ARGHHHHH!!!

Just had to get that out of my system.  It is my scream of frustration.  I have those 4 quilts to finish in two weeks. I'm trying my best, but karma is out to get me.  A few years ago, I bought an entire thread collection from a very well respected quilting catalog. I've made many purchases from them, and always been satisfied.  However, this thread was the pits!  It unwraps, tangles, and breaks.  A few fellow quilters advised me to contact the company, which I did.  They were so apologetic, and sent me a new batch to replace the old thread, saying they had several complaints and had remedied the situation.  They may think so, but I can't say that they have.  This new batch of thread is not much better than the first.  And although I worked nearly two hours this morning, I quilted only 1 block.  Not much progress.  Finally, after a few choice words like $%&**, and @($))@!, I gave up and turned off the machine.  I will start fresh tomorrow morning.  But before then, I'm going to clean the bobbin raceway, and replace the needle in the machine with a universal needle.  The hole in the needle on the machine is so tiny that the built-in threader won't go through it.  So, maybe that's the problem.  But, (to paraphrase Scarlett O'Hara), as God is my witness, I'll never be beaten again.  If I get the quilts finished by the end of the weekend, you'll see photos next week.  If not . . . we'll let's not even think about that.

On a lighter note, I'm writing this on my old-new laptop.  We ordered the new screen for the one that met with the tires of the car, the one I loved, and it arrived yesterday.  Daughter Mary, who seems to not be very mechanically inclined, but has put together several different electrical components at her old job, came over and had the new screen installed in about an hour. And so now I'm cheesin'  :-), Rod has a faster, newer laptop, and we're eliminating the old desktop computer from our computer lineup.  I just can't thank Mary for all she's done.  She found the new screen for only $99; googled how to replace it, and made her Mommy very happy.  Hope your weekend is a good one.

Almost Time to Play

I have six quilts to finish in the next two weeks.  Four for the Saddle Up, and two for Project Linus.  I am progressing quite well, and think I just may finish on time.  The quilts tops for the Saddle Up are all finished, those 4 quilts are all pinned on the fleece and ready for quilting.  One of the quilts has been quilted and is ready for the binding.  A second one (which is made of panels) is halfway quilted.  The sashing has been quilted with swirls to resemble lassos, and soon I will start on a stipple quilt inside the panels.  I have another panel quilt with I will probably quilt in the same way.  And last, is the applique horse quilt which will probably be quilted in a similar fashion.  I don't usually do bindings by machine (I much prefer to hand sew them); but in this instance, machine sewing is almost necessary.  And then there are the two quilts for Project Linus.  These are part of the Disney project for volunteerism. I have decided to do quilts using Kaye Woods "Six Hour Quilt" pattern.  With this you cut 6" strips and sew them together in a Log Cabin fashion.  I have boxes of fleece scraps, which I will cut to use for the backings, and hopefully can do both in a weekend.  The Saddle Up is the first Saturday in May, and after that I can take a very deep breath.  And then . . . .

IT'S TIME TO PLAY.  I am so anxious to start playing with my AccuQuilt GO cutter.  I'm thinking that I will use the different dies to make blocks and see how they go together.  Then I can make these blocks into hot pads.  One can never have too many hot pads, can one?

Since we've planned a Disney trip for September, I want to make some more blocks for the Disney quilt (which I've done nothing with).  We're going for the Halloween Party, and there will be some new characters, and some of the villians who might be available for autographs.  We're going to be staying at Pop Century which is a value resort.  Last trip we spent a lot of money to stay at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, and didn't spend much time there.  So we've decided to spend less on accommodations.  The theme is so impressive.  There are huge Potatoe Head characters, a greatly oversized big wheel, super large Rubik cubes and more.  I'm so looking forward to this experience.

But for now, it's working to get these quilts done.  Bye.

A New Week

Spring is finally here, and not soon enough for me.  However, I could do without the 80 degree temps right now.

It has been brought to my attention that I never reported on the Lancaster quilt show.  It was a nice large place in downtown Lancaster.  However, there was little parking close by, and you were expected to park at a local hotel and take a shuttle bus.  Not possible for me with my little blue scooter.  I did tell someone when we got there that there was no access for my scooter on their buses and they said they would try to do better next year.

And this was my major purchase this year.  I did it -- I bought the AccuQuilt GO.  For those who don't recognize it, it is a die-cutting machine for fabric.  And it's manually powered.  I got a really good deal, as they promised, and walked away with the machine and quite a number of dies for $500.00  Haven't used it yet, I have too many projects that need to be completed in the next month.  And then I will play.  One of the dies I purchased was for 2-1/2" strips.  It will be so nice for bindings, and for strip quilts.

And speaking of strip quilts (nice transition, huh?), I got to meet Eleanor Burns.  I have watched her on TV for several years, and was so happy when Linda from the AccuQuilt booth offered to take me over and introduce me.  Eleanor was so nice and friendly, and I bought her new book and got an autograph.  I was so in awe, however, that I didn't think to get a picture with her.  

But since the GO had used up my quilt show budget, there weren't many other purchases. I got some thread from Superior Thread and a bundle of hand-dyed FQ's from Cherrywood Fabrics that resemble suede.

But the worst part of the weekend, was Friday morning.  Rod set my laptop down on the ground while he put my cart into the trunk and then backed over it.  The laptop still works, but the screen cracked.  He was so upset that Saturday morning he went and bought me a new one.  We're getting a new screen for the other one, and Rod will take this new one (I liked the first one better).  So, that's the report.  And my marriage is still strong.  He looked so devastated that I couldn't yell, scream or jump up and down.  I just told him I didn't want to talk about the laptop because it wasn't going to ruin the weekend that we had looked forward to for so long.  And that's the truth!!  Have a good day.

Happy Belated Easter

The weekend was so busy that I didn't take the time to update my blog.  So, a happy belated Easter to all.  Hope it was a great day for you.

Our weekend  began on Friday.  Rod's company (God Bless them) still recognizes Good Friday as a holiday, so Rod didn't work.  Our favorite thing to do on Good Friday is to dye eggs with the grandkids.  Until they were old enough to help, we made pierogis on Friday.  But now that the kids can help, we do our eggs.  Here you see Izzy and Kris with their egg cups.  Kris is a pro at this now, and even did two-color eggs this year.

Here Bubby is trying to drop his egg Gently into the dye cup.  He didn't do so well at first, but by the time we were done, he was doing pretty well.  We ended up with some beautiful eggs, and had a good time doing it,

We ordered cheesesticks from Papa John's for lunch, which made everyone pretty happy - especially Pappy, since he had never had them.  After that it was referee-ing arguments over what movie to watch, who could play with whose toys, and the like.  It was after 7:00 when everyone left, and Grammy was pretty exhausted.  So, Pappy ran to Wendy's for fish sandwiches.  They were pretty good, and then we started planning for the Easter egg hunt, which was scheduled for 4 on Saturday.

We really enjoy the egg hunt.  We have Rod's sister's family and our family -- 11 kids total.  We bought plastic sand buckets for the kids to use for collecting, and set it up as a scavenger hunt where the kids had to find eggs with certain colors of stickers on them.  That way the little ones get the same number of eggs as the older ones.  We had chicken and cupcakes from Walmart for dinner, macaroni and cheese, macaroni salad, hot dogs, and picnic beans.  We had a really nice day and hadn't spent much time with Kathy and family since fall, so it was a good day to visit .  It was after 8 o'clock by the time everyone left.

Then Sunday we had brunch with our family.  The grandkids got to look through their baskets from everyone, my mom came and had brunch with us, and all were gone by 2:00.  Pappy and I came in and took a power nap.  About 5 the twins came back, and we had ham and leftovers from the egg hunt and the brunch.  It was such a busy weekend, but today I had a hard time getting started.  Today should be an easy day, and I'm hoping to do some sewing.  Have a great week.

Today's The Day

This afternoon Rod and I will be leaving for Lancaster.  I was scheduled to take a class there, but I have decided not to take it.  We haven't been away since December and with all the hours that Rod has been gone with being on overtime, I just want to relax and enjoy his company.  Since our hotel is a distance from the show, it would mean getting up very early and rushing through breakfast in order to make the show on time for the class.  So, I'm passing on the class.  Izzy hasn't been feeling well this week, and I've spent a lot of hours with her in my arms.  When she is tired or not feeling well, she just wants to "rock-a-bye" as she calls it, and that means Grammy holds her (sometimes for hours).  It's a tough job, to be sure, but sometimes my arms cry for mercy.  And I think I'm looking forward to the trip more than ever now that I've decided to "skip" class.

My list for the show is almost non-existent -- I can't think of too many things that I really need.  However, I think I'm going to look at the AccuQuilt Go.  It's a die cutting system for fabric.  If it's in my price range (and they're promising some good deals at the show), it just may jump into my shopping bag.  I use a lot of 2-1/2" strips, and they have a die for cutting them.  My rotary cutting skills are lacking since I have to sit down to cut, and it's not something I enjoy.  So, this cutting system would be a welcome addition to my quilting necessities.  But we'll have to see how good their deals are.

And so, most of the packing is done, the scooter is in the car, and Rod is home from work.  Mary had a Royal Ball with Bubby this morning, and since she's my backup babysitter today and tomorrow, we will leave when she gets home from the ball and her lunch with the other mom's who were helping out with the ball.  It's a big day for the kindergarten class.  They all dress up and go to the Ball at a local restaurant called "Shakespeare's".

Here's a shot of Bubby all  dressed and ready to go.  Doesn't he look like a little man?  When Mary put his tie on, he got so excited because he had a tie like Pappy.

The restaurant is part of Old Stonewall golf course located in our township.  It's really impressive.   The castle is a massive place with a square footage of some 30,000 square feet.  It's stunning, and the landscaping is just beautiful.  It's always a special day for the kids in kindergarten.  The inside is every bit as impressive as the outside.  As you enter through the huge wooden door, you truly feel like you have entered the castle of some great king.

There are suits of armor, swords, coat of arms and other medieval articles to make you feel like you have stepped back in time.  We ate Mother's Day brunch there one year, and although the food was pretty good, I don't know if I'd go back again.  It was definitely pretty pricey.

And so, here's hoping that Sir James of the Bubba has a great time at his Royal Ball.

Getting Ready to Go

The Lancaster quilt show is this weekend, and I'm  scheduled to take a class from Donna Poster.  I've seen Donna several times on Simply Quilts (Alex Anderson's former show) and have always been fascinated by her way of doing things.  The class I've signed up for is called "My Batiks".  The class description says:

  It’s easy to rotary cut and match perfect points – without pinning! We’ll have fun playing with many versions of this technique that can be used in future quilts. From two-color to scraps, it’s always a beautiful quilt!


Making perfect points is not one of my greatest skills, and the thought of doing it without pinning --  well, that just tickles my fancy.  I had decided to use some batik FQ's that I have for the centers, but then DD Mary asked whether it was something I could use for the Saddle Up raffle and the wheels started spinning.  I most certainly have 10 fabrics that I could use in this quilt, and after looking at the fabric requirements for the lap sized quilt, decided to use them.  And I could learn while starting a quilt for the Saddle Up.  You know, sort of killing two birds with one stone, as they say. The sewing machines are provided for this class, and that's something new for me.  Always before I've had to take my own machine,  but for this class we just have to take universal needles and basic sewing supplies. And so now I'm off to the sewing room to start my fabric fondling  searching for the perfect fabrics for this class.  

Happy Birthday, Nancy

Today would have been my sister's 56th birthday.  I say "would have been" because she passed away in 1991 following surgery.  You should have known my little sister.  She was a real party in a person.  She was in intensive care when she passed away.  She had worked for several years at Magee Women's Hospital in Pittsburgh as a labor and delivery nurse.  Her surgery had been at Magee Women's and she was surrounded by doctors and nurses as they were preparing to move her to a regular room.  Surgery was a success and soon she would be going home.  She was sitting up in bed telling a dirty joke (as Nancy was known to do).  And suddenly she was gone.  A pulmonary embolism had struck, and although they tried for many minutes to revive her, Nancy was gone.  When the intensive care dr. called to inform me of Nancy's passing, he said that she had suffered a massive coronary, I (unwilling to believe that she wouldn't have survived) asked how she was.  Finally he had to just blurt out that my sister was gone.  I'll never forget the wailing of my mom when I informed her.  And how difficult it was to tell my father who had been in the hospital for what seemed like forever.  You can see her here posing in a goofy hat, and can see what a character she was.

This is a photo of me and my little sister in the late 50's in our front yard.  That's the Ohio River in the background.  My mom used bobby pins to make my hair that curly, but Nancy's was all natural.  See, I was skinny once!  She was such a cutie.  When I was in first grade, we lived close enough to Vanport Elementary that we walked home for lunch.  One day my teacher was looking out the window and called me over.  Was that my little sister on the corner, she wanted to know.  And yes, it was.  In her short shorts and flip flops, Nancy had walked to school to meet me.  One of the neighbors worked at the post office with my dad and was off that day.  He called my mom to tell her that Nancy was at school.  Mom was so angry, and after that, Nancy was tied to the glider.  We didn't think of it as child abuse then, but it sure would be now.

Nancy was my best friend, although we did have our confrontations.  She was also my maid of honor.  Nancy never married,  she had a hysterectomy at a very young age, and after that felt that she had nothing to offer a man.  One of the biggest sadnesses of my life is that Nancy never knew what it was to be unconditionally loved by a man.  She eventually started working as a travelling nurse, specializing in labor and delivery.  My dad used to tell people that Nancy delivers babies, and Linda raises babies.  Nancy loved travelling, and worked in California, Tennessee, Virginia, and Maryland after she started travelling.  But wherever she was, we talked on the phone every day -- sometimes for hours.  I missed her so much when she wasn't around. 

One of the things that Nancy was most proud of in her life is that she had been to both Disneyland in California, and to Walt Disney World in Florida.  And here she is with her "good buddy" Mickey Mouse.  Like so many others who visit Disney, Nancy was hooked -- she was a Disney Fanatic.  You can't believe how many Disney items we found in her belongings after she passed.

And so, my dear, sweet, loving, little sister, I salute you.  There's so much in my life that I wish I could have shared with you, and by the way, you would love my grandkids.  I don't think I will ever stop missing you.