Happy New Year

2010 is just hours away and it doesn't seem possible that another year has come and gone. My focus for 2009 was redefining who I am. I'm not sure I accomplished that but I can tell you, I have a new attitude about life and how I should live.

Do you make New year Resolutions each year? Are you able to keep them? What ever your resolution happens to be, the only way to succeed is to take it one step at a time. Set specific goals and make the decision to stick with it. So, my first and most important goal is to establish healthy eating and exercising habits. I've read that it take 26 days for a task to become a habit. Since I am retiring in two weeks I will have the time to plan and follow through with purchasing and preparing healthier meals and spending time in action. Being home this past week has shown me how easy it is to get comfortable in front of the television and just sit. I don't want to get into that habit. I am starting with a walking regime. I will start with 30 minutes a day. My other goal is to spend more time reading. I have been putting together a list of books I want to read. They aren't all fiction. I'm going to read Sarah Palin's book, Going Rogue. I admire her so much. More about that in the future. I'm going to spend more time in prayer and reading and studying the Bible. I can add to this list but I want to be realistic. These are the most important things I want to accomplish. I have UFO's to finish and other things I want to do but next year I want to report, mission accomplished.

I wish you and yours the safest and happiest New Year every. God's peace be with you.

Christmas Blessings

I hope everybody had a wonderful Christmas. We spent time with family and for us that's what it's all about. This is a picture of three of our seven grandchildren. Brook, Bree, and Brit take the most beautiful pictures. Their Mom has pictures taken on a regular basis and I'm so thankful for that because they are miles away.

I'm on vacation this week and so I'm cutting fabric for a quilt class in January. The book we are using is Thoroughly Modern Dresden. I'm going to do a table runner using oriental fat quarters. I want to use up some of my stash.

When I return to work on the 4th I will have two weeks and then I'm off, done, retired. I can't even express how much I'm looking forward to that. I've worked for 43 years and I just want to have fun. I'm looking forward to quilting when I want as long as I want and finishing projects. I want to sleep in during the week and stay up late t night. I want to sit in the backyard and watch the flowers bloom and the birds flying from one tree to another. That is just the tip of the iceberg. I've been cleaning out my office and bring stuff home. Paul asked me to stop bring stuff home so now I'm going to go through what I have and toss or donate. There is still more to come.

Have a blessed week and a very Happy New Year.

Saturday Planning

Greetings.
It's started raining yesterday and it's been off an on since. I love the rain. When it stops everything outside looks so clean and fresh. The rain relaxes me and my brain kicks into the creative mode. I started listing the creative projects I want to try. It's Saturday and I would like to work on some of the things on my list. Unfortunately I have other things that have priority over what I want to do. In 66 days, everyday will be a Saturday.

This is Ethan's quilt. I finished it Monday and delivered it to his Grandmother Tuesday. I love the little bunny's and the activities they are performing. It's all boy. I quilted airplanes and clouds in the border and stars in the solid squares.
The back shows up the quilting. Sorry it doesn't show up too good in the pictures. I wish I had the fabric to make two. Now I will focus on my Turtles and Tadpoles quilt. Film at 11:00.

This darling quilt pin was purchase by my friend Donna. She isn't a quilter but she does appreciate the art of quilting and what goes into it. This is hand made and she found it in a catalog. I was going to order one until I found out the price. When you look at the detail and workmanship in it, it's worth it. It's beautifully done. When I was in Michael's last week I found some discounted jewelery making supplies and I purchase them. Jewelery making is something I've always wanted to try. I've been buying sale items and putting them aside for the time when I can start creating. The creative list I mentioned early has a make a quilt pin listed on it. I'm always inspired by other's works and I need to work on some original projects.

It will be a busy and productive weekend if I sign off and get busy. I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Peace be with you.

It's Snowing

Greetings from the Central Valley. I'm looking out my window at snow floating from the sky. It is so cool. It started about 7:00 am and as I stood under the patio watching it float down, I was amazed at the stillness outside. It was so peaceful, I love it. I've never seen it snow in Stockton, although I know it has. I took some pictures but I'm not sure how they will turn out. When the snow hits the ground it melts so there is no evidence there, you just have to see it. I feel so blessed that this happened when I was home to enjoy it. Thank you Lord.

I've been in a funk for the past two weeks and every day has been a struggle to get things done and take care of business. I spent yesterday shopping for Christmas gifts for grandchildren. I don't enjoy shopping, especially when I can't find what I want. Today I will probably sit in front of the window until the snow stops. I can type and watch at the same time so that's good. It's not so good for the quilt I should have finished two weeks ago. Oh well.

It's been 46 minutes of snow and it looks as if it over. I can get busy on the quilt. I feel great.
Peace be with you.

Happy Thanksgiving

May your turkey be plump,

May your potatoes and gravy

Have never a lump.

May your yams be delicious

And your pies take the prize

And may your Thanksgiving dinner

Stay off your thighs!

author unknown.

Wishing you, your family, and friends a blessed Thanksgiving.

The Estate Sale

Greetings.
My Mother called Friday and was bouncing off the walls because of an Estate sale listed in the paper. I have never been to an estate sale before. She and Tami acted like I was from another planet. Why shop if you don't need anything and you don't even know what's going to be there to purchase? Did you know that my Mom knows how to get my attention? She pointed out that lots of quilts and fabric were for sale and that got my attention. I'm on vacation and there isn't anything on my To Do List that can't wait. Tami gave me the address and directions and off I went. The front door and garage were open and people were going in every direction. As I walked into the front door I looked around at dishes, pots and pans and trinkets everywhere. A women asked me what I was interested in and I said quilts and fabric. She said up stairs and to the right, you'll be in heaven. As I started up the stairs I saw quilts hanging over the rail. They looked old and hand made. They seemed prices a bit high and I kept going. The door to my right was a small bedroom that must have been used as a craft/sewing room. There were drawers stacked on table tops and boxes of "stuff"on the floor. There was a pile of six lap and baby size quilts that were pinned, basted and ready to be quited. As I looked at this pile I started thinking about my quilt tops piled high waiting to be finished. The boxes had lace, ribbon and trims, some used and some that had not been opened. It was starting to become an out of body experience as I looked at the variety of must have just in case stuff. As I watched people going through all her things I started feeling a bit obtrusive. Was it her wish that strangers go through her stuff? There was an embossing template that hadn't been opened and it looked like something I would use so I picked it up and moved on to the next room. This too was a small room with a daybed that had a SOLD sign on it. Her closet was opened and I could tell from her clothes that she was a petite women who occasionally dressed up. She wore a size 5 shoe. There was a box of greeting cards on the dresser that she had saved. As I read some of the notes written in them I felt guilty, like I was reading somebody's mail. It looked as if she kept in touch and had lots of friends that did the same. As I proceeded down stairs I noticed a small book case. There was large family bible and various Christian books. I felt saddened by the fact that her family didn't want that beautiful bible. I thought about purchasing it but such a heart ache came over me I just couldn't. Her family tree was written in it and various other family notes. There was a small pocket size New Testament that I picked up and because there wasn't any personal notes in it took it. Downstairs there was silver, crystal, cook ware and appliances for sale. I wasn't interested in any of that so off to the garage I went. There were boxes of oil paintings. It looks like the lady of the house was interested in painting. Some of the paintings were good, not that I would know good from bad. I thought about purchasing a few of them for the frames but talked myself out of it. There was a box full of costume jewelry so I look through that. There was a small black butterfly pin with gold etching on it and K24 engraved on the bottom half of a wing. I didn't notice that until I got home and looked at it under a magnifying glass. The area between the wings is gold and has delicate etching on it. So I picked it up and went to the cashier with my big purchases. It consisted of the butterfly pin, embossing template and the small New Testament Bible. She looked at me said, "how does $1.75 sound?" I gave her the money and walked around a bit more. There was a walker in the yard with a $10 for sale sign on it. There was also had an electronic Singer Sewing machine and a Serger for sale. I noticed a small framed dress form but no dollar amount on it. I wonder about the lady that at one time owned and used all that stuff. I wonder if she intended to have strangers going through everything. After going through her home I feel like I know her. She was a Christian lady who liked to paint, sew, and quilt. She must have enjoyed entertaining because she had beautiful silver and crystal. There was a couple of boxes full of wine being sold too. I didn't check that out. I'm not sure that is even legal. So my first estate sale turned out to be a sad experience. I thought about that lady for the rest of the day.

When I got home from church today I did some organizing in my sewing room. I found some great decorative buttons I forgot I had. I will use them on some of my wall hangings. I need to make a list so my family knows what to do with my stuff. I don't want strangers picking through it.
Have a blessed day.

A Relaxed Day

Yesterday was fabulous. I had a facial, made a loaf of cranberry walnut bread, cooked a roast in the crock pot and whipped up an apple crunch dessert. I cut some templates out for a snowman applique block and today I'm gong to search for my steam-a-seam light so I can fuse the pieces on to the backing. I'm not real organized and it bothers me that I have to spend so much time hunting for stuff. Sometimes I get frustrated and just go buy more. I need shelves and storage compartment to organize everything. It will probably be March before I can focus on that project but I'm collecting pictures and ideas of other quilters organized areas.

This is my daughter Tami and her precious little Jelly. I'm not sure where the name came from. Jelly is decked out in her suede "Diva"coat ready to party. Tami talks to Jelly and Jelly talks back. She even sings. When Tami goes to work there are a number of family members waiting in line to babysit. That would include Paul. The only problem Paul has is Missy and Herkie get tired of her real quick. She has too much energy. This is an up close picture of a few of the blocks in my Bro's quilt. Now that we are starting to have cooler nights he will have something to keep him warm.
These bears are a bit mischievous.

In keeping with the theme the blocks are bear paws and log cabin.

Today I'm going to start a new quilt. It's actually going to be used as a wall hanging. It's a pattern called Turtles N Tidepools designed by Patricia Pepe. You need her X-block rotary cutting tools. I might be teaching his technique at a retreat in Oregon next year. Check out her web site www.quiltqueendesigns.com.

Time is slipping by so I must get to work and have some fun. Vacations are good.

Wishing you a blessed day.

Greetings

I'm Back. I didn't realize how long it's been since I posted. I have been going non stop for three weeks. So much to do and so little time. The upside is that I accomplished all my goals. Now I'm making a new list and feeling a bit overwhelmed. I've been catching up on my favorite blogs for the past three hours. I'm off work for two weeks and I just want to have fun. Catching up on blog reading is fun.

I started a class on Stephen Ministry training. It's a 50 hour training and we meet from 7:00 pm to 9:00 on Monday's. It's been a challenge because I'm usually in bed by 9:00 and up at 4:30 am. I'm so tired at work on Tuesdays I end up going to bed early to make up for lost sleep and I don't get my Tuesday evening tasks done. If that's not a sign of getting old, I don't know what is. That would explain why women shouldn't have children after 50. There are some quilts I want to get quilted and I plan to organize my quilting room.

At a quilt show I attended last month I met Connie Mantini. She wrote a book called Shatter and Sew. It's an introduction to the Shattered Image technique. You can check out her website for details. www.shatterandsew.com I bought a few yards of this beautiful fall fabric that I think would be perfect for this technique. I'm hoping to work it into my two week schedule.

I got a new camera for my BD and I will download some picture and post them tomorrow. I finished my brother's quilt and presented it to him on his birthday. I think he liked it. I have some pictures of some great quilts to share too. For now, I'm off to the grocery store.

Wishing you a blessed day.

Color be Beautiful

Two days in a row, how about that? I just couldn't wait to share this. Today is Columbus Day and a holiday for me, but not for my dentist. I had an appointment this morning and then I had clothes to take back to Penney's and I wanted to pick up another memory stick for my camera. I usually keep my eyes on the road and on the other drivers around me but, every once in a while something will catch my peripheral vision. Check out the color. I just happened to have my camera with me so I though it only fair to share the beauty of color; Bright, bold color. The blue is a triplex among triplexes and for the most part the area isn't kept up. It wasn't too noticeable before but now you can't miss it.



Down the street a few block we have this. I have never seen a tangerine colored house. I'm wondering if this was trim paint gone astray. There are houses on both sides of this one that are conservatively painted and landscaped. That might be why this house stands out now. I must say, it's just in time for Halloween.

As I drove through my neighborhood I noticed the leaves are turning yellow, orange, and brown, in keeping with the autumn season. I love the colors of Autumn. Tomorrow we are supposed to have a storm with high winds and lots of rain. I'm looking forward to it. I just wish I could stay home and enjoy it.

Color your world and have a blessed day.

Checking In

Greetings. It's been a few weeks since I posted anything. Truth is I've been as busy as a one armed paper hanger. I'm starting a class on Monday nights that requires homework. I have bible study on Wednesday nights and there is homework (reading) in that. I have a quilt guild meeting on the 3rd and 4th Thursdays of the month. I'm working full time, which will be ending in five months. It seems I have two days out of the week that I have time to sit at my computer and read emails and post to this blog. I miss reading blogs and sometimes I spend too much time doing that and don't have time to post on my own.

Today I had to break down and go shopping. I have never enjoyed shopping and today was no different. JC Penney is across the street from Church so, being the time management person that I am, I stopped in before heading out. I found some really good buys but most were too small. Okay, I know, that's my fault and I need to do something about it. Now for the clothes that are my size, I wanted to try on. On the day I choose to shop, Penney's decides to paint their dressing rooms. They had one dressing room area for the entire first floor and their was a line. I hate waiting in lines so I just bought everything and I will try them on tonight and those that don't fit or look right will go back on Wednesday.

I've been looking to upgrade my camera. Best Buy had something I felt meet my needs and the price was right. My issue was the battery. The salesman was no help. He couldn't answer my questions and he would leave to check with somebody else and it would appear nobody else could either, so I left. I just figure it wasn't meant to be. I had to stop in at Office Depot and pick up pencils for Saturday so I thought I would check out the cameras too. A young man asked if he could answer any questions. Oh my gosh, what a concept. I asked, he answered, and even provided written documentation on some of the questions I was asking. I was so excited I wanted to buy two. Their price was $50 more than Best Buy and he said no problem, we match any competitor's price. Thank you Lord.

Then if was off to Joann's with my 50% coupon. Since I'm intentional about spending I couldn't use that coupon. There was nothing I needed that wasn't already on sale. Oh well.

I'm finishing up my brother's quilt. When the binding is done I will take a picture, with my new camera and post it.

Tuesday we have a storm coming. My daughter-in-law laughs when I tell her that. She lives in the mid-west and said we don't have real storms. I love the rain and I'm really looking forward to the "Storm". It will be clear on Saturday and I'll be headed to the Pacific International quilt show with 52 other people on a bus. I'm so excited. I will be taking lots of pictures and I will share them with you all.

Have a blessed week.

Update on Activities

Life is a stitch. I've been sewing up a storm since I last posted. But before I share that I want to share a few pictures I took at the Diablo Quilt show. All the quilts were fabulous but a few really caught my eye. This little quilt is so cute and this picture doesn't do it justice. I have a few close ups so you get an idea of the detail. The quilter used fabric paints for shading and yarn for the hair. This is one close up that shows the painting on the legs and knees and face. Isn't this as cute as can be?

This is another example. Those are actual bows. I might try something like this in the future.

The President's challenge was all about fruit. I thought these pears were beautiful. I couldn't do this with paint let alone fabric. I would live to hang this in my kitchen.

This picture had some incredible quilting on it. What a work of art.

These are the fruit ladies and I have this panel. Now I know what I want to do with it. This is one fruitie quilt and so cute. We also went to Quilting in the Garden at the Alden Lane Nursery. I'll try to get some pictures posted. It was too hot for an autumn day.

This is quilt is one I made while on vacation for a co-worker who retired. She loves Maxine and I bought an embroidery disc with a dozen different Maxine's featured. I kind of put the horse before the cart and designed the blocks and quilt before all the Maxine blocks were embroidered so some were too big. I scanned some office photos on fabric and had her co-workers write their well wishes on the blocks. We had a lunch for her and people were able to write special messages to her. I'm pleased to announce, she really liked it. I've gotten a few thank yous from her. I really enjoyed making it too. So this is the back before a lot of messages were written in the white area.

This is the front being held up by Cindy's immediate co-workers. Cindy is the happy lady on the end with glasses. She has emailed me and says she is enjoying retirement and her quilt.

So today I put the borders on my brother's quilt I'm making for his birthday. I think he will like it and it will be a surprise. I also got my One-Block Wonder arranged on my design board. It's going to be a Christmas quilt. When I get it sewen and the first border on I'll post a picture. I'm not too sure what I'm going to use for the outside border. Then I have one more baby quilt to finish. It just needs the borders sewen on and then quilted.

Well tomorrow I have to be at work all day so when I get home I will probably sew one row of my OBW quilt and put the borders on the baby quilt. Wouldn't it be nice if all I ever had to do was quilt? Maybe someday soon.

Wishing you a blessed week.

What's Been Happening?

One week gone and one week up. I practiced being retired last week and I was very, very good at it. I accomplished a lot and felt stress free. Monday I spent some time at Liz's house then did a little shopping. Tuesday I had a dental appointment in the morning and spent the rest of the day cleaning. Since my hubby had places to go and people to see I had the house to myself. I moved furniture and vacuumed, dusted, mopped, and scrubbed. The house looks great. I woke up Wednesday morning and could hardly move. I guess I'm getting too old for the housework game. Wednesday I headed for Quilters Quarters for their 9th Anniversary sale. I had the greatest time. I run into quilters I haven't seen in almost a year. I purchased 25 fat quarters for $25 and signed up for the One Block Wonder class. I also picked up more fabric for the Maxine quilt I'm making. By the way, it's done and I will start the quilting Tuesday. I'll post a picture next week. Thursday I headed to JoAnn's and ran into another long time friend. I went there to order a part for my quilting frame and spent almost an hour visiting. I've been reading, quilting, gardening, and relaxing. I've also enjoyed spending time with my hubby and worrying about what I should be doing. We've spent relaxed time together just chatting and being together. It's almost like falling in love again.

Saturday as I was reading Revelation 1:9 there was lightning, then the loud sound of thunder, followed by a little bit of rain. That went on for a couple of hours. The sky was beautiful with streaks of blue and fluffy clouds in an array of colors ranging from black to greys and white. Tami came by and we visited and I think all that thunder made her a little uneasy, although she wasn't going to say so. She knows how much I enjoy it. I could have used a bit more rain.

So next week will start with the One Block Wonder class. Tuesday, another early morning dental appointment then quilting in the afternoon. Wednesday I will be quilting during the day and off to church in the evening. Thursday is a whatever day if I have my quilting completed and the evening will be spent at the quilt guild meeting. Friday I'll work on finishing up my three quilt projects and Saturday I'll post some pictures.

I'm loving life and all it offers. God's peace to you.

Super Sunday

Our pastor's sermon this morning focused on Ephesians 6:10-20. I love the way the Lord answers our prayers. I've been asking him to guide me through my conversations with friends who are hurting, afraid, and depressed. It is a time of uncertainty for people and for many reasons. I always say to have faith but I know for many, that's not as easy as it sounds. Mary, my sister-in-law, has skin cancer and she is having surgery next week. Please pray for her. She is my BFF and quilting buddy. She is the sister I never had. She lives in Oregon so I can't be together whenever we want. We've wanted to move to Oregon for five years but that doesn't seem to be "His" will. I have a enough vacation time available so I can always head up there if she needs me.

So on the subject of vacation, I'm making a list and checking it twice. I have so many things I want to accomplish during this time off. I have three quilts that need to be finished and one I want to start. I also want to do some things around the house and yard. It really feels good to have the freedom to do things I want to do.

I'm going to start working on EQ6. I have had the program for a year but I never made the time to design a quilt with it. I have gone through the tutorials and I'm looking forward to mastering it. I feel creative these days.

My great nephew and his Mom moved to Redding a few weeks ago and I would like to go visit with them. She called my last week and put Joey on the phone and he jabbered away. He is two and has his own dialogue. He is such a cutie. I'm going to miss him.

The next time I post I hope to have pictures of some of my accomplishments.

Until then, keep the faith.

A Special September

August finished in flames here in California. It's almost like the state is a blaze. It is so heartbreaking to see so many people losing their homes. I hope September brings an end to all these fires. I hope you will join me in praying for the people and firefighters.

This is going to be a special September for me because I'm taking two weeks vacation and staying close to home. I have list of things I want to accomplish but this is a kind of test run for retirement. Retirement is still 192 days away but I want to get into the habit of setting goals and accomplishing something everyday. I want to be so busy that I will need to take a vacation just to rest from all the things I'm doing. I will be doing a lot of quilting, of course, but I'm going to decorate my house for fall. I always do a little of that anyway but due to the lack of time I never have gone all out. I'm going to shop for some pictures for one of the bathrooms and I'm making a curtain for the window. I might even do some shopping for new area rugs. I'm also going to plant my fall bulbs. I want my yard to be full of flowering color this Spring. I have three quilts that are gifts and I will get those completed too. I will work the entire month in October and take another two weeks off in November. Life is good.

Have you checked out Patchwork Party Fall 2009. I'm disappointed in the finishing kits and debating on buying the 12 blocks and creating my own quilt. Then again, maybe I should finish the Patchwork quilts I have started. I explained to some friend Saturday that I was a Zen Quilter. I quilt for the process. It's therapeutic. I think I'll do some quilting now.

Have a bless week.

Greetings

Where have I been? Don't ask because I'm not sure. I am amazed at how fast time goes by. I noticed that I haven't posted anything on this blog since the 10th. It doesn't seem that long ago. Last week I attended a quilt guild meeting and had a few pictures I was going to post. I'm not sure when but I will. Last Saturday I got together with other guild members and we worked on next years Opportunity Quilt. I have pictures of that too, just not today. I have been busy with various projects that have deadlines connected to them and maybe even pictures to post. I'm up at 4:30 in the morning and then it's 9:00 and off to bed I go. I'm wondering if this is a symptom of getting older?

Batiks Plus is one of my favorite web stores. I don't purchase a lot from them but, only because I don't have the money. The quilt below is a Judy Niemeyer design done in batiks. The cost of the quilt kit is $390. No that doesn't include the backing. It takes every ounce of my self control not to pull out my credit card and purchase this kit. I love the quilt and I love batik fabrics.

My favorite season is autumn. I love everything about it and I think I focused on that once before. I enjoy making bread but don't do it in the summer because it's too hot to fire up the oven. I'm looking forward to our first cool day, that I'm not working, to make bread. I've been ordering bread mixes from Moore's Flour Mill for over six years. They don't have a web site but you can contact them at (530)241-9245. They are located in Redding California. They have a Walnut Cranberry bread machine mix that is out of this world. It's only 2.99 (I remember purchasing it for 2.59) and worth every dime. If your every in Redding you should look them up. They are family owned and operated and very nice to do business with.

The weekend is almost here. Tomorrow is casual wear day at work which means it's Friday. Whoo Woo! I'm going to a baby shower and quilt store and then I'm working on completed some of my projects. I might even visit the State Fair. Life if good.

Wishing you a blessed weekend.

Just Whining

I have been trying to finish up my Sister's Twister quilt for a month. That would be the quilting part. I practiced a free motion leaf pattern for weeks and I'm very proud of it. Now, if my thread would stop breaking and my machine would stop falling of the rails I could have this quilt quilted in a few hours. I'm using a thread brand called Presencia, 50 wt. This thread is expensive and not worth a dime. If your wondering why I bought this brand and why I'm not buying something else it's because the local quilt stores in the area don't carry anything else. I've been told the products that JoAnn's carries aren't any good. Well we'll see about that when I start my next project. I didn't want to order thread on line because I am concerned about the color matching. I'm always saying I want to be a long arm quilter until I start a quilting project. I have been attending various workshops and classes and it would appear, when looking at the books in my bookcase, that I have every book written on the subject, yet it's one thing after another. I have changed my needle, re-threaded the machine, and checked my bobbin and that hasn't made a difference. As many quilts as I piece it really is necessary for me to master this skill because I would need to win the Lotto to have the $$$ to pay a long arm quilter to finish all my quilt tops.

I have been looking at the professional long arm's like APQS, Nolting, Tin Lizzie and Gammill but we are talking 10 to 20 thousand dollars, not to mention the space they take up. I would have to commit to starting a business to pay for this. We'll see. Thanks for letting me vent. I'm going to have an ice cream and watch Two and Half Men. Maybe tomorrow I will try quilting again.

Have a blessed evening.

What to do next.

Greetings. The weather has been wonderful and I've been spending a lot of time outside. I'm stuck in an office all day without even a window so I appreciate sitting outdoors in the fresh air. I had asked my hubby to put a water feature in by the pool because I find the sound of trickling water very relaxing. He hung the hose over the side of the pool and turned the water on just a trickle. I will be more specific when I ask him for something in the future. Yesterday it started warming up and for the next few days we will be in the triple digits.

Friday we celebrated our 33rd. wedding anniversary. I worked all day so we went out for a nice dinner. We don't eat out much and so it was a treat.

Saturday I spent the entire day cleaning my living room. You are probably thinking I must be a very dirty housekeeper. Well, not on the surface. I have lots of stuff and when you have to move lots of stuff around it takes lots of time. I guess you could say I am very blessed. I have a collection of Betty Boop porcelain dolls in a display case that hasn't been dusted in months. It took hours to take each doll out, clean the glass shelves and the dolls and put them back. They are very fragile and you don't want to bump porcelain against glass. It was well worth it. I also have dozens of porcelain dolls I have made over the years. We are talking 25 years. I taught doll making, made clothes and sold the finished dolls in a boutique called The Dragonfly. Well that was then and this is now. I felt it was time to put some of those dolls up and some are being donated to the Cancer Society for a fundraiser they have scheduled. The attraction of making your own porcelain doll has died so I make a few dolls when I get special request, for which I have two.
This doll is named Roma. She has beautiful hand blown glass eyes from Germany. I used glass eyes in all my dolls. With the time and expense that goes into make these dolls it isn't worth putting in plastic. Porcelain will last for centuries and so will the glass eyes. You can always buy a new wig.

This is China. I've got a Hawaiian print that I'm going to use for her new dress. I will use the same pattern and I've got a silk hibiscus for her hair.

These four beauty's were designed my the same artist. I have the molds for them and I'm planning to make up a set of each for my granddaughters.

This is Willow. I had her dressed in an Indian outfit at one time. I love making doll clothes and changing their outfits.

Here is a close up. What an expression. I might be making up doll clothes and selling them on EBay.

This is Sugar Britches. This is the doll that started it all. This is the first porcelain doll I ever made. I've had her dressed in PJ's, Christening gowns, and little dresses. This outfit was purchased and it's a replica of the designers outfit. My living room got an overall dusting and vacuuming and I even washed the windows. In the spring I will be redecorating.

I have been working on my applique a little each night and tonight I'm going to start sewing block together on a quilt I need completed by October. It's all good.

Wising you a blessed evening.

A New Month

Greetings from the most miserable city in the country. It's the first day of August and there are 147 days until Christmas. Schools are starting up again. The Fall Equinox is 53 day away. (day when night and day are of equal length) Fall Equinox falls on September 22nd. this year. I love the colors, weather, and smells of Autumn. I've always been more creative during this time of the year. I enjoy decorating the house and shopping for fabric. Fabric colors in autumn are rich and vibrant. Our various family celebrations are behind me and now I can focus on my WW again. I have to stop at the grocery store after church tomorrow and stock up on all the right foods and spend time meal planning. I guess you can say I'm jazzed today. This is a link to a really cool blog about dieting and food. It's fun and informative and I think it's part of the reason for my inspiration. http://www.thechubbyartist.blogspot.com/

For a couple of years Stockton had the highest foreclosure rates in the nation, #1, and we learned this week we are now # 5 in foreclosures. Today's Record is reporting the closure of the Lexington Hotel and the upcoming auction. This hotel started out in August, 2005 as the Sheraton. It was a luxurious hotel in the middle of a not so luxurious downtown. It boasted seven floors, 179 room and 42 big ticket condominiums for sale. It was very nice but out of place in Stockton. It was the dream child of a few of the good old boys here in the most miserable city. The hotel was built on waterfront property the city sold for $1. Yes, you read it right, ONE DOLLAR. The city government subsidized $500,000 of the tax payers money for the project. Sad to say, it was a bust from the beginning. The bank foreclosed on it in July of 08 and has been in receivership since. In November of 08 it became the Lexington Hotel and now it's going to be sold at public auction. The amazing part of all this, the Mayor is quoted in the Record as saying, Ï think everyone is in shock that this would happen at this juncture." I have to ask, are all our elected government official out of touch with reality? Who did she think was going to stay at this hotel? Ít's not like we have big business or manufacturing here. It's an agriculture community. This city has great potential with an inland port, airport, and rail access but in 59 years that I've been here, these golden treasures have always been underutilized. So, if you want to buy a large hotel you know where to come. Someday I'll tell you about the city's use of public funds to subsidize a Sacramento restaurant owner. It was as successful as the Sheraton.

Enough of the negative. I'm off to plan, clean, organize, and quilt, not necessarily in that order. Have a blessed day.

Back to Work

Greetings. I'm back to work after a marvelous weeks vacation. I did a lot of things but managed to stay close to home. I worked on four quilt projects and made plans for a new one. I gave Herkie a bath and trimmed him nice and short for these hot days. I think I did as well as the groomer and saved $35 too. Herkie doesn't like baths but he is so good about it. I found time to do some serious cleaning around the house, but the best part of this vacation was spending time with my hubby. The days were cooler so we sat in the patio and talked, listened to the radio, and swam almost every day. It was a very relaxed laid back kinda week. To top things off work wasn't too bad and I had a lot of catch up to get done so the day went by fast.

I'm playing with EQ 6 this week with a goal of creating my own quilt design, making the quilt, and publishing the pattern. I want to teach it at a quilt retreat coming up in Oregon in the Spring of 2010. I see all these beautiful fabrics and I want to put them into a quilt so I can enjoy looking at them. Buying them and adding to my stash isn't the same.

Wishing you a blessed week until next time.

Quilting in July

Greetings from the Vacation Zone. I'm loving not having to be any place special at any special time. I am enjoying doing what I want when I want. Is this what retirement is like? The best part of this is there is no loss of things to do. I've been swimming every day. I have also budgeted time every day to read. I'm reading Tami Hoag's Lucky's Lady. It's a fast fun read. I took my refrigerator apart and cleaned it. It looks like new. I also cleaned and rearranged some shelves in the laundry room. I just spent two hours reading quilter's blogs. There are some amazing people out there quilting.

This is a picture of a quilt I'm working on today. Actually, I've been working on this quilt for about six months. I get pulled in other directions and it gets set aside. This weekend I was inspired to applique and this quilt has appliqued blocks in it. The reds and blues give it a happy playful feeling about it. The picture doesn't do it justice. It's called Prairie Pot Pie, designed by Rose Wojnar, and will be 92"x 92"when finished.

Here is a picture of eight of the blocks I have completed. They are kind of close together but you can get a better idea of the true color. I want to start the applique blocks so I can sit with my hubby while he watches TV and work on my blocks.

This is a picture of a quilt that was hanging up at Bear Paws and Hollyhocks in Sacramento. It's the inspiration that got me thinking about applique. There are pieced blocks around the appliqued center and appliqued flowers around the boarder. As usual, the picture doesn't do it justice.

This quilt top was at J R Flamingo in Sacramento, the unique part of this quilt is the cranes in the upper left corner are appliqued on along with the large flower along the bottom. This would be beautiful as a wall hanging.

Now, how cute is this. These little guys greet you at the door of Bear Paws and Hollyhocks. That quilt store is so inviting. I had a great time looking around. I was with other guild members Saturday shopping for fabric for next years opportunity quilt. We visited four different shops and every shop had something different. I found fabric for a quilt I'm making for a friend and some fabric I will use in my Paper Doll quilt I'm making for Brooke. I had a great day Saturday.

I am sewing the blocks for my brother's quilt tomorrow. I need to set up a larger design wall too. I have some blocks I want to sew together and I need to audition them on a design wall so I can stand back to get the right colors together. So much to do and so little time. I better get busy. It's not work when you love what you're doing.

I pray your days are as blessed as mine.

It's Friday

Happy day it’s Friday and the start of my 10 day vacation. In thinking this out I thought it was going to be 10 days of spontaneous activities like quilting, cleaning, lying by the pool drinking lots of iced tea, reading, and a couple of day trips to the foothills or coast. I also wanted to spend time at the computer working with EQ 6. I made a TO DO LIST but only as a suggestion in case I can’t choose what to do next. That might sound a bit strange as I have so many things I want to do, and need to do, I get a bit overwhelmed. Having a list helps me to prioritize smart.

Thursday night at our quilt guild meeting Sandra shared her paper doll quilt. Isn’t it the cutest? There is a pocket on the back to store the clothes. I’m going to have to make one for Brooke. So my To Do List grows.

These pictures are not very good. I just ordered the fabric and when I get it done I'll post the picture.

This blue quilt has embroidered centers and hundreds of half square triangles. I love it.

Saturday five of us from the guild are going on a road trip shopping for fabric for next years Opportunity quilt. We are going to Quilters Corner in Sacramento. I took a class there and it is an awesome shop. Then we will be off to Tayo’s in Fair Oaks, J R Flamingo and Bear Paws and Hollyhocks in Sacramento, and Torrie’s Sew and Vac in Carmichael. In case you aren’t aware, that would be the same as turning a bunch of kids loose in a candy store and telling them they can have anything they want. I can’t have anything I want but is there is something I can not live without it will be mine. You have to be real about this stuff.

Wednesday night is a board meeting and Friday night I’m taking a serger class at Jan’s. Her daughter Jennifer usually teaches the classes and she is a sweetie. She is very talented and a good teacher too.

I’ll keep you posted as the week progress.

Have a blessed day.

The Heat is On

The heat has arrived. It's 101 today and it's going to get hotter through the week. I can't believe we had light rain on Saturday and it was only 79. I love the rain and I sat in the patio and watched the sprinkles come down and the dark clouds moving overhead. We even had a rainbow. This is unusual for July in Stockton. Last year half the days in the month were 100+ degrees. I'm not fond of the heat so I'm grateful for the mild temperatures we have been enjoying up until now.

I was reading a friends blog and she mentioned that she had found some half finished blocks and seemed amazed by that. I thought that was normal. I have discovered something about me and my obsession with quilting. I don't quilt to have a quilt. It's about the process that I enjoy. Don't get me wrong, when I finish a quilt I'm very pleased but I'm also okay with having numerous quilt blocks tucked away in their project box waiting to to be sewed into a quilt. Next week I am taking some vacation time and I'm planning to finish two quilts. One is my brothers birthday present and the other is the Patch Work Party quilt I started in March. The setting blocks need to be completed and then I can assemble the quilt top. I will post a picture when it's done. I have a couple of kids crafting aprons I want to finish and send of to two of my granddaughter's. So much to do and so little.

Wishing you a blessed day.

Betty Boop

I have been a fan of Betty Boop since childhood. As a child I watched Betty Boop cartoons and I think that’s when it all started. When I see Betty Boop it reminds me of my childhood when I was allowed to sit in front of the television watching Betty Boop cartoons.

I have been collecting Betty Boop items for 40 years. Some of my collectibles are rare and pricey and others are inexpensive and fun. The majority of my Boop collection is gifts from friends and family so they have a special place in my heart.

This is my latest addition and I purchased her because she is making a statement about breast cancer awareness. I love her pink dress. She is made of porcelain and is a true collectible.

Quilting is my passion. A day doesn't go by when I'm not doing some kind of project involving fabric. Quilting can involve embroidery, paper piecing, strip piecing, templates, etc. and sometime I get board or something else catches my eye and I go to a new project, hence the UFO's. So, when my friend publicly, on her blog, asked that we reveal our UFO list to the world I freaked. Family and friends read my blog. This is how I keep up with family and friends out of town and state. Do I dare reveal all? Sometimes when I'm searching for fabric I will find a quilt top I did years ago. Not like 10 or 20 years but like 2 or 3 and sometimes maybe 5 years ago. I guess I should be thankful that she isn't asking about my unfinished kits. So I'm doing some soul searching and I'm going to go through all my UFO's and start the list.

So, here is a quilt designed by my talented friend, Dianah, called Hole In My Roll. It's made from one Bali Pop. It was fast and fun. I will finish it this week and quilt it myself. This is a picture of it on my design wall. I love the colors. I'm not sure if I'm going to add a boarder yet so It will leave it hanging a few days and look at it, study it, take it to work and ask for opinions and then we'll see.

Until next time have a blessed week.

Don't Worry, Be Happy

A few year ago I received a book written by Billy Graham titled Hope for Each Day. As I was reading through it I came upon a section on worry. Graham quoted Vance Havner, “Worry is like sitting in a rocking chair. It will give you something to do, but it won’t get you anywhere.” I admit I have been worrying more than usual. I’ve been worrying about the state of our State, Nation, and the world. I worry about our young people and the effect of the dumbing down of American children in the public school system. I worry about the governments attempt to silent the conservatives with their not so “FAIR” Fairness Doctrine. It really causes me to worry when our Legislatures sign bills into law without even reading them and our government prints money they can't back. It has gotten so disturbing that I have stopped listening to the news or reading the paper. I’m especially saddened about the lawlessness in our nation and it looks like it is getting worse. I sometimes want to crawl under the covers and never come out. Graham quoted Exodus 33:22, Gods promise to Moses. “I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand”. That is God’s promise to us. Christ is our Rock, and we are secure in His hands forever. Things may be falling down around us but, our hearts should be at rest. So I will stop the worry and put my faith in Christ. I will continue to pray, asking the Lord to grant our leaders wisdom.

I have another quilt added to my list that I want to make. I think quilting keeps my mind on more positive things. I want to pull out some coordinating fabrics and make up some community for our guild to donate. That will be a great opportunity to practice my quilting. I think I'll start now.

Have a blessed day.

A tale of too much heat.

Yesterday it was 110 degrees and I had to stop by Target after church to pick up a few things, like root beer and ice cream and my car wouldn't start. It had to be 250 degrees in my car and just knew I would get home with root beer and a half gallon milk shake. Within five minutes my car started and I made it home before the ice cream melted but I felt sick. I've never had heat stroke but I think that's what I experienced yesterday. All I wanted to do was lay down and drink ice water. Today it's only 105 and since I worked I was blessed with air conditioning and since I park in a covered lot my car wasn't heated up. When I got home I spent some time piecing a quilt I'm making for my brother's 60th birthday in November. It feels good not to be rushed when I'm working on a quilting project.

I've been practicing my free motion quilting too. I can see a lot of improvement. I am looking forward to having some time to focus on that skill. Meanwhile here are some pictures of the quilt I made for a friend's first grand baby. I struggled with how to quilt it and I'm happy with the way it turned out. I wish the pictures showed more detail.

It's a panel with pieced blocks down one side and across the bottom.

This is a picture of the entire quilt. I quilted a butterfly pattern in the triangles at the bottom to mimic the butterfly's in the quilt and flowers and leaves in the squares and panels. Sorry about this picture. I'm not sure if I should blame the camara or my computer.

I have so many quilts I want to do and so little time. When I'm done with my brothers I will finish my Patch Work Party quilt. I could probably finish that in a few days.

It's still warm out so I'm going to cool of in the pool and hit the sack. I'm sure tomorrow holds many surprises and blessings.

Gods peace to you.

Happy Father's Day

It's that day of the year when we honor our Dads and recognize them for all they do. I think we should make everyday Father's day. Being a Dad isn't an easy job but hopefully it will be the most rewarding. My Dad passed away 35 years ago. So much has happened and changed during that time. As I reflect on my Dad and who he was and what he stood for I think he would be very dissapointed at what has happened to our country and our government. My Dad was a man of integeraty and honesty. He was a fair and caring man that respected people for who they were. My Dad was a very hard working individual who believed you should work for what you want. He always told me I would appreciate the things I have because I worked for them and he was right. I don't know what he would think if he was here today and saw our welfare system and what it's done to our state. I say state because California has welfare programs that are so lukerative people move here from other states. 35 years ago we didn't need police in the schools. Okay, enough of the negative. My husband never got to meet my Dad and my Dad wasn't able to see his beautiful granddaughter grow up with children of her own. So if your blessed and have your Dad around enjoy this time and be thankful for the opportunity.

Today was a special Sunday for me because my nephew's girl friend came to church with me. I've been sharing my faith with her and praying for this for two years. She brought Baby Joey and he played in the nursery. He had a good time and was a very good little boy. She said she enjoyed it and wanted to go next week too. Praise God!

So I finished the baby quilt and I'll post a picture at the end of the week. I'm designing a special quilt label. I'm pleased with the improvement in my quilting. I used my Mom's Pfaff because I couldn't get the bobbin tension right on my Viking. My next project is to finish my brothers 60th birthday quilt.

God's peace be with you until next time.

TGIF I THINK

I don’t know about you but for me, one little thing can go wrong in the morning and turn my entire day upside down. Today was one of those days.
I got up early this morning so I would have time to stop and gas up my car. I’m on the road at 6:30 and the traffic is light, which is a good thing because the developmentally delayed seem to populate the roads at that time in the morning. These people creep along 10 – 15 miles under the speed limit, and wait until they are actually making the turn to use their turn signals. My favorite are the ones that wait until you are almost at the intersection and then they pull out right in front of you and creep along. You check your rear view mirror thinking there must be a line of cars behind you and this is their only window of opportunity, but no, there are no cars behind you, so I figure they must be visually impaired. Tonya, you know what I'm talking about.

I’m following a school bus and I’m staying a safe distance behind. As we approach the intersection the bus enters and the light turns yellow so I stop. Before the bus is out of the intersection the light is red. Almost immediately the light is green again and I take off and while I’m still in the intersection the light turns yellow and then red. My first thought is okay Lord, is this a test? So on to the next intersection. This one is a photo enforced intersections where your picture is taken if you run the red light. Okay, so I’m behind the bus again, the light turns green, we go, and then the light turns yellow then red and I’m still in the dang intersection. This is at West Lane and Hammer, which is a huge intersection, like five or six lanes. I can’t punch it because the bus is in front of me and I don’t want a ticket. What’s up with this? Is this a scam the city has devised to increase revenue’s to balance their budget? The irony here is that I’m very aware of these intersection with the cameras and I always approach with caution. So, while I’m filling up my gas tank, I’m steaming, getting angry and upset trying to figure how I’m going to handle this, it just isn’t fair. As I’m driving to work I hit a couple of the numerous potholes in the road, not good for the car. Stockton has the worst roads. Maybe the city wants additional income from traffic fines to fix the roads.

By the time I get to work I’m really upset. I sit at my desk and in front of me is a tile with Psalm 18:2 on it. The Lord is my strength, in whom I will trust. So I ask him how I should handle this, I can’t just ignore it. I call Stockton’s traffic signal maintenance division and to my surprise a lady answers the phone. I thought I would get a recording because it’s not even 7:30. I explained my situation and she said she would transfer me to the electrical shop. Ed answered the phone and I told him my story. I’m not sure why but he was laughing. He explained that the lights are on timers which operate according to the traffic usage. I explained to him that that should not be the case on the intersections that are photo enforced and the time between yellow and red should be enough time for a car to get through the intersection. He is still chuckling and I asked him if these calls are recorded. He said no and asked if I was going to curse him out, then I started laughing. No, I explained, that wasn’t my style I just didn’t want to receive a ticket for something that was out of my control. He laughed again and said he would call the traffic engineers. So it’s a wait and see. Now I ask you, who should have to start their day like that?
The day continued with computer problems and more regulations from the state that make my work very unpleasant. So it’s Friday and tomorrow is Saturday I don’t have to drive in traffic. After church on Sunday I can work on my quilting project and play with my dogs. Thank God it’s Friday.
Have a blessed weekend.

Marvelous Monday

Of course it’s marvelous, it’s my day off. I had a great weekend. My sister-in-law arrived from Oregon Thursday night. We have Chinese food for dinner and sat around talking until way after my bedtime.

Friday after breakfast I took her to our local quilt store to check it out and meet the ladies who work there. They are the greatest. Debbie, the owner, was there and she and Mary hit it off. They were wheeling and dealing and I was catching up with the ladies and checking out all the eye candy. I love fabric and Debbie has plenty. I think we were there over three hours. Then it was home, dinner, and more chatting. I gave her a trunk show of all the quilt tops I’ve made and need to quilt.

Saturday we headed back to Quilter’s Quarters and Mary and Debbie did more wheeling and dealing. When we left there it was off to Gottschalks for their liquidation sale. The store is closing up and I sure hate to see it go. We don’t have many good stores in town and I was usually able to find cloths that were suitable for work there. Mary picked up a metal display rack that will be perfect for hanging quilt patterns and stacking fat quarters at her quilt shop. Then it was home to get ready for the big wedding in Modesto. It was our great-nephew’s wedding and we had a great time. The evening was fabulous and from my point of view it was the perfect wedding.

Sunday I went to church, everybody else was off doing their thing. It was a slow paced day that ended in a barbeque and a movie. Mary left this morning and it was back to reality. I accomplished a lot today. The laundry is done and I vacuumed. I spent time outside trimming my rose bushes and the hedges in the front of the house. The weather was wonderful and I sat on the side of the pool with my feet in the water thinking about how great it will be when I’m retired and I’ll have more time to enjoy all the blessing I have.

I have a quilt I need to get finished so until next time have a blessed life.

What's been going on.

Show and Tell at the Quilt Guild Thursday night was great. These ladies are modeling jackets they made at last months workshop.

These are sweatshirts embellished with prairie points.

Memorial Day weekend was fabulous. Family came over Sunday and we barbequed, swam, and sat around talking and relaxing. It was a beautiful day. Baby Joey had the best time in the water with his Dad. The handsome guy in the picture is my #1 grandson with his dog Jelly. What's better than Fun, Food, and Family?

The month of May is coming to an end and it’s time to set goals for June. I finally received the final Block Party block kit from Calico Cat. I will get the quilt pieced this month and then I’m going to find somebody to quilt it. I want the quilting to be special like the fabrics and blocks. I’m also finishing up a special baby quilt for a friend. I’ll post a picture when it’s done, which should be in two weeks.

I’ve been quilting on my Sisters Twister quilt. I had about ¼ of it quilted and realized the thread tension was off and I had to rip it out and start over. I will finish that quilt in June too.
My BFF (sister-in-law from Oregon) will be here on the 4th to attend a family wedding. I’m taking the 5th off so we can play with fabric and plan my future in Oregon. She is co-owner of Sonja's Sewing Basket in Sutherlin Oregon. The plan is to join the partnership.

Wishing you God's peace. Have a wonderful weekend.

Blessed Event

Congratulations go to my friend and co-worker Renee as she welcomes the arrival of her first grandchild, Ella Shea. As special as every child is, there is something almost magical about your first grandchild. As many of us spent a great deal of time today hovering over Renee's desk waiting for that special call, many of us were remembering the arrival of our first grandchild. Ella Shea weighed in at 9lbs 12 oz. She is an amazing gift of God. Welcome Baby Ella.

Congratulations to Mom, Dad and all the other family members too.

Marvelous Monday

It was a marvelous Monday because I had the day off. It was a bit windy but in the 80’s and I sat with my feet in the pool and started reading a book that I’ve want to read for the past year. The birds were singing and I could hear a cricket off in the distance. There is a gardenia bush in the corner of the yard and the fragrance was captivating. It brought back memories of a trip my husband and I took to Maui and a State park we walked through that had fragranced flowers everywhere. There were pools of water filled by water falls. Back to reality, the book I mentioned is, Philip Yancey’s Finding God in Unexpected Places. I also found time to piece some quilt blocks. This was truly a blessed day in so many ways.

So here is the update on what’s been going on. I finished my cake decorating class. Here is a picture of the cake I did. There are more techniques I want to learn but I think I will wait a month before starting up again.

The wedding shower was fabulous. The lunch was good and the Kate got a lot of nice gifts. I had a great time and I really like Kate. My niece and her daughter did a wonderful job putting the shower together and it was held in a spectacular old private home. I think somebody said it was built in the early 1800’s. Here is two views of the front entrance.

It had rained during the day and everything was clean and fresh looking. I love the rain so it really made everything special. I'm not sure everybody felt the same.

This is a picture of the grooms grandmothers, the bride to be, her mother and the grooms mother.

I’m still waiting on a block for my Patch Work Party quilt but I started a baby quilt for a friend. I picked up some great quilt fabric at Quilter’s Quarters at 50% off and did some catching up. I haven’t been in the store for a few months due to my pledge to use up some of my stash before buying more fabric. Oh like that's going to happen. With our 9% sales tax I can't afford to buy a lot of fabric to store. I consider this purchase a very small relapse since the fabric was half price. The staff at the quilt store are great and I miss not seeing them regularly.

Mother’s day started at church where an omelet brunch was served after the service. How special was that? I got a great card from Brit, Brook, and Bree and a beautiful wind chime to hang in my kitchen window. Tami picked up some Christian music for me and we barbequed, which meant less mess in the kitchen. I hope you all had a wonderful Mother’s day too.

Until next time, wishing you God’s blessings.