Quilting Weekend With Jen

Happy Autumn to all of you!!

Last weekend was GREAT! My new friend Jen came down from Milwaukee and we quilted the whole weekend. She had a class on Saturday morning for an hour or so, and then 3+ hours road time, so Louie and I went junkin' in the Quad Cities(Davenport, Bettendorf, Moline, East Moline, Rock Island--ok, actually Quint Cities....it has been called both.....not sure which it is). We found a few good treasures....and I bought a new sewing machine/craft table/cabinet. (Louie and I didn't get this put together until Thursday night, and I thought we were going to be able to cut a hole in the top, add a shelf and lower my machine into it, but I'm not so sure it is going to happen that way, but it is a GREAT piece of furntire. It is really long with the leaf extended....like 4'!!) (This picture is courtesy of the Walmart Website. The cabinet is made by Sauder. Price? I think about $95)

As it ended up, Jen beat us home! Poor gal.....she drives for almost 4 hours, then has to sit on the porch until I get home. What a friend I am!

I helped Jen unload her car, and we loaded her Bargello quilt on my quilting frame. We quilted for an hour or so, then decided we better get out to eat before the 'church crowd' got there. We timed it just right. We ate at 'Obie's', the bar and grill that Louie, my husband (aka Chauffeur to our quilting group) plays pool leagues for. After supper, we came back home and Jen finished up her quilting on the Bargello. It turned out FANTASTIC!!!!

After we cut the Bargello off the frame, took pictures, etc, we tore the quilter down, and hauled it up to the garage to set up for her Turning Twenty Again Quilt, which was considerably bigger. By that time, it was about 12:30am, and we were both tired, so we went to bed.

Sunday morning, we got up and were ready to go at quilting again, but first we went out for breakfast. On the way, we found a purse in the middle of the highway, so we called the number inside the purse, left a message, and turned it into the police department. Gee, I hope she got it back!

Next, we ate breakfast, then came home and started on the TTA quilt. I don't know what happened between downstairs and the garage, but we didn't get off to a good start. After many trials, tribulations, we finally won, and Jen was on her way quilting. While she was doing that, I was sewing the binding down on the front of her Bargello quilt.

The day went rather fast, and before I knew it, her quilt was finished. She then sewed the binding on, and down on her TTA quilt, and I finished up on the binding on her Bargello. Soon, it was after 4:30pm, and Jen still had about 3 1/2 hours on the road home.
After she left, I shut everything off, left everything where it was, and my sweetie Louie and I went for a really nice motorcycle ride. The leaves were very pretty to look at, the temperature was just perfect, and there was no wind, so just perfect riding weather. We pulled back into the garage just as the sun was beginning to go down and the temperature was beginning to drop.

Jen called me and left a message that she was almost home around 8pm, so she made really good time. Thanks Jen, for the wonderful weekend!

My 50th Birthday Was The BEST Ever!

I know I am about a week behind on my blogging, but I have been tired. I apologize. For today's blog, I am going to talk about my 50th birthday, which just the best ever, and our quilting trip to Milwaukee!


My first present was my husband taking on the job of being our personal chauffeur again, and driving the big blue van full of my 'Loose Tension' quilting friends to Milwaukee. First off, when we got there, we picked up Jen and Cindy, who were cheerfully waiting in the parking lot of Cindy's apartment to welcome us in. First thing on the agenda was using Cindy's potty, which she cheerfully let me use! I met Murphy rather quickly, and he didn't eat me! I even stepped on his toes. Now, I have to tell you, I am a girl who is kind of scared of big dogs. I have had a few bad experiences, and doberman's scare me, but Murphy was a sweetheart! I apologized to him for stepping on his toes, and he graciously forgave me. Holly, Jen's baby was also there, and she
greeted me as well. The first time I met Holly, I sat on the floor at Jen's and she sat on my lap! Now that's a welcome!


My favorite chauffeur!

The first stop our chauffeur took us all, was Hawg City, a cute little restaurant all spiffed up in motorcycle, Harley Davidson, and guy things. It was very nice, the owners were very hospitable, and the food was good.

From there, we went over to Bits & Pieces, a quilt shop that Jen and Cindy frequent. It was nice, and I also went through another shop on the property which has lots of folk art things, some yarns, and homespun fabrics, and antiques. Lots of little things that you wouldn't normally find in just any shop. I bought a toilet paper holder for the 'Men's Room' downstairs.



From there, we went to Julie's 'Patched Works' quilt shop. Boy, was I a naughty girl in there.
I bought 6 yards of fabric. Three of each one. Then I bought all the fabric to make a winter
quilt that Julie had displayed. I don't have the pattern yet. She is going to send it to me. I'll post picture of my fabric purchases on another blog....................I promise!



After that, we took Jen and Cindy back home, and headed back towards Iowa.


Here is a picture of all of us in front of the Patched Works. Julie is the one standing in front of the cute chauffeur! Mrs. D is standing beside Julie.


Left to right....not going by rows....
Barb, Christie, Renea, Margaret, Kate, Jeanne, Jen, Patty, Cindy, Leslie, Michelle, Mrs. D,
Louie and Julie.



So here are all the gifts I received for my birthday.
Barb gave me a gift card from Joann's and a card.
Renea gave me a 'Fat Quarter Quilts' book, wrapped in a fat quarter, and a card.

Kate gave me a card, and a wooden quilt block pin, which Mrs. D tried to rip off of me when I hugged her goodbye that night!--didn't know she was practicing pickpocketing!
Margaret gave me a card, and a Cucumber Melon Lotion Pat...It smells so good!
Christie gave me a card and a fall wallet/purse and some money to spend.
Patty gave me a card, and a Moda Autumn Journey Charm pack.Jen gave me a Thimbleberries Bella Rosa Charm pack. Cindy made me these adorable coasters with cute sewing notions on them.Jen made me a cute Runaround bag in my favorite colors, a spool of bottom line thread in green, one in maroon too, but I didn't get a picture of that, and a Quilt Pink magazine. Cindy gave me a Thimbleberries Autumn Tradtions Charm Pack.
Then there was the gift from Mrs. D. Her real name is Margaret Doermann. She goes by Meg, but I just HAVE to call her Mrs. D, because when I was in Jr. High, she was my home ec teacher. It's just a respect thing. It doesn't seem right to call her anything else. I do call her, 'hey you', or honey, or sweetie, or 'hey' listen!' I love her so much. In the past three years we have reconnected, she has become not only my friend, but my adopted mom. That makes Barb my adopted sister. Mrs. D gave me this very special necklace. I about fell over when she gave it to me. It is Ruby. The center is Ruby, and there are smaller rubies all around it. I will cherish it forever.So that describes the best birthday ever, with my friends. I feel so blessed to have such wonderful friends. Thank you to each and every one of you for making me feel special!

Getting To Know Each Other!

Here are the Fours.....

Job's I've Had:
(From Present to Past)
1. Dynamic Tube, Inc...general laborer
2. Sabula Speaker...general laborer
3. Swift & Company--my first REAL job
4. House Cleaner for a few months
5. Babysitting from age 6 to 15

Movies I (do) Could Watch Over & Over
1. Somewhere In Time
2. Sleeping With The Enemy
3. Pretty Woman
4. The Hand That Rocks The Cradle

TV Shows I Watch:
1. Two and a Half Men
2. House
3. Trading Spaces--Flip This House, etc.
4. Almost anything on HGTV

Places I've Lived:
1. Oxford Mills, Iowa
2. Oxford Junction, Iowa
3. Maquoketa, Iowa
4. Clinton, Iowa
5. Back to Maquoketa, Iowa

Favorite Foods:
1. Omelets
2. Donuts
3. Peanut Butter---Chocolate
4. Ice Cream---Can you tell how I got my FULL girly figure?

Favorite Colors:
1. Maroon
2. Hunter Green
3. Purples--lavenders
4. PINK

Places I'd Love to Be Now:
1. Spending time with Friends!
2. Spending time with Louie
3. KRUZN2 down the highway on our Goldwing
4. Quiet time for reading or sewing

Quilting A Fall Table Runner

I haven't been real creative lately, as you all know. I have wanted to, but there has either been a time problem, or I just have had no energy. I made a test block yesterday to see about making a whole quilt, and after cutting a few pieces the wrong size, the block didn't end up as I wanted. I had to cut the size of the finished sub-blocks down and so, it just didn't turn out like it should have, so I abandoned that quilt idea, at least for now. I'm more of a quick and easy, get the job done, and move on to the next one, kind of girl.

But I have been feeling a little more creative. My sister in law, last year, gave me a really pretty table runner that she made connecting 5 individual blocks. I decided I liked it so much, that I wanted to quilt it somehow. I decided to add a new back to it to make it more versatile, and so I could use it all year long, if I wanted to. I cut a piece of fabric big enough to cover the back, sewed the runner to the fabric, turned it inside out, pushed out the points, basted it down, then sewed a seam much closer to the edge, tore out the basting stitches, and pinned it to the quilter. It turned out pretty good, really. The quilter sounded real thumpy, since I didn't have any batting in it, and I basically quilted three layers of fabric, but I think it turned out pretty good. I actually found myself talking to myself, I was so excited. Now, I usually DON'T talk to myself, so maybe it's a 'after 50' thing, huh? Oh well.......So here it is. I used a varigated cream to green thread, and used the same thread on the back. I have been using the Bottom Line threads on the bottom for quilting, but since I don't have any varigated Bottom Line, I decided to use the same on the bottom. Now, I kind of wish I would have used maroon Bottom Line, so that it looked quilted, but you couldn't see the stitches as well. Because there is no batting, I don't think the stitches look as nice and smooth as they should. Oh well....Live and Learn!!!!

Yes, Jen, and everyone who knows me well, I DO, usually have to have maroon in everything!

So now, I'm thinking about going back downstairs, and putting a backing on my test block from yesterday, and quilting it. It measures over 16" square, so that should be a nice 'doilly' placemat, or whatever kind of thing, eh? Well, I guess you'll just have to check back later and see if that is what I did!!!!

Vandals in my Front Yard

Today, I took my birthday off, to celebrate the big 50. What better thing to do for yourself when you hit the half century mark? I went to bed fairly early last night, as I was pretty tired. Of course, I was awake at 12:30am, so I did the usual thing.....checked my email, read my fellow blogger's blogs, started some laundry, worked on my husband's computer, cleaned up the basement area from my last sewing, quilting mess, cleaned up the kitchen, and went back to bed at 4:30am....but I had no worries, since I didn't have to go to work!

Before Louie went to work, he came in, wished me a happy birthday, kissed me on the cheek, and I went back to sleep until 8am....then I just laid there in daze, until about 8:30. Oh, did that feel good!

I got up, and checked my email again (I know....I'm addicted!), then wandered through the house and noticed that I had had vandals during the night! So, this put me into high gear, to get dressed, hair pasted down, (colics) and face painted, so I could go outside and take a picture.
Now, with all those candles, I had to go stand across the street in the neighbor's yard!!!!!
Thank you to all who were involved. I love you.

My gift to me, today, is to do WHATEVER I want, which, I hope, involves sewing, of some
form or another, and just being lazy! My precious gift from my husband is taking all my precious quilting friends on a 'bus' (van) trip to Milwaukee to Julie's Patched Works quilt shop on Saturday, and Bits & Pieces quilt shop! I can hardly wait! What better gift, than to spend the day with all your best friends? When we get to Milwaukee, my other best friends, Jen and Cindy will be there waiting for us! Woo hoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My other birthday gift, is that Louie is taking tomorrow afternoon off work, and we will spend that time together, and go pick up the van for our trip to Wisconsin!

I may be 50, physically, but I am still about 16 at heart, and that is what keeps us young.