoohooo! This is fun! Thanks to CCCAT and I am so excited to not have to try to create another quilt in Excel!

Working on Strips and Strings

Earlier this year, in response to the Yahoo group Heartstrings, we began a charity quilting group we call Strips and Strings - A Heartstrings project. We have been working two days per month and have finished about 4 tops. We keep sewing and sewing and the silly strings just keep looking at us like "Na na we aren't going anywhere!" Next week is our next scheduled date and hopefully we will finish another top. The way we work the donating is that we work together to create the top. Then after the top is finished it is given to one of the members. She is then responsible for the backing, batting and quilting. It is working out just fine because the true expense comes in the batting and backing. Once each member finishes their quilt they can donate it where ever they wish. This way each memeber shares the costs and gets to donate where they see fit. (A few weeks ago we found a tremendous sale at Joanns. They were getting rid of a line of batting and selling the queen sized for $3. Needless to say my sewing room is stuffed with bags of batting.)

I have a picture of my latest project but unfortunately the camera lens fogged up and ruined the shot. I'll try to post it tomorrow. Thats all thats going on in my sewing room today. I'm in school mode. I'll be back to sewing soon.

Wow!

I didn't mean to be gone for so long. I have not been sewing, or even thinking about it in weeks. My mindset always begins to change in August....getting ready for school to start. Not only am I beginning a new position and have all the planning and worry involved in it, I gave a three hour workshop for all of our teachers last week. Between the two I've had quite a bit of planning going on and not any quilting. I will check in from time to time for just a a bit longer and then I'll be back to my regular posting and reading. I haven't even been reading your posts so I'll have a ton of catching up to do. Today though is my last hurrah. I'm joining our bee for the last time before school starts....before I go to my classroom and start set up work. I'll visit with you all another day. Don't forget about me....Like Arnold..."I'll be back!"

Decision made

Thanks for all of the opinions on my quilt. I went with the gold and green. I really wanted the burgundy but the gold is better. I am going to try to use the burgundy or the lavender (both cut as I had been ready to use them before I went out and re-bought all the fabric) in the border. This is such an easy quilt and I am hoping to finish it this week so I can send it out to be quilted. I don't normally send my quilts out but this one is going to be a large queen and I don't want to be frustrated by it.

Help please

I can't decide! I finally received my fabric from e-bay. It seems the seller had a death in the family (don't I feel like a heel for sending a nasty note). She sent me a note and very kindly included alot of extra fabric to compensate. I had the complementary fabrics purchased last year and then decided that I didn't like them and bought all new fabric. I just can't decide which ones to use. I need opinions.

I know which I want and which looks better....they are not the same and like the children I work with, I'm frustrated. I may not get what I want but will have to do what is right! Ish!

My visit with Ms. A needed to be cut short. The rain here has been unrelenting and because a new wave was approaching, I didn't want to get stuck in Austin or caught in San Antonio. I headed home 1/2 day early. I didn't hit any trouble until I entered my own city. It was amazing how much water was on the freeway. It was flooded in two spots. Cars and trucks were waiting it out on the side of the road but the water on the access road and ground next to the freeway was flooded. I didn't want to sit and wait to be washed away. Under one bridge was particularly scary. I held my breath, went as far left as possible and went through the standing water. Later (actually probably only moments later as the rain was torrential) a car went through the middle of the mess and got flooded to the roof. I saw it on the news last night. Am I lucky or stupid? I don't know. I just know that by that point there was no stopping. I had no appreciation for flash flooding when I lived in Ohio. Water is a force to respect.

Life with Ms. A

I love visiting my daughter. I hate visiting my daughter. I love spending time with her, laughing, spending far too much at the grocery, clothing and various other stores. We have fun. I hate sleeping here. She has one queen sized bed with a very old mattress. We share... with me by the wall! In wake up in the middle of the night with pain everywhere. I usually start in bed, wake up in pain and finish the night on the couch. Ugh.

I sent a note to the ebay seller concerning the fabric I ordered on July 4. I've not even received a reply. When I get home tomorrow I will be sending a lovely, lovely message to both the seller and ebay. Unfortunately, yesterday I finally found the perfect companion fabrics and spent quite a bit on them. At this point I just want the fabric!

Just a little note to check in.....I'm off to Joanns here and all the quilt shops! Big fun!

Chatter

I've finally hit the 45 lb mark! Yee Ha! It is such slow going but at least it's going! Yesterday my exercise consisted of yard work. ICK! I had to mow and trim because DH is out of town. I HATE mowing and trimming. I don't know how those yard guys can stand their own hands after a day of working with a trimmer. I think my hands vibrated for hours afterwards. Plus smelling like gasoline and being covered with grass...mmmm....my favorite! Good thing I managed to work my way through the jungle yesterday because it's raining again for a change. I don't think it's rained this frequently in the entire 13 years I 've lived in Texas!

I ordered some fabric from e-bay and it's been nearly a month and NO FABRIC! I am so irritated. I am making an anniversary quilt for Mrs. S and Mr. Fancypants. I am using the same focus fabric as I used in their chuppah. Because the fabric is no longer made, I needed to buy it from e-bay. Today I plan on cutting all the rest of the parts and if it doesn't arrive, just go out and buy something else. Then complain like nobodies business to ebay and the seller.

I decided to post an oldie. I don't know if I've posted it before or not. I made this a few years ago for my niece. It's the only cat she could have at the time. It came out so fun and colorful. I really need to get busy at the sewing machine so I can post some new quilty pictures!

Tagged

I was tagged! This is my first tagging so I am excited! Thanks to QuiltMommy all of you in blogland get to know five things about me that you probably could care less about! Too bad!! LOL! I'm excited to be tagged so you all get to read!!!!

Five Things to Do Before I Die:
1. Be thin -sounds so vain but just for one moment I'd like to be thin and shapely.
2. Make a mark-I want to make a difference in my little world. I would like to think that I've positively impacted someones life.
3. Take a cruise
4. Learn to converse in another language
5. Travel to Israel

Five Things I Can Do:
1. Free Motion quilt

2.Stop 12 2 year olds from crying on the first day of school. Then get them to look forward to coming back the next day.

3.Sit on the floor with my legs outstretched and touch my face to the ground. Not too useful but I'm still as stretchy as when I was a kid! It always amazes younger people how stretchy I am.

4. Teach my totally computer illiterate MIL how to cut and paste, order online, search online retrieve data from her computer...all over the phone with her in a total panic. After each instruction I need to tell her to "hit enter." She thinks I'm a computer genius.....I let her believe it. DH gets so mad because I only understand things that he has explained to me! It's to the point that she bypasses DH, her son, and goes directly to me! She also refers me out to all her relatives...they all call here asking all sorts of questions...my favorite was my mouse isn't working! What do I do?!!!!

5.Lead a sing along/ assembly for 100 adults and children every week. Start by knowing I CANT SING! I just enjoy what I am doing and so it doesn't seem quite so off key. The cool part is that because I enjoy it, I am able to get the adults to smile, clap along and join in. The very best was Donuts with Dad. There had to be 50-60 dads in the audience and I got them to all sing a song they were unfamiliar with. To hear all those male voices joining in to not only have fun but to be a part of their children's lives gave me goosebumps!

Five Things I Cannot Do . . . Yet:
1.Listen well. I talk alot but am working on being a better listener

2.Keep my yard weeded - I start off good at the beginning of the year and then lose interest!

3. Be totally comfortable in the gym.

4. Be organized - scatter brained is a good nickname for me.

5. Lose weight and keep it off!!!!!! Working hard on this one.

Five Things That Make a Man Attractive to me:
1.Kindness
2.Able to relate to children, get down to their level and enjoy themselves.
3.Sense of Humor
4.Family Values
5. Good looks/nice body doesn't hurt!

Five Celebrity Crushes:
1. When I was a teenager I thought the JFK Jr. fabulous! I had pictures of him all over my bulletin board. I still have those silly pictures. I was devastated when he died.

I really don't have celebrity crushes. I think Rob Lowe has gotten VERY good looking as he's aged. I never thought so when he was younger. I also think the guy from Heros, that used to be in Judging Amy, is good looking. That's how much I care, I don't even know his name!I just
would never go out of my way for a celebrity. They are just regular people doing their job same as I do mine. I've never seen a celebrity go out of their way to meet me, ogle me or care what I did last night!

I've been on this computer forever this morning. I'll tag others later.....

I forgot I had biceps

But my body is every so effectively reminding me today! I have been using the weight machines and free weights at the gym. Last night I got really brave and ventured to the back of the gym with the free weights. You have to understand, I am not afraid of much. However, lifting weights on my own, not in a class or with someone else, is very intimidating to me. I have been forcing myself to do it though. The gym I belong to is filled with loads of young, well defined men and women. Here comes dumpy ol' me. I sit down at a machine and need to change the weight from 7 hundred mega million pounds to 20. I am using the 10 pound free weight while the sweet young thing next to me is using the 20 lb. {sigh} No, it's not a competition and I am only there to better myself but noone wants to embarrass themselves. In the gym I am very insecure and feel like a fish out of water. To top it off, I sweat. No sweet, demure sexy droplets are glistening on my forehead. I sweat like a trooper. To maintain some modicum of dignity, I have to wear a headband (nobody seems to wear headbands anymore!)and I have to plan what shirt to wear or else risk embarrassment as I sweat through it. ( I made a mistake one day and wore a thinner cotton shirt......not a pretty site! I actually needed to quit sooner than I'd wanted because I was dangerously close to looking like I was in a wet t-shirt contest. Not a pretty site on an overweight, over 40 woman surrounded by many "sweet young things.")

But sometimes it's just plain funny. I have to laugh at myself and those around me. There is this step machine. It is not one I've seen before as it is real steps that rotate and you "walk up" them. Here's me on level one...step..............step............step............step. Here's the sweet young thing next to me, who by the way, not only doesn't sweat but doesn't even perspire as she adjusts her shorts ever lower on her hips and rolls her shirt ever tighter under her breasts. She is on some mega level and goes STEP, STEP,STEP,STEP.... As I step.........step.....and huff and puff, and SWEAT, she STEP,STEPS, talks on her cell phone, watches the tv and continues to adjusts and readjust her shorts while every so often glancing over at me and to be sure I am still alive! I just want to knock her off her machine and tell her that she too will be my age some day! Ya just have to laugh at it. I don't know which one of us is funnier.

I'm finding though that the more I go outside my comfort zone, the less uncomfortable it is to be outside of my comfort zone. I felt like I'd climbed a mountain last night simply because I ventured to the free weight area and actually did something. The heck with the rest of them, I climbed a mountain. It's a great feeling to test yourself and find you can overcome silly little insecurities. I'd like to see one of those sweet young things in my world facing 12 2 year olds screaming for their mommy all at the same time! Ha!

Where has the time gone?

I didn't realize that not only have I not posted for a while, but I haven't been reading. I'll need to catch up on everyone! I have been busily sewing on these two baby and big sister quilts. I am actually ahead of the game as the baby isn't born yet! I have a number of projects I want to finish before school starts so am just working and working on them. So expect lots of new quilty posts!

Ranting about batting

I have successfully used the June Tailor fusible batting for a while now. I hate the whole basting process so fusible batting is a godsend to me. Although I don't love the JT product, it is sufficient for the projects I use it for. I don't know if they have changed the product or what but it is awful now! Twice I've fused quilts only to have them fall apart as I'm quilting. I get lovely bunches on the back! The first one was a string quilt for the Heartstrings project. I just thought that there were too many seams for the batting to hold. That one I had to rip out and send off to a LA quilter. I'm trying to finish a toddler sized quilt for a friend and URGH! This riffin' raffin' batting isn't holding and the back is shifting and moving. Ripping the quilting is not an option as I used clear monofilament on the front and white on the back. I won't be able to see the stitches very well. I'm just going to plug away and hopefully will have a finish to post tomorrow but I was wondering if anyone else has begun to have trouble with the JT batting. I won't be buying it any more. It's not worth the headache.

DH reacts....

Well, DH saw the pictures this morning. He asked me if I was making fun of him! YUP! It's a good thing he has such a great sense of humor. I sent him to this blog after he looked at the pictures so he could read the explaination. Then he scrolled down and discovered the Best Buy entry and his photo......I may be in trouble here...............

Girls night out

Grab a cuppa something good cause this is going to get long.....oh yeah and hugs the border between a G and PG rating.....

Mrs. S. invited me to go out with her and her friends on Sat. night. Because one of her friends is actually my age, I agreed to go. Well......we had fun. For about a week before hand though, DH must have asked me 4 or 5 times if I was going to take a fire extinguisher with me.

"A fire extinguisher? Why?"

"For all the hot guys you're going to meet." he said.

I didn't think anything of it until he said it again right before we left. Back to this in a moment.

We went to play pool. These girls are silly. Somehow we began trying to take sexy posed pictures while playing pool. I must be the most uptight woman because I just couldn't do it! I couldn't stop laughing long enough to look seductively into the lens or pose in just the right way. Now mind you, we were in public and nothing was really off color or anything, but it was embarrassing. There was noone playing at the tables near us so it wasn't as if we were disturbing anyone. Finally my daughter got me to sorta kinda do a pose ........not what I would call pinup material but just about as much as I could handle before dissolving in laughter.

You can tell by the look on my face that I am barely holding on to my "pose."

Back to the fire extinguishers....I got the idea that we should find a good looking gentleman and ask him to pose in a picture with us. This way we could tease DH and show him that we did indeed need fire extinguishers....Well, absolutely noone at the pool hall fit the bill. So we forgot about it and went to IHOP for something to eat. We walked in the building and the manager was standing there. The first words out of his mouth were "Hello beautiful ladies, I've been waiting for you to get here." None of us know this man! We laughed so hard. We explained the story to him about DH and asked if we could take his picture. He was a good sport and thought it was hysterical that we were trying to tease DH. Take notice of the look he is giving to the camera! He was workin' it!

He almost did too good of a job as he was hugging the stuffing out of me!!!!!

I then had the brilliant idea to take a picture with all the male staff. Ha! We'll show DH!!! LOL! Mr. Manager thought it was too funny so he gathered a few of the guys that were standing nearby. I spotted a fire extinguisher so added it to the picture for good measure.

Having had our fun we headed to drop the girls off at their cars. When we got to the parking lot, I spotted three boys sitting on their motorcycles just chatting......You know where this is heading....After once again explaining the story we took pictures with them also. They were so embarrassed but I guess they couldn't refuse helping us out.

I've e-mailed the photos to DH with this message titled Hot Guys and Fire Extinguishers. "We were successful in finding hot guys and fire extinguishers. Attached find the evidence...." I can't wait until DH goes to work tomorrow and gets his e-mails.....

Oh for good measure I sent him one with Mrs. S and I drinking water but pretending it is vodka. I rarely drink and Mrs.S never does. Trust me, I have crazy enough ideas without it....I can't imagine!

All in all a fun evening. They want to do it again. I just don't know..............