The Waiting Game

I am home from work this morning waitning ont he new living room furniture to be delivered. It's supposed to be here between 9AM & Noon. It's 9:30AM, I am not patient.
I took photos of the empty living room but I am clueless how to get the photos off my digital camera (because I can't find the install cd for it) to post them on my blog. Very frustrating.
I have swept the floors, swiffer wet jetted the floors & vacumed the rug too. I am also (while waiting impatiently) doing my least favorite chore in the whole wide world. LAUNDRY. Figured I could catch up on it while I wait. I hate to try & start anything for fear I won't hear the truck. I have plenty of PROJECTS that I can occupy my time with, I assure you.
Last year, I started a (quiltville pattern) Star Struck Quilt. Green & Cream Stars & then the accent colors are gold & brown. It will be beautiful. Funny thing is, it's MOSTLY green & even DD#1 commented that I don't USUALLY make anything in that color. I also do not have anything in my stash to use as the borders (when it DOES get done). I'll have to go to the fabric store to find soemthing. Darn it! A trip to the fabric store! How awful....
Honestly - I think I started thsi quilt a year (or longer) ago as a graduation gift for my neice. Her favorite color is green. I ran out of time to complete the quilt. So i ended up gifting her a quilt that I already had finished peicing. All I had to do was quilt it & bind it & then DD#2 took it to CA for the graduation when she went.
As everyone that knows me knows...I am horrible with deadlines. Just horrible. So I am finishing the Star Struck for ME ! A little out of my "normal" colors.....but it will be beautiful when done.
Sitting home is boring. I have so much work to do at "work" because it's so close to the end of the month. I hate being off during such a crucial time period, but DH couldn't stay home & DD#1 was home sick yesterday - so she couldn't stay home today either....It was me or nothing.
Maybe I can figure out the camera before too long & I can finally post photos...one hopes.....

See Y'all later!
Sam in Middle TN

An "Ah-Ha!" Moment

Yesterday - DD#1 & I met up witha frined from AL in Franklin, TN - we had a very high priced sandwich at a shop in downtown Franklin. It WAs high priced , but it was also GOOD! I had roast beef, DD#1 had chicken salad. Then we went to Stitcher's Garden. It was my first time in that shop. I had heard a lot about them. They had bolt after bolt after bolt of fabric. And then more bolts. It was an endless maze of fabric, dead ends too. There were SO many bolts of fabric, you couldn't see them all. Stacked so high you couldn't see them all. That didn't deter me though...I dropped a hefty sum (not my regular schedule, I assure you....) I bought a brown print , for borders. A flag print for a patriotic quilt, and r/w/b 2.5 inch strips for the same thing...and then I bought .....oh.....25 fat quarters.....? it was a full bag. Then my freind & I parted company - she was there to visit her daughter...
My DD#1 & I went to Michael's. She is making something - can't tell because if I say what she's making, it will give it all away .....then we went to Ashley Furniture. They had called to try & set up a delivery date for a our furniture. Delivery date is now set for Tuesday 7/29! I am SO excited.
But - the Ah-Ha moment is because TODAY I have successfully quilted an entire quilt with MONOFILAMENT thread! Happy Dance - Happy Dance!!! The ONLY time I had to rethread was when I ran out of bobbin thread. I am so excited about that. I can't tell you how many times I have tried to quilt with mono thread, only to have it knot, have it break, have it make loops on the back...no matter how hard I tried, I could NOT use it on my other/older machine! Ultimately - I refused to use it , if a customer wanted mono thread, they had to take their quilt elsewhere......I am sure that it was a total operator error - no doubt- but I tried it today on my Nolting and had absolutely no problems. It looks GREAT. I am happy, happy, happy!
I have not loaded the camera software onto DD#1's computer - soooo, I can't load photos.....soon, I promise, soon!
DD#1 bathed all the BIG dogs today. Chelsea smells so much better now! Bourbon is shiny & slick & big boy Briscoe is probably 5 pounds of hair lighter! Sleek, all of them! Thank You DD#1!
gotta go
talk to you all later!
Comments?
Sam

July Already !

It's been a month & I just got DSL hooked up at the house. No easy feat....a whole new story. I am using DD#1's computer - I really need to replace mine! I don't have the camera software installed - be doing that this week.
I don't have any photos to attach. We only JUST ordered furniture this weekend. Every weekend that we have been here has been WIDE OPEN - no joke. The last weekend in June my niece & I flew to Texas - landed in Houston - rented a truck - packed up DD#1's apartment , loaded it and started towards nashville on Saturday. DD#1's car broke down in Lake Charles , Louisiana. Do you have any idea how hard it is to find a tow dolly for a car after 3 PM on a Saturday? In pouring rain, no less. got it loaded & drove to Nashville. Keep in mind, the rental truck only had 2 seats, we had to get a patio chair out of the truck and stuck in the center...that was fun...3 adults, 2 dogs....rental truck & car on a tow dolly - we looked oh so unprofessional. But we did get to Nashville.
the 4th of July weekend - DD#1 accompanied me to Ohio. North of Cleveland. That is as far north as Ihave ever been in my life. Why Ohio? i sold the Gammill to a lady up there. DD#1 & I delivered it. It was a little hairly getting up there. #1 we were tired, #2 I was apprehensive, #3 DH said he was apprehensive. Turns out the lady I sold it too was really nice. The inside of her house looked so much like ours it was un-canny. Not furniture, just style. Nearly the same age, lifestyle etc. i am so glad that her husband is handy. He helped us assemble the table & get the machine going. I stayed to help her see me use it & how to thread it & load a quilt, etc. It was a crash course & I think it was helpful but surely not enough time. DD#1 & I got back to Nashville about 8 PM on Saturday. It was a nice trip, hauling that 14' trailer was interesting. You need a lot of space to change lanes with that thing trailing behind you!
This weekend I had my sister to the house for a BBQ - it stormed - rained , wind - it didn't ruin anything - but it made smoking on the deck interesting.....
At any rate. That's the "check in". Now that I have access to a computer, I can POST more often.

See Ya !
Sam

Checking In !

I still do not have the internet hooked up at the new house.
The move went well. At least everything is moved IN but certainly not unpacked. All I really lack unpacking is my sewing rooms. Yes, roomS. Plural. I have the longarm sewing room in the basement. Which has the majority of my fabric & patterns. Then I have the sewing room AREA upstairs in the bonus room. Once I get through June - I'll get the internet hooked up & post more! But I just have "other" things to do right now!

See Ya !
Sam

The Countdown

Well I officially have work days left before our big move to TN. You know? In January, I was scared & really not sure I wanted to go. But now? I am READY. We close on the new house on Friday the 23rd & the moving company is arriving on Monday May 26th. Yes, Memorial Day. They are starting to pack , said it would be 2 days to pack , one & a half to laod & then GO ! The worst part of all this is that the loading & unloading will all have to be shuttled. There is no way a semi-truck (18 wheeler) can get down my driveway in AL and the road in front of the house in TN isn't wide enough to stay parked long enough to un-load....so EVERYTHING has to be shuttled.
DH & I have been going over & over & then over again, how we'll move the animals. We never seem to discuss the same strategy twice. He wants me to borrow a cat carrier for the cat. I told him I'd put him in a clothes hamper & tape it closed just like we did 10 years ago. DH said that would not be humane. We had a long , very long discussion ragarding the differences between a cat carrier & a clothes hamper would be. I pointed out that the clothes hamper was bigger. DH stated it was a dignity thing...honestly? I NEVER , EVER thought that DH would be worried over the cat! He wasn't 10 years ago.....maybe he's become more fond of the cat? Perhaps.....There's no telling. But - bottom line? I'm NOT buying a cat carrier. He can go in the laundry hamper. I'll make it up to the cat by feeding him tuna....
I am quilting my last customer quilt this weekend. I can't take anymore until after we get moved & set up. My "customer" quilt that is on the rails this evening is from my freind & co-worker, Kyra. It is SO pretty! Pinks & browns. It's for her baby girl & she wants butterflies on it. I am using tha "Butterfly Charm" pantograph from Willow Leaf Studios ( I love thier patterns!) and I am using Perma Core Thread in a tan color called (oddly enough) "Mother Goose" It's more tan than pink, but blends really well with either.

I don't know how long the blogger lets you go without posting, so I'll TYR to post a little more often this week before the big move, but I can't tell how long it will be before I get back on. I don't know if the house has cable, DSL or dial up - that's not something I had put in my name yet. It cost $500 just to get the utilities in my name for next week!

Good night!

Sam

Lazy Sunday & Easy Project!

This has been the first wekend that we didn't work on or in the garage since August. the only time we DIDN'T work on the garage is if the weather prohibited it or we had a function we couldn't get out of......

Saturday I went to the Race Track w/ DH & helped him put out trash cans. That's putting it real simple because the trash cans were great big 8 yard dumpsters. There were about 85 of them. give or take 10. All of them had to have plugs screwed in (my job) and stickers put on (my job again). We got done around 2PM - came home & went to sleep...

Sunday we spent a lazy day. I slept in until around 8:30 & then got up & went to the store. It was still early & not crowded yet. When I got home I put everything away & them took a nap. It's the first Sunday that I have done that in AGES....I got up & my sinuses have been giving me a fit over the past week. Every outside surface is yellow from the pollen....my head has felt ike it's swelled as big as a basketball! If I take sinus med, I get medicine head...so I suffer.

I had originally decided that I was going to spend Saturday & part of Sunday quilting, but went to the track w/ DH instead. Sort of our quality time.....but Sunday I was feeling sort of creative & I etched my name in a glass baking dish. It was a neat little project & I think I impressed DH! the top photo looks the best, I couldn't find anything or anywhere to prop it up so that it would show up really well. You get the idea, I am sure. Really simple, really fast (well fast if your name isn't super long. Good thing it's not Messerschmidt or something....) I let the etching cream sit on the glass while I cleaned up the kitchen from dinner this evening. This baking ids is one that I had in the cabinet. I don't think I have used it much. It's by Anchor Hocking. I looked at the "Pyrex" dishes @ Wal Mart but they had SO MUCH raised printing. The etching cream that I have WILL etch the raised printing, but the Anchor brand had LESS than the Pyrex brand. So I used the Anchor dish that I had for ME & then I'll make 2 for a wedding & a going away gift for fellow employees in May.

Maybe DD#1 & DD#2 would like to have baking dishes with thier names etched in them too?

It was a fun project, THANK YOU JOAN for the link & the idea.

Well DH has to be in Nashville at a big meeting , which means he cant' wear jeans....So I have to pack good clothes for the week. And I still have laundry to fold & put away. Since the house is up for sale, i can't leave anythign stitting out. it all has to be folded, put away & everything put back. i hate laundry!!

Gotta Go

Sam

The *NEW* House in Burns, TN

DH & I went house-hunting AGAIN in TN on April 4th & 5th. We looked at nearly 11 houses in 2 days. We chose this one & put in an offer. We low-balled it & the seller countered, then we countered. The seller accepted our counter - so after all the paperwork & escrow & inspections & legal-ease stuff that goes along with buying a house gets done - we can move in After 6PM on May 26th.

This house sits on 1.58 acres (.40 acres less than we do now & no lake at the new house) It has 2700 square feet {500 square feet larger than our current house....}. 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. All bedrooms & bathrooms are on the same floor. It has a HUGE basement. Something like 38 X 52 and that includes a 2 car parking area. There is also a separate area in the basement that is a storm shelter. Storm shelters are a very useful commodity in TN !

It also has a bonus room upstairs. 30 x 30 is what the bonus room is, I think. And there are 2 areas on each side of the bonus room that are unfinished. Maybe a future bathroom & storage area??? Who knows at this moment?

There is a formal dining room & an area in the kitchen that you can eat in too. The kitchen is much smaller than mine in AL but it DOES have a very large pantry - that's it's only saving grace....and all the appliances are black. i didn't think I'd like that, but it looks really elegant.

The back yard is situated so that fencing it will be an easy thing to do. i like the driveway, and I like the walkway & porch. I dont' feel like we "settled", I think we moved up the "socio-economic" ladder, as far as neighborhoods are concerned.....housewise - the house in AL is larger in the kitchen, the formal dining room & the master bedrooms. The house in TN has a larger living room - but it also has a bonus room & the basement - we wanted those too

SO? All we lack doing is paperwork, paperwork & more PAPER WORK !!! Then the movers come.

By the way...I have a house in AL for sale.....if you know someone that's looking !

Sam

The Nolting is UP! - Soon to be DOWN

On Wednesday while I was off, I decided I would do some long arm quilting. that is what i always do on Wednesday - just not normally AT HOME. I have Donna's quilt that i REALLY, REALLY need to get done & honestly it's up after this one. I was afraid to put a "customer" quilt on the rails since I had never used this machine before - I needed to get a "feel" for it!

The little quilt in this photo is a lap size that I made with leftovers from the quilt I made that is on our bed. (If you look at earlier posts, you can see the BIG one) I thought that if I didn't get the "feel" for the machine right away and I made mistakes, that the mistakes should be on something that was mine & something that didn't matter if I frog-stitched.....so i loaded this little beauty.

First off, the machine performed beautifully. Secondly - I did something with THIS little quilt that I have NEVER done before. I used a sheet for the backing & polyester batting! the sheet was old, old, old - i didn't figure the weave of the sheet was going to be too tight after all these years! WHY? did I do that? Well because I didn't have any backing & batting. Not at the house! It's all packed up. I (probably) have enough backings for 10 quilts & batting for twice that many...but none when I needed it......so I did "no-no's" and it came out alright. No skipped stitches or anything.

So ? Now I am ready to really get busy.

I officially have less than 6 weeks before we move to TN

The Nolting is set up in my STUDIO (AKA: the garage) Isn't that nice inside? Nice paint, nice lights, nice fans.....I need a radio & I think I'm SET.

Gotta go.

Sam

Update - Chelsea's Buttons

This photo was taken on Wednesday 4/09/2008. I had the favorite fat dog to the vet & he said that her ear is healing very well - but since they don't seem to be bothering/hindering her & the top ear is still a little loose that he wants to leave them in an additional week. So we go back again next week.

Fat Dog was sunbathing while I practiced on the long arm. Wednesday was a gorgeous day - i wore shorts. yes the same as last year - they STILL fit, thank you ...........

Sam

Blah , Blah, Blog

it's been nearly 2 weeks since I posted. So much has happened & so much has passed that I am never going to stay awake long enough to get anything posted. DH & I have been to TN to house hunt AGAIN. We looked at 10 homes & settled on one specific house but we have a backup in case this doesn't work out. We put in an offer - the seller counter offered - and we have countered his. i am not too worried about him refusing our counter offer, I am just worried about having the $$ to buy the house when it comes time to "close". I have never bought anything that cost this much & I sure never thought it would be a house like this one. A little on the upscale side of the neighborhood, if you know what I mean. DEALING with the paperwork is plain irksome, for sure. Thank goodness for email & adobe ! What a life saver that has proved to be. Once the seller has accepted our counter offer, I'll get some photos posted. Don't want to jinx the deal.

DD#@ had a car accident. She hit a parked car. DH is fuming.....this realy couldn't happen at a worse time! she isn't hurt, she' s just not paying attention. I don't even want to talk about it.

got the Nolting put up in the garage...I know, I know...it will have to come down in another month! SO WHAT? I'm going to use it & quilt on it until I can't do it anymore. The FIRST quilt that I am goign to quilt is for my buddy Donna in CA. She's waited long enough, my time has been elsewhere committed & I have had her beautiful quilt since BEFORE Christmas. She must think horrible thoughts about my ability to get ANYTHING done. she made this particular quilt from her Father's shirts. He died last year. i think it so sweet & sentimental & i feel like a HEEL for having it SO long!

That's an update on the trials & tribulations of my life. I can't wait until everything is back to normal. Wha't snormal anyway? Been so long since I seen it, i couldn't recognize it!

Sam

Not for Queasy Readers ! My Fat Dog's Buttons

Anyone that knows me (even a little) knows that I have a FAVORITE fat dog. Her name is Chelsea. She comes to work with me every day & has been for 9 years. I don't think I will dothat when we move to TN. Anyway - Monday a co-worker was petting her & says to me "Hey Miss Sam - what's this lump on Chelsea's ear?". To which I answer: "What lump?" My fat dog, Chelsea, had this huge lump on her right ear. It looked like what batting does in old quilts & wads up in big lumps? Only this was soft. She didn't like me fiddling with it. So my plan was to take her to the vet today while I was off Only my office help had the flu and we swapped days so she could stay home & get well. My co-worker's wife (a very good friend of mine!!), CJ, volunteered to take Chelsea to the vet. Well she didn't come back with my dog!!!!

CJ said that Chelsea had an ear infection & has shook her head & ruptured a blood vessel in her ear and that is what caused the swelling. The vet has to lance it, drain it & put a compression bandage on it. I admit that I didn't have a clue what a "compression bandage" was, but I was not prepared for BUTTONS. Bless her little doggie heart. He lanced the swelling & literally sutured the buttons from inside to outside of her ear. This is to prevent her ear from swelling again while it heals. If it does appear that it is swelling , (yack here) , I have to wash it & clean it until it drains. I am not kidding , these are actual BUTTONS on my dog's ear. he shaved her ear too. Poor Chelsea, she is still quite loopy in these photos.

I feel rotten too, since I didn't notice anything. I'm sick over it. How can I NOT see this? For goodness sake, I bring this dog TO WORK WITH ME !!!! When CJ didn't come back with my dog, I cried. I was so upset over the whole situation.

I hope I didn't gross anyone out with these photos, I really didn't think anyone would believe me that she has BUTTONS stitched to either side of her ears. I called CJ & she was astounded & I called my bud Zan - she read all my emails today bemoaning how rotten a pet owner that I am to let something like this slide & SHE was astounded too. I've never seen this. Never. And the poor dog is just fretful....The vet siad she has to wear her buttons for 2 weeks. I know it's awful for her, but I'll bet you a dime that all the people I work with are going to ask me if I did that!!! Even DD#2 didn't think that the BUTTONS were actually stitched on her ear. I was already being a big bother to my dog - she wouldn't let me get any closer to her ear....do you blame her?

DH is't home - I have got to figure a way to get my favorite fat dog upstairs & into our room - she's too heavy for me to lift into our bed. Don't roll your eyes! I HAVE to make sure she doesn't scratch the buttons out. Maybe I should just sleep in the downstairs bedroom?

Where's a baby gate when you need one? if I can get her into a specific bedroom, I have to KEEP her there!!!!

This is going to be a LONG night.

Sam

Weeks & Weeks & My Older Quilts

It's been a few days - cetainly more than a few - days that is - and maybe a week since I posted last. I have been SO busy. I have traveled every week - out of state for the past 3 weeks. This week & next week are the 2 that I get to get back to normal. Whatever normal is. Then the first week of April , I am traveling BACK up to TN to spend 2 days of house hunting. Seems I don't LIKE house hunting much....I really don't want to get into that rant right now.

My friend & fellow blogger, JP, posted a quilt on her blog that looked familiar to me! I made one too. I think it was in some scrap quilting book or another. And then also in the Fons & Porter magazine. It has a zillion little 8 pointed stars in ti. It was SO boring to make! I think I had 1800 little 1.5 inch star points. No joke, I counted them! Anyway - It's the quilt on the 4 poster bed. that's the master bedroom bed. The quilt is really too big on the bed, because I made it a queen size & the bed is full sized. The quilt hangs down on the sides to the middle of the sideboards.... We have queen size beds in the guest rooms . (that will change when we move)

Top 2 photos are of the quilts in the master bedroom. The Blue & White Zig Zag quilt that I call my Rick-Rack Quilt is also a Fons & Porter pattern from thier magazine. I actually made 2 of those Rick-Rack Quilts! I over-sewed too many blocks & only ended up making about 20 more to make another quilt!

the next photo is of the quilts in the "pink" guest room. I love that quilt on the bed. It is so beautiful & all in Thimbleberries prints. 100% Thimbleberries. I have 2 quilt racks in that room - along with a quilt on the footboard of the bed! I made all of these.

Last is the "yellow" guest room. I call that quilt on the bed "896". Why? You ask? Well, because there are 896 flying geese units in that quilt. I didn't think I would EVER get those finished. but I did, & it's one of my favorites too. That armoire is in the yellow room - I plan on FILLING it with quilts.

I didn't want to post withot showing some photos, so - there they are - some of my most beloved belongings. Quilts! All made by me. My quilts are more than just a hobby - they are part of me. Blood sweat & tears. Definately one or more of blood sweat & tears has gone into the making of any one of them . There are more - some at DD#1's apartment in the big city & some with DD#2 at her apartment at college. and I probably have 5 (maybe 7?) quilt TOPS hanging inn the closet.

If you wonder WHY I stand the pillows up on end (you can't see them - but they are up on end on the bed in the pink room too.....) on the beds...it's because I forget to close the doors to the rooms to keep the cat out & if the pillows are down, or propped up - he'll sleep on them. I hate the cat on the bed and he really only gets up there to sleep on the pillows. So ? Problem solved now. He doesn't even get on the beds at all if he can't get on the pillows!!

Ha ha

Good Night

Sam

Home Again! And Garage Photos !

Sunday ! WOW - I am home from the "big city". Glad too. I lost my car at the airport yesterday. I wrote down where I parked. Level/isle/letter....but failed to find where I wrote it down when I returned to the airport. Being gone for 7 days didn't improve my memory either. I searched for about 30 minutes & then airport security helped me. They drove me around & around & around while I kept hitting my car alarm on the little key ring fob. We found it, and it was no-where near where I thought I had parked. I felt completely stupid with a capital "S". I'd have been there until dark, had it not been for the security folks. I'm glad that they were not super busy & couldn't help. I was near tears as it was when I finally DID ask for help.

Sunday we got up & went out side to work on the garage. We got the soffit finsihed on the front & all the vinyl installed on it. DH had been home a day & a half during the week & he got the single bay painted & got the 2 bay sanded & painted, the metal bent & installed on the garage door opening & this neat little vinyl peice with a rubber "seal" type thing installed too. It looks so NICE !!!On Saturday - while I was playing hide & seek with my car.....DH installed the vinyl on the front of the garage. After we finsihed the front soffit, we installed the light fixtures. 4 on the front of the garage, 1 on the side at the standard door & the last on the back of the house. Total of 6, they all had to match. When we got those done, we started installing more 1 X 4 strips onto the tall ends of the garage, for the soffits on them. It's more of a one man job since we don't have scaffolding......I'm a good stepper & fetcher......we got the one end half done but can't finish until we get the "bird box's" built on the back side of the garage.....the 3rd photo from the top is the soffit that we ended with. DH said that since there is no air flow on the "ends" that the vinyl soffit is solid, in the front & the back, the soffit is vented (has holes). I LIKE the vented soffits better. More eye-appealing.....but that's just me. DH says that the solid soffit is harder to install too. I know it harder to cut! I have a small blister on my thumb from the huge scissors we use to cut the vinyl. I say small, because MY blister looks like a flea bite compared to the blisters that DH has on his hands.....

When we got to a point that we couldn't do more without getting into night, I came in & gave the favorite fat dog a bath. She wasn't too dirty, not much washed off in that department. But I sure hope the stink came off. She was potent after spending the majority of the week in the kennel. then I took a shower & started dinner. What was DH doing????? (He's a work-a-holic....) he stayed in the garage hooking up electrical outlets. The last photo is of him on the first one he started. He got 2 walls done & the face plates installed too! He jammed the screw driver into his hand too, bled all over........I asked him to stop but he said he wanted to work late enough so that he could turn on all the lights on the front of the garage & "SEE" how they all looked.

DH did a wonderful job. It looks beautiful all lit up!

Last week while I was in the big city, I stayed with DD#1. It was SO nice to visit. No hurry, no holiday. Just night time talk & cooking & watching TV. Boy ! We sure tore up the town! Ha Ha. DD#1 had an allergic reaction to either some new make-up brushes or the make-up itself (don't know which) either way - she ended up with swollen eye-lids & had to come home early on Thursday from work & take some Benydryl (sp?) She looked better by Saturday but her eye-lids were still puffy a little bit. DD#1 cooked while I was there too. She's a good cook! Lasagna one night, wine poached chicken another night & then chicken burritos on Friday night. We ate out 2 of the nights.....

I mis-read my flight arrangements - thought that the flight out was 11 AM - it was 12:43 & I waited at the wrong gate too - only got on the right one, because I overheard the lady say "Birmingham" - whew! Nearly missed my flight! I'm a nit. I guess?

Got to see DD#2 for a short while. Less than 24 hours! She came home on Saturday evening & left by 10Am on Sunday morning.....she said it was goingt o be her only "free" weekend all of March. Seing her a little is better than not seeing her at all....

Gotta go - got to check on some other emails & got to un-pack my trip bag & pack DH's for the up-coming week. Monday should be a bear. Gone all week & closing to deal with ! How fun for me! (I don't think I can really call it fun)

Sam

Week of 2/25 thru 2/29

No photos with this post. I'm in Texas this week. I don't like this city. It's busy. It's dirty. It's crowded. And there is much here going on that I DON'T have to deal with in Alabama. Homeless people, pan-handlers...and other un-mentionable people. It's just not home. I am in a training class at the corporate for the company that I work for. It's downtown. I can officially state that I have seen more traffic in this week than I think I have seen all month at home! I am serious....the traffic is plain horrid. I rented a car & it's a small compact little model - I feel like a little teeny tiny ant on the interstate in it!
But the UP side of my week away has been that I get to visit with DD#1. she has been the best hostess. She has cooked nearly every night. I feel like I'm in a hotel. 'Course I don't have the nightly rate! Ha Ha !
2 more days of classes & I can go home. i am enjoying my visit with my daughter, but I'd like being home too. DH called & said that he has finished painting my side of the garage and that he has got the metal installed on the garage door openings. Whoo-Hoo! I am excited. Now all we need INSIDE is the crown molding & the floors painted & all the electrical outlets & covers installed & I can set up my quilting machine.....then we can finish installing the vinyl.

gotta go
DD#1 has dinner cooking!

Sam

Dolls for DN#7

Remember last month when i said I had to make/get a doll for DN#7? Well, the doll is porcelain. Not exactly a doll that a 5 year old can PLAY with. So i got this other vinyl doll for her that she CAN play with.

My projects this week (not including the bathroom tear out) is to get the porcelain doll all cleaned up & redressed in the little smocked outfit i found. I have to stuff & dress the other doll. That vinyl doll is one of those Apple Valley dolls. "Jordan", I think is this one. A very, very pretty doll. I actually found some old doll wigs from when I was making dolls , in storage, and one was red. I liked the red wig best, but when I spoke with DN#7 this evening she asked me to PLEASE make it blonde. So , blonde it will be. It's glued on now, the wig is...so that I don't change my mind.

The porcelain doll needs to be re-strung. I'm not sure what I'll use to do that, but I have to find something. I can not remember how I made the other one. It has been over 20 years, you know?

Wretched dolls.

I am SO going to punch my DB#2 when I see him.

It's late, and I'm tired. I made 3 posts this evening. All with photos! No plain Cheerios tonight.....

Sam

Blue Room

This is my sewing room. It's been pared down a LOT. We took a sample of the wall paper & had the blue bird color matched & painted the walls that blue. This photo is taken at 10 PM & the flash makes it look much brighter. DH was RIGHT - the 2nd coat DOES look better. That whole back wall had cabinets on it. I will be installing a "skirt" on my sewing table to hide the stuff (projects) under it.

I will be staging it as a "siting room". Can't say it's a bedroom because there is no built in closet. It's about 11 X 13. Pretty good sized. I have a bookshelf, a wing back recliner & small table that I'll put in there.

Since both DD's do not live at home, we painted the 2 other bedrooms. One is yellow, we call it the "YELLOW ROOM". The yellow room has dark furniture in it. Very masculine. The second is pink. We call it, you guessed it, the "PINK ROOM". The pink room is very girl-lee. White iron bed, white nightstands. I love it. I'm not making excuses, but it's a really, really light pink. During a bright day or even at night with the lights on , it's hard to tell that it's a pink at all..... Ha! Ihave 2 quilt racks in there too!

So what else would we be calling the sitting room , if not the "BLUE ROOM" ????

Sam

The Big Cat

This is our cat.

Y'all have seen all the dogs, this is the cat.

We call him Smelly Cat.

Not because he smells, but because when we got him there was a new & popular sitcom on TV. FRIENDS was the sitcom. I never particularly enjoyed the show , but one of the characters, Phoebe, sings a song called Smelly Cat. She actually can't sing worth beans & the song is awful, but, it was very comical to listen to it so we named the cat Smelly Cat. He's 13 and the only one we have. I can't leave clean laundry out, hel'll lay on it or in it. I can't leave a closet door open, he'll get in there & find SOMETHING clean to sleep on. I can't accidiently leave the underwear drawer open, he'll get in there & sleep & then everything has to be washed. And I don't DARE leave a quilt in progress on my sewing table, yep!, he'll be sleeping on it! Not pieces of quilts, just if it's a big piece - like if you're putting borders on it & leave it on the table over night....Oh yeah - the FUNNIEST thing he's resorted to doing is everytime DH comes home & brings in his suitcase, Smelly lays all over it. Like the cat missed DH or something. Funny little cat, he is....

Sam

Another Week Passes

Another week passes us by.

You know? 25 years ago, I never thought I'd be where I am today. I have regrets, sure, but none that I feel I need pennance for. I just felt like the middle of February 2008 came quicker than I thought it should.

This week has been eventful - weather wise for sure. 70's one day & 30's the next. no wonder people are dropping like flies with the flu. I think I have escaped the worst of the flu...I take vitamins! Maybe that's what keeps me healthy? Ha ! That's what I tell myself anyway!

Last night I put a 2nd coat of blue paint on the sewing room walls. DH said it needed it, I disagreed and procrastinated. Now it's done, I have to admit that DH was right. It does look much more nice. The 2nd coat of paint took much less paint than the 1st & if I had done it 2 weeks ago - I'd have been happier. Now I am FREE to go onto other "inside" projects.

Notice I said "INSIDE". Those are projects which I prefer to take care of myself. Packing closets. Painting. Culling. Wondering why I ever keep some junk......Rearranging....ripping off wall paper. Stuff that just isn't done well by 2 or more people in cramped spaces.

My next inside project is to rip up carpet in the downstairs bathroom. Yes carpet in a bathroom. Must be a southern thing...I've seen it a lot & lived with it for 9.5 years. Now it's coming up. The carpet gets removed & the wallpaper is coming down. Painting the walls, the vanity & the doors. Replacing all hardware: faucets, paper holder, towel bar, drawer pulls , light fixtures, and maybe the shower faucet...I don't know how hard the shower faucet will be to replace....THAT might be a project for DH. But ! I have 2 bathrooms. I am only going to wreck one at a time. That's the plan , anyway....that and if I mess up too bad then we still have a spare!!!!

Sometime between now & the end of the month....a landscaper is coming. Going to freshen up the flower beds. I think "freshen up" is an understatement. He's going to rip out all the dead azeleas, replace them with holly, re-mulch & spread the dirt that we have had piled up (2 dump truck loads ) over the trenches that we made for the utility lines for the garage. i on't think he's doing any more than that. We'll put _ what's that stuff you buy in squares? You know grass - what's that ? OH SOD ! Can't imagine why that escaped me...we'll sod the area he covers in dirt.

Keeping the DOGS out of all this is going to be so fun for me. Right! So fun....SURE.....

I have been horribly lazy this week (maybe THAT's why it's aleady the middle of FEB?) if I ever turn on the TV - I never move. So? The game for me was to NOT turn it on. After I cleaned the kennels, I did something else. I finsihed the 2nd coat of paint & I have sewed 8 pinwheels. I call them Parker Pinwheels.....I have enough sub-units sewn together for another 12 blocks. Since I am working Saturday at the landfill - i am taking my sub-untis with me to iron, cut apart re-iron & match up pairs....20 blocks is a far cry from the # I need for 2 quilts, but it is sewing that I have not been able to do. I feel like it's sewing I have deprived myself! Sewing is therapy - I just need a lot of therapy....Ha Ha Ha

well - that' s my feather pillow that I hear calling for me.....

Good night all & on my next post I'll try to have some photos. A blog without photos is like the difference between Honey Nut Cheerios & the plain ole Cheerios....the plain ones are just a little bland.

Have a good evening!
Sam

My Weekend - no sewing!

This is what the DH & I did this weekend! We installed vinyl siding. We didn't get it all done because we have to get the soffits built & the vinyl on the soffits. So we put it up as high as we could go without getting into where the soffits will be. It looks so GOOD. These photos were taken at around 4:30 PM & it wasn't real bright on Saturday afternoon. The TOP photos is of the backside of the garage. We had put exterior outlets there because we had planned on cementing that area & roofing another 10-12 feet (after we pull the shed out) behind the garage for storage of lawnmowers, the air compressor & possibly a small boat. The center photo is of the end of the garage that faces the back of the house. I am standing on the rear deck to get this photo. And the last photo is of the end of the garage that you see when you come up to the house. The vinyl siding on the garage matches the vinyl siding on the house pretty good. We had the vinyl siding on the house installed nearly 6 years ago & the manufacturer doesn't make this SPECIFIC color or style any longer....it's CLOSE. And since the garage does not touch the house, it's barely noticible. matter of fact, it looks fabulous.

Saturday we got the biggest majority of it done, Sunday we worked on framing the soffit on the front of the garage. we didn't get it completed because we ran out of 2 X 4 's. SO? We started another list for our next trip to Home Depot next week.

After we ran out of lumber, DH started wiring the breaker box and I spent 2 hours scraping drywall mud up off the cement floor with a metal spatula. Cement is cold on your knees! DH got all the breakers wired & we hooked up ONE electrical outlet so that we don't have to use extension cords anymore!

( Yes, I know that my flag is tattered! That bell pole is being moved & I HAVE a new flag to replace that one, bt I want to wait until we move the pole!)

I am so proud of DH & me! We woke up so sore on Sunday & still we got out there & did what we could until we couldn't go any further or ran out of materials.

I feel like we're getting somewhere now! I can hardly wait for the day when I can put up my long arm! I know, I know! We're moving! So what? I hope that when Iput it up - that it won't be up for long, that we'll be moving soon.

It was SO nice to have DH home for 2 consecutive days. 2 days to be together...I WON'T say that having him gone all week is worth the 2 solid days, but it was sure nice to have someone besides the dogs to talk too. Granted, the dogs aren't as communicative, but at least they listen. DH does too! Besides, I even made a REAL dinner. Ate until we couldn't eat anymore.

My friend, Joan, posted a recipe for Apple Pan Dowdy that looks scrumptious. i think that's on the "make / bake / take" list for this week while I'm home. If I make too much when I bake, I take it to work & pass it out to the dirvers'!

Speaking of Joan, I read where she wasn't feeling well recently. I hope that you are better Joan! Watch that sore throat, I hope it's not streph. Get well soon!

I have been pinning strips together for pinwheel blocks too!

Sam

Trunk Show

I attended a "Trunk Show" this evening. It was held at "A Time 2 Sew" in Collinsville, AL. Cindy Blackberg was the presenter. (shown in the attached photo obtained from her website) A Time 2 Sew is also conducting a retreat with Cindy this weekend, but my time & my funds are committed elsewhere. Attending the trunk show was nearly a last minute decision. I only decided yesterday! Cindy Blackberg is a well known hand piecer & hand quilter. I do neither. She brought all sorts of samples & I was selected to help display the quilts / samples that she brought with her.

Her work is awesome! Little teeney tiny pieces, little teeney tiny stitches. Oh what a challenge she has presented. It would have been nice to take the classes, but it just isn't possible...darn it!

Cindy promotes & sells quilt stamps. Her hand piecing is so precise due , in a large part, to the stamps. the stamps have the cutting line & the stitching line. They can be used for machine piecing too, but they are little. I bought the Kaleidoscope stamp & want several more, but again, not in the budget.

I like quilts withlots of pieces, I can't tell you why, I just do. i find sewing relaxing, and maybe hand piecing will be relaxing too. We shall see, because I sure want to try it.

Most of the quilts that Cindy brought were small sized. i want to make one BED sized, with all the teeney tiny peices that she has. I want to make the "Railroad Crossing", the "Mariner's Compass" and the "Kaleidoscope". And maybe, just maybe the "Scrap Baskets". (If I live long enough to make them all........) I have always had a desire to make a Mariner's Compass Quilt & actually have more than one pattern for them, all paper-pieced. but the blocks Cindy made with her templates looked so nice.....I have to TRY, at least!

I have to laugh at myself, because if I don't, I'll surely cry - but about 6 years ago I bought a hand quilting frame. No little jobbie, not for me.....I bought the Hinterberg folding frame.....not a cheap jobbie either. That baby was several (more than 3) hundred dollars. Three rails, no basting. You know how many times I've used it to quilt a quilt? Exactly ZERO. The entire time I have had it, it has held a lamp over my cutting table, strips for quilts, and many , many UFO's. I don't think that was the intention of the designer & it certainly wasn't my intention to let it sit. do i want to sell it? NO! I want to use is (obviously ...one day....) to hand quilt! And I believe that I shall! Just not tonight. ( that & it's in strorage until we move.....)

You can see Cindy's stamps, patterns, books on her website : www.cindyblackberg.com A very charming woman. One of her designs is in the latest issue of American Patchwork & Quilting - last project in the magazine. it only touches the tip of her talent. Beautiful work!

Good night!
Sam