Tuesday, May 29, 2007

A new week

The wedding is 18 days away. I have my dress, my hair's been colored. I need shoes, a manicure and a pedicure. Keri needs underwear so my friend can alter her dress. Last night I laid in bed imagining my baby boy saying wedding vows. It's tough. I can still see his baby curls in my mind, all the times he snuggled up on my lap. He was always a small child, so he was able to do that until he was around 12. Now I barely get a hug.
I like Alicia. I'm going to make the best of it-I will not be alienated from my son and any grandbabies that may come. I just miss my baby.
I just realized this morning that I'm going away the day after tomorrow! Dang-where did the time go? I've got a supply list to fill and I have to pack. No pressure..........
Mike and I went upstate to a friend's home on Friday. She just upgraded her machine from a shortarm to a Premier Plus. I love her studio-it's compact, but with space for everything. She's been quilting for customers for 14 years, and put her 2 boys through college with it. I am in awe of all she does.
Well, time to get going. The king size quilt on the machine won't quilt itself.

Sunday, May 20, 2007

She's home

I miss Keri when she's away at school. I really do. But I forget how much havoc she can wreak when she comes home. My living room is filled with boxes; she can barely turn around in her room because of all the stuff from her dorm room. And she wants help NOW! all the time. Am I a bad mother because I love the peace and quiet when she's at school? We'll get into a routine, I know. She'll be working and we'll talk like we used to. But for now, ARGHHHHHHH!

I'm going to a weekend class on the 31st with a teacher named Esterita Austin. I want to learn something new, and her quilts intrigue me. It's a full 3 days. I'm going with a friend so I won't have to share a room with a stranger. If anyone has taken a class with her, tell me how you liked it. I'm really looking forward to just immersing myself in it without having to worry about anything. We're going to a B&B with a gourmet chef. How's that for a great class environment?

Friday, May 18, 2007

Customer quilt




A panto designer asked me to test a new pattern. I love the way this looks, don't you? I'm pushing as many quilts as possible through before the wedding and my surgery. It really is great doing this full time.

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

It's been a long while

I just looked at my blog and realized I haven't posted since February! It's been a roller coaster ride for the past few months. I've had to leave the Stash Quilts ring, but I'm going to try to get back in. Hopefully, Judy will allow it.
I am home on medical leave. If you remember, I had surgery last year. Well, now I'm into the complications phase. There's a bone spur pressing on the nerves in my neck. That causes pain and or numbness down my arm. Several weeks ago, the vertigo started. Thank goodness I can still quilt. Not as much, but some. My new surgery is on July 2nd. I wanted to wait until after the wedding in case I didn't recuperate as quickly as the doctor predicted.
The wedding is still on for the Precious twins next month and I've gotten my dress. I really love the colors-sort of like an opal. I did the right thing and waited for the mother of the bride to buy hers, but finally couldn't wait anymore. And it was the first one I tried on. Phew!!!!!!!! That's one thing off the list. We also booked a place for the rehearsal dinner. I think I'm done.
I've been working on building a t-shirt quilt business. If I'm going to have to make a living from home, then I want to make it work. The website is a work in progress, and I have to get some samples made.
So that's what I've been up to lately. Post some comments so I can catch up with all of you.

Sunday, February 04, 2007

Sunday


Well, here it is. I finished this up on my Singer, thank goodness for a backup machine! The outer border looks so dark here, but it's actually a deep, deep green. The pinks are from my stash, so I did do a little busting with this quilt. I'm going to use the border green for the backing and binding.
I feel like I accomplished a little today. I did this quilt, loaded a customer's quilt on the longarm, and did some applique prep. Now I can relax and enjoy the game and the snacks. I know I'll pay for it tomorrow, but hey-you only live once, right?
I've been going around the ring and it's weird. Hitting next doesn't get me around the whole group. Anyone know why this happens?
I'd like to learn how to put peoples' names in my blog as a link to their sites. I'm going to have to research some more.
Well, that's all for now. I hear a jalopeno popper calling my name. YUM!

Saturday, February 03, 2007

Dead Viking

I have a Viking Model 415-called the Freesia. I got it in 2003, so it's really not that old. Today, it died. Well, more specifically, the foot pedal died. But before it died, it put on a show. I was sewing along on the baby quilt that I have to bring to a shower in 3 weeks, and the circuit breaker tripped. I thought it was the iron, so I turned that off, and Mike went down to the panel with a flashlight and turned it back on. I tried to press down on the foot pedal, it whined and the circuit breaker tripped again. So down went Mike and turned it on. He played with the wire on the pedal a little, and the darn breaker tripped AGAIN!!!
Obviously, you don't have to hit either one of us over the head, just trip breakers on us. We'll catch on eventually..........
I was so impressed with myself. I was going to do the whole baby quilt top in one day. See what happens when I get too cocky?
So now here I am with a dead Viking in my sewing room. I'll haul out the Singer tomorrow and finish the quilt top. Hopefully, nothing will trip.
I went out to the Viking website to try to find a foot pedal, but lo and behold, my sewing machine is outdated. Surprise, surprise. I sent an email to a LQS that handles Vikings. I'll probably have to have it looked at, since Mike says there's nothing to the pedal so it must be something else. When the machine is turned on the needle does a little jog back and forth. Well, it was doing that on and off all afternoon, so he's probably right. Dang.

Tomorrow's the SuperBowl. I don't know which team I'm going to go for, but Mike's going for the Colts. We're staying home and having our own little shindig. Not a healthy food in sight. I guess the diet will really start on Monday. That wedding is getting closer.

I got the approval for the EMG and nerve conduction tests. There's a ridge of bone near the fusion site that's pressing on nerves on both sides, but the doctor will try to make it so I don't have to have more surgery. The ridge wasn't there before my surgery in June. One of the moms on my elementary run who works with insurance said I ought to sue. She wants to talk to me off the bus and she'll tell me what she thinks.

That's it for tonight. I've got Patti's applique instructions so I'm going to prep some pieces to do during the game tomorrow.

Sunday, January 28, 2007

Better Late than Never!



Here's my "flimsy" of the Aug/Sept Hour a Day quilt. It came out pretty good, if I may say so. The green in the border looks very "lime" in the photos, but in reality it's from the Roseville collection, and it just pulled everything together. Now I can start the next baby quilt which has to be done by 2/24 for the baby shower. The baby is a girl and the mom's favorite colors are pink and sage green. I had the pink, but I'm really short of greens, so I had to get some. I'll try to cut the strips one evening this week.

I had my MRI last week, and went to the doctor this week for the results. Unfortunately, the place where I had the test done never faxed over the report to the doctor. Isn't that special? So she checked out my films and said there wasn't anything showing. Well, then she called me to read the report, she was on my voice mail and the message ran out before she could tell me what is going on. All the message said was that there's a ridge of bone near where I had the fusion and it's pressing on the nerves. So that's where all my pain is coming from. We've been playing phone tag, but I think I'm going to call and ask for an appointment to find out what's going on. This has gotten very old.

The Teamsters' union has been voted in at a couple of other bus barns owned by First Student, the company I work for. We're waiting to see what the negotiations get for them before we commit ourselves. But it's already making things very tense at work. People are at each others' throats, not a pleasant work environment. I keep plugging away at my longarm, hopefully I'll have enough business one day to walk away from the bus.

Not much news on the wedding front. Keri and the other bridesmaids picked out their dresses, and the guys will be going for their tuxes soon. I went to a dress shop and the woman told me to come back in April because they're seasonal. That's fine with me-maybe I can drop a few pounds before then.

Mike and I are going to a friend's for a Christmas in January dinner this afternoon. Good friends, good food and good conversation. Can't ask for more than that.

Monday, January 22, 2007

Should I or Shouldn't I??

Every time I click on the dashboard of my blog, it says to switch to the "New Blog". I have to confess, I'm not one of those people who try new stuff just for the heck of it. But, since a lot of you all have switched, maybe it won't be so bad. :)
I finally finished the first hour a day blocks!! It's a quilt top! All I have to do is add borders, which I'll do this weekend. I have another baby quilt to get done. The shower's the 24th of February. I had to buy some fabric for it, I'm very low in the green category. I'll try to post pictures of both by the weekend.
I've been very busy trying not to butt into my son's life. I know he's a grown man. Sometimes I look at him and think, "Dang-I gave birth to him?" But I'm having a hard time letting go. And I like Alicia. Imagine if I didn't like her. Wow!
I'm at an impasse here-not having enough time or energy for all the things I want to do. I had another MRI last Thursday, and I'll see the doctor this Wednesday to find out what it read. I'm having a lot of tingling, pins and needles, pain and spasms on the right side and now I've got a burning sensation up my left wrist, right where that bone sticks out. I can't say anything at work, they're already looking at me funny because I'm driving mostly with only one hand. You're not supposed to do that on a schoolbus.
I've been trying to get around the ring, I think I'm going to have to cut back if I want to stay in touch with everybody.
I know I said I'd do better for the new year, so I figure-better late than never.
Anybody here going to New Hampshire for MQX in April???

Monday, January 01, 2007

New panto storage


Here's my first organizing project for 2007. It's not the prettiest on the block but it'll work for me. Mike and I put up plastic over the wall and secured one side of 2"wide velcro strips to it vertically. This way, if I want to change it, I won't tear my wall apart. Lots of people saved their paper towel rolls for me and I stuck the other side of the velcro to each one. They're up on the wall in alphabetical order, and Mike is making labels.
I can't believe I waited over 5 years to do this. Dang, I AM a slow learner. :)

One more thing

I promise to visit you all more often and to stay in touch. We create these friendships, so I should let you know that I appreciate all of you. Have a happy, healthy, quilty New Year!!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No photos today, I just want to add to many blogs I've been catching up on. So many of you have great goals for 2007 that I'm thinking of setting my own. I don't usually do resolutions or goals because I'm such a slouch and procrastinator.
Today, Mike and I are finishing up my new and improved panto storage!!! I've had it with crawling around on the floor for 1/2 hour every time I need a pattern. I'll take a couple of pictures, maybe it'll help someone else who is fighting with all their pantos.
I still have 2 pieced blocks of the Harvest Spice quilt to do, and then I can get to the putting together stage. I want this quilt done, I may be giving it to the Precious Twins as a wedding gift.

My main goal this year will be to stop procrastinating over the smallest thing. I drive myself and Mike crazy because I will put things off till the last minute and then laugh and say that I work well under the gun with a deadline. Well, guess what? This genius doesn't do well under pressure at all! So, I'm going to stop. End of discussion.

I was supposed to have another MRI this past week because this new doctor I'm going to says that she thinks I still have a pinched nerve. I say supposed to since Workers Comp hasn't authorized the MRI, so I'm completely at a standstill. If anyone knows what I can do, please feel free to email me privately or comment on the blog and let me know. I got hurt in May of '05 and I am so tired of not being 100%. If this is permanent, tell me and I'll learn how to adapt. If it can be fixed, then FIX IT!!!!!!!!!!!! Driving the bus just makes it worse, but I'm holding on as long as I can since we're helping to pay for the wedding. If I have to go out on WC, then at least it's 2/3 pay and not taxed.
Sorry, didn't mean to dump all this. Mike tries to understand but he's so darn healthy and in shape, he thinks a little exercise will cure everything.

Linda J was kind enough to send me instructions on how to load things onto my sidebar, and I'm finally going to give it a shot once I locate all my UFOs, flimsies, and UFTs.

Once again, Happy New Year to all my blogger friends, you have enriched me more than you know. I promise to visit more of you and to stay in touch.

Saturday, December 23, 2006

It's been awhile


But I'm still here. Isn't it amazing how time flies-even when you're not having fun. Anyway, I've been working on customer quilts and I finished the t-shirt quilt that I was commissioned to do. This young lady goes to Georgetown University in Washington, DC and her Mom had me make this as a Christmas gift. When she came today to pick it up, she actually started to cry! This is only the 2nd time in almost 6 years that that has happened.
I've been trying to read some of the blogs I normally do but Bloglines tells me I have almost 2000 to go through! So, if I don't leave a comment, forgive me.
I also want to say Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah and Happy Holidays to all my blogger friends.
By the way, David is still engaged, and I've decided that since she loves him and I love him, I'll just accept her the way she is. I only hope she doesn't change him too much.

Thursday, November 23, 2006

Turkey Day

Just a short post to let you know I'm still here. The turkey's in the oven, I finished a bear of a customer quilt this morning, and now I'm going to pick up my applique. The part I'm doing now is reverse applique, and I'm not very good at it. So I'm going to use some fray check and hope for the best.

Hope this finds all my buddies in blogland happy and healthy and for those that celebrate Thanksgiving-may your day be filled with love and fellowship.

Sunday, October 29, 2006

Lazy Day Sunday

I thought I'd get upstairs and work on a customer's quilt today. Well, that didn't happen. I sat down and read just about everybody's blogs and even got to comment on some. One that I came across was Quilting Daze's post about not wanting to quilt. I've been where she's at, so I can really feel what she's going through.
Another blog I read was Nancy's-where she made comment about going around the ring to read. So that's what I did and guess what? I found some I'd not read before. Like Smokey in the Netherlands. I got hooked on Bloglines and missed some great posts.
I read Jeanne's posts about Jan Patek and checked out Jan's quilts. Love 'em but have too much on my plate right now. What's funny is-I was just standing at my kitchen sink getting ready for dinner and looked at my AP&Q '06 calendar. There's October staring me in the face and the quilt pictured is by Joined at the Hip quilts. Very similar to Jan's style. Well, duh. I got the patterns for all the quilts with the calendar, so I can give it a try when I'm ready and I won't have to spend a dime.
Nothing on the quilty side except I straightened out my sewing area. I say area because I've lost part of the room to just about everything that has no home in my house. I swear this junk multiplies while I sleep.
Anyway, just wanted to touch base and say hi.
By the way, Judy L's November quilt looks like it'll be fun. Hope I can join in, but I do have to finish August's first. (Sigh)

A Meme

I have ...
1. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
2. Swam with dolphins
3. Climbed a mountain
4. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
5. Been inside the Great Pyramid
6. Held a tarantula
7. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
8. Said "I love you" and meant it
9. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby's diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was shit faced
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Posed nude in front of strangers
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an expert
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Eaten fugu (pufferfish)
89. Had a one-night stand
90. Gone to Thailand
91. Bought a house
92. Been in a combat zone
93. Buried one/both of your parents
94. Been on a cruise ship
95. Spoken more than one language fluently
96. Performed in Rocky Horror Picture Show
97. Raised children
98. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn't stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn't have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Petted a stingray
110. Broken someone's heart
111. Ridden a bike
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Petted a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad and The Odyssey
135. Selected one important author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone's life

Only 52 out of 150. Dang, I have to get out more!!!

Consider yourself tagged.

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

October's almost gone

There's less than a week left to this month, and I still haven't finished Judy L's August hour a day quilt. I was supposed to get together with my little quilt group last Friday, had everything packed before I went back to the bus barn in the afternoon.
My daughter had a routine doctor's app't, so Mike picked her up in Albany and brought her down. I walked into the waiting room at 4:30 and my cell phone rang. It was her, calling from the examination room, asking where I was. I told her and she said Mike and I were to come back to where she was. We walked down the hall and ran into the doctor who said he was scheduling her for an immediate CT scan. Apparently, her heartbeat was 140 and she's on some meds that can cause blood clots in the lungs, so he wanted to make sure she was alright. So we went over to the radiology department and we had to wait because it was a "wet" read. Everything was negative. By the time we got out of there at 7:30, all I wanted to do was crash at home. Keri's fine, it was some kind of fluke. She's been monitoring her pulse all week and it's been between 80 and 90.
So all my quilting stuff got unpacked and it's still sitting there. There's always this weekend.
I wanted to show you my little quilty group, but Blogger isn't cooperating; so I'll try again another time.

Monday, October 16, 2006

What season are you?

You Belong in Fall

Intelligent, introspective, and quite expressive at times...
You appreciate the changes in color, climate, and mood that fall brings
Whether you're carving wacky pumpkins or taking long drives, autumn is a favorite time of year for you


Well, I guess this is timely. At least they got it right. One of my favorite things to do is drive down a country road, and just watch the leaves blow out of the way when I go by. I used to love doing it on my bike, now I love doing it with my car. It just makes me smile!!!

Friday, October 13, 2006

Hi-Remember me?



Okay, it's been a while since I've been here, but here are my hour a day blocks. Obviously, they're from the August one. I'm in the process of putting the top together, so stay tuned.

I got my stitches out Wednesday and I can finally get back to longarming. I contacted some of my clients about being behind, and let me tell you, quilters are the best people. Oh yeah, the face doesnt' look so bad either.

It's been weird at work. I'm on light duty so they have me in the office. Definitely NOT a happy place. I think if everyone spent some time in there, they'd understand why some of the people are so miserable. I stay out of all the politics, and tell them "I'm a temp, I'm going back on my bus".

I'm still hand stitching the binding on that yellow quilt. Can't wait to get it out of the house, I don't like doing bindings on my own stuff, never mind anyone else's.

I've been re-reading Sylvia Landman's book, "Make Money Quilting". I swear that whole book will be highlighted before I finish. Such great advice. It's available from her website, and I think Amazon.

Well, gotta go quilt. Have a great day, and weekend, if I don't get back to ya.

Friday, October 06, 2006

It's been a long week

I wasn't going to post about the basal cell surgery, but some people have told me that they've been praying for me, so I want to let them and you know that it's all gone. Mike drove me to the dermatologic surgeon's office Wednesday morning. I had a place on my left cheek that had biopsied positive back in August, so it was time to get it out. The biopsy site was the size of a pencil eraser. The final area done was the size of a quarter. They had to pull from my ear/cheek area to stitch it. 13 internal, 56 external in the shape of an upside down L-across to my temple and down the side of my nose almost to my mouth.
But the cancer is gone!! And since I can't work on the longarm, I've been making good progress on the August/September hour a day quilt. I'll have to ask Judy L. if I can still send her a picture. :)
I've been reading everybody's posts and it looks like fall has come everywhere. I know it's here in the Hudson Valley. Wednesday we sat outside at a picnic table at the doctor's office, and yesterday and today we need jackets! I love the colors, and I love wearing sweaters, heavy socks and turtlenecks. So this and spring are definitely my favorite seasons. All that's missing is the smell of burning leaves-we're not allowed to do that in the village.
I'll have some pics to show over the weekend, promise.

Monday, October 02, 2006

It's October-WOW!!

I can't believe it's October already. This year has flown by. Dave and Alicia are getting married in June, and I wanted to lose 30 pounds by April so that I wouldn't have to buy my dress at Omar the Tentmaker's shop.
So here's my new goal: I am going to try to lose 4 pounds a month from now until April. That will be 6 months/24 pounds. I can live with that. I figure if I write it down, maybe I'll stick to it.
I've seen other blogs where you've listed your October goals, so I'm going to do that too:

October goals:
1. Finish last 3 pieced blocks for the Harvest Spice quilt.
2. Get started on t-shirt quilt for customer.
3. Get binding done on yellow quilt for customer.
4. Finish piecing the August hour a day quilt.
5. Work on my applique UFOs-one by Piece O'Cake and one by Pat Campbell.

I don't see these as too ambitious, do you?

My local guild had it's biennial show this weekend. My Thimbleberries Quilter's Garden got a 3rd place and 2 of my customers' quilts got a 3rd and an Honorable Mention. There's another local LAer who had at least 10 quilts in the show and she did very well. I told Mike that is because she gets to do it full time. I'm not jealous, just wishful. I'd love to be able to quilt full time. But it's not in the cards right now. Oh well. I am very happy about my ribbon, haven't gotten one in a while. And in her comments, the judge liked my binding!!! Woohoo!! I have never gotten good comments on my bindings before.

I talked to a wonderful lady at one of the vendors' booths. Her name is Jo Coons and she designs the most wonderful applique designs. Her website is: www.potpourripieces.com I was telling her about a project Mike and I want to do for next year's MQX, and she is going to work with us on the colors for the hand dyes. What a compliment. I asked her how she gets so much accomplished and she told me that she gets all her prep work done and then sits down in the evening to do the stitching. She can just sit and stitch without having to do anything else. I like that idea.

I keep trying to get around to everyone's blog, but life gets in the way. So I apologize. I have a question-how many blogs on your list is too many? And do you try to leave comments on each one? That's what I find the hardest.
I am going to try to remember gratitudes. Here's some for today:

A day at home to quilt
Beautiful fall sunshine
Doing stuff I love

No pics today, sorry. I'll have to get some of the show pics out of the camera and onto the computer.