I suppose I have time for a Little Note...

Let's see. Oh yes, I've begun putting Jessica's quilt together. Everything was going rather lovely, until I was off. So now I have a whole bunch of seam ripping ahead of me that I am not looking forward to. I have the backing material, it's a creamy color with swirls and pink flowers. Rather typical quilt back if I suppose. Haven't found anything to go on the back of mine yet but we'll see.

I did not like the way my applique hearts looked on my glorified patchwork so DH bought me some invisible thread and I plan to resew them.

I have begun working on my charity perinatal quilts, I need 3 Preemie Extra Small, 3 Preemie Small, 2 Preemie Medium, 1 Preemie Large, and one Full Term. Currently I have two of the Preemie Extra Small completely quilted awaiting me to dream up a binding for them.

Tonight is Turkey Dinner, as in it's been six month's since Thanksgiving and mommy is craving Homemade Thanksgiving Turkey (ours was so good last Thanksgiving we didn't have LEFTOVERS!) Currently my Turkey is done, a lovely 12 pounder, complete with the gravy and Homemade APPLE PIE, I'll be whipping up some old fashioned lumpy mashed potatoes, and green beans in a little while. Don't you wish you could have dinner at my house?

The breeder of the munchkin kitten my mother bought is trying to pull out of the deal because she thinks mom will breed her, yeah right, we lived in Arkansas for 4 years we know how babies are made, and I'm telling you there is no way mom is going there. So the lady is demanding more money, ect. Mom is beside herself about it, and it doesn't help matters, the lady is telling her she will never be able to buy a cat of this breed ever anywhere. What a mess.

Charity Baby Blankets

Today I found a website. For creating keepsake items for families who loose their baby at or near birth. Bridging People and Places One person at a Time makes and gives quilts and other things to People in need, such as children who have been abused or suffer from serious illnesses.

A requested set of blankets add up to need exactly the number of heart squares I have left over (okay so I would be like two or three short). Do you know where I'm going with this? Bonus dh bought like 5 yards of poly-batting for me when it was half off, and I have those three yards of Winne the Pooh Blue Toile with Pooh Bear looking up to the sky, heaven perhaps? So I'm thinking way better than a throw for my chair is those little blankets. Maybe?

Brace yourselves!

Okay, here's the scoop, the layouts for the TWO "Gift from Heaven" Quilts have been determined. I have a whopping 12 extra heart squares which I'm thinking of making a throw blanket for the chair in dear daughter's room.

That means from my 4 bags of clothes I have FOUR quilts in the works. Don't forget my glorified patchwork. Oh I know it's so hard to keep track without photos. I promise just as soon as dh gets that cable for the new camera I'll flood you with photos. Also I have a huge box of cut 3 1/2" squares leftover, so who only knows what those will become. Oh and I mustn't forget the two double sided pillows I'm making just as soon as I get the backing material for the quilts that will be the boarder on the pillows.

I'm planning to make a couple of sachets for my sister, little scrappy chic hearts from some of Jessica's things for my sister. I'm sure she will just love them. I'm going to put some of the dried petals I have dried from my crazy blooming rose bush (it is SO happy this year!) Which as a bonus will get them off my counter!

Short of making more blocks (the extra twelve mentioned above were accidents, seriously!) I've sewed all I can sew without buying the boarder/sashing fabric and the backing material. So that leaves the NASTY job, at least in my current opinion of cutting all the blocks to the same size. That's 50 for the two quilts. UGH! Did I mention I don't have one of those square quilters rule things, that makes this job easy? Groan, lol I have to start a Joann's list right away!

The moment I've been Waiting for, the Quilt Blocks...

Oh my blog! Let's see, the blocks for my Gift from Heaven Heart Quilt are all finished. Talk about a crazy peice of work! So many fabrics! It will take quite a bit of work to get all the bocks together in a way that looks nice. In addition to the blocks for the quilt I have two extra hearts and two extra stars which will be made into double sided pillows for my daughter. I have found a wonderful website that sells wide width fabrics which I am planning on using a gentle color on the back to soften the quilt. The extra fabric from that will be used to trim my pillows, so it should match nicely.

Today is shopping day with my mom, we're off to go look at the fish that she requested and then perhaps to the store to look at the sewing machine I think is out of my price range, but yet was disappointed when dh looked at the one in the store the other day and didn't bring it home for me (they didn't have any in stock).

I have had the horror of losing a $100 bill. Yep, dh and I were swapping money back and fourth, I wanted him to go get groceries for me, and he didn't want to. I thought he took the money, but he left it for me, and then a couple of hours later Jessica was playing with it. Shocked but super busy cleaning the bathroom I took it from her. When I went to were I'd put it last night it was missing one bill. Don't you wish you'd been following me around that day?!?! hehehe, dh replaced it for me, but in theory there is $100 floating around my house. Yes, I already checked dd's wallet.

I hate catalogs, I hate that they buy my address and send me these filled with stuff that is either ugly, to expensive, or both. I don't like calling to tell them to take me off the mailing list either, I wonder do they really print one less, or do they always have the print print say 100,000? I suppose if everyone calls to tell them not to send junk they might print a couple thousand less. Perhaps... My stepfather's (cringe) mother used to live in the mother-in-law apartment adjoining the house and I tell you want she would get four and five copies of the same catalog. When she moved out it took mom months to get the catalog companies to stop.

Jessica has been dry two naps and two overnights in a row. YIPPIE! She likes to pick out her own clothes these days and delights herself with "matching" outfits. Today she is sporting a yellow Strawberry Shortcake shirt with gently flowing capped sleeves, and yellow shorts with ruffles on them. Some kiddo hu?

Oh and here's one for you, last night I stuck my hand in the ceiling fan! Yes, seriously I did. It's a wooden fan, but sure enough it caused a bruise and even broke the skin on my ring finger. UGH!

I found a longarm company that will hopefully get the mail I sent - from my yahoo account. I of course can always sent it to Matthew's mom, but I don't know much about her, prices, machine type, ect. Did you know that come longarm machines are computerised and they long arm the programed pattern just like that? Versus some longarm machines, like the classic are run by a person and their creative ideas? Both are "man-ed" but interesting hu?

Yes, yes I know you want photos. DH bought me a new camera too. It was an open boxed deal from Wally World, but the USB cable it needs isn't standard and there was only a standard one (made by a different company) in the box. So I'm working on it. I really hope I can get a certain photo for for you.

I smell a rat and feel the sting of it's bite

I've been steadily casting my net wider and wider looking for a sewing machine that will be in my price range, bought at least somewhat locally, and have a few of the things I want. Earlier in the day I was focused on some of the brother machines, and found out that Brother is discontinuing their 270D Disney machine, I looked at the ones they are replacing it with, and the new ones seem to be a much better design. Granted they cost more. But I found a press release that said their starting prices and they didn't seem to bad.

So I called the dealer closest to me. Firstly he quoted me between hundreds more than the press release and at least that much more than an online dealer (note I said dealer, not ebay) selling the very same machine. So now I'm walking through the paces, "and what are you hours? Yes, what did you say your name was? Charlie, yes, yes, thank you..." Then I try to follow in with maybe I'll see you next week. Since about halfway through the conversation my daughter is screaming, only the man wont let me go! He say's I have lots of sewing machines here would I consider the 270D? No, I tell him it's being discontinued and is no longer going to be supported by Brother, and I for one feel that something crazy like those cassettes needs manufacture support. He wants to know where I got my information. But I wasn't born yesterday and simply differ that I read it in an article on the Internet. So he then interjects, "I have a floor model, I'm selling for "X" that's nearly $50 less than the one at Wally World, and he's telling me about support, classes, etc.

So at first I thought it was funny and spent an hour laughing to myself, about his grab for the sale, if only because, the news is out. Shheesh. But then it starts to bother me, and I can't help thinking what a rat like thing to have done. "I smell a rat". Trying to pawn off a demonstration model on me because I know the story and soon other's will too. Not to mention the 270D is considered a somewhat lesser machine than it's replacement the 350, and the 900D. So it works under my skin slowing making me crazy. So I call my mom.

Then she tells me that years ago, my dearly beloved grandmother went in there to have her machine serviced. Being a seamstress for decades she had an amazing machine with a name to match, but this very man that I'd spoken to, convinced my grandmother to trade her machine for a low end White. Talk about a rat. I thought I smelled one! Worse yet, he just took her for a run for her money, just like everyone else, treating her like she didn't have a clue, when once she did. It makes me want to bawl about it. I loved that wonderful woman, my heart cries to think of anyone hurting her.

B'Bye Sewing Machine

Last night when I popped in here to jot down a note to all of you I discovered the photo of Roarie was missing, needless to say I was rather unhappy about it, especially since it seemed to be the only one Blogger was missing. Rather than get upset I went off and did something else, and huzzah! this morning it's right back were it belongs, that goodness for this big community that we don't have to report ever single problem we discover.

So UPS has written us a check, or so rumor has it, and we should be seeing it sometime soon. In return I get to pack up my little machine and send it off. Not so thrilled about that as it had been behaving for the past week or so. Lucky for me VERY soon after I discovered its emanate departure, it jammed up and hasn't wanted to work since. Phooey, or it that a good thing? I suppose not that it's not working the only thing that is bothering me is that I use one foot in particular to get me scant 1/4 and I know different machines "scant" differently. In all seriousness I'd guess I wasn't that "good" with my first handful of hearts and the differences will have to be cut off anyhow. :) Someone should tell me that's a correct assumption about now, hehehe.

So I'm back to sewing machine shopping, oh how I hate this job. It's made even harder as I know what I like/love about this machine, and what I would love for it to have. Not to mention I really wanted an Elna, but I'm not happy with the $600 price tag the one with the features I want has. So there are three paths in front of me, firstly I can buy one of the Brother sewing machines from Wally World that has a good sized handful of the features I desire, secondly I can sit and watch ebay again, and of course pray that whatever machine works there is sold by a person willing to DOUBLE BOX, or three I throw caution to the wind and visit the store south of me where the mean lady sells Elna's and Pfaff's, hoping she has something I like and can afford, knowing full well that her Elna's start at that $600 I was telling you about, and if I didn't see something it's a 100 mile drive to the next store that does actually sell machines in my price range. Problematic, I know.

So let's see it is so humid today I can't stand it, I vacuumed this morning and had to turn the a\c on. Good for me it's nice and cool inside now. :) And that my dears would be the end of my note today. Take care everyone!

Have you ever seen babies this little?

Wow, so much has happened I'm feeling a bit daunted as to put it down here (just think about how bad the Family Website must be if I feel that way!

Last things first that way you will be up to speed even if I don't do a full recap. BABY BIRDS! My cousin has a baby Cardinal Nest it can't be 2 feet from her house. The boat my husband works on is in dry dock this week and he's one of the very very few men trained to stay on the boat during that time. Just think of him as a Doberman for the boat. And here's hoping no one would be stupid to try and do anything with the boat while he's there. OH! Sorry, the point is, he's staying with my cousin for the week, and was able to take photos with his camera phone for all of us to see (I did get to see them at little Tommy's birthday party on Saturday, but had no way to take photos).




Aren't they just precious? I have seen smaller babies just this morning in fact, they were baby spiders on the back of the moma spider in dd room, and hubby was taking them far far away. I tell you what I completely need an exterminator. Trivia: Who else knows that about halfway through raising their babies a Cardinal Mommy will go make another nest and sit on the eggs, which dear dad finishes them to weaning? Early like this they seem to switch off because the day I was there it was the daddy about 60% to 70% of the time, but today my husband tells me today it's been mostly moma.

So next things next. We have a month free with Netflicks thanks to my mom (if you want a free month too be sure and let me know, no commitment mind you) We get three movies at a time as many as they can ship back and fourth in a month. I suppose I'm lucky I signed up yesterday and my movies were in my mailbox this morning (I have an early mailman). My dear husband told me this morning that I should rest and take some time for myself when our daughter when to nap. I did and watched the first movie, Stepford Wives. The best part about the movie I would have to say is the fact that I felt well rested when it was over, and was able to get more stuff done. ;)

I am on a mission with my quilt. Here's the breakdown. I need 36 hearts and 13 starts (they are quilt stars which I always used think looked funny, but since I altered the pattern to my own liking, I simply love them. The stars will be the cornerstones of the quilt so the FULL/QUEEN (yes I decided aren't you proud, that I can make a commitment?!?!) will be a square and will wear evenly on all sides. The stars are right side up no matter what what you look at it. Trust me it will be lovely. Ahhh, but here's what I have. 21 hearts (the 22nd is nearly done), and 3 stars! That means I need 15 more hearts and 10 more stars. I suppose when I look at it here it doesn't seem like that much, But trust me that's not even half way. That's rather a large downer when I had thought it would be a twin and was 60% done. :( So I'm working like a crazy woman to get back to that 60%, hehe. It also didn't help that I decided not to do the sashing between the blocks, which I'm sure I will later curse myself over. But for now I truly think it will be a twist on tastefully traditional. You should see my little sketch! :)

Oh so backing up some more, the play I took mom and my sister to was simply a riot, I loved it. Well worth the money. My sister who is only 20 didn't get as much out of it, but she said she wanted to come so I bought her a ticket. Dim Sum carts was simply marvelous. There was something wrong with the sticky rice, mom and sister thought it was undercooked, but I found out a LONG time ago, that I don't like floaties, not in my drink and certainly not in my rice, so I didn't have any. Oh ick! hehe, yesterday we did see Made of Honor, wonderful chick flick with enough silly to keep a husband's interest, depending on the husband of course, all afternoon I kept trying to pull it into the conversations with dh knowing he would have thought them funny, only to remember it was part of girl's afternoon out. There are great dim sum cart scenes in that movie, though the glitch is that they show fried food coming out of the steamer trays, and that just doesn't happen, I wouldn't have even noticed the glitch if I hadn't just been out having it though.

The children had a great time at the birthday party, fyi Tommy is 2 months nearly to the day older than my dd. Jessica's party will so not look like that, it was like planned chaos! Something you would plan out in a card game or a game of war, not in real life, but as always my cousin Meghan pulled it off with fansese (I'm sure I've spelled that wrong but neither blogger nor google knows the proper spelling or I'm so far from it, there's no telling).

I think that's more than enough to bring you close to speed. I'll be missing my hubby this week, so who knows maybe I'll pull my nose out of the sewing machine to reach out. hehehe, take care everyone, till next time!

Time Develops all Things

Oh my am I tired, last night even though she went to bed only a little late dd was up at midnight, ayyyiiii!

I have worked through some of the quilting issues. First Jessica's heart quilt is going to be a twin size, which means 10 more hearts and that puppy is off to Matthew and his moma's longarm! Later if I feel up to it I will use my remaining fabric to make a full/queen for dh and I.

Secondly I am very engrossed in working on what I'm calling the glorified patchwork. This strangely might end up being the crown jewel of my scrappy projects. Currently I am working on the center block which is a whopping 23", I am making applique hearts which will be placed together with embrodery to create a wreath of hearts. I'm not entirely sure what will go n the middle but we shall see.

I sent off an email the other day about joining in the summer quilt swap, but so far I haven't heard anything. I have great plans for this quilt. It is to be an applique of sorts, complete with real life textures, to create a true to life beach scean complete with palm trees and a hammock. Colors, shades, time of day, ect will reflect the personality of my partner. If the quilt swap is closed, ect. I'm thinking I will make it for my mom, and in which case once I figure out what sort of fabric I'd like for the sand I was going to try my hand at adding a sand castle (like kiddos built it) just off the the side of the main focus. For my mom I would also add a tote, a pair of sunglasses, and flip flops. The biggest challenge I can see at this point is deciding which fabrics have the proper texture for my goals and then getting my hands on them. The perfect example I have, is to use burlap for the palm tree trunks, trust me it will be way cool. :D

That's the strange thing I suppose, I FEEL LIKE THE MORE I know the more my brain supplies ideas! Rather like a roller coaster I suppose.

The Development of a Quilt...

So it's Monday already? Wow, I feel like blinking the sunshine out of my eyes in surprise. Let's see here...

Cats My mom is sort of seriously looking for a new kitten. At first I was surprised, but the bottom line is that we all grieve differently and how we choose to deal with it is part of what makes us who we are. She has found a delightful little girl rather a long ways away. I'm to the point now where I feel like writing the check and mom can figure out how to get her home. Trust me she's a doll.

Shopping As for shopping the Disney sundress I wanted is out of stock in my size. Wisely I got out the tape me measure and low and behold I actually guessed my size wrong, so I can get the smaller size that is still in stock, nice perk hu? DH is going to order it and the matching sundress for Jessica when he gets home later this after noon. Also on the order is a new Minnie Swimsuit for Jessica, we'll have to have one our vacation later this year. Me? Oh well I figured I can take in a pinch on each side of my old suit that never did fit right.

Sewing I sewed and sewed yesterday. Well not really. As you know I've been cutting more fabric. It's all cut btw! Yippie! Nice little squares for me. So that gave me more of the applique fabric squares that I was using for the practice nine patch. So I took all of those and laid them out which gave me another 8 patchwork blocks, that are completed, for a total of 12 blocks. This has been making me crazy because that's not really enough to get a quilt out of, a wall hanging perhaps. SOOOOOoooo! After much thought and effort, I will be using my fabric of the month club stuff to make long cabin squares (assuming of course it will look good that way) which will be combined with my nine patch blocks to form a BORDER around a 27" block. On there I will be embroidering a bunny and hearts from a quilt from my childhood.

The fabric I will be using for the large middle block is vintage salvaged from an old set of cradle bumper pads, formerly mine of course. Don't worry I'll be posting photos for you as I work on it. Currently the vintage fabric is soaking in vinegar because I pulled a huge stupid three years when I seam ripped the stuff. I very very dumbly suck the fabric in my old wood bookcase headboard, thinking "away from sunlight good, put away good, away from getting messed up WRONG, the stain from the wood even though it was stained at least a decade ago LEACHED into the fabric making it look all dark and dingy, gross. So like I said it's soaking and hopefully will come out.

My dd received a birthday party invite from her cousin for the day she is supposed to go to there house while mom, my sister, and I got to the Preforming Arts Center. She is so excited about she has been hauling the invite around for about a week!

Tomorrow my hubby is off to go help my mom with her toilet, this will be oh I think the third week he has done something with her toilets. All I can say it's it's a good thing at least one of us has a husband to share around fix it duties, or is that doody? hehe