UFO's found...

Just as I said, I went into the sewing room in search of UFO's. And HA! I found some. Not the kind in that photo above, but the fabric kind....

I keep all of my UFO's in a pile on the floor. No fancy, smancy polka dot container, basket or plastic container for me. Just the floor. I trip over them constantly. That is good. If I put them away, they will be hopelessly lost. I dove into that pile and found some black moda. Perfect for the first border on DH quilt. DONE!

I found a quilt top I put together last October at retreat. It was black and whites with pieced yellow stars. This will be a charity quilt for guild. It just needed a border. DONE!

I also found a smaller quilt top from "who knows when". It didn't need anything except a good pressing. DONE!

Grace's Christmas quilt was in the pile and along with it was the backing. It was already in two pieces and just needed to be pieced and pressed. DONE!

That is 4 DONE.... Now I can get some more stuff at Raspberry Patch tomorrow. That's how that works. RIGHT??

Happy Sewing,
Nancy

It's 9:10pm, do you know where your quilt is?

I know right where mine is!! It's finished! Ok, not entirely finished, but ready for borders. Which I don't have yet... I never buy borders until the top is done. I would lose them, or use them for another project. DH laid on the couch last night listening to FoxNews and browsing ebay. I couldn't do it. I couldn't sit here and listen to anyone else talking about Hillary and McCain and Romney and whoever else is out there. I have made up my mind who I will vote for on Super Tuesday and no amount of back stabbing by any party member or newscaster is going to change it.

Tomorrow I am going with a couple of new friends to a quilt shop I haven't visited in a while. Since I have been there Raspberry Patch has expanded into at least one neighboring store and hopes to take over another. Of course the weatherman is calling for a storm tomorrow with a possible 8 inches of snow. I hope it holds off until after lunch...

I need to find something to sew today. I guess I will go and search the sewing room for an unfinished project. I am sure there are hoards of them in there. lol

Happy Sewing,
Nancy

Mother Nature.....

What is Mother Nature thinking?? We all woke up this morning to a perfectly glorious day. The temperature was 56F, Noon it was 72F and now it is 28F. What??
This morning I had the sewing room window open, now I am huddled under an afghan and it is SNOWING....

I spent all day today in the sewing room. I got 10 of the blocks completly finished. Those are little sticky dots on the blocks so I remember which way they go in case they fall off of the design wall. I love it when I have blocks to put on the design wall and finally see what the quilt will look like. It is so exciting.



Only 30 more seams to go and all 20 blocks will be ready to sew together.



If you are reading this and know my DH, please keep quiet as this is his Christmas present....

Happy Snewing...
Nancy

I want to SEW.....

But today has become errand day.

My TO DO LIST -

Pharmacy
Courthouse
License Bureau
Grocery Store
Bank
Post Office

and I have tons of laundry to do.....

I WANT TO SEW!!!

I did get to some cutting and organizing of my Weaver Fever blocks. There are 10 one and half inch segments lined up here. The color dots have numbers on them so I keep them in the correct order with the correct piece to the left... this is a must be organized quilt. Doesn't look like much, does it.



My directions said to cut one segment from each strip set for each block. 10 blocks, 10 strip sets and I have this much left....



Hm.....I sent a quick email to Bev and uh oh....I am supposed to make 20 blocks. I think I will sew these together and then cut 10 more. If I cut more now, I KNOW they will get mixed up and I can't afford that.

I hope you all get to sew today. I get to drive around town....in the rain....not sewing....

Happy Errands!
Nancy

Blueberry cake recipe Update

I finally found the location of the blueberry cake recipe. It is on Megan's blog. This is the moistest (is that a word?), best tasting cake we have had in a long time. It is also very easy. Thanks Megan and Peg who is the owner of the original recipe.

Since, I had to update about the recipe before I forgot about it...I thought I would show you the little "Good Morning" pillow I finished today.



Happy Sewing
Nancy

A Move and a Giveaway....

Bren over at Little Acorns has finished her book, moved her blog and is having a giveaway....

Check it out.....

The rock guitarest is leaving for the weekend. He is going to jam big time at a friends house. I feel for the parents. lol DH and I will celebrate by going to dinner at a new Chinese place.

Happy Sewing
Nancy

Yikes, It's Friday already......

Where did the week go?? Monday was quilt guild and 5 of us stayed after lunch to start a new (for me) quilt pattern called Weaver Fever. Organization is a big part of this quilt. The big key to this quilt is ORGANIZATION. It took me a while, but then it clicked and I got one of the strips sets sewn. Yesterday I got the other 9 strip sets sewn and bought the June Taylor Shape Cut ruler. I was told this was an almost must to get as I will now sub-cut all the strip sets into 1 1/2 " segments and sew them together again. Apparently this ruler is the easiest way to get those small cuts done perfectly...
I will post a photo after getting the quilt top together...


These are the FQ's that Peg won....they are winging their way home from the post office as we speak...



Have a Happy Sewing Weekend.

Nancy

and the winner is........

Linda and I thank you for all the guesses. Most were very close, but to choose a winner out of only those that guessed correctly would mean the reveal of her actual age.
A woman NEVER tells her age, especially in public, so EVERYONE that commented is entered into the drawing...

SO.....drum roll please......



Looking around the house revealed that I am home alone. So no one to draw a name. Instead, I picked up the plate and tossed it around until one name fell out. Well, two fell out, but one hit the floor first...lol I wonder what that is on my floor. It looks like the strap of my camera, but it couldn't be cause I was holding the camera. Hm....I need to go look and see what is on the floor...just a second. Well, there is nothing on the floor, so that must be my wool sock you see. I guess I could have edited the photo to take that out, but shoot, it really makes it look realistic doesn't it?? Oh, back to the drawing....

No Oliver, I don't want to play ball....I need to tell everyone who won the drawing...Oh, you don't care who won?? Oh, I bet someone does....

So without further ado......

Here is the winner......





Send me your snail mail and I will get your prize in the mail....

Happy Sewing,
Nancy

UPDATE....

You have until 8am tomorrow to guess Linda's age....

Happy Sewing
Nancy

It's a BIRTHDAY....

It's Linda's BIRTHDAY...... YEA!!!

If anyone can tell me how old she is, there might be a drawing....hee hee

Happy Birthday Linda
Hope you have a wonderful day!!

Your fellow blogger,
Nancy

Ha....I'll show her....

Pat is off in the Carribean and before she left she posted a "kind of" challenge. FIU (finish it up) and show her when she gets back....
This is what we are supposed to do while she sips coconut drinks with umbrellas, eats, enjoys the pool and the sun....ok I can't stand it anymore....Oh, she gets to teach and meet new quilters also.

Well, I'm gonna show her. HA So far I have finished two UFO's.

First was my Lil Birdies quilt - (we are STILL waiting on Abigail to make an entrance)


Second is the wall hanging I finished today.





This is not what I had planned to work on today. I really wanted to sew today. I pulled out the fabric for the boys Christmas quilts, but realized that I neglected to buy the background light. oh. ok. I thought maybe a table runner. I had a pattern, but no background fabric. oh ok. So here was this wall hanging pinned to my wall in the sewing room. OK....I pulled it out and quilted it, bound it and it is now hanging in my dining room. Hopefully it won't stay there long as I have a huge quilt that is destined to live on that wall. It needs borders, quilting and bound....guess that will be next...

Pat's next challenge was SSN - Start Something New....YEA!! Tomorrow I will be at the Pik-Lin quilt guild. The program is Weaver Feaver and I have all my strips cut and packaged and ready to go....I have to get my sewing machine ready to go...bobbins wound, notions packed.

Happy Sewing.
Nancy

Check out this YouTube.....

Dianna has posted a wonderful YouTube video on her blog.... Go check out "How a sewing machine works".


Also, thanks to Dianna, I now know how to hyperlink....yea!! Thanks, Dianna....

Happy Sewing,
Nancy

My own personal interior decorator.....

You must click over to Angela's blog (http://cottagemagpie.com/) (and no, I can't make hyperlinks. I am on Vista and I can't figure it out)....

Anywho.... Angela does a wonderful job with interior (and exterior) decorating and once a week will be featuring a readers decorating problem.... This week it is my family room.... Look at the before and after photos. She did a wonderful job....

Ok....hurry and click NOW!!!

Happy Sewing (and decorating)
Nancy

Nothing will make you tear up faster.....

In case your can't read it, the letter says

"Dear Grandma,
I just wardr (wanted) to mal (mail) you a raskr (picture).
Love Grace"

Ah.....grandkids.....

Happy Sewing,
Nancy

Two Beefs.......

No, not the red meat kind. But the kind that just ticks me off.

Beef #1... Checkers at the grocery store that call me "hon", "honey", "sweetie" etc. WHY do they do that? I am certainly not their Hon, honey OR sweetie. I don't even know them all that well, although I do all my grocery shopping at only two different places depending on if I am heading east or west. Most of the checkers (or maybe they are supposed to be called something else?) are either my age or younger. I am NOT that old. Yes, I have grandkids, but I color my gray and don't wear polyester and I still have a 15 year old at home. I consider it a sign of stupidity and certainly rude for them to call me cutesy names. I don't respond to them at all.

Beef #2... Again Checkers at the local grocery/discount store. What gives them the right to comment on the food I am purchasing. Every time I buy anchovies the clerks will comment. "YUK" "What are those" "Is that fish?" etc. One clerk actually picked them up with the tips of her fingers like they would leak on her. Now I don't eat anchovies, but hubby does.

I bought a duck to cook for Christmas Day. The conversation went like this -

Clerk - Is this a duck?
Me - Yes
C- like a real duck?
M- Yes
C- Like the kind you see at the park?
M- Probably
C- Are you going to eat it?
M- Yes
C- Oh, that is horrible, how can you do that?
M- I will defrost it first.

Anyone else have this problem? or is it just me? The only time there was comment that I felt was justified was the evening my DH and I purchased only two items.

A flimsy nightgown and a ski mask.....

Happy Sewing
Nancy

another one bites the dust....

I finished another needlework case. I bought some Dick and Jane fabric from a lady on SewItsForSale. SewItsForSale is a yahoo group that I help moderate. The group is designed for members to resell (within licensing agreements) items from their personal sewing stash. This can be fabric, patterns, books, etc....
I got this Dick and Jane fabric for $2/yard. She only had one yard, but that was plenty for another needlework case. And I have some left over. I did have to add the Michael Miller retro dots and the little black pocket on the front is from a polka dot swap a couple of years ago on Pat Sloan's yahoo group.





If you untie the top red ribbon, there is a piece of batting there so I can keep all my threads together. The bottom pocket will hold a pair of scissors with the red ribbon that ties through the scissor handles to keep them there. If you turn your computer upside down you will see the inside pocket made of Dick and Jane fabric.


I love this needlecase pattern. It is from Pat Sloan's website www.quiltershome.com and I sure have gotten my money's worth from this pattern. This is number 3 and I am thinking of making another one... Just not sure what fabric to use..

Happy Sewing
Nancy

Shameless photos.....

We have the grandkids this weekend and I have started snapping photos of them...

Beware...cute overload possible.









More photos tomorrow. We are going to surprise great-grandma at her birthday lunch. She doesn't know they are visiting.

Happy Sewing
Nancy

Yummy, Delicious and from scratch.....

I can't remember where I got this recipe, but I am sure glad I snagged it ...

Lemon-Blueberry Cake

Cream together 1 stick of butter and 1 cup of sugar.
Beat in 2 eggs.
Combine with 2 cups of flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
Mix above with 1/2 cup of milk and 1 tsp vanilla.
Stir in 1-1/2 cups of blueberries(fresh or frozen). I also added some of the lemon zest. (yes, I used a real lemon)

Pour into a greased 8" square pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. I actually had to bake mine at 350 for 1 hour before it was done in the center.

While cake is still hot, poke holes in it with a toothpick. Make a mixture of 1/4 cup (juice of 1 lemon) of lemon juice and 1/3 cup sugar. Pour over top of cake.

This is a wonderfully moist cake. If you shared this recipe on your blog or know who did, please leave a comment so I can credit them. It is a great cake.

Happy Sewing
Nancy

YEA!!

I actually got Lil Birdies pinned and ready to quilt. Got the sewing table cleaned off. Got the walking foot ready to go. Will give Bernice (sewing machine, named after my grandma) a good cleaning and oiling and will get started this afternoon.

Oh, first I have to go get some food....AND Saturday I am going to lunch with my two sisters and my Mom for her birthday. OH, and I forgot...I have two of the grandkids this weekend. They will be dropped off tonight after dinner and will be returned Sunday am......I guess I won't get to quilt after tonight....Owen is 4 and Ava is just almost 2, so I will be busy. I am going to surprise my Mom by bringing them to lunch with us. (sister's idea) She will be thrilled. She doesn't get to see them very often as they live 90 miles away...

Off and running.....

Happy Sewing
Nancy
watch this space Monday as I will be shamlessly blogging super cute photos of grandkids taken with my new Christmas present camera.....

Lil Birdies with borders......

Not the best photo, but my design wall is full of other stuff, so I had to hang this in the hall. Today's plans include pinning and starting the quilting.

I will do diagonal lines through the white squares which will go through the embroidered blocks but not over the embroidery.

First I have to clean off my sewing table. It is a flat surface after all and so becomes a holding place for all kinds of piles.

Happy Sewing
Nancy

Update on Lil Birdies and where to buy....

Just a quick update...

I sewed the checkerboard onto the quilt last night. I don't usually venture into the sewing room after dinner, instead I sit with DH and do hand embroidery. BUT, last night he was busy watching the New Hampshire votes and I was BORED....LOL

Some have asked where they can get the pattern. I got those from www.primrosedesign.com ....Here is the link to the pattern section http://primrosedesign.com/emb_patterns.html The setting is mine and I can tell you that the embroidery blocks were cut 8 1/2 in square, trimmed with 1 1/2 inch strips of the pink fabric and the squares were cut 2 1/2 in square. I used stash so can't give you yardage.

Happy Sewing...
Nancy

Update on Tackle It Tuesday......

I spent all afternoon in the sewing room. Nothing better than being home alone listening to Simon and Garfunkels greatest hits and sewing....

Here is the almost finished Lil Birdies. My plan didn't include the 2 1/2 inch squares around the outer edge, but I think it looks better ....

WITH -



than without -


The left edge of with is empty as I ran out of squares, but have lots leftover to use. I will finish this off tomorrow am and take it to the LQS to get a border. If Pat is working, I will end up with 2 borders. Pat is under the impression that every quilt needs two borders. One to stop the pattern and one to border. I don't always agree and in fact we argue when I make a Yellow Brick Road because I don't add ANY borders to those.... lol

I am kind of a freak when I press my blocks. They must be flat and I mean flat. Last October I saw a lady using some blue stuff in a spray bottle and asked her what it was. She told me she likes her blocks flat, so she uses spray starch. Yes, but what is the blue stuff in the spray bottle? Sta-Flo Starch. She mixes it with 6 parts Sta-Flo and 2 parts water. Into a spray bottle and she sprays everything. She let me use it and I LOVED IT... A hot iron, a bottle of Sta-Flo and I am set....



Hope your Tackle it Tuesday was as productive as mine....

Happy Sewing

Nancy

Tackle it Tuesday...........

Today is Tackle it Tuesday and I have started. Yesterday my list was the following.

Clean out cedar chest so I can use it to start storing Christmas for 2008.
Clean out the bottom of my closet so I can find something.
Work on block 1 of A Tisket, A Tasket
Work on block 7 (or maybe 8, I forget) of Winter Wonderland

Instead I received a phone call last night that my oldest daughter was having some really regular contractions. She is only at 35 weeks. (there is a counter at the bottom of this page) so we really didn't want Miss Abigail to show herself quite yet.

I guess that gave me the little push (ha, no pun intended) to get going on the baby quilt. I hand embroidered the little Birdie blocks. They are from Primrose Design here http://primrosedesign.com/ There are more blocks, I only chose to do 5 of them for this quilt. I now have them cut down and trimmed and am heading back to the sewing room to get going on the alternate blocks. Here is a preview, stay tuned for the rest.....


Happy Sewing Day!!
Nancy

The Planets are aligned......

Jupitor is hanging with Mars, Saturn has her rings on and I am a happy camper....

I finally got into the sewing room. Was up early this morning, read email, read blogs and marched up to the sewing room with plans in my head.

First off, I found the batik's I bought to make Pat Sloan's needlework roll for my sister-in-law. wwww.quiltershome.com I pressed them and started cutting. I have the front and back cut, all three pockets made and attached. I can't go any further with it as I forgot to get the velcro for the sides.



This is the front with the front pocket and handles hanging next to it.



This is half of the inside with the thread pocket. The needleroll is actually twice as long, as these are folding in half. Pat designed hers for applique and since I use mine for redwork and carry a 4in hoop, I added fusible fleece as a layer between the outside and inside. You can't roll it up, but then the hoop would prevent that anyway..... I carry this everywhere and even use it on the couch as my work surface. I just bought some Dick and Jane fabric and plan to make another one for me. Probably should do that this week before I lose the pattern again.

Here is the first one I made and I use it all the time.





The stitchery and an alternative applique pattern are included. See the velcro on the sides? I just zip it up and carry it with me everywhere. The red circle is wool and was machine stitched on for a needle holder. Two big pockets inside and a third one for thread.
Want to order one? Hurry, cause Pat's going on a cruise and taking her entire shipping department with her. In fact, she is taking the entire Pat Sloan company with her....
OK!! Can you tell I love this needleroll!! LOL

Ok, are you ready?? This is the photo I snapped just now. This is how my DH surfs the net. On the UGLY couch....



off to make him a lucious Lemon Merinque Pie....

Happy Sewing Day!!
Nancy

Update - Weaver Fever

I have decided that I "officially" have the flu. This is the first year in a long time that I didn't get a flu shot. I don't have small children, don't habitually watch small children, and don't work outside the home (OK, and I was lazy and really didn't think about it.) I will stay home today from Redwork Club, but have called Anne and she will be my absentee voter on what our theme will be this year. (Thanks Anne!, keep me updated!) I joined last March and the "theme" was already decided. Young Children. I didn't participate and they were ok with that, so I guess it worked out. This year my vote is for "personal series". Or in other words, Do Your Own Thing and share the results each month. I am still working on Winter Wonderland, and am starting two more....A Tisket, A Tasket and the one over on Bea's site. I don't NEED another thing to do.

Since last Saturday I have whined, fussed, slept and eaten pineapple. That's about it. Fresh pineapple is the best and not that easy to get in the Midwest in the middle of the winter. But DH has made it possible.

Finally, DH went back to work and I could get his fabric out of the trunk of my car and into the laundry. Here is the fabric and pattern he will get for Christmas. Hopefully it will continue to be a surprise.....






My thought is that this is the color combination I want in the family room. He will use this quilt on the couch in the family room. It won't match and he will buy me a new sectional couch in deep brown. HA...Linda said she wishes me luck!! LOL Well, guess what.....last night he was on the couch with his laptop on his chest. Don't ask me how he types laying flat on his back with the laptop on his chest, but he does. One of these days I will take a snap. ANYWAY....guess what he showed me?? UH HUH!! The Ashley Furniture home page.... He asked me which sectionals I was talking about. See LINDA!! I told you it would work!! And he doesn't even know about the quilt...

I am determined to get a couple of blocks traced today. I have soup in the crock pot and don't have any plans until I have to take the Rock Guitarist to get his hair cut after school.

Happy Sewing Day!
Nancy

OH NO!! I forgot what day it was......

I always forget what today is. I am not talking New Years Day.... I am talking about the Twilight Zone Marathon....



The Sci-Fi channel does this to me every year. DH knows all of the shows, he knows what is going to happen. He knows the characters and the premise and EVERYTHING!!!!
He can even say most of the script by memory.

I guess I will force myself to feel better today so I can do some Sewing Room cleaning or maybe some stitching... I know I will have to listen to the TV all day,

A new BOM in stitchery has started over on http://capricornquilts.blogspot.com/

Looks like a good one Bea!!

Happy Sewing Day!!
Nancy