The view from my patio doors in the back of the house:
We have at least 6" of snow so far and another inch of ice under the snow. Needless to say, I'm not going anywhere today!
The electrician is supposed to stop by tomorrow morning so the contractor can get me the final numbers on the basement finish - they are planning to start the first week of January - I can't wait. So, yesterday I quilted the last quilt for the homeless I can do and got it bound. Then, oiled the machine and covered it with muslin to keep as much sawdust and dirt off it as possible. Emptied the built in shelves in the basement, so they can move them to a different area of the basement, loaded up the big table with stuff and moved a few things back upstairs. As I moved the sewing stuff upstairs, I cleaned out all the drawers and plastic bins and sorted and organized. Today, I'll be doing more of the same. Good thing I cleaned out the office, because now I'll be putting stuff back in there -- but no unopened boxes and everything that does have to come upstairs for now will be cleaned out -- decluttered! It's a project that I was going to do when I unpack the basement, but better to do it now and when the basement is finished, I can just put the things away. No more saving stuff I don't need.
Next spring my friend Kris is having another garage sale, so I'll put things in a garage sale pile, and my church does a household goods and clothing give-away once or twice a year, so I will have tons of stuff to donate to that too. It will be so nice to have room to move around and no clutter to boot!
Until next time....Merry Christmas and many blessings for the New Year.
Musings from a scrap quilter and grandma about quilting and grandchildren, and whatever seems pertinent at the time.
Sunday, December 22, 2013
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Making Progress
I'm making progress on cleaning out the office. I have now unpacked the 3 boxes I had in here, set up the computer on the computer desk and moved the laptop to the treadle machine top! Emptied out one wall and brought in the dry sink that had been in my bedroom --for lack of a better place at the time. When I take the tree down, the rocker will go back into the living room and I'll move things around a bit so it's doesn't feel too crowded.
I really prefer my laptop now, so eventually I'll clean off the pc and donate it to church - they can always use another computer!
Still need to shred papers and find places for some things, but at least I don't have to walk into a room and see boxes and stuff that doesn't belong in here!
Until next time......Blessings.
I really prefer my laptop now, so eventually I'll clean off the pc and donate it to church - they can always use another computer!
Still need to shred papers and find places for some things, but at least I don't have to walk into a room and see boxes and stuff that doesn't belong in here!
Until next time......Blessings.
Wednesday, December 04, 2013
December Goals
As I'm cleaning house today I've come to the conclusion that I definitely have OCD! I'm still living out of boxes, or more accurately, have unopened boxes all over the place and boxes that I have opened, but don't have a place for yet because the basement won't be started or finished til next year sometime. Not having a place for everything and everything in its place is actually driving me crazy! So - slowly but surely I'm going to start working towards cleaning out and unpacking. First room - for December -- is the office. This is a very tiny 3rd bedroom that immediately became the office on moving day! These are the before pictures -- hopefully by the end of the month I will have after pictures.
The computer desk. I had this cleaned out once! I do have a pc that is still in a box in here. Not sure where I'm going to set it up or how yet, but it will get out of the box this month!
The corner with a bookcase that I literally stacked quilt books on and anything else I needed a place for. The garbage bag in front of the shredder is covering a stack of papers, etc. that need to be shredded. The boxes have the computer and binders in them. Also, have knitting needles, yarn, books, etc. in the plastic box.There's a shelf with a quilt hanger on the floor that I'm going to hang in the dining area of the kitchen.
My mother-in-law's treadle sewing machine, which I love, is in here because there is no other place for it. I'll work with it there. The dog kennel is there because ever since JR chewed up the woodwork in the old house after Bill died, I've had to put him in the kennel when I leave. Now it is no longer necessary, so I will take it out to the garage. The rocker is in here because I put up my Christmas tree where the rocker was in the living room!
I didn't take a picture of the closet, because I had started with it -- I've put shelves in there and my file cabinet, but the shelves are full and need to be cleaned out again too.
So - goal by the December 31, 2013: make this room a pleasure to walk into and work in!
Until next time......Blessings.
The corner with a bookcase that I literally stacked quilt books on and anything else I needed a place for. The garbage bag in front of the shredder is covering a stack of papers, etc. that need to be shredded. The boxes have the computer and binders in them. Also, have knitting needles, yarn, books, etc. in the plastic box.There's a shelf with a quilt hanger on the floor that I'm going to hang in the dining area of the kitchen.
My mother-in-law's treadle sewing machine, which I love, is in here because there is no other place for it. I'll work with it there. The dog kennel is there because ever since JR chewed up the woodwork in the old house after Bill died, I've had to put him in the kennel when I leave. Now it is no longer necessary, so I will take it out to the garage. The rocker is in here because I put up my Christmas tree where the rocker was in the living room!
I didn't take a picture of the closet, because I had started with it -- I've put shelves in there and my file cabinet, but the shelves are full and need to be cleaned out again too.
So - goal by the December 31, 2013: make this room a pleasure to walk into and work in!
Until next time......Blessings.
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
A special picture
My granddaughter, who is 15, took an art class this past summer and made several things. One was a picture with a lot of texture on it -- I don't know for sure, but I think it was made with tissue paper that was painted. Hard to describe and I am no artist, by any stretch of the imagination! Anyway, I loved this picture and she gave it to me as a house warming gift the day I moved in. I finally got it framed and picked it up today. She'll be surprised to see it framed and hanging above my fireplace:
We are truly blessed by this girl -- she's beautiful and has a personality to match.
Thanks, Bri.
Until next time, blessings......
Friday, November 22, 2013
J.R.
J.R. is not feeling well. He's 13 and I'm afraid he has a serious illness. I got back from a trip to Florida last week and he had an infection in his mouth. He had to have two teeth pulled. He seems to have bounced back from that, but he's lost 10 pounds in the past year or so and is all skin and bones. He's having trouble with his balance now. I suspect he has cancer, and I'm hoping I don't have to make the decision to have him put to sleep - although I will not let him suffer. I just took this picture -- we're in the office and you'll notice I still have boxes to unpack!
I put my big-girl panties on and drove myself to Florida. I have an old (we've known each other since kindergarten when we were 4 years old!) friend that is living the RV life and is wintering in Florida now. I drove down to see him. I stayed at a great Hampton Inn on Orange Beach, AL, which was only 7 miles from his RV park in FL. It was just what I needed -- we did nothing but relax, a little walking on the beach, a few get-togethers at the campground in the evenings around a campfire. It was the first vacation I've taken since 2007. I took two days to drive down and two days to drive back - about 7-1/2 hours each day. I had no problems. I did join AAA before I left and I had my local mechanic check out my car and change the oil, just to be on the safe side. I proved to myself that I can do things as a single woman - and that was important to me. Next up is a trip to Hawaii! I'm going to "Quilting on the Beach". I've signed up for classes with Nancy Lee Chong -- I've taken all her classes on Quilt University and can't wait to do the classes in person. And, Hawaii has been on my bucket list for years! (Bill wouldn't take me there because he'd been there - of course it was during WWII!).
I think I'm finally getting things organized enough that I can maybe do a blog post a little more often :-).
Blessings:
I've been blessed with my little dog for 13 years. He's been a treasure.
Safe travel to and from Florida.
Something to look forward to every day.
Until next time...Blessings to you.
Friday, November 01, 2013
Grandma's Goblins
Not very good pictures because I forgot my camera, as usual. It poured down rain for most of the day, but let up just a little for the kids to get out and do some trick or treating. They had a ball -- rain and all!
This first one is AJ -- he carried a scythe, so pretty much the Grim Reaper! He's 9.
Next is Will, 6 - he was an adorable giraffe! And then Mikey, 3 - he was Fireman Mickey Mouse. Can't see the Mouse ears too well in this pic.This was the first year I actually got to go up and see them on Halloween -- I'm only an hour away now.
Until next time, Blessings...
Monday, October 28, 2013
Fall is here!
The view from the deck at the back of the house. The evergreens are mine, the color is the neighbors'! You'll notice I have a postage-stamp size backyard --which is great. Don't particularly like looking at someone's house, coming from the country, but love the fact that I don't have to deal with leaves in the fall and can just enjoy the color without the work! I do hire the yard work out, so I don't even take care of my tiny yard!
I'm still moving boxes to the basement (would have had the movers do it if I'd known they can't start the basement remodel til after the first of the year!), and still unpacking a few things. Have way too much kitchen stuff and no place to put it, but also downsizing and decluttering again as I go.
I am getting things crossed off my to-do list finally. Getting addresses changed over, getting bank accounts changed over, had the attorney redo my will and set up a trust account -- all those things that need to be taken care of and it just takes time and many trips to different parts of town to do!
Hopefully this week I'll be able to spend a little time quilting!
Until next time, Blessings....
I'm still moving boxes to the basement (would have had the movers do it if I'd known they can't start the basement remodel til after the first of the year!), and still unpacking a few things. Have way too much kitchen stuff and no place to put it, but also downsizing and decluttering again as I go.
I am getting things crossed off my to-do list finally. Getting addresses changed over, getting bank accounts changed over, had the attorney redo my will and set up a trust account -- all those things that need to be taken care of and it just takes time and many trips to different parts of town to do!
Hopefully this week I'll be able to spend a little time quilting!
Until next time, Blessings....
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
A Finish!
The move is over -- I'm mostly settled -- still have lots and lots of boxes in the garage and basement to go through. My new sewing room in the basement won't be started til after the first of the year, and I've contracted to have my driveway redone and I have no idea when that will be accomplished, but I've successfully left behind my huge house and moved into one a third of the size! There will be more downsizing being done as I unpack. I still haven't uncovered all my sewing things, but I have set up one of my machines in the bedroom and can work on piecing when the mood strikes.
Until then, I've been knitting -- I just finished this hat last night -- I am definitely not a fast knitter, but I do enjoy the process. This pattern is called "Hurricane" by Andrea Goutier. I downloaded it from Ravelry and I will be donating this first one for our hat and mitten tree at church to be given to a needy child. I hope to make many more during the next year for the same purpose.
I'm glad I moved to town....I'm minutes away from everything! And a half an hour closer to my daughter and her family. I miss the view of the woods and wildlife from my kitchen window though. I don't miss the work involved in keeping a huge house and taking care of the acreage. I have a small yard now, and it takes the landscape man to mow it in about 10 minutes - and not on a riding mower!
Until next time, Blessings.
Until then, I've been knitting -- I just finished this hat last night -- I am definitely not a fast knitter, but I do enjoy the process. This pattern is called "Hurricane" by Andrea Goutier. I downloaded it from Ravelry and I will be donating this first one for our hat and mitten tree at church to be given to a needy child. I hope to make many more during the next year for the same purpose.
I'm glad I moved to town....I'm minutes away from everything! And a half an hour closer to my daughter and her family. I miss the view of the woods and wildlife from my kitchen window though. I don't miss the work involved in keeping a huge house and taking care of the acreage. I have a small yard now, and it takes the landscape man to mow it in about 10 minutes - and not on a riding mower!
Until next time, Blessings.
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Collect Moments, Not Things
Found that quote as I'm reading my mail while two guys are busy packing my house. One guy is spending half his day packing my kitchen, the other guy is doing the sewing room! I seriously need to downsize more - as I'm watching them pull things from cupboards that I haven't used in over a year. Word for the rest of the year: Minimalism!
Maybe I should just rent a storage space, fill it with unopened boxes and call the TV show, "Storage Wars"!
Thursday, September 19, 2013
A pic of my woods
I took this pic of a spot in the woods today. 8 more days til I move and I wanted to get some pics. I think I'm as ready as I'm going to be -- still waiting for the well to be approved - it flunked inspection twice so just had it chlorinated again and am now running water constantly to flush it out. Hopefully this time is the charm. I cleaned all four bathrooms today and won't be cleaning two of them again :-).
Movers are packing everything next week. I'll have lots of last minute stuff to do, but everything I can do ahead of time is done.
Until next time,
Blessings.
Movers are packing everything next week. I'll have lots of last minute stuff to do, but everything I can do ahead of time is done.
Until next time,
Blessings.
Friday, August 30, 2013
It's been a busy month and this next month is going to be even busier. I'm cleaning out closets and drawers and every nook and cranny in the house. This is the new house and it's about 2000 sq. feet smaller than the house I'm in now! So, things like the two huge linen closets I have now have to be cleaned out and reduced to fit the stuff into one much smaller linen closet!
I will be having the basement finished in this new house, but that will take a few months, so lots of things will stay in boxes until then. Most of this includes my quilting, sewing and knitting things. I have already prepped the long arm for moving. And, I've been bagging up some fabric for a garage sale my friend Kris is having in October. When I started cleaning out, I finally realized that I will never use all the fabric I have in my stash. I would much rather buy new fabric when I need it than use some of the stuff I already have, plus my tastes have changed. I still need to sort through it all again, but I got a goodly amount out of here for now! Kris and I and a few others almost always have at least one quilters' garage sale every year! Next time it'll probably be at this house -- in the big city!
I am getting excited about moving -- wishing it was done of course, but looking forward to decorating the new place the way I want. And continuing the downsizing and simplifying - I can certainly attest to the fact that we, as Americans, are blessed with way too much, and I think we tend to take that for granted most of the time.
Until next time..... blessings.
I will be having the basement finished in this new house, but that will take a few months, so lots of things will stay in boxes until then. Most of this includes my quilting, sewing and knitting things. I have already prepped the long arm for moving. And, I've been bagging up some fabric for a garage sale my friend Kris is having in October. When I started cleaning out, I finally realized that I will never use all the fabric I have in my stash. I would much rather buy new fabric when I need it than use some of the stuff I already have, plus my tastes have changed. I still need to sort through it all again, but I got a goodly amount out of here for now! Kris and I and a few others almost always have at least one quilters' garage sale every year! Next time it'll probably be at this house -- in the big city!
I am getting excited about moving -- wishing it was done of course, but looking forward to decorating the new place the way I want. And continuing the downsizing and simplifying - I can certainly attest to the fact that we, as Americans, are blessed with way too much, and I think we tend to take that for granted most of the time.
Until next time..... blessings.
Friday, July 19, 2013
SOLD!
My house is sold! And I will sorely miss this house and this property. Bill and I built this house together (well, we had the builder build it :-)! I will miss living in the country, I will miss my huge rooms, I will miss my fireplace in the kitchen, I will miss my finished basement that is my sewing studio. It is going to be extremely sad to leave this place.
But...I can't take care of this place indefinitely, I'm surely not getting any younger; my flower beds have weeds in them, the asparagus bed is full of weeds, I don't enjoy working in the heat and humidity, which is why everything outside always needs finished; I have hired someone to mow this year, so that was a big help, but I don't want to spend another winter having to have my drive plowed out -- it's way too long to snowblow or shovel. I want to be able to travel again and it's difficult when you have a place this big to take care of.
And, the person that bought the place (as of last Sunday!), loves it. He's from Chicago and loves the house and the property and of course the huge shed! He's already renting the shed to store some of his "stuff"! He plans to buy antiques and Amish-made furniture to fill it -- which will be great for a log home - nothing ultra modern for sure!
Now the trick is to pare down what I still have in here to fit into a house more than half its size! I did buy another house in the big city, tiny yard, unfinished basement -- sold and bought in the past week! Pictures of it will be in a later post! Closing the end of September, so have a ton of things to do before then; and have a builder already to finish the basement as my sewing studio! But, probably won't be doing any sewing after August until possibly January! I'll deal with it!
Blessings: Thank God for sending me a buyer and finding me another house!
But...I can't take care of this place indefinitely, I'm surely not getting any younger; my flower beds have weeds in them, the asparagus bed is full of weeds, I don't enjoy working in the heat and humidity, which is why everything outside always needs finished; I have hired someone to mow this year, so that was a big help, but I don't want to spend another winter having to have my drive plowed out -- it's way too long to snowblow or shovel. I want to be able to travel again and it's difficult when you have a place this big to take care of.
And, the person that bought the place (as of last Sunday!), loves it. He's from Chicago and loves the house and the property and of course the huge shed! He's already renting the shed to store some of his "stuff"! He plans to buy antiques and Amish-made furniture to fill it -- which will be great for a log home - nothing ultra modern for sure!
Now the trick is to pare down what I still have in here to fit into a house more than half its size! I did buy another house in the big city, tiny yard, unfinished basement -- sold and bought in the past week! Pictures of it will be in a later post! Closing the end of September, so have a ton of things to do before then; and have a builder already to finish the basement as my sewing studio! But, probably won't be doing any sewing after August until possibly January! I'll deal with it!
Blessings: Thank God for sending me a buyer and finding me another house!
Sunday, June 23, 2013
The spoils from Quilt Festival
Here is what I bought on Friday (and saved from the bus fire!):
A book from my friends at Yellow Creek Designs -- their first book., a star pin cushion from Country Threads, and a punchneedle kit from them also; six fat quarters I couldn't live without, tiny precut tumbler blocks and a package of 3-1/2" charms from Primitive Gatherings, a little quilt kit that has some embroidery on it for Halloween and three packs of pre-dyed muslin for more embroidered blocks.
And here is the last quilt I finished for Jo's little women's club:
And then I spent all afternoon yesterday and today sewing -- it was so wonderful, I can't tell you! I got cortisone shots in my left thumb last week and have to have therapy for the next three weeks on my hands, so I can't knit or do any hand sewing, and the quilting machine hurts also, but I can definitely piece! First is the next quilt for Jo's club and then I bought those precut tumbler blocks at the show Friday - there were 100 - 50 darks and 50 lights, so it took no time at all to sew them together into the little quilt.
Piecing tiny blocks is really "in" now. And, the more I see them, the more I love them -- even though I have never been fond of working with the tiny pieces -- I guess our tastes change as we grow as quilters. The stars in the second Jo's quilt finish at 2-1/2"! I loved the look of simple nine-patches that were similarly tiny!
Blessings til next time!
A book from my friends at Yellow Creek Designs -- their first book., a star pin cushion from Country Threads, and a punchneedle kit from them also; six fat quarters I couldn't live without, tiny precut tumbler blocks and a package of 3-1/2" charms from Primitive Gatherings, a little quilt kit that has some embroidery on it for Halloween and three packs of pre-dyed muslin for more embroidered blocks.
And here is the last quilt I finished for Jo's little women's club:
And then I spent all afternoon yesterday and today sewing -- it was so wonderful, I can't tell you! I got cortisone shots in my left thumb last week and have to have therapy for the next three weeks on my hands, so I can't knit or do any hand sewing, and the quilting machine hurts also, but I can definitely piece! First is the next quilt for Jo's club and then I bought those precut tumbler blocks at the show Friday - there were 100 - 50 darks and 50 lights, so it took no time at all to sew them together into the little quilt.
Piecing tiny blocks is really "in" now. And, the more I see them, the more I love them -- even though I have never been fond of working with the tiny pieces -- I guess our tastes change as we grow as quilters. The stars in the second Jo's quilt finish at 2-1/2"! I loved the look of simple nine-patches that were similarly tiny!
Blessings til next time!
Saturday, June 22, 2013
It was a hot time last night!
Took a bus trip to Rosemont (near Chicago) for the International Quilt Festival yesterday. The bus left Quilters General Store in Rockford at 8:30 am and arrived at 10:00 am. And we boarded the bus to come home at 6:00 pm. I, for one, was worn out walking- but had fun and next post I'll show you what I bought. Just before 6:30 pm, there was a pop coming from the back of the bus -- if it had come from beneath, it sounded like luggage shifting or falling. Driver pulled over and checked it out (he had also seen smoke). The mechanics and the driver couldn't see anything, so started out again, and again stopped and checked it out a second time. Next, he pulled over, after getting off an overpass and just out from under the Des Plaines Oasis. He immediately told us to get off the bus, and at the same time smoke started billowing out along the side of the bus, and then inside the bus. There were 52 women on the bus, so this was not an easy task; however we did make it off the bus. The following pictures tell the rest of the story!
They called a bus that had just dropped off passengers at O'Hare, so it arrived faster than one coming all the way from Rockford, and finally about 8:00 pm we were again on our way home. Exciting trip to say the least! Blessings til next time!
They called a bus that had just dropped off passengers at O'Hare, so it arrived faster than one coming all the way from Rockford, and finally about 8:00 pm we were again on our way home. Exciting trip to say the least! Blessings til next time!
Sunday, June 02, 2013
Camp Loopy
Camp Loopy started yesterday. This is where I am:
I just started the heel flap on these:
I could have put these aside and started the ones for Camp Loopy, but I decided I'd rather finish the pair I'm working on first. This summer is Be Kind to Joanne Summer! I'm trying to reduce the stress in my life, and having two pairs of socks going right now would just add to it. And that takes all the fun out of knitting, or quilting, or pretty much anything else. I don't need deadlines right now. vbg
I've signed up for a Tai Chi class at the local community college for the same reason -- a little stress reduction, relaxation. Also signed up for a Hatha Yoga class. I need to lose at least 30 pounds and this is the summer to do that. The pastor at my church has issued a weight loss challenge from June 1 to September 1 -- lose 10 pounds (or in the case of two people that signed on -- gain 10 pounds!). He's planning on sending out encouraging emails every now and then and who knows what else -- on September 1, we'll announce how much we've lost -- he'll even issue certificates! LOL - and then he's organizing an Ice Cream Social after church that day! I had already planned on losing weight and have been walking on the treadmill most mornings -- soon hope to walk outside too. My girlfriend and I have been texting back and forth in the mornings with our progress. I'll have a starting point tomorrow - doctor's checkup with labs, so hoping along with the weight that the A1C goes down and the cholesterol and blood pressure.
I've been weeding and working in the yard this week. My lawn guy is working up a price to mulch my flower beds, which will help a lot. I did it myself last year, but only a small section and I had to make multiple trips because I bought bags of mulch and couldn't carry more than 6 at a time in my car! Pretty sure it'll be worth it to have him bring it in bulk and spread it. I have a big limb down in one of my flower beds that I'm going to have to hire a tree guy to remove also. I hate having to spend the money for things Bill used to take care of, especially with the house on the market -- but I may be here a couple of years before it sells, so I will enjoy the result I think. And if it does sell - well then it was worth spending the money!
I'm not taking on any more challenges quilt-wise this summer either -- only projects I plan to keep up to date is the quilts for Jo's little women club. I finished the top of the last one, but haven't quilted it yet. Goal is stress reduction this year, exercise, and spend as much time outside, when its not too hot and humid, as I can.
Until next time, Blessings.
I just started the heel flap on these:
I could have put these aside and started the ones for Camp Loopy, but I decided I'd rather finish the pair I'm working on first. This summer is Be Kind to Joanne Summer! I'm trying to reduce the stress in my life, and having two pairs of socks going right now would just add to it. And that takes all the fun out of knitting, or quilting, or pretty much anything else. I don't need deadlines right now. vbg
I've signed up for a Tai Chi class at the local community college for the same reason -- a little stress reduction, relaxation. Also signed up for a Hatha Yoga class. I need to lose at least 30 pounds and this is the summer to do that. The pastor at my church has issued a weight loss challenge from June 1 to September 1 -- lose 10 pounds (or in the case of two people that signed on -- gain 10 pounds!). He's planning on sending out encouraging emails every now and then and who knows what else -- on September 1, we'll announce how much we've lost -- he'll even issue certificates! LOL - and then he's organizing an Ice Cream Social after church that day! I had already planned on losing weight and have been walking on the treadmill most mornings -- soon hope to walk outside too. My girlfriend and I have been texting back and forth in the mornings with our progress. I'll have a starting point tomorrow - doctor's checkup with labs, so hoping along with the weight that the A1C goes down and the cholesterol and blood pressure.
I've been weeding and working in the yard this week. My lawn guy is working up a price to mulch my flower beds, which will help a lot. I did it myself last year, but only a small section and I had to make multiple trips because I bought bags of mulch and couldn't carry more than 6 at a time in my car! Pretty sure it'll be worth it to have him bring it in bulk and spread it. I have a big limb down in one of my flower beds that I'm going to have to hire a tree guy to remove also. I hate having to spend the money for things Bill used to take care of, especially with the house on the market -- but I may be here a couple of years before it sells, so I will enjoy the result I think. And if it does sell - well then it was worth spending the money!
I'm not taking on any more challenges quilt-wise this summer either -- only projects I plan to keep up to date is the quilts for Jo's little women club. I finished the top of the last one, but haven't quilted it yet. Goal is stress reduction this year, exercise, and spend as much time outside, when its not too hot and humid, as I can.
Until next time, Blessings.
Monday, May 27, 2013
My long weekend: spent Saturday doing some yarn winding, then about 3 pm found out someone wanted to see the house at 8:30 am Sunday, so ran around like a chicken with its head cut off cleaning, like I should have done earlier in the week! vbg
Yesterday, we celebrated grandson Mikey's 3rd birthday (actual birthday isn't until June 5, but he doesn't care that we celebrated early.)
So, today I spent in the sewing room, making 18 tiny shoo fly blocks. Maybe later this week I'll put them together -- it's the third quilt for Jo's Little Women Club.
All my plans for weeding and such have gone by the wayside because the weather turned colder and wetter. Maybe later this week I'll do some of that too. I did do a few days of knitting 5 rows, but I have to say my hands have been killing me. I have arthritis in my hands; they are not only sore, but ugly, too! I've had to wear my thumb braces every night to bed - real attractive that, too!
Until next time,, blessings.
All my plans for weeding and such have gone by the wayside because the weather turned colder and wetter. Maybe later this week I'll do some of that too. I did do a few days of knitting 5 rows, but I have to say my hands have been killing me. I have arthritis in my hands; they are not only sore, but ugly, too! I've had to wear my thumb braces every night to bed - real attractive that, too!
Until next time,, blessings.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Weeding
Today I managed to get out between the raindrops and get some much needed weeding done. The first picture is the part I finished -- this is my daylily bed and the weeds grow as tall as and look like the leaves of the daylilies, so you really need to get in there and try to pull them from the roots! I call them duck-weeds, because it doesn't matter how well I go over each area, there's always a weed that ducks down til I'm all done and then jumps up and says Here I Am!
This is the next section I hope to do tomorrow morning. It was sprinkling this morning and I went out when it stopped and then just as I finished, it started raining in earnest.
Feeling pretty accomplished - vbg. Now for a shower and time to knit my five rows on the socks! Until next time, blessings.
This is the next section I hope to do tomorrow morning. It was sprinkling this morning and I went out when it stopped and then just as I finished, it started raining in earnest.
Feeling pretty accomplished - vbg. Now for a shower and time to knit my five rows on the socks! Until next time, blessings.
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Playing
The Loopy Ewe has a Camp Loopy every summer. I always thought it sounded like fun, even though I don't knit (I do crochet, but don't feel like it most times!). Anyway, they are having another Camp this summer that starts June 1. So, I bought a skein of fingering yarn, "Lorna's Laces" hand dyed in Denim and it arrived today (really good service from them, btw). It's not that I don't have a shelf full of yarn already, but you have to buy from them to play, of course. I do love the yarn.
I'm going to play along, although I doubt I'll enter the contest. I think that if I knit five rounds most days, I might actually finish a pair of socks by June 30. That said, I'm not making much progress on the socks I have on the needles! So, today so far I've knit three rounds and have two to go. If I can manage to do at least 5 rounds every day, I might have these finished before I start the new pair on June 1!
Nothing happening on the house - could probably have another open house, but I'm afraid the only people that go to open houses just want to see what the inside of my house looks like, or want to get decorating ideas! vbg So, I'm taking a very large patience pill, and going about my days rather calmly. I've finally hired someone to mow and weed eat -- he uses his own zero turn mower and his own gas and he's really rather cheap -- which just makes me wonder why it takes me so long to finally check out the prices! Now I can spend my outside time weeding the flower beds - and I hope to get out there the next four mornings to do that.
I have done a little quilting -- finished quilt #2 of Jo's Little Women's Club #12. It's called AbbyGayle's Scraps. I do like this one-already put it on an end table in the living room!
Until next time, blessings.
I'm going to play along, although I doubt I'll enter the contest. I think that if I knit five rounds most days, I might actually finish a pair of socks by June 30. That said, I'm not making much progress on the socks I have on the needles! So, today so far I've knit three rounds and have two to go. If I can manage to do at least 5 rounds every day, I might have these finished before I start the new pair on June 1!
Nothing happening on the house - could probably have another open house, but I'm afraid the only people that go to open houses just want to see what the inside of my house looks like, or want to get decorating ideas! vbg So, I'm taking a very large patience pill, and going about my days rather calmly. I've finally hired someone to mow and weed eat -- he uses his own zero turn mower and his own gas and he's really rather cheap -- which just makes me wonder why it takes me so long to finally check out the prices! Now I can spend my outside time weeding the flower beds - and I hope to get out there the next four mornings to do that.
I have done a little quilting -- finished quilt #2 of Jo's Little Women's Club #12. It's called AbbyGayle's Scraps. I do like this one-already put it on an end table in the living room!
Until next time, blessings.
Thursday, May 02, 2013
Spring!
Fall used to be my favorite season - for the colors and the weather that starts to cool down after a hot summer, but now I think I love spring the best. I love the idea of re-birth, the beautiful flowers that spring up after even the harshest winter. Here's a couple of shots of my daffodils - they spread more and more each year and I love to see the masses of them.
And then my favorite spring flower - for the fragrance alone - the hyacinth. They don't spread like the daffodils and I only have one or two in different areas, except for these pink ones in the front bed.
And these Virginia Bluebells came from the family homestead -- literally -- outside of Polo, IL. My husband's aunt and uncle homesteaded 80 acres there and when we visited his aunt once, when she was in her 90's, she gave me a clump of these bluebells and I planted them and they come up every spring. I have peonies from his mother's house, too. It's like having a treasured heirloom I think.
And finally, my pink tulips that I planted just a couple of years ago. Tulips come back every year, but around here they don't increase, and very often decrease and you need to plant more.
Update on the house sale: We had a good open house a few weeks ago, the biggest one my realtor has had in about 5 years (so the housing market around here is on it's way back). We've had three separate showings and one guy came back a second time, but no offers have been tendered, so I'm getting on with life and not getting my hopes up. I did decide once I have an offer in hand that I would buy another house north of Rockford, where the taxes are less. I won't be buying a condo -- too many rules I don't want people to make for me! A smaller house with a tiny yard will work fine. It just has to have a finished basement big enough for my longarm and my antique table!
I've been doing some outside work these past few days - burning brush, picking up sticks and mowing. But today it's a bit chilly and supposed to rain, and I have a cold, so today I'm getting back into the sewing room and work on project two of Jo's Little Women Club #12 - AbbyGayles' Scraps. Hopefully I'll have some quilt pictures soon!
Until then - have a good one!
And then my favorite spring flower - for the fragrance alone - the hyacinth. They don't spread like the daffodils and I only have one or two in different areas, except for these pink ones in the front bed.
And these Virginia Bluebells came from the family homestead -- literally -- outside of Polo, IL. My husband's aunt and uncle homesteaded 80 acres there and when we visited his aunt once, when she was in her 90's, she gave me a clump of these bluebells and I planted them and they come up every spring. I have peonies from his mother's house, too. It's like having a treasured heirloom I think.
And finally, my pink tulips that I planted just a couple of years ago. Tulips come back every year, but around here they don't increase, and very often decrease and you need to plant more.
Update on the house sale: We had a good open house a few weeks ago, the biggest one my realtor has had in about 5 years (so the housing market around here is on it's way back). We've had three separate showings and one guy came back a second time, but no offers have been tendered, so I'm getting on with life and not getting my hopes up. I did decide once I have an offer in hand that I would buy another house north of Rockford, where the taxes are less. I won't be buying a condo -- too many rules I don't want people to make for me! A smaller house with a tiny yard will work fine. It just has to have a finished basement big enough for my longarm and my antique table!
I've been doing some outside work these past few days - burning brush, picking up sticks and mowing. But today it's a bit chilly and supposed to rain, and I have a cold, so today I'm getting back into the sewing room and work on project two of Jo's Little Women Club #12 - AbbyGayles' Scraps. Hopefully I'll have some quilt pictures soon!
Until then - have a good one!
Sunday, April 14, 2013
First project is finished
This was the first project from Jo's Little Women Club 12 class I'm taking. I stitched down the binding today even though I really just wanted to knit!
Mitered the corners of that great striped fabric and then cut the binding on the bias so it would stripe that way. Not a big quilt, but fun to make. I started hand quilting it, but it's been so long since I hand quilted anything that I just couldn't get a consistent stitch, so I ripped it out and threw it on the longarm and practiced using the rulers to do diagonal lines through the blocks.
I did spend a couple of hours knitting on my next pair of socks, too. Now I'm going to head outside for a little fresh air -- kinda windy out, but in the 60's and dry for the first time in over a week.. We have another week worth of rain heading our way too.
Mitered the corners of that great striped fabric and then cut the binding on the bias so it would stripe that way. Not a big quilt, but fun to make. I started hand quilting it, but it's been so long since I hand quilted anything that I just couldn't get a consistent stitch, so I ripped it out and threw it on the longarm and practiced using the rulers to do diagonal lines through the blocks.
I did spend a couple of hours knitting on my next pair of socks, too. Now I'm going to head outside for a little fresh air -- kinda windy out, but in the 60's and dry for the first time in over a week.. We have another week worth of rain heading our way too.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Pass the Waffles Please
I thought I'd have a picture, but it's raining today, so pictures will be taken on Saturday. Waffles? I'm done waffling and just signed a contract with a couple of realtors to sell the house. This is my final decision! I will be moving to the big city of Rockford once my house sells and I will buy a condo -- no more yard work or shoveling for me. And, hopefully, I'll eventually be able to do some traveling after I get settled. I signed with the realtor that sold our house in Rockford 19 years ago when we built this house, and she brought another realtor along that works out of their Byron office, so I get two realtors for the price of one -- pretty good deal. That's my big news of the month!
While I was waiting for them to come out this afternoon, I started my next pair of socks -- this time I'm trying the two at a time on circular needles and managed to get the first row of ribbing done today. The needles are metal and very slippery so I'm not used to that -- the double pointed ones I used were wood. I'll continue with these and maybe get used to them, or I'll go buy wooden circulars! Either way, I'm having fun and looking forward to having a whole pair done at once! And I'm glad I did the double pointed for the first ones, but I think I'm going to like this technique too.
While I was waiting for them to come out this afternoon, I started my next pair of socks -- this time I'm trying the two at a time on circular needles and managed to get the first row of ribbing done today. The needles are metal and very slippery so I'm not used to that -- the double pointed ones I used were wood. I'll continue with these and maybe get used to them, or I'll go buy wooden circulars! Either way, I'm having fun and looking forward to having a whole pair done at once! And I'm glad I did the double pointed for the first ones, but I think I'm going to like this technique too.
Saturday, April 06, 2013
They're finished!
Maybe next time I can get the stripes to match -- just worried about learning to knit with these! Couldn't wait to get them done though. Finished the second one this afternoon, then drove over to Pearl City to see Lynn Hagmeier, of Kansas Troubles Quilters at Yellow Creek Quilt Designs. She did a book-signing at my favorite quilt store -- and Kansas Troubles fabrics by Moda are my favorite fabrics!
Back to the socks: I cast on my next pair onto two circular needles! Now that I have one pair on my feet, so to speak, I'm going to try to learn to do the two at a time way. Probably won't be any quicker, but if I can learn to do it, I'll have two done at once and that's a real bonus!
I'll have more news later this week - been kinda busy around here.
Back to the socks: I cast on my next pair onto two circular needles! Now that I have one pair on my feet, so to speak, I'm going to try to learn to do the two at a time way. Probably won't be any quicker, but if I can learn to do it, I'll have two done at once and that's a real bonus!
I'll have more news later this week - been kinda busy around here.
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Quilt Stuff
It's been ages since I took any kind of quilt class. After awhile you already know how to do everything, I think!
That being said, I signed up for a year of Jo Morton's Little Women Club #12. First class was this afternoon. The instructor is Kay Steinmetz and the class is at Quilter's General Store in Rockford. I signed up because I love taking these type of classes from Kay. The last one I took from her was Tulip Farm I think -- from Blackbird Designs. I do tend to finish my projects like this -- sometimes not during the year but usually soon afterward.
The class was from 12:30 - 3:00 but we didn't go that long and I was home by 3. So after lunch/dinner at 3:15, I decided to at least cut the fabrics for the blocks. Well, one thing led to another, you know how that goes, I ended up making the four patches and even squared them up. This is what one block will look like after it's sewn together:
Totally felt wonderful sewing this afternoon at home and going to the class earlier. Can't wait to actually get this top put together. I didn't get border fabric today, so I'll put the top together and take it in for border fabric. This will not be a big quilt, so I may even hand quilt it -- that's how good it felt to play today!
Totally felt wonderful sewing this afternoon at home and going to the class earlier. Can't wait to actually get this top put together. I didn't get border fabric today, so I'll put the top together and take it in for border fabric. This will not be a big quilt, so I may even hand quilt it -- that's how good it felt to play today!
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
It's a Sock!
Far from perfect -- but it fits and I learned a lot. Already started the second one, but taking a break now. I think I worked through most of the hard parts so the second one should be a little easier.
It's certainly been enjoyable just sitting and knitting. Definitely have a new obsession, but will still go back and quilt; sock knitting can be done in the evenings now when JR is in my lap and the tv is on!
It's certainly been enjoyable just sitting and knitting. Definitely have a new obsession, but will still go back and quilt; sock knitting can be done in the evenings now when JR is in my lap and the tv is on!
Saturday, March 09, 2013
Answered My Own Question
I took a nap! I do not sleep well at night, so am always tired and out of energy. So, I took a nap, then loaded a small table runner of Kris' on the longarm and quilted it, and then checked my to-do list and the last thing on it for today: Cut Pussy Willows branches. So I trekked out in knee high drifts of snow and cut some pussy willow branches and put them in water. I hope they take root and then I'll plant another pussy willow tree in the spring. (That's where the first one came from -- Bill gave me a flower arrangement once with pussy willows in it and they took root in the water and now it's a 15-20 foot tall tree.
Think I need to solve my sleeping problem!
Think I need to solve my sleeping problem!
Chaos
I can only live with chaos for so long before it drives me crazy. I call messy surfaces chaos because they stress me out and fill me with anxiety until I finally clean them off. Thing is - I'm the one that makes these messes -- the dog certainly doesn't pile things on the table or the counter in the basement!
After picture of the kitchen table -- the items on the table now are what are on there every morning --still rather cluttered, but at least its a controlled chaos!The lamp is usually against the wall -- I like lots of light when I knit or applique.
I didn't take a before picture of my kitchen island, but it was as messy as the table was. I had to clean it off in order to make cut out sugar cookies today, and then clean up the mess, and put the quilt back on. More controlled chaos and fresh cookies to be frozen for Easter!
The mess on the counter in the basement -- it's still there! That'll have to be a project for next week. I do have a terrible habit of dumping the paper down there because that's where my filing cabinet is, and my main computer.
Basically, I need to come up with a plan to actually get something accomplished without making a mess and still have lots of time to knit and quilt and read, etc! Anybody have any suggestions? What works for you?
After picture of the kitchen table -- the items on the table now are what are on there every morning --still rather cluttered, but at least its a controlled chaos!The lamp is usually against the wall -- I like lots of light when I knit or applique.
I didn't take a before picture of my kitchen island, but it was as messy as the table was. I had to clean it off in order to make cut out sugar cookies today, and then clean up the mess, and put the quilt back on. More controlled chaos and fresh cookies to be frozen for Easter!
The mess on the counter in the basement -- it's still there! That'll have to be a project for next week. I do have a terrible habit of dumping the paper down there because that's where my filing cabinet is, and my main computer.
Basically, I need to come up with a plan to actually get something accomplished without making a mess and still have lots of time to knit and quilt and read, etc! Anybody have any suggestions? What works for you?
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