We are a scrappy couple

Here is our progress. Jeff has been working jigsaw puzzles and I have been piecing. I know I have whined about being bored with this, but I am pushing forward to get it done. So close and I want to get the border fabric bought and get it in a more finished spot.

Weather is just outside our area right now and I plan on getting a roast out of the freezer to make for supper and staying in. The snow will stop sometime tomorrow so cleaning it off a couple times is probably in order.

I think we are going to make and freeze hash browns today. So many times I buy potatoes and they get mushy before I get them fixed so this time I am going to do a little prep and make it work for future meals. No waste in this house. At least we try not to anyway.

I have used several needles for hand sewing in the many years I have done sewing. I recently have been using needles that were in my pin cushion to  make this EPP quilt blocks. I am so disappointed in a few of them. They bend they dull and they get jagged edges on them. I need to get out my needle case and see if I can find some better needles today. I use to use a needle for ever years ago and they held up. Nothing is made like it use to be or I am pickier, Chris

Weather on the Way

Yippeee! we get weather again. Hopefully no outages this time. I woke up to a migraine and I knew what that meant. More changes in the weather.

Need to go to the store and get a couple things and then I can come home and stay inside for the rest of the time. I have enough salt in case we need it, but I need some staples for the house. TP is getting low and we can't be without that.

Not sure what I will fix for meals. I need lettuce and it has been so high priced lately, but the west coast states that raise it have had bad weather. Almost wish we had a climate controlled hot house to raise veggies all year long. That isn't going to happen so pay the price or go without.

One thing I really need to do is cleanup my computer. All the pictures I post I save to my computer and then as I need to move them to a jump drive or flash drive. I then can save the important ones and delete the so-so ones. I have a couple programs on the computer I don't use and need to eliminate them also.

I still have Windows XP and after seeing the changes with Windows 8 and the results of listen to my sister with all the problems she has I don't know if I want to upgrade or not. I have somewhat mastered the Windows XP and not sure if change  is good for this old lady. If it isn't broke don't change it. Maybe not the right thoughts on it.

I don't own a business to have all the new programs and I don't do much with creating programs because I don't know how. As my stepson says some people shouldn't have computers. I think he was talking about me. LOL I have to ask the 13 year old how to do things sometimes. She knows and can figure it out. Even Dad asks her to help him.

My plans for today are open ended, but I would like to find some machine time, but if it doesn't happen there is always tomorrow Right??? 

3-5 inches is expected in the next 36 hours and it will be wet and heavy because it will be warmer. Everyone take it easy and stay warm. Chris.    

Getting bored

I am getting to the point that this is getting boring. I know it is almost over with and I am trying to stay focused to get them all done. There are 48 pieces per block this does not include the connecting pieces. Lots of cutting and lots of handling with basting and then stitching them together. I know I have more than enough scraps to get the rest of the 7 blocks completed, but do I have the stamina to stay with it???

As you can see the pieces are twists and turns to get them stitched together. Not for the faint at heart to start something like this. Many other things I have done work up faster than this one has. I have been sick or hurt through this whole process and I guess I need to move on but yet get this one done.

I plan on trying to pick up some of the machine piecing that needs to get finished in the next few days as we have bad weather coming in tomorrow. Today need to get to the store and pick up a couple things and then try to keep my wits about me to stay focused on getting something done in the house. Not out falling on the ramp and hitting my head again. I might have learned my lesson on this latest stunt I pulled. LOL Chris

Slow

Here are a few more EPP blocks in the stages of being done. I need to cut more of the solid tan pieces or tea dyed muslin to get them  complete.

I have been really feeling the pain of the fall. Not my head so much as the whiplash I received when I did fall. My neck and shoulder muscles are really strained right now. I have to go lay down for about 45 minutes just to relax during the day. I can only lay in bed at night for about 2 hours and then I have to sit up awhile.

At my age we don't bounce. LOL I just fell flat and stayed there. I have been looking on line for inspiration to get back into doing some constructive sewing. I need to get through my WIP, UFO'S and what ever you want to call them. I have a lot to get done and no interest right at the moment to finish.

We got snow last night about 2 inches and it blew some. So my husband who shouldn't be out there cleaning off the drive and sidewalks. I offered and he doesn't want me to fall again.

Stay warm. Chris 

Well I think I might live

Got through the night and it wasn't fun rolling over in bed. Don't lay on that spot on your head. I tried to get up and every muscle and bone in my body screamed don't do this, but I couldn't lay there any longer. So I am up and trying to figure out what I can do today beside sit and relax hopefully.

My neighbor called after the phone and the electricity came back on and she needs to go to the store. She hasn't been out of the house on her own yet since her fall. I think I need some things so we will try to go today. She is going to drive and I am just a backup for her. She hasn't driven for 8 weeks. She can do it so we will get there and back and stay in the rest of the day.

Tomorrow they predict 5-8inches of snow. Good time to stay in and not be out in the crap. Armchair watching will be my plan of attack. Stay warm. Chris

 

19.5 hours without electricity

We lost Electricity last night in a freezing rain and wet snow storm. No heat no water no electricity and no phone for 19 1/5 hours. It was horrible.

I went out to open the garage door for firewood and it was froze shut. The lock opening was all ice. Came back in and went back out with de-icer in hand and a flashlight and half way down the ramp I slipped and fell backwards and split my head open. After struggling to get this old body up and steady enough to walk back up the ramp I did stop to spray the lock. I came back in and said to my husband I think I am bleeding. Sure enough I split the back of my head open, but it is small, but you know how a head wound bleeds.

No water because we live with a well. I am waiting now for the water pipes to unthaw and get filled back up to get a shower. Mind you the windchill today was -15*F. Gusts to 35  miles per hour. Cold day.

We did keep the temp in the living room to about 62 degrees and it was a struggle to do that.

We went out and shoveled snow into pans to flush the toilets after it was melted and a pan full in the fridge to keep it cold. Any port in a storm.

I have a sore head and everything else will hurt tomorrow. I blacked out for a minute and woke up to hurting and feeling cold so I am sure the bed will happen early tonight. 4am this morning was a long time ago. Chris  

Satisfaction

Do we ever achieve it? I have struggled with the quality of sewing I have done as of late. Yet I don't get to the sewing room. I believe I am in a sewing funk.

I have looked through quilting magazines, looked on line for inspiration talked or emailed other quilters and bloggers and it seems like we all have CABIN FEVER. No temp just attitude or brain fog. Choose which ever one you want to descibe you condition.

Today is another gray day. Amy and Wanda can appreciate those days or not appreciate them because they live in my region. We have gray days and then no moisture. Not fair.

I am going to make and can some vegetable soup today and try and get some sewing done. I am just at a final stretch on the EPP piecing. I have 8 more blocks to make then assemble which can take forever just doing that. I really need to get fabric bought for the outside border. I would like to get started on the hand quilting before it gets to warm and I don't want it in my lap.

The two older grandkids graduate from 8th grade this year and I have quilts started and yet they are not finished. Time is slipping away from me. Going out to get the pot of soup on simmering. Wish you could smell the house in a couple hours from now. Chris

Birthday purchase

For my Birthday I received some money and I put it to good use. No fabric! I bought a Foodsaver for sealing my food for the freezer.

I had been buying freezer bags and it was quite pricey for them and then the food didn't last as long as I thought it would before the ice crystals formed. I know they come from air in the bags.

My neighbor has one of these and she uses it all the time to buy larger amounts of meat and veggies to freeze. Now they have more attachments you can get for them with Steamer bags and zipper bags, plus they have Mason Jar seals for dry foods.

We plant fresh vegetables and I want to make sure that they are the freshest they can be when I get them back out of the freezer.

I do not have any interest in Foodsaver other than a consumer.

I figure I can save on meat purchases buy buying when it is on sale and in bulk. Break it down into usable amounts for the two of us and always have good food in the freezer. I plan on making meals ahead for my Mother and freeze them so she can get them out and bake them or heat them up.

Have you got a Foodsaver in your house? Chris

FYI

As many of you know the incandescent bulb is being phased out due to a bill introduced by Michelle Bachmann in Congress. B-U-T they can be a hazardous item to use.

To begin with they are full of Mercury so they have to be disposed of properly. Many recycling companies won't handle them so what do you do with them?
The other thing is my son the Fireman had one in his ceiling light in his bathroom and it was left on and he noticed the light flickering and checked it and it had caught on fire in the socket. They have the potential to catch fire easier because they are glued together and they over heat and cause the glue to loosen and make contact and cause fires. Most of those were sold at the big box stores and made overseas.

You are either on the bandwagon with using them everywhere or you really hate them. Many are hoarding the old fashioned bulbs for use in dimmer switched lights and appliances. Plus if you have outside lighting they do not work well in the cold. The heat can cause the glue to loosen in the summer also.

I don't normally complain about something like this, but they are expensive to buy and such a dangerous item to use. I am writing my congressman to complain and see if they can continue to carry the lights were are use to using. I am stepping down, but be careful. Chris

Finally......

I finally got back in the mood. I have not wanted to sew on the machine for months. Don't know what the issue was, but I decided I have a couple of quilts to get done for gifts in May so I had better get going or I am going to be in trouble.

These have been pieced since before Thanksgiving of last year and I just sat on the project. Needed to find enough fabric for the backs of the place mats and in cleaning ran across the black solid I wanted for the project.

I machine quilted these this morning and then I got the threads all trimmed. Now I have 5 more to do in this group and 12 more to do in a different design. I have a small kitchen table so the smaller size will be used out there and the larger group will be used on the dining room table.

Since I am an eclectic person ands I decorate that way I decided scraps were the answer for this.

Today is cold and crisp out and I need to get into my Mother's. I have been sick and busy with the grand kids and the neighbor let alone everyday stuff. Grocery shopping for a few things is necessary also. Tonight NASCAR starts and I am sure I will be in the sewing room while it is on full blast in the living room.

I did get a TV in my sewing room now. I can watch DVD's on the computer and Network TV on the TV now so I am covered in my type of watching for awhile.

Going to dust out the machine and re oil and then I am going to get going and try and get something done today. Hope you all have a great day. Chris   

Well is today another day?

Today is a mile stone for me in my own way anyway. To many ways? I reached the ripe old age of 61 years old. The milestone is I have outlived several members of my family and it amazes me as each year goes by that I have reached that age.

Where does time go when you are having fun? Well my life hasn't always been fun. Lots of challenges and heartache.

The first love that didn't work out and you knew he was the one. The trails of raising children and the pain of seeing them hurt is such a hard thing to do. We all have our painful times, but hopefully they are out weighed by the good times.

I am married and a busy life. My Grandchildren are healthy and growing and I have a legacy that I am leaving in them. Hard work isn't easy and sometimes life is like a bowl of cherries and then it becomes pie.

I am not sure if I am any smarter than last year, but I know I am going to try and be a better person this coming year. Not be so judgemental and not be so stagnant in my ways.

Happy Valentines Day to you All. Chris

1436 pieces so far....

You read the title right 1436!!!!!! That is 24 blocks and connecting pieces for this size piece. I have 12 more blocks to do and more connecting pieces before the borders are placed on the quilt top.

This is a lesson in stick-to-it-ness...

Lots of hand work and yet it still isn't done. I sat tonight and looked at my hands for a long time. They look like my Grandmother's hands. Wrinkled and thin. They don't swell like many woman's hands do. I guess it is because I keep them busy.

I am getting itchy to start something else, but I am being good to my goals of trying to finish more things than start this year, but it is only into a month and a half of this year so we ill see. HA HA! Chris

Pictures and progress I guess

I mentioned the other day I was making the connecting pieces between the blocks on the EPP project. Here are the 6 small like 3/4 inch squares sewn together in the shape they need to be for the connecting sections.

They are all basted over a 3/4 inch square then stitched together to make the two over four sections.

Here is one for the more colorful blocks I stitched together in the last week or so. These are all scraps and it is making beautiful array of color.

This is my husband's project. He loves to do jigsaw puzzles. They neighbor bought this several years ago and attempted to make it herself twice and she couldn't get it together. She wants to glue it and make it into a picture. So it is 1500 pieces and they are tough to find the colors and the shapes to get this together. It was 8 days and about 70 hours of work but it was done last night. We called and left a message this morning, but haven't heard anything back yet.

Now to the box I received last week. This is from Amy and she sent her scraps to me. I am so please with the colors she has sent also. It was packed and I can't get them in the box now.

This is the bags she had in the box and now that they are out and air is in the bags they will never fit back. I need to get started on using this batch up.

This was a big bag of blue scraps. They range from light to dark and I can't wait to get started. I think I am improving everyday and today it is Dr. appointment for my husband. It is just his annual appointment. Have to go to get the meds.

Gray here today and we need to get some sunlight to feel human again. We have been looking over the seed catalogs and trying to decide how soon we need to get the seeds we have started to have plants for the garden. Hopefully all have a good day. Chris

Be back soon

I got some batteries today so I will be back tomorrow.

Well I am here

I was going to do a picture laden post, but the batteries in my camera decided they were done for. I don't have anymore right now they went for remote controls for the grandkids. So you get a word only post until I get to the store and get a supply. I should get rechargeable ones, but I just don't.

It is rain like crazy and I have to take kids back to meet their Mother by noon. I am sure glad we didn't get all the snow they did on the east coast. Also they will get this rain we have and it will freeze. I do not wish bad for them. They have all had enough.

I got another row of the EPP done and now doing the connecting pieces so it can all be attached.

I was the grateful recipient of a box of scraps from Amy at www.aquiltingsheep.com. She has been changing her sewing studio and needed to get rid of lots of leftover scraps. She offered them to me and I said yes. I love everything I got and I am sure overtime they will all get incorporated in the quilts I am currently and future quilts I will work on.

Thank you Amy for sharing your leftovers with me.
I will try and get some batteries today and get some pictures added next time. Chris 

Wish it looked like this

I know this is wishful thinking and it would be a waste of the time to try and get this season to be over with, but I am tired of being inside and tired of being sick.

I am beginning to think I have allergy issues this time around. The air is dry in the house even though we have a humidifier going non stop. My husband is so thin and he requires more heat to stay warm. And it is causing me discomfort.

We have a trip to the Dr. today for his yearly appointment and then tomorrow the neighbor goes to a Dr.'s appointment. I am the driver both appointments.

I tried dragging out a UFO yesterday and trying to decide how to make it happen. Well it is in the machine quilting stage of being finished a a large amount of it is done. I have to start finishing something or I am going to be overwhelmed with storage issues soon. I felt lousy so I laid it back down.

Today while doing laundry I think it will have to be made a priority to look at it again. I need to do some marking on parts of it to get the design to work. It is a quilt that is about 20 years old as far as the piecing. My Mother pieced it and it has been mailed across the country three times. So time to get finished.

I well I will take some pictures of it ion the next couple days and see what you think about it.

My son had his surgery and he is doing really well with the movement. He is in pain, but the type of surgery has that going on. 2-3 month recovery before he can get back to regular work and that will be a drain.

Have a great Tuesday and stay warm. Chris

Getting sick again

I knew this would happen. I have run for everyone else and now I'm getting sick. It was before the holidays and I was sick for three weeks. Now the sore throat and the fatigue have hit. No temp so I am sure it is a virus.

At first thought it was allergies, but I think it is something else now.

Been sewing some on my handwork, but it doesn't interest me that much the way I feel.
I have been reading machine quilter's blogs for a long time and fascinated as to how they started  and the progress they have made. Some are longarm quilters and others do their work on domestic machines. The quality of their work and the talents all show is fascinating to me.

When I began to sew many moons ago kids my age didn't show an interest in sewing. Mine started out with potholders and doll clothes and onto garments for myself and sister. I would make tops and shorts in the summer time and pj's during the winter. I used a Singer Featherweight to make the clothes I needed for myself.

As I got braver I started with zippers and buttonholes and then in high school I made all my clothing and my sisters. That was the stepping off to start doing hemming and minor alterations. Quilting was done in my household but they were always tied quilts. My Mom would make crazy quilt squares and sew them into quilts for our beds. She used left over garment fabrics to make these squares. They were pieced onto a piece of sheeting. Then assembled and hand tied.

Many younger quilters today start out from craft sewing or learn to piece and sew at the same time. Many haven't ever sewn a seam other than to piece. Many of the over the top quilters are in their late 20's to 30's and do such a fantastic job and are so talented.

Several years ago I talked to a LQS owner and she said quilting was not a thriving business anymore. I thought then what is she doing wrong for it to be so slow for her. Because it hasn't stopped. Look at all the blogs and websites that give instructions and inspirations let alone offer patterns and links to good sites who offer fabric and kits for purchase. I think the quilting industry is just tipping the scale as to the potential for so many to make a living in it's glory.

If you have a dream and you have the know how and the drive to start a business and can dedicate your life to a challenge you should go for it. At  my age the dream is there, but the drive is to get done what I have started. Location isn't an issue anymore with the Internet. You can live in the middle of the woods and having a thriving business. 

Dream big and set goals. Failure doesn't have to be a word in your vocabulary. Chris ps. going for some juice.