postal service and cleaning out sewingroom

Hello I havent posted in quite a while I dont have a computer only my husbands so sometimes is hard to grab it. Im working on getting my sewing room cleaned up. Its hard when you dont want to get rid of fabric or books or most patterns ... We are having a park garage sale sooooo i am trying to purge but hard......I sent a package to my son in Indiana .I found out its not worth trying to save money and send it ground ...OMG. It arrived 25 days later had gone to  jacksonville 4 times and back to ft myers some idiot put a retrurn  number back to here for some reason.It was ripped open on one whole side. surprising only a card was missing amazing that was all. I  talked to our mail lady and she said dont send it ground its not worth it.I guess not.I had really taped it well.also but didnt matter much as bad as it was ripped was amazing anything got there. Does any one have any ideas for getting rid of things and cleaning out your room?????    My husband just rides my butt about my room. He says Im 300 lbs. I cant walk thru your room stuff just falls off ur piles and falls on the floor... Yes indeed Im stuffing things in my bedroom closet. I bought shirts and have cut them up for fabric. I admit I went a little over board but its hard when you can buy them for 1.00  at thrift stores and are 100 percent cotton. some are expensive shirts...Oh well have stopped that now. I had my sewing room organized then we moved all our things from Indiana here.  Well that was a whole other sewing room We had gone to garage sales here as sew many ladies gone to assisted living and selling off all their things plus my mothers sewing room things here. But my husband helped me bring car loads of things home so there you go..... I have purged a lot I wished I had taken pictures of all the car loads of stuff I have taken to habitat  and  good will. so he could see how much I have gotten rid of but i didn't.Any one need any Longaberger baskets. I need to sell a few of those as I don't have the same color scheme as I did up north down here. I have the red green and blue woven traditions baskets.
I made my grandson PJS  it was monkey fabric .The monkeys were riding on bikes, cars, or other things. Was really cute fabric and fits him almost boys aged 7 to 8 yrs old..They are mostly like monkeys for sure. I am hoping he likes them I had hand made wooden buttons that are bikes n cars cute. I used snaps to secure them a weird sizes to make button holes for.... I'll post a picture when I see one with him wearing them.
 Im still working on Bonnie hunters Mystery Quilt as Christmas seems to come along and stop me every year. I guess I"ll have to start sewing in July for grand kids to make sure I"m done in time for the holidays. This year  I had an afib incident 3 days before Christmas was in the hospital over night. I also fell on my face and nearly knocked myself out. I had 2 skinned knees and a big shinner. At my age it takes a while to recoup from that . stuff. Plus we have open house Christmas eve also for 35 people....Amy way  didnt start early enough and got so far behind my sons says Mom Christmas is the same time every year yes I know.I dont start early enough with projects. I used to get it all done but was younger and I was single for 25 yrs. such is not the same now. so such is life  and Im getting older in spite of myself. Im thnking IM buying gifts  this year or gift cards . Good idea I guess.I dont sleep as well  either. FUN FUN FUN........ Well Im going to get working on my sewing room Please drop some helpful hints to me.. Please be gentle LOL AS I get enough big hints from the Big Hubby

surgery on my hand and thumb

 a week ago a week ago Monday I had surgery on my hand and thumb they fix the carpal tunnel and then they took a piece of tendon out of my arm and took the joint out of my thumb and rewrapped it and made a new thumb joint for me it's amazing what surgeons can do now to better your life I was so happy to have it done my carpal tunnel had bothered me for over 20 years and it got to the point where my hand would be asleep putting on my makeup or doing my hair and I just couldn't stand it anymore so I finally got up the courage to have the right hand done and didn't even know that my thumb was in that bad of shape and I had an amazing doctor at the orthopedic surgeons of Florida in Fort Myers dr. Sandra Collins very accomplished surgeon in my estimation anyway and I was only in significant pain for about 5 days and then after that I've just been on my usual pain meds so yesterday I went and had the stitches taken out and they made a plastic cast molded it out of it look like pegboard and they draw a pattern like a little quilt pattern of your hand and then cut out this piece and put it into a heater and then they mold it on your arm so now I have to wear that for 5 more weeks and in 10 more days I get to start some physical therapy on it but I'm not in any pain and looks like it's healing well and no infection so that's wonderful can't wait to get back to sewing and painting and the things that I enjoy I'm getting to be pretty good at being a lefty here cuz I can't do anything besides move my fingers around now and my husband Gene has been so much help to me making breakfast and doing laundry and everything that I need help with so he's been very supportive and and very helpful in everything

my new Bernina 770 QE

 well it's been quite some time since I well it's been quite some time since I did any posting so I'm going to try to do this speaking I bought a new Bernina last fall 770qe I had some little glitches in it from the beginning but I think we've got them straightened out now hopefully I will be able to enjoy it and have many years of fun sewing on it I've got to start using the BSR and getting familiar with it I'm going to take some classes up in Port Charlotte Florida I had my warranty transferred from Shipshewana where I bought it at the Cotton shop and I knew I wasn't going to get back there to take lessons so they said they transfer the warranty and pay for it for me which was awesome of them to do I have been looking forward to learning how to quilt free handed on a sewing machine and I had my baby lock esante for 20 years loved loved loved that machine but I could never called on it and when I talk to Janette from Wakarusa about it she says well I guess that was the one they had issues with for free hand motion quilting so I don't know but now it needs a motherboard it's only sewing straight Stitch so I decided to invest in my Bernina and the cotton shop had an awesome deal on them last summer at the quilt Festival so I decided to purchase one and I looked at different ones and I wanted though one with the ability to add the embroidery unit to it so I'm looking at buying that now and taking some classes to learn how to use it better I'm presently thinking about making some jammies out of flannel for summer pajamas for my two granddaughters up in Michigan and hopefully I'll be able to take them up to them this summer I found some Paisley knit sheets that looked like they weren't even used at Goodwill yesterday and I thought all these it was pink and they look like they would make awesome jammies and I thought I should have enough I can make a pair for all three of us

Esther's Quilt Blog: Diamond Hill: Part 4 is Launched

Esther's Quilt Blog: Diamond Hill: Part 4 is Launched

Welcome To WorthPoint! | Worthpoint

Welcome To WorthPoint! | Worthpoint

Portable Treadle Sewing-Machine Cabinet

Video of the process of making Batik fabrics awesome !!!

I was loading the part 3 of the mystery quilt Grand illusion from Bonnie Hunters' site. She had a video of how they make Batik fabric in Bali...It's so cool and very labor intensive.The fabric is expensive .If it was made here  in the U.S.A. it would probably be twice the cost as it is now. Here is the link for the video so go check it out. Scroll down To VIDEO 2    http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-batik-factory-part-1.html.
Thanks Bonnie for clue 3  of Grand Illusion..and the video.....You have to scroll down and their first video isn't as long as the 2nd one. The 2nd is longer and the whole process of the dyeing and removing the wax.
 I am working on my Grand daughters quilts for Christmas and my little niece.  I am making lots of half square triangles for these little quilts.and hearts in the middle...I will post pictures when I am done but here are some of the blocks I have done except the hearts in the centers.....

been a while

Hi all  I don't know why its been so long just no set reason just haven't had anything much to post.Well I have lots that have happened in the past month so here we go
  I got to go home to Indiana and see family friends and go to the retreat in Shipshewanna   .I just had 2 great weeks probably my best vacation ever.My grandson was 2 1/2 when I last saw him and he is 5 now so was great . Here is a picture of him n I together

Ayden and  Grandma Debbie

  I wasn't sure how'd he would receive me but it went great. we went to the park and I'm so glad my Son Jason is being a hands on Father and he isn't a wimp when it comes to discipline either.

 Happy Mothers day to all and have a great day with your children no matter how old!!!!!

My beautiful 201 for Mothers day she is a jem!!!

the Rockteer 500 series new for mothers day!!!

 I enjoyed going to my quilt retreat and I sewed with a 99 singer my friend brought for me to use .I so enjoyed seeing all the gals from the Quilt guild in Goshen Mapleleaf Quilters
 

picture of my 2 granddaughters  with their doll quilts

my dear friend Carol Williams n I at her home in Elkhart In.

Grand Illusion mystery Quilt by Bonnie Hunter

here are my choices of fabrics from my stash 

Well I have my fabric picked out for my Bonnie Hunters Grand Illusion... I'm very excited about this new mystery .I love Pink and Blue so this is right up my alley. I have been collecting pink fabric for quite awhile. ......So this should be fun .... I have been to the Grand Hotel was fun to see and would love to stay there some day. so cool and Somewhere in Time was filmed there. I loved that movie rather far out but a beautiful love story..In fact that was where I got the title for my Blog name was from that movie title...So here goes Ill show you my stash pics here what I have in mind...I will post the pics of my fabric tomorrow when I can take  pics in the daylight :) nite all

Our veterans

I am a very passionate about our veterans. My Father was in WW II. He was in the Normandy, France invasion . He was a forward observer. He was 23 yrs old. He was in a fox hole and turned his head he took a blast to his face. He was blinded. He was a couple days till they got him out to England for treatment.

Christmas Quilts for 3 Little Girls

I just found the perfect little doll bed quilt for my 3 girls for Christmas..... 2 are my Grand children and one is my Niece........Last night I just happened to look in my new Quilters World magazine.It had a darling Quilt for girls  doll babies. and a pillow also .I copied the page and here it is just so sweet. It was designed and Quilted by Chris Malone.....

Isn't this just precious, I think I'll make them in pastels.

Just too precious,,,,,, I love it!!!!!

Quilts for Christmas :)

Hi well Im getting started early for me to make some Quilts for Christmas. I have one I'm making for my Adopted Father. He took me in after high school. I hated living at home and my best friend was a only child they worked nights and thought it would be great that I would be there with her. Shorty and Red what can I say I was treated equally by them same rules as her. At least I didn't have to pave the way for 4 other kids. So they were always fair and I always respected them and they  did the same with me.I never forgot there generosity. Shorty is gone ....Red is 94 and still going strong he bowls, golfs and rides his motorcycle. My Mother would crap when he would pick me up and take me to work sometimes lol. So I'm making him a quilt to keep him warm while watching his Football games and Nascar....I'm making "Hidden in the Stars" by Sarah Soward in the Quilt book called "Jelly Roll Inspirations" by Pam and  Nicky Lintott ..... Just want to give them credit.... Now I'll show you what I'm doing...

Red Black N white quilt see the flame fabric and the race car fabric ???

this is the pattern I used but I didn't put 2 blacks together or 2 reds i did black white red

This is the original Quilt  

  

 

Im back :)

Sorry haven't posted for a while.Trying to get caught up on sewing a Quilt I have had in progress for a very long time.Very small pieces and just need to complete some projects before starting any others. Its called Strawberry Patch ....It was my first project and I was over my head thus was put aside several times till my ability caught up with my time .I just have too many unfinished projects and need to finish before starting any others. It was a strange size and I made it  25 % larger. It was 3 - 12 in blocks wide by 6 blocks long so I made it 4 blocks wide by 6 long.It's 63 x 99 to begin with but will be 75 x  99  now finished.....I love pink and green combinations . One of my favorites .This pattern came from Georgia Bonesteels' Spinning Spools Monthly  projects club. There were 3 Binders of Quilt projects in this series. I collected them all.It was a nice club at that time to belong to... Lots and lots of pieces in this particular Quilt. It reminds me of  Dear Jane actually. .....so I'll post some pics here so you can see before and finished..... There are 3 borders and Prairie Points  for the ending...I have the main  body completed and 1/2 of the Picket fence completed. It's not easy to do this part but I will persevere to finish...... sew onward here.......

First border.........Picket fence

 12 in....block (4 - 6 in blocks )with first border picket fence

Janiac's Unite: About Janiac's Unite

Janiac's Unite: About Janiac's Unite: This is a blog dedicated to all the Dear Jane quilters out there who want to support each other in getting the blocks sewn for their Dear Jane quilt. S.o check it out help with and examples of blocks if you want to visit........just a short post here

Great info and tips knowledge for Beginner Quilters and oldsters :) Peace River Florida pictures

Hi all from Sunny n sticky Florida......
 I found some great sites to go visit for knowledge on products tested and how to begin Quilting. I found it very helpful for buying notions and what to use where and when. I have been quilting now for 25 yrs and found some tips and product knowledge i haven't known so bookmark these places and use for reference in the future. ...... so go see Carons site from Michigan quilts for great information...
http://www.celebratehandquilting.com/search/label/Hand%20Quilting%20for%20Beginners 

 This site is Barbara Burnhams site for patterns and see some beautiful examples of Baltimore Album Quilts .She uses pens to add interest and detail to flowers and anything you would want some added dimension to your Quilt block. She also has great examples of  Broderie Perse blocks. This is taking a piece of fabric and fussy cutting and using it instead of making your own just applique ..Barbra has a booklet to  purchase about making stems  in different techniques to make it easier to applique stems for your flowers etc.I purchased the booklet and is a nice example of making stems in many different ways till you find the best way for you to make stems .I believe she has 8-10 ways for you to try...for a small  amount like $8.50....she also has a Baltimore Album book u can purchase at her site:www.barbaramburnham.com
 http://baltimoregardenquilts.blogspot.com/search/label/Applique

 Here are some pictures I took of being on an Airboat on the Peace River in Florida. It is such a quiet and peaceful place to visit and the scenery changes with each turn of the river, I saw big Alligators, beautiful birds,and many interesting and beautiful scenes of nature.I got to experience here in Florida...It is truly named correctly for the feeling you have when you are there.It's near Punta Gorda in case you want to go there you can hire a man to take you around to see the sites. If you paint you can get some beautiful pictures to have for reference : ) Enjoy!!!! It is just amazing place to visit.

gator sunbathing on shore I zoomed in we were not this close!!!

just a turn in the river

some left over remnants of a bridge or railroad  I believe

Red Spoonbill crane I think that's the name beautiful bird

a boat left from  hurricane Charlie !!! Punta Gorda was hit hard

wildflowers

This is a log with the end was cut to resemble a bear  I was told maybe its natural b 

ut interesting non the less Look close :)

Another view of the flowers

nice beach area

My "Easy Street" back from Quilters & Sewing carry along Tote very cute!!" Blue Pointe Restaurant in Ft.Myers,Fl Great!!!

Hi  havent posted much was sick with chest cold and then got a pulled muscle in my back so have been laid up for the better part of a month here. Had my 65th Birthday in here April 23,1949. Any April Taurus babies out there?????

  This is my Birthday picture with my husband  Gene at "Blue Pointe Restaurant at Bell Tower Shops" in Ft. Myers. The restaurant is great and if you go on your Birthday a portion of your meal is free (my dinner was free of course you have to show your ID lol !!! ) The Restaurant is newly remodeled and  has Great fresh, salads oysters on the half shell ....The Grouper Berry salad is to die for!!!!! you can eat outside or inside.They make your salad on the spot not pre -made.I loved it.!!!! Got to go there is wonderful!!!

 Here are my pics of my easy street from Bonnie hunter's 2012 Mystery Quilt....... I used her colors she chose and was very pleased with the out come. I took pictures with the borders on and quilted. I have to bind it now . I was very pleased with the Quilting had it Quilted with a large Stipple....Since it is very scrappy I just wanted to show off the colors etc.and not so much detail in the Quilting..

The first border is a nice stripe to break it up from the quilt.It is royal blue and turquoise as you can see not bound yet .

This shows the 2 different blocks there were 15 of one and 9 of the other

My Shih Tzu" Coochie Coo" wanted to show you my quilt before the borders.......

Nicely quilted but not heavily done 

  I am now cutting pieces for Bonnies Celtic Solstice. I have found some great shirts at the Thrift shops . I bought 15 shirts for $15.00 before Christmas and some were $60.00 shirts Columbia ,Izod etc.  You get 1 to 1 and 1/2 yards of fabric of Bali fabric and for 1.00 .I buy 100% cotton usually but have gotten some with 5% other. Now how can you beat  that deal huh?I love deals like that don't you?

 I made this sewing tote and I might have posted pics of it here but wanted to post the site for the tutorial and my take on it so here is the site very cute indeed and she did a wonderful job of explaining how to very detailed!!!  http://lotsofpinkhere.blogspot.com/2011/09/travel-sewing-kit-tutorial.html It folds up nicely and you can reconfigure to make it your own like I did on a few changes. lays open on your lap in the car and folds up great to carry along in your purse etc.

The outside I made with the 2 and 1/2 in.of pre-cuts of the Moda "Glamping" squares

The inside I made and put 2 thread fobs instead of 1. I also made 2 pockets at the the end and piggybacked them for more storage right (where the corner of the page is and has a acrylic template sticking out.)

Jumping cursor & Easy Street Mystery Quilt

Hi all I have had this most annoying problem for the last several weeks. I could not find the answer how to fix the problem.I went to C net.com. I thought I had a virus running under the radar and just had no idea how to fix the problem.So I took the advice of one of the posts and went to mouse on the control panel settings.I unchecked the enhance pointer options and the hit apply. It worked right away. Geesh couldn't post anything the d... cursor jumped and  made a mess of all my emails etc......so in case you all have the same problem that is how to fix it.  This one worked for me anyway.

close up of quilting

 I got my quilt back from the Long Arm Quilter here in N. Ft, Myers. Nicely done . This was my Bonnie Hunters  mystery Quilt from last years Mystery Quilt called "Easy Street". I made the King Size version.....It turned out great!!!! I have to trim it and do the binding. Ellie  from Quilter's Nook in Cape Coral had a special for the month of February.  She is a member of the Guild  in Cape Coral ....I am going to join ...... so I jumped on the special . It was a stippling pattern all sizes were the same price so was a great deal. I probably could have spent more money and had a different pattern  but I wanted it done.  I like meandering stippling or puzzle effect. Since it was scrappy I wasn't to concerned with doing something Fancy.....

so here is a picture of it before the binding but with the borders. I am doing the Celtic Solstice Mystery Quilt  by Bonnie Hunter.I am using shirts I have gathered for fabric in this quilt. I bought shirts at a  local thrift store.I bought 15 shirts for 1.00 a piece before Christmas at a sale. Some of the shirts were Tommy, Izod, and Columbia, Old Navy and Wrangler. Some of these shirts go for 60.00 new.also Some of these were batiks and almost all were 100% cotton. I thought that was a wonderful way to get fabric since its going for 10.00 - 11.50 a yard now for high end fabric. I got a nice big Cheddar 3 X shirt out of this bunch also.

Easy Street Quilt quilted not bound

Chateau Hexagon & Love Entwined

I have been stitching my Chateau Hexagon by Lynette Anderson. It is just the cutest BOM. It is applique and Embroidery I believe there are 8 little blocks .Very Sweet. Each  block has a wooden button to add on very nice!!!!
I bought the background Fabric for Love Entwined By Esther Aliu.will be a work in progress for sure The Fabric is called Essentials by Wilmington.The color is lightest Ivory
 .I am having trouble typing it jumps over the page and where ever it wants .... ..so this. is it till I figure out the virus or whatever  .Anyone  have for any help me???????

Essentials ....Lightest Ivory by Wilmington for love Entwined

Ivory and Light purple

Chateau Hexagon by Lynette Anderson Block 1

block 1 and button

Block 2 &  3

block 1 thru 4 buttons and instructions

Quilts and new bedroom makeover

Gene painted the furniture and put up a shelf mounted the Tv and mirrors

    We have been blessed here in Florida. Love our little mobile double wide ,fixed up and bigger than our lake home in Indiana We redecorated our bedroom painted ,new carpet , new bed and curtains!!!! Love it Love It !!!!! Our bedroom is a beautiful and HUGE room and It has a

  very serene feeling when you walk in the room now......

New curtains, curtain rods , love the addition of these ribbon streamers with beads and glass baubles so pretty in the sun streaming in just so feminine

I have downloaded step 3 for the Celtic Solstice from Bonnie Hunter have a few of step 1 & 2 cut out but need to finish this Christmas projects first then I can relax and do what I want.
 SO........on to sewing for the day here.

The quilt panel for car quilt for 3 yr old Ayden

The back for car for grandson quilt panel

Easy Street & new old machines to my collection

(This is an older post but was delayed so some of this you might have already read about) I finally got my Easy street Mystery (by Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville )assembled except the borders.been auditioning fabric for the border.I believe I am going to do a small navy blue batik then the butterfly fabric in the turquoise I have as the main large border. here are a few pictures of the quilt itself together.

hanging up

laid out on the couch

Coochie decided to make her self at home :) My sweet Shih Tzu
(But stubborn are there any that aren"t?)

here is the close up of both blocks

I also have been out garage sailing here at our home in Florida so I got a nice Standard Treadle machine last Sunday for $20.00 and today I got a Singer coffin style machine # 99 for $ 25.00 .both had nice decals and the wheel moved freely with both.The Standard had a lot of lint and quite a bit of rust to rub off.I got it clean but had to use steel wool and rub quite a bit. Nice cabinet needed a belt and I need a book so checking into them.I need a leg bar for the coffin machine so might be a while for that unless I can use a foot pedal will need to research it .

Bonnie Hunters new Mystery quilt

I am getting ready to start Celtic Solstice, Bonnie Hunters new Mystery Quilt. The theme is the Irish flag colors Orange,Yellow, Green and Blue.I have collected shirts for 1.00 a piece at our local Hope Hospice Thrift store.I just happened in there on the day all clothing was 1.00 !!!! I got about 15 shirts for 15.00. All were in great shape .A couple Batik shirts and lots of light colored for shirting materials.  I found some Columbia shirts also Geesh I hate to cut up the shirts but I hate to pay between 9- 12 for higher end fabric all the time so here goes Cut, cut. I found some blue and orange colored shirts.  I found a couple Navy shirts from my shirt stash to use. These fabrics are great I bought some yellow fabric and some green. I bought a T-recs  ruler set to use now. I may later buy the . software. I met Linda  Frantz when she was at the Dear Jane retreat in Shipshewanna In. 
In Indiana we call it Shipshe !!! She was waiting to hear about her first publication of her program.So I bought her first program and it is a great idea. the company Inklingo.com  I will probably buy it later, as it is on sale for 20.00 till Jan 3rd for this quilt so take advantage of the reduced price while you can .......You can do so much with her programs so try one!! You print the pattern on the back of the fabric you just iron it on freezer paper very cool idea. I have used it and people who do paper piecing its great for that also or for English paper piecing for hexies also.

Shirts I bought I bought quite a few 1.00!! a few are my Husbands( Gene ) he didn't want any more

 look at that cheddar !!

I'm so excited always when Bonnie starts a new mystery, book, etc. She is just the best .If you ever get a chance to do a retreat with her for a day week what ever do it.You wont be disappointed .Bonnie is so much fun, down to earth, like one of the family and such a relaxed atmosphere in her classes. I love You BONNIE. You're just the greatest.!!!!!! This is her new Celtic Solstice  Mystery   Quilt.!!!!http://quiltville.blogspot.com/p/celtic-solstice-mystery.html

Nice bright colors to the left are shirts, the right pile is fabrics

Here are the fabrics I bought at garage sales and some from my stash. The flower power greens I already had so I'm going to use it this quilt for some punch.