Keeping on Track

I've been keeping on track. I have been getting a lot of quilting done as well.

I just had to take a photo of my African Violets! They are so pretty this time of year.

It's fun to see how close I can get get to the flower.

Had Patrick take a photo of me with my helper as I quilted. Charlie seems to enjoy sitting in my lap while I quilt. There are times I can't get the hoop around so I can actually get it done.

Patrick didn't get a very good photo with the light coming in the window but you get the idea. Charlie loves her attention.

I've been getting around the flowers and this corner is going a lot easier than I thought. It's also going pretty fast, which is getting me excited about getting it done.

Hopefully I can get the corner done this weekend and start working on the 4th corner.

Yesterday I went with my mother to Ocean Shores to help her out with judging quilts at the WA State Grange Convention. I was surprised to see some quilts that actually made it to State. One gal even submitted a quilt that she bought at the store - one of those made in China. I was so surprised anyone would try and pull a stunt like that. I did enjoy working with the judges. I would have loved to have judged the needlework department, but I haven't been certified to judge any crafts yet. I keep hoping one of these days I would go get certified, but other times think I would probably tick a few people off, because I would actually judge on workmanship and not whether or not I like a quilt. The best part about yesterday was the 4 judges they had were the best ones! They judged on workmanship and not on their own personal choice of color. It's been a long time since I was around judges that actually knew what they were doing. The judges here at the fair go according to what they like and workmanship seems to be lacking on the high winners. Think that's why they have a hard time getting quilts in the fair any more.

My "diet" or "life change" is going well. I've been loosing weight, which is what the doctor wants. I have a lot of questions as to what I can and can not have though. The book he had me buy on Low Carbs, has heavy cream, butter, and a lot of ofter stuff that is high in fat that gets my cholesterol so high. I would love to eat what they have in there, but I don't see where that would help me get my cholesterol down. Loose weight, yea, maybe. Oh, well.

Hopefully this week I can finish the corner, and get started on the last corner, and get back to being Happy Quilting....

Actually Quilting

This week has really been busy and interesting at the same time.

Between moving cupboards around to actually quilting. When all was said and done, the dinning room turned out awesome. Thanks to my wonderful husband, who knows how to decorate. Me, not so much.

Now that this part is done and looks great, the other cupboards look a little bare and are slowly getting more stuff in them. I keep looking at half a shelf and wonder what in the world was I thinking when I bought the dishes that started this whole thing off. 

After playing all day on Sunday, I realized I was not getting anything done. I could sit there and wish or hope I was getting stuff done, but nope, nothing was getting done. So, after the last two days, I have decided that I would spend more time with my quilting then I would on the computer playing games. I realize I have made a lot of friends and love playing with them, but there just isn't enough time in the day for me to play and quilt! 

I started with this flower and as the week went on, I was getting more and more done. 

Then yesterday was Myron's Girl's group "gathering" and I was able to get even more done. I'm doing less for the group and actually sitting to enjoy quilting with them. It's fun to see what they are up to and how things are going.

Martha had all her stuff out and she was working on the Affairs of the Heart, which I seriously need to finish the last 4 blocks so I can get it all put together or at least work on the borders. 

Judy, Ann and Loretta were talking about how to work with bias tape for the leaves. It was great to see Loretta, as she is like me - hit and miss.

The more quilting I got done, the more excited I get about finally getting this one done. I will try and get this third corner done, so I can move on to the last corner. It has a lot of open space, but I'm not too worried. I had to change back to the hoop to quilt because the square wasn't getting the corner as good as I would have liked. I couldn't tighten the sandwich as well as I can with the hoop. I seriously need to buy a new hoop and am looking at the ones that are stronger. They are made by a company that makes the stand as well. I don't want the stand, but I do want the hoop. I believe the last time I checked it was $75. I'm beginning to believe it would be a great investment for me.

I was at this point this morning, but after putting in about 3 hours of work I'm around that flower and on my way to the second one.

So, you can see, I'm Happy Quilting.....

Beautiful Day

Today is one of those beautiful days, where you just want to be out in the sun. The best part, it's not that sunny that you'd be uncomfortable in.

Flowers are blooming and the yard looks great!

Remember when I told you I bought some Japanese dishes?? Well, we later bought a dinning room table and cabinet from the same people......Do you realize how much work that is?? Seriously - I washed all the dishes, and then I had to make room for them. After clearing out the cabinet they were to go in (overstock went downstairs), I thought that was good enough - OH NO, it wasn't.

Patrick got the table and china cabinet put in there places, having to move furniture to fit them in, of course. So, the bookcase was dismantled and taken out to the garage. OH, forgot the first part, the "old" table and chairs went downstairs. Had to move the bed that was in the room down there, as well as the huch (sp). Okay, so far so good, then moved the bookcase. All the stuff from the bookcase was then put on the table for another home. Those dolls I had in my display case above the kitchen, well they are now in the cabinet. Those dishes I bought, they are also in the cabinet. Guess what, we need to put the table clothes in the cabinet as well. That gave me room in the hall closet to spread out more. No worries. Now, back to the display case above the kitchen. Let's put our everyday dishes up there, and clear the room for the tupperware stuff. Did that.

Get the idea yet? WAIT, there is MORE.

Moved all the tupperware out of a smaller cabinet into the bigger cabinet where the dishes were. Okay, now what am I going to do with the cabinet on the wall next to the sink.......still thinking. THINKING my tea can go into one of the shelves, but wait, that clears up another cabinet and I need to decide what will go in there........

ALL THIS OVER BUYING DISHES!

So, now I sit here thinking, what will I put in that cabinet, what needs a place, and how much space do I have.....ugh

On to quilting - I got quite a bit of quilting in last night. I'm hoping to start quilting on the flower in the corner, so I can get my corner layed out right. I've been echoing around the center area, but need to work my way out to the edge to get the corner done. As soon as I have the flowers done, I can echo around them all and get it finished. That part is quicker than this part.

I got one of my Japanese doll blocks back from Sharon in our group. I'm really excited to see what everyone does for me. Funny how I happen to have a Japanese doll friendship quilt with all this stuff going on around my Japanese dishes. (still laughing)

I can't wait to see how this gets going.

Told my husband his mother is going to think he's nuts going with a Japanese theme in our house! lol
I'm the one that lived in Japan for 3 years.

I'm going to try and pull out a movie or find one on TV. so I can sit and quilt....So, till the next post, I'm hoping to be Happy Quilting.....

Two Days Later

It's funny how I sit here, thinking I should update my blog, wondering what I need to say. Then two days go by and I still haven't worked on my blog.

Now I'm going to backtrack and see what I need to add.

Last week, I figured I needed to get moving on Dian's binding on the baby quilt I told her I would bind. I cut the binding and I also cut some scraps for binding as well.

I hadn't done a binding in awhile, so I cut the strips at 3 1/2". When I put the binding on I realized that was too big, so the front of the quilt has a small binding while the back has a "frame" look to it. I will pay more attention next time. My husband said he like the look of both sides, and thought it added character. He is usually the one that tells me I need to take it out. lol

Like I said, sewing is never one of my top priorities. Here I'm sewing the binding pieces together. 

I sewed the front part on, then I hand stitched the back side on. I'm not comfortable enough to do them both on the machine. I do know one can do it all at once, but I'm not willing to take that chance. After getting that done, 

I had the chance to buy some Japanese dishes, and I'm one that won't pass up the chance to get Japanese dishes. I use them all the time and would love to have more. Since I lived in Japan for 3 years - 3rd thru 6th grade - I even cook Japanese food. 

Now that we had the dishes, I needed to clean out my cabinets and refigure on what works. 

These were in the cabinets, and of course, needed to be washed. 

Decided to leave this cabinet alone.

Rearranged cabinet. 

Still working on this one. lol

I collect tea pots, thimbles, sewing accessories, ect. 

So while we do all that, our cat Charlie is enjoying the warm weather. 

I have been working on the circle blocks that I started at Retreat. Nancy Chong's circle blocks are fun to do. I need to get the circles put on one block and I'm ready to start another one. It went quick. I'm having fun working on those. 

I have pulled the Hawaiian quilt back out and working on the corner. I haven't had much time lately, but I'm getting closer. I'm hoping to get more done today. It all depends on when we will be picking up the table and cabinet that we bought from a friend. It's nice to get different furniture in once in awhile. That way I don't want to move every 3 years. 

Of course, I am having fun going out and taking photo's of the flowers in the yard. LOL - Been taking more photos then doing anything else. 

All beautiful this year!

So, when things get cloudy like today - I'm Happy Quilting.........

Time sure does fly when one is busy!

Life at my house has been busy, yet again. I didn't realilze this year would bring so much stuff to do and so much to work on. I'm getting there, but not very fast. Part of that is my fault, I tend to like to play more than work.

Since I last posted, my son and fiance' have been looking for a house, my daughter hasn't talked to me since my Birthday, which is understandable, but I do miss not hearing from her. My parents are busy with church and friends, so we see little of them lately, and that is okay too. At least they are close. A very dear friend of the family has got cancer, and while he deals with that, I'm sitting for his grandmother. So, at times I am sitting for her and playing games. I'm starting to take work with me to work on, so hopefully I can get some stuff done.

Today, I had lunch with the mother of the girl who received this afghan (that I did finish). We haven't talked for awhile and it was great to see her. Gave her the gift and she was so excited she couldn't wait to get it to Abby. Not long after I got home, I received a text with her wrapped around the afghan and asked how I knew what her favorite color was. lol I texted her and her mother with the same question, so that I could figure out what her favorite color was. I said, "Doing a survey and want to know what your favorite colors are." Got a text back from her that read, "PINK, PINK, PINK." I just about died! I hate pink! lol So, I decided to pick the pinks I could live with. While we were up at JoAnn fabrics, I called her mother and asked what colors she like that would go with Pink. She told me she would takea black or white. Being a person who works with white a LOT, I decided black would be better, and stay cleaner longer. I even washed it before giving it to her, and was shocked at how soft it got! I would have loved to keep it after I washed it...but it wasn't ment to be mine. Plus Abby is too special not to give her a present like this.

Now as I sit here, on my deck, I'm looking around and seeingthe beautiful hanging baskets my hubby put together.

Yesterday I went around the yard and took a few more photos of the plants he has taken care of through the years.

Each year more and more bloom, and they get fuller and fuller. He really knows how to care for a yard as well as a garden.

Okay, back to reality, after a busy today today, I went downstairs to cut the binding for a baby quilt a dear friend asked me to bind. As I got to cutting the binding, another thought occured to me, "Why not cut some more strips for the Inner City quilt that needs to be re-bound. And yet again, I did some of those as well. Still need a ton more, but was cutting the strips into 3 1/2" since I'm going to double them up. (fold in half)

Got some done, but not as much as I really need. Then it hit me, I have plenty of fabric to go through to cut the rest of the pieces, I'm sure. I turn around and open my cabinet.

and then the next door.

I looked at all that fabric, closed the door, said, "Not today," and went upstairs. Funny how a lot of fabric can get you to quit what you started. So, if all goes well tomorrow, I will try and cut more strips for the binding. Then I will sit down and sew the binding on the baby quilt, hand stitch the other side and give it back to Dian.

I have been quilting on my quilt at night again. I'm on one of the corner pieces and how to get that done before too much longer. It's getting hard to finish with a thimble finger giving me fits and hot flashes going off from time to time. Plus a cat on my lap - try and stay cool with that going on and a king size quilt on top of you as well. Take about sweating!

Guess that will do for now, I need to add the photo of our group to the group blog and then I'm back to playng games for a short time and then will do applique since my finger doesn't seem to want to work today. Which means, I want to be Happy Quilting.......soon!