March Quilting~Batiks

So March is coming swiftly to a close, and I realized that I had not posted anything about our March quilting day, which was on March 5th. I guess there’s not a lot to report, but I like to make blog posts for my own sake, as a record of our day.

We had a couple birthdays to celebrate. Christie and Patty.  Christie brought a couple trays of fresh veggies and fruits with dips (YUM!!!) and then a HUGE cookie with jelly beans on top. Again, no pictures. I think someone needs to fire the photographer!!!

Most of us just worked on our own things. I sewed together another quilt top for the Park View quilting group, then decided that I liked it too much to let them have it back. WHAT???!!!  I sent a message to the group leader and told her I would work out a deal with her. She sent back a message saying that the girls and she decided they would like me to have it for the help I have given them. They are such nice gals!

I shopped eBay until I found this fabric to use as an outer border, and was still pondering what I would use as an inner border.

Later on, I found some black fabric in my stash with small white flowers printed on it. I think it will play together with what I have just fine. I still haven’t sewn them together or finished the top, but I did lay it out so I could visualize what it would look like.

KT worked on a quilt for a special person she had in mind, and although I didn’t get a photo afterwards, she actually had it quilted and finished up the next day! She reminds me a lot of how I used to be…. (sigh….)

I bought some new Panasonic 360* irons for our group. They are cordless and pointed on both ends. I think the girls liked them.

Last but certainly not least, Patty chose batiks when her name was drawn in February, so here are the beautiful fabrics she received. Yummy!

Thanks for stopping by.

Happy New Hair

Louie’s new job working under the hood of cars hasn’t helped his already unruly hair. It was a big decision, but he finally decided to let go and buzz it.

We went to a ‘fast hair shop’ on Saturday for the initial cut, then we went to Farm and Fleet and purchased a set of clippers and Sally Beauty Supply for a new cape. I will be his new barber. The cost of the clippers was about the same price as a cut (with a tip.) This will definitely be a money saver.

He went from this…

to this. I think he looks younger, and I think it makes his ‘balding’ head look like he actually has more hair. It should always be neat, make it faster to get ready in the morning, and when we are on the motorcycle, no more helmet hair to hide with a ball cap when we stop!

My handsome man. (Yes, I do know I am a bit biased).

Valentine’s Day Heat

My sweetie gave me a new heater core for Valentine’s Day!

We thought he had done this to our previous van, but I did a little search on facebook and found that he did this at the end of November a year ago. Evidently, we didn’t get a good one.

We went down to where he works, and I supervised was there with him as a safety precaution and to keep him company.

I could NOT work in this position. My back and neck would not allow it.

New one on the right, old one on the left.

It took him about 2 and a half hours from start to finish. The heater throws heat now!

I love my Louie!

When we were finished, we took the van to the car wash, even though it had snowed. It was time to remove some of the grim. Hurry spring!

Hope your Valentine’s Day was wonderful as well.

February Quilting~Spring Florals

Saturday was our February Quilting day. We didn’t have a special project. I sewed this quilt top for the Park View Quilters…

…and finished the one I started and didn’t finish last month.

Kate did some crocheting, and Margaret finished up her Buggy Barn Crazies quilt top.

Leslie chose spring florals for her fabric choice.

Patty brought her famous Chocolate lasagna. (I got the leftovers!) Next month we have two birthdays, so she brought hers early. Christie will bring hers in March.

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My friend Renea has been looking for something to use to cut her pieces apart when she chain sews. She had her eye on a certain product, and I was going to see if my handy husband could build one, but then I went to google to look for how to cut chain stitching apart, and I found this.

I went downstairs to see what I had. I knew I had a pendant thread cutter, but obviously, the fat loop wouldn’t fit into a small spool of thread, so I went for the next best thing….a cone of thread.

The top end of the cone was too small, but the bottom end worked perfectly. I think the fact that both pieces are plastic help the cutter stay in place better than if it was metal. I pulled a large piece of thread off the cone and pretended I was cutting pieces apart and it worked perfectly.

What would I do without Google?

After quilting we went to the Quad Cities for groceries, and we stopped at the DAV thrift store. Last week I bought the blue chair, and this week I picked up three more chairs. I hope to find 4 more someday. I want to keep my quilters comfy!

We also stopped to get a baby fix. Elijah will be 11 months old on Wednesday. He changes so much. In this picture, his new trick is to squint when he knows you are taking a picture. Little stinker.

January Quilting~White Tonals~Clutter

Well, here it is, almost time for February quilting, and I haven’t posted about our January quilting day. I was very lazy, I guess, and I never even took one photo.

As always, it was a fun, delightful day, and I enjoyed visiting with all of my quilting girls. There are always stories to tell, and lots of laughter.

I sewed a Parkview quilt top, and ALMOST got it put together, but not quite. I still haven’t finished it. Maybe I will get that done on Saturday when we meet again.

Renea’s name was drawn and she chose white tonal fabrics, and I DIDN’T EVEN GET A PHOTO OF THE FABRIC! What was wrong with me???? I did, however, go google image searching and I found a photo I could use. I mean, what’s a blog post without a photo?????

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So what else have I been up to? Same same. Working, sleeping after work in my loveseat/recliner, watching tv, and on the weekends, doing a little junkin’ and when I can, visiting my great nephew and his grandma (my sissypoo).

Last weekend, I literally kicked my sweetie out of the house so I could declutter. He left for Minneapolis on Friday night and returned at 8pm Sunday evening. I got a lot done, but not as much as I would have liked. I have a lot more to do. I did deliver a load to our local Goodwill though. I thought I would have another load on Sunday, but when I started working in my office, I ended up doing a lot of paper shredding, and filing, and cleaning out drawers, so I only got one box. I need to jump back into my office closet again. That seems to be where I stuff everything to get it out of sight, and put things I’m not sure I want to keep or not. I’m a long way from finished, but what I do have done, feels good.

I plan on going through every room in my house, and every closet and every dresser and every hiding place, and when I am finished, maybe I will feel unchained. My friend Amy described what I am feeling as paralyzing. I knew how I felt, but she put the words to it. When I feel overwhelmed with clutter, even though I can’t see most of it, I know it is there, and I know it needs to go. When I know things needs to be done, but I don’t have the energy or motivation to do it, it stops me from doing anything else creative, like sewing, or quilting. I keep telling people I think I was the most happy when I lived in a little apartment and didn’t have as much. Stuff clutters my home and my mind, and it really does affect me.

Maybe my new word for 2016 should be DECLUTTER.