Goodbye 2012

No predictions as to whether 2013 will be better than 2012 but one thing is for sure there are no durer or is it dyer predictions that the world will end.
The first Icicle of the 2012-2013 Winter season landed at our house on Saturday, December 29th and here is proof:

So today, I went out into the weather for the first time this Winter. Yes, it is true. I have not been out since prior to December 21st and so off I went to visit Hobby Lobby, Joann's and then brunch at Cracker Barrel to use up some of our Christmas gift cards.

My dear Sister-In-Law, Kathy, gave me a gift card for my favorite fabric and craft shop so I could get a bolt of unbleached muslin to start my next quilt which is going to be "Winter Wonderland" in redwork embroidery and red and white blocks. I also had a 40% off coupon and an extra 10% off total purchase so I'm really one happy quilter.

Now, I'll be ready for when all the cold wet and snowy comes my way to stay in and be cozy while I stitch away at another fun embroider project next to the one I've started here:

So now I'm in for the day, and I don't need go out. All I need to do is listen to the complaining about the traffic and rude people from DH on his daily trips and outings.
Happy New Year! Take heart Freedom is coming.

Happy New Year!

I hope you all had a fabulous Christmas. We started out Christmas Eve with my traditional Clam Chowder (potato soup for Grandson) and a delicious turkey dinner celebrated with our friend, Kay!.

Today, I basted on of the doll quilts that I put together last fall and if we don't play cards tonight, I'm back to embroidering on the "Vintage Tin" top. I have decided that I'm going to concentrate on getting some of the quilts actually quilted this year, so my tops are going to be limited.

Yesterday, I made new 5' leaders for Tin Lizzie18 and got one of them on the belly bar. If I can't get Lizzie working properly by the end of January then she is going "Over the Cliff".  I can use almost any machine with the frame and if that don't work, I have a Handi-Quilt frame and I'll go for a Handi-Quilt machine... either way I will be quilting with a longarm machine by March, 2013.

This one on the bottom is the one that got basted today.... She is ready to be put under Elna's needle on Monday.

My two latest quilt tops ready to be sandwiched:

Prayers, Oh how we need prayers!

Newtown, CT and the whole of the United States needs prayers. Pray for the families in Newtown and Sandy Hook Elementary School who are in so much pain that unless you have experienced the lost of a child or grandchild, brother or sister, you will never know the pain and you will be so very very blessed.
Yesterday, December 14, 2012 was a horrific day in not only our lives, but in the history of mankind. When a crazed person can walk into our schools and KILL innocent Babies, BABIES! Beautiful, loving babies who deserve life. God help us! God help America! God help mankind.

Nineteen Days 'til

Well, here we are less than 20 days away from another Christmas.
The other day I was out to Walmart and got my hair cut and when I left, the gal said, "Happy Holidays" immediately followed by an oops - Merry Christmas!
Thank you all for honoring Christmas.
Have we really become a nation of Scrooges?
I would say NO! but I could be wrong!

If the reason for the holiday is not Christ's birth, then why are all the businesses worried about "Black Friday!" Why not just survive on what they have made all the rest of the year? I mean there is someone's birthday every day and of course, we mustn't forget that the new lord & savior was born in August, so why isn't that "black Friday"?

Ok, enough ranting. If there isn't a Merry Christmas in the store windows sign, then I will walk on by!

Merry Christmas and Peace on Earth goodwill to men.
2012

http://youtu.be/ln01p1M2cH0

Happy Halloween

Halloween is here, again,
The sky above is dreare, again,
Lets sing a song of cheer, again,
Halloween is here, again!

ROTFLMBO~

so here is the latest thing I've quilted. I finished it up this morning and now it is hanging in my front door, to greet the little goblins who stop by for a treat!
Other than that nothing much is happening. My big brother's memorial service in Mandan, ND was last week on the 16th which, of course, I could not attend. I hear however, that the weather was beautiful and that his ashes took a bit of a detour down an old dirt road. Knowing Ervin, he would have done that on purpose, because he loved old dirt roads in the Dakotas, California or wherever he roamed. Miss you Big Brother!

Now, here is my latest attempt at being incompetent! I'm soon to give up on these silly things that I try to sew and quilt as I'm not very good at it and often ask myself WHY? Why do I punish myself? -- Who knows? -- I certainly do not!

 

OK, I'm outta here! It is time to watch a bit of Saturday television, then to start the meatloaf for dinner.

 

Let not your heart be trouble.

 



October, Marvelous October!

October, marvelous October!
Sometimes kind to me, but mostly not so kind.
I just love the weather this month, but not so much the people of this month with three exception ~ my mother, Lydia Link was born on October 1st, my oldest sister, Agnes, on October 20th and a niece, Lydia on October 26th. After that I've either been false accused of things that I would have never thought about, lied about even by relatives not necessarily blood, or totally ignored. So do I have much I like about October? I'd have to say it is about equally good and bad.

How about Oktoberfest? They are great if I could attend one. Halloween, oh I love "trick 'n treat. I love the Autumn harvest of apples, pumpkins, nuts and potatoes & cabbage.

October is super for gingerbread, homemade soups like potato & leek and of course some of mom's special recipes.

October is the time to put the summer lawn furniture away and to get ready for the snow and November Thanksgiving.

October is the time to reflect on all the good weather that was Summer and the bad weather to come in December.

I guess this year has left a bitter taste not only in my mouth but also my heart.

Last year we had a memorial service for my beloved Granddaughter and the aftermath continues to this year. I have not much to be proud of her father, although he is my son, I sure did a shitty job of raising him, despite his grief he now has stepped forward to tell his wife and my grandson and my husband, his step-father, that if anything happened to his step-father he/they would not take care of me his mother... Does this mean I should be upset? Well considering that I am a cancer survivor and on oxygen 24/7 perhaps just a little. I do have one advantage that I am my husband's 4 year senior, but not much constellation that husband has heart disease.

Oh well, now that I have that off my chest, I can continue to breathe a bit easier OH YEAH!

I've done a lot of sewing this fall, and I'm registered in several online classes that I should really be working on, perhaps later today. Here are some of the block that I've done.

 

 

There is one more, but I don't know what I did with the picture of it.
Now it is time to made the dinner! Not too sure what it will be and if I will be able to meet the standard I did last night with those huge stuffed pork chops and homemade apple pie.

If I get at it, maybe I'll get some sewing done after all.

Information You May Need to Know!

When did it become???

When did it become  American to believe that Communism is ok?
Read this article at your leisure. Download it and value it as you wish.
Add.doc

Summer's Almost Gone!

Labor Day has come and gone. Now, all those who hated our hot Summer can look forward to Autumn and Winter - 6 months or more. Have fun!
We enjoyed the weekend that started on Saturday with a great time at the German Fest and an evening of playing cards with Mom & sisters. Sunday we celebrated youngest Grandson's 8th Birthday after a delay since August 16th and his dad's busy summer schedule. We ended the weekend on Monday at a love picnic at Kori's mom's new condo overlooking the bay. It rained around 6' pm but only lasted about 1/2 hr. Then the sun came back out and everyone was complaining about how 'humid' it was. I totally enjoyed being outdoors while most of the others were inside enjoying the air conditioning.

Finished another wall hanging top and I think I may have found someone to check out my Tin Lizzie or perhaps even trade it in on  a new machine. That would be so nice and I could get my tops all quilted this year.

Today is definitely a sewing day. For a very long time from 1968 until about 2000, Labor Day has always been a sewing day for me... I miss that time even though I can sew when ever I want, I miss that designated day.

August

Well August is almost over and I've been trying to get into the Sewing Loft every day for at least a short time.

I'm pretty emotionally drained as well as physically. Try to sort out things in a spiritual manner, because I know that keeps me out of trouble. So, I'm praying that this ends soon and trust that I'm praying in the proper manner to keep from adding more hardship to heartache.

It has been a month now since the Intrastim transplant and all seem to be going well there, but the bronchitis and palsy continues to plague me. . And yesterday with the starting of coughing blood in my spit, maybe by the end of the week it will be cleared up.

Today, the hives started again from the Spiriva medication. It helps with the breathing, but don't know how long I can stand the hives before I just chuck it into the trash.

Anyway, I'm working on the pieced border for the Foundation Paper Piecing top that l love because it makes me want to spend time at the beach and in particular Sanabel where I could be with Michael and Anne. Feel I need to spend more time with them especially after the blow up on the weekend of Kori's event. Sometimes, I too over reactive and although I try not to be sensitive when he says the things he does, it does bother me. Man, I sure do get off on stupid subjects.

Also finished a couple more blocks for BOMs that I belong to except the Black & White which I'm planning on doing July & August on Thursday. There will be no quilting tomorrow or this weekend because there is a Stamp Show and The Rib Fest that I want to attend.

TEDxSF - Louie Schwartzberg - Gratitude

http://www.thequiltery.org/ in Tamaqua, PA block of the month. They are really traditional.  Guess it would have helped if I posted the next blocks.

 Then, we are back to Craftsy.com Free BOM. I'm so happy with the colors that I chose for this quilt. My next steps are to start quilting the ones I have done. As soon as it cools off.

Getting caught up with my Blocks of the Month! Craftsy is moving along and I'm really pleased with the colors. It will look so modern.

Then there is a new $5.00 BOM and if I post each month's block prior to the deadline, I get the next month for shipping only... What a deal! Check out http://www.thequiltery.org/ in Tamaqua, PA block of the month. They are really traditional.

It's Sew Kiki: HUGE-MONSTER-CRAZY-GIANT GIVEAWAY!

It's Sew Kiki: HUGE-MONSTER-CRAZY-GIANT GIVEAWAY!: Do you remember this clean out ?  Well this giveaway is bigger, better and just plain insane!  Wait till you see all the stuff I've cleaned ...

My Big Brother

Saturday morning, July 14, 2012, my big brother lost his battle with lung cancer. Our father died when I was 7 years old and my 17 year brother became my father figure. He was there for me if not physically, emotionally.

On June 2, 1962, he married his wife, Louise and I was their maid of honor. They celebrated their 50 years together this year. Last year I gave them the mystery quilt I completed on the eve of their 49th anniversary, just before they arrived for a visit, I'm so happy I did!

Thank you, Ervin & Louise! I love you both.

Red, White & Blue Blog Hop!
I'm excited about being included in the Hop. I had fun doing the Starry block and then remembered that I have a large Log Cabin quilt started in Red, White & Blue and though perhaps you would like to peek at them too.



Then there was the very first thing I ever made in Red, White & Blue.

Red, White & Blue Blog Hop!

So Easy and colorful to do a R,W, & B block. Simply cut out 4 stars from a 'cheat fabric' and added them using your favorite applique' method to a simple square in a square. I have really learned to use a stabilizer when machine appliqueing and found some rolls of paper on the Internet that the doctor's office uses. It is inexpensive and works great. Very striking the Red, White and Blue color combination!

Quilting can be easy or hard depending upon what you want. The easier the better are my thoughts. I will probably make them into place mats, just in time for Veterans' Day in November.

Thousands May Lose Internet Access on Monday (July 9, 2012)

Thousands May Lose Internet Access on Monday (July 9, 2012)

It is almost here!

Red, White & Blue Blog Hop

Drop By Often - My Block is scheduled for July, 14th.

Please click the button on the right hand side to visit the official web site.

What the (bleep) has happened here?

I don't know, I must be getting old lol! Seems like every time I get really good at one of these blog sites, they change the format and I have to start all over again. Seems like all my bookmarks are all gon, I don't see them at all, and this is upsetting. Oh well what the heck. I learned it before and now I'll learn how to do it again.

Anything But Bittersweet

Well, finished the top of Mystery Quilt 6. It was called "Bittersweet" but I thought the jelly roll I used had a very summery feel and colors so I renamed it "Anything But Bittersweet".

Then I finished a couple of Craftsy BOM for June and now I have a whole month to wait.

And also finished May's Grandma Favorite BOM, so now I'm all caught up and ready to start a Scrappy surprise tomorrow. I have also registered for a "Jelly Roll" special on Craftsy and have a beautiful "gold" Robert Kaufman "Katsumi" to work with and can hardly wait for tomorrow morning to start cut it up -- OH NO!

I'm getting excited to make my Red, White & Blue block hop in July, right here on "Funky Stamping Time". Got a couple of ideas floating around but have not settled on any one yet.
Until later, "the good Lord willing and the creek don't rise" I'll be back soon!



.:: HAPPINESS ::.
"Happiness is like a butterfly which, when pursued,
is always beyond our grasp, but, if you will sit down quietly,
may alight upon you."

< Nathaniel Hawthorne, American Author, 1804 – 1864 >

Roof is done!

Well almost! Still a couple of j-channels missing, but it looks pretty good from where I sit. I got my Mother's Day wish which was to have the roof complete and be able to sit out on the front porch in my new Bistro set.
We finished up our donation basket for the Silent Auction on July 7th.

And I've finished this month's B&W BOM besides several other items including the little doll quilt. Working on the Grandma Favorites and still putting the applique on the "Honey Bee" block.



So, I guess I'm going back to the sewing room shortly. Our corner entertainment unit is in, but I don't think I want to go get it tonight, tomorrow is soon enough.
Until later, don't let your heart be troubled the world isn't coming to an end on 12/21/12!

New Roof today, maybe!

Well, today they are suppose to start the roof, of course, they have been saying that for the past 1-1/2 months. Guess they need money now again. At least it isn't raining, two days in a row wahoo!
Other than that, not much going on. DS-I-L and I finished our basket for Kori's Kritter Benefit last night, well almost we still have to but the top binding on and fill it.
You may want to check out http://facebook.com/KorisKritters to see what is happening. The "White Elephant" Auction baskets are coming in almost daily. That is my next move is to talk with Kori's mom to change the name from "Chinese" to White Elephant, I don't believe we need to give them more publicity.
I hear some noise outdoors so think some of the trucks are arriving and my coffee is cold as am I.
For now, I catch up here again soon, the Good Lord willing and the creek don't rise.

Easter is Over

Well, it is over for another year and now we all can look forward to Summer. I for one am hoping for a long HOT one, so I can sit out in the evening.
Another emergency here with The Rocket! Found a tick on him yesterday. DH tried to remove it but I'm not sure he got all of it. My only other hope is that it isn't a deer tick. So DH is taking him to the vet this morning. Or so he says.
Slowly but surely the de-cluttering is happening. We have so much sitting around since I got sick and hopefully I can get it straighten out before too long.
The roof is supposed to be started this week, but who knows when. They were going to start last week but that didn't happen.

I have been doing some quilting and mostly BOM. Working on two tops including "In The Meadow" from Quilting Treasures. There is a lot of applique's to do which I truly enjoy. I started hand appliqueing, but think I'll topstitch it instead. So out to the Sewing Loft. It is big and hard to handle. No pictures of it yet.
Then there is the "Black Cherry". Most of the blocks are done except for the appliqueing.

There is a free BOM on http://craftsy.com and so far I'm up to date on it as here:

Still work on the $5 BOM, I have one block to do yet and cannot find it anywhere, so I'm going to wing it on this one. I received the backing pattern last week so that should be fun to do, too.

Then there is the B& W BOM and I finally found block #1 here:



Guess that is all for now.
Do check out Tracey's new 501(c)3 Charity foundation for Kori's Kritters on Facebook at http://facebook.com/KorisKritters .
See you later if The Good Lord Willing and the Creek Don't Rise.

Spring is Here!

Hurray!!!!
Spring has arrived, even with a very mild Winter, it has finally arrived.
Hurray!!!!

Oh my Haven't I been Busy!

Well, today is "The Rocket's 7th birthday. Cute little guy he is:

Happy Birthday big boy!

And so the quilting saga continues. Still no improvment on my Tin Lizzie, she won't stitch more than maybe a dozen before the thread breaks... darn frustrating. There was this guy from the sewing machine shop who was going to come over "SOME" weekend and take a look at her, but still no show and that was 2 weeks ago. I think I'm going to put her on Ebay and see if I can maybe get some of my money back and you can make a bet that I WILL NOT purchase another used machine no matter how good the deal.

I'm sure it is a good machine for someone who has time and energy to piss around with it, but I sure don't lots of time but not the energy.

So, now my goal is  to use up my fabric stash and turn it into quilt tops so that if and when I get a machine to quilt them they will be ready to go. This is what I've been working on:

Block of the Months - I have 3 of them currently started, well actually 4 but Ladies of the Sea is a work in process.

Number 1 - Sunshine & Starlight - 12 Blocks and a 24 x 24 Center Medallion

Number 2 Black & White - Started January, 2012

February!

Do not know what happened to January's picture. Maybe later. Dogs wants some breakfast and so do I.