Long time no chatter!

Came across some older quilt pictures, so I am going to post them over the next little while, until I get new pictures taken I guess!

I have not taken pictures of all the quilts I have made over the years. Many I finish just in the nick of time to pack them up and ship them off or give them away. I don't feel as strong a need to memorialize my efforts as much as I really just want the recipients to enjoy them. Here is one I made for QWL, Quilts with Love. I have been associated with this group for 4 or 5 years. A military mom friend in MO started it with a quilt request for her son on his way to the middle east. It has turned into a huge undertaking with volunteer quilters all over the country participating and has resulted in over 1,000 quilts being sent directly to soldiers.

This one I made from our Legion Post 1084 in Roselle, IL. The white squares have personal sayings and prayers from the Legion members. I really liked this one!!

Window shade is up in Family Room

The window shade finally went up night before last - had issues with getting the rod in the right place - but it's done and works well to block all the light. I used some great fabric I found at Calico Corners in Brookfield, WI when I was there in March. Had intended to use it for pillows on the couch, but was able to purchase more by phone last week, and one of my team was going there last week and picked it up for me! So that worked out and tomorrow I should have the new in my hands and am ready to make the pillows for the couches. I picked up the pillow forms a week ago so progress is being made - not perfection! Not yet anyway.

I am struggling with the pattern to use for the charity quilt that will be raffled off on Aug 1 weekend. I have over 100 6" blocks of all different fabrics. I can add 2 fat quarters more, plus one yard more. And from that I must cut each square at least once and use at least 2" from every square. Sound easy? Not when you are trying to make as large a quilt as possible so that you can get a lot of sales on it at the raffle! It will obviously be very scrappy which is my favorite style. I may play with some fabrics tonight and just do it!! That's how I approached it last year.

This past weekend Mark was sworn in as Director of our Lions Club again. This is a one year term, then we'll see what's next. I get sworn in next month I think as President of our American Legion Auxiliary. Exciting times for a Canadian! LOL!

Have shopped some more for my brother's new home and looking forward to my next visit to Seattle.

More later - will post a pic maybe of the valance material - very funky!

Lots of work, very little sewing!

Have been working hard and skipping lunch breaks, eating at my desk all week, so very tired at night. Not much new on the sewing front. The boys are clamoring for the window shade to be done in the family room so they can better view the TV, so I worked on cutting that last night, but sewing machine is in new studio and french doors are not yet up and the TV was blaring and I just couldn't sit in all that noise and didn't have the 'oomph' to haul the machine back upstairs, so maybe tonight. I already have the rod so it should be a quick job.

I have been receiving the 'flutterbye' blocks from the exchange I am doign via the HGTV quilters BBS and really love them!

We went to dinner last night with Sara (h?) , my son Stephen's new girlfriend. She's very nice - very cute freckles. Didn't open up much but I am sure her first time around the family was a little uncomfortable. I do remember that feeling, it takes some time to get over. I look forward to getting to know her better as their relationship progresses.

We had a tree man at the house yesterday and he will be back today, trimming our maples of old growth, doing some de-stumping and cutting all the wood from our 3 tree removal project last year into firewood sized pieces. They got about 30% of that task done yesterday and hopefully will be all done today. Then I get to go buy new trees or shrubs and replant the area in the patio that I cut down a few years ago! oops!!

Last week I went fabric shopping at Walter E Smithe. They are a high end custom furniture store in Chicago area and I am fortunate to have their outlet store right down the street from me!! I have got some great deals through the years, and love the shop! When they custom upholster a piece they often have leftover fabric and so send the leftovers to the outlet and sell it for $5 a yard! This is usually $45 and up a yard fabric - so it's incredible! So last week I was looking for fabric to recover my brother's dining room furniture after he moves. His home style is mission and his table and chairs are black, so I really needed the right fabric to bring a 'mission' flavor to them. Well, I bought a piece in a deep rust shade with a cross hatching of same color velvet which is gorgeous and works with the black and brings in the graphic lines of mission styling, but then I got home and looked at a piece I picked up a few months ago for my own family room and decided that might be better for him. I have struggled with the decision all week since I might cut the one for my family room window shade and have finally decided to fly both out with us at Thanksgiving and let Fred decide for himself. I have a spare sewing machine that I was going to pass on to my mom anyway, so I will just take that with me and leave it at his house for the future. Oh - I also found a 10 yard bolt of a beautiful chocolate brown, taupe, seafoam, teal, cream striped chenille that I just couldn't leave. I'll use it someday.....somewhere!

Got to run - more later!

Whew!! Finally back!

Been a while since I posted - I was out of commission for a few weeks with a nasty respiratory infection and then was away for 5 days in Seattle to attend my nephew's HS graduation. So much has happened I think I'll have to abridge it.

The carpet is all done in the basement, now we just need to hang 4 doors and finish moving in the furniture and 'stuff' from the garage.

I am not yet sewing in my new quilt studio, but hope to do that within the next few weeks. I am moving things down, just no time for sewing right now.

The trip to Seattle was wonderful, spending time with my family always is. I almost cried during the graduation it was a wonderful ceremony delivered primarily by the students. So much talent it was awesome. I also made it to Pike's Place Market and spent a little time in Undercover Quilts a bountiful quilt shop in the market. Came home with some lovely Aussie fabrics and a really rich batik (lots of that) !! I was able to see the home my brother is closing on next week, it's very nice I think it will be perfect for him and since it's new construction all the work is outside which Fred really enjoys. It will be a challenge but I am sure it will be great! My flight was cancelled on the way home due to tornadoes in the midwest, so I actually spent an extra evening with the family and I really enjoyed that.

I'm attaching my first picture here of a wallhanging I am mailing to NC today to be raffled off on July 1 as a fundraiser for McDonald House Charities. It was a charity challenge on the HGTV.com quilting message board so there are actually 22 small quilts being raffled. Reportedly the winning tickets will be pulled by 'hunky' local firemen! The challenge was called Life is a Bowl of Diamonds and the challenge required that we each pick an item for our 'bowl' , we could use only black, white and colored fabric related to our item, and we had to use diamonds somewhere in the quilt. My diamonds are appliqued for the flower petals. The water and black background are both batiks from bali and it is created in the sashiko style of quilting with white thread hand stitching against the black to create movement. The border is swirled print from Kona Bay that mimics the sashiko. and the flowers centers are tiny beads in varying shades of blues.

Well - That's it for today! More soon - as it happens! Thanks for the visit!

Another Day Older - but a lot more accomplished!

Took off work on Tuesday for my birthday, Stephen was also off work, and DH, Mark took the day off to spend it with us. The carpet finally came in on Monday so I picked it up Monday evening along with the finish nail gun and more oak trim. We all got up early and were back at work just after 8 am Tuesday morning. Staining, carpet laying, installing trim - we were in great shape when the couches arrived at noon. A little more finish work and we were off to run errands and go pick up our new TV. We decided on a Sharp 52" LCD. Got it in the house just before the rain started and into place within minutes. It is a wonderful addition to the family room and I have already enjoyed it almost ever night since. We went out to dinner at a local char-house where I indulged in a big filet mignon dinner. I don't eat red meat very often, so it was a change.

Now I am struggling with the need to find storage for the quilt room and get moved in while up against several deadlines for charity quilts to be delivered. I shopped last night on the way home and will do the same again tonight and hopefully make some decisions and purchases.

It's hard to get going with everything scattered.

Stephen is at the ACEN convention this weekend, he hauled out about 5:30 this morning to start getting ready and we had a gaggle of young people in the driveway when I headed out for the office at 6:30. Stephen took my van so they could all car-pool together and keep down the cost of parking. So I have his car for the first time. It's rather nice driving a sedan, though it does feel smaller in the cabin space than my usual passenger van.

Tomorrow is the MD-1 Lions State convention in Itasca. so another busy weekend, and then next weekend more busy-ness with the in-laws arriving back from Florida and wanting to get together for May Birthdays and Mark's birthday on Friday - still no shopping done for that! OOPS!!! Something else for the list!!!!

No carpet yet!

Worked our tails off all weekend - including an extended trip to the local HD to pick up the carpet tiles that were supposed to be in on Friday - only to be told they were not in. Called again this morning and the Customer Service rep this time tells me they couldn't have come in on Friday - Holland doesn't deliver on Friday (the trucking firm). So someone is jerking me around again, and as frustrating as it is, we have a backup plan and will not delay the remaining work.

We finished installing the wall to wall carpeting in my quilt studio - it's the loveliest shade of blue - sort of a Wedgewood blue - and will match one of the stripes in my victorian loveseat which I plan to put in the room. Right now the room is empty, so when the furniture comes tomorrow for the family room, since we have no carpet there, we can put it in my quilt studio. It will be an easy move through the double french doors after we do get the carpet installed.

No progress on furniture. Spent lots of time staining and polycoating the last of the trim and french doors so we will install those tomorrow. I did get some rest time on Mother's day, we ran errands and I picked up a couple of inspirational quilt magazine's at the book shop, then into the mall where I snagged a few great deals in the ladies department and got a new battery in my watch at the jewelers. I cooked dinner, which we ate in front of the TV and that was about it!

I was hoping to do some planting and yard work this weekend, but it rained quite a bit most of Sunday and the family room has to be our priority at this time. Maybe next week or the week after I will be able to come up with some time to do that! Of course we are booked for the next 3 weekends with Lions and Legion activities, but I will find the time somewhere.

Off to work now!

It's almost here!

Got a call this morning that our carpet tiles will be in town tomorrow!! This means we have a lot of work to do this weekend. The last 5% of details like caulking moulding that makes a huge difference. I have already scheduled Tuesday off from work so the furniture will be delivered then also and we'll be most of the way through having a finished family room again - oh and my quilt studio! I am still trying to figure out how to get an antique china cabinet down there for my fabric storage! To aid the cause I went and bought more fabric the other night. We'll have new quilts for our new couches.

This has been an excruciatingly long work week, little sleep most nights. Don't know why but allergies are raging and can't wait for this spring pollen season to cease! I do need to get out in the garden and plant my annuals and do some weeding, but the family room comes first. Gotta run - more later!