Happy Holloween All

In Honor of the day, my dog is a pirate in my photo on the side. It was the fastest snap in the world. Why, because he is not a clothing wearing creature. In fact, if it isn't nailed down, he would eat it.

I have been sewing Heartstrings blocks. I have 3 done. It really isn't too hard and you can use all kinds of small strips. I will be able to reduce my fabric stash quite a bit with the donation to this charity.

So Happy Halloween to all!! Don't eat too much candy.

Vicki

Stashbusting 2009

Stashbusting is a commitment I am making now for the next year. I did commit to this during 2008 and I only purchased about 5 yards of fabric, 2 charm packs and 10 fat quarters. I made more than I used. The larger yards were used to finish WIP's.

My goal is to reduce my stash, as pictured in this post, to half or one quarter in the tote used for storage. I don't want to be wasteful of time, money and storage space in my small house. I want to be more disciplined in many areas of my life and this is another way to not swap one area of weakness for another.

I don't want my stash of fabrics ( or Yarn for that matter) or UFO's to be sold at a garage sale, dumped or overlooked like Grandma C 's were. The family heirloom quilt tops were in a box to be given away at a sale or thrown out. Yes, I saved them but one cannot save every top or fabric scrap in this world. I want to continue to not waste, to use up and make do with what I have.

I am only purchasing fabrics in 2009 to sash, back or use as borders. I have Patchwork Times as my accountability partner for this next year. I will do a stash report on Sundays for my own benefit. Click link to see the commitment I am making with other likeminded folk.

Ok now off to sew. Fabrics I am finished with, and don't have any more plans for, are being made into blocks for Heartstrings and local charities.

Vicki H.

Into the time of darkness....

Yep, it's that time of year. Daylight hours are getting shorter. Snow and cold weather is coming. This is what I woke up to this morning. I need to start warming up the cars. Shoveling is not so far away. I know what my grandma ment when she used to say she could feel the cold in her bones. I have a couple of places where I feel it too. Ugh.

The next pic shows where I am at on the hand quilting for the table runner. It is a slow process but I love it. I am not the most passionate at the piecing part. I haven't sewn on the machine in a couple of days. I should get going on it. I want to do some charity blocks.

My favorite holiday cartoon is on tonight-- It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!! I will record it so I can watch it again on Halloween.

Vicki

Sometimes a miracle happens

Or subtitled, Apple makes a great product. The I pod charged up and worked today. The question is will it hold a charge. My son talked to some kid at school who said he washed his i pod but it will play. I didn't believe it was possible. But it was. Now to see if it will hold a charge. He is so happy.



We went to a large town near us called TC. We went to the music store, Best buy, the mall, Target, Joann Fabric and Olive Garden. I purchased a thumb drive, a pvc quilting frame because mine had one clamp break. I have a small one and the three sided one and since Joann's sent me a 50% off coupon, I had to buy it. I did buy 2 fat quarter's too as they were 99 cents and a large skein of wool yarn in neutral. I know I am supposed to be stashbusting but I think after no buying for so long.... I need neutrals to finish my scrap quilts!!



It was a nice drive over and a nice day with the family. We even played video games for a minute at Game Stop, ugh I was motion sick with Guitar Hero. Guess what I won't be doing.


http://www.straw.com/cpy/patterns/bags/bag-mini-felt.html
Nearly finished with my tote. I have an idea to knit a neutral cable embellished tote next and small gift bag sized purses. See link above.

The week of goof ups

After a week of mistakes at work, blurting out stupid things, and not being able to focus on what I need to do: I did the ultimate of stupid things. It was discovered last night when I was putting wet clothes in the washing machine. I washed my son's i pod. I cried so hard. I didn't check the pockets on all the pants. I know it is just an I pod and my son isn't as upset about it as I am but that's not really it. The I pod represented a week of screw ups and once I started to cry about it I couldn't stop, how embarassing.

The i pod is several years old and probably needed to be replaced anyway but to me it is the fear of not having the money to replace it. Yep, things are tight here at my house probably like they are at every home in America right now. I can't stop watching the news and fearing about the future. So after hearing the poor opening to the stock market today, and snow in the forecast for Sunday night, I am not going to watch the news or be obsessed about the election or read the paper.

Instead, I am going to the last varsity football game tonight, eating out, going shopping and craft. Next weekend is the local quilt guild's annual show and that is something to look forward to. I am determined to focus on the very wonderful and good things today. And I am sure some how over the next few months the i pod will just be a memory of a really bad day. I just noticed the name of the song on the i pod that I randomly picked off of google images, fits the day well!!

Vicki

Quilt plans

http://www.quilt.com/ColoringBook/JacobsLadder/JacobsLadderAlyLayout.html

This link is the idea for the layout for my quilt blocks "Road to the Whitehouse" that I pictured last. It will be scrappy and I will exchange blocks with a my circle of friends in January/February. The web site linked one of the resources I use frequently as well as Quilter's Cache and Block Central.

I am rapidly finishing the tote, feels like progress is finally being made.

It was a frosty 20 degress this am. It am cold for the first time in months. Better than a hot humid day ...
Vicki

Sunday afternoon

I sewed the top 4 blocks today. My Mom came over and we sewed this afternoon. My DH and DS were at my husbands alumni flag football game. It is always held after Homecoming. BTW the high school team lost. I was hoping he didn't get hurt as he is the old man there. He didn't, whew, not being able to work before the holidays is a big worry. They also went to the men's group of the church getting together to watch the Lions. So I am having some sewing time.

The collection in the picture is what I have completed for the block exchange, 16 so far. I want to have 20 for the exchange and 24 for the quilt. Also pictured is the tote bag I am knitting. I think I need another color on it yet.

I am enjoying quilting because it is cold and I am feeling more into it. I have basted the basket table runner and I am will start hand quilting that tonight. I have some wool felt that I am going to try to make some Christmas ornaments.

My dog is being silly. He is really antsy because it is fall and he is a hunting dog that can't hunt. But wow he is into all of my stuff and constantly begging for attention. Like get into the pantry and get food out, eats my fabric pieces and jump on the table to get at my projects. It gets old when you are trying to sew. He is like having a toddler in the house that never grows up. Pets can't live with them, can't live without them.

Off to start hand quilting and watch the football game.

I took this picture and was really laughing when I realized that the rearview mirror was in it. OOPS! This is a photo from last weekend. The leaves are falling rapidly and the color fading. The Halloween look will be on the leafless trees soon.

Work is busy. DS finished his last football game this week. Only 2 more varsity games we will attend. The weather too warm to quilt but the knit tote is making big time progress.

I am in an ornament exchange at Hand Dids and I can't decide what to make. How big is an ornament anyway? What color, what shape etc. Too many decisions. I need to think more. I think stockings, mittens or snowmen are nice shapes. GRRR. I fear that it will be stupid and then I question why did I sign up. I do that every time I do an exchange, no confidence. Once I get over that it is alot of fun.

I really need to get doing something creative, I think I have a crafting block going on.

Vicki

Peak of the Leaf Tour

This was what is called the peak of the leaf color. We took a scenic drive and pics at the same scenic over look we went to earlier, what a difference a week makes. We also drove through the wine country, cherry orchards and stopped at a lighthouse. Lots of classic cars were out for the last ride of the season.

Lots of great views, pictures don't always capture the depth and perspective but you get the idea. We took my parents and stopped at a couple of stores and an antique store. Lots of great things we saw in all stops but I only bought something at Joann's. The quilt ruler I need was 50% off, so I also picked up 3 light colored fat quarters too because it was such a savings. Now I can start quilting tomorrow because we returned home late and DH spent an hour reinstalling the card reader program. I will post a few pics today and add more through out the week when I am lean on interesting photos.

I entered the fall quilt contest on quilting gallery. I hope they post the entries, it is fun to see what everyone is doing.

Quilts worked on last year

This is my fabric Stash

Yep, that's it. I have been "stashbusting" since the first of the year. I have only purchased about 6 fat quarters , 2 charm packs and 4 yards of fabric this year. You know, fabric for larger pieces, boarders and unifying fabrics. The photo shows a 73 quart tote and a cube of overflow. The shoe box container has some fabrics and necessities for quilting.

Am I attached to my fabric? Yes. I like fabrics similar to how people like looking a photographs. I am making block exchage blocks of scraps, not new fabrics, and I am finding that I might have a harder time giving away the blocks than in the past when I bought fabric for a specific themed exchange.

I have enough fabric for several quilts and with the economy I don't NEED to buy. Yeah! But it is amazing how fast the fabrics start to stack up. I may not be able to buy alot over the next year but that doesn't matter, I have plenty.

Which reminds me... I have a nice little house I can afford to heat, 2 cars that work so far, food in the cupboard, decent health, family and friends that I have great relationships with.... I am going to not watch or read news for the rest of the week, I am not going to check my 401K and I am going to dwell on the positives of the abundace of what I really have. Even IF I don't have a room dedicated to my fabric stash.

Vicki

Photo from last Sat at the scenic outlook.

Today is a home football game. Only 2 more to go. I hope that we can avoid the rain tonight. Small injury to DS last night in practice, bruised elbow. I think I will survive, I know he will.

Our old quilt shop closed and a new one opened. I hope I can find an acceptable quilt ruler so I can work on blocks this weekend. I need to get basting and hand quilting my tops that are completed. I am not making much for Christmas this year and I am feeling guilty about it. I am making my quilts and knitting for me. I have always made gifts to help with the budget but I have decided to go a different route this year even though the budget is even tighter. Has anyone else felt like this?

I have to get moving again. Since my illness and a fall down the porch stairs I have been lacking in that area. Well tomorrow starts a different exercise and diet program. Really, I mean it this time.

Vicki

It's October already

And the leaves are just starting to change. We went back and picked apples Sat. 47 pounds worth for me and my friend. Yum.

After a few hours of tech support, DH got our wireless router working!! So I am using the laptop to post this online ! Yeah technology.

Boo technology too. I live in a 100 year old house. It didn't have indoor plumbing originally. Sooo, the current plumbing system doesn't support all the use in the kitchen sink with a dishwasher. We need to redo the plumbing someday. Interpret, when we have the cash. I went 4 days last week without the sink. So Saturday I assisted my husband in augering the line. Peeewwww, I take my hat off to plumbers. If we could have afforded to call one ,believe me we would have.I have been washing dishes like a madwoman. So old technology once again needs to be updated to support modern living.

I am knitting a tote and I have progressed to the sides. I was sewing blocks for the RTWH exchange over the weekend. I wanted to do more today but the dog was bad and he was tearing up the house, my quilt fabric, food from the cupboard etc. and my quilt ruler was broken in all the fracas. He is like a 2 year old, if I have my attention on something else and everyone else is busy he starts to look for negative attention. So, I can't do anymore sewing until I replace it next payday. I needed more cotton thread anyway.

I signed up for an ornament exchange on the Yahoo group Hand-Dids and I am thinking hard on what to do for it. It is a primitives group so I am going to have to step outside of my usual crafts.

I am learning about blogger so watch for the new additions as I learn.

Does anyone do Heartstrings blocks and mail them? I emailed them and I am very interested.

Vicki

Too bad it isn't Friday yet

I feel like it has been a week of Mondays and I can't wait for the weekend. I have lots to do at work so a nice relaxing weekend will be a nice reward.

I am averaging a new Road to the Whitehouse block being sewn every other day. I have 15 total now and I believe I need to have 36 for a 6x6 quilt. Sigh, so I am not even halfway there yet.

We had to turn the furnace on last night and it never was above 50 today. I like the cool weather. The weather is hastening the peak of the leaves. I plan to go for a ride for pictures this weekend. We may go for more apples.

Vicki