2012 *goals*

Ready or not, here comes 2012.  I think I'm ready!  I am looking forward to a new year, a clean slate, and new adventures ahead.  I am so thankful that my hubby has moved back home for good (job related) and we are putting life back together again. 

My goals are simple and reasonable this year:

1. Finish some UFO's in the sewing room!!  I have only one new project in mind to start this year.  More about that later.   Here's a work in progress that I hope will be my first completed project of 2012.

Do you remember all those swap blocks I had from the late 80's and early 90's?  These four I had already set together in the blue fabric a loooong time ago.  I brought it out the other day and added a border , appliqued the center flower, and plan to bind it the same red used in the flower.  This should be a quick finish and I will hang it above my loveseat in the livingroom. 

Livingroom.... That's a big part of my 2012 goals.  With hubby moving back in and all the kids moved out, my house is a mess and very 'undecorated'.  I plan to make my house 'my own' in 2012.  I'm looking forward to a little redecorating. 

I will continue with the Block Swap Adventure group.  This is my December block made by Samantha:

Again, forgive my photography ability; as this picture does not do this block justice.  This is a very very pretty and colorful block.. a perfect addition to the others I have received so far. 

2. We hope to find a church home this year.  Sadly, our church 'fell apart' back in the spring of 2011 and it has been a sad year, as far as church and Christian fellowship goes.  I never thought we would be here again, but we are looking for a new church.  I've done a lot of praying and I know God will lead us to the right church soon.

3. And my other goal is to spend more time with my grandchildren.... yes grandchild'ren'.  Avery is going to have a little brother or sister sometime in July.  We are very excited and I hope to have some fun 'grandma' days.  As a matter of fact, today is a Grandma day with Avery, so I need to get moving.

I hope you all are looking forward to the new year and I hope 2012 brings us all many wonderful memories!!

Christmas in Coyote Country (e book)

I wanted to share with you a sweet little treasure I hope that you will check out for yourself.  It is an e book written by a blogger friend:  Rose Mary at Life in a Cordwood Cabin.

This book is a quick moving 'mystery' from beginning to end and has a touch of romance to go along with it.  It is a good clean book... the best kind!!  It even features an 'alien'.... hee hee!

You can purchase your own copy here at Amazon for just .99 cents.  I know some of you received Kindle readers, etc. for Christmas and this would be a perfect book for you  to read while learning to use your new gadget.  You don't have to have an e reader to read this book ...I don't have one.... mine was sent to my email and I was able to download and read at my leisure on my computer.   I hope you will check it out and then drop by and tell Rose Mary how much you enjoyed it.

Thank you so much Rose Mary for picking me to win my copy from your blog.  I'll be waiting for the next one!

Snowman!

What a cute little snowman block!  I made this one in a hurry as a trial block and  I love him.  I got the pattern from the current issue of Quilt magazine.  The original pattern was used to make a set of winter placemats.  I think these little faces would make a cute little winter quilt.  I will do a couple of things differently in my next blocks, but I still think he is pretty cute.   Easy and fun project!

My! How time flies!

My! How time flies... this Santa pictured below is one that I painted back when all my friends  were painting pecan wood figurines.  I painted several pieces, but this was my favorite, and the only one that I still own.

Santa

I'm glad I put the date on the bottom of Santa... 1994.  That was 17 years ago!!  Where does the time go??? 

You can't really tell from the sideview, but I had written the names of the children in the family on Santa's list.  Most have faded away, but 'Justin' is still very visible.  The reason for that is:  Justin is my sister in law's son.  His was the first and only name on the list when it was first made, as I was going to give this Santa to my SIL as a Christmas gift.  Well, when it was finished, I didn't want to give Santa away, so I kept him and added the names of the others kids in the family to his list, using a different marker.  Those added names have almost faded away, but Justin is still there, as a very bold reminder that this was supposed to be his mom's gift.  :-) 

How do you like the vintage doily underneath Santa?  Not bad for a 25 cent thrift store find, huh?

Merry Christmas....early!

We started our Christmas celebrations with family over the weekend.  This little guy stole the show and we all had a blast.  Truly, it is so much more fun with little ones around. (there will be two new baby faces next Christmas!!!)   To see a few more pic's , go here, to my mom's blog.  Merry Christmas to all!

Bathroom painted

Well, we're almost done sprucing up the little bathroom.

Mom, I laughed at myself for painting the vanity this color.  I remember when I was sooooooooo happy that our family lost the avocado green refrigerator and got a new white one.  Now look what we've done.... changed the white vanity to avocado!  I would have never thought it back then!

Now to  get rid of that ugly gold water faucet!  :o)

Is this what it's like?

Last night when I went to work, I realized I wasn't seeing very well.  Thankfully, I had a pair of reading glasses with me and was able to function.  Eventually, I realized I didn't have my 'bifocal' contact lense on my eye.  Hmmmm.... honest mistake I guess.  (though I was puzzled) After I got home from work, I started checking out my contact situation, trying to figure out how I went to work without my trusty bifocal.  I tried on four different contacts that I already had open and none of them worked.  My first thought was that I had received the wrong contacts when I reordered last week.  Upon further inspection, the only box of contacts I could find was my old box and they weren't bifocals.  hmmm... what did I do with that new box of contacts?  I searched and searched and searched.  The trash was already at the curb for Friday's pickup, but I convinced hubby to retrieve the garbage can for me at 1:30 am.  He and I sat in the garage and dug through baby diapers, coffee grounds, chicken packaging, etc.  (you get the picture), looking for my new box of contacts.  (he was gagging and I was giggling)  Anyway, they were not to be found.  As he took the garbage can back to the curb, I looked in a kitchen drawer, that I had already looked in two times before, and there they were!!!  Am I losing it??

Not only that, I am very clumsy these days.  I tripped over the dachshund on Wednesday, landing flat on my back in the kitchen.  It scared the grandbaby and he cried. I went to visit my daughter last week at her new apartment and fell backwards over her end table when her huge dog jumped up to greet me.  Hubby says I need to exercise to regain strength and balance.  I'm thinking about rejoining Curves next week.  Did I tell you I also hip problems??  How will I ever function at Curves?

Female things are happening and I am very scatter brained these days.  Is this menopause?  Will it get better when menopause is over.... say like .... ten years from now?  Any advice?  Any encouragement?  Wow, who knew things could change so fast?  :o( 

Winner Winner!

The winner of my 21 block giveaway is:  The Mayo Family  Congrats! to you and I hope you will enjoy these blocks.  Email me your address and I'll get these in the mail to you soon!  :o)  :o)

What I did today

I went to the dentist, cleaned the kitchen, played with this little guy,  took a nice nap on the couch, ate leftover veggie soup for supper.   Currently watching ball game with hubby.  It has been a good day.  :o)






***Tomorrow I will draw the lucky winner for my 21 quilt block giveaway.  See post below***

21 quilt blocks *give away*

I've shown you some of these blocks in the past.  These are swap blocks that I received during the 1990's, while swapping with others through classified ads in "Quilt" magazine.  I've held on to these blocks for all these years, thinking that 'one day' I would make them into a quilt.  I don't think that 'one day' will ever come, so if you are interested in becoming the new owner of these blocks, to do with them whatever your little heart desires, leave a comment and I will pick a winner on Wednesday, Oct. 26.   (note: most of these blocks have the maker's signature on them)

Quilt Progress

I completed the quilt top yesterday for "Quilts for Kids".  Next week I plan to baste it, quilt it, and send it back so that some sweet little child (probably a little boy) can enjoy staying warm under it, while he is trying to get well.  My prayers go out to this little fellow and his family.  I truly have enjoyed working on this project.

And then it happened...

Just when we thought hubby wouldn't get to move back home until his retirement, it happened!!  A position opened up in our area which allowed him to transfer home.... just like that!  He found out one day, drove home that night, and has been here ever since.  Yay!  However, we still have this 'little' issue of moving his things from the rental house.  We've been working on that this week and next week we'll be moving our daughter into her own apartment.  Busy?? yes, but I've still managed to sew a little and I even read two books this week (during our travels).  Mom, have you ever read Glenn Beck's "The Christmas Sweater"?  If not, it'll be on its way in the mail to you soon.  A must read!  I also read another  Elm Creek Quilts  this week.  I just love those books!!  Not only are they fun stories, but they actually teach some quilting techniques throughout the stories.  Love them!!! 

An Avery Weekend

This little sweet guy stayed with Grandma and Papa this weekend:

We had a great time!  He and Grandma attended a birthday party at the nursing home for one of Grandma's patients.  What fun!

He is the sweetest baby I've ever met!  (my own included)  He is very content, always laughing or doing something funny, and hardly 'ever' cries! 

This is one of my favorite pictures of him.  This is his 'pretend to cry' face.  While we were at the beach this summer, my whole family visited one day.  There were probably about twenty people in the room and Avery stood in the center of the room and  pointed at each person in the room, one at a time, with his little serious face, and expected everyone to pretend cry.  So everyone took a turn, pretend crying, for Avery.  We laughed and laughed and laughed.  What a sweet memory!

And this is Avery with his sweet mommy and daddy!  They are wonderful parents and my heart just swells with pride when I think of how happy they have made Papa and me.  Grandma is tired this morning, but it was a great weekend!

New Glasses!

I recently won a give away of reading glasses (8 pair!) from Gretchen at Bird Nest Cottage.  I was thrilled to have won them, as my collection was dwindling down, and I needed to buy more.

I wanted to show you who else was excited about the new glasses!  He kept saying " I see"  "eyeglasses".  He would not 'write' or 'use the computer' without his eyeglasses.   Can you see my new quilt frame in the back ground???  Q snap... I love it.  Thank you Gretchen for the wonderful new glasses!

My first swap block

I received my first swap block from my partner, Sunny, yesterday.  (you can click the button on the right:  Block Swap Adventure  to learn more about this group)

With this group, we get to describe what type of block we prefer, and Sunny couldn't have made this block any more perfect for me!!  The colors are actually brighter than what my photo shows, but you get the idea. 

I drool over this quilt everytime I see it in catalogs and on the web, but I know I could never create something so beautiful.  (it is offered as a block of the month project)  I am hoping to collect enough scrappy colored blocks from this BSA group to start something similar... in these happy, happy colors!

Yesterday I made this label for our friend's baby quilt.  I wanted to use my Brother machine to embroider her initials and the year on the label, but was very disappointed in how the letters looked.  Too plain, too simple.   I love hand embroidery anyway, so I made this little label and sewed it on last night while watching tv with my daughter.   It's been a good week.  :o)

Brother 101

I am trying to learn my new Brother Sewing Machine and while I am having FUN doing so, I still have a lot to learn.  But that's okay... practice will eventually make me the 'master' of my machine, right?

I practiced free motion quilting on this little block.  I am amazed at how much easier the fabric glides around with the feed dogs down and the quilting foot attachment on the machine.  If you click, you will see that I have a ways to go.... and that I changed designs throughout the process.... but it was fun.  I can feel the potential here!!!

I decided to call this quilt 'finished' without adding the appliqued flower designs, like I had mentioned in an earlier post.  I cut the flowers out, but when I laid them on the quilt, my daughter and I decided it would be too 'busy' by adding all the flowers to it.  I machine quilted this on my new Brother... much easier to do with straight lines!

This is the back side of the quilt.  I hope to give it to baby Kamden's mom next week. 

**The most important thing I have learned so far about my Brother.... the needle will go up or down, whether your thumb is out of the way or not!  I was trying to change out the quilting foot attachment and 'thought' the needle was in the way.  I hit the up/down button and guess what?  the needle was already UP... so when I hit the button, it came DOWN.... right into my thumb.  It broke off when I snatched my thumb out and yelled some word I didn't even know that I knew.  ;-)  I had about 1/4 to 1/2 of a needle hanging out of my thumb.  I pulled it out without difficulty, stopped the bleeding, and once my heart beat calmed down , I resumed sewing.  BIG LESSON LEARNED!  It was pretty sore for a day or two, but much better now.  I think the owners manual said something about turning the machine OFF when changing out accessories.  I guess I need to reread that part. **

A sweet project

I actually found out about the Quilt for Kids project from another blogger and I don't remember who to give credit to:

The project is sponsored by Downy and they have helped provide quilts for very sick children in hospitals.  They send  the (free)  fabric to make a small quilt and the quilter makes and returns the quilt within six weeks. 

I used to be a neonatal and pediatric nurse and as a young nurse, some of us enjoyed sewing doll clothes for the babies.  (back before premie clothes were so available for purchase)  The families loved them.

I have several people in my life who have passed away and I thought this would be a great way to 'remember' them.  I ordered my first kit today and will make it in honor of a recent friend who passed away.  I wanted to share this site with you just in case you are looking for a way to share your love of quilting.  Happy Quilting!

Sneak preview and Georgia Bonesteel

I completed my swap block for my first month in the new group.  (click on block swap adventure button to learn more about this swap)  I can only show a preview, because  my partner hasn't seen the block yet.

But let me tell you... my seam ripper and I became very good friends while making this block.  I had not used templates to make a block in a very long time.  I pulled out my trusty "Lap Quilting with Georgia Bonesteel" book to find 12 inch block patterns.  Of course, the patterns in her book are made with templates.  Thankfully, I was able to find my stash of templates that I had already made to go along with this book, so I was able to save time there. This block proved  to be very challenging for me to make.  It took me a lot longer than it should have, but in the end, I am satisfied with the block and will be mailing it out to my swap partner this week.  I've decided to use the swap group as a way to challenge myself... to relearn... and to learn even more about piecing blocks.  I have very fond memories of using my Georgia Bonesteel book, as this is the first quilting book I had ever owned, and I've used it a LOT!  I hadn't even opened the book in years  and had to climb into the attic to even find it.  What a joy it was to reopen and rediscover the treasures inside.  

*PS.. I loved Georgia  Bonesteel when I was in high school and used to watch her on PBS (whenever we could get the station).  While in college, I dated this one  guy for a short time and was over at his house one day.  He came into the living room to find me watching Georgia Bonesteel on his tv.  He asked "what ARE you watching?"  "you aren't serious, are you?"  "are you really watching that???" LOL.... yes, I was serious... and still am!  :o)

Pssst.... want to see?

Do you want to see my Goodwill finds from today?  (I told myself I was NOT going to go there today.  But  I had to run an errand anyways, so.... my car automatically turned into the GW parking lot!!)

Look at this sweet little chair:

For $1.99, I thought it would be perfect for my little rag doll that I 'plan' to make soon.  :o)  I love this chair!!

And, if I had not stopped at Goodwill today, I would have missed this:

Another vintage stitchery!  If you click to enlarge the picture, you will see the pretting handmade lace that trims the little spread.  CUTE!

Here's the other end of it ... identical to the first one you saw.  I think it's pretty sweet for $2.  I also found a huge crisp white cotton sheet that I plan to cut up for an embroidery project.  And of course, I brought home a couple more books... one on rug making and one about training  dogs. (for my daughter...mine are not trainable! )  Yes, I'm glad I stopped at Goodwill.  You see, it doesn't take much to make my heart sing. :o)

Redwork Snowman

Well, here he is.... the redwork snowman that I made in my class a few weeks ago.

 And  yes, I boogered him up... look at those squares in the corners.  WRONG!  I don't have enough fabric to fix it, so it will be my little booger and I'm going to hang him proudly at Christmas time.  :o)  (that's what I get for trying to figure it out in my head!!!  if someone doesn't give me the exact measurements, I am clueless.... )

**However, I think he is cute and I used  cotton fabric from an old skirt to make the borders.  How clever am I?  **

A finish!

Believe it or not....

I finished my daughter's lap quilt this week!  

This is the back side... her favorite side.  LOL

And a closeup to show my first attempt at 'free motion quilting' on my old Singer.  Not beautiful, but can't wait to try it on my new Brother!  :o)

I love quilt binding!

I never dreamed that one of my favorite things about quilt making would be making the binding. (the outer edge piece that 'seals' up the whole quilt) I learned to make binding from Debbie J. at Homemaking Dreams. Click on the link for her excellent tutorial!

The few quilts I have made in the past, I just brought over the backing to the front, to make a fake binding. Through the years, I have found out that this type of binding does not hold up very well!  (maybe if I had made it differently with a double fold... mine was only a single fold over the edge) My son's sailboat quilt, that I made when he was a little boy, is proof that my single fold fake binding doesn't hold up very well. The quilt, itself, is still in good condition, but the edges are really frayed. It's in my stack of 'things to do'... to bring it back to life with some real quilt binding!
I've been making binding this morning to finish my daughter's lap sized quilt that I started for her as a birthday gift. Well, her birthday was in March.... I will have it completed by tonight. (?) Maybe!

Debbie J. has another blog that is dedicated to her quilting: Angel Scraps Quilting. Check her out and tell her I sent you!
Tomorrow I will receive my first partner for the new swapping group I recently joined. I am very excited to start participating in this swap. You can find the details and the blog here:  Swap Block Adventure.  It's a fun place to see all the blocks.
 
*Debbie: thanks for the blog tutorial; I didn't have to use it quite as much this time, which means I'm starting to remember how to make binding without the tutorial.  However, do not EVER remove this post.  Also, photo credit:  this is Debbie's picture used above... remember I am camera-less this week*

A week off and caffeine withdrawal!

I'm spending my week off from work with hubby in Eastern NC.  As usual, I forgot to bring my camera, but I think this picture pretty much sums it up for you:

Can you spell HEADACHE??  Over ten years ago, after having a stress test for heart palpitations, my doctor had me remove caffeine from my life.  I didn't stop completely, but cut it WAY BACK , and was able to get my symptoms under control.

I did well for several years, but have recently allowed too much caffeine to creep back into my life.  Not good.  For the past week or so, I've been experiencing heart palpitations again, which just about drive me insane.  The constant fluttering in my chest, nervousness and anxiety... what a combination! 

Soooo, this is the week.... I'm not going "cold turkey", but it's pretty close to cold turkey.  Hence, the headache.... sluggishness.... nausea.... irritability....and did I mention headache???? 

However, my heart palpitations are decreasing already.... I only felt just a few yesterday... compared to NONSTOP for a few days earlier!  So.... I'll get there.... again.... and hope that I will have learned my lesson this time.  

** On a happy note, I finished the binding on the little pink baby quilt yesterday.  However, while spending hours on the couch, looking through quilting books, I've decided to add a few appliqued flowers to the six large squares, just to give it a little more "cute".  I can't start on those until I get back home to my extra fabric.  So, onto something else today **

More Vintage Swap Blocks

A few more blocks from swaps listed in Quilt magazine, years ago!!  The swap information would be near the back of the magazine... the first place I would go each time I got a new magazine in the mail.

 If you click to enlarge the pictures, I think you can read the signatures.  It was so much fun receiving blocks from around the country.  That was a BIG DEAL.... before we had internet access.

 Who I am kidding?  It's still a big deal!  I love to receive snail mail.  I don't get much fun mail anymore, but it is always a treat to find something fun... like a new quilt catalog, my monthly devotional, an occasional card in the mailbox.  I will start participating in a  swap group next month.  We will be making one block a month ... 12 inch blocks like these pictured above.   I can hardly wait to start my first block.

The heart block above is one of my all time favorite blocks.  The person who made this one really doesn't live that far from me.  When I received these blocks, I never went anywhere... probably driving  30 miles was a long trip for me.  So Lumberton, NC seemed like a long long ways away.  Now our family spends so much time on the road, a trip to Lumberton would be nothing.  :o)

I hope you are enjoying seeing my 'treasures' with me.  These finds are on my list of 'things to do'.... maybe, just maybe, one day I'll get them put into a pretty quilt top.

Out of my 'comfort' zone

I finally did it.  I took a class at a local quilt shop; something I had been wanting to do for a long time.  Everyone was so welcoming, kind, and generous... I can't believe I waited so long to get started.

This is the quilt that hangs in the window of the shop.  The 'chicken wire' look is actually the quilting for the hanging.  You can check out the shop here.   The Quilting Coop

Today's class was a redwork embroidery project.  Even though I have done lots of embroidery on my own, I found out there is a much simpler way to stitch, and with prettier results than I have had before.  The ladies were fun and I hope to attend another class soon.  :o)

Treasures

I may have shown you this in the past, but this is a 50 cents TREASURE that I bought at a yard sale given by a nursing home in eastern NC over 15 years ago.  I was so surprised when the lady said 50 cents... I quickly bought it and rushed the children back to the car, as I was afraid the lady would change her mind.  :o)                                                                                                                                                                    

Here is a peek inside the treasure basket.  If you click on the picture to enlarge, you will see an old A&P needle card; (needles, threader, etc. still intact), a tatting shuttle with a row of lace attached, some old wooden spools, some embroidery work, etc.  I have added my grandmother's old patterns into the treasure box.  I love this box!!!

This is one of my all time favorites!  I hand pieced this miniature bow tie quilt back when I was a lot younger and much more ambitious than I am now.   Each block measures approximately 3 inches square.  I hope you are enjoying my treasures as much as I am... I am slowly getting my quilting  motivation back!! 

**ps** I am having a horrible time posting on blogger now.  I switched to an updated blogging option and I am totally lost.  Hopefully, soon, my daughter will retrain me on how to blog.  :(

Busy Day

I didn't find this little treasure up in the attic, but he is probably the best treasure, EVER!  He spent the afternoon with me yesterday.  I am amazed at how smart this boy is.... he is talking up a storm.  And making a LOT of sense when he talks!  He likes to play in the floor with Grandma (whom he calls Ma-Ma at this time).  His mommy is "mommy" and I am "ma-ma".  I think I like that!

Today is a busy day; need to run some errands and then SEW on the little baby quilt.  I hope to finish it today!  Happy  Friday!

Swap Blocks and Birds

I have a LOT of blocks that I swapped back in the 80's and 90's through a quilting magazine.  I found some of them while up in the attic this week.  If you click on the picture to enlarge, you can see the signatures and where they came from.  I'm curious to know if these quilters are still around and maybe online, too.   I need to get

 back into the attic, as there are quite a few more blocks up there 'somewhere'.  I've always loved the maple leaf block... one of my favorites.  ** I clicked on the pic's and I couldn't read the signatures.  They are: Margaret Cook, Grimsby, Ontario...Suzi Barnett, Alabama...Lois Gardner, Wilmington, Mass.**

Vintage iron on transfers!  My mom told me about an aunt that used to stitch on these birds while waiting at the tobacco market with her husband.  (I think that story is correct.... ??mom??)  Years ago, I knew I wanted to make one, too.  See how ambitious I was back then?  I located the pattern and here it sits.... uncut... folded nicely in its original package.  OK mom, I'll make a deal with you... there are 50 of them.  I will do 25 if you will do the other 25.  Deal???  (and you can have the quilt!)

More Treasures

Years ago when my children were small, and before we even owned a computer, I subscribed to a quilting magazine that hosted block swaps.  I always looked forward to getting my new magazine so I could swap blocks with others through mail.  This was my only connection to the  'outside' world of quilting.  :o)  We've come a  long way, haven't we?  I found a box of swap blocks in the attic yesterday.  Believe it or not, Penny never did anything with hers... okay, yes,  you can believe it!   I will be showing off my 1980's blocks over the next few days.  Most of them are signed, so let me know if you happen to know any of these quilters from all over the country.                                                                                                                  

 Next, I found approx. 30 flowers that I hand pieced many years ago.  Boy, I was ambitious, wasn't I?  Isn't it funny that I got a lot more done when my kids were little, than I do now.... now with no young kids at home, working two days a week, and very few distractions!!???  With all this time, I accomplish very little... :o(

Needless to say, I can never imagine myself completing a Grandmother's flower garden quilt,

 BUT, I may be able to sew them onto a smaller background  and make baby quilts like this one:

This is an oldie that I bought for $5 (I think) at a 'junk' store in eastern NC.  It's been one of my favorites through the years.  (and yes mom, Sweet Pea loves this blanket! It's her favorite!) 
** More treasures tomorrow**

Attic Treasures

 I climbed into my HOT attic today and didn't spend a whole lot of time up there.  But, I did find a few treasures I need to share.  I plan to share these with you over the next few days. 

 First, is this completed quilt top that I pieced together years ago... probably 20 years ago. (?) I remember machine appliquing these little hearts that I cut out from the scrap bag of my grandmother, who had recently passed away.  The pink gingham fabric was from her stash, too... but I'm not sure about the pink borders.  I'm not sure why I never finished it, but wouldn't it be sweet to finish for my first granddaughter?  It would be from her great great grandmother's fabric stash.  ** PS... this was made before I even knew what a rotary cutter was; each square cut by hand. **

And  I know that everyone doesn't love dogs like we do, but I couldn't resist showing you how much the doggy babies love the quilt top.  :o)  I know mom.... you are shaking your head right now. 

Stay tuned... as I have a LOT to show you!