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!"