I'm still quilting!!

I have quilted my Victory quilt and 2 table runners. Photos will be taken soon. So that means more basting.... I have decided that I really don't like basting the layers together. Pin basting is ok for small items but I poked my finger and stained the top a little. Using big needle and thread takes so long.... I didn't like the fuseable batting and I didn't like spray adhesives odor.

I guess that leaves me with needle and thread or paying someone to do it for me!!! Since football started, I am making more granny squares (crochet) and I am using sock yarn. Very pretty.

Quilted items

I did finish machine quilting the Road to the White House quilt. I am excited that I have learned a lot doing this quilt. I have some issues with the back but I will keep working on it. Smaller items I have quilted are better. Yes, I have several more smaller ones to quilt. Don't most of us has more to finish??

I am thinking about several new tops with fabrics I have purchased. I have the concentration to get cracking on my Civil War Diary quilt. My thyroid issues made focusing hard so I put that on the back burner. I also am signing up to take a Pineapple class with 2 methods being taught, I think I will get more experience with paper piecing. I am still in the beginning stages of learning for that.

Basting is still an issue as you can see with the photo of the puckers on the back of my quilt. Practice, practice, practice I think is the solution.

Maybe Santa will consider a small long arm????

Sunday Stashbuster report and some confidence

I have use approximately 5 yards of fabric over the past couple of weeks. I have signed up for block exchanges so I have purchased a couple of yards for this. I am still about 3/4 full on my tote and the goal was to be at 1/2. I am confident I will get there.

Speaking of confidence, I am machine quilting this weekend. I started with a table topper as practice, see? I have only quilted small projects and borders so far. The machine is threaded properly, and I remembered to drop the feed dogs.

Yea! After 2 hours of quilting my Road to the White house is nearly completed. I have 2 pucker/pleated areas on the back but that is ok, no photo please. It is my first try. I have 4 hours in the basting, remember!! And it still needed more. So today I am pinning the edges to finish. I am going to be the queen of stipplilng because I really like it. Watch the tops on my wip and ufo fly over to the completed pile. I still love hand quilting but that will be for special quilts. I am developing arthritis in my fingers so I am trying to not make it worse and yarn things can but I still do them a little at a time.

So I am singing a little song from the play, "The Sound of Music", if you know it sing along:

I have confidence in confidence alone!

Besides Which you see I have confidence In me!!!!!!!!!!!!

getting closer

Why does it take so long to baste a quilt?!? I have about 4 hours in this and getting close to the end and on to quilt.

I may need to break down and buy a quilting frame to baste. Any tips to make this less painless?

Yes, the simple life

I really enjoy the work of Tasha Tudor. She lived a simple life. She lived in a house without modern technology, grew a garden and dressed as days gone by. I would like to simplify my life but not sure I want to go to that extreme. I like air conditioning, central heat and the computer.

But there is something romantic about living close to the land, growing your food, gardening, making your own soap, tea, items necessary for daily use and living a simple life. I think it would be more inspiring for creative works. Tasha must have thought so because she was a painter and writer among other things.

I am thinking about how my life outside of work can be simpler and less cluttered so I can spend my time doing what I like. I may need to get a outfit for the part.

Longing for the simple life...

I went to the Renissance Festival last weekend. It was wonderful. Loads of fun had by all, it was the Highland Fling weekend. There were interesting games, pipers, plays, jousting and lots of fun. We may go back before the festival closes this fall. The family decided that costuming is a must before next time. I always did like to play dress up.

I have been sewing a binding down on the posie quilt. It was cold Sunday night and we recieved frost. Fall is here early. That means quilting my tops!

Wish me luck, I have to get a filling redone at the dentist. I hate the whole thing, maybe I will just cancel. Oh, I can't I will get charged anyway. Time to put on the big girl panties.

A cute meme

I saw this on a blog and I thought it was so true to my childhood:

IF YOU WERE A LITTLE GIRL IN THE 70'S...
You wore a rainbow shirt that was half-sleeves, and the rainbow went up one sleeve, across your chest, and down the other.

You made baby chocolate cakes in your Easy Bake Oven and washed them down with snow cones from your Snoopy Snow Cone Machine.

You had that Fisher Price Doctor's Kit with a stethoscope that actually worked.

You owned a bicycle with a banana seat and a plastic basket with flowers on it.

You learned to skate with actual skates (not roller blades) that had metal wheels.

You thought Gopher from Love Boat was cute (admit it!)

You had nightmares after watching Fantasy Island.

You had rubber boots for rainy days and Moon boots for snowy days.

You had either a "bowl cut" or! "pixie," not to mention the "Dorothy Hamil" because your Mom was sick of braiding your hair. People sometimes thought you were a boy.

Your Holly Hobbie sleeping bag was your most prized possession.

You wore a poncho, gauchos, and knickers.

You begged Santa for the electronic game, Simon.

You had the Donnie and Marie dolls with those pink and purple satiny shredded outfits.

You spent hours in your backyard on your metal swing set with the trapeze. The swing set tipped over at least once.

You had homemade ribbon barrettes in every imaginable color.

You had a pair of Doctor Scholl's sandals (the ones with hard sole & the buckle). You also had a pair of salt-water sandals.

You wanted to be Laura Ingalls Wilder really bad; you wore that Little House on the Prairie-inspired plaid, ruffle shirt with the high neck in at least one school picture; and you despised Nellie Olson!

You wanted your first kiss to be at a roller rink.

Your hairstyle was described as having "wings" or "feathers" and you kept it "pretty" with the comb you kept in your back pocket.

You know who Strawberry Shortcake is, as well as her friends, Blueberry Muffin and Huckleberry Pie.

You carried a Muppets lunch box to school and it was metal, not plastic.

You and your girlfriends would fight over which of the Dukes of Hazzard was your boyfriend.

Every now and then "It's a Hard Knock Life" from the movie, "Annie" will pop into your brain and you can't stop singing it the whole day.

YOU had Star Wars action figures, too!I

t was ! a big event in your household each year when the "Wizard of Oz" would come on TV. Your mom would break out the popcorn and sleeping bags!

You often asked your Magic-8 ball the question: "Who will I marry. Shaun Cassidy, Leif Garrett, or Rick Springfield?"

You completely wore out your Grease, Saturday Night Fever, and Fame soundtrack record album.

You tried to do lots of arts and crafts, like yarn and Popsicle-stick God's eyes, decoupage, or those weird potholders made on a plastic loom. Pot holders - I believe they were called "loom loopers"You made Shrinky-Dinks and put iron-on kittens on your t-shirts!

You used to tape record songs off the radio by holding your portable tape player up to the speaker.

You couldn't wait to get the free animal poster that came when you ordered books from the Weekly Reader book club. Double score if it was a teddy bear dressed in clothing.

You learned everything you needed to know about girl issues from Judy Blume books

You thought Olivia Newton John's song "Physical" was about aerobics

You wore friendship pins on your tennis shoes, or shoelaces with heart or rainbow designs.

You wanted to be a Solid Gold dancer.

You had a Big Wheel with a brake on the side, and a Sit-n-Spin.

You had subscriptions to Dynamite and Tiger Beat.

You spent all your allowance on smurfs and stickers for your sticker album!