somewhere in stitches

little coin purse

2012-01-17T20:22:00.000-05:00

http://www.craftpassion.com/2012/01/macaron-coin-purse.html
Here is a link for very tiny cute coin purse. Check out the tutorial for this little cutie !!. getting ready to quilt my friends quilt. I have it pinned but I need to baste it now. I plan on quilting with a stipple pattern. I have paper I am going to use but need to baste it in the morning.

Well Monday I went to the surgeon for carpal tunnel and I am now going to have surgery on Feb 10th on right hand first then my left a few weeks later. If I do not have the surgery I might be looking at irreversible damage . I plan on quilting a lot more so I need to get this done. I'm happy with the surgeon .I feel confident in him. SOOOOOOOOOOOOO that's that.so Im signing out as my wrists are bothering me now so check again soon OK?
I love comments so join and say Hello!!!!!

Florida, Jelly roll Braid quilt, painting class

2012-01-13T12:31:00.002-05:00

my 3rd painting

a nice holder to hold sewing for in the car etc.

the pattern for the adapt your lap

Ayden

Jason & Ayden

Hi well its finally going to happen we are leaving for Florida a week before Thanksgiving.I am so ready to go except leaving my son Jason and Grandson Ayden . how can you not miss this sweet little face?This is my first natural grandson. I have Grandkids from my husband's children but this might be my only one from my son. Next year when we get back we will have more fun he will be older and will be able to do more so that will be nice at the lake here .

We are only taking our car this year we have enough furniture so we can save on gas and have our Buick regal to get around in . We bought a van and can use it to take a group around as the car is to small for 6 people.
Of course I have my sewing and quilting projects all packed. I bought the art bin cases for fabric and individual projects. I learned I do not need as many projects because I did not get as many things finished as I thought I would. I got 2 dresses and 2 bloomers for my grand daughter and neice. I also have a new granddaughter so i made her a quilt. I made 2 aprons for my husband and a friend I have 2 more to make 1 woman and 1 man apron. I made a lap accessorie to use on our trip down to sew some applique or cross-stitch to do . It is cute and was a more difficult pattern from Timber lane Press called Adapt a Lap

jelly roll braid quilt by Calico Printworks


quilt back for the jelly roll Braid

This quilt is for my great friend here in Florida Gloria in the park here. She will be 70 on Jan 18th so I need to quilt it yet. I plan on doing stipple quilting with paper pattern that sticks to the quilt. It should be fairly easy I do believe.
. This post I saved so it is older and I am adding and editing before I post it.

Star blocks

2012-01-13T10:11:00.000-05:00

Hi I found a blog for Modas and the quilts of Valor project.It is a freebie download to make a star and donate it to Moda. http://modajustonestar.blogspot.com/They will then turn around and make quilts from our star blocks so check it out and so much easier than making a whole quilt if you cannot.It is a way for expressing a show of gratitude for our troops. SO sad how so many are disfigured and incapactitated and injured so badly disfigured from fire etc. They save so many now unlike Viet Nam or wars before. They can med -a- vac so easily and get them the help they need so much faster now.My Father laid on the ground for 3 days in WW2 before they got to him. He was a forward observer in Normandy front lines and took a direct hit in a fox hole on his walkie talkie .This time in history also was the first beginning of using antibiotic for infections.By that time he had been injured in the face.He lost his sight and one eye he believes he could see a little but had to be removed because of infection. I miss you Dad what a great Father and wonderful Man you were !!!!. I 'm sorry you cannot be here now. He came home from the service and did not let his blindness stop him in any way from doing things in his life.You are and always will be my Hero.He never got to see me so when he took his last breath I said well Dad now you can see me.I was thinking about people who say they have floated over their body when they die and are brought back. What I wouldn't give to just have another day with you !!!! I LOVE YOU.
I know I got off track but when I think of our troops ,I cannot help but think about my Dad .

2012-01-02T16:58:00.000-05:00

I have been surfing today . In case you are interested here are some you tube demo's I ran across I think I have the triangle ruler somewhere might be in Indiana Oh well I love the sneaky way they make new blocks. I think why didn't I think of that you know?http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3k85E3lzfU&feature=youtu.be
Check it out

just takes 2

2012-01-02T14:58:00.000-05:00

just in case you forgot today is the day for the first of the free blocks for Just Takes 2. SO>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> go sign up at dear jane .com or sentimental stitches for the newsletter for the blocks they will be retired after each month. dont miss them!!!!

Shabby fabrics university & homemade Granola

2012-01-02T14:41:00.001-05:00

I just posted but ran across this on the email i receive from Shabby Fabrics.She has beautiful stuff fabric and patterns. This is for her posting on you tube her tutorials. For everyone that does hand work I always like to watch someone doing this process. I always learn from the person no matter how much I learned on my own or from others. she has Kimono silk threads also I love using silk thread the best I need some more colors to complete my array of colors so maybe I will check out a few new ones. So go to Jennifer's youtube videos and check it out. I'm going to finish my Christmas stuff today. My son like Granola and I had a nice recipe which I searched my recipe files for it .I happened across it a week a go so I am making him some for Christmas goodies.I looked hi and low for it and I guess I filed it under something other than Breakfasts evidently . Go figure. but I have it now. I will post it in case someone likes this for their own use.

Granola
250-275 degrees for 45 min. stir every 15min
makes 5 about 5 c cereal

3 c. old fashioned Quaker oats
1/3 c.oil
1/2 c. honey
1 t almond extract
1/3 c. each of sunflower seeds,nuts,wheat germ
1 c .coconut
2 t.orange peel
you can add this or omit it 1/3c. Hearts of wheat Cereal.
( in another recipe they used 1/4 c.brown sugar instead of honey. and use 2T Butter and 1 T. water,)
mix oil and honey and add to ingredients and cook as indicated
Spread mixture in a 15x10x1 jellyroll pan. I grease it with butter or shortening Bake as indicated. cool add 1 c. raisins

Quiltville ,mystery quilt.

2012-01-02T13:58:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone has had great holidays. I did. Very busy. I tried to keep up but no luck my cookies and goodies are being sent out late.we had over 40 people here for Christmas eve. I made Chili and everyone brought other great dishes.We had clam chowder , cheese balls, lentil salad, meatballs, shrimp, vegetable tray, cookies,little sausage sandwiches. More than I can remember !!!! it was lots of fun . I missed seeing the kids and grandkids. that part is hard every year.I wish I was rich enough to be able to fly everyone here to enjoy the holiday with us. We had 2 house parties before Christmas . That was fun also . Christmas day we had a dinner at the clubhouse. everyone brought dishes and we had Turkey and Ham for dinner and lots of desserts. It sure isn't easy to lose weight around here for sure.

There is a Mystery quilt finishing up for you to down load at Bonnie Hunters Quiltville. It is called Ocra mystery quilt. You can down load for later but she is generous . Bonnie gives lots of freebies out and you can use scraps for most if you save them .She share tips and other sites to go to . .I bought her shirtails book.I also made a quilt she had called 7 mens shirts. U use 7 mens shirts to do the quilt. I got a 3 X shirt there is probably a yard and a half of fabric. If you pay 2.oo for it, that's pretty cheap for 100% cotton!!!!! . I finished mine in Florida last year. It is heavy actually and warm. A nice couch throw for chilly nights or days. I posted it before. A picture of it earlier so go back through my postings for a picture of it.Our guild did the project as a one day workshop. It takes time but they turn out nice and its cheap to do,especially if you buy shirts at good will etc on 50% OFF DAY.I have about 25 shirts i have hanging in my closet for my shirt stash. Between that and saving the selvages from fabric now it fills up your extra space fast. So check out Bonnie's site and check out her books also .
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cnn heros program,jelly rolls quilt, future Sewing room pictures

2011-12-12T20:32:00.000-05:00

http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cnn.heroes I couldn't sleep last night at some point 4:30 am so I turned on the TV. I started watching cnn which I do not usually watch but it was all about Hero's around the world for 2011. I was just so taken with the different peoples and their stories. so many different from products to just giving of themselves I was brought to tears. It was like a Diana story. A man who was a refugee came to America.His first night in a hotel he had a choice of 3 bars of soap. He never heard of soap for the face, body and the hands. The next day he got 3 new bars . He went to the front desk and said I really do not want to have these new bars of soap .I want mine from Yesterday. He didn't know they were for free. He thought he was going to be charged for them being an extras. He couldn't believe they threw them away every day. He thought if I could get this soap to Africa where he had come from I think it was Kenya, not sure,Anyway...... he found a way to get the hotels around the country to save the soap for him and he got them repurposed and recut or manufactured to be sanitized.. He then has had them shipped back from here to Africa. He then showed people who never had the luxury of soap to the health benefits of sanitation. The monumental effect of just every day hygiene for these people was just amazing.Think about it never having soap. we wouldn't think of remanufacturing soap and the effect it could have.so there were other stories that they all touched your heart in someway. I am just a big baby when I hear these stories. I often think if I had millions how I could help people. I could find so many ways to give to others less fortunate then me. so here is the link to go and see the program.
http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cnn.heroes

The other item I wanted to post was a website for some pieced place mats & napkins which would be cool in Christmas fabrics which this isn't but do what ever you would want to make it in. so check it out ..........be sure to check out the hero's if you are a humanitarian it will tug at your heart strings for sure.

http://sewmamasew.com/blog2/2011/10/color-blocks-placemats-napkins-holiday-sew-along/

I have been making my dear friend here in fl a "jelly braid quilt".by calico printworks.its is in browns greens and tans. Its is all in Batiks. She will be 70 in January I knew with Christmas coming I needed to get as much done as I could because I hate to be pushed on time with a project this big. I think she will be pleasantly surprised.I have never done one but it is relatively easy to do .just chain piecing so to speak. I found some new jelly roll colors I could love .It is a Cherry jelly ,the fabric was so pretty!!!! there was another one in pinks and purples I think I could blend them and make me an awesome jelly quilt.

sewing room pocket doors hung

some stuff for the future sewing room in Florida

Jelly roll quilt center of quilt called Jelly Braids

I still am just putting my new sewing room ideas together in my head.I am doing it in pink and white mostly. My hubbie found me a slipper chair I think you call it that.It looked like a herd of cows had slept or walked on it.We bought it for 20.00 It has good bones though.I want to do it in pink leather with the brads around the trim with pink fringe. I can't find pink leather yet but I would go for pink leatherette. I found some really pretty Jacquard fabric in a dusty rose.it was 23.00 a yd but I only need about 2-3 yd.s so not to expensive. so kind of undecided yet what to use and I will not be moving to my room till next fall probably. I have cabinets and desks and chest of drawers to paint and refurbish,besides having the money also to finish. My husband built 2 rooms and the front room is all wired and ready for sheet rock or drywall. we have a set of mahogany restaurant doors with oval glass which Gene is going to put stained glass in. he made them pocket doors COOL to maximize the rooms floor space. also it will make the air flow from the front door work better also. well enough of going on and on so I am going to post a few pics and give you the bare bones look for now. We bought a new camera.we had bought a cannon powershot and it died we really used it.this is a dslr. CANON EOS REBEL T3.I was used to a SLR for years so it was time to buy a good camera. You get what you pay for.

Sue Spargo: Smith Owen - Grand Rapids MI

2011-12-05T13:38:00.000-05:00

Sue Spargo: Smith Owen - Grand Rapids MI

flat seams

2011-11-30T13:09:00.000-05:00

http://video.about.com/quilting/Nest-Patchwork-Quilt-Seams.htm
Here is a site I have seen before but I thought maybe for some it might be a new thing to see and make your quilts lie down better. It is simple to do once you see it done. this site give lots of help for things you do not have answers to.

We are down in Florida now. It has been beautiful.It is so much better than sitting in a house all the time and when you do not go to work it makes a difference. The midwest is usually dark and dreary. I feel so much better here physically and mentally. I think we might have lost our power at home so I hear we live in Warsaw Indiana. The snow was heavy and pulled down the power lines I guess.

I have some new pics of my grandson Ayden. I do not get to see him for quite a while. we had to have a paternity test done for the court. All you had to do was look at him and you could tell who he belonged to . He is loved by all his relatives never the less. He is getting so cute. he knows now to smile for the camera .He is getting to be a big ham .I'm going to post some pics of him .he is starting to lose the baby look already. I miss so much because of certain reasons but that should change some when my son goes to court for visitation priviledges. When I get home I hope grandma can enjoy him at our lake . At least the grandparents on the other side have been helpful to us. I'm going to make him some PJ's for him for Christmas. So Im going to say good by and go sew. See ya !!!!!!!

apple crisp

2011-10-28T13:30:00.000-04:00

I have wanted a good recipe for a good apple crisp.I am sure this is a good one .It came from the America's test kitchen . I love that program on PBS channel. they test recipes and products, cookware , etc. on the channel .I have tried their brined & baked chicken which is cooked high heat short time . The chicken recipe is good recipe . ..... so I saw this and thought I would post again. also I saw this pumpkin cinnamon roll recipe. here is the link for that. http://ducksoven.blogspot.com/2010/11/pumpkin-cinnamon-rolls.html
We have no camera. It died a few weeks ago. we decided for what they cost we would just buy a new phone with high megapixels so that is our new plan.

I have started a new project .I have a pattern for a lap pillow to make so I can sew more comfortable on our trip to Florida. we are leaving on The 9th at least that is the plan. I have been cold since this weather has changed and do not like it at all. I hope when I come back next spring I will be NEW person. I am getting a new hip. I have to get the weight down and cannot do it when I cannot do to much getting around. I know its what I put in my mouth also.It is hard when you like to cook and eat also . well I need to get to my sewing project and start packing my sewing room up to go .

QUILTLOVERS HANGOUT

2011-10-11T19:51:00.000-04:00

WELL I just checked out the quilt shop where I go in Florida. They have our picture taken when they announced they would be in the quilt sampler for Fall copy at heir store. so check it out scroll down to the bottom and its my husband with the Beer fabric . I am in the background on my walker just had surgery,in the pink and white striped top. so its kind of cool to be in the shop and have your husband with you . I made him a apron with that fabric. http://www.quiltlovershangout.com/showandtell.html

tutorial for binding a quilt

2011-10-11T14:00:00.000-04:00

I saw this tutorial on a blog and thought i would post it I really liked the way it looks when done. It looks like a piping border . so check it out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NY89RqQhPQ

Bom marti mitchell and dinner

2011-10-11T13:49:00.000-04:00

Hi I started a BOM from Marti Mitchell. I am not a person who buys a BOM because they are so costly. I knew I wanted to make this one of hers so I gave in so here are 2 of the blocks 1&2 i have done. I just got 3 in the mail yesterday. I love pink and green quilts so this is right up the alley for me. this is an older BOM but I liked it so anyway I signed up for it.


Marti Mitchell American beauty block no.1 bewitched					&	Coochie is helping

American Beauty bl no 2 Encore

so when i am sewing I like to make casseroles then I only have to cook half the time Here is my baked Ziti

I cooked italian sausage and added diced italian cans of tomatoes. I usually use prego but I did not have any so I added a can of tomato paste, water and seasonings, basil,oregano, garlic salt and of course rigatoni noodles. I topped it with mozzarella and parmesan cheese. I was happy with the results . and no calories !!!!!! yeh right .

I am making a couple aprons here next for a friend I met on the internet Robin, she is always making things for others so I thought it would be nice to make her something.too bad we do not live closer she is in Washington and in the winter I am in Florida . do you think we could be farther away . I have a pattern called Scalloped apron. It is the old-fashioned type wraps around to the back. It's from The Paisley Pincushion in Oregon. cute huh!!!!

new scrappy quilt along

2011-09-22T00:23:00.000-04:00

Hi well I stumbled along on a site that I have been cousins to thru Bonnie Hunter from Quiltville. Our guild made Bonnies 7 shirt quilt. I saw a new quilt Scrappy sCrApPY SCRAPPY. IS THE WORD.http://www.joscountryjunction.com/ Every week you make a new set of blocks , from your crumb along box where you have saved scraps from other quilts you have made.from men's shirts or just saved scraps. I will add a post of a new block or you can go to the crumb along site I posted in the side bar .I love quilts with color and this is full of color. ..........Speaking of color I stopped at Good will for senior sale and picked up 3 new shirts. I have been wanting to add Cheddar color to my stash for a vibrant addition. I found a men's 3x Cheddar 100% cotton shirt for $2.50 there is a yard of fabric there. nice fabric cheap. So Now I have to get caught up on this crumb quilt block . I bought several bags of shirts for like 3.00 at outdoor flea market last winter in N. Ft Myers. They had 15 shirts in them . Geesh was like winning the lotto so cheap .I have a thing for red so I have several plain red shirts to cut up now. So if you like scrappy go to Bonnie's site or Jo's site for the crumb weekly quilt along block.

9/11 program

2011-09-14T12:33:00.000-04:00

Hi all,
I watched the 9/11 tributes on tv sunday. I watched on the sci-fi channel about how they picked the different way they laid out the museum, the new subway plaza ,the new tower, the water fall names. I was so impressed and learned so much .It was very moving for sure. It was on most of the day and evening.when they listed the names they sent out a letter asking the family members if they wanted their loved ones name next to any one special. some chose to have it next to a friend they rode to work with , one was a couple who were engaged to be married and both perished. For the museum the saved the big firetruck that was close to the tower and lost 11 members from that particular fire house. The used two of the triangles that were the braces for towers 1 & 2 from the fire that was left at the bottom. There was 400 trees planted. One tree in particular was saved from all the carnage. It was very important for one man to see that tree saved and make it flourish in the plaza where the 2 water falls are. It was in a bad storm in the spring last year and was blown over .They propped it back up and it grew. It was moved from the Bronx to its new resting place.

When they were cutting out the names for the bronze name plates they had several members come to where the cutting was done. One was a daughter of a director for the whole projects. The shop where the plates were made had a woman put a patina on each name. The plates are heated so that when anyone touches the names around the waterfalls they will not be cold to the touch. It was just amazing to me how everything worked together. They had so many different constructions going on I could not believe how they all worked out to get so much finished for the 10 yr anniversary. If you get a chance to see it again if you like history you will like this for sure. It went from beginning one hour segments at a time to the end. God bless to all who lost someone and to our nation for healing in our own ways.......... PEACE

tatting & " Darned cute bag"

2011-08-22T15:36:00.000-04:00

Hi
I found a site on Tatting .I can do this craft, but not very well. I have not practiced for some time. I saw a lady doing a a demo of needle tatting at the Goshen fair a few weeks ago I think I will try to do this a new way seems easy enough. Here is a blog that is a tatting blog . check it out if you are interested in this sort of thing.
http://tattingchic.blogspot.com/
I have been working on a piecing project. It's called "Darn Cute Bag". It is a Bunny Hill Design .It is made with charm squares. I had started it a few yrs ago. I had it all ready to go , but had several projects and baby things to do before I felt I could start this. I liked it so much I even got the same charm squares to make it with. I have the back and front all pieced. It is looking good to me. It was time consuming . I needed to add a few more fabrics than it called for . Hmm not quite enough fabric but had a lot to match this color pattern. I plan on entering it in the fair next year so I am not going to use it till after the fair ,since it is all pastels. Im sure I would have it messed up somehow.UGH!!! Here is how much I have gotten done so far

Darned cute bag from Bunny hill designs

charm squares do you like the stripe fabric? using that for the sashing

here is the fabric panel made up from 48 squares

here is the front and back done ready to sew together

free sewing sites

2011-08-07T21:11:00.000-04:00

Hi I ran across this site on one of my newsletter digests I get online. SO it sounded pretty informative for patterns . When I see things that others can get some use from I like to pass them on so others can enjoy them also . http://www.angelfire.com/planet/mcshelpsite/sewingstuff/freepatterns.html

I have been busy sewing 2 dresses for my niece and my new granddaughter with bloomers. I will post some pictures. I have to put rick rack and the elastic in the dresses and the button tabs on and they will be done.
I also have been making 2 sided aprons for my husband and our friend in Florida. Almost done with those They are Men"s apron patterns. He found some Beer fabric at the quilt store in Florida. Quilt Lovers hangout in N. Ft Myers Florida. So I agreed to make him an apron.He cooks at our conservation club in Indiana for pancake breakfasts and fish frys. so I will post pictures of them when I get them done also . well getting ready to storm here so I am going to sign off for now.

quilt rack and new baby

2011-07-09T13:22:00.000-04:00

Here is a picture of my new grand son. I did not get to see him till now long story but he is precious, such a busy little guy

Father Jason & son Ayden

Look at those big blue eyes!!

grandma Debbie & Ayden

bed frame for quilt rack

cannot wait to spend more time with him Ayden.

a nice sewing & project site

2011-06-01T23:09:00.000-04:00

husband with Our girls Coochie, Tazzie and a friends baby pup Tosha

here is a nice sewing site I ran across today .Some cute projects for home and person .http://sew4home.com/ saved several of the projects. I have had some problems here since I HAVE NOT BEEN KEEPING UP ON MY BLOG VERY WELL! I could not get the websites to link like I had before so I finally figured it out it was right in front of me but duh............ just have not been with it since so much pain and aggravation to deal with. I have to give Kudos to my husband Gene he has been cooking cleaning and doing laundry while I have been healing here with hip surgery .He is putting on an addition also all by himself .The carport was there so we are enclosed to our home in Florida. I will have to take some pics so I can post them. it is in the 90's and he is out there working away. I have tried to keep him in water and he is staying out of the sun and only work when it's cooler in the day . I am going back and correct few posts here

sewing room

2011-06-01T22:50:00.000-04:00

here is a link for Bunny hills design room .Its just awesome. !!!!!so check it out."http://www.flickr.com/photos/11824218@N07/1263817964/in/set-72157601607352683/" I am getting ready to start on my sewing room . I plan on painting white with pink accents . I have been collecting shabby stuff for quite some time for a bedroom and possibly sewing room. My mother left me 2 upright sewing stations. I plan on painting the cabinets white and maybe doing pink knobs. Just need to lay out a grid and start to plan the layout.I have 2big restaurant door that have oval glass in them we bought them on Ebay and My husband Gene is going to make new stained glass insert in them . The are 2 inches thick and will be the opening to my sewing room. I asked him to make Peacocks with their tail outstretched and pluming out.I think they will be incredible when he gets them done. something to look forward to . Right now I am working on recovering chairs .They were my Fathers swivel rockers. Nice and heavy pieces. We are going to paint them white and the fabric is seashells large with blue colored shells.

slide

2011-05-28T21:24:00.000-04:00

Arthoscopic Hip surgery, T-shirt remembrance quilt

2011-05-28T17:35:00.001-04:00

Hi Just listening to the thunder roll here in Florida. we got close to 4-5 in. of rain yesterday. We it rains it really pours !!!! It is warm 90, but better than cold and rainy up north in Indiana. We are just waiting to get my doctors release so we can go back north after the 6th of June. wow big crack of thunder..... Poor Coochie has just got to the door to go out to potty and bang, So much for that potty break. Wow just 3 big claps of thunder then nothing but sun. I am running on pure battery now.I unplugged the computer. I have had a computer get blown by a close strike of lightning in the sewing room so I always unplug computer and sewing machine. both to expensive to lose through a thunder storm. I am recovering from surgery on my hip.I was very lucky here in Florida. I found 2 great Doctors. I got a recommendation to a good Orthopedic Doctor from a friend in our park. He has done several surgerys of people here.I really liked him. Dr. Farmer thought he just didn't trust himself to go any farther so he took my MRI to a conference in Orlando. The Doctor there saw my test and said he thought he saw a leak in the dye from the test. When I saw him he said he wanted to try surgery. He is one of only 4 Doctors in Florida that does repair on hips arthoscopically. He is only 31 .WOW!!!! I was thinking he's younger than my son and is teaching others how to do this procedure. Till January they didn't even have a code for the Insurance for billing so is really pretty new. So with 2 inscisions and dislocating my hip he took out a piece of floating bone, repaired cartilage, mended the membrane it was torn and resurfaced the ball joint and drilled holes in my ball joint to encourage it to grow again. So I was in and out patient by 1:00 in afternoon. Amazing. Thanks Dr.Toman in Punta Gorda. You're amazing.!!!!!! It's funny how when the time is right God sends you in the right direction. I felt totally at ease with him doing the surgery. Now I'm walking toe touch only on a walker for a month.I call it my Wheelie mobile.a little pain now and then but nothing like before. The last week I was going to go to the emergency room and get a pain shot one afternoon. My husband has been amazing taking care of me .He does it all cooking, cleaning, laundry. Great guy!!!! Kudos to you Gene,I love you !!!!

I have been working on a T-shirt quilt. My friend Gloria in Florida had a best friends daughter lost her husband tragically. He slipped off a rock into the ocean and drowned. He was so young so here it is .I wish I had had more white shirts but used what I had to work with. we printed a picture of them at the ball park together...... so tomorrow , Sunday, Gloria and I are going to put the back on and begin to tie it. This is not hard to do really rather easy. You back the t-shirts with fushible interfacing. cut to match. That's the thing. some of the shirts had bigger pictures and some alot smaller pictures. We had to make them uniform to go together. I top stitched down seams like sweatshirts and t-shirts around the neck. It made the seams lay down better. Then to finish we will tie with ribbon. Gloria wanted Minkie on back for the backing, so we are putting Minkie to match her living room colors. The one tshirt says 343 with names inside the number.I believe it is the number of Firefighters lost in 911 or number of firehouse, not sure but, they had a lot of friends from there perish in 911. I'm sure Jen will be over whelmed with it. A good remembrance of her Vinnie.

Bin Laden

2011-05-10T22:35:00.000-04:00

Well I'm glad he is dead. what he and his goons did to the people of this country is pure evil.My father God rest his soul was in ww2 and war is war.He gave up his eye sight at 23 to keep this country free. anyone who comes to this country and kills our civilians and puts our country into such terrible terror on our soil deserves a bullet to the head anyway you can. He didn't give our people a chance to say how they would live or die.He sent this country into a tail spin that we will never be the same.The coward sent out his goons to do his dirty deeds,he couldn't even do his evil himself.Yes he deserves and eye for an eye justice for sure. So Al Queida How do u like us now!!!!

2011-04-09T17:28:00.000-04:00

Hi I have not posted for a while again. I have been sick and also trying to catch up on some sewing. I am going to a new doctor to see if I can get a new hip. I have had pain now for 3 yrs and frankly Im sick of it . Its no way to live for sure. I do not want to live on Steroid shots either. So I hope my new doctor will see a new hip to be the answer or explore to see what is the problem. I saw a very nice doctor in N.ft Myers here his name was Dr. Mark Farmer. he is an orthopedic surgeon and was recommended to me.He did not feel he could do me justice so sending me to another doctor who does more hips,I believe so we shall see what next Wednesday brings. I was back on Bunny hill designs and saw a new BOM quilt designs. so here is the link .If you like primitive this will make you happy you have 10 months to grab the freebies. I did one a year a go Tisket a Tasket so cute. Actually all their designs are cute I think. I ordered on which is 25 small blocks about summer .Just a sweet pattern.Of course I have not started it yet but I have it in case is goes out of print which is sometimes the case. Just like fabric you better get it if you like it cause next time you go back it might be all gone and no more available. I got a new white leather recliner chair from the thrift store. The Habitat for Humanity store here. Its petite and small I just love it. I'm glad my husband went there with me and his salesman expertise helped me to get it almost half of what they were asking for it .It was one of 2 chairs. this one was in better shape .It has a small tear in the bottom of the foot rest. There was a rust stain on the side a long streak. well anyway ......they started out at 75.00 and Gene got them down to 45.00.It's a Barca lounger!!. They are very expensive new. I knew unless we won the lotto I was not going to get one of these honeys anytime soon. They start out around $900.00-2,000.00 I believe. the best feature its made for a woman this one anyway.It's small and the back is one straight piece not hills and valleys like most recliners.That just sets my Fibromyalgia in my back off big time. It has a little pillow that you can add to the back of your head also. so here is a picture of it.You cant even buy one in Florida from what I researched on the internet. I do not think they knew what an expensive chair they had or they would have put a higher price to begin with. Here are some other pictures. We put down a laminate floor .Its a high end flooring and looks like real wood. I just love it !!! we put it in the living room the dining room and the kitchen.My husband Gene is real handy and does a great job when ever he does anything. we also got a new entertainment center also from the aids thrift shop.we just happened to walk in when they were unloading it. Its 3 pieces with 2 lighted cabinets with glass shelves and all wood not pressed board. it has storage underneath.It looks brand new and we picked that up for 200.00 because we bought it and they didn't have to find a place for it and took it that day. So we have found some very nice pieces for very reasonable prices. I am working on my "Shoreline blvd" wall hanging doing free motion quilting. I am using an iridescent thread. This is my first try at this going pretty well. I have new gloves to use also they look like gardening gloves and really help grip the fabric.They are called "GrabAroo's" and they cost $10.25.I also am using a Teflon piece on my sewing machine bed called a free motion slider.It is from Pat LaPierre. I was lucky enough to learn free motion quilting from her.She was coming back from being a snowbird and my Elkhart,In quilt guild decided to have her teach a class on her way to Michigan. She did a great job and all that I know is because of her. Her website is www.freemotionslider.com.She invented this product and I think it helps also. I will post a picture of my baby quilt and wall hanging when I get them done. We were blessed with a new granddaughter named Addison on January 4th. We have not seen her because we are still in Florida and she lives just north of Elkhart,In.

PLEASANT HOME: Scrappy 2010 Quilt Top [in progress]

2011-02-26T10:44:00.000-05:00

PLEASANT HOME: Scrappy 2010 Quilt Top [in progress]
Here is a tutorial for a selvage quilt Its looking good to me.I want to make a purse with selvages .The pattern was in a McCall's I believe last Qct 2009. Not sure went looking for the pattern I can not find it right now but I did tear it out and keep it to do . Gees if we had saved all the selvages from when we have sewed we would have enough to do many many projects right?

I am working on anew baby quilt for our new granddaughter Addison on January 4th.we did not know if it was going to be a girl or boy so I couldn't do a gender specific quilt. I found a darling panel with babies in bonnets crawling and very scrappy look. I usually do not do panels but this one took my eye in the quilt shop here in N. Ft. Myers, "Quilt lovers hangout". A neat place and very friendly there.

You tube young singing sensation!!!!!

2011-02-07T12:47:00.000-05:00

http://www.youtube.com/MichaelBuble#p/f/0/Vjt8LJdRtWA go check out this you tube site .This young man is such a good singer and Micheal Buble brought him up on stage to sing .He sounded just like him!!!!!! amazing. I have had the upper respiratory infection 2 times now since Christmas. Just heavy chest and coughing OMG.I bought out the cough syrup isle and cough drops.Just starting to feel better now. We had our annual garage sale and made about 225.00 from our things we had to trade in for new items. so all in all pretty good........ I am working on my recovering cushions and chairs now Hope to get done maybe this week huh? Id like to get that out of the way to be able to sew on QUILTS. need to finish somethings before we go home in May. I would like to finish 2 tops and quilt one shabby top I have been working on for a while. The first 2 pictures are of my chair project the bottom hem is the old ugly orange fabric.yuk it's really ugly. the next picture is of the front porch where I sew now these days till we get the sewing room done. The next picture is of a jelly roll quilt I saw made in our local quilt shop. I HAVE SOME DELICIOUS NEW BALI FABRIC'S....... So pretty cannot wait to use but I have got to get these chairs done first so I can tell Hubby "see I did finish something" LOL. well I am going to go do some sewing Bye for now. It's 81 degrees and sunny here today in case your in the north and freezing . Go check out the you tube link!!!!!

refinishing lamps

2011-01-28T13:30:00.000-05:00

I have been busy redoing some lamps for our place in Florida.We had these ugly lamps given to us and I really did not know what I was going to do with them so I found a tutorial on redoing lamp shades and I managed to do a nice job I think.here is the tutorial for it This is my first attempt at lamps.
She has a nice website so check her out it was really helpful I tried a little different technique on the panels .Instead of gluing I used steam-a-seam 2 on the edges after I pressed the edges under. I then took my little clover iron and pressed the panel onto the bias wrapped form of the lamp so I took pictures and am posting them here. I want to put some fringe on if I can find some I like or some decorative ribbon or braid on the seams.
I also have some chairs I am redoing .I got some new fabric for the upholstery part and my husband is going to spray paint them white when we come back in the fall. I have had 3 different prints and I just didn't like the one I picked out and one I did not have enough fabric of the palm print. I think this fabric is going to be a lot better.

lila tueller designs: It's Giveaway Time again!

2011-01-24T22:37:00.001-05:00

lila tueller designs: It's Giveaway Time again!

Christmas eve 2010 party

2011-01-05T17:13:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year everyone!!!!!! I hope this finds all well & happy !! We had a great Christmas , we had a party here , about 39 people in and out. Mostly friends in our park in Florida here, My brother Scott came for a little while.It was fun!!!Lots of good eats and great company.

Another%20war%20story%3A%20Wag%20the%20Tail

2010-12-11T12:21:00.001-05:00

This is an old you tube video but it sure is neat so check it out Another%20war%20story%3A%20Wag%20the%20Tail

Bye Mom

2010-12-03T14:26:00.000-05:00

Hi its been a while since I posted . We came to Florida on Oct 26th and my Mother was failing in the hospital . She passed away on Nov.the 4th.My husband and I were with her till the end . She was in Avow hospice in Naples, Fl. The hospice facility was phenomenal. The staff did every thing to keep her free of pain and comfortable.The night before she had rallied as I had expected but doe not happen necessarily. She was not eating and she was talking so i called family members so they could speak to her one more time. I had been with my Father when he died but he was in a coma. I knew from experience that people get energy at the end to speak say their d\good bye etc. She had not been talking in sentences just one word at a time. She had a rum and coke that was her last thing to eat or drink. It made her happy so we were happy for her then.we kept talking to her and telling her we loved her She responded till about 4 hours before she died. I am glad I was with her.It was a moment I did not want to miss. It had been a rough 2 years with her. She apologized for her being so much trouble I told her we had forgave her. It was good closer for me and was really a relief because she was so prone to falling and I did not want to find her dead on her kitchen floor or something. So she is at peace now and so are we. I'm sure she is happier. She is with her husband now. All my parents and step parents are gone. I am lucky to have had them as old as I am. I miss them all. I have many good memories to cherish , some better than others but many wonderful times. In some ways I was lucky because I had 4 parents. I had a wonderful step mother who was just the best and had no other children .We were close and she took extra special time to see that I was clean, fed and spent time with me . It was more than anyone would have asked for. Thanks to you all I love you and miss you !!!! Ok now onto better moments. We have been busy remodeling our home here in N. Ft Myers ,Bayshore village. This is where my Mother's home was. A nice mobile home village. Gated and nicely kept. We have a pool right across the street and clubhouse. We bought here in 2008 in March as we were going to be heading home. We loved it here after staying with my Mother and we made many new friends. A home across from the pool went up for sale and was very reasonably pried so we bought .there have been many Boomers buying in here in the last few years as older generation pass on. m My husband Gene and our friends painted the kitchen, dining room and living room walls and ceilings. They then tore up the floors and put laminate down .It's Hicory and higher end quality does now look like it at all. It is truly beautiful.!!!!! Thanks guys great job!!!!! I just finished making valances for the kitchen and have some wallpaper to do above cabinets. It will be done with fabric to match the valances but in a stripe. I think will be cute. It's coffee cups motif for the valances. I plan on making place mats and napkins to match the kitchen. We are getting ready to make Christmas cookies and decorate . We are having an open house for friends and family here. I am making a few Christmas presents for friends. I have 2 aprons with really neat fabric and patterns to use. I also want to make some gifts for my new grand daughter she will be 2 in march and a niece who is 4 yrs old now.My niece is so little very petite. So sweet both of them. I'm going to post this and then take some pictures and post them next .

backbasting tutorial & Disability approval and appeals & Shirt quilt

2010-10-06T11:18:00.000-04:00

Hi here is a person on my applique newsletter and a link to her site. She has a back basting tutorial.its a nice explanation for back basting technique. I do this once in a while .Its harder when you are doing layers but not impossible. I got my disability appeal granted. I used a company from the beginning called Allsup. I was very happy with them . They went through the process 2 times because I was President of our company. We had to remove me from all the papers,then start all over again. so the process took over 3 years.It is a real process for patience. The 2nd time it took 2 yrs.Then I was told the 3rd appeal would have to go before a Judge and that was a wait of 25 months can you believe it.Well my company sent a brief before the Judge and he read it and agreed with my case.I was granted 1 1/2 yrs back disability pay .the company then is allowed their fee after you get a check.You always got to speak to a representative sometimes you had a questionare for almost an hour they are very through. so if you are filing and want a good company go to Allsup.com and check them out. Use me as a reference Debbie Kelly. I have pictures of our guild get together for our shirt quilt.It was a big prep time but I really had fun with this project. maybe because so scrappy .I used my Fathers and my step dads 2 shirts .you use 2 lights and 5 dark Mens shirts. I plan on doing a moms quilt also . I have skirts all cotton of my Step moms from when she passed away. I had started a scrappy quilt long ago in between hi school and beauty school.I used some of my corduroy pieces. so..........I have pieces of my stepmothers dresses from 1983 and before all 100% cotton. I miss her so much she was a great lady. Virginia Miller.I have a lot of my mothers golf skirts and going to make a quilt representing both Mothers in that way. I think I posted it before for the 7 shirt quilt ? If not I will look it up and post it soon here. Well time to get busy packing some for Florida.My husband is building me a sewing room down there.We have windows and kitchen cabinets from a house they were tearing down near us for free. Nice cabinets and new windows for free..... Free is good!!!!I cant post pics on this computer no program and mine is being reformatted so will have to wait till I get mine back.

new look

2010-08-25T22:11:00.001-04:00

I am happy with the new looks you are making available. I was able to change my Blog and give it a fresh look!!!! I am 61 and to be able to do this and make it work really puts a smile on my face I also took my lap top apart this week , cleaned it and put it back together . I found out how on the internet .IT WORKS.!!!!! Amazed my self. It's great to have the internet to learn and you do not have to pay for it either .
Thanks so much!!!

in reference to: Blogger Template Designer - Blogger Help (view on Google Sidewiki)

New Look & Old Ways & Computer Save

2010-08-25T21:24:00.000-04:00

Hi ,I decided to change my look I love the water since we live on the lake and make a fresh new look. so I played last night till 1:30AM. It turned out like I wanted just took some time to look at all the possibilities now that they offer and get colors coordinated .Hope you like it. I went to my monthly guild meeting in Goshen,In. Our guild is called Mapleleaf quilters. We have so much talent in that guild .Many of our members are published and many have patterns. Many of our members have been awarded 1st, 2nd & 3rd places at quilt shows and the Elkhart County Fair. I am very proud to be a member . I have learned so much we each bring something to the guild that is positive. We are an old area . By that I mean we have an area that still have Amish and Mennonite. They still do things very old fashioned .We learn a lot from them. Some have left their old ways but still know how to do crafts and hobbies the old way. we had a lady who was older and did rug weaving with wool strips. She was amazing to me.She still makes rugs and quilts for her family that match and to enjoy match. I need to learn another procedure to post something on here. Oh my, by the way I did a stupid thing this week .I came out of it ok but it sure didn't look that way. I spilled coffee with cream on my computer ,my laptop.I had set it on my table by my chair . I moved my computer there and did not move the computer ,the TZU"S, Coochie & Tazzie came running by and bumped the table .Coffee everywhere, on the computer & table top I grabbed the computer and turned it sideways and dumped the coffee out.I thought it was over but the computer was still running I turned it off. I then went to my husband's computer and Googled for how to clean out a spill on the computer. I found it.I took the computer almost completely apart and put it back together. Surprise it worked when I turned it back on.I was pretty proud of myself to say the least I had never attempted it before. My Mother was always taking things apart and repairing them so I guess I follow in her footsteps in a good way. Night all!!!!!

2010-08-20T17:43:00.017-04:00

Hi I was looking at blogs last night and ran across a new one I thought was worth mentioning .This site has lessons on sewing and some other crafts. I thought it was really a great idea for some young gals to be teaching lessons on the internet for sewing.Good going Gals!!!! I also have a link for a links at Bonnie McCafferie's blog.There are some really good links here so check it out. just a shorty tonite . the Tzu's are calling me lol

Just one day in my life

2010-08-20T17:04:00.000-04:00

Hi all, I am working through the house trying to get rid of stuff I do not need. Of course in my sewing room which is used for everything because we are so short of useful space. I sew mostly now in the dining room . I have several old quilt I have gotten at garage sales and they are bulkie and where in the heck to put them. I have used them for a dog bed one was sent as a stuffing in the box for a sewing side table to keep it safe.Its great next to my chair in the living room. I bought it on Ebay and love it. The women packed it wonderfully. It has a lift up top and a drawer I believe it came from the 40's or 30's it was old .The stuffer was all out of wool scraps so I did not throw it away. I am doing some wool work also . I hate to throw away something useful . I think I will mend it and give it to the good will or cut the top up and add the scraps to my wool stash. It's big things that are hard to store.

I have my stash of quilting fabric sorted and stored in the closet in towers with 5 drawers.Its ok but just wish I could have the whole closet no I share it with the water softener.Thank Goodness we have one as the water is rusty and that is not good on my bleached blonde hair lol.Oh well then also I have stuff I didn't unload from our coming back from Florida. So I still have to do that . I didn't because my sewing room got stuffed with things I did not want broken as we let our friend use our home while we went to Florida We were going to rent this out well that meant packing and moving stuff out to rent it. Just over whelming, soooooooooo, we did nothing with our home here at the Lake to much going on when we got home. Our son is getting a divorce and the kids have been here almost every weekend.I also had to have 3 epidural shots for back and hip pain . I had a toothache for 2 weeks and thought a tooth I already had a root canal on was needing done again .Went to the Endodontist and had xrays . He thought it was my Sinuses, hmmm felt like an abscess and I have has enough to know what those feel like.My dentist also didn't see anything in xrays.Then on Monday of this week no pain Hmm weird!!!!?????? The Endodntist said to call if pain came back . That night I was chewing and half my tooth cracked off the 3rd one from the back not even the one I had the pain in I thought it was. So now I have half a tooth hanging there. I was going to have the back one pulled Geesh glad I went to the Endodontist first. Well money tight I said pull it out and fix it more later. So I did ....Was a piece of cake....Did the laughing gas thing and no pain to speak of. Pain is usually my enemy every day so was glad that was over. Between Fibromyalgia,(since so many storms you that have this know what a bad summer it has been ) hip pain and back issues a pain free day is a day to get stuff done around here I let go most of the time. It just to much sometimes and so we are not going to rent it out.

I am getting some of my UFO's finished.I just have 3-4 I want done so I can not feel guilty doing some other projects. One that I posted back a ways of a pink and green quilt I have been working on for 20 yrs!!!! Yes 20 yrs!!!.. I dove into a place I wasn't really ready to do. Lots of HST and QST so.... It's getting a good shot at getting done.I have Affairs of the heart half done and started Dear Jane which we all know takes forever and ever. I have 25 blocks done.I am doing some Edyta Starr blocks also a Tisket a Tasket from Bunny Hill it was a freebie but now a set and a BOM you have to pay for. A Baltimore Bliss blocks series from Fatcatpatterns.com. I love applique so when I see something that I really want to do I stop and start something else.Its not easy to admit but know I am not alone. There are several in my guild who have 20- 30 things started and not finished. Just venting here today I guess.I have a great husband who helps me through these hard days and we are a team and lets me do what I want in a day ,sew quilt, sleep,eat lol or whatever Internet blogging. so I am going to go sew a bit before dinner. Good night all and I will post some pics here soon.Thank you all who follow me a few but I like to make friends so say Hi when you visit ok ?

Love and Hugs to all!!!!!!

The 4th

2010-07-04T23:42:00.000-04:00

This is always a nostalgic day for me I am very patriotic . I love the Nations Birthday. Happy Birthday America!!!!! My Father Jack who is deceased now was blinded in WW2 on July 2nd or the 4th on 1944 in the Normandy invasion as a forward observer.. He gave up a lot for my freedom.I never forgot what he did for me or our country.Thanks Dad!!!!!!!I miss you Dad and Ginny so very much. Thanks for all the memories and the love you both gave me . You both loved me unconditionally and fairly. I cherish it all.

We had a great cookout yesterday. We had a beef brisket and pork tenderloin and a Chicken on a can lol . The meat was cooked off direct heat and had been marinated and seasoned . When done we then basted with water, vinegar ,onion and jalapeno peppers baste . This was all thanks to our friend Steve Peel. It was absolutely fabulously delicious !!!!!! so tender with just a hint of heat but just melted in your mouth.We had margueritas and the kids had smoothies . Our friends from Elkhart Becky and Keith Sorenson came for the day and brought several dishes .we had a ramen noodle cabbage slaw dish. It was super and pasta salad also. The neighbors and my cousin Danny and his wife Judy brought pie and cobbler. Karen and ray our neighbors and friends brought kidney bean salad and pecan and blueberry pies. After we ate we went out with our next door neighbors Don and Elaine who followed us in their pontoon to the fireworks out on the water at our home at Chapman Lake. It's always a nice event. Fireworks were very pretty as usual.

My husband help with the pancake breakfast at our conservation club and the the Flotilla on the lake.After that he is on the committee for the fireworks on the water.Its is a lot of work have to drag the barges out to the water so the crew can load the barges with the fireworks.When they are done they have to go back and move the barges out of the way . So Gene gets up and starts at 6:30 Am and doesn't get done till about 1:00 Am. He was a tired puppy today. sorry kids Grandpas butt was a draggin today.

The girls (Our 2 Shih Tzus) Coochie and Tazzie would like the day to not even happy because they do not like the boom boom's They really do pretty well but do get afraid and pace some. well time to say good night Gracie and Happy B day again America. I do love you I said a prayer of gratitude for our great nation this morning sitting outside drinking coffee .I was grateful for the beauty I get to see every day at our lake Chapman and our beautiful nation and my Freedom to do just that.!!!!!!!

With Heart and Hands.....: What Type of Quilter Are You?

2010-05-28T14:27:00.000-04:00

With Heart and Hands.....: What Type of Quilter Are You?

somewhere in stitches: featherweight attachments and Bali Pops fabric

2010-05-28T14:23:00.000-04:00

somewhere in stitches: featherweight attachments and Bali Pops fabric

new blog

2010-05-27T15:44:00.000-04:00

http://pennyquilts.blogspot.com/#fjr91 Here is another neat blog I started to follow . go check it out. I am going to go sew so by for now Enjoy!!!!

http://erinrussek.typepad.com/photos/applique_tutorial/index.html

2010-05-27T10:43:00.000-04:00

Hi I have blog tutorial for applique in case anyone is interested in seeing first hand some techniques here's the website.http://erinrussek.typepad.com/photos/applique_tutorial/index.html
She also has block of the month and a sampler quilt going for free so you might be interested . I like her blog site.Have a good stitching day !!!!!
P.s. Did you watch American idol finale last night? Lots of old great groups were on for Simon's last night . I thought it was pretty spectacular.!!! I liked both of the final contestants .it was hard to make a choice.They both won for sure .I think she will go farther myself but he is very good also . Just seems like the gals do better in the long run for some reason.Good luck to both.!!!!

2010-05-20T22:36:00.001-04:00

2010-05-20T11:56:00.000-04:00

Here is a link to a neat site for freebies I have downloaded several patterns. all kinds of things .Aprons, purses, totes etc. so check it out.

I need to take some pics of my projects so I can show what I am working on .

Here is another site I liked that showed how to turn corners when appliqueing and I like how she does it,especially when your fabric is coarse like the woven fabrics

BOM flower quilt FREE

2010-05-17T21:03:00.002-04:00

Hi I came across this site from my Cyberquilters group at Yahoo http://erinrussek.typepad.com/one-piece-at-a-time/block-of-the-month/ The BOM is called Florabunda. There is a flicker group you can join also.
If you scroll down on the left she has Block of the month. I downloaded the 4 blocks that are posted .I really like them and if you wait till December she will post the Center for free also .It's nice so go check her out. She has an Esty site also if you want to purchase the center block and do not want to wait.

I got my pattern for the quilt that was posted last.It sounds so easy.you have a base fabric and you add batting and top. Then you spray it with spray baste and mark out grid . Then you set your 2 1/2 blocks and sew up and down both sides of the grid. Its supposed to be a baby quilt but,,,,,,I'm going to keep it for myself .I love the soft colors for the lake in the summer or Florida for the Winter.

baby quilt & reupholstery

2010-05-12T10:05:00.000-04:00

I am still in sunny N. Ft. Myers,Florida. It is hot here now. Will be record setting temps today maybe 93. So you go out in the morning or evening when it is cooler.

I have not posted anything as I have been busy and emotionally drained with my Mother. She lives here in the park in Florida. She has been declining mentally since we got here considerably in October.She suffered a stroke a month ago and is doing remarkably better but still cannot function real well.If you have been involved in a family member with issues you understand.I have had to turn some things over to care givers as I cannot physically do it anymore. I have filed for my own disability a year ago and am in the appeal process now.

I have been working on projects some quilting some reupholstering 2 swivel rocker chairs. The are good solid chairs from my Father's home and in bad need of redo . They are early american which can be painted white and recover the seats. There is a place here called cost cutters just down the road from me. I bought some beautiful Waverly fabric.It is a cream background with a green palm leaf design.It goes with our couch which has tone on tone color fabric which has a green hue to it also.I have covered the existing back pillow in a Dacron batting and the seat I bought some cushions I am going to just cover right over he old cushion. I do not think I have enough for the skirt around the bottom so I might have to do it in a green tone or off white like the background color.

I bought some fabric last fall and thought I had the pattern for it but somehow in the move to here I lost it. i did a search and finally last night found it. The gal I bought it from I thought was on ebay but when I checked my account you can only go back so far to see what you bought. I found the fabric and pattern on her Esty account .QuiltTaffy. she accommodated me and made up a kit for me . Its so pretty. Its a small cover for a baby. I just loved the fabric from Moda,designer April Cornell,Poetry. Here's the link so check it out.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/45780859/vintage-baby-quilt-pattern-40-by-40">

I am getting ready to quilt my shoreline wall hanging project.I found some cute items to hang on the quilt to embellish it when its quilted. I have a fishing pole which the gal gave us who taught us the class.I have some cute fishies, and some beads for the Tiki hut.one thing that is neat is once it is done you can add little trinkets at anytime when you run across them. I have a flamingo button. I also want to put up a few signs here and there.

2010-02-18T17:53:00.000-05:00

I am in Florida.Its not been the warmest since Jan 1st but its better than the alternative which is Indiana. It is suppose to be in the 75ish one the weekend.

I went to a local quilt store called "SusieQ's and took a class
called "Shoreline". Here are some of the pictures from my wall hanging. It was alot of fun to make. The women on the bar stools in front of the tiki hut are fruit ladies lol. They all have bottoms shaped to make it look like fruit, Apples Bananas,& Pineapple .I do not know if it you can see it clear enough but its cute. .You add toole on top to give it glimmer.you really cannot see it unless you feel it. mine is pink and has a glitter added. after I quilt it I will add some cute embellishments . I bought a few like some flamingos small enough to be the size they should be for scale. I have a small fish pole and need to put up some signs on top of the buildings also. I haven't had so much fun making something in a long time. She teaches the class once a year when all the snowbirds come down .If you are in the area of North Ft Myers Fl stop by her shop off of Hwy 41 and Bayshore Rd.

New Year and last year

2010-01-02T11:06:00.000-05:00

our friends Peg & Bill

New years at Clubhouse

our friends Donna & Jerry & Charlie

Deb(me)Gene(my husband) and Steve (our contractor in Indiana)

Tazzie with Bra on & Coochie

unpacking our trailer

Hi we are in Sunny Florida it is cold today beginning in the 40's hi of 60's but windy so now swimming today.. It has been an eventful stay here. Both of our Shih Tzu's Coochie (2 on Christmas day) & Tazzie have had emergency Vet situations. Coochie the severest. She had an encounter with Fire ants. They are horrible here. We didn't know how bad . They attacked Coochie in our yard after a heavy down pour. She went into antiphilactic shock in several minutes.I had to grab her and take her on the golf cart to our friends to get them to take me to the vets. My husband had gone to pickup a carpet cleaner and he could not get here as fast as our close friends Bill & Peg. we got to the Vets in about 15 min from the attack. My poor girl had thrown up peed on herself and pooed in my arms on our way .I knew she wasn't going to be here long.Thank God we went fast she had great care. Her eyes had the fixed look about them. I knew from different shows I had watched that she needed a shot to counter act the reaction. My husband Gene met us at he first vets. In another 15 min she was hooked up to Iv's and had had steroids injected . what a difference.!!!!!She was sitting up and wagging her tail when we got to see her. We kept combing ants out of her fur. I was helping also . From there we had to take her to the Emergency Vets since it was Saturday. She had to stay over night and be watched. Thank God we got to pick her up the next morning. She was very tired and layed and slept a lot. she is such a great dog. so sweet . She has always been a Good puppy ,she just knew her boundaries and what she could chew on and not. she is normal now. How medicine has helped us and our pets to live longer and make it through bad situations. I groomed her and counted close to 10 - 15 scabes on her legs where the Ants had bit her.
I said a lot of prayers that morning and someone heard them.I kept saying hang on Coochie I will save you. I just think we have a connection together now. I was crying one day after that . she jumped up and was licking my face. She has never done that before.She sensed my anxiety. I have had moments before this was different.I know i have gone on and on but if you are an animal love like me then you feel my feelings. so with that I will go to another subject.

I made 12 quadruple place mats for Christmas gifts for my son and daughters families.. I also finished my Granddaughter Eleanor's quilt.I made her a small one to carry around with her. I embroidered her name and some phrases on it with my Babylock Ese2. I then used my featherweight to finish it. I bound it by hand. I need to make a label yet.so I was busy.I have to make a doll quilt for my niece in Wisconsin. I found a great little one on the BunnyHill website for free. I have to bind my husbands Flamingo quilt that I had my friend Sherryl Tobias quilt on her long arm from Nappanee In. We used varigated thread of blue green and pinks just really made the quilt on a black background.You have to be up close but it is really pretty!!!!! she made feathers that look like palm leaves. I was very happy with the outcome of it.I knew I could not quilt it like some traditional quilt you can do by hand. You just have to know your limitations you know? I will post pictures of my projects.
so........... for now I hope you all have a very Happy New Year . I am going to enjoy N.Ft.Myers Florida and Thank you God we are blessed to be here and all well.

Nappanee apple &quilt festival

2009-09-25T20:26:00.001-04:00

I went to the Nappanee quilt festival last Saturday. It was great a nice day and my friend Sherryl went with me she lives in Nappanee so she showed me around.It was the apple festival but they had a quilt exhibit at the assisted living center it was really nicely done I took some pictures so I am going to list them here She had some quilts in Middlebury festival and Nappanee so I put them both in here. she had salvedged some blocks and finished the quilt, It was the dresden plate a 30's project....... nice job Sherryl !!!!Hers also was the blue quilt with the stars. we had a great time. Had some food an apple dumpling was great with ice cream on top.!!!!!

featherweight attachments and Bali Pops fabric

2009-09-25T19:33:00.000-04:00

I decided to play with my featherweight hemstitcher and picot edger attachment. I slowly followed the directions and actually got the part to work so I took pictures of it .I also bought some bali pops to make some baskets and a purse . The color of the Bali Pops is sherbet. You cover a clothesline with the batiks and then you have your project done. I will show a picture of that when I do one. I bought the hemstitcher from http://www.april1930's.com/index.html">

NinePatch's Quilty World: Mary's Garden

2009-09-17T22:18:00.000-04:00

NinePatch's Quilty World: Mary's Garden

550 quilt festival in spring quilt blogs

2009-09-13T22:42:00.000-04:00

Here's a site I found and it has 500 or more links to different quilt blogs. It was a first time celebration some really nice sites so check it out. click on the address at the top it will keep you busy lol Pretty cool

Press -n-Seal & Hoffman Bali strips bags & basket

2009-09-09T19:23:00.000-04:00

Hi I guess I haven't posted for a while here. We have been busy cleaning out our storage shed. we bought this shed for our business and boat to store. well it hasnt been used for that for 2 yrs or more .Time to clean house.We had an Estate sale. Between selling an old wheel horse with 7 attachments. also furniture, nicnaks, kitchen stuff,& clothes. We made about 1100.00. Thats helped us to have money to go to Florida this winter. Next summer we need to go thru stuff again and have another sale. I was an only child from my mom and Fathers first marriages,so I got everything. I loved my Fathers and step moms house .It's hard for me to let go of stuff and in the last several years I couldn't do much either .Im getting better but still have stuff I need to get rid of. I love redoing or fixing up old furniture. I have 2 old rockers and 2 swivel rockers to redo . I think I will paint them white and make cushions for them .I have some nice upholstery material. I love shabby chic also so I might do them up in soft pastels . We also plan to use some of this furniture in our rental houses.

I found a site that tells you about press n seal http:quiltingonabudget.com there are several tutorials.Lots of different uses for this product I have not tried it but will sometime. I have mmy husbands quilt I made him to quilt yet. Just havent gotten around to basting it yet Id like to do some machine quilting and some hand quilting also . It's a flamingo quilt and palm trees also. I posted it before.

I bought the pattern to do the clothes line Tote and basket with Hoffman Bali pops.Hoffman has a beautiful assortment of strips. I bought the sherbet.It's pink purples and greens and blues.I really like these fabric strip sets.The pattern is from Aunties Two out of Portland Me. I have some pillow covers to make for my sister in Tuscon then I plan on making a purse or a basket to take to Florida.

summer & sewing

2009-07-24T21:18:00.000-04:00

Hi I just love summer !!!!open windows, less clothes, barefoot, sleeping with the windows open, sewing outside on the deck, boat rides, cookouts,garage sales, flowers, fresh veggies,fresh fruit,especially Indiana sweet corn YES indeed!!!!!

I haven't posted for a while I have had to much back pain to sit here on the computer or sew or much of anything. Getting better, Had some injections in lower back and hip.I feel better at least for a while.

Tazzie is growing bigger. she is funny !!!! She runs from Coochie and slips under the ottoman and then barks at her.One of these days she will be to big and will get stuck. She is learning to get potty trained here somewhat. she gets to the door anyway and the pee pee pads so its a beginning.

I have been working on blocks which are free on Bunny Hill patterns. A tisket a tasket. real cute patterns go check them out there will be 12 maybe at least 6 oh well I cant remember but they are cute to do .They are applique or redwork which ever you chose.

I love Blogs also one I have downloaded some free patterns from is from Jenny . If you like embroidery and shabby look , she has patterns some are free and you have to purchase some also , But cute here's her address http://elefantz.blogspot.com. one is love, give,peace etc.

Here is another gal named Tozz, she has some sweet embroidery patterns she gives away the first of the month then you have to buy after that but check her out also
http://tozzscorner.blogspot.com/2009/07/hat-stands-blocks-4-5-6-for-you.html.

Well I have to post a couple pics of my babies the pups no new pics of my grand daughter Eleanor but she is just so sweet. I made the hat for Coochie and her skirt and my purse.The other pics are of them on the swing together. Good night Gracie till later !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

new blogs for me

2009-06-17T21:56:00.000-04:00

I have a new tutorial that tells how to do some wool applique. Its cottons n wollens. I just love to go to new sites and see everyones work & creativity.I just cut up several wool jackets I got at the goodwill stores. You can buy a whole jacket for the price you pay for a 1/4 yd of wool. .I picked up some nice pieces and some sweaters also. I washed everything and dried them . I am doing a tisket a tasket in soft colors but I saw this done is wool also .It was pretty cool . So it goes to show you , you can pretty much do the same thing in wool as in cottons. You'll have to check out a tisket a tasket ,Cute blocks .There is one every month . I am working on the first one . So sweet will make a cute quilt top.I will put a link up for that also .http://bunnyhilldesigns.com/dynamic/?page=Free%20Patterns

Our puppy is growing she is almost 3 months and weighs3 lbs and 5 oz. She is angel and devil .Tazzie fits her well when she is tired. We bought her a playpen or exercise pen .It was a great investment. Just like a baby you have to have a place to put them while cooking etc. Its 36 in by 36 in. and about 22 in tall. what is nice is you can take it apart easily and take it outside. Coochie annot get the puppies food now eithe. AH!!! lol she was gaining weight we do not want her to look like the rest of the Kelly's. she looks like a small teddy bear. She is miss personality . She likes to cuddle. I put her to bed and no fuss. She ahs had someproblems I hope we are getting ontop of them now. ichanged her food to Innova .I had never heard of that food till I was on the ShiTzu Yahoo list and someone reccommended it to me I think she is doing better. I have her speaking now She is learning things. I want her to learn to speak like Coochie does to let me know when she has to go potty. shes getting the idea anyway.

Irishlakequilter: Mitered Corners

2009-06-07T13:49:00.000-04:00

Irishlakequilter: Mitered CornersThis is an acquaintance of mine meaning we have emailed last year but I never got to meet her so she has a nice mitered corner tutorial for you to see.

I have some new places to go for some really great patterns. http://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00e54f8e718b8833010536c43670970c she has some embroidery patterns for a garden.

Granddaughter & new puppy &Quilting

2009-06-03T10:11:00.000-04:00

Hi,I have a new granddaughter who was born when we were in Florida with my mother. Her name is Eleanor ,she is so cute & she is so sweet. She is really a good baby. I love holding her here's a cute picture of her.Unfortunately she lives a ways away so do not get to see her much.

We also have a new puppy. She is so small 1lb.11oz. She is nine weeks old today. She is doing real well at potty training. I really do not expect her to be trained till 14-16 weeks when she has control but so far she know what to do . Not to many accidents in house really. Well anyway I have a picture to show you of her and Coochie together. Coochie is accepting her now at first it was awful. she would not look at me or take treats for me for 2 days.

I haven't been doing to much on quilting. I have to put the back together for Genes quilt. Then I have a new quilt frame to put it in so that will be fun i have to do some quilting on machine Id like to do some stipple quilting in some places. I have a program for my sewing machine to use. So then I can finish with hand quilting.I have been working on some applique pieces of Edyta from Laundry basket quilts. We had her for our Dear Jane retreat speaker last November in Shipshewanna.

Back home again in Indianahttp://sharonschambernetwork.com/free_area/free.html

2009-04-14T14:28:00.000-04:00

Hi we are back in Indiana.Yeh well rather yuk.I do not like this darkness. I enjoyed the sunny weather in Florida. So much more fun when it is warm. The only good thing is I am going to a Dear Jane Retreat in Shipshewanna In. It is always fun with all the friends I have made and to see all the creations. I haven't seen the gals from our Maple Leaf guild all winter either so I am looking forward to that also.
I have been checking out sharon schambers videos. She has a neat way of basting a quilt .It is different from what I have seen before . I am going to try it I can do quilting without a frame and in my lap .here is her site and she has a lot of freebies to watch. she is a great teacher I feel anyway. "http://sharonschambernetwork.com/free_area/free.html". click on the title to go to her website.My girlfriend in Florida Nancy found a new product called a quilting halo. I haven't bought one yet I'm waiting to see if she really like it because its is a bit pricey at 24.95 but Sharon has them for sale on her website. well I still have to go put all my fabric books etc away yet from Florida so I better go get that done so I can repack to go to the retreat Thurs.......so......... go check our Sharons page its pretty cool !!!!!!!!!!

http://bittybitsandpieces.blogspot.com/search/label/Tutorials

2009-03-26T13:23:00.001-04:00

Hi , Still in sunny Florida. We bought a place here last week .Not in our plans but we couldnt pass it up. My mom lives in a 55+ community. they have 300 or so places here.Its a gated community,pool,clubhouse etc. We have made many new friends between fellow ShihTzu owners and fellow horseshoe throwers. We have just been looking around here in this area at places we might like to buy when we get our subdivision sold out. Well.......... we came across a home (mobile homes) in great condition on the market for 2yrs. They want to move to N.C. with their daughter. Nice lanai on front of house with ceramic tile.air. nice big kitchen 2 big bedrooms, 2 baths and they are leaving most of furniture for 16,000. you have lot rent but that includes trash,cable,lawn,. So we made a deal and are in the process of buying. We figured the rent per month for the winter is 2,000. if you rent a home here. If we buy we can decorate how we want and have a place for 500.00 a month. Our neighbors we will help keep an eye on things plus you can have a friend we made check on things here .We had planned to buy an rv and new truck .Well down here the lot rents are high for RV's .This is because the further south you go the more rent they charge.So my husband will be getting social security next yr so if we play it right we should be ok. My "Coochie" has made many friends she was in a pet parade and has visits to others houses.Never thought I would have my dog going on "dates".We made so many friends that we just didn't want to leave here. That's one reason why I haven't posted lately ,along with being busy with Mom etc.

Here is anew site I found on my newsletter page its a blog but nice tutorials etc.
http://bittybitsandpieces.blogspot.com/search/label/Tutorials
Well have to go and do some errands for my mom so I will post later

winding down , thinking of home

2009-03-08T19:02:00.000-04:00

Hi I haven't been on here lately just been helping my Mother. She fell a couple of weeks ago and we have had to get in house therapy to help strengthen we don't want to be in the cold another winter up North after this warm one here in Ft Myers.
My husband and I have been looking at places to buy for the winter/full time here.We like the area .We have made friends here. Its nice in the "Bayshore village" where my Mom resides. all the places are mobile homes. down here its really common. most are so older people can afford to live alone longer.They do the lawns if you want etc. so anyway that's what I have been doing.
Yesterday I went to a park activity here. We took our puppy and they had a parade .if you have a pet you could dress them up and dress your self optional to match.I worked hard made a purse for me and a hat to match pink with white polka dots . I had fabric left so I made "Coochie" a hat and a skirt to match my hat. "Coochie" has several dogs who are friends here.They come and play with her here.what a deal .She knows when they are around and makes a beeline to the windows. I'm afraid she will be lost when she gets home. we didn't win anything but was fun. I have been trying to get my emails caught up but well its hard. I love to view others blogs and see what other people have made.

Old Friends & Quilts & New techniques

2009-02-05T13:25:00.000-05:00

Hi , I got to go visit an old friend from up north actually she is down here in the south now as am I. Nancy lives in Englewood, Florida. I drove the truck up to see her yesterday. She took me to her haircutting appointment.Was rather funny since I used to cut her hair for maybe 20 yrs now. She moved south 2 yrs ago. I miss her alot especially when it comes to having a quilting friend I can hangout with. She has showed me a lot of techniques and tips. Through her introducing me to the Mapleleaf Guild I belong to in Goshen, In.I have learned alot through the many talented members I have got to know. We went to a quilting shop near her. Of course since it was cold here the shop was full of many snowbirds shopping for goodies. I held back could have gone nuts .They had a wonderful choice of Batiks to chose from.I bought 3 fat quarters. I needed hair color more and was lucky to find a supply house that had Redken color the kind I use .I could have had to send for it from up North.

I enjoyed trading patterns and sharing what each other is doing.My mom sews but doesnt do quilting.My Great aunt made quilts but that was before I was interested in them. Nancy has 2 Shih Tzus 3 yrs old. They are alot of fun. I had to leave my little furbaby at home here.There wasn't any point in taking her because we were out and about half the time.Nancy thought I was doing a nice job on my applique projects. I have gotten better ,after all practice makes perfect. also she hasnt seen me in over 2yrs. between both of us retiring and not being able to sell our houses in Elkhart we both haven't traveled far. I have tried freezer paper,back basting, needleturn,fusing etc. I tried freezer paper on top here lately and like the look I got so I am going to do a little more that way. It seems to keep the piece a little puffier this way.

I have a few sites that have some CUTE tutorials for small sewing items. I made Nancy one of them. it is a needle & thread holder. also a thread catcher I have not made yet but want to

featherweights

2009-01-27T13:32:00.000-05:00

Hi I have a featherweight and also read alot on the featherweight group. Here is anew link to a neat blog go to their site and enter for some giveaways. this is their new address so check them out.

It is beautiful here in Florida.We couldn't have been any more lucky than this year to get to come down here for the whole winter. We are helping my Mom and staying with her.I seemed to have caught a cold and have coughed really hard with this bug. I probably got it in one of the many doctors offices I have taken my mom to. I guess I will go and get some sun for a little while .

I made a little midget block from sentinmental stitches site. No 87 .Its a cute little flower block .I just love your site gaye.!!!!!!!I also got my Herdles block appliqued from Ryan McKennas collection. Its actually Turtles. and they are very realistic looking. The blocks are all about sea animals I plan on doing several. Ok I cheated I just fused them with steam a seam lite. Lots of little pieces Whew!!!!!!!!!!!I need to quilt it and I am putting it on a canvas they look really cute that way . Im not a follower of her but I do like her work .
Tomorrow if I feel better I plan on going to visit my dear old friend in Englewood Fla. We have been friends for around 23 yrs. we actually met in an exercise class. I started doing her hair and we did alot of quilt shows classes and I joined 2 quilt guilds because of her .Nancy Smith is her name .I hope to have her help me with getting my quilt for my husband basted so I can get it quilted.Going to get some rays lol taking the pooch with me

warm n sunny

2009-01-18T11:22:00.000-05:00

Well I am so glad we got to come south to stay with my Mother in Ft .Myers Fl. I believe I feel better not being in the cold weather. we have had only a couple cool days .It has been the best since we had been coming at Christmas for 4 yrs then we weren't here for the last 2 yrs. It has been in the 70's to 80's all the time. We have been busy with my mom getting lots of health app'ts and some physical therapy. She's more steady on her feet now. we are also getting her hearing aids. We went to a place called Zounds.I can't believe the technology int them now. there is a remote control can set for theatre, dining,music . you can get rid of background sounds. no squealing sounds . so anyway they have come a long way baby!!!!!!!

How lucky I am to be here and have an old friend an hour away. We saw each other on the way down. We both have Shih Tzus . We also have the love of quilting in. While I'm here I hope to be able to visit quite a few times. She came up here with an old friend of hers last Saturday and we went to a couple of quilt shops here in Ft. Myers. So nice to have my friend to go shopping together once again like old times , and I made a new friend also .

I am working on a few midget blocks from Http://sentimentalstitches.com They are so cute. I am doing them in 30's fabrics as they are from the 30's patterns. THEY ARE FREE....... So....... check them out on Gay's site.

I checked out McKenna Ryans blocks at one of the shops we went to here. The sea patterns. Since we are at the lake I think they would be neat to do . They are under sea animals, like turtles, porpoise. etc.You can make them seperate and mount them on canvas as pictures or make a quilt .It's really a neat idea!!!. I started with the sea turtles.I got the pattern traced it off. I need to go buy some fusible product.I have quite a bit of fabric that I can use with me. I need maybe a half a yd. of some other fabrics. I guess collecting fabrics for a stash pays off when you want to make something and can just go to your stash and pull fabric for a quilt. I brought quite a bit of fabric with me to do projects on. The only thing I need is the small beads for embellishment.

I have been working on one of my old quilt projects for the 80's .It's hard it has 4 nine patch blocks in the 18 in block. There are 72 pieces in one 18 in block !!!!!!!!!!!. I loved the quilt, it's old fashioned. It's done in pink & green. It has prairie points around the edges. I am close to getting the blocks done . I want to make it wider than the pattern. I was smart enough to buy extra material so I can make it bigger.I will post some pics of may latest endeavors here. I will get them loaded and posted so you can see the cute Midget blocks and my old project also.

Not to rub it in but I AM GOING TO GO LAY IN THE SUN AND CATCH SOME RAYS . I have been here a month and with the holidays and Mom have been to the pool once so far.

cute bag,nice tutorials

2008-12-30T21:42:00.000-05:00

Here is a cute blog site I found and she has some nice tutorials for sewing some different things like a reversible bag etc. sooooooooooo check her out http://ayumills.blogspot.com/
I got my little quilt done for my niece. I hope she will like it. well today was hair day here at my moms in Florida. My husband helped me with my root touch up .It helps my shoulders for him to put the color in the back and I do the front of my hair. Then it was coochies turn she got a bath and trimmed . I still have to cut her with the clippers tomorrow. I give her a cut similar to a schnauzer .It's cute her tummy is short and also her neck and back . That will be easy.She doesn't like it have her hair cut around her eyes. we have a battle of the wills always . You have to keep her hair cut short there or she gets irritated eyes. she smells so clean and fresh just like a new little puppy. Well that's about all for today .
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Florida and the baby comforter

2008-12-29T16:11:00.000-05:00

Hi ,I'm glad to report we are in sunny Florida . I love the warmth but not the humidity. we arrived here at N. Ft Myers on Saturday before Christmas .It took a while to get the internet set up for use here.My puppy Coochie was a year old on Christmas day. she is being so good . Shes a ShihTzu .My moms dog is 9 yrs old and doesn't like any dog.He is tolerating Coochie. She is just wanting to play with Taco and he just bares his teeth.Hes getting better .at least by the time we leave he might be social.

I finished my nieces little comforter for her bday she will be 3 in January. My sister won't let her use her quilt I made her for last Christmas. I decided to make her something small to be able to drag around and watch tv with or take a nap . It's a panel of american Jane I believe and I made it into nine patches with sashing between the blocks.I used aunt gracie fabrics to finish the back and the sashing . At least I call them that all the 30's fabric. I have to put a label on it and it will be done. Krystn will be 3 and she is just a darling little girl .They adopted her from Poland .Her husbands heritage is Polish so they went to Poland to get her. She is such a cutie and sweetheart . I hope to see her some time again this year. She's so loving to everyone. I'm so glad they have her .What a blessing!!!! I'll post a picture for you to see her and the quilt. Now I have to get my husbands quilt basted and decide how I'm going to quilt it.I'd like to do both hand and machine quilting.

Featherweights-the litte portable sewing machine

2008-12-01T20:33:00.000-05:00

Now today we took our Baby Coochie to get her fixed since she is all of 11.5 lbs we were quite concerned . She is such a little doll. Here's her Christmas picture. well anyway her with her santa hat on Dad has one like it also !!!! Well we got a call she is doing ok at the vets and we pick her up tomorrow. It's amazing how much she is part of our family . We really love the' Miss personality '.She will be a year old Christmas day !!!!
I was sewing away on my little featherweight ....well I took it apart and hmm I couldn't get it to work again. I read the manual called my gfriend in Florida and to my dismay I couldn't get it going. I asked my husband to help he couldn't do any better. I knew there is a certain way you have to put it back together , The throat plate or it won't work .So he called his friend who works on sewing machine he walked us thru it and we got it going. We took the Gib screw off and found a thread behind the bobbin plate. Geesh in the mess of things , the little tiny screw fell on the floor. Well we found it and My dear husband put it back together. It works like the little jewel that it is. Its a great machine .I have 2 computer embroidery machines. I like this little machine.Its fun .There is just something about my Featherweight just fun to use.You know if you have one what I mean. I have bought a few little goodies for my machine. I love gadgets .Unfortunately the old ones are more expensive usually. They are so neat though .They had more for these machine than they do now I believe. I love doing lingerie . I bought a picot / Hemstitcher I like the picot thing. I like old fashioned ways of doing some things. I guess I'm the baby boomer half way between all the old things that were great from my childhood and the new Hi Tech things today. I like both, they both have their place I believe if you are willing to look back also . So I'm going back to doing some sewing on my quilt. I started this quilt along time ago. It wasn't an easy project to do for a beginning quilt project. It was before you sewed 2 pieces together and then cut . well one 18 in block has 72 pieces. Oh my I will be glad when this is done It will be pretty but will be a work of art to me .

Here's a picture of my husband's quilt. I made him for his 60th Bday. I finally got it pieced and ready to baste. He likes it . It was fun but a challenge . I have never designed a quilt before . I am happy with the results. It isn't elaborate but fun .He likes palm tress and flamingos so it works. Now I need to plan how I'm going to quilt it. I plan to do some machine quilting and some hand quilting. I need to give credit to Fatcatpatterns.com go to birds and she has the center flamingo pattern. Sindy Rodenmayer for her generosity . She has some really cool free patterns and real well priced patterns.

Dear Jane retreat,wool applique

2008-11-24T21:07:00.000-05:00

Hi I went to the Dear Jane retreat in Shipshewana Indiana .It was great.!!!!!!! There were 92 of us in a big banquet room . Lots of great quilts . We had lots of fun, Lots of goodies , lots of great gals .I made some new friends. I met some people who had sent me emails of patterns . I met Gay from Sentinmental Stitches. Her website or blog is my favorite spots on the net. She has so many old patterns . She has a store on line and some neat things to buy there also . you can spend a lot of time there. So here's the link make a point of going there and see the pictures of our retreat and Shipshewana & FABRIC STORES http://Sentimentalstitches.net If you scroll down she has taken a picture of the wool applique that I talked about .

2008-11-17T21:56:00.000-05:00

Its snowing out side today . Not a nice day . Coochie got a bath and haircut I got to go to the P.T. and after that I went to the dentist and I have to have another root canel done. I thought so .My teeth were bothering me on the left side and the pain comes and goes. So after I go to my Dear Jane retreat in Shipshe this week I will go to the Endodontist .I havent paid fr the last one yet. Geesh I think I should have had false teeh would have been cheaper and done all at once.Oh welll ................heres a new site I found on my cyberquilters newsletter http://ilovecraftscraftblogs.lindawalshoriginals.net/2007/10/02/free-online-newsletters.aspx
It looks like a really neat place so I will put it in my links section here . You could be here a while. Well gotta go here have a little more trimming to do on Coochie so she looks good to go to the vets tomorrow.

2008-11-16T11:08:00.000-05:00

well its sure not fall anymore it's winter now here at the lake anyway. If you don't wrap up like a mummy you'll freeze going outside. we live on the east side of the lake .The wind blows across and nothing to stop it. It's just so cold goes right thru you unless your covered up like you are on your way to the artic tundra!!!!!!!!! well the remedy for this is go where it's warm.we hope to go away this winter.Maybe Florida to see my mom just have to wait and see. I'm planning on having surgery on my back as soon as possible.I tired of fighting this pain.This has been going on over a year now.

On a brighter side I have my husbands quilt ready to baste here. I haven't done quilt this big so this will be a new experience for me. I watched sharon schambers basting technique I think I will try that way . It looked pretty fool proof. she has a video on her web page for free.. I'd like to buy her video pkg. but I just don't have the funds it's 200.00 it is for 60 some videos for a year.

It was 11 years ago yesterday my Father died . My husbands dad on nov 13 we weren't together then.I can not imagine doing 2 funerals in 2 days. we would have had to do them alone because his dad was in Ill. He was such a remarkable man .Jack was blinded in France as a forward observer.This was ww2 . He came home to my mom and went on with his life. He went back to GE in Ft Wayne working in a factory totally blind. The lists of things he could do was just astounding.I was so proud of him..He built a cottage at wolf lake in Mich. I was there once or twice but can't remember very well .I had ice skates and think I tried to go skating .He ran a saw. he taught me how to do that. He had a garden . He could go down a string line and pull weeds .I can pull weeds and still pull out plants and I am looking at it. He taught me how to do canning. He wired his home in Ft. Wayne .I watched him do that . He would go up in the attic and he would ask us what color the lines were.we would leave him alone and he would go at it. He could change the oil in my car.My uncle Ed told me he came to my grandparent' s home and walked down stairs and my Father was sitting in the dark working on a boat motor. He was a tough act to follow. He looked 10 ft tall to me. We were very close.My parents divorced when I was 2 &1/2. I didn't get to see him very often since he lived in Ft Wayne and I lived in So. Bend about a 2 hr drive one way. It made it hard . When I was 13 he moved to Bourbon,which was a lot closer. It was a 120 acre farm.I got to have a horse there. I spent more time there. I would just call and ask them my step mother and dad to come and get me.In the 50's Fathers didn't have the right they do now.Unfortunately I was in the middle of a tug of war between two people and my mom held he rope tight. She says she was protecting me from him but as I got bigger it was still the same. At around 8 I got to try to run this scenario in my head around.My step mother and step dad were married and divorced.Geesh no one was divorced in the 50's I was the only one in my class. I was about 8 yrs old somewhere in there when I found that out. It just seemed so weird to me. so basically they switched mates. Oh well in the past .The good of that was I had a great step mother. She was loving to me and we were good friends. I lost a special person when she passed in 1983 of lung cancer.. No one knew I was her step daughter .They all thought I was hers. My step dad and I butted heads.I was the first in birth line , a girl and someones elses kid. so 3 strikes you are out lol. I grew up fast . I baby sat for 4 kids over night at 13 .I had a lot of responsibility , but then when I acted like an adult it wasn't ok. Mixed messages for sure. It taught me to be independent. If I wanted clothes I would go put it on layaway and pay them off on my own. Not that they wouldn't buy for me, I just would take it on myself to go for it.I'm rambling on today . I guess reminiscing because of my Fathers death anniversary . I think it does those things.Its also a full moon now so more emotions. Love all you who have passed and left so many memories there in my heart. Thanks for the memories, It was sweet .I love you all !!!!!!!

I have to post this picture of my little sweetie Coochie . Shes just turned out to be the best dog. She will be 1 yr old Christmas

Becky's quilt obsession: Finally finished - funky caterpillars (RWB CC#4)

2008-11-04T17:32:00.000-05:00

Becky's quilt obsession: Finally finished - funky caterpillars (RWB CC#4)

2008-11-04T12:48:00.000-05:00

Hi I am planning on posting something that relates to Veterans until Veterans Day http://www.qovf.org/ this is a site for quilts of valor I want to make a hero quilt next or something to honor or vets.This is near and dear to me as my Father who is now deceased was a WWII veteran. He was blinded in Normandy invasion in 1944 at the age of 23 .Just like the young guys coming back now so young. No body knows what they have done or given up until you are around one for some length of time. All I can say is WOW I salute you all Vets. I get teary eyed thinking about them. Another site is http://www.quiltweb.com/yellow/
http://www.americanheroquilts.com/story.htm this site I am involved in a quilt guild in Elkhart Indiana. Heartland quilters have made quilts and donated to the hero quilts. This guild is one I belong to but this fall didn't return due to my health problems. This group (Hero quilts) accepts quilt tops and finishes them for the soldiers . Great amount of work done here. I have done a block for quilts of valor for the Indiana group.I hope some of you very capable people will get involved in some of these projects it means so much to all our vets that are coming home injured.

Here is another site to help. http://www.fallenheroesfund.org/This hospital was started for the vets coming home from the war. Since the vets were coming home and had to wait and so were getting under excellent care from our government like the Walter Reed hospital .Its amazing to me they are all gun hoe for these guys & gals to go serve our country but when they come home battered ,wounded,crippled ,blinded, PTSD, its all forgotten about then. I get real up in arms about this care they are given. But now thanks to our country our citizens who have given out of their pocket this facility was built for them. It was NOT a government project ,I am ashamed of the government for this . All the stupid things that our taxes are spent on like how flys mate or something like it but we can't have state of the art care for these vets just makes me ashamed for our country. Ok I will get off my soap box now. but go and check it out its really a great tribute to the private people who have gotten this going. Don Imus who a lot of people dislike which I understand has promoted this very strongly.Many of you don't know that he has a ranch in New Mexico which helps children who have cancer and sickle cell anemia.Yes Black children go there also to build up the kids self esteem because of their illnesses. His wife Deidre is involved in the autism investigation to help find the reasons for it. She also has a line of products out that are for green cleaning.all the proceeds go to the ranch . Go check it out also.I have bought them and I love how they clean and smell . soft sage scent. a lot of hospitals use her products now. http://www.imusranchfoods.com/index1.aspx?BD=18129 So that's about it for today . go check these places out.

Noah's ark stitchery

2008-11-03T20:11:00.000-05:00

Here is a neat site of lynette anderson designs. If you like to do embroidery here is a site for BOM in a Noah's Ark........It's cute. She has 8 blocks posted now scroll down and there is a pdf file to load for each one. This set of blocks would be cute done for a child's room or in a children's church or bible class. I'd like to do it and have downloaded the blocks but I have several things to finish before I start anything else.

Catherdal window

2008-10-30T17:08:00.000-04:00

Cathedral window is an old time pattern but can be made to look modern by changing the base to a different shape. This is technique I have done before. I had a lot of fun with it. It uses a lot of base fabric but you can use a lot of stash and do some fussie cutting also.I think it's neat .I'd like to make a quilt or small coverlet sometime.I have done several projects and did all the centers by hand . I have a wall hanging to match a quilt and a couple of pillow to mach. I made a big floor pillow for my brother in law with southwestern fabrics so he could lay on the floor and watch tv. so you have several ways of doing them .You can do all by machine or part by machine and part by hand.

There are several books on the windows. I have one called "Through the Windows & Beyond" by Lynn Edwards. Another book is machine stitched "Cathedral Windows Updating An Old Favorite" by Shelley Swanland. I havent checked to see about any new ones.I'm sure there are some newer ones out there. These two books show you some new twists like making the windows look like they were stretched .It was just a website I ran across so I thought I'd post about it.

give food for dogs just click and help

2008-10-25T20:50:00.000-04:00

http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=3

Here is a site to go to and click on it daily so they get free food for the click . its no gimmick just do it.they get food for the people going to the site. so help out the dog rescue center. PLEASE!!!!

cut, cut , cut and cut some more, I know the feeling!

2008-10-25T16:02:00.000-04:00

I have a friend I met through the internet, through a ShihTzu site. Her name is Mary, shes just been a dear person to get to know. We have visited each other several times since meeting in the spring sometime. we both have the cute dogs and we both have the same health issues.

This is about her husband though . I know how he feels he has worked as a barber for 50 yrs in the Bremen area. I worked 37 yrs in Elkhart and retired. Things have changed through the years, Long hair, short hair, spiked hair ,no hair ,& the elvis look . Its really neat to see someone who has loved their profession and is still at it .So Don deserves an applause for his hard work and still cutting hair at 74 yrs young . Good for you Don. !!!! so you can read about him in this article:
http://www.thepilotnews.com/content/view/77962/1/

Down by the river: Another dark miserable day!

2008-10-25T11:01:00.000-04:00

Down by the river: Another dark miserable day!

embroidery video

2008-10-21T14:01:00.000-04:00

this site on You Tube was posted on the cyberquilters site it's a nice video of embroidery free hand. There area few others to watch also .It will at least give you some idea about free motion embroidery . I need to try it . I watched the first one. AND IT'S FREE........http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhGvl63-wVE&NR=1

There are so many cool, entertaining,and informative blogs out there.So much to see so much talent.It's just like being in a candy shop I feel looking at what everyone creates. I wish I had more time to investigate.I can't keep up with my newsletter like I should. so with that Im going to go sew on my husbands quilt.

cute thread catcher & freebies

2008-10-20T16:15:00.000-04:00

well it's another beautiful fall day .we have been lucky here. If the sun is shining I'm shining also. I hate the winter. I's isolating to me. Living at the lake people are around you can go out and sit on the swing go play in the flowers,watch the humming birds. I like to watch the fisherman go by and see if they are catching anything. The neighbor her lab dog runs off the end of the pier and jumps in the water after a ball. Just activity around here. So the best thing I do is go to my sewing room . I listen to programs on tv,movies, etc. I find some project to do and turn all my sewing lights on and it feels like summer in there. It's productive and accomplishes good feelings in myself.I have several to finish this winter. If we are lucky we might get to go away, if we sell some land or real estate. So I always try to find something new several times a week to feature for you to make and I download the pattern for future use. Here's a cute little thread catcher to make. Quick and fun thing to do .http://hugsnkisses.typepad.com/hugsfromhelen/

I got a comment from Michelle on her site and they have free patterns so I will add her blog to my list. Here is her site .....http://with-heart-and-hands.blogspot.com/2007/10/free-quilting-patterns.html

I just took a break and took Coochie out. we picked a few lingering tomatoes. I love to get my hands in the dirt. I use gloves but as aTaurus earth sign I love being in the dirt in my hands making something grow. Of course it has been rather hard the last few years with Fibro and now a degenerative disk in my lower back . I hope to be better next year either by surgery or by therapy . well check out Michelle's site and see what freebies she has she left me a nice comment

aprons & walnuts

2008-10-18T16:02:00.000-04:00

It's a beautiful fall day . about 55-60 . Sunshine pretty leaves no rain, Nascar race in the background. I found another cute site. It's Susan Branch's site . She has fabric YES!!! ......patterns ,cookbooks, some vintage items, and free patterns one in particular is a vintage apron patterns so go to new things scroll down to quilts and it shows her patterns, go to free patterns and she has a apron scalloped edges. I have several vintage aprons. I love this stuff. I love the old that like Susan Branch said "my family took nothing and made something out of it". I totally agree . I guess that 's why my husband and we have a storage shed full of stuff. My father had a 2500 sq ft. farm house with my step mother Virginia , I was the only child from my fathers 1st marriage. My stepmother had no children. so I inherited everything. Ginny died in 1983. I dearly loved her. She was always fun , generous and someone who you could talk to without being judged. People never knew I was her step daughter . When she died I talked to people and I mentioned it no one ever knew. well I'm off track but reminiscing here I guess. I have lots of my grandmas things also ,aprons, tablecloths , an unfinished quilt from my great grandmother (I think)etc. I have a lot of furniture saved also .I want to someday have all white bedroom I have my furniture from hi school white french provincial. I have a twin bed solid cherry spindle furniture with 2 dressers and 2 twin bed spindle cherry frames. I love it .we are planning on building I hope the market gets better so we can build here at the lake. We want to put up a modular with the kitchen ,living room and mater bedroom facing the lake.Upstairs we ant to have my sewing room / glass room .My husband does stained glass for a hobby.we have no room here. so that's our dream . ........someday . I NEED TO MAKE A WISH BOARD AND PUT A PIC OF THE HOME ONE IT SO THE UNIVERSE CAN MANIFEST IT. oh well sorry I'm not changing the caps.

Here is s picture I saw and visualized a picture of my niece superimposed in the picture then print it out and printed on fabric for a quilt block for a small quilt for her. Its just to precious of a picture to waste.I got it out of a martha stewart magazine .It was a advertisement .So I saved it then lost it.I found it scanned it and saved it to the computer so now I need to send it to my baby sister so she can take a picture of my niece Krystyn sitting sideways then I will make something of it. so check out Susan Branch's site. http://www.susanbranch.com/index.html

I was out picking up walnuts in our driveway with Coochie and I think Hickory nuts also. I'm going to dry them and see if I can get some nutmeats out of them. I thought I'd try my hand at dyeing some cloth with the walnut stain from the outside shells .I need to read up on it.Guess I'm bored need to do something new.

press n seal in your quilt room

2008-10-17T20:41:00.000-04:00

I saw this new technique .I know it isn't new to many of you and I had heard of it but hadn't tried it yet. I will have several links here for you to try so check them out .I am getting ready to quilt my husbands quilt. I'm torn between hand and machine quilting this. I do believe I will do some of both.It looks pretty neat . I think especially if you have your own designs. you could copy or scan the design and print it out on freezer paper and then the Press n seal. That's another technique.

Here is a nice website listed on the cyberquilters yahoo group site .this is a great group to join.I'm trying to type here with my baby Coochie on my lap. what a great Pup .....!!!!.Here's a new picture of her.

We took her to our friends house last night she was just a little angel. Shes only 10 mos. old but the best behaved dog I have owned. She got tired and so she got up on the couch next to my purse and went to sleep. I didn't teach her to jump up on furniture ,My husband did Hmmm.

http://creativeribbons.blogspot.com/2006/05/press-and-seal.html
she has the tutorial for crazy quilting
http://home.ptd.net/~shoofly/PNS/directions.htm
http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/album/504983873nwwGpg
http://www.1000uses.com/search.php?search=quilt
http://bcquilter.wordpress.com/2008/05/28/glad-pressnseal-the-new-quilting-tool/

free patterns for babies & Purse pattern

2008-10-15T13:31:00.000-04:00

Hi
Just a rainy day here today . We have had a beautiful fall so far .I can't believe it was 83 here Sunday. I sat outside on the swing and did some applique. when It's not to windy I love to sew on the deck. It's rather hard now even though it might be nice because the leaves are falling down so hard.Going to add the last border to my husbands quilt. Its all different colors of flying geese. I also need to freeze up some tomatoes. I really don't feel like doing that so I guess I'll sew for a while. Geesh its 1:30 and all I have done is play on the internet. Still in my jammies ,but who cares. Got teeth brushed and played with Coochie, ate breakfast. Love that Dog .Shes just the best pup.I can't believe we have had her for 6 mo now.

Here's a site you can go to for some neat patterns. Bunnyhilldesigns.com They have cute patterns. another one of my favs is ShabbyFabrics.com . I always like the shabby soft colors. The feminine touch.I just cant resist pretty fabric. I admit I bought a purse pattern called Darned cute purse. It uses Charm squares .It's really cute. Problem is if you don't find it when you see it it gets bought up and you can't find anymore usually in a 6-12 mo period. So my stash is growing slowly now as we can't spend any money on extras now. Once in a while I sneak a yard in here and there.It just talks to me can't help it .well....... you all know what I mean .

http://www.shabbyfabrics.com/store/products/details/?product=darned+cute+bag+pattern

It had been a time since I have posted don't have a following yet so doesn't much matter but I have back problems and it just depends if I'm hurting I don't like to sit much for any length of time. I'm going for therapy now for a month.I can't believe I have felt really well the last 3 days . I don't know why but not sorry. I have exercises to do 2 times a day . Not hard just takes time. Hopefully maybe I can put off surgery but I'm not counting on it. It's just a matter of time till its going to have to be done and also maybe my hip.Oh well getting old isn't fun .The only thing I can say about this retirement thing is I can pretty much do what I want when I want as long as I feel good or it's not costing money. Oh well I have enough fabric and patterns to last the end of my life probably without buying anymore. well I have a great husband we will be married 5 yrs on Sunday the 19th.I have a sweet dog also .They take most of my quality time which I don't mind.

fairies and birds

2008-10-09T18:37:00.000-04:00

Its a beautiful sunny day , I have been sick and haven't posted. I'm grateful for all the wonderful blogs and websites that the internet has provided us. I am grateful for the sharing that so many have done to give us so many sites to feast our eyes on and enjoy anytime we want. Here is a website that has BOM for you I love the simple but pretty blocks that she is sharing here. I don't know how long this will be us so go visit. I printed it out. I love hand applique .The flowers and birds are big so not to small to make it hard blocks to do.

I know right now is a scarry time for the whole world but I want to be grateful for what I have. I have a wonderful husband ,family and home,friends,and pets. I have the ability to sew .I can sew almost everyday from my stash if Iwant to .Thank you God for all of this today .

sign up here

2008-09-30T13:02:00.000-04:00

Well I'm glad I took advantage of the weather on Sunday here .I sewed outside that day. It was so beautiful. I have been working on Gene's quilt since this spring. It is a quilt made to show the things he enjoys and has here at the lake. It looks like Hawaii sometimes her at night.!!!!! we have a tall palm tree and two small palm trees. He also has a pink flamingo that bows up and down. so that's the theme of my quilt.I made it for his 6oth Birthday. I am finishing up the last border .I'm making flying geese and alternate black fabric with colored fabric.I posted a site to go to to see a easy way to make these.It's so much faster for sure. I will take a pic of it and post it for all to see.

This is a site to sign up your blog at . I have it for you to click on , I believe at the top of this post. There are many but then you can see what everyone else is doing. I'm going to stop here so I can take a picture and then load it for you to see .......http://justusquilters.blogspot.com

clever fabric clever idea

2008-09-27T14:53:00.000-04:00

I saw on this new site I came upon, a framed fabric piece .It is a nice addition to any rrom that need something on the wall but you haven' found anything that you really like.well most of us have fabrics we love don't want to cut up but you want to do something with so you can have them on view also . so check it out, nice directions

tutorials and learning how to teach my oh my!!!

2008-09-17T22:17:00.001-04:00

(Click on the line above.)I like this site because I found "how to's" for making certain quilt techniques.I found an easy way to do 'FLYING GEESE BLOCKS'.Its really COOL. I learned it in a guild but I couldn't explain how to do it real well. also I like the fact that they show you how to make all sizes of them. I added the Featherweight links sites for anyone who wants to know something about them and sites for help.

I also added some more links to the links site. I have so many saved sites bookmarked its a wonder I have any room on my computer left lol. It seems I am always looking and always learning I love to share that with others...............Speaking of that
..............

I have met a lady this summer. Her name is Wakako Okuno. She and her husband are visitors from Japan. Her and her husband are guests in our duplexes via Zimmer corp. I am getting quite an education from people around the world. Anyway ......back to Wako. Shes here for 2 months while her husband is being trained for quality control for his work in Japan. I asked her if she quilted . she said no "I'd like to learn." So I dove and I asked her if she'd like me to teach her. she replied "Yes.".... well I would learn what its like to become a teacher. I don't know if I was prepared but I showed up with sewing machine in hand.I had an extra I wasn't using lol.. Yes I have several. I haven't traded them up, I have just collected. She was all ready at the door and waiting to come with me. I guess something got lost in the translation that I was coming to her . She had no car. My husband helped me to carry the machine and other things in. I had an applique pattern for an easy block. It's was a vine with 4 flowers. I had emailed her a link to Pats Sloan's website to familiarize her with applique.. She was several steps a head of me. Little did I know she had gone to Walmart and had picked out her fabric and a Pat Sloans pattern. She was ready to work on a sewing machine pattern. I 'the teacher'thought I was well prepared with what I thought would be a good project to start with Applique .I had learned backbasting at my Maple Leaf guild .I thought it would be a good way to teach her. well we worked on her pattern for the sewing machine lol....She had picked out a sewing pattern with curved pieces.It looked like a wedding ring pattern .well we all know how tough that is with the melons to do as a starting quilt!!!!.I told her she had picked out a 'college' pattern to start .I was thinking more on 'Jr high' level for her. She hadn't sewed since Jr high. Shes in her 30's....Ok well we were off and running. I was starting to learn about the student teaching the teacher .....

When I came back I showed her where she should tear it out and redo some of the curves. Really she done a pretty darn good job !!!. I was happy .The next time we got together she had her own applique pattern she wanted to do. She had been to the store and found a Pumpkin applique.I really didn't want to dive in before she practiced some. I knew time was limited in how much I could teach her. so.......next we are on to applique, thinking she has time to sew everyday on the machine pattern. I said she could do applique in between when she got tired of the machine. Since she had picked out her applique pattern she wanted to do.I talked her into waiting till I could take her to Shipshewanna In. They have 2 large fabric stores just packed with luscious fabrics. She picked out her fabric there. So I took my pattern back home .I had started a vine to applique and so I did manage to get her to understand she had to practice on that before she went on to 'college' level of applique. Now you throw in the mix of shes Japanese and doesn't know much English. Her husband had been in Chicago learning our language for 6 weeks. Ok also the biggie, Shes LEFT HANDED lol. She can read some English. she has just taught herself (I can see me learning Japanese by myself.) I wondered if I might have bit off more than I could chew. we got threw the applique and it went pretty well. I showed her 4 different ways to do that .I gave her some Templar plastic for templates.

I wanted to show her how to do a hand quilting stitch before she left. well I'm glad I had Alex Andersons example of 'lefties'... also so did Luxin Newman (hmm might have that wrong.)I thought I should have been a 'professor' when it came time to show her how to hand quilt. ....Now Wako being a Psychology major when she was in college, wondered why we had to do it that way lol. well ,I guess I finally showed her that with the rocking motion you get a rhythm and the stitches evenly. I really had some figuring out how to explain to her that there was a reason to do it the way I was showing her. I haven't done that much hand quilting, but I know how to do it. She was trying to sew it. I know she was frustrated and so was I. I just kind of left feeling defeated about that technique. I think we did real well considering all the road blocks or obstacles though.

I took Wako to Pierceton In.to see the art and quilt show.It was a small show but really nicely done. She got to see some real 'live' quilts. The quilts were mostly mini's.The first is Wako and a quilt that told a story by the blocks names. The 2nd quilt is a velvet quilt not finished. The third is I believe a miniature of half square triangles. The 4th is a miniature of a fan quilt. The 5th and 6th pictures are a variety of miniatures. She left on the 22nd of this month. Frankly I am going to miss her.I felt like a Mother teaching her daughter. Since I have a son I told her how much I have enjoyed doing this for and with her.

I hope she'll take it home and run with it. ..So .......I 'learned' how to teach.......It was great !!!!!

cute face at sentimentalstitches

2008-09-16T10:52:00.000-04:00

Im glad the storm fronts have left I think everyone feels better.I know if you have Fibro or arthritis you don't feel as well as when its sunny out.Its a great sunny day .I need more days to get my tomatoes to ripen .Some warm nights would help also.I am just planning on freezing them .I don't have my canner here .I like home canned tomatoes especially in Winter, when making soups or other dishes. I use on of those sealer bags, a Kenmore sealer.

If its nice today I might take my sewing machine outside and sew today with Coochie.She loves to go outside and just watch what is going on outside.She does better when its not so hot.

Hey I found a neat item on Sentimentalstitches.net.

(http://sentimentalstitches.myshopify.com/)
She has these old fashioned looking pincushions for sale. THEY ARE A KIT TO MAKE .ITS A LARGE FACE OF A GAL WITH A HAT ON .THERE IS 6 OTHER THINGS TO MAKE ALSO.ITS 19.95. I had to order one. I cant wait to get it. the link to see them is posted above .
The Midget blocks are cute.If you are a Dear Jane fan you'll love these little 4 and 1/2 in blocks.I have done a couple.On in particular is really a challenge if you like english paper piecing check out no.58. Its a trip to do .But I wanted to try it not to bad just time consuming.
Gayle has the neatest free projects on her site.Lots of neat free patterns for quilts. !!!! Check out her website. I have downloaded most of her patterns she has offered
Gayle I like your site best I do believe.It always fun to visit

rainy day

2008-09-14T16:30:00.000-04:00

Well its raining quite a bit here today .Remnants of hurricane Ike I guess. Blowing across he lake and it has white caps . wwe have flood warnings in counties north of us .wont be to long and we will be in flood conditions also .
Good day to sew, well right now I'm watching Nascar.Im looking at blogs and sites to post for your enjoyment.
I am in a yahoo quilt group called Cyberquilters@Yahoo.com .Its a neat group for those who like freebie patterns for quilts etc. I love it .so go join if you are a freebie junkie lol (Like me).Another group I am envolned in is Everythingshihtzu@Yahoo.com Nice group of shihtzu lovers and very informative too.
I met a new friend through there only 30 miles away. Shes a great lady. Mary .we have alot in common .we both have ShihTzus, also we both have Fibromyalgia.If you have it you know what a &?~*&^ syndrome it is! I had to retire from Hairdressing which I did for 37 yrs.When I quit I was sitting on a stool and had a 2 inch foam mat to stand on. It was what I did since I was 20 yrs old .I knew nothing else.Its bitter sweet.Yes we retired at the lake,thats great but because I have so much pain I cant really enjoy it.I just recently found out I have a collapsed disc in my lower back .I was single for 25 yrs Its very hard for me to give in to anything .But this all has knocked me down pretty good.We are lucky to have The Healthy Indiana plan insurance.The governor Mitch Daniels started.Most republicans arent known for this type of help but its a blessing from God because we had ins that was junk and expensive. Well enough of the gloom I love hand work and do alot it helps to keep your mind busy.The biggest blessing and mood elevator is "Coochie" our pup I begged for another dog,well I finally won Gene had to agree how great a dog she is. My driver Dale Earnhardt jr was leading for a long time but has fallen behind. well im off to post some new blogs and links for everyone. Go JR.!!!!!!

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2008-09-12T18:55:00.000-04:00

I just started this because I see so many neat blogs that Id like to share with others and the most simple way is to setup a blog so here it is.

I'll tell you a little about me. I'm a baby boomer born in 1949. I am married to a great guy named Gene .Hes a lot of fun likes to socialize , the life of the party. .we met on the internet in aug 2001 and got married in Oct 19,2003. We live in Warsaw ,In . We live at a lake.
we are somewhat retired.We are developing a subdivision. With the housing market slowed down its like being retired actually for me. we have a beautiful 12 acres to develop with a creek on one side a woods on another side and subdivision on another .Its rolling and quiet .Its been our dream for a few years to do this only started when things were slowing down .

I have one son Jason 34 ,one step son Jason 33,one step daughter Kristin 30.I really dont feel that my other 2 are step children ,They are just as special to me rather hard to say you have 2 sons named Jason. Just a little strange right? lol

I have 4 half brothers and sisters of which I am the oldest. They all live in different parts of the country. My brother Mark lives in Elkhart with his wife Renny and 2 children ones in college at Purdue. One sister lives in Wisconsin Jennifer with her husband Randy and daughter Krystyn . They adopted her from Poland last year. My other sister Denise .She lives in Tuscon with her husband L.J and 2 children. one is in college and one out of college. My other brother Scott lives in Florida ,in Bonita springs My Mother Bette (with an "E" its a joke in our family) she lives in N ft myers Florida. Her husband passed away at the end of July. My passion for sewing came from my Mother and grandmother. we have a cat named creeper and a pup born Christmas 2007. Her name is "Coochie". what a little dream. Shes a Shih Tzu. I wish I had bought one before now. shes just been the greatest. Sweet, funny and smart. Loves to play and loves everybody.

ok now that thats out of he way I love to sew and quilt. I love applique and hand piecing best . I like embroidery & cross stitch of which I haven't done much of lately. I belong to 2 quilting guilds one is in Goshen, Maple leaf quilters and one in Elkhart, Heartland Quilters.

I plan on adding some websites here for people to have access to some neat places