2008-3

This quilt is called Hearts and Rails, I think.
This is the very first "Pinhead" project. It was started in 2002. I finished the top rather quickly but it has been sitting in my pile of completed tops for all this time. I had to buy new binding for it because I could not find the binding that came with it! I think it is a pretty good match. I finished sewing the last side of the binding before I went to work this morning. Work is really getting in my way these days.
I made a stop at Intown Quilters this afternoon to check out their doings on the Shop Hop. I was good. Bought NO fabric, although I did buy a new turning 20 book. Then I headed up to Stitch 'N Quilt to pick up the next finsihed quilt. There will be another one ready next week. Too bad I did not win the lottery! I am feeling really good about my productivity so far in 2008. Now I just have to keep it up!

The road to hell is paved with good intentions.....

and the road in Atlanta is paved with fabric this weekend. I could not wait to get through with work today so I could go sown to Sweet Home. Then I go to get in my car...and the keys are locked inside...SHOOT ME NOW!! But I was rescued by a couple of the guys I work with and the car was unlocked. The one guy told me since I lived in NY, I should know how to break into a car. Funny but I did learn a good trick today as I watched him crawl through the trunk.
Anyway after a delay, i headed down the road to Conyers.... Melisa has some of the most beautiful fabrics....I told Mike I wanted it all. He offered to sell me the store...Yeah right! At any rate, I did more damage there than I intended but I bought some pretty stuff. And now I am back home. I won't put it in the sewing room because........
There was a message on the machine when I got home that another quilt is ready to be picked up...Yikes. Sew faster, Karin!!

Cindi called me and now I have her blog address. We are just a bunch of blogging crazies!! It is a good thing that (1) Sweet Home is not too close and (2) that I have to work tomorrow. I had a really good time this afternoon.

Second thoughts...

Today is the beginning of the Atlanta Shop Hop. I decided I was not going to do it this year (for obvious reasons!!). I have resolved to use up some of the vast amount of stash accumulated and complete UFO's.

Since making this decision, I have completed backs and bindings for 10 quilts and 8 of them have gone to the quilter. Yesterday I picked up the first one and started putting on the binding. I should finish this task after work today. Or......I could make a quick trip to Sweet Home just for a peek! I may have to have a meeting with myself to explore the options a little more. In the meantime, I guess I'll start the morning and do the work thing.

Potporri...

When I awoke this morning, I was eyeball to eyeball with Henry. He had tucked himself in among my pillows during the night. We don't like to be cold! Laurie told me that Bailey is enjoying their new bed and she also had her head on the pillow. Now all know that I am a "cat person" but Bailey is my granddog. Laurie got her new bed last week and when I saw it Sunday, I was concerned that my geriatric dog would be able to jump up. It is one of those tall beds. I told Laur that she needed to get "steps" so Bailey could get to bed. We made a trip to Petco and for $80 bought the steps. So you ask...will Bailey use them? The answer..no. Steps were returned on Sunday afternoon.
So tired of the cold.....it will be winter again for the nexr couple of days.
Stitch 'N Quilt called yesterday afternoon and the first quilt is ready to be picked up. I'll head over there after work. This is the quilt started in 2002 or'03. I'm on to the lining of the "good to go" bag.

Weather in Atlanta

So yesterday afternoon was beautiful...nice and warm, no coat weather. This morning early the rains came....in buckets...ahead of the cold front. Tonight it is supposed to go back down into the 30's. Enough already!
I got up a little earlier than normal this morning...all slept out. I went back into the sewing room and did the 4 remaining blocks for the outside of the "good to go" bag. I can't wait to go home so I can work more on it. I am thinking that I can use some of my accumulated batting and make some more. Lord knows I have enough fabric in my stash to go into business!

Spring

Oh how I am waiting for you, Spring. I know you are near...the daffodils are blooming and also those pink trees are beginning to pop allover. The robins have returned. When I lived in NY the robins arrived way before Spring but it is different here. Surely the Bradford Pears will soon be covered in those little white flowers. I love them. Meanwhile Flip on 11Alive is reporting possible snow flurries in the mountains in the middle of the week. If it is not going to rain, I WANT IT WARM!!
The rest of the weekend was not very productive. I made an appointment with the couch. Henry and Spiff decided they would grace me with their presence. All was right with the world.

Pictures of the finished tops

Abandoned....

Laurie and Kris brought up the bed yesterday for the guestroom. Laurie also brought the duvet cover that she had on it. I put one of my older tied quilts inside it. The room now is a guest room/overflow quillt room.
Last night while I was watching TV, my boys were not there with me. When I checked, both Spiff and Henry were on the new bed...and they never came to bed last night. Oh so fickle!!!

I didn't win the lottery..of course I didn't buy a ticket! I really need to win so I can finish some of these quilts. I was busy yesterday and made some more binding. I have 3 more quilts ready to go but they have to wait as I have 7 there already. Kris has claimed the brown and teal one..the others have yet to find owners.

In my next life-a cat

It is a tough life for the boys....

It's raining rain, hallelujah......

So the song had it raining men but rain is better. Can't imagine the mess of men splatts all over...would be worse than shoveling lots of snow!! It has been raining since yesterday and what a nice change. The drought in the South goes on so this is the proverbial drop in the bucket!
I had dinner with Laur last night-more about that later. We went to Dominick's a fav place for us in Norcross. We haven't been there in quite awhile. I brought home enough food for a meal tonight I realized that I went out twice during this week-so unusual for me. As a result, I haven't even thought about which project I will tackle next. And now it is blessed Friday...I love Friday because I am now looking forward to the weekend. Nothing really on tap for this weekend except possibly getting the bed from Laur for the guestroom (if it stops raining).

blog envy

My frineds Gretch and Becky have such wonderful blogs. Gret illustrates hers. I can not get the pictures in the right place when I try. Becky has great links. Yesterday I spent a good deal of time looking at her fav sites. They both have that cute weather pixie so I asked Laur to put one on my blog. I tried to link blogs and couldn't get that right so I had to turn to my IT person. "Mother, I am not in that field anymore" but she will fix me up anyway. So she gets the weather pixie on my blog but the pixie came with a dog. Oh well I can live with a dog-after all Bailey comes here on a regular basis. So this morning the damn dog is gone! Also the time is wrong. But I have a pixie!
The rickrack is all sewn down-I finished it last night. Then I started reading the book I picked up at the library. I really like the series but I am reading it out of order. I like the series so I Will read them as I can find them.

Peace disturbed....

February half over and I am still on a roll....maybe a new first!
Went over to Stitch 'N Quilt after work yesterday to leave 2 more quilts for the longarm. Peace in the Valley and Friendship Crossing. Fortuantely Pam was there and while looking at the top had some real concerns about the rickrack. So Peace came home again with me and "piece" (the backing) stayed to waarm up the hanger. I am now basting the sides of the rickrack down so it will not get caught in the quilting process. It is not taking as long as I thought it would and between last night and early this morning, I have most of it done. I basted it in navy blue so I won't have to "unsew" it!
Now I have to go into the pile of tops and other parts of the stash and figure out what is next. So far in 2008, I have completely finished 2 quilts and now have 7 more awataing the quilting. I even have the binding done and ready to go!!! Wootwoot!!!!!!

Peace disturbed....

daffodils??? will it be spring soon?

On the road this morning and out and about I saw daffodils..up and blooming!!! It makes my heart sing...I am tired of the cold. Don't really need more than a sweater today and that is good.
Today is chore day..do some of the things I have put off doing..eg.the flipflops have been riding around on the front seat of the car for a week because my toes are in badddd shape! Now they are all pretty again. So the girls says,"It's been awhile". Well yes it has.....
Stopped at Homey Depot and got a new thing for the toilet and I even figured out how to fix it. I hate playing around in toilets but I was commuting to the other bathroom (also for about a week).
Now I have to finsih the laundry and change the bed and run the vacuum. I need to work on piece in the valley too this weekend. I have 4 more rows to sew on. Laur has informed me that she will need a quilt for her new king size bed. I guess that means we will have to go shopping..pity!!!
I need to get busy before I get sidetracked to the couch!!

And I have it in black and white!

Valentine's Day at the home....

We had a big party today and mock weddings! One of the chaplains from one of the hospice companies came in and officiated at the "ceremonies". I was one of the participants. Girls...you have a new daddy!!!!!! Of course I have to share him with 3 other ladies but that is okay. And I don't have to take him home and cook and clean for him. This is a great marriage! It was a lot of fun.

waiting to warm up

I am so ready for warmer weather....I hate this cold stuff. When I left work this afternoon it looked and felt like snow. I spoke to someone somewhere in Tenn. today and she said it was snowing and icy there. I told her to leave it there when she returned home. Those of you who have never had to shovel snow to get the car out have no ideas what the white s___ is really like! It is not fun!
Anyway..enough whining..it will warm up soon and the pollen count will soar and the cars will all be yellow. I love the South. I really mean it. So now I will head for the couch with my book and hibernate under a quilt or two with a cat or two!

quilt tops and pillowcases

Friendship Crossing top completed on Saturday at the stitch-in. I took it to show Laur and Sue yesterday and Laur thought it would be really neat if I Kept the points on the border. She doesn't get it!!! Not going to happen as this only gets a binding on it.



Sarah and I did a little sewing on her machine yesterday. We mad valentine pillowcases for her bed and one for Emma. She has a short attention span when it comes to sewing (unlike her grandmother)and we worked on the project all afternoon on and off.

I survived the stitch-in!

But just barely.....I don't know how those ladies did it who sewed all week. After 2 days I was exhausted! I had to go home and take a nap. That made by boys happy!

What was accomplished this week:
Friendship Crossing top made
made binding for the sanctuary quilt
finished the backing for the sanctuary quilt
In retrospect that does not seem like alot. Frindeship took the better part of Friday and Saturday to make. And that was after working on it before and after work during the week.

I am quite pleased however, as I have 5quilts at the shop awaitng the longarm. Three will be ready in March and 2 in April. I will wait a couple of weeks and take another in so I can widdle down this pile of stuff that is almost completed.
I am going to piece the back for Peace in the Valley (Piece in the Valley). Laurie has already laid claim on it

all in all it was a good week and now back to work YUK!!!

Sewin' fool......

Just back from the stitch in. 11 hours of just plain joy....I finsihed one quilt this morning-it just needed to have a border added. And then I begain more work on Friendship Crossing. I have been doing a little on this one before and after work this week and todya I began putting it together. I am a little more than half done. I will be able to finish it tomorrow hopefully!
Gretchen and Becky would have gotten a kick out of our fearless leader today with flannel stuck in her ears!

And now it time for me to hang out on the couch with the guys and unwind a little before bed. Gotta get up early and do it again tomorrow!!

whoopie...work done for the week!

My this was a long, short work week. All I wanted to do was sew. Walked into work this AM to the state back to clear the tags from Dec. What a way to start the day but it is done and we cleared!!!!!!

Came home and worked some more on the blocks for Friendship Crossing. I am good to go and I will be able to start the next part later this evening!!

Work gets in the way...

I am really looking forward to tomorrow when I can go back to the winter stitch-in. Instead, I have to go dwell in the trenches today! I got up early this morning and worked on some of the 9 patches for the quilt I want to finish by the end of stitch in. It is the first sisters quilt-Friendship Crossing.
I tore the sewing room apart yet again looking for the inner border for the top made of the sanctuary fabric. It is not to be found anywhere and since it is a moda fabric, it is long gone. I think I will just put the one border on and be done with it. Then I will have finsihed 2 quilts by the end of the week! If I do the backings I can leave the tops at the store.

In the meantime, I guess I will go to work in order to pay for the quilting!

what day is it anyway?

Some days you can't get anything right.....
I realized this morning that I need a reality board in my life-one that tells you the day, daate, weather and next holiday! I was doing my civiv duty this am (yeah me!) I had to fill out the form and had to ask what the daate was because I couldn't figure it out..dah..........

Called Laurie on the way out of the parking lot to tell her she had to get up and vote to cancel my vote...turns out we both are supporting the same candidate-therefore she didn't have to vote!
Now if there are spelling errors here-deal with it because every time I try to check it the blog posts

what day is it anyway?

There is Peace in the Valley tonight

Did I want to go to work today?......that would be a big NO
I was not a happy camper and could not wait to get home and finish putting the leaves on "the quilt".

So here it is-in all it's glory!!!

Gretchen will be so proud....

Yesterday afternoon when I came home from sisters, I sewed the rick rack on Peace in the Valley. This morning I got early and started working on the leaves. I have made 36 leaves to put on the border. Since I had some time before heading out to winter stitch in, I decided to start actually puttin the on. Now Gretch AKA the quintesentail questress does her applique using the needle turn method. Not going to happen to me in this lifetime! I did get about 6 leaves on the quilt top this morning!!!

Winter Stitch in-the first day... What is not to like? It took me awhile to get started. I had to ask Pat about 2 of my quilt tops. Turns out one of them is completed...go figure. The other one is the one made with the sanctuary fabric and it seems I have lost the inner border. I looked for it when I came home but it is not to be found. So mine will not have an inner border. I did get another binding made. Then I started on Friendship Crossing. The first sisters quilt. I am hoping to put a beig dent in the construction of this top when I go back on Friday.

It was a fun day and the group is cranking out tops-several were finished today. Pat was in her usual form and we did a lot lf laughing. Kathy Adams is not eligible for the KAKA award this year and she was heartbroken (not). We all ate lunch in and most went out for supper. I am really tired after working on the quilt all day but I really wish I could so some more. Don't think it will happen since I have to get ready to go to work tomorrow.

B is for binding

Yesterday was quite a productive day at Sisters. I made the binding for the 3 quilts that are now over there awaitng the longarm. It pretty much took me the whole time to cut, sew together and press the binding but it is done!

When I got home I sewed the rick rack on the border of Peace in the Valley and I started working on the leaves. pat's pattern has 37 in the picture. I don't think I will put that many on but it depends on how frustrated I get my the process!

Then I sorted the "explosion" on my livingroom floor and contained part of it in a very large plastic container. This has the projects that are still in kits or tops that are not completed. I need to get another one for tops that are done. But at least the guys are not walking allover the fabric.

Today is the first day of the Winter Stitch-In. I am not sure which project I will work on today. I am just going to put the whole container in the backseat of the car and decide when i get there. I will be a very happy camper!

February Stitchin Sisters

This is going to be a good weekend. Today is "sisters" and I have my projects lined up for today. I plan to work on the edge of Peace in the Valley and I am going to make binding for 3 quilts. I have 2 ready to drop off today at the shop. I can't find the original backing for one of them but I found fabric that will do!

Cindi and I are supposed to go down to Sweet Home for the fat quarter sale. I don't need any but........

More later

Worse than I thought.......

My mother always said the road to hell was paved with good intentions.

My intention was to list my UFO's in order to begin to finish something...anything!
I don't even know where to begin the list. Now I have piles of tops/backings, etc. all over the livingroom floor. Please dear friends....do not allow me to buy anything until I work on this pile!

I created a spread sheet for all my need to finsih projects....What I really need is a quilting fairy to come in and recue me from this pile of stuff!

tell me something I don't know.....

Now I know I have issues with UFO's. Winter stitch in starts Sunday and I decided that I need to think about what I am going to do as I will have 3 glorious days to sew. This morning at dark thiry I went into the sewing rooms to see what I should select. I have way too many tops awaiting. I went on a search for the backing fabric for quilt #2 Pinheads. I have no idea what I did with it or what it looked like. Then I decided to look at the block of the month quilts. I have 3 of those...one top is fininshed, the other 2 need to be fininshed. What did I do with those kits???? This is way beyond badddddddddddddddd..........
After work today, I have to do some more serious looking and make a list. I am good at lists-unfortunately I lose the lists........more later

My girl-Harry Pierre

Harry is unique. She is the only girl and she is the lone survivor from New York. She travelled here with 5 other cats but they have all gone on to that catnip field in the sky.
Harry is now about 14 or 15 years old. She is a rather timid girl and i timidated by the other cats. For the past few years she was living under my bed and would almost have to be dragged out. Unfortunately, she destroyed the carpeting under the bed and I had to remove it. I decided I had to take action! I bought 2 crates and connected them. Now Harry has her own kitty condo and she seems much more content. I bring her out to the living room at night and she rests on the couch next to me. She will tolerate having Henry and Spiff near her but not Spooky. If you look closely at the picture, you can see Spiff sleeping!