The Picky Photographer

 
I am entering the Quilt Contest that Joann Fabrics is putting. I have been busily designing, cutting, piecing, and quilting my latest masterpiece for the contest. The last item on the list is taking a photograph or two of the quilt on a flat surface. The quilt measures 56 x 62, odd size I know. Just where does one find a flat surface in one's house to accommodate a quilt this size.

 
I decided on my living room wall. I had always been meaning to make something to hang in that spot so here was my chance! I purchased a package of command hooks because my walls are plaster and nasty to get a nail into. I was going to out and purchase a wooden rod but I was having computer issues with my work computer and I was waiting  the "IT" guys to call back. It was my day off so now I am tied to my house waiting for their call back.

 
I am my father's daughter and I "jerry rigged" a rod out of a white aluminum cafe rod and the curtain in my dining room. The weight of the quilt made the rod bow and I was afraid it would fall down off the wall. I took my pictures went on my way to Meijers to have them printed. In the camera they looked fine but in prints it looked bad. Made my inner border look lumpy and pulled funny. And in real life it is not that way.  Plan B went to Home Depot and had them cut 1" PVC pipe to length and I put the other makeshift rod inside of it and now the quilt is happily hanging in my living room. 

I have proceeded to photograph that quilt with in an inch of it's life. I think I have taken close to 50 pictures of the quilt. I never knew I was this picky. I am seeing all kinds of bumps and blemishes real or imagined. I got up this morning and took 9 more pictures at least. The quilt will hang all day today and I am leaving at 4:30 to go to Meijer's to print my pictures. I am done, I think.

In stitches,
Judy

Guild Challenge

Went to my guild meeting last night and it was an interesting mix of ideas and eye candy. We always have an awesome Show and Tell and last night was no exception!     

I showed the Contest Quilt. I have given it a  name finally. Circle Game. It now needs a label stating all the important information. I still need to take pictures of the quilt hanging on the wall and I will post those on the blog later this week.

We discussed how to navigate our website. We have started not mailing our newsletter and having it put on our website. We also discussed the addiction that blogs seem to have. All the quilting blogs that are out there and all the pretty eye candy that comes on a blog, all the cool patterns that our out there on different blogs, and all the cool ideas that are on blogs. The gal giving the talk said it is like opening a new quilt magazine when you open a blog. That is so true. You can read her blog at The Polka Dot Chicken . It is a very interesting blog and reads just like the personality is put out at the meeting last night!\

The other point brought out last night was UFO's. Everyone has them and this year if we each sewed 15 minutes a day it is amazing how quickly those UFO's would become finished projects that could be paraded at the next  guild meeting's Show and Tell. So today I am going to try and find 15 minutes to sew. I am working on a purple back pack. So I am guessing that cutting more charm squares for this project counts as sewing. I would  like to have the cutting done so I can make that finished project.

In stitches,
Judy

2012 Challenge

I am signing up for a challenge in 2012. The NewFO challenge. Start something new every month in 2012 and you don't even have to finish it. Now this is something I can get into. There are a bunch of things I would like to start and this seems like a perfect opportunity.

1. Purple Back Pack. I have actually already started this project this month. I have cut some of my stash for this project. I seem to be on track so far. I would like to try and finish this project by the end of the month.

2. Christmas quilt. I have made two quilts so far from this pattern and I really like it. It takes 480- 3" squares and I am using Christmas fabric for this. I have the red fabric purchased for this project but it is not yet cut into the squares and rectangles needed for this quilt. I have purchased a package of replacement blades for my rotary cutter, so I am ready.

3. Shopping bags. I am trying to go "green" and use my own shopping bags when I go to the store. I have strips cut for these bags. I just need to put them together. I am thinking about making at least 6 bags. Another stash busting project.

4. I have three spots in my house where I hang smallish quilts seasonally. I would like to start a new quilt for each season for all three locations. Some locations already have a good variety quilts others not so much.

5. Tablerunners. I have the fabric to make table runners for myself and my mom, and my sisters. This would be a perfect opportunity to make something pretty for everyone. Not sure how many if any I would be able to finish.

Check out all the other brave souls at Cat Patches NewFO challenge .

I am sure that I will add and subtract things on this list as 2012 goes along, but I am thinking this is a good start.

In stitches,
Judy

Stash Report

So far the stash report is going in a good direction. I have used more than I have bought. Of course, it is only the second week of 2012. We will just have to see how things play out as the year goes on.

Used this week:    12 yds
Used year to date: 12 yds
Added this week:    0 yds
Added year to date: 0 yds
Net Used for 2012: 12 yds

Check out the results of week 2 at Patchwork Times .


The contest quilt is finished. Tomorrow I will post pictures. I am getting up very early for a cat scan of my pelvis and abdomen. My urologist is trying to find out the care of my kidney stones. I was lucky so far this weekend. It flared up on Saturday and since my weekend does not start until after work on Saturday I am happy that it had stopped when I got up this morning.

Went clothes shopping with my mom and sister Becky. I got several shirts on clearance at Lane Bryant's and several undergarments. Then back to Becky's house for lunch (homemade mock turtle soup, homemade bread, and leftover Christmas cookies all provided by my mom), and then it was  time to play Wii. Becky and I aren't any better at winter sports in Wii than we are in real life. But we sure had fun.

In stitches,
Judy

Update on Contest Quilt

I have been busy working on Contest Quilt. I put the binding on tonight. I now have to hand stitch it down. I really like the way it has turned out. This is a project that has gotten me out of my box and made me notice how particular I am when it comes to quilting. I am hoping to have all the binding stitched down by Monday. I will need to take pictures of it and then send the pictures, the entry form and all my receipts showing I purchased all my supplies from JoAnn's. I have a bunch of receipts in a drawer in my bedroom and one receipt in the living room and one in the dining room where I have been sewing. 

Next project is a toss up between a flannel nightgown for me, a pair of flannel sleep pants for me, or start stitching the squares together for a Christmas quilt for me. Hey everything is for me. Now that is so unusual. I am sure that will change. 

I am going to call it a night and get to bed. I will be getting up in the morning to start stitching down the binding!

In stitches,
Judy

Sewing

I feel much better when I can get a bit of sewing done. And after all my adventures last night I should be in bed but now that I have finished sewing I am getting ready to do a spot of exercise that I was unable to do this morning and then I will head off to bed. I have certain things I like to do each day and do not feel complete until all those things are done. 

In stitches,
Judy

Wednesday

In some circles Wednesday is "hump day". Mine not so much. Thursday is my hump day as I don't work on Mondays and work on Saturdays. Yesterday was interesting at work. We finally got busy, but they had sent home about 45 people first! I like much better when it is busy. I did start another dish cloth in Christmas colors and it is about 4 inches tall.

I was hoping to sew last night but I crashed in bed after dinner. I have had a kidney stone moving for the last two weeks and it has stopped for now. Yeah!! But the nausea has kicked in and I just pulled the covers over my head and went to sleep. But last night I could not do that right. Leg cramps and a sty in my eye kept me up. Sounds like I am falling apart. Well tonight is another opportunity to sew!!

In stitches,
Judy

My plans for 2012

I have decided that for 2012 I will try and finish as many Unfinished Projects as I can. That means not just quilting. I have plenty of them but there are other things that I have started around my house and this is the year I am going to finish as many as I can.

This is a bag of cotton dish cloths in the making. I used to make them while taking calls in mail order. Waiting for the caller to find the information I needed, I would crochet. This is the bag of the bits and pieces left over from that time period.

 
Yesterday we were slow at work and here is the fruits of my labor. One Christmas dish cloth that I will pack away with my Christmas decorations so I will have it for Christmas 2012. In fact there is enough yarn to make a second one. Watch out it may show up in a pack at your house some day!!

The contest quilt is coming along nicely. Tonight is stitching in the ditch carefully. Then it will be time to quilt the piano key border. The binding fabric is cut and I will be making the binding tonight. I am hoping to have it finished and photographed and then entry mailed off this weekend. My saving grace is that there is a branch of the Post Office inside Jungle Jim's that is open 7 days a week.

In stitches,
Judy

Thankful

Today I am thankful for many things. When I woke early this morning, I wished I did not have to go to work today and that I could sleep in for a while. Then I remembered I don't work on Mondays! I do work on Saturdays and that is not so bad.

I am thankful that I work from home! Especially today when I woke the second time to find snow covering the driveway, sidewalks, and the street in front of my house. We are used to having snow in this part of Ohio, but the first snowfall covering the roads brings out the "crazy" in a lot of drivers. I am thankful that I can sit in my dining room and quilt and watch the snow falling.

In stitches,
Judy

New Year's Eve

Here is what I did on New Year's Eve. Pin basting. I am going to machine quilt this quilt for the contest that JoAnn Fabrics is having. I spent several hours in my dining room bin basting this quilt. This is the second quilt I did for the contest. The first one did not pass muster and I have set it aside for now. I will add more blocks and several borders to that quilt and finish it for my son and my daughter in law. Hey a project to do in January!!

I have started machine quilting it and it looks really good. I am hoping to finish it tomorrow. Then add the binding which is the teal and get the pictures taken and mailed off ASAP.

In stitches,
Judy

Stash Report

Everyone is happy with the first stash report of the new year. I waited to post until after my trip to JoAnn Fabrics this morning. I am happy to report that I bought some thread and needles, a cross stitch project that all I wanted was the frame that came with it. It is a small project but my Mom uses the small frames to put pictures of her kids, grand kids, and great grand kids on her Christmas tree. We will be having a new great grand baby born due in August. But I can report that no fabric came home with me.

Used this Week: 0 yards
Used year to Date: 0 yards
Added this Week: 0 yards
Added Year to Date: 0 yards
Net Used for 2012: 0 yards

Check out Patchwork Times.


In stitches,
Judy

The Contest Quilt

 
The contest quilt top is done!! I finished it last night and I simply adore it. It will get bound in teal and I am hoping to get it done this weekend. Of course, my weekend starts on Saturday at 4:30pm and ends at midnight on Monday. I will prep the backing today and open the batting and after Church and dinner tonight I will be pin basting the quilt with gobs of pins. I have already decided on the quilting design and it will be quilted in verigated thread on the top and brown thread on the bottom which I should have gotten last night at the fabric store. Guess I will make another stop there after work.

In Stitches,
Judy

Contest Quilt

I am so excited! The Joann's contest quilt is almost ready to be layered and quilted. And this is a good weekend to work on it. I am working Saturday, but I am off Sunday and Monday. I see a lot of quilting in my future. I need to cut some more piano keys strips for the border today in between calls and keep on sewing them together. I am starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. It is so exciting. 

My sister (Hi Becky) is such a troublemaker. She told me of several apps that uses on her IPad and that I could probably put on my ITouch. And she was right. I loaded several of them while on the phone with her and then after I could not sew any longer last night I was playing with them. I like to never get to bed last night. She is a teacher on Christmas break and I have to get up and work. 

In Stitches,
Judy

In between

 
It is the week in between the holidays. Today was my first day back to work after Christmas. And we were slow yet again. I am finally cutting the fabric for the piano key border for my contest quilt. I cut a bunch at 2.5 x 7.5 inches. Not as pretty as it could be. I have resized the blocks to 1.75 x 5.5 inches. I am finally happy with the way they look. I will finish cutting them and tomorrow I will be able to sew. Yeah!

My daughter in law is going to take the first quilt for the contest. I will need to add some more blocks and borders in order for it to fit on their queen sized bed. That will be finished this winter.

I have started to formulate a list of the projects I want to finish in 2012. I definitely want to finish projects already started, I want to start new projects, and I want to use up as much of my stash as I can. Sounds like a tall order but I am thinking it can be doable. Month by month, week by week and day by day. Baby steps.

In Stitches,
Judy

It's Christmas Eve!!

 
Happy Christmas Eve!! My kids are almost to their first destination. They should be pulling into Nick's Dad's driveway within the next 30 minutes. They have been driving all night from NYC. I have spoken to my daughter in law and they are tired and excited. And my grand puppy, Frankie, has been a real trooper.

I have a few finishing touches to do and I will be ready for the festivities to begin. Of course, I have an 8 hour day to put in at work before I can get to my mom's. Fingers crossed that we won't be busy and I might get to go home early. Whatever happens is fine with me.

Hope everyone has an enjoyable Christmas Eve with friends and family or however you celebrate!!

In stitches,

Judy

Cleaning

The wrapping is done and I forgot to take pictures of all my Christmas sewing. I will remedy that tomorrow and get those pictures posted after Christmas. We were somewhat busy at work today. All I can figure is if you send enough people without pay, then I am bound to get more phone calls. Cannot imagine what tomorrow will bring.

I have a kidney stone dancing in time with all the Christmas music on the radio. I was hoping if ignored it the dancing would stop, but that has not happened. I have medicine I can take but it will knock me out and I still have cleaning to do. Oh well, life goes on.

Still waiting to hear if my kids have gotten on the road. They are driving straight thru from NYC to Dayton, Ohio. They were hoping for an early start but my son got a new project at work and their departure has been delayed. Maybe driving late at night will mean less traffic. They will be in my thoughts until they are safely home.

In stitches,
Judy

It's a wrap

Today is wrapping day. I will move my sewing machine from the table next to my desk and set up a wrapping station. The first thing in the morning the calls are dead and I will be able to get my meager amount of wrapping done. Then I will set up my mat, rotary cutter and ruler and start cutting the pieces for my piano key border for my contest quilt. Tomorrow will be a sewing day. I have to work tomorrow and I am pretty sure that we will get very few calls.

My kids and grand puppy are leaving NYC today for the drive to Ohio. Their first stop with be with my son's father in Dayton for some much needed rest before journeying to my mom's house tomorrow for Christmas Eve festivities. This will be the first year in a long time that a dog will be joining us. Normally it is babies that we have joining us. And this year is no exception. It will be my nephew, Neil's first Christmas. He is almost 6 months old. He gets Christmas presents and a dog. Oh wow!!

Took both of my contest quilts to my support meeting last night. The ugly one in my eyes got rave reviews and one gentleman in the group wanted to take it's pictures. Most people were drawn the ugly quilt. At this stage the revised quilt is quite tame but I know the piano key borders will wake it up. I am happier with the revised quilt and that is all that matters.

I must fire up EQ7 quickly and then gather up my wrapping stuff and get one the phones for the onslaught of calls that will be coming my way! Have a great day.

In stitches,
Judy

Decisions

Last year at this time I was eagerly joining the UFO challenge at Patchworks Times. This year I am still undecided as what to do about the UFO challenge. I did not make very good progress in finishing the quilts on the list. I gave one of the UFO's away. There were just blocks and since they were given to me, I gave them to someone else.
   
I did actually finish two quilts on the list. Yeah! I would like to finish the items on the list from last year but I think I might need some other kind of motivation. I still have some time to decide. I can join any time. I should wait until after Christmas to make my final decision.

Jennifer was here tonight and we went to Cracker Barrel for dinner and then to Home Depot for light bulbs and Walmart for a few groceries. The kids are coming into town and I will be in charge of feeding them.

Need to call it a night. More sewing will be done tomorrow. I can only imagine that we will not be busy at work tomorrow or the rest of the week for that matter. Oh well, maybe I will finish that dish cloth after all.

In stitches,

Judy

Slow

Today it is slow at work! I am tethered to my phone and computer. Waiting for a call to come in. Boring. I have finished the piecing of my revised contest quilt and I have started on the inner border. I need to spread out more so I have stopped that project and have started crocheting a dish cloth. Pretty mindless stuff. Only 3 more hours to go!!

In stitches,
Judy

Wednesday

My Christmas present has arrived. It is in a big box and I am so excited. It is a new computer. The box is not wrapped and I had to sign for it this afternoon. It is from my children. So last night I started cleaning the basement so the new computer would have a clean space to live in. I got quite a bit done but there is still more to finish tonight. I am working on the  revised contest quilt during the day and cleaning in the evening. It is working out just fine. Wrapping will begin on Friday in between calls at work. Should be able to get it done quickly. Wondering how I am going to wrap the tiaras I got for my great nieces. Issues, issues issues!! Life is always interesting.

I will post pictures of my Christmas projects after Christmas. I do not want anyone to peek at their gifts before the big day.

I already know we are not having a White Christmas in this part of Ohio and I am okay with that. I would really like to have dry Christmas. It is raining yet again in this part of Ohio. Would somebody please turn off the rain faucet?

In stitches,
Judy

The good and the bad

Today there a bit of both. The good was I got most of my shopping done and all of my sewing done. The bad was there is another leak in my roof. I did not get it fixed the last time because there is no more funds available at this time. Today after I called my handyman to come and fix my roof, I called my bank looking for funds to pay for the repairs. And of course, there was no money to be had. But the lady at the bank reminded me that I had a CD for $500 and for a penalty I could cash it in and get my roof fixed. The penalty was $2.70. I now I have my roof repair done just before the rain started again. I am happy.

Val was here tonight and finished her apron for her friend's birthday. I am all done with my Christmas sewing. Tomorrow I will be working on my contest quilt. They did not appear to be busy at work today. I checked in about 4pm and they had already sent quite a few people with out pay. As much as I would like to leave early, the calls that I take do not allow the option of leaving early without pay. I would like to put the CD back in the bank after the holidays so I am glad that I will be staying every day this week for my entire shift.

I am thinking it is about time for bed. It might have been my day off but I was up early sewing and then shopping. It appears that I will be staying home tomorrow. Sewing is on my plate.

In stitches,
Judy

Just when I thought I was done

Just when I thought I could see the light at the end of the Christmas sewing tunnel, I have added yet another project. My brother and his family are going skiing the day after Christmas and my niece is looking for a bag to carry on the plane. Something yellow that has a zipper. I have the front and the bag quilted. I need to run to JoAnn Fabrics this morning to pick up a zipper and then the back will almost be done. I also need to get something for my daughter in law and pick up a red onesie for my nephew to go with his new sleep pants that I have made for him. I have a couple of things left to pick up. But I can do those later in the week.

I am going to spend most of today working on the revised contest quilt. I am going to get the backing fabric while I am out today. I had some backing fabric purchased but I had to use it all making the revised blocks. I am glad that I had it on hand. Soon I will post pictures of both quilts.

Gots to go. Time waits for no one at this time of the year!!

In stitches,
Judy

Contest Quilt

The quilt is ugly. It is very busy and the best thing for it right now is a bag and a trip to sewing room. I will revise the design and start all over today. The only sewing left to do is the dog quilt for Frankie. It is a piece of cake and I will whip that up tomorrow. I only need 42 blocks. I am working today and as long as I am tethered to my phone and computer I can do anything I want to, to fill my time. Cutting and sewing will fit the bill today.

Tonight is sewing with Val. We will share the sewing machine. Tomorrow is a Christmas program at my brother's church in the afternoon and then back to his house for dinner. Monday is my day off and I need to finish up my shopping. Just a few things and I can get most of it at JoAnn's. Coupon sale starts Sunday. I will then set up a wrapping station next to my desk during the week and get the wrapping done. I think I have it all figured out!!

In stitches,
Judy

Sewing

I have finished sewing the center piece of my contest quilt for JoAnn's. And now I am on the computer working on my EQ7 working on the border design. I have an idea in my mind and I want to confirm that this is really what I want to do. And it is. The only Christmas sewing left to do is Frankie's dog coat. It is cut out and I just need to sew it up. That should not take very long and I will do it tomorrow.

Val is coming tomorrow evening for another sewing lesson. She has wisely decided that there is no way she will be able to finish nightgowns for herself, her sister, her niece and her daughter. They will make nice Valentine's gifts. She is going to tackle an apron for her friend's birthday. The party is New Year's Eve. That is a more attainable goal. I can cut fabric for my piano key border and she can sew. It will be a very fun evening.

In stitches,
Judy

Christmas Progress

I am making great progress with my Christmas sewing!! I have finished both pairs of sleep pants. The dog coat is cut out and will be a cinch to put together. That should be finished tonight!! I still have a spot of shopping to do and I will do that over the weekend. Tomorrow will be committed to working on my contest quilt for JoAnn's Fabrics. It is looking good at least in my mind it is. Layers of sewing still need to be done. Pictures will follow once the pictures and entry form are winging their way to Hudson, Ohio in January. Not many of my friends have seen the quilt. I like to keep it under wraps until it is done.

In stitches,
Judy

Christmas Sewing

Christmas sewing has been interesting this year. I started out with a nightgown for my niece and it went together easy as pie. I have been sewing for more than 40 years. Then I got a nasty head cold, flu thing and for a whole week I worked every day and was in bed by 7pm. No sewing done at all. So I am a bit behind at this point. I still have two pairs of sleep pants to make and a coat for my grand puppy. Last night I cut out the coat for the grand puppy and started on the sleep pants. I looked high and low for my tracing paper to trace of the appropriate patterns for the sleep pants. No such luck. Could not find the tracing paper so I went to bed. This morning I found the paper next to my bed. It could not have been there last night, because my sewing machine was living in that spot for the last several days. The tracing paper is on a heavy cardboard roll. So now I am ready or not. Seems the pattern I thought was in multi sizes for the baby's sleep pants is just on size. Large/extra large. He is not there yet. He is more Medium. Now I have to alter the pattern. I went to the basement to look at my pattern collection and I have the same style of pattern in a Medium. I may be able to pull this Christmas sewing off after all. I would like to get them cut out before work and sew them after work. And during work I want to work on my quilt for the quilt contest that JoAnn Fabrics is sponsoring. At least that is my plan.

In stitches,
Judy

I had a party

I had a party on Sunday. I invited 9 gals from work to come to my house for dinner. I made homemade spaghetti sauce, homemade filling for stuffed shells. Today I finished cleaning the house, put up my very small tree, and put together stuffed shells. I have had a terrible head cold for the last week and though I am feeling 100% better, I am still without a sense of smell. I had to have one of the gals come with every time I wanted to check on dinner because her smeller worked and mine doesn't. Dinner was a big hit!! I also made two kinds of salad dressing. We also had salad, bread and two kinds of dessert. We finished off one bottle of wine and made a dent in the other bottle. We laughed, talked and eat. We had an amazing time. Most of us started working together years ago and all us of work from home or are at new positions in different companies. It was so nice to see everyone and I am hoping we can do this again once winter is over.

In stitches,
Judy

Christmas Concert

This afternoon I will be attending a Christmas Concert with The Southwest Ohio Symphonic Band In Middletown, Ohio. My sister, Becky, plays the flute for this band. After the concert we will gather at my mom's house for dinner and tree decorating. Becky promises that this will be yet another awesome performance by the band.

This is the beginning of my weekend. I am off today, tomorrow and Tuesday. Next Sunday I am hosting a group of gals from work for dinner. Most of us no longer work in the office but are work at home people and rarely do we get to see one another. I will be making stuffed shells with homemade sauce, two kinds of homemade salad dressing. The others will be bringing dishes to fill in the menu. I anticipate lots of talking, laughing, eating, and silliness.

I am hoping to finish my Christmas sewing this week. Just need to make two pairs of sleep pants and a dog coat. Simple sewing. Then I can concentrate on my entry for JoAnn Fabrics Quilt Contest. It is coming together nicely but it is still just pieces and not even a quilt top. Busy, busy, busy I will be this week. I would not want it any other way!!

In stitches,
Judy

Friday Night Sewing

 
Friday night was Val's first go round with sewing. She is making matching nightgowns for her daughter, Clara and niece Lana, who are both under the age of two. And she is also making matching nightgowns for herself and her twin sister, Vicki. Such ambition!! I am so proud of her and what she has accomplished so far. One little girl nightgown cut and sewn.

She will be here this afternoon to get back at it. The pattern for both nightgowns are very similar and very easy. We will make a small change in her sister's nightgown. By February she will be a nursing mama and we are adding a zipper.

I am spending the morning hours at work today. Calls for two hours and then training. Then making the dash home on my lunch break to finish out the rest of my shift! It can be done as I repeated this same scenario on Wednesday.  I love working from home.

In stitches,
Judy

Today is Special

Today is the day my daughter in law is sworn in as a United States citizen and as mother in law I could not be prouder. Of course, she and my son are in New York City and I will have to celebrate alone here in Ohio. I do not know all the steps that they had to go through but I know it was time consuming and expensive. My son is an attorney and decided that he could do the leg work but he now has a new respect for the attorneys that do that for a living. There are lots of things required to make this possible. For example, they needed her birth certificate. Seems easy, right? No. She was born in India and has 6 birth certificates. And the one that had all correct information was in Hindi and they had to have it translated and then get an affidavit that it is correct and that she did not do her own translating.

She is traveling with her job and was in Florida until last night. She had a late night flight back to NYC for the ceremony this morning then back to Florida to finish out her presentation. At least for the trip back to Florida my son is going with her and they will celebrate together in warm, sunny Florida.

A very proud mama,
Judy

Christmas sewing

One Christmas sewing project is done. I will take it's picture and then wrap it. I will not post pictures until after Christmas. Not fair to person getting the gift to see it on my blog. I still have a dog coat and two pairs of sleep pants to do and then I will be done. Today will be sewing on the quilt I am doing for JoAnn Fabrics quilt challenge. My skill set at work has changed and right now I have more down time between calls. So I will sew today.

Tomorrow is craft night at the house. Val is coming over and I am teaching her to sew. She is making matching nightgowns for her daughter and her niece and matching nightgowns for herself and her twin sister. The pattern is simple but the prep work is a killer for someone who has not ever sewed before. I will let you know how things progress over time. She hoping that everyone will be decked out in new nightwear for Christmas Eve.

Sunday is my sister's Christmas Concert with the Southwestern Ohio Symphonic Band at Lakota High School this year. It will be a fun time and then we are coming back here for dinner. I need to clean!!!

I need to close and get ready for work. I just need to run upstairs gave some breakfast and turn on the computer. The joys of working from home. It is a good gig if you can get it.

In stitches,
Judy

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. Hoping you will be spending time with those who are near and dear to you. For those who will not be joining for the holiday, know that they will be with in your heart.

I will be cooking dinner tomorrow at my sister's house. It will be a small gathering this year. I still have a bit of hemming left to do on the table cloth for our table tomorrow. My mom will be meeting me here at my house and we will travel together to my sister's house. My youngest sister and her three kids will also be joining us for dinner an Wii. We will exercise off all that turkey.

 
I will not be attending any of the Black Friday sales this year. I am working both Friday and Saturday! I am aiming to get to JoAnn Fabrics this weekend for some of the thread that is on sale. I have a couple of sewing projects that I am doing for Christmas and need thread to complete them. I will be off Sunday and Monday and I am hoping to get started on my Christmas sewing.

Hoping everyone has a blessed time with family and friends and be careful when out for Black Friday!!

In stitches,
Judy

I am spoiled

 
I am so spoiled and I will admit that. I have a job that I really like and have been doing it for almost six years. In April of this year, management sent a bunch of us home to work including me. I am so in love with working from home. This week or at least the days before Thanksgiving several of us are back in the office for training. The office is located in a rather busy, congested shopping area. It is the week before Thanksgiving and it is raining. That is not a good mix for anybody. Traffic is horrid!! In the morning it is not bad for me but my co-workers are on the road over an hour to get to work. Last night there were lots of accidents and an explosion and fire at the General Electric testing facility in Evendale. Yuck!! It takes me about 17 minutes to get from my garage to the parking lot at work and it took over 45 minutes to get home last night. And now I am getting ready to do this again. I will be happy to be working in my living room on Black Friday and I might even stay in my jammies!!!

In stitches,
Judy

Thanksgiving Plans

 
It is going to be an interesting week. Of course, Thanksgiving is Thursday and our family gathering is going to be on the small side this year. My sister and her hubby have moved to Georgia and they are not coming this year. My son and his wife and their dog will not be making the trip from New York for Thanksgiving but will be here for Christmas instead. My niece is cooking this year in Columbus for her family and a few friends. My sister's husband is leaving town and spending Thanksgiving with friends who live near the airport. My brother never spends Thanksgiving with us and will miss him and his family and will see them on Christmas Eve. So this year we are gathering at my sister's house, where I will share the cooking with my mom, my sister Becky, and my sister Patty. Patty will be bringing my niece, Lily and her two brothers Vincent and Neil. It will be a small but festive group. We will miss all those who cannot be with us this year and hope to see them all at Christmas Eve celebration at my mom's.

I have been sewing. I am working on special project not quite ready for pictures. I did snip a tiny bit of my finger with the scissors that I thought were not quite that sharp. I have bandaged it up and I seem to still have feeling in that finger. I am hoping to do a little more sewing before going to bed.

Tomorrow thru Wednesday I will going into the office to work. I along with about 11 other co-workers will be in the office for training. It will be nice to see these people. Most of us are work at home people and I have not seen them in quite some time. I need pack a lunch and get up much earlier and actually drive to work. I know I will appreciate Friday and Saturday this week when I am working from home yet again. 

I must close and get ready to finish my day. Look for something to wear to work. Find a notebook to take notes in and pack my lunch!!

In stitches,
Judy

Today is my Monday

Sunday and Monday are my weekend. And it has been more fun than one person can handle. Sunday I went to the store and picked a few groceries and made homemade pea soup. Yum!! Did some laundry with the full intention of sewing Monday.

Monday was great! Cleaned up my dishes and to the sewing machine I went. First to machine quilt in gold the piece of turkey fabric I got to cover the whole in way in hallway. My neighbor told me how fix last night. Just what I need, another project! I tore up this house looking for one of the two feet I use for meandering. Two hours later Jennifer and I were on the road to get a new foot!

 Got the foot, then the bobbin cracked from age. Fixed that, then I bent the needle. Fixed that and finished the piece. Then my neighbor dropped by with fabric for me to make neck scarves is for dogs for their Christmas picture. Those are done already!

Just before bed, I heard a noise in bedroom. Drip, drip, drip. We had high winds yesterday and rain and now my roof leaking just above my head. After moving the bed, dusting, I put the bucket behind the bed to catch the water. Water dripping in an empty plastic bucket is quite loud when one is trying to sleep. Added a towel to the bucket to muffle the noise. In the morning, I connected with a gal at work whose former son in law is a contractor that does roof work. He came out on Wednesday and tacked down a few shingles and all is well with the world. 

I was able to finish 3 doggy scarves, the turkey wall hanging and the Christmas wall hanging since Monday. Quite a productive week so far.

In stitches,
Judy

Hello

Life is busy right now. I have decided to treat myself to a top to bottom check up. Not all appointments have been completed and not all results are in but nothing much wrong. Yeah! The kidney stones have stopped dancing for the time being.

I have been hand quilting during the slow times at work. In fact, I am quilting right now. It is so relaxing. My weekend starts around 5pm tonight and I am planning to spend it with my sewing machine. Pictures to follow.

In stitches,
Judy

I have been remiss

 

I have been remiss in adding entries on my blog. My new shift has started at work. I am now working Tuesday thru Saturday 8am to 4:30pm. I am really liking the new shift. I have also been doing some overtime. I am spending my free time waiting for another kidney stone to pass. And getting all of my medical check ups done. I am guessing that will be my Christmas gift to myself and they all should be done in time for Christmas.

I have been doing a little bit of sewing. I am currently hemming 5 pairs of pants for a friend.  And I am working on my hand quilting project in between calls at work. Not much down time at work and not much hand quilting being done. I am toying with the idea of making a quilt for JoAnn Fabrics' quilt contest so I have been working on several ideas. I seem to be more creative when I am somewhat overwhelmed  by life. And that is what is happening in my life right now.

In stitches,
Judy

Sisters and Fun

It's the weekend, let the fun begin!! I have just finished working 20 hours of overtime and my new schedule starts next week. I will be working Tuesday thru Saturday. This will be a three day weekend for me. Wow!!

My sister, Karen, is in town again from Georgia and we are going to get into mischief this weekend. Tomorrow Karen, Becky, another sister and our mom are going to see Art Deco: Fashion and Design in the Jazz Age 
and then back to Becky's for lunch of homemade soup and bread. Then I think Karen and I might make a trip to JoAnn Fabrics for the Moonlight Madness Sale. I am making a flannel nightgown for a friend for Christmas and the snuggle flannel is on sale 60% off.

Sunday is a trip to northern Kentucky to babysit my niece, Lily and her two younger brothers, Vincent and Neil while my sister mans the Open House at the school where she teaches. Then back home for me to work on mulch mountain. Actually it is going down and it is more like mulch hill. There still is enough mulch in the way of getting my car into the garage. The weather on Sunday is supposed to be favorable for mulch moving.

On Monday, Karen and I will be making a trip to Lawrenceburg, Indiana to visit the Hollywood Casino. Yeah. Then in the evening I will be able to go to my small quilt group meeting. That makes me happy!!

I have been sewing this week! I have found out that I can sew standing up. When my system at work is loading work for me, I end up with up to 15 minutes of time to fill. I did have a sewing table set up next to my desk, but that is so messy. So now I have my machine set up on  my buffet and sew standing up. Whatever works!! I am making a polar fleece duvet cover for my comforter. It is lavender and yellow with pink hook and loop tape. Sounds like an Easter Egg, doesn't it. The walls in my bedroom are sage green and this duvet cover will go with curtains that are hanging up there now. I am going to try it out tonight without the hook and loop tape. Tomorrow I will put that on the duvet cover after I get back from JoAnn's.

In stitches,
Judy

Life

Life is going along. My allergies have woken up and are kicking my butt. Seems to have settled in my chest and are playing hide and seek with my voice. I work in customer service and I am on the phone 8 hours a day. Today I was able to do work off the phone to save what little bit of voice I had. But mid way through the day, my internet went out. Shucky darn. For almost an hour I was unable to do any work at all. But my voice was behaving. Getting ready to log back into the work computer for my overtime. Won't need my voice but there is a storm brewing outside with lots of lightning and thunder. I hope I can keep power tonight. Life is what happens when you make other plans.

No sewing again today. I will be too tired once my day is over to do any sewing. Maybe tomorrow between my over time and my regular shift I will be able to do a bit of sewing. I have several quick projects to do. Just need a few minutes together to get them done. I have purchased the fabric to make Lily a new flannel nightgown and it will be a cinch to sew together if I get the time.

My sister, Karen, is back in Ohio. We are hoping to spent some sister time together this weekend. I am also going to Kentucky to get some time with my niece and nephews on Sunday. And my new shift starts next week at work, and I will be off on Mondays. So this weekend I will have a three day weekend. Awesome!!

In stitches,

Judy

The Weekend Stuff

The weekend is over and what a weekend it was. I spent Friday night with Jan and Linda from my quilt group at the new JoAnn Fabrics and dinner a Wendy. No of this was planned we ran into each at the store and had such a good time.

Saturday I went to my mom's and spent the day with her and my sister and her three kids who were visiting for the weekend. I brought along home made pizza crust for lunch and Tastefully Simple Beer Bread for dinner. The kids helped make the beer bread for dinner.

Lily and Vincent made Ghosts for their yard.

The finished products with Lily and Vincent.

The ghosts in mom's flowerbed with St. Francis Assisi

And  the newest member of  Lily and Vincent's family.

In stitches,
Judy

Stuff

 
It has been such a busy week so far. The big push at work last week was that were going to be so busy. Incentives were given for people to sign up for overtime. I do overtime almost every day so I took the incentives. We were not busy at all and people were sent home on unpaid time off. I did volunteer for that one time as my sister was in town for a visit. This week that increased work load showed up and no incentives were offered and I took as much overtime as I could get. Of course, now I have money and am too tired to spend it.

No sewing has been done so far. I have done some prep work for a quilt I would like to do with the leftover brown, lime green, and teal fabrics. Once I have something sewn I will post pictures of it. I have been working in the yard. I am still working on getting rid of mulch mountain. It is starting to get cooler outside and at some point I will want to put my car in the garage and that mulch mountain is still in the way. I am a bit closer to getting the new flower bed put in the side yard. And once that is complete and huge chunk of mulch mountain will have a new home. And then I will just distribute the rest of the mulch in the yard. Then I will have to rearrange some stuff in the garage in order to get the car in there. 

In stitches,
Judy

The weekend is coming!

It is Friday and the weekend is coming!! Today is the only day this week that I am not doing overtime. Yeah! I have gotten my new shift at work. It starts on 10/25/2011. 8am to 4:30pm Tuesday thru Saturday. I am off one day during the week and that is a good thing. I will be able to save my PTO hours for something fun instead of doctor's appointments. I will be able to get to my quilting group and guild meeting. I am so excited. I will be able to do overtime and still have a life.

I have moved the quilt in the banner from the floor frame in the basement to a lap frame next to my work station in the living room. When I am slow on the phones I will be able to put a few stitches on the quilt. I was not able to get much quilting done on it while it was in the basement. It is very calming to work on it in between calls. I take customer service calls all day long. I have been doing it for over 5 years and just recently have started working from home. I would not trade it for the world.

My sister, Karen and I are going to the gambling boat in Indiana tonight and then tomorrow hooking up with the rest of my sisters and my mom for breakfast before my sister leaves to go back to Georgia. Her visit has been short but she how packed a lot of stuff into the time she was home.

This weekend will be yard work for sure. The lawn is screaming to be cut. It has been longer than this and I am not in danger of losing children in the yard yet. I am also hoping to work on the mulch pile on Sunday if the weather holds. It has been warm and sunny all week but I have been doing overtime. If you volunteer for overtime you own it and cannot give it back, unless it is the company's idea. It was their idea to cancel overtime for today. Not mine.

Time to finish the laundry in the washer and get ready for work. And get ready for the weekend!!

In stitches,
 Judy

Monday morning

Monday morning is the beginning of a wonderful week. I am doing a bunch of overtime again this week with a bonus at the end of the week. My sister is coming home for a visit. She should be arriving at her daughter's some time this morning. She will spent time in Columbus, Ohio until mid afternoon Wednesday when she will start her journey to my mom's in Hamilton. She will make many stops along the way, visiting other friends and family. She is bringing pecans from Georgia and her and mom will be making chocolate chip cookies. She and I will hook up on Friday night and go to the gambling boat and then all of my sisters and my mom will meet at mom's for lunch before she makes her way back to Georgia. We are all excited to see her and I know she is excited to see us.

No sewing done this weekend. Did have a friend from work come and put the poison in the attic to get rid of the mice critters up there. And the grocery store called my name loudly as there was no food for breakfast today. Now I have food. Yeah!!

I need to get off the computer and log in to the work computer upstairs and start taking calls. We are supposed to be starting our busy season today. Over time is calling my name.

In stitches,
Judy

Bits and Pieces

Here are a few bits and pieces of my life. I have not gotten much sewing done as we are coming into our busy season at work and I have been picking up quite a bit of overtime. Seeing that I am working from  home, I do not mind doing the overtime.

My latest project. A brown, teal, and lime green baby quilt. Using several fabric with circles on it. I have enough fabric to make another one almost like it.

Flowers I picked up at the grocery store because I needed fall looking flowers to brighten up my work space.

My Halloween wall hanging.

Changed the flowers in my front door basket.

One of a pair of happy pumpkins my friend, Roberta made for me.

And it is getting cooler outside so it is time to put out my log cabin quilt to cuddle on the couch with.

In stitches,

Judy

Fall in Ohio

Last Saturday my Mom and I enjoyed the morning at the local Farmer's Market. I bought the last of the season Roma tomatoes, my mom got some flowers for a friend and some bread. I was able to get a few shots of the local flavor.

 In stitches,

Judy

Visitors

Last Friday I heard visitors in my attic. Mice!! I am the proud owner of some traps to get 'em! They are also in the basement. Yippee!! They have been baited but I am not ready to see what I have caught. After breakfast there will be plenty of time! I have been sewing! I have finished the baby I designed. Not my colorway. Lime green, teal, and brown fabric with circles on it. And I added a striped binding. It looks good. I will have post the picture later. The computter is in the basement with the traps!! In stitches, Judy

My job

Since April, I have been working from home and I adore it. My work station is set up in my living room and I can look out the front door at the world passing by. Normally I will see lots of birds, a few squirrels, butterflies, and two weeks ago a deer ran through my yard. Nothing surprises me now. Lately there has been over time offered. I have decided that I do not mind doing over time right after my shift is done. I also like doing it before my shift. I do not like doing it 9pm to midnight and trying to get up the next morning to work. I also do not like working 2 hours before my shift, waiting 30 minutes and starting my regular shift and tacking 2 more hours on to the end of my shift. I did that today and missed the pick up of my recycling. Now I have to haul the bin back to the side porch and wait until next week to return it to the curb. I am saving money on lunches and gas and wear and tear on my car. I still have contact with my friends either on the phone or when we get together to craft on Friday nights. If you get the opportunity to work from home take it in a heartbeat. It is awesome!!

Still no sewing done this week. I have to start the baby quilt soon. Lime green, teal, chocolate brown and dots. Pictures to follow. Maybe pictures of the fabric. My camera is upstairs with my office and I am downstairs on my personal computer.

In stitches,
Judy

Another Weekend in the Bag

This weekend was spent with my bestest friend in the world. We had a garage sale at the house this weekend and some visiting time. We did not make much money but we had a good visit. I used my new crock pot and make a lovely roast using diet pepsi as the liquid for my roast. It was yummy!! I was also able to decorate the living room for Halloween. I changed the flowers in my door basket for Fall and put up my Halloween quilt above the antique bookcase in the living room. I also have two new wooden pumpkins to put out that my friend, Roberta made for me. Later this week I will post pictures.

Not any sewing done this weekend. I am getting ready to make a brown, teal, and lime green baby quilt. One of my own designs. Tuesday I am meeting a co worker at JoAnn Fabrics to pick out fabrics for a t-shirt quilt for her daughter. This will be my second t-shirt quilt. People are starting to order their Christmas gifts earlier this year. Last year it was a quilt made from show ribbons. Each quilt is a challenge that helps me grow in so many ways. I truly believe that there is nothing I cannot do. I just need to try.

Time to finish the laundry and get ready for bed. Back to work tomorrow and maybe some over time. And if no over time, then I will be going to my small quilt group. I have a hand piecing project that I am making for my living room. Something in earthtones for the fall.

In stitches,
Judy

This and That

It has been a long time since my last post. I have been doing a little bit of sewing, a little bit of family time and a lot of working. And a lot of overtime. I am working from home now so it is not a problem doing overtime as I am already home. 

 
I made a signature wall hanging for my sister. She and her hubby moved to Georgia from Ohio. And in this day and age all my siblings lived in the same area and she is the first one of my siblings to move away from where we grew up at. My kids are in New York City and my sister's daughter is in Columbus, Ohio. We miss her and her hubby immensely. They are enjoying their new home and exploring their new surroundings.

This weekend was awesome. I spent all day, Saturday with my mom. We did the Farmer's Market Saturday morning, we did some shopping at Walmart. I am the owner of a new George Foreman grill and my mom is the owner of a new red coffee maker. Then to JCPenney's where I used my gift card and I got a new red crock pot and I still have about $10 left on the gift card.

 
 
We packed a picnic and meet my sister, Becky at church for Mass and then to Keehner Park for a picnic before the Southwestern Ohio Symphonic Band played a lovely concert under a moonlite sky. It was chilly out but the music was awesome!!

 
Today Mom, Becky, Patty, Vincent, Neil and I went to the Vinkolet Winery for their Summer Fair. Crafts, food and wine. We got rained once briefly but all in all it was a good day.

I have not gotten much sewing done. I am making a wall hanging to go over my bed using half square triangles of white and 30's prints. I figure I will need a total of 270 half square triangle units or 135 pairs. Should not take that long to do. I also did some work on my hand piecing project. It is muted colors and will go well in my living room for the fall. I really need to get working on this. The fall is coming!!

This awesome flag was hanging on the side of a church in downtown Hamilton this weekend! It was awesome.

In stitches,

Judy

Family time

Yesterday was family day at my mom's. My sister and her husband are moving to Georgia from Ohio. They are leaving the end of the month. Most of the family was there to wish them well. Only my kids in New York and two of my nephews did not make it. It was a wonderful gathering of family and food. I gathered signed pieces of unbleached muslin for a signature quilt. I will be using some of my 30's prints in the ultimate design. I have started cutting the fabric for the blocks. I will post pictures once I am done. And after it is safely in my sister's possession.

In stitches,
Judy

What you see at a yard sale

The weather cleared and we had marvelous weather for the sale. the police patrolled the street because there is no parking across the street. We had kids, dogs and a guy who rode thru our sale on his bicycle.

In stitches,
Judy

Garage sales and rain

Jennifer and I have been working towards the goal of the city wide yard sale. It is today. The weather is not co-operating. There is no high heat or humidity but it is overcast and the weatherman is calling for rain. Such a dilemma! We are going to hang tight and hope the weather clears up!

I made money aprons for Jennifer and I to wear at the sale using some bright blue bottomweight fabric and leftover binding. Not very attractive but functional!

I did do some machine quilting yesterday and finished the car quilt panel. Later on today I will attach the binding.

In stitches,
Judy

That wall hanging

 

I have finished that wall hanging. That Patriotic wall hanging and I have decided to do it again. I have enough of the print to use as the background and enough red to make the stars and I will make only 4 blocks instead of 9 and I have until Memorial Day 2012 to finish it. I will add a border to it so it will fit in the hanger it was intended for. I pictured it in my mind and was so disappointed that it did not live up to my vision.

I am still toying with a design for Autumn. Orange is calling my name. I need to see what orange fabrics are living in my stash. I know that I have a piece of homespun in the orange family that I have been saving for that special project. That might be the project. I am thinking applique. And maybe blanket stitch. I am also thinking that all of that might too ambitious. We shall see.

In stitches,
Judy

Happy

I have been busily hand stitching the binding on my Log Cabin quilt. It is going to look awesome in my living! I cannot wait to snuggle under it on these cold winter days in Ohio. Yesterday it did not get to 90 degrees. Yeah!

The design to replace Patriotic wall hanging is still rattling around in my head. Perhaps this weekend I will be able to capture it on paper!

I am thinking about throwing some stuff in front yard next Saturday for the city wide yard sale. I really need to get to pricing what already has been sorted.

In stitches,
Judy

It's Done!!

I put my mind to it and finished the Patriotic Wall Hanging. Still don't like it and I did something wrong because it is bigger than the intended space. So it looks a bit funky in this shot. I am already designing a pumpkin wall hanging in my head to put up after Labor Day.

I was able to go to the guild meeting last night. We had a trunk show by Julie Lambert . She is a guild member who does amazing machine quilting on her Bernina home sewing machine. The quilts were gorgeous and she is such a delight to listen to. And I learned a thing or two that I want to try in the future.

I had the best of both worlds last night. I got to go to the guild meeting and then I came home and logged into my work station and did two hours of overtime. 10pm to midnight. Not a great idea. Looked good on paper but my body screamed "time to go to bed, you fool!!". I may or may not do that again.

In stitches,
Judy

Unlike

I am currently machine quilting my patriotic wall hanging and have decided I unlike it. In previous years it would get moved to shelf or bag in my sewing room and be forgotten. The new me is finishing it and if I never hang it at least it is done!!

Tonight is guild meeting and if they do not offer overtime, I will go. Maybe I can hand stitch the binding on my Log Cabin quilt!

In stitches,
Judy

Quilting

 

I have been machine quilting. I found my top yesterday and got it layered and pin basted last night. It is about a quarter of the way machine quilted. I am hoping to have the machine quilting done tonight. I would like to get the binding sown down so I will have some hand work to do at my meeting on Monday evening. I still do not have the patriotic wall hanging done. I still have a bit of time to get to that before Labor Day.

It is hot yet again today. I am hanging out in the basement right now. It is much cooler down here. I have turned off the air conditioning for now. It will go back on later so I can sleep. But most days it is off the entire day.

Jennifer was here last night for craft night. I worked on my Log Cabin quilt and she did a few odd projects. I did add some binding to a quilt she was making for Lily. She will hand stitch the binding later today. We had dinner again last night. Hers was a potato with Vadalia Onions baked in the oven and mine was left over boiled potatoes, sauerkraut and turkey sausage. Yum!!

In stitches,
Judy

Lost then found

Yesterday I decided to layer my log cabin top. I found two pieces of fabric that seemed together would make a wonderful backing. I knew where my batting was but where was the top? I had boxed up fabric and such before my kids came earlier this month but it was not with that stuff. I know because I looked twice. Yesterday afternoon, it came to me. "Look with the batting"! I found it and now I am ready to layer and pin baste.

The kidney stone is still moving but the is not that bad. Each day is an adventure!

In stitches,
Judy

On the move

Moving on can be a good thing as can moving up be good but kidney stones on the move are very painful! I am suffering thru moving kidney stones. I am stubborn and won't take time off work for anything. In fact, I did 2 hours of overtime last night. Not in any pain right now, so I am hoping to do some hand piecing between calls today!

Tonight I hope to layer my log cabin quilt top so I can start machine quilting it. Maybe another UFO will bite the dust.

In stitches,
Judy

Concert time

Only in Hamilton would they have an outside concert under the awning of the parking garage. It was extremely hot and sticky outside but under the awning there was a wonderful breeze and wonderful music!! Hand pieced 2 of the 36 blocks for my new wall hanging. Jennifer went with me and she had an awesome time!

In stitches,
Judy

System issues

System issues usually a bad thing. Worked some overtime last night and system issues were a problem. But that also paved the way for more overtime before work. And put the yard work lower on the list.

Got most of my new hand piecing project marked. Going to an outdoor concert this evening and I will piece to music.

In stitches,
Judy

Weekend recap

Friday night Jennifer was here for craft night and dinner. Dinner was cooked cabbage with ham and boiled potatoes. Yum!! I did cutting for my new hand piecing project and fixed a quilt top for Jennifer. Jennifer had several little projects to finish.

Saturday, I was able to do 3.5 hours of overtime and get to the grocery before 10am. A gal who used to work with came over for catch up time and pants hemming. Then to dinner with my mom, my sister, and her boyfriend. Dinner was yummy!!

Sunday was going to be hardworking but the heat and humidity forced me inside to the basement for some organizational time. It was blessedly cool in the basement and I am making slow progress there. I have done a bit of hardworking this morning but it is time to work. I will continue cutting and prepping my hand work between calls!

In stitches,
Judy

summer stuff

My summer so far.

 My grand dog, Frankie.

  A pot of purple petunias

 The hole in the wall.

 
The quilt to cover it the hole in the wall.

My hand piecing project now fits my bed.

 

My gerber daisy
  

Baby quilt for Neil 

 Place mats for Becky

Simple kit for living room.

Piece of my Patriotic Wall Hanging.

In stitches,

Judy

Tuesday

It is Tuesday! Isn't that awesome? I picked up 3.5 hours of overtime last night and hoping for that much tonight. It is extremely hot and humid here so yard work is a no go. I have done a bit of sewing and things are getting finished. My wall hanging is almost bound. The patriotic blocks are pressed and will be sewn together today between calls at work. I am working from home next to my sewing machine.

In stitches,
Judy

A new week begins

It is a new week and another opportunity to sew! I am almost ready to start quilting my latest wall hanging. I had thought it might become a hand piecing project but it was cinch to do on the sewing machine!

Then it will be time to work on my patriotic wall hanging. I still have one more holiday to hang it for.

Hoping to do a bit of overtime this week!

In stitches,
Judy

Place mats

The place mats are moving right along! I should have pictures post tomorrow. Especially since I am planning on giving them to my sister at the Concert on the Green tomorrow.

In stitches,
Judy

Wednesday

It is Wednesday and I am hoping to cut out a wall hanging that can be my new hand piecing project. I dug it out over the weekend only to find out I need to cut the pieces out. I am going to an outdoor concert Friday night and need a take along project.

In stitches,
Judy

Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July! My computer is having issues and I have borrowed a computer for this update. It has been a very busy couple of weeks leading up to the holiday. I have been working on my yard. I still have small mountain of mulch to put down in the flower beds. I had to give up yard work in favor of house work. My son, his wife, her mom, and their puppy came for the long weekend. It has been a wonderful time. We went shopping at the outlet mall. Everyone seemed to looking for jeans.  I ended up with a wonderful red watering can for my flowers. 


We went visiting to see my sister who just had a baby on Monday. Neal was born last Monday. We went to see my mom and my sister and every one seemed to enjoy the dog. We had a wonderful dinner of stuffed shells, salad, and chocolate raspberry truffle pie. The kids have gone to a party and I went to Carillon Bell concert. No trip to the area is complete without a trip to Jungle Jim's International Food Market. 

All too soon this will end. Nick and his family will be leaving in the morning for the 13 hour trip to New York City and I have signed up for overtime for the next two days. 9am to 9pm. Not so bad, especially since I am  working from home. 


Have not gotten much sewing done this week. But I am hoping to get busy with my machine this week. Of course, there is still yard work to be done. I would like to be able to put the car in the garage but I need to move the mulch first.


In stitches,
Judy

Hump Day

It is hump day! The weekend is definitely coming. I have been working almost daily in the yard. It is starting to take shape. Mulch mountain is still a mountain but it has some big bites out of it. The weather here in Southwest Ohio has been much cooler. It makes working in the yard much more bearable. 

I have finished yet another quilted item. I finished the small wall hanging for my hall way. Once I get it hung I will take a picture of it. I am now working on my Patriotic wall hanging for my basement landing. It is slow going. I think I am going to have to rip out some more of it the next time I am at the sewing machine. That is such a fun job. 

I have already picked out my next two projects. I promised my sister some place mats for her dining room table. I am thinking something light and airy for the summer. In the current America quilts for the home is a quilt that is calling my name. I know it is on page 46 but I cannot remember the name of it. I have decided to use my brights and have pulled most of them. I am making it scrappy and each block will be different. I only need one 2.5 inch strip of 72 different fabrics. Not a problem. Also need some white tone on tone and some yellow. The pattern reminds me of pop beads from my childhood. 

I am also preparing for visitors for the 4th of July. My son, his wife, her mom, and their dog are coming for the holiday. My son has a request for Stuffed Manicotti  for dinner one night. That is one of his favorite meals. I am sure that his dad will come down for a visit while the kids are in town. So I am working on getting sewing room moved out of the dining room and back in the basement for at least the time I have visitors. 


In stitches,
Judy

Weekend

The weekend is here! Had a wonderful Saturday. Spent the first part of the with my sister, Karen. Changed the blade in her rotary cutter. Went to a yard sale, a thrift store, and Goodwill. Did not buy a thing. Went to a baby shower for my youngest sister, Patty. Finished the baby quilt last night but did take a picture of it. I will get a picture of it once the baby comes!

Tomorrow brings a drop in the temperature and more yard. I am still working on mulch mountain! Lots of weeding to do and I am having company for the 4th of July and I want the yard to look awesome! Lots of work to do and so little time!

In stitches,
Judy

Small steps

Life is just a series of small steps. I have spent most of this weekend taking small steps towards the bigger picture. Friday night I had to work late as I had traded with someone. There was one item on my list for Saturday. My washing machine. I went to Home Depot and a large wrench to fix my washer. I was not getting any cold water in my washer. With a little bit of knowledge, I set out to fix my washer and I have to say after a little bit of work, my washer is working just fine. 

Today, I did some work in my front yard and there will be a bit more work tonight once the sun has started to set. I put the binding on the quilt for my sister's shower gift and will do the hand stitching later in the week. I have all the pieces cut out for my red, white, and blue wall hanging and will start that in a few minutes. I had plans to have it done for Memorial Day but live got in the way!!!

This week looks to be another busy week. But keep taking small steps!!

In stitches,

Judy