Quick visit to Bad Melisa's (Sweet Home)

Gretchen and I decided to meet at Sweet Home yesterday morning. I have not seen her in (would you believe) 3 months since both of us missed Thimbles-me in Aug and Gretch in Sept and Oct. This is unacceptable!!!! At any rate, we have decided play dates are in order. I picked up that pink/green fabric in the tub room and it will become the backing for roll, roll. Gotta get that done and done. Bonnie's new mystery is starting in Nov. I needed the new Schnibbles book. The little purple fat quarters I did not need but I liked them. (They came from another shop)

I was on a hunt for white fabric. All that mess in the sewing room and could not find any white fabric. I have had that pile of tan/brown on my coffee table for some time. Since I am a lover of scrap quilts, I decided that I will do the planned quilt in Pat's new book scrappy. I needed white and may add some of the gray that I picked up. And look who has surfaced after the summer! Mum is the word as to where he has been but he seems to be in the thick of it! Sure hope he hasn't been fooling around with the Polly Pockets again!

I had such good intention for yesterday. BUT.....it did not happen. I ended up napping on the couch with the boys. Could be because the house is a bit chilly. At least it is not snowing

I am attempting to be a bit more productive today

Just Alice

Yesterday baby Alice turned two years old. Won't be able to call her Baby Alice much longer. She had her paraty on Sunday. Shr really liked being in the jumpy. (Meena not so much)

Half way thru the work week. There is a God! I want to play with fabric but am just too tired-will have to wait until Saturday.

Alice's birthday

Today was the first chance I got to see the quilt on her big girl bed. I had some anxious moments about it but it seems to fit. It ended up being long as you can see.
Kris and Tyler got a bouncy house for her birthday. She really enjoyed it. I couldn't snap fast enough to get her laughing!
Birthday cupcake was enjoyed as well. And there is Miss Emma helping. What a good daisy girl scout she is.


My 3 little girls at the photo shoot last month.

postscript from yesterday's blog: I did ask Rich if he has turned the heat on and he replied he has! But I'm not sure if it is at his house or Laurie's house as he is taking care of Lily while Laur is in Vegas. the times they are a changin'

Baby, it's brisk inside

So it is getting cooler out....I whine (and have no cheese)! Way too early to turn the heat on.. My remedy.....quilts......I have a few! Here is my Scrappy Nine quilt on my bed. This quilt is featured in Pat's book. I wasn't collecting neutrals when I made this quilt. and by the way, there is one quilt in the book that I won't be making....because it involves heinous applique. It is beautiful and I would love to have one but...........NOT IN THIS LIFETIME. Besides Comfort and Joy is hanging over me...haunting me....staplique just won't cut it.

My other remedy for the chill-the flannel sheets are on the bed. My bed making assistant seems to be happy about this. Wild Willie never lets me make the bed alone. I can't figure out why he feels he needs to help me every day! And won't my new quilt look wonderful when covering these cozy sheets. Gotta go gather my neutrals.

see below for book and check out page 71. I am heading for pg 22. Tempted???? You need this book-get it now

The book is in the house!

I got my copy of Queen Thimble's first book. Pat shared some of the process in the past months with us at Silver Thimbles. We even got to see some preliminary ideas. I anxiously waited for my very own copy as there is one quilt that I absolutely fell in love with when I saw it. I HAVE TO MAKE THIS ONE. I have made the one on the cover. It was an independent pattern and I made mine scrappy. I call it Scrappy scrappy nines as it is all different colors. It is currently residing on my bed as it is cold in the house and I WILL NOT turn on the heat. (as my ex would say, " save it until you really need it".) I'll ask him if he has turned on the heat yet tomorrow when we are at Alice's birthday party.

A quilt for Baby

Alice has a "baby" that she carries around (along with Elmo and something else). Baby is well traveled as he/she (?) went to the Caribbean back in May. Anyway, since Alice is going to be the big 2 next week, I made baby a quilt to go with Alice's big girl quilt.

Do you think that Henry is registering a complaint since he does not have his own quilt? But then again he claims all of them as his own!!

An excellent Adventure

My life lately has been rather vanilla. Work has consumed my days and sleep my evenings and nights. Not complaining (much). I have a job! Work has involved cleaning up after a former coworker who really didn't do his job. And then all the new stuff that has come down from the govt for medicare/medicaid. When I get home after work, all I can do is sit on the couch and fall asleep. Not much sewing going on but I did finish Alice's big girl quilt. I delivered it yesterday and hopefully will get a pix on her bed next week. Her birthday party is next Sunday.

So to make a long story, longer....yesterday I decided I needed an outing. Actually I made that decision, Friday night. Friends of mine (above) were vending at a quilt show in Blairsville, Ga. I headed up there to check them out bright and early. The Garmen sent me on Ga 129. There is no way to get to Blairsville except over the mountains. It was a beautiful Fall day thankfully because that rode on a wet day would not be fun. A friend from NY asked me if the road was like a road there that is called "the goat path". It is route 6 going from Peekskill to the Bear Mt. Bridge. It is a 2 lane road that winds up this mountain-no guard rails to speak of except some large boulders and a sheer drop to the Hudson River. Another not so much fun road. But 129 is oh so much worse. Hairpin turns, squiggly turns, squeeze the steering wheel and pray.

But I got to Blairsville and had a good time. Nice quilts but I really went to see the girls at P. S. Goin' Sewin'. Peggy (on the right) is the designer of the quilt I made at quilt camp in Aug. And that is Marti on the left- one of my Thimble buddies. (Shannon was off at a wedding.)
I took no pix of the fall foliage but it was beautiful-probably will peak next week. And then I headed home, determined NOT to go 129. The trip back was not as bad, but not great either!


I meant to post this picture a couple of weeks ago. Laurie's friend Walter took some beautiful pictures of the family. I have to figure out how to get a few more over so I can show off my little girls.

Alzheimer Walk 2011

Got up bright and early this morning and headed off to Atlantic Station to do the memory walk. I must admit I had second thoughts this morning...what was I thinking??? It was a beautiful day this morning..in fact it was a little chilly. We had a group from work and I walked with one gal...we kept each other going. By mile 2 I was really thinking I needed my head examined but that was at the top of an incline. But I did it. And took to advil at the finish line. The rest of the day was a wash...spent on the couch.

Absent...yet again

..and no good excuses.

well, there is work. The job has gone from good to I can't wait to retire in 2011. The company was purchased by another and it has not been fun. The government implemented a new tool for medicare/medicaid payments in 2010 and the learning curve has been a little slow and now we have revisions starting Oct. 1 I have been working with a person who got on my very last nerve just about every day. I knew there was issues with his work but no one listened when I dropped hints. It all came crashing down this week and now he is gone and it is left to the rest of us. to fix the mess. And it is a royal mess. The only good thing is that I am no longer salaried but hourly, so at least I will get paid to get it cleaned up. Enough from the cranky old woman! Nancy Near Philadelphia calls them C.O.W. S. so moo!

I have been working on my friend Pat's (Her royal highness the Head Thimble) pattern Emily Jane. Little log cabins set between blocks and set on the diagonal. All the cabins are complete and now I am just sewing the streets together. It is slow going since I am so tired. I have done a lot of unsewing but I really need the fabric fondling for my mental health~

Speaking on mental health. I am doing an Alzheimer walk next weekend (if I remember) at Atlantic Station with the work group. Getting a tee shirt and everything!
Also have been reading a series of books that my friend Kathy told me about. I am up to # 5. The main character is a female Episcopal priest in a small town in upstate NY. She gets into lots of problems when she is not in the pulpit!

Now I am caught up....the COW is signing off