I have my sewing room figured out and ready for actions.

No more excuses of not being able to find stuff.

It is now, relatively speaking, organized.

I can see all the way through the hall, office, entryway and into the laundry room from my sewing machine.

I have additional storage behind the door.

A pretty calendar to keep track of days; cutting tools close at hand.

I got these storage cubes off the floor and onto a table where I can see what's in them.

All the shelves are in one room instead of two.

The ironing station is now out of the spare bedroom.

The machine will stay up so I can sew in random spurts before/after work.

This is actually my closet after reorganizing it.

SIGH

(Just close the doors and focus on current project.)

Because there's important stuff going on:

The most fun thing in my life right now is getting to know these wonderful women. My future daughter-in-law, Meredith, her mother Diane and sister Courtney invited me to wedding dress shop with them yesterday and we ended the evening with dinner at la Madeleine. I didn't get a photo of the whole group which would include Cara (a bride's maid) and me. They (the four of them) are an amazing group of women, and I relish getting to know them better.

Sunday Something Better Than Nothing

I started this Lisa Bongean project, Little Tulips, in her class in Cullman, Alabama last summer. I had not gotten far on it that day, so I pulled it out to take to Ellijay with me for the Silver Thimble Club retreat last weekend. This Friday, at our regular Thimble group meeting, I finally got the border on.

The tulips are wool applique and the 25 patch blocks are composed of 3/4" squares. It was fun to put together. I would like to have it quilted to show her at the Quilter's Expo here (Duluth, GA) next month.
I have not been sewing at home much.  I rearranged my sewing room over my holiday break from work.  After three weeks it seemed like an alien planet.  I had no new furniture, nor any new shelving.  Everything was put away, but I could not find a darn thing.  Today I rearranged it again.  I think I can sew in there again. I hope.

I SOOOO want one of these collapsible rolling carts from Costo.  I don't have a membership though, so they let me in the store a couple weeks ago to look around, but the carts were not in yet. One of my friends is going to help me out and pick it up for me. It is getting a bit much to carry my sewing stuff in and out of buildings, and this cart will help immensely.

Some of the ladies I sewed with Friday are working on some really beautiful things.

I love the bright vintage look of this fabric.

And these lovely batiks.

are going to make an outstanding log cabin from this pattern.

How exciting is that?

One more thing: DOWNTON ABBY is on tonight.  I must not forget like I did last week, since then I had to wait for the repeat broadcast on Thursday. I read in the morning newspaper this is the last episode of season 2, and they've not yet begun filming season 3.  What? Ugh! You have GOT to be kidding!  So how long are we going to have to wait to see more? Here is what I think: Mr Bates is going to get deeper into trouble and get shipped off (or escape) to America.  While here he will found a motel chain and father a deeply disturbed son who will keep his transvestite father's mummified body at home while he murders a certain young blonde women in one of the motel's showers.  Who knows what the writers will come up with?  I am sad over Lavinia's death though.  She was so lovely to look at; her costumes were gorgeous.

Fresh Market update

I am still messing around with Moda's Fresh Market by Brannock & Patek  . Mom (Linda Brannock) and I put the little quilt together with a layer cake and charm pack, so I started thinking about a backing.  I didn't want just plain fabric, so I took out a turnover and started sewing the triangles together.  I thought I'd put the stitched together turnover in the center of plain yellow on the back, but now I am not sure.  I kinda like it on the front. The more I work with Fresh Market, the more I fall in love with it.

And what is going on with these pictures?  I am getting strange lines; I had to take one photo off the post because it had a wide white line through it.  The one above is not too bad; just a line of darkness across the bottom. Camera issue? Blogger upload problem? Not going to waste time over it.

Here is another little quilt; size is about my nose to my toes. I don't do a lot of formal measuring around here.  "Legend" has it my son, Andy, stitched a bunch of squares together at Grandma Linda's house when he was little.  I have kept them all these years (Andy is now 27), so I pulled them out and added the green and then the print border.  The print is a piece of fabric Susan (another co-worker) gave me. We would call the border print "dated," but I feel like it is a really good choice. It lends a certain charm, and in person the border print makes the purples and pinks pop in the center squares.  I am really liking this for free-motion practice.  Do you think it needs anything else?


I have been jonesing to get out of the house for some entertainment, so I bought tickets to a play for tonight.  The Dixie Swim Club is showing at the Cumming Playhouse in Cumming, Georgia, and at least one co-worker is in the play. They assure me I will be laughing my butt off.

Joey is not on top of the computer desk today; he is under my chair.
He and Kitten are getting a little chubby.  Here he is showing off his biceps:

Bye for now from the home of the buff butterballs!

January Weekend

Mom and I played with Fresh Market (Brannock & Patek for Moda).  We used a layer cake and a pack of charm squares.  I didn't get the circles stitched down before I left Mom's studio, so I ran to JoAnn's for some fusible web.  I bought the wrong kind (it was not paper backed), and I ended up cutting little pieces of the fusible to place behind the circles and anchoring them so I would not have to fold it with a lot of pins to take on the airplane home.  Why did I think hand appliqueing the circles down would be a good idea?

I took another look at it once the circles were sewn on, and I didn't like all the space around the edges, so I sliced off 3 1/2 inches all around and re-sewed the pieces onto the opposite sides.  Since it was me doing it, and I didn't think of math at all, I had a little issue to fix, but the fix went well, and I won't bother you with the details. (I pressed the quilt before I took it out for a photo.  The angle of the early morning sun makes the top look all wrinkly; that's a good thing when you photograph a finished quilt, but not so hot for a quilt top.)

The other thing I accomplished this week is I added a magnetic strip to my peg board.  I like having my tools where I can find them.  I spent most of my holiday vacation (besides going to Mom's) cleaning out my sewing room.  I swear it now feels like an alien planet.  I go in there and sit, and I cannot find anything.  Not a thing.  It has taken me a while to get things going in there again.  I will persevere, and eventually I will get something going I feel passionately about, but right now the quilting mojo is low. I have been reading the same thing on other blogs, so perhaps it is post-holiday normal for a lot of us.

I have discovered, for the first time, Downton Abbey. I am finally enjoying the Masterpiece series with the rest of you.  Looks like I will have to get season 1 and catch up!

You can see what the kitties do all day. Joey gets to be on the bed, but not on the quilts (they are on the quilt rack at the base of the bed). I keep washable old blankets and towels on the bed.

Of course the little devil follows me around the house.  Here he is in a box left over from Christmas.  I sat it on the top of my computer armoire (a hulking piece of furniture) not realizing Joey would make it his favorite hiding place. But, of course, he has to keep an eye on me while I type.

The most wonderful thing happened on New Year's Eve. My son, Eron, and his girlfriend, Meredith, became engaged.  I am so happy for all of us (especially them)!

TV sewing

One thing I love about my job at the technical college is the diversity of students I get to meet and help.  The students who are originally from Africa are so kind, caring and generous.

One of those students gave me a package of this fabric.  It is very different from the cotton I am used to for quilting.  The package contained between 4 and 6 yards.  The fabric feels papery and is very shiny. I could see it would make a wonderful traditional African costume. But what would I do with it?

Yo-yo girlfriend!

(looks so different; doesn't it?)

I like the crispness the fabric gives the yo-yos.  I am putting them together with bright colors of embroidery floss.

Scooter (now 13 years old) likes when I am hand sewing (making yo-yos) in the bedroom.  It is cozy there and he can sleep.

I tried and succeeded

I did not sew a single stitch over the holiday break.  I made the mistake of trying to organize my sewing room by pulling everything out of it, so it was a big ole mess; not conducive to sewing!

But I did install a peg board to hang up my rulers.  After this shot I added a magnetic strip to the top of the peg board.  Hah!  I knew I could do it.  The stud finder was a big help as was the electric drill.  I was formerly afraid to use the drill, but no more.  Look out world.  Who knows what I might try next?

And LOOK what I found in Mom's studio attic!  It is not at my house yet, but you know I will be keeping an eye on it.  This quilt just has to end up at my house. It just has to.  Yes it does.  It has to. 

A short visit is better than none.

I got to spend a few days at my folks house in Missouri. Mom and I played with Brannock & Patek  Farmer's Market fabric.

We got a quilt top together, but I am going to hand applique the circles down, so it is not finished yet.

Quilts make a bed cozy.  I was totally spoiled with Dad bringing Mom and I breakfast in bed every morning.

Mom's hand-hooked rug at the base of the bed.

Hallway from Mom's room.

A wall in Mom's library.

I love Mom's hand hooked rugs.

And Dad's apple pie.  This was his best.  I don't know how he does it.  This one was beyond sublime.

On the way home from the Atlanta airport Saturday night I related to my husband how spoiled I was at (my other) home, and he added "oh yeah, there's nothing to eat at (our) home."

Marvelous.

Now that all the Christmas stress is over, it is time to focus on making the future the best we can.  I suggest no package wrapping.  Have a professional do it; or, better yet, GIFT CARDS! (Thank you, Karin (Life in the Slow Lane), for sending me the link to this video.  I watched it three times and LMAO each time.)

 In the best thing to happen ever category my son Eron's proposal

was accepted by the adorable, wonderful Meredith.
Major happiness vibe all over the place! Her favorite color is yellow, and I have already purchased two yards of a nice toile.  

Vaca week

I don't have to work this week, so I am looking at books:

Finding some cute possible projects:

Watermelon.  I love it.

I reading some serious stuff: Doris Lessing's The Fifth Child and the two tomes in the photo below. I find psychopathy and mental illness very interesting subjects and these are must reads.

Joseph James found a lady bug while I was reading. I put an arrow on the photo pointing to his friend the ladybug (see at the top of the window frame?). I don't know how he knew she was there.

He kept pawing at the shutters until I opened them.  Don't worry; I let her go outside.  I didn't let Joey hurt her.

I am trying to organize my sewing room, but it is a big ole mess. I don't know when it will be usable again. I am getting one of those nasty colds, so I'ma just gonna chill for a while. I have to get better to fly to Missouri next week for real vacation.  I wish I had the sewing mojo of the girl in this video:

Scrappy Nines, Baked Pears and Joey

I am having so much fun working on Scrappy Nines, especially when I am in the company of the Thimbles group.  I love seeing what everyone else is working on and sharing the holiday spirit.

Mercidene (fellow Thimble) has all her nine-patches stitched together for her Scrappy Nine quilt.  I am doing them as I go, but I sure wish I had them all done waiting form me to use.  I am not very good at assembly line production; it would sure make quilt top assembly much faster.

Saturday I made some baked pears.  The recipe is simple: pears (seeds removed), raisins, 2 almonds (each pear), a shake of cinnamon and a half inch of water in the bottom of the pan.  I used the foil bits to keep the pears upright.  Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes. The same recipe works for apples too.

Yummy and no guilt!

Joey has been in rare form.  It is difficult to get a shot of him, since he is seldom still.  Yesterday I was putting things in the attic; he followed me up there, and he was lost for a short period of time (seemed like an eternity).  I feared he'd fallen down a wall or something, but I kept calling him and he finally came to me.

A week ago Friday, when I was dropping off his birthday cake (happy 27 years Andy!), I mentioned to Andy that Joe jumps into the refrigerator every time I open it.  Every single time. Andy laughed and said that when Joey was a kitten he (Andy) used to put him in the fridge to keep him out of trouble. Wow. Really explains a lot.

And now Joey has learned to open the kitchen cabinets.  He runs through the house, grabs the cabinet doors and swings them open and runs off. We are "baby-proofing" with rubber bands. Seriously.

I love taking pictures of him, but his constant exploration and motion makes a good shot difficult.  I know my fancy-ass camera can capture motion, but I used my little point and shoot.  Here is what I got this morning:

Joe clearing out my clipped threads.

Joe wanting in the bookcase to rescue the "cats" trapped there.

Joe wanting to scatter Scrappy Nine parts stored in the box, but Kitten forbidding him.

She looks a little annoyed; doesn't she?

Someone told me that her kitten was uber explorative like Joe, and he never grew out of it.

Oh dear.