Date & Time

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Christmas

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Looking for a Red, White and Black Pattern

I know I saw one somewhere. But I just cannot get my hands on it. I just got this wonderful fabric and am dying to work with it.

We just got back from the clinic and blood work that is done thank God! The temperature was wonderful and I didn't even need to wear a jacket. Now, I'm not as brave as the younger women with their flip-flops and shorts; I'll just stick with my jeans and light sweater for a while yet. Memorial Day is plenty soon enough for me to get into the Capri's and petal pushers I think! We went to Panera's for supper of soup and a sandwich and oh I love their coffee.
So I'm happy now! Home and ready to start on another quilt top. I didn't get anything much accomplished today. I want to get into the sewing room and work with Tin Lizzie, but knew that I had that late afternoon appointment, I couldn't spend too much time in there, so I just let it slide. Maybe tomorrow!

Yesterday, I made a couple more Dear Jane patches here:


Monday, April 25, 2011

Rotary Cutting

About 2 weeks ago I found out about the carpet cutters and wheels from Harbor Freight and was thrilled. Then DH and I stopped by to see what the story was. Sure enough they had heard that some quilters were using the cutting wheels in their rotary cutters, but they were out of the cutting wheels so DH and I purchased 2 of the cutters with contained 3 wheels at $3.99 each. The is really a bargain when the fabric shop are getting any where from $7 per blade and up to $30 for a 5 pkg. Is there a 'gas' pricing going on here. Anyway, I probably have enough blades to last me for a lifetime and I'm pleased as punch with this buy. Now, the big news! I just came from McCall's Quilting sight and found that "Harbor Freight" is advertising the cutter there Wahoo! You go girls!!! Get the bargains so we can buy more fabric!
Did any of that make sense? Must be the chicken I had for dinner. Speaking of dinner, I think it is time for dessert so goodbye for now!
Happy cutting!
Easter is over, so now what? We go on to the next holiday or just the next day.
I came across a neat blog today, I wasn't much interested in the blog or blogger in and of itself but it had this cool YouTube video that I want to keep here for a while. I hope you enjoy this talented young man as much as I do.



This morning it is rainy again and the backyard is flooded. The tree service came and took the tree down and hauled it away. The fence fixers should be here sometime this week too. It is too wet for the dogs to run outside anyway, so the fence lying on the ground doesn't bother me too much.
I worked on my Dear Jane quilt

 this morning and got another patch done. This afternoon I'm working on the border for the MQ4. Might even get it on before dinner time if I get moving. Until later.
 

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Mystery Quilt #4

Well, it is together. I put the top together this morning. What a bear! I cannot believe I'm having so much trouble with those triangles. But she is together and hopefully all quilted before the middle of June, because "big" brother and d s-i-l are coming for a visit and this is their quilt.
Now it is time to put things away and start my Easter baking. I was going to do it yesterday,but MQ#4 kept me from it, so pizzelle irons here I come. Don't know if I'll get my kuchen baked or not as DH went to a gun show and didn't put the bread maker within reason of me.
I usually make apple strudel and a pineapple - cottage cheese, but who knows if the energy will hold out long enough to do that before the girls get here to play cards.
Ah, yes we play cards every other Saturday night and tonight is the one. I think it is my turn to "win". But at least d s-i-l, Sandy is bring the treat!
OK, time to get the sewing put away and start the fire under those irons.
Happy Easter!
Oh here is MQ#4

Friday, April 22, 2011

Good Friday

It is Friday, and I have downloaded the last of the Mystery Quilt instructions. Ok so it is a two block quilt, most of them are. But there will probably not be much sewing for me today. It is "home blessing" day and man oh man does this home need a blessing.

The big wind storm we had the other night took down two (2) big pine trees in the backyard and now DH is waiting for estimates from the tree remover to get them off the fence so that the dogs can get out there and play. I do not see the urgency, because it is too wet out there anyway. That is probably the reasons these huge 30 ft pines toppled over. That is the last of them in the back. About 14 years ago two others went and the church thought they were theirs, so they removed them. Now, these are ours so we have to. Am I thankful for the church... yes, you bet I am! Very thankful as there was no way I could have ever gotten them down and cut up.

Ok, it is time to get some breakfast and start on the floors and bathroom. The good Lord willing and the creek don't rise, I get back to my sewing soon!
Oh oh, it is snowing again!!!!!

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Early Morning ZZZZZZZZZZZ

Woke up at 3 A.M. and could not go back to sleep so I got up and made these "Egg Mats". The fabric is a fat quarter bundle "Cheep Talk" from Connecting Threads and I have been thinking of what to do with it or what quilt to use it in. Well, it is close to Easter and baby peeps, and eggs are pretty traditional, so that is what came to mind. I'm sure they could have been done better or more perfectly shaped, but they are mine and so be it.
and I know my 6 year old grandson will love them.
Now, it is time to get the dogs out and get dress because "He" will be here to spend the day and color Easter eggs shortly. Guess we will make pizzelles while he is here, too. So busy, busy! It is so nice to be retired!

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Wonderful Day

"Oh what a beautiful morning, oh what a beautiful day..." My d s-i-l took me out for the most wonderful treat this morning. We went out to a Day Spa and had a manicure and a pedicure. Then we stopped at the Casino for lunch and play a few games of chance. No I didn't win but only lost $4.99 and that is great for me.
Hope everyone else had a wonderful day also. Now I'm off to the sofa to spend some quality time with my dogs and watch a bit of the news. Until tomorrow, tc ... the good Lord willin' and the creek don't rise, I'll be back.

Giveaway!

I'm off to entry another contest to win some fabric from http://robertkaufman.com/ and http://www.jaybirdquilts.com/2011/04/giveaway-off-rail-pattern-fabric.html and now I'm headed over to facebook to post a link there, too. Wish me good luck!

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Early Start

Looking forward to a very busy week. Yesterday, we made Easter Cards, and DGS came for the evening. This morning is a dentist appointment. Tomorrow my D S-I-L and I are going for a manicure, pedicure and then lunch at the Casino on our way home... Thursday my DGS is coming to color Easter eggs and spend the day while mom and dad work. Then we will have Good Friday. I have to do some baking as Easter would not be Easter without my mother's coffee cake and pizzelles. Now, I better get changed and get going as the dentist is way across town and DH insists on driving and he never goes a 1/2 mile over speed limit :o)

Monday, April 18, 2011

(continued) Almost done - Top is complete

Here is "Gentleman Caller" Top:
Completed 12:00 P.M. April 18, 2011
The top measures 60" x 72" without borders or binding

Almost Done

I'm almost done with "Gentleman Caller" top only 3 more rows and 6 to add to existing ones. I think I could become attached to this one. It is fairly easy to assemble and the reds, blues, & browns, look fabulous together. Maybe at the beginning of next week I will be able to get into the sewing room to start quilting some of these tops. DH brought in the bobbins from the Tin Lizzie so that I can wind them on the Elna which will be a whole lot faster than what the Lizzie has for a bobbin winder.
The weather isn't getting any warmer so I'm wondering what next Sunday will be like. The family is planning on going out for Easter dinner to the "Tom Ridge Environmental Center" for the buffet or whatever D S-I-Ls decide. That is my choice.
Have taken some pictures of a fabulous rainbow last Saturday morning but still do not have them loaded up to the computer. Perhaps today, you Think? The weather station is in need of repair. The strong winds over the weekend, were not kind to it.
I'm working on a coffee theme for next month, maybe a garden theme would be better. We should be starting to plant or at least get something started, but it has been so wet and cool that we just do not have any energy to look forward to the summer.
Oh yes, speaking of summer! My brother and sister-in-law will be coming probably in the middle to late June and I was given the task of calling 'My sister, Ilene' to see if she and my niece will also be coming around the same time. It would be fun, but I'm usually the hind foot when the older siblings get together. Kind of invisible if you know what I mean.
Ok, time to get to work. Get the dogs in, and finishing that top before this afternoon when our friend (The Vegetarian) comes to make us dinner and we are going to make some greeting cards. My StampinUp business is almost non-existent these days.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Up to my ears in the Quilting ????

Well, ain't this a bucket of ____. I'm up to my ears in quilting. Planning, cutting, sewing, ripping i.e. "froggin" (rip-it [rib-bit])and trying to fix errors made by not only me but instructions not clearly written. One of my biggest pet peeves are people who use quilting programs to design quilts then have someone else do the block work and quilting and all they do is the writing of the instructions which make little or no sense to the person trying to do it all. That is not only purchasing the fabric, but actually measuring, cutting out the pieces, and sewing them together.
One of my recent endeavors comes with extensive research looking for the right fabric because what was originally suggested in the pattern was already outdated and no longer made. I spent hours online looking for the right fabric. Then when I found something to my liking because, the original was not available, the quantity was just barely enough, with no room for a cutting mistake.
The pattern was then divided into 3 parts, that is 3 different magazines. So I had to purchase all three. If you have bought a magazine lately they are not cheap. I'm talking $21.00 just for the patterns. On top of that I purchased two (2) reference books; found them cheap on Amazon.com... if I had been smart I could have just used those instead of buying all the stupidly written instructions.
Now, I stuck with a poorly made quilt with points that do not exist and it looks like a 10 year old made it. You would think that I would know better? You think? Oh well on to the next stupid mistake.
It is a Mystery Quilt. I tried one a while back and never finished it because it had a medallion center that I couldn't get right. That one was a block of the Month and I got sick so never finished it either. This Mystery is posted on the Internet and is scheduled for every Friday a few steps are revealed. This week 4 and I'm already tired of waiting for the next steps. We have done 14 but they are simple too slow. More time and money invested and already I can see the fudging that will have to take place on this one.
I've made it my goal to at least get all the tops together before I die, so that someone doesn't just come in and take whatever fabric they like but hopefully will realize that it belongs to something that will turn into something else if they have the patience to work at it. Dying, who has time to die? I don't! I have too many projects to finish and too much to enjoy yet! So God, will you wait until I at least get my projects done and can enjoy them for awhile?
Amen.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

This is a "MUST WATCH" on all political venues:

Working on my "Civil War Sampler" this morning... It looks like I'll be ready to put the top together this weekend should I still have enough energy.
I have the cold from H e double LL, cannot shake it and almost ready to call the doctor again...
We got the news that my D B and D S-I-L are coming probably by the middle of June for a stay. I have to call my DS and put a bug in her ear that she and my neice should come then also. Does it sound like he is using me :O)
Back to the sewing machine.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Civil War Sampler

The May/June magazine arrived on Friday, however; I didn't recognize it because it had an advertisement on the cover covering the regular front. Anyway, tomorrow, I will be able to start the last stage of the Civil War Sampler. I figure I'll be ready to put the top together by the weekend if I don't fall into too many traps.
Here is Part 1 and Part 2.


( there is a duplicate in here but what the heck)
Tomorrow, the dogs go for their hair cuts and toenail trims. Perhaps Spring is really here. I certainly hope so because I am tired of the cold and wet weather.
We got some kale from the garden tonight. It weather the winter and came back to life. Our friend, Barb, fried it up with egg and cheese and called it a 'faheita' I have no idea what that is and I'm sure it isn't spelled correctly. It was delicious through. Looking forward to a good garden this year. Hopefully, we have the junk out of it and the soil working properly.
Let not your heart be troubled, good night and pleasant dreams

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Ladies of the Seas

Today I taking a break from quilting and going to work on some papercrafts, but in the meantime; here is the latest "Ladies of the Seas" block that I've almost completed. It still needs some embroidery on the ship's hull, but basically it is finished. My friend, Barb, is coming over this afternoon and we will have lunch and then do some stamping. It has been quite awhile since we have gotten together so this is a treat.
I've been so involved with quilting I almost forgot that I have a business to run. Connect with me here:Maxine Creates
The America - Ladies of the Seas

Now this is a daily quote worth keeping...

The sorrow for the dead is the only sorrow from which we refuse to be divorced. Every other wound we seek to heal—every other affliction to forget; but this wound we consider it a duty to keep open—this affliction we cherish and brood over in solitude.


Washington Irving (1783-1859)

Use This Daily Prayer



...Heavenly Mother/Father God: walk through my house, take away all my worries, and illnesses, please watch over and heal my family &; comfort my friends in Jesus name, Amen!


Add a little memo: Mother/Father, I know you always hear me; I know you always answer, Amen!