A new beginning????

Not sure if this is a new   beginning or an extension of the last life change.
I have relocated and now live in Oshkosh with one of my daughters and her family.  I lost my job due to the economy and currently looking for a job.  It has been three months now, so all my daughters deceided it was best if I lived with one of them while collecting unemployment to save on money.
While it is a good idea, it is hard being in a city where there is no one I know.  I even get lost driving around.  I made due with their spare room and live out of a suitcase.  My things are all in storage with hopes that one day I will be working at a good job and be able to live on my own again.
I do have my sewing machine with me.  No way I was leaving that in storage.  It is my only relaxtion.  Not alot of time spent sewing, because looking for a job is in itself a full time job.
You never know when life will throw you a curve.  But you have to face it with a smile and the courage to get trying and never give up.

Another sucessful sewing weekend

 Another sewing weekend. Lucky me.  Not much time lately for sewing.  And I lost my job a month and a half ago so you would think I would have all the time in the worlk.  These two dresses were my project for the weekend.  For my little cuties.  Can hardly wait to give them to the girls.

And I got a good start to my ant pinic blanket.  Such a cute project and has been sitting in my stash forever.  I am in the process of moving, and shifting around this stash is such a headache.  Boxes everywhere, such a pain.  I hate moving.  Got to cut corners somewhere.

So much to tell.........................

So much to tell, such a great vacation with my sister in Michigan.
The only bad part was that I had to come home.

and we got so much done.  we sewed and sewed and sewd. So much fun, learning new things, going shop hopping and we even went to see a lavendar farm in lower Michigan.  We brought home enough dried lavendar to make tons and tons of sachets.  My house smells so good.


Had to make an apron.  I actually don't own one, and sine tuesday evening was my first class on cake decorating I needed to have one.  So adorable!


In the evening you always have to have a hand work project. We sit around and discuss the days events and make plans for the next day as we sit and do our hand work.  This is all done and ready to frame.  No place picked out for it yet, but I am sure I will find one.


And these cuties will be going to my two little cuties for school.  They will be so surprised!


And this wall hanging was done by my sister (who is hideing behind it) I just love it!
We had such a wonderful vacation together.  Sewing, girl talk, day trips, all the things sisters do with their time together.
Need to go back again soon!

Join the crowd

The crowd of unemployed that is.  Yup, I lost my job about a month ago and I had really thought I would find one soon but it is not looking that way.  After 14 yeas in the legal profession, I am old and character typed.  The computer age has changed so much for me and it will take alot to get back into it.  Not that I wouldn't do what needs to be done, but it isn't like I have no talents at all.
Some things have to be sacrificed, like my health insurance which is too high of a premium to pay on unemployment.
Also my children are insisting I leave my rental home and move in with them to conserve money.
I am giving it another month before I make that deceision.
In the meantime, not much going on in the sewing dept.  Too bussy with resumes and job applications.  Also taking some computer classes at the unemployment office.
I will keep you informed, but if you don't hear from me it is not a good sign.

Sister's Weekend

Got a weekend with my sis!  She came down for a visit this weekend from MI.  We had a blast!  And she taught me a few things.  Here are pictures of our bags we made out of plastic novalty bags such as the potato chip bag and the herseys chocolates.  Are they adorable?  So cute.

And then she went thru my stash and showed me how to make a quilt using the x-block templete. 

All this weekend!  I would say we got alot accomplish besides running to the farmer's market for some fresh produce.
She has left this morning, and now I am alone in this quiet house trying to finish dishes, laundry and other stouff that brings me back to reality.

Way too Hot!!!!

Way too hot to do anything but be lazy.  Finally got my air conditioner in on sunday morning.  And that's a good thing since it was the hottest on sunday.
Here it is monday morning, and while getting ready for work I can't even look back at a productive weekend.
I am beginning to think there is no way this quilt will be done by christmas.

Burst of energy

This morning as my alarm goes off to get up for work, I couldn't get my mind off those blocks I worked on over the weekend.  One paticular block had me thinking.  I really didn't like the way it turned out at all!  So I went straight to the sewing room and found it and took it apart.  Then I took the other blocks and sewed them together in a row.  Now I have another row done and one row that is short one block.
But it is farther along!

Unbelievable what you can do in a short amount of time.  And yes I did manage to get out the door on time for work.

Fizzled Out!

Ok so I fizzled out!  Only three blocks done today.

This is one row put together.  Ready to attach to the other two rows that are done.  Big disappointment.

But, I did get grocery shopping done, and the outside work done.  Just too tired and lazy to do anymore and it is only 4:45pm.  Oh well, there is always the week nights.

Progress Report

I got my 14 blocks done for the day and it is now 6pm.  Taking a break before I sit and do hand work for the night.  So if I get my 14 blocks done tomorrow that's 42 blocks and four rows.  And then I can say I am half way done with the quilt.  Wow this is taking longer than I thought but I will prevail.

It is extremely hot outside today.  Record breaking heat they say.  Good thing I stayed inside by the fans.  Still, I am sure all those campers are having a great time toothis weekend.

Lucky Me! another pajamma weekend.........

Lucky me!  I have another rare occasion.  A pajama weekend.  And a long one too.

I manage to get 14 blocks done for the hobo quilt, that is better than one row.  And I already have two rows done,,,,,,,,so let's see., that means I have 90 more blocks to go....

Oh geeze!  that didn't sound good. :(

Well two more days to my weekend, and I am going to try to get 14 blocks done a day and that will be a good chunk of this quilt.

The donkey quilt came back from the quilter's last week, and I finished the binding and delievered it in time for my friend's birthday.  He was just stunned!  Always happy to put a smile on someone's face with a handmade quilt.

A couple hours before bed time and I think it is time to get some hand work done.

Grandma Weekend

Well it's done.  Actually done for quite awhile.  Just been so long since I could get a chance to blog.  But little Emma is so proud to be wearing to school.

This weeked was my babysitting weekend.  And those grandchildren sure make me feel old in more ways than one.  I can't keep up anymore.

Just a quick note before I finish the binding on this donkey quilt for my friend Ed.  I am planning on seeing him for his birthday dinner on tuesday night and want to make sure he has it for his birthday.  Just a couple more stictches and the label goes on and ta da!

Other than that no sewing this weekend, not when grandma is kept so busy.

End of a sewing sunday

 Well after finishing the last of the boy's four pj's  I was able to finish up on my little bugs dresses.  They wwere all ready cut out and ready to sew together.  And these t-shirt dresses work up fast.

This purple one is for emma, and grandma is tired.  So it will have to wait till tomorrow night to finish. But it is all cut out and ready to go.

And I did manage to get the binding sewed on to the Hungry Hungry Caterpiller quilt.  So that is officially done.  I think I will just spend the evening in front of the tv doing some hand work.  My neck is getting stiff sitting here by this sewing machine for anymore of this tonight.

Pajama Day!!!

Not my pajama Day.  I am making summer pj's for the boys.  Here are two pairs for my little Nickolas.  He asked grandma for trains.



Still working on two more pairs for Ivan and then a couple of dresses for the girls.  Everything is cut out and waiting to get sewed together.

Errands to run this weekend, but between errands I have time to sit down to sewing for a few hours.  Hopefully I can get Ivan's pj's done today.

Thursday I took the day off of work to go to Nancy's Notions Diamond and Pearls Anniversary.  What wonderful sales and vendors.  I spent too much as usual.  And now I have more projects and material to add to my stash.  I better get sewing.



It's done!!!!!!!!

And here it is.  All finished.  Well the top is.  I am debating as to which quilter to take it to or if I am going to quilt it myself.  My sister is the one that talked me into putting the boarders on.  She said it would pop.  And it surely did. I just love it, it doesn't match and it was from all my scraps and I love it.
I didn't make it as big as I had planned.  It was getting too huge and I wanted it to be a twin bed size.  Now I have 70 tumblers left, and my sister is the proud receipent of those.  Out of my stash is all I care about.
And after going thru my stash last night, I found a yard of this, and two yards of this..............so I guess the backing will be scrap too!

Squeezing in some sewing

I got a total of 7 rows done on this scrap tumbler quilt.  The weekend started out busy with outside activities, but there was time to settle down to the sewing machine to get some things going. 



This is the start to my hobo quilt.  Only two rows and a couple blocks.  So much more to go.  But I lose interest after awile.  My sister told me you should always have at least 3 projects going at one time.  Cause then when you tire or are frustrating with one, you can always opt out for another one.  I think she said that cause I have so much going.  She just wanted me to feel normal.

It's sunday night and back to work tomorrow.  All my weekends are the same, I could always use a couple more days..........

UFO weekend

T?his was my weekend to get at some of those UFO's  And projects that need a kick start.  This queen size quilt has been sitting around since last fall when it was sandwiched and ready to be free motion quilted.  Started and stopped so many times on this quilt.  Well, this weekend it was completed and the binding sewed on.

My material sitting around for over a year for the Hungry Hungry Catterpiller finally got put together and was stitched in the ditch.  All I need now is some white or green material for the binding.  Let's see how long that takes me.

This is the hobo quilt I have been wanting to do for almost two years now.  I did have some blocks started and manage to complete one row for the quilt.  I need to get this done, it is for someone this christmas and at this rate it won't be done for a couple more years.  Need to put all my attention into getting this done.

And I did have enough scrap tumblers to get started on a quilt.  Here is three rows done.  13 more rows to go and those scraps will be out of my sewing room.  Oh yeah, and this little blue baby quilt that I did a couple weeks ago needed to be tied and the binding on.  So check that off my ever growning list.

All in all it was pretty productive weekend.

Accu Quilt Cutter

My sister and I went together to purchase a Accu Quilt Cutter.  These machines are so handy.  Here is my grand daughter Hailie cutting up some scraps for grandma.  We spent the day doing tumblers for a scrap quilt.

Hailie found it fun and easy and wouldn't let grandma play.  What an inexpensive entertainment and grandma got lots of tumblers out of it.

I am looking forward to a sewing weekend.  Nothing else going on, so hopefully I get alot accomplished.

Finished

My daughter's birthday quilt in her new home.  Only a month late, but she has it.

It took me along time with all that hand embroidery, and I don't think I will be in a hurry to do another one.  But it did turn out great.

I have a sewing weekend coming up.  Yes really.  And I am looking forward to it.  Me in my pj's all day just sewing.

So many projects, wonder which one to do first.

Easter Celebration

Emma helping grandma and her aunt out in the kitchen.

What a wonderful Easter, and only better when you spend it with family.

This was my babysitting weekend so I am the girls went to my youngest daughter and her husband's new home to celebrate.  We could not have asked for a better day to celebrate this christian holiday.

And the girls loved showing off their new easter dresses grandma made them.

My saturday!

My saturday.  My Day!  Isn't it sad that you have to actually mark a day on the calendar to make time for yourself?  That's what I got to do to get a day to myself.  So my saturday is here, and I was able to finish up the girls easter dresses.  A couple of weeks ahead too I might add, no scrambling for this grandma.

My grandson's 5th birthday is next week.  And he asked for a starwars helmet and a light saber.  So grandma just finished his thought and made him a darth vader cloak to go with them all.  Excuse the easter dress, the hanger was handy for draping the cloak and taking a picture.

Then I deceided I was going to organize my stash.  I started it a couple weeks ago when I got the accu quilt cutter.  But still a couple totes to go through.  And what did I find????

These scrap blocks that I had started two years ago.  I just packed them away for the day I was going to be able to sew them into a quilt.  So ofcourse I had to stop what I was doing and get them sewed together.  I had to!  They were in the tote I was trying to organize.  Now I don't have to worry about putting them back in the tote.......................                                         



This quilt turned out pretty cool.  Not bad.  The first one probably could of matched more, but thast's why they call them scrap quilts.  I feel like I got so much accomplished today.

And tomorrow will be spent in green bay with my daughter and son in law.  They closed on their new home  a couple days ago and now they want to paint before moving in.  So mom said she would help.  Or maybe be the sidewalk forman......

Home Sweet Home

The table topper is finished for my daughter and son in law's new home.  Next week sunday we start the painting prior to the move in.  And this topper is all done and I think it will look just beautiful in their new kitchen perhaps with a vase full of flowers.  What do you think????

And I got one of two easter outfits done for the grand daughters.  This is a short dress to be worn with leggings.  It is so easy and cute, I could not believe how quickly it went together.  You just use a t-shirt and fill it in with ruffles.............so cute!
The pieces for the second one are all  cut out and ready to be sewed on the second t-shirt.  But after spending the afternoon outside in this beautiful weather raking the lawn (yes I am pushing it) I am tired.
Early to bed for me.



Got it done!

Lucky Star Quilt a/k/a Donkey Quilt is done.  Well the top is.  It turned out so cool!  I love it.
Now it is at the quilters.   My friend's birthday is around memorial day, so I might wait till then to give it to him. 
Spent most of this weekend with my youngest daughter and son in law in green bay.  Got home early Sunday morning and need to get a few things put away and picked up around here.  Then I am planning on working on a table topper for my daughter's new house.  Hopefully this will be a quick project.

Quilting Retreat

Just a quick report on how the quilting retreat went this weekend.  Great!  It hit a couple of bumps getting here, but it worked out great.  We both got alot accomplished.

I managed to get a row and one block done for this Lucky Stars patter a.k.a Donkey Quilt.  The inside of each star is a picture of my friend's donkey.  All done in blacks, greys, and white.  This is turning out quite nicely.

I just need to kick it in gear.  15 more blocks to do before I can do the borders.  And I am taking it to the quilter's shop to quilt my self on the long arm in march.  So gotta get going.

Definitely will do another quilt retreat again soon!

Awesome Day!!!!!!!

And it is finished!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Crab Apple Cove top is done and ready to go to the quilters.  I am so proud.  It felt like it took forever.

And now on to the next project.  This is a quilt I have been planning for some time now.  A good friend of mine that would give you the shirt off his back to help you out.  He had a pet donkey that he loved dearly, and the donkey, Doc, passed last fall.  I wanted to do something special for him.  So here is a picture quilt of his beloved donkey.  Two blocks out of 20 done.  And now I got to take a break for the rest of the night.  Whew!  I am exhausted.

And my girlfriend's quilt is coming along really great.  She got so many blocks done today.

She does great work.  Sometimes she makes me so jealous.  And when her quilts are done, she hand quilts them.  That is so special.  I don't have the patience for that.

Break Time!

I am taking a break.  And as you can see, it's the coffee and chocolate that keep us going.  I did manage to get all my blocks done by the time I went to bed last nite.

and this morning, I was able to finish the quilt insides.  Now I am working on the flying geese borders.  128 flying geese to be exact.  Now my goal is to finish this quilt by the time I go to bed tonight.  Think I will make it.



My girlfriend is working ferverishly at her blocks.  All the flying geese she made on friday are now coming together in her blocks.  This picture does not do it justice.  Such beautiful shades of green.

Ok breaks over..................more coffee!

"Let the Quilt Retreat Begin"

Here it is Friday nite, and the retreat has started.  Now alot went wrong that almost made this a no retreat weekend.  We got canceled from the Retreat House and almost didn't have any kind of a quilt retreat at all.  Then my girl friend comes up with the idea that we will just have the retreat at my house.  So I kept my vacation day on the books at the office and the plans were on.  Oh and then my boss took my vacation day away from me because he needed me at the office since there was no one to cover me.

Once again, the weekend looked like it was a bust.  But my girlfriend says, come pick me up thursday nite and I will be at your house starting the retreat without you.  So yes she is here, picked her up last nite to begin the weekend.

This is the quilt that I whipped together wednesday night trying to keep myself busy.  A small baby's quilt to add to my collection.

this is what I managed to get done thursday nite.  Two blocks.  That's it!

And this is what she got accomplished today while I had to work.  Now the race is on.  Let's see what can get accomplished tonight.  Let the quilt weekend begin.

Sunday lazy day......

I slept in!  8:15 this morning I rolled out of bed, even had to wake the dogs.  They wanted to sleep later.

But I needed to start a nothing day.  This is my wall hanging that I started at my daughter's house.  Finally got it finished, quilted and hung up on my bedroom wall.  Then I took some time to cut out two different projects for my quilting weekend.                                                                                                                              

My quilting retreat has been canceled but not my plans.  My girlfriend was so looking forward to her first retreat and I could not let her down.  So the quilt retreat will go on at my house for the weekend.  And these are two of the projects I will be working on that weekend.  One is that Crab Apple Cove quilt I have been working on the embrodiery for since like forever.  The other will be a picture quilt for a friend of mine that lost his pet donkey.  Hopefully I will at least get a start on that one.
So excited for next weekend.  I never hosted a quilt retreat before.  This should be fun.



Home again!

I am home!  After months at my daughter's helping her out I am home.  She is doing well but still not back to work.  In time and more therapy she will get there.  But for now, she is more self sufficient and doesn't need mom anymore.
I have been busy reorganizing my sewing room, new shelving units helped. It is not the same as the beautiful huge room in the basement my son in law had fixed up for me while staying with them, but my little house is glad to see me back home and my sewing room is filled again.

The last few days have been filed with just cutting material.  I have a quilting retreat coming up in 1 1/2 weeks and need to take some projects with me.  I now have three projects cut and labeled and ready to go.
I better get some done, cause one is a birthday gift for my youngest daughter which is March 14th and the other is a gift for a friend of mine that helps me out with man stuff around my house.  And I just made a reservation for March 17 to go to green bay to rent the long arm machine.

My weekends are backed to being full and busy again.  I already have my weekends filled till after valentine's day!  My goodness, that candle surely does burn on both ends.