Every night…

I lay there…every night…watching the spastic shapes from the glitter night light writhe across the ceiling trying so hard to quickly fall asleep for a few blasted hours or minutes before the alarm goes off.  I’ve a warm dog tummy under my hand, a snoring man next to me…why am I not blissfully asleep? OK…picture a canvas…a nice big blank primed stretched canvas, and that’s it. With a matte black wall behind it, no distractions.  No paints near, no marking accoutrements…just a lovely naked white expanse.  Get rid of all those thoughts cluttering the space…UGH…it’s not working…my canvas all of a sudden has stuff on it…I’ll never sleep…look in the corner…those silly hopes and dreams of childhood…well those are in pencil I can erase them…over there all the crap that tatters all lives: disappointment, betrayal, torture, disapproval, self hatred…erasable ink…some of that can go…OY…now cropping up in quick dry acrylic, black of course: tomorrow’s schedule, work, make money, spend money, nothing to show for money, contemplate what could be, what should be, what never will be…great here come the plashes of Technicolor with textured medium mixed in…accomplishments I want to accomplish tomorrow so I feel whole, they are a blob of no shape so if I don’t accomplish them I won’t feel too bad…right…I feel bad already…things I want to just finish so I can start something new without leaving anything unfinished…that unfortunately has shape as I know what’s there…there it is…looking at me with laser eyes…melting through my skull…’Just finish me…I’m not that difficult’…sigh…still not asleep…my canvas is dripping globs of  my life on the floor…do I sweep it up or just put another canvas there to catch the run off to be contemplated at a later date?  F*ck it…I’ll pick up a hand full of glitter from that damn nightlight and throw a fist full at the wet paint…HA how’s that for tactile giggle ee tude.  Warm dog rolls over seemingly disturbed by the goings on in my head…perhaps I was thinking too loud?!? Shhhh…don’t wake any one up!  Don’t look at the clock…Don’t look at the clock…DON’T LOOK AT THE CLOCK! ………..5:14am…thus the plaintive screaming of the alarm sounds the new day…quick to shut it off…no sense everyone waking up…hmmm…why not? Paste on that smile…time to go again…

recover sewing of SOCKS

Baby Safe Pink Argyle Monkey…

surprising sewn during a kinda viewing of Rob Roy…wow…kinda intense movie…Made of fun socks from Target…machine and hand sewn, with hand embroidered facial features and swirly heart 7-8 inches sitting…completed 1-16-12…will eventually be for sale on Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/YaneZweeLovies 

 

Baby Safe Peace Monkey…

for the hippy parents/grandparents…well anyone of a mind J more fun Target socks… machine and hand sewn, with hand embroidered facial features and swirly heart 7-8 inches sitting…completed 1-21-12…will eventually be for sale on Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/YaneZweeLovies  4^th season of the X-files was droning in the background

 

Red & Black baby safe sock monkey…

kinda Emo…a little Punk…splash of Goth perhaps? Target socks once again…can you ever have too many Target socks? machine and hand sewn, with hand embroidered facial features and swirly heart 7-8 inches sitting…completed 1-18-12…will eventually be for sale on Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/YaneZweeLovies  4^th season of the X-files was being all alien in the background

 

El-If-A-Grunt of LOVE…

eee…too cute! 2 pairs of Target Valentine’s socks and the tips of hot pink stretchy glove finger tips…the glove wasn’t being actively worn when the amputation took place…lol…totally NOT baby safe in the least!  Wacky mismatched buttons on the legs make them moveable…washer backed eyes on felt heart buttons make seeing a little easier…the ears are made of the cuffs from the leg socks…Machine and hand sewn…rainbow satin cording for tail dangles…completed 1-17-2012 will eventually be for sale on Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/YaneZweeLovies  4^th season of the X-files was weirding me out in the background

 

LIPZ the yoga monkey…

definitely a bit kissy…22 inches tall made of Walmart knee highs…not baby safe with the washer backed eyes and nose with felt heart buttons under them…machine and hand sewn with hand embroidered lips…completed 1-20-12… will eventually be for sale on Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/YaneZweeLovies  4^th season of the X-files was being all strange in the background

 

Minnette the fuzzy mouse…

 

made of some super fuzzy socks from Walmart…7-8 inches tall sitting on her fuzzy tush…only stuffed her hands so her arms are way floppy…washer backed eyes and ball nose make her not baby proof…she’s machine and hand sewn…no embroidery it would get hidden in the fuzz…completed 1-19-12… will eventually be for sale on Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/YaneZweeLovies  4^th season of the X-files was being all spooky in the background

 

Squid Haired Teddy Monk…

planned on being a monkey…strange new birthing technique 4.7 leagues under the sea brought froth the squid haired teddy monk…part teddy bear…prehensile monkey tail…and tentacle hair…definitely not baby proof with the stacked button eyes and button nose…machine and hand sewn with hand embroidered wiggly smile of love…completed 1-19-12… will eventually be for sale on Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/YaneZweeLovies  4^th season of the X-files was being all conspiracy like in the background

 

Jazmin’s Silly Sock Squirrel…

in process and beyond…these fabulously lovely (dripping with sarcasm) socks were located in the ladies…yes ladies…section of Target…well…at least the dirt wouldn’t show when ya went without shoes…made of 2 pair of socks with the toe section of a white sock…washer backed eyes and nose…machine and hand sewn with hand embroidered little squirrel lips…completed 1-21-12

 

WhoZitWhatZit…

really who or what is this?  Striped terry cloth sock from the Duber’s in Waconia said hey…this is what I am, although I have no idea who this is…5 glove fingers make up the sticky outy things under the hat and the tail…the pinky off another glove gives him/her a fabulous tongue fit for a gem…baby sized stretchy mittens for the massive hands…used Czech evil eye beads for the wicked intelligent eyes…itty bitty flower buttons for the nose and ring…machine and hand sewn…with tiring satellite TV droning irritatingly in the background… completed 1-22-12… will eventually be for sale on Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/YaneZweeLovies  OH not at all baby proof…

 

Olivia’s 1^st Cheeto…um yeah she gestured with it and conducted a wee symphony before dropping it in the chair cushion…1-17-2012

 

Shamus showing off the fabulous vintage mustard linoleum in the kitchen…oh yes…it’s original! 1-16-2012

 

Shamus on the vent…as it is finally winter here in Minnesota…he can’t warm his bony tootsies enough! 1-17-2012

this weekend in SOCKS

Valentine’s El-if-a-grunt…WIP…will be a rather short beastie when finally completed…made of 2 pairs of ankle socks and the tips of the finders of a Fusia glove…1-15-12

 

I and E baby safe yoga monkeys ready to go home…Made for a high school friend on FB…thanks Tammy!

1-13-12

 

Jazz Hands Valentine’s sock monster…made of a pair of mid calf ladies socks, the middle finger of an adult stretch glove (yeah the middle one) and a pair of toddler stretch gloves…for sure not baby proof with the scattering of heart buttons…washer backed plastic eyes and puppy nose…felt heart buttons behind the eyes…and some fun yarn for the pig tails…arms are stuffing free for better floppability…an astounding 9 inches tall sitting… 1-15-12 will be for sale on Etsy. http://www.etsy.com/shop/YaneZweeLovies  

 

Shade of ocean baby safe monkey made for a high school friend on FB…thanks Christine! Made from a pair of calf high ladies socks with hand embroidered face and heart. 1-14-12

 

Sinister baby hugging…Jim and Olivia watching Hoarders…1-15-12

 

Shamus pre haircut…having enjoyed licking a spaghetti – o bowl clean…yummalicious! 1-13-12

 

And you were saying?!? Shamus all tidied up and splendiferous…1-14-12

lil sock beasties lil Liv

Pretty sure it’s my camera that won’t get Olivia to smile…she was smiling moments before I took this shock to your left look…sigh…1-5-12

 

Pinky Monk…it’s not true what they say about horizontal stripes…and the camera didn’t add 10 pounds either! Made of a pair of fun ladies socks Pinky Monk is 8 inches sitting…she can lean too…standing however…not her forte…she has washer backed plastic eyes and nose and hand embroidered wiggly lips…I’ve tried making just a smile…doesn’t work for me…wiggly it is! 1-5-2012 She will be on Etsy for sale any moment…

 

Pile of squishy huggables…1-4-12

HELLO sock KITTY

HELLO sock kitty! You’ll note this is totally not the cute fat faced Sanrio creation but a thinned out lovey creation of my own using little girl socks from Target (LOVE Target socks) washer backed plastic eyes and a hand embroidered grin…7 inches tall sitting…1-3-12

once upon a teddy monk

Once upon a time there were a pair of super warm socks that felt like fuzzy washcloths…but they didn’t want to be socks…hidden in shoes…closed in drawers…lost in the washer…they wanted to BE somebody…so they were cut up…it didn’t even hurt…to become a sock monkey…sewing commenced…a fun flower or two were added…but when the mirror was brought out…the socks didn’t see a monkey…they saw a Teddy Bear…well kinda a teddy bear…thus the Teddy Monk was born!

 

Made of 2 fabulously striped socks, washer backed plastic eyes…can you feel the intelligence there…2 doily flowers…and hand embroidered lips and eye brows when you can see them…10 inches tall sitting…1-2-12

Happy New Year’s Socl Beasties

Valentina Zarlakian…chenille toe sock monster of LOOOOVE…she equals 2 toe socks and 1 gripper bottomed sock…made her using (to a point) the book make your own stupid sock monster…she’s warm fuzzy and huggable…not really baby safe even though she does have ‘safe’ eyes…a gem on her tongue…go figure I can’t make a tongue without piercing it…a felt button heart and a wee heart button nose…12-31-11

 

Mr. Maurice the Spider Legged Moose…made with out a pattern…just a video muse:

http://pictureisunrelated.memebase.com/2011/12/28/wtf-photos-videos…

stinkin’ cute…’eh? I’m thinking Maurice is a bit Canadian…’eh…made using 2 pairs of lovely ladies socks from Target and a glove palm for his tongue…hey…I forgot to pierce it…oh well…his antlers are fabulous ladies stretch gloves…he has eight yes 8 fabulous legs that really don’t hold up his massively intelligent head…he sits quite nicely…he even has the little chin dangler! ‘Safe’ eyes, button nostrils and aqua ribbon. Not anatomically correct…lol…welcome to the New Year! 1-1-12

 

The lipless wonders…sold 3 sock monkeys on New Years day on Etsy (YEAH!!!) so now need to replenish my stock…the orange bear monkey is made of fuzzy chenille socks, striped pink money made of over the calf ladies socks and the Hello Sock kitty made of toddler Sanrio socks…hmmm…only one monkey…good thing I have 2 more ready to stuff…just need to give these one’s lips and the kitty a nose and they’re ready to go! 1-2-12

sock beasties & movie viewing

Ape Armed Artist Slouch…made of a Halloween toddler sock…started on the 22^nd completed on the 24^th (of December 2011) buttons, a puff ball nose…fabulous artist beret made of the cuff of another sock finished off with a nifty scarf in case winter ever comes to Minnesota this year…Now live between the tubes on Jim’s amp…about 5 inches tall

 

Frank Anyway the long limbed quasi Steampunk monkey…Completed during a viewing (as it were) of 28 Day Later…although the eyes and nose are ‘safe’ definitely not baby proof…metal gears around the nose one eye and earring…made of a pair of knee highs so he’s quite tallish…very good at yoga! 12-26-11for sale (eventually) http://www.etsy.com/shop/YaneZweeLovies

 

Fusia Squiggle leggy sock monkey…super wiggle squiggly eyelashes, moth and belly button hand embroidered…safe eyes and nose but wouldn’t give this to a face chewing baby or toddler…she’s made of woman’s knee highs so she’s tie on-able and knot-able…made during a kinda-viewing of 28 weeks later…it was zombie day…12-26-11 for sale (eventually) http://www.etsy.com/shop/YaneZweeLovies

 

Palm Sized striped Hamster…made of one lone striped Halloween-ish sock…careful he does have a bit of pink eye in one eye…but since he has no eyelashes you don’t have to worry about any butterfly kisses…limey green curly lips and belly button…sits well on his flat butt…he has ‘safe’ eyes and nose but are they ever really safe?!?  Made during an all day festival of the 3^rd season of the X-files…ah shoulder pads! Idea found in Socks Appeal by Brenna Maloney 12-24-11 for sale (eventually) http://www.etsy.com/shop/YaneZweeLovies

 

Fabulous Pink Zarlak…sorry not for sale…yeah I know…none the less…she’s made of a pair of chenille toe socks, an argyle anklet and a left over slab of pink argyle sock…her teeth ate the tips of to glove fingers…no one’s hand was in the glove at the time of amputation…she have incredibly intelligent eyes…look at them…can you feel the braininess? Wee heart nose…she’s so cute I thought for a second to keep her…she was made during a viewing of Platoon…yeah nothing like gratuitous violence to make a person creative in a cute way…She now lives with Jazmin…made using the book Make Your Own Stupid Sock Creatures by John Murphy 12-26-11

 

Sanrio Sock Cat…at first glance you’ll notice this doesn’t look remotely Sario…it’s the pair of toddler Sario socks I used to give this one a name…Stacked button eyes, nose and belly button make this one totally NOT baby proof…Sewn all be hand makes it not too hearty either…Huggable hand sized goofy gob… Made during an all day festival of the 3^rd season of the X-files…ah big hair… Idea found in Socks Appeal by Brenna Maloney 12-25-11 for sale (eventually) http://www.etsy.com/shop/YaneZweeLovies

 

Rainbow Slouch Bunnia…hand sized sewn all by hand…Stacked button eyes and jingle bell buttons makes this wee beastie not baby proof…made of 2 girls ankle socks with a hand embroidered face, with 2 glove fingers for ears…a bit of a curved spine but if you stand him just right he doesn’t seem to mind… Made during an all day festival of the 3^rd season of the X-files…ah boxy sedans…12-24-11 for sale (eventually) http://www.etsy.com/shop/YaneZweeLovies

 

Sweet Snow Flake Bunny…let us know if it’s ever going to snow in Minnesota!  Made of a pair of adult ankle socks…he has a cute expressive face…a stacked sequin/button nose…not baby proof…’safe’ eyes…hand embroidered wiggly lips with quite a few little whisker dots…stuffed sock toe tail and floppy ears… Made during an all day festival of the 3^rd season of the X-files…ah…over acting and lots of make up! Idea found in Socks Appeal by Brenna Maloney 12-24-11 for sale (eventually) http://www.etsy.com/shop/YaneZweeLovies

Ah the 1st post

Welcome to the ever popular 1st post to a new blog… Yup here it is… in all it blazing glory!

I have a my space http://www.myspace.com/nanayane but I don’t ‘blog’ to it…guess I’m not totally cumfy with my friends and kids really knowing what’s up with their Yane and Mom…

I also have a Deviant Art page http://wiccanwitchiepoo.deviantart.com  …but I use that basically to save my creations so when a computer crashes or my way quality trailer burns to the ground I’ll still be able to see what I’ve accomplished.

So yeah…here’s my 1st blog… yup I am totally excited by is existance as well!

My latest sweetie pie wallypaper

We (Jazmin, Jim & I) hung out with Jim’s daughter Heidi and her man Kin in Minneapolis on the 29th of November, got a TON of fun photos.  This is the 1st time I’ve met Heidi, like my mom would say, she fits right in!

SO I made a lovely desktop wallypaper for my work computer…Heidi, Jim, Me, Jazmin, then a wee me & Jazmin, Oliver and Tabitha…Full meal deal as it were.

Jazmin’s upcoming Surgery

Me & Jaz at the Delano park summer 2008Tomorrow Mom will be picking me and Jazmin up and taking us out to Waconia Ridgeview for Jazmins exploratory surgery to see what’s up with all the ovarian cysts and pain…Jaz just turned 18 last week…I tried to find out what time we need to be there but according to Hippa laws they can’t tell me…WTF…Jaz lives with me…I need to get her there… P whatever… I’ll call Jaz in a bit and have her call the Hospital and get the blinkin’ information… MAUDE IN HIMMEL I just faxed all of Jazmin’s pre-operative paperwork to the hospital…I was probably breaking the law there too…Cripes sake even!

OK Jazmin’s surgery is planned for 10:30 am…we need to be there at 9am, so dad will pick up Tab and Oliver at 6:30 and get them to work and daycare.  Mom will be at my house around 8:30am.  Supposedly check out for Jaz will be 1pm…we shall see.  Then Dad will pick up Tab and Oliver at 2pm and bring them home and drop off the car seat.  I plan to bring a bucket for Jaz in case her stomach ia unhappy.

More on Jazmin’s surgery:

Often called ‘belly button surgery’, laparoscopic surgery involves small (1/4 inch) incisions in the abdomen (usually three) through which major surgical procedures can be performed. The first of these incisions is made in the umbilicus (“belly button”). A laparoscope (something akin to a telescope) is placed through this incision and attached to a small videocamera. The video image is viewed on a television monitor in the operating room. By moving the laparoscope closer to the pelvic organs, magnification up to 6 X can be achieved.

After the laparoscope is placed through the umbilicus, two or three other small (1/4 inch) incisions are made in the abdomen, usually in or near the pubic hairline. Electrodes, lasers, instruments and sutures are passed through these incisions to complete the operation. These instruments are very small (from 1.5 to 4.5 millimeters in diameter).

The combination of small instruments and magnification enable surgical precision that is almost impossible to achieve at laparotomy. By comparison, there is no magnification of the operative field during laparotomy, and the surgeon’s hands and large surgical instruments obscure the operative field. The precision attained during laparoscopic surgery becomes extremely important when the gynecologist is treating endometriosis, adhesions, ovarian masses, and gynecologic cancer.

What is laparoscopic surgery

Laparoscopic surgery also referred to as minimally invasive surgery describes the performance of surgical procedures with the assistance of a video camera and several thin instruments. During the surgical procedure, small incisions of up to half an inch are made and plastic tubes called ports are placed through these incisions. The camera and the instruments are then introduced through the ports, which allow access to the inside of the patient.

The camera transmits an image of the organs inside the abdomen onto a television monitor. The surgeon is not able to see directly into the patient without the traditional large incision. The video camera becomes a surgeon’s eyes in laparoscopy surgery, since the surgeon uses the image from the video camera positioned inside the patient’s body to perform the procedure.

Benefits of minimally invasive or Laparoscopic procedures are

• less post operative discomfort since the incisions are much smaller
• quicker recovery times
• shorter hospital stays
• earlier return to full activities
• much smaller scars
• there may be less internal scarring when the procedures are performed in a minimally invasive fashion compared to standard open surgery.

Why there is pain after laparoscopic surgery?

Although laparoscopic surgery has very less post-operative pain compare to open procedure but it is wrong to think that laparoscopic surgery is a painless surgery. After Laparoscopic surgery patient sometimes may experience pain at the site of wound or in one or both of your shoulders. This is caused by irritating of diaphragm by carbon dioxide gas. This is very mild irritation. If you will tell your doctor about this problem than he will give you tramadol hydrochloride injection and pain will subside. There will also be some pain in the small incisions, which will also disappear after medication. Patient should avoid alcohol while taking pain medication. Within a few days, the pain should subside completely.

Sewing Machine Happy Dance!

HAPPY DANCE ~ HAPPY DANCE ~ HAPPY DANCE!

Oh blissful glee!  I’ve a new, oh BRAND SPANKIN’ NEW sewing machine!  I shall call her Sally the Singer! She makes a plethora of stitches and even button holes, perhaps I’ll have to look into making things with button holes soon!

Now I can finally complete Mary’s grand baby name quilt, the 10 baby quilts for Project Linus and Angel Baby’s and finally get the really cute heap of sheep quilt done for the heart baby’s…then I can get back to the Queen Sized retinal damage rainbowie keep Jim warm quilt.  Yippie… Oh so filled with creative gigglitude! 

Sigh but the day has just begun here at work… 3 new molds need books, one mold is tentatively approved, 2 ECR’s, a small stack of ECN’s and the painful pile of filing…

BUT eventually I can go home and tidy the sewing area, get Sally all set up, and I guess do the Table runner I made out of the left-over’s from the tacky assed hotishpink tree-skirt…

Hey…Tacky huh?!?  We’ve a hot pink tinsel pre-lit with pink lights Yule tree…FINALLY a tree that fits out freakish little family! I need a wee menorah, a Kwanzaa corn and any other December holiday I can come up with to make sure the Yule tree covers ALL the holidays…

Last evening in the fervor of purchases with my X-mas $ from my parents (I got it early, my parents are SOOOOO cool) I got myself some really nice winter boots so I can walk during lunch here at work without freezing my b-jeezez off, some leggings to wear under my pants, and a new nightgown…hmmm, yeah that’s it… I gave Tab $40 (basically her X-mas gift from me) so she could pay her rent to me and Jim…yeah kinda round about.  I gassed up the beast, and bought a batch of bobbins for Sally the Singer. And between Tab and I, bought dinner at KFC (I know PETA…bad chicken practices, but we were all hungry) for me, Tab, Oliver, Jazmin, Travis and Jim for under $30.

Pay day which will be mighty tiny after missing 2 days last week will rearing it penny pinchin’ head tomorrow.  I need to hit the quilt shop for my ten er so fat quarters for the Block Buddy Swap fat quarter birthday deal I signed up for… Gonna contemplate a few extra purplesand white on whites for Mom’s yo-yo birthday wall hanging/table topper I’m making for January. What ever may be left…I need to save out $50 for the budget and $25 for Thursday’s co-pay for my (bleck) physical. 

So that’s today…8:11 stinkin’ AM in my little icky life… thus far

Sally the Singer Positively HUMMED!

SEWING

I sewed through an hour of evening programming last night and Jim didn’t even have to turn the boob tube any higher than usual.  Sally the Singer is wonderfully quiet…perfect stitches…Amazing what a person will put up with i.e. my ol’ Eropro, horrible tension, presser foot that doesn’t stay down …then I get Sally…wow I love this machine!  Not gonna marry it…but ya know what I mean!

I completed 37 non Xmas holiday ornaments to hand out to all my work mates that aren’t going to be getting the sewing kits.  I made one for mom and 2 of her workmates, even though she’s getting a sewing kit.  I made a few extras for Kristen, my Nurse Practitioner, Dr. Huldeen The Dr. who’s been helping Jazmin and the cool Bank chick in the drive thru window who wishes me a good day even though I’m sure her’s has been long and shitty.  Above is the one I made for me, to hang on my window at work.  When ever I try something new creatively, I make one for me just in case I screw it up or realize it’s beyond my capability.  It took 2 days to hand sew all the yo-yos…one for the little ones with the button middles and one for the big ‘uns.  as I munch upon wee cheddar pringles…

SPENDING

K… so tonight after I’ve left the $ for the budget and tomorrow’s co-pay at home, Off to Heavenly Patchwork Quilt shop in Waconia for 10 assorted fat quarters for the Birthday Fat Quarter Swap, maybe a few extras that get my attention.  Then to Target for small pop top chicken for work…hmm…no idea what else we ‘need’

CELEBRATING

Today is Travis’ birthday…guess I should get a cake of some sort… perhaps a cupcake and a pillar candle Travis will be coming to our place after work, I already let Jim know so he wouldn’t be taken by surprise.  Oliver is loving this having his dad and Jim in the same place most of the time.

CONTEMPLATING

I’m hoping to shop quick tonight so I can get home, happy birthday and sew again… I’ve one quilt ready to go!  I could just DO IT…sew like a freak and get another done for Little Angels.  But then again I need to get all the birthday fat quarters wrapped and packaged to send to Block Buddies.  I gotta get my quilter’s coven yule swap accomplished, yule card swap put together, and start Heidi’s Xmas care package put together… Already got some different sizes of canvases, a couple neat brushes and stuff…hmmm…just doesn’t end does it?

A humane human!

As I munch a pickle and a tuna on light rye…

 

A human DOES in deed still exist! K…so I walk every day for part of my lunch break at work…it is currently 15 degrees Fahrenheit,  -10 for you Celsius people… Behind the factory where I work is a scattering of older farm homes, farmland, dirt roads, swamps, and an occasional graveyard to keep you on the straight and narrow basically not much life during the winter.   I usually walk out 10 minutes and back 10 minutes about a mile total leaving me enough time to punch back in, water my static crazy hair, and munch my lunch before getting back to work…thus I blather on a bit…So I’m a marching along the side of the roan since my new nice to look at boots are totally non conducive to walking, sauntering or strolling… This older gentleman drives by in his nice little small tan very clean pickup complete with matching topper…a few moments later he comes back and pulls over by me…and asks am I just out for some exercise or am I walking back to my damaged vehicle?!?  Heavens this neat old guy probably a whole month younger than my dad was coming to my rescue! Wicked cool or what…coarse this guy had probably survived WWII so he grew up with manners and saving the lady in distress, but hew how neat is it to be rescued when yer out just exercising!   Well, there’s my moment of AW…people can be humane!

Dear Santa

Dear Santa…St. Nick…Mr. Claus?!?

 

I realize I’m an adult and I really haven’t ‘believed’ in you since I was eight and asked for a cat, a real cat…I made that perfectly clear at the time…and Christmas morning when I ran out to the tree, there sat a stuffed animal in the shape of a Siamese cat…dude, you didn’t even get the breed correct.  But I’ll be the big guy and let bygones by bygones.  I just have a little request this year…a wee one, should be relatively easy for you you’re the one night wonder after all!

I want happiness…not for me of course, I can cope with life’s ups and downs, I’m middle aged and have seen and lived quite a bit.  I know good comes with the bad and we all need to deal.  I want happiness for my children, there’s only 2 of them so this should be essentially wham bam and there you go.  When they were very little I believe they had moments of happiness, they’re older now, some times I think they’re older than me.  They don’t see the glass as half full ever; in fact I think they see the glass as empty, chipped and dirty, ready for the trash.  I just want them to look at the sky for the clouds and the shapes they take.  I want them to see the moon at night and wonder at the face that there.  I want them to eat a chocolate like it’s the best thing they’ve ever had…ever.  I want them to watch a comedy or stand-up or even America’s Funniest Videos and laugh till they cry.  I guess I just want them to wake up every day and just be OK with being alive, look in the mirror and be please with their appearance, go to work or where ever and just be Happy.  Or at least glad?!?

 

Yeah…so hey thanks for taking time out of your busy day to read something that isn’t about toys, games, the odd pony or electronics.

 

Yours just because, Yane

Is it a Manic Monday?!?

Manic Monday?!? Hmmm…Yeah probably…fer sure in fact!  UGH!  It is -6 right now and promises a high of -4… WTF… I feet are frozen to the conctrete block beneath my feet here in one of the hottest offices at work… OY!

Jim was horribly sick all weekend.  When he was sleeping I wasn’t and last night was nothing new… I gotta remember to grab some ear plug from work and see if that works at all.  I can just hear too well.  The howling wind would get tangled up in the antenna (no idea if it is eaven hooked up to any TVs anymore) and the vibrating humm was making the windos vibrate.  Jim snoozed right through it…I however did not. 

Henry Rollins Stumpy Butt decided to rearrange his tank at least three times, smashing his food dish against the glass, flipping his house all over then burrying his water bottle under bedding… He’s lucky I didn’t feel like really hurting a wee rodent…

Xmas at mom’s has been rescheduled for this coming Sunday…agrivated sigh, so now this coming payday I need to squeeze a vase for mom, the photo deal for dad, 12 thimble and 12 scissors and most likely Oliver little people farm plus gas and budget $… Yeah I’m thrilled.  Travis will be taking Oliver Xmas eve through who knows and won’t be coming to mom’s cuz he’s picking up his brother from the airport.  I figure I’ll give Olie his gift at mom’s so he can at least get it.  I’ll PU Jim’s level, and Tab’s screw driver from Menards next Wednesday, card from Target for Jaz’s $.  THen call it all finally complete.  Whew.

Can’t wait to be done with this holiday season so I can get to making the king-sized quilt for my bed, finishing all the boy quilts for TIny Angels and Project Linus.

I’m almost totally done with the sewing kits, 12 in all.  Just need the thimbles, straight pins and scissors.  If I have time (yeah right) I’m going to the dollar store and see what they have in the way of fold up scissors.

This one’s mine for work. Blindingly wicked…huh?!?

Frozen Sun Dogs in Minnesota

Today’s fabulous weather in Minnesota!

 

Extremely cold today in the Twin Cities. Decreasing clouds during the afternoon. Temperatures today will range from -9 below (wind-chill -35 below) at 8 A.M. then -6 below (wind-chll -30 below) at noon and -3 below (wind-chill -25 below) at sunset (4:32 P.M.) – winds today will be gusty from the West at 11 to 22 mph then becoming light and variable this evening after 6 P.M. Skies will be clear tonight and 8 P.M. temperatures will be near -8 below (wind-chill -20 below) then overnight lows by sunrise (7:45 A.M.) Tuesday will be near -12 below (wind-chill -22 below).

 

Many years ago, the nature-essayist Hal Borland wrote in his book Sundial of the Seasons that “Sun dogs and moon dogs are beautiful accents to a winter day or night as the rainbow is to a showery Summer day.” Sun dogs usually appear in pairs, and are loyal to the sun (as moon dogs are loyal to the moon), sitting on each side of the solar orb along a horizontal line through the solar disk. Sun dogs appear in January, April, August, and October, the month does not really matter, but they are most regularly seen close to their solar master during winter months when the sun is low in the sky and ice crystals in the atmosphere are more common, but we can see them in any of the other seasons whenever cirrus clouds fuzz the sky above.

 

Sun dogs, or mock suns, are technically called solar parhelia (parhelia meaning “with the sun”) and appear as bright bursts of light formed when sunlight passes through ice crystals at the proper angle. Usually, cirrus clouds in front of the sun produce sun dogs, but other ice clouds, such as ice fog and diamond dust, may also generate them. Sun dogs are sometimes so brilliant that dazzled observers mistake them for the sun. They are often bright white but may show a partial spectrum of color with the red wavelengths on the edge nearest the sun. Sun dogs often have comet-like appearance with a bluish-white tail facing away from the sun.

 

Sun dogs are the second most frequent halo phenomena behind the 22^o halo and often accompany that halo. The difference between sun dog and halo formation is the orientation of the ice crystals through which sunlight passes before reaching our eyes. Halo formation requires a mixture of random ice crystal orientations in the sky. But if the sky has only horizontally oriented, flat ice crystals, we just see a sun dog.

Ice crystals in the atmosphere are hexagonally shaped. Crystals forming most optical phenomena in the air are typically hexagonal rods, shaped like pencils, or flat, hexagonal plate patterns, like microscopic stop signs or dinner plates. When plate-shaped ice crystals fall unimpaired, drag forces automatically orient them horizontally so that their larger, flat surface parallels the earth like a large maple leaf drifting down from a tree.

Sun dogs emerge when sunlight passing through the ice plate’s thin sidefaces is refracted. The more perfectly aligned the falling crystals are to the horizontal, the more compact the resulting sun dog. Crystal misalignment from true horizontal will spread the sun dog vertically — its angular height being approximately four times the maximum crystal angular tilt.

Sun dogs frequently display a reddish tint on the side facing the sun and may sport bluish-white tails which stretch horizontally away from it. The degree to which colours are visible depends on the amount of wobble in the ice crystal’s fall: the more wobble, the more colour. The sun dog’s tail is formed by light passing through the crystal at angles other than the optimal deviation angle.

Sun dogs typically appear when the sun is low to the horizon, usually just prior to sunset or after sunrise, or during winter months at mid-latitudes. If the sun is low (horizon to about 15^o above it), each sun dog is separated from the sun by 22^o (or about two handsbreadth on extended arms), and both will lie on the circle of the 22^o halo if one is present.

Sun dogs form tightest to the sun at lowest solar altitudes, but they are never less than 22^o from it. As the Sun climbs in the sky, the sun dogs slowly move away from the 22^o separation, although they remain on the line through the sun parallel with the horizon. When the sun has climbed to more than 45^o altitude, sun dogs are fainter and noticeably off the 22^o circle, and they vanish altogether above 61^o solar altitude.

Over two millennia ago, the Greeks recognized that haloes and sun dogs foretold rain. Today we known this is often a valid prediction, because haloes and sun dogs are produced by ice crystals that form the cirroform clouds which make up the typical cloud sequence preceding a precipitating warm front.

One last word. There are also moon dogs that appear alongside the moon and are formed by lunar light passing through ice crystals. Moon dogs (or paraselenae) are less commonly seen because the moon can only produce them when bright and because they appear during the night when most of us are asleep.

another x-citing 2zdae

“Whatever you give a woman, she will make greater. If you give her
sperm, she’ll give you a baby. If you give her a house, she’ll give you a
home. If you give her groceries, she’ll give you a meal. If you give her a
smile, she’ll give you her heart. She multiplies and enlarges what is given
to her. So, if you give her any crap, be ready to receive a ton of shit.”

 

 

Last night…I did nothing…ugh, greatly disappointed in myself.  I made 2 stacks of 3 ½ X 3 ½ squares to make bright 9-patches, eventually.  Thought about ironing some fabrics, this fat quarter of what with really cute people on it and making it into a perfect square, putting on a few thin borders and digging out the scant amount of batting I have left to make some hand work to bring with to Jazmin’s OB/GYN appointment tomorrow…yeah thought about it.  It’s still post-it noted on my brain so I will hopefully do it tonight.  Tomorrow I leave at noon to cash my paycheck, only 1 hour short this time, go grab Jaz then out to Waconia.  Hopefully for a QUICK 2 stitch removal and fast contemplating of whatever drug they will decide to put her on this time. 

 

I gotta go to Wally which is on the opposite side of the planet from Waconia after I’m sure I’ll have to pick up Tab and Oliver even if she has no $ and no real reason to go to Wal-mart…Sigh, I’d just like to get my copious shopping done with speed for a change… stop at Target in Waconia to get dad a photo book for Xmas, perhaps locate a nice candle and holder for mom there, Jazmin’s $ card…maybe even just get Oliver’s farm and extra tractor there to!  Then on Thursday I can hit the dollar store for 12 folding scissors, straight pins, needles and 12 thimbles.

 

Next week’s pay which will conveniently fall on Xmas eve (great time to shop) Off to Menard’s for Jim’s fabulous level and Tab’s Screw Driver. Oh to just be independently wealthy this ‘giving’ season I could just get it all at once and be done with all the running around and worrying about the budget.  I am just so many shades of tired from not sleeping worth a blink and feeling ½ crappy, I’m sure I’m getting the creeping crud that’s going around work and that Jim has had for a while.

 

Quilter’s 12 days of Xmas

On the 1^st day of Xmas my sweetie pie gave to me: An ergonomic rotary cutter that fits me to a tee!

 

On the 2^nd day of Xmas my sweetie pie gave to me: 2 quilting sharps and an ergonomic rotary cutter that fits me to a tee!

 

On the 3^rd day of Xmas my sweetie pie gave to me: 3 yard of low loft batting, 2 quilting sharps and an ergonomic rotary cutter that fits me to a tee!

 

On the 4^th day of Xmas my sweetie pie gave to me: 4 acrylic templates, 3 yard of low loft batting, 2 quilting sharps and an ergonomic rotary cutter that fits me to a tee!

 

On the 5^th day of Xmas my sweetie pie fave to me: 5 FAT QUARTERS, 4 acrylic templates, 3 yard of low loft batting, 2 quilting sharps and an ergonomic rotary cutter that fits me to a tee!

 

On the 6^th day of Xmas my sweetie pi gave to me: 6 1930’s reproductions, 5 FAT QUARTERS, 4 acrylic templates, 3 yard of low loft batting, 2 quilting sharps and an ergonomic rotary cutter that fits me to a tee!

 

On the 7^th day of Xmas my sweetie pie gave to me: 7 yards of backing, 6 yards of 1930’s reproductions, 5 FAT QUARTERS, 4 acrylic templates, 3 yard of low loft batting, 2 quilting sharps and an ergonomic rotary cutter that fits me to a tee!

 

On the 8^th day of Xmas my sweetie pie gave to me: 8 rubber thimbles, 7 yards of backing, 6 yards of 1930’s reproductions, 5 FAT QUARTERS, 4 acrylic templates, 3 yard of low loft batting, 2 quilting sharps and an ergonomic rotary cutter that fits me to a tee!

 

On the 9^th day of Xmas my sweetie pie gave to me: 9 ladies in the quilting bee, 8 rubber thimbles, 7 yards of backing, 6 yards of 1930’s reproductions, 5 FAT QUARTERS, 4 acrylic templates, 3 yard of low loft batting, 2 quilting sharps and an ergonomic rotary cutter that fits me to a tee!

 

On the 10^th day of Xmas my sweetie pie gave to me: 10 quilting magazines, 9 ladies in the quilting bee, 8 rubber thimbles, 7 yards of backing, 6 yards of 1930’s reproductions, 5 FAT QUARTERS, 4 acrylic templates, 3 yard of low loft batting, 2 quilting sharps and an ergonomic rotary cutter that fits me to a tee!

 

On the 11^th day of Xmas my sweetie pie gave to me: 11 packets of batik dye, 10 quilting magazines, 9 ladies in the quilting bee, 8 rubber thimbles, 7 yards of backing, 6 yards of 1930’s reproductions, 5 FAT QUARTERS, 4 acrylic templates, 3 yard of low loft batting, 2 quilting sharps and an ergonomic rotary cutter that fits me to a tee!

 

On the 12^th day of Xmas my sweetie pie gave to me: 12 days to quilt unbothered by chores, 11 packets of batik dye, 10 quilting magazines, 9 ladies in the quilting bee, 8 rubber thimbles, 7 yards of backing, 6 yards of 1930’s reproductions, 5 FAT QUARTERS, 4 acrylic templates, 3 yard of low loft batting, 2 quilting sharps and an ergonomic rotary cutter that fits me to a tee!

Happy B-day Stephermini

(We were both blinded by the sun)

 

I heard this song on the radio and it reminded me of us

All piled in the Yugo as if it were a bus.

 

Music blasting, kids whining, the heat of summer flowing through the only windows as we were off to the blood bank…for naught!

 

We were SO poor but so happy when we were all together!

 

The moments we were apart either from madness, distance or addiction

I always thought of you!

What would Jesus do?!? What would Stephermini have to say about that?

 

Over 20 years we’ve been friends,
And not even once coming to an end.

We’ve stuck together like bread and peanut butter, jelly, Pringles, cheezits.
One is not complete without the other.

We’ve shared many laughs & we’ve shared many tears
But I think that’s made us strong throughout these years.

 

But hey! Here’s to your birthday!

I’m still 6 entire months older than you…

 

I reached middle age 1^st.

But I still feel like we’re merely 20!

 

 Happy Birthday Dear Stephermini!

ThurZdae THurZdae ra ra ra

(not my new machine…)

 

Woo Hoo! It is ever so Friday eve! Had our lovely health insurance meeting this morning…we all get to go to a high deductible frickin’ insurance now… $2,000 per person per year… UGH!  We will have the option of having a HS account to put $ towards our medical spending… great… more deductions from ever check… Love being one of the many working poor!

 

K so I had to QUICK make Jaz’s remaining dr. appointment for the year to try to get all her medications filled since she will no longer be on my insurance as of the 1^st since she is not in school and she’s 18 now.  Sigh… only appointment available is 3:10 today so she’ll have to walk since I left early yesterday to take her to the OB/GYN…have no $…have no vacation left…have no incentive to even be a mother on most days now.  She applied for work where I work on Monday…I’m thinkin’ she may have to bite the bullet and apply at a few zillion other places too…just to afford her Rx since I have my own 10 per month to buy.  Bad enough I feel like I am definitely getting what Jim had and what most of my co-workers have been spewing on me.  Sniff, hork, wheeze…The OB/GYN was a massive bit of let down…the stitches are self absorbed…Jaz’ has to go to Kristen to get back on the regular birth control…so for missing 3.5 hours of work we accomplished absolutely NOTHING… I go in on the 27 for my fasting cholesterol test so I think I’ll get ALL my Rx filled at the same time since this whole insurance thing is so F’ed up I have no idea how I’ll be able to afford the drugs that do not come in a generic. Thought the holiday season was to be one of love peace giving a hoot for your fellow poverty stricken employee…guess I had it confused with something else.

 

This week Jim was nice enough to forgo the usual $55 needed for budget so we all can afford a bit of holiday cheer.  So, I picked up 11 rubber thimbles for the sewing kits, the next size up of yo-yo makers for me, mom’s gift: yummy assed candle set, dad’s gift: a photo carousel deal, Oliver’s gifts: little people farm and a walking flapping dragon, Heidi’s journal: covered in different buttons, a pair of slippers as part of Jazmin’s gift that she got now since the floors are cold, and one of Jim’s gifts: the fabulous black & Decker level deal.  Since our Xmas at mom’s is Sunday and the holiday meal here at work is this coming Monday I picked up some bright red bell bottoms and a green t-shirt that has an elf look to it.  I got some lime green marabou package trim to make bows for the ponytails I plan for my hair. Jim’s like…you’re dressing in costume for Xmas now?!?  Not really …well OK a bit…Just dressing the part! I get tired of trying to blend in with the huddled masses…I gotta be me…a freak… J

Happy Birthday to OLIVER!!!

Sweet Olie will be the big 4 today! 

What a guy… He has his moments when he’s severely flush-able…but otherwise he’s a dandy grandson!

I was there at his birth…his red gooey face…him peeing all over his mom…then peeing all over the bassinet…what a great little boogar butt from the start…

SO here’s to you Oliver Scot…you made it to 4…good job and keep up the good work…hugs n kisses!

 ~ Yer ever lovin’ Nana!

TGI F-ing F…even!

I am painfully ever so glad it is FRIDAY!  UGH!  Between stupidity in the economic – insurance pile of dung and throwing out the middle (yeah middle) of my back…I’m in rare form today…not!  Welcome to my pissy whiny wa wa wa blog moment…

Work is INSANE…I’m totally inundated with great steaming piles of paper work… WTF people?!?  I’ve had days where I’m searching for work…filing extra slow just to keep occupied…now I have 2 new molds, 4 to change to work in progress…ECR’s flowing like a severed artery…insanity!  We’ve our Xmas meal here on Monday… I’ll be bringing in all the sewing kits for: Sue, Judi, Bonnie, Melissa, Roxanne (yes I’m singing her name) & Katherine, Paul’s wee Rover quilt + the 37 non-holiday ornaments I made for everyone on 1st shift. Gotta get the Newsletter done and out by none Tuesday…so far not many have donated any fodder to it so I guess I’ll be filling it up with holiday nonsense.  We may have made our 4th quarter goal which would be monetarily nice for a switch.

 

Jim with the Wal-Mart Santa…2 funny!

Santa at Day care next Tuesday and I have to leave early, PU Oliver @ 1pm on Wednesday…grab what ever my piddly chech brings and run to Down in the Valley to find Jim’s Xmas CD, Somewhere to get Tab’s cordless drill with bits and a cool card to put Jazmin’s $ in…And have Olie back in tome for Travis to take him to Iowa for Xmas…See…Insanity!

This Sunday we’re doing Xmas at my mom’s: Me, Jim, Tabitha, Jazmin, Oliver mom & dad…Chicken Kiev with all the fixin’s…I do hope my back feels better by then…I’ll be wearing my sad Xmas elfish outfit…I’m sure my mom will be underwhelmed…Oh well…

Maude it’s only 9:41…I hope I survive the day!

check it out!

I’m on a quilting site…well something I made is on a quilting site… call me maga excited!

http://www.quiltersshowandtell.com/2008/12/the-seasons.html

Merry Happy Jovial!

Happy Yule! Merry Xmas! Happy Hanukkah! Jovial Kwanzaa! happy any other December holidays I’ve inadvertently missed!

We already had our Xmas moment at my mom’s this last Sunday.  Jim was in charge of the camera so I guess we know who he likes best!

All were spoiled as is normal for my parents.  A plethora of clothing, toys and white elephant gifts abound!  Jim got a lovely lil jug of slime with rubbery internal organs in it.  Jazmin got some lovely blue lingerie…Tab got a set of makeup she already gave to Jaz since Tab doesn’t wear that much makeup.  I got 2 cool cabby hats and a wool tam…makes me itch a bit…I think I’ll add some cotton around the edge that touches my forehead.

Travis and his brother came by last night to pick up Oliver for his Xmas trip to Iowa to see Travis’ family.  Trav and Olie opened their gifts under our tree.  Olie really like Travis’ brother who’s name totally escapes me at the moment.  Ugh! I think it starts with a D or B…yeah that helps.  Olie tried to bring the farm I got him with…too big…but AW he liked the gift from Nana!  Too Cute!

Santa came to daycare yesterday…I forgot the camera…so this bit of fuzzy loveliness is from my cell phone.  Santa was realistically round complete with large purplish nose… Only 2 kids really were terrified of him.  Olie walked right up!  Brave little guy!

I leave here (work…shhh) today around 1, PU Tab at work, get gas, dash home quietly PU Jim without Jaz and off to Best Buy, drop Jim @ Target, me to Joann Fabrics for a bit of Xmas fabric for next years ornaments, spools for them, look for and price pre-quilted xmas fabric for the 12 baby stockings I’m making for tiny angels next year…get 1 or 2 low loft battings…check out the next size up of yo-yo maker…wait till Jim calls so we can pick him up from Target.  if there’s time dash to Ridgedale for Tab, no idea what she wants there.  Back to town before 7 for the Muney to get Beer before it closes…then home to surreptitiously wrap gifts…and collapse in a heap.  Looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow!  I’m already exausted just contemplating what awaits today!

not long enough holiday weekend

Sew Sew Sew rather than ho ho ho!

 

I sewed, cut, painted…contemplated like a freak this long holiday weekend!  Even with all the insane driving!  Wednesday we (me, Jim, Tab) went to Best Buy, Target, a shoe store and Byrley’s wine & spirits. I got Jim a set of Dirty Harry and Fear & Loathing in Los Vegas.  Got Jaz 2 CDs she didn’t have…at the shoe store I got myself a pair of Mudd shoes and a set of ‘gay’ rainbowie socks.  At the wine and spirits as we walked pass some captured shoplifters in the back of the squad car guffaw and giggle, Jim bought me a bottle of Godiva chocolate liquor. Oh my Maude in Himmel!  This booze was like silk! Liquid chocolate!  Too yummy!  Then home to open gifts ho ho ho…yadda yadda yadda!

Jim go me a tiny hot pink not an iPod shuffle that I just filled with music off my computer here. He also got me a set of Lady sings the Blues CDs and the latest Me First and the Gimme Gimmes.  Too fun!

 

 He made the yummiest turkey boob hold the nipple for Xmas dinner complete with real mashed potatoes, dressing and lots of gravy!

 

Friday Tab worked, Travis had Oliver and I took Jim & Jaz into Heights Welding to PU his paycheck, cashed it…got irritatingly lost in Maple Grove searching for a Michaels and ended up going to the Michaels by Ridgedale, then trying to go to down in the Valley in Wayzata…it is GONE!!!  No really…it isn’t there any more!  TOTALLY UNHAPPY!

 

Saturday we had Oliver as Tab had to work again.  Jim and I took him out to Hutchinson to see if we could get there.  I wanted to go to the quilt shop out there but couldn’t locate it.  So we went to the head shop where we both found some tunes, and Oliver loved up the shop kitties.  Then off to Joann Fabrics in hopes of locating 5 yes five xmas-ie fabrics and the next size up of yo-yo maker…got the fabric…but no yo-yo maker!  UGH!  Oliver turned into a limp noodle and had to be carried through the last store we attempted before going through the drive through at Arbey’s. Oliver drinks really well from a bottle of water! Home to get Tab at work and then just HOME! Cut out all the fabric for next year’s ornaments and started the painting of the spools for the trunks and the tiny cubes that will be the wee presents under the yo-yo trees.

 

 I dove nowhere yesterday!  Unless you count Sally the Singer!  We drove many a mile together!

Completed 5 bassinet quilts for preemie boys and a doodlebug girl baby quilt all of which will go to West Virginia God’s Tiny Angels.  I’ve 2 more bassinet and 2 more baby girls’ quilts to complete before shipping this pile.

I finished the top of the rainbowie 9-patch twin-sized that will go to Project Linus Greater Twin cities.  Just gotta get the back and what not for that to get it completed.

Worked on the Severe Retinal Damage keep Jim Warm Rainbow king-sized quilt.  Just gotta get the 1 ½ yards of hot pink, black and 2 yards of fabulous rainbow for the border then that one will be ready to sandwich too!

Finally completed the painful pointy table topper too.

 

Tab just called…she was supposed to get out of work today @ 2pm now she’s staying till 7pm…12 hour shift at Mickey D’s…ugh!  Poor Tab!  Oh well, I’ll PU Oliver and home to throw him at Jim who is still laid off.  Everyone’s in kinda a funk… the employed, the laid off and the wanna be employed.  I think Olie’s the only one who’s just normal!

Ode 2 my 1st button hole!

Ode to my 1^st buttonhole!

 

Yeah, well, call me a silly freak…but I’m an ever so proud and giggly silly freak!

With Sally the Singer’s assistance I made my very 1^st machined buttonhole!  On the 1^st try even!  TO WICKEDLY COOL, even!  I needed a carrying apparatus for my sweet lil not-a-shuffle-iPod-deal since it is so tiny and I don’t wanna loose it.  Yeah I’m 40 and I guess any icky kid in Home Economics or whatever they call it now makes a buttonhole, yadda-yadda-yadda but when I was in home economics, we didn’t make buttonholes…we made these horrid velour mock turtle necks…bleck! Mine was tan…hate tan to this day.  OK so I made my buttonhole last night…showed Oliver, he thought it was too wicked cool as he took one of my chicken nuggets and lipped it viciously before putting it back in the bowl. Showed Jim who was at least feigning to be as excited as I was while taking in the horrid news off the boob tube. Showed Jaz who was totally under-whelmed and had to tell me so.  Oh why must she always deluge on my wee infrequent parades.  Ugh!  Nonetheless…I am proud of my perfectly purple buttonhole…damnit!

Note from my Auntie Elaine:  Now for your information – I don’t think I have EVER made a button hole!  I’ve sewn a button hole to make it smaller so things would stay buttoned… but I don’t even think my Singer has a button hole attachment… so congrats to you and the button hole capability! HAGD EMS

Note from my mom: I ABSOLUTELY LOOOOOVE YOUR BUTTONHOLE!!   Have a pop-free day. Loveya, Mom

 

Thus I sit here ripping my pile of CDs onto the computer so I can cram them on the sweet-lil-hot-pink-not-a-shuffle-iPod-deal for this upcoming long assed weekend of being quiet in the morning as all sleep in and I sew and the ever so quiet Sally the Singer. Thus far I have: Beck, Radiohead, Aticus dragging the lake, Asleep by dawn, Sublime, 3 Me 1^st & the Gimme Gimmes, Lacuna Coil, Bloodhound Gang, Queen, Angie’s Farm: Salad Bowl Blues (TOO COOL, eh! My friend Angie has a CD!), Apocalyptica, hmmm and the one’s I put on yesterday.  These are all CDs that were living in the Jeep…dug around and chucked them in the purse last night while waiting for Tab to get outa work at 7pm…12 hours at Mickey D’s…what a sucky day for her!  Then the moo at home was bad 2 days ago so she walked to the filling station for more.  Oy!

 

On the weather front…it’s currently snowing pebbly poo on top of the 3 inches of ice…promises to have 6 inches of fantabulous snow by noon.  I slid into the parking lot 3 minutes late today so now I need to stay till 3:33pm to make sure I have my 8 hours.  Bummer is Thursday may be holiday pay but Friday will be no pay… L Thus this week will be more than likely biting butt in the money column: I’ve got car insurance to pay, ½ of rent OR budget $ which ever, and 4 prescriptions 2 of which are not generic so they will be $36 each…hmmm…well at least the bug eaters at home already have crickets, I’ve 1 or 2 cans of cat food for Helga…and hey! We can always go to the food shelf! Sigh, I don’t wanna go to the food shelf! They’re dry goods are always buggy and half the cans are swollen with botulism! Smells oddly painty, gluey, melty in here today… nope nothing on the surge protector gonna catch fire… WOW I have a headache! 

On a slightly better note…Jazmin can stay on my health insurance here till she’s 19 OR gets a job with insurance of her own.  One less thing to smash into my incredibly shrinking funds.

Tons ~o~ Turkeys!

January 2nd 2009

K, so Tab had to work on the 2nd, as did quite a few people (not me or Jim however) The dandy thing is Oliver had Daycare so I had the day to sew (see quilting page, angel page, project linus page, HLHS page).  Bitha got off early totally forgot I was home so had my dad pick her up and bring her home just about the time I was getting ready to go get her and Oliver…er duh…so I still got to drive through the frozen wilderness to Delano to get the wee cermudgen.  Jaz came with for a ride to the Tattoo shop that took all of 3 minutes as she was only pricing a piercing.  On the way to Delano we saw the BIG flock, or gaggle or whatever of wild turkeys.  We hoped they would still be there on the way back so we could take their photo.

They were…Oliver loved it…didn’t want his window opened to see them better though.  Guess he figured they might want a ride home too.

There was a good 30+ of the feathered beasties. 

A bedroom for Nana!

Giggly Wiggly Happy Dance!!!!!!!!!

Oh…My…Maude…in…HIMMEL!

We could have our bedroom back as soon as the 10^th of January…yes 2009…like in 4 days!  Tab & Travis called the apartments in front of us and they have openings NOW! So they’re bringing all the paperwork and the $60 (WTF) down to the landlord whatever today! 

I’m going to try not to get my hopes too totally pasted onto the ceiling…but…I haven’t had my room since, hmm, 2004 when I traded my nice big room for Tab’s 2^nd smallest room cuz’ she was preggers with Olie and needed more space for all the baby accoutrements.  Then when Olie was…oh…1 ish I moved into the Living room so Jaz could have the black room and Oliver could have the smallest room…THEN Tab and Oliver moved out for a while, we made Oliver’s room into the computer room and stayed in the living room, Jim built a wall complete with locking door so it is a room.  Tab and Oliver came back, moved into the big room, divided it with a fence and gate, and this is how we’ve been ever since, no living room, just a kitchen and a tiny computer room…when company comes over they all pile into our room/living room…SO I’m really looking forward to having a living room again and an actual bed room for me and my sweet Lima Bean Man.  With a closet and everything!  All of our gotta-hang-up clothing is in the tiny closet in the computer room.  As I jump up and down internally…My clothing will be in my room with me! Too Freaking painfully cool!

Jim and I have decided the living room will basically be the crafty crap/guitar/living room. So the TV, My painting area, my sewing area and his guitar repair stuff will be in there.  We’ll get a couple beanbag chairs or perhaps a futon so there will be seating as needed.  I can totally tidy the kitchen and have a usable table n seating there too.  WOW…I SO CANNOT WAIT!

T to the G to the I to the Fribbity Gibbet F

Thus another workweek is coming to a close…

 

 Jazmin’s suffering from Migraines but for some reason the Dr. is not returning her calls…Probably cuz’ they wanna squeeze just a lil more money outa me by having her have an appointment and have to pay the co-pay and be sent to a specialist, pay another co-pay, try a few drugs that will either do nothing or perhaps blow her head up…co-pay, co-pay, co-pay…eventually find some wee medication that works half the time but kills her liver, kidneys or something else essential (co-pay)…then something else can break on her…ugh even! Tonight since we don’t want to relax or anything we (Jim, Me, Jaz) will be going to the local tattoo parlor so Jaz can get her lip pierced…can’t wait…wonder if I can bow out?!?  Probably not, I gotta be the driver as usual, then go home so I can cook…Hmmm, getting a bit tired of my forever busy life!

 

Tab, Travis & Oliver were accepted at the Clinic View Apartments…just gotta wait for the money to come in the mail so the can move in, then the fun will begin at my house, I get my room back! Complete with closet, the living room will again be a LIVING room and the kitchen can be tidied and usable too! Sigh, Tab wants a microwave for a apartment warming gift…so that’s on my patter of things I won’t get but get to buy nonetheless. At least when they move and she works on the weekends Travis can watch Oliver…Perhaps she can even get her license, car and start driving herself all over…I can save gas and oh I don’t know, work 40 hours a week and chill occasionally?!?

 

I’m hoping to sew a bit this weekend unless of course Tab moves out…then I’ll be watching Oliver then disassembling the assorted rooms.  I’ve decided on a ‘professional tote’  I think having an actual pattern to work from will help immensely!  I’ve made a plethora of bags, totes and purses in the past but none ever truly worked for what I wanted / needed in a bag.  Something that matches ‘ME’ not the outfit I’m currently wearing but the rainbow flower earth mother on the inside just screaming to get out.  And have enough room for the assortment of everything I may carry on any particular day yet have room for those OMG we gotta hurry up and wait projects to keep me from hurting anyone. So here’s the pattern:

 

And the assortment of goodies I’ve purchases to complete it. 

 

Yeah all three zippers are different colors and the black fabric with daisies is made up since I couldn’t locate the correct fabric on the web.

So there ya go…and here I go! J

Hippity Hoppity Hump Day!

Shipping out 3 boxes of lovies today: 1 box crammed with assorted blankets going to Project Linus Greater Twin Cities, 3 quilts going to Heart Babies in Minneapolis, and 11 quilts going to tiny angels in West Virginia. Got another box of 3 quilts at home ready to go to Project Linus next week.

I’m hoping to pick up the fabric needed to start a ‘Home of the Brave’ quilt to make for an injured returning soldier or a killed in action soldier’s family. I’m getting 2 earthy browns, 1 blue & 1 green with a cream and dark red for the little squares.

Also on my massive list of ‘Wants’ I have 1 travel pillow so I can practice a Benjamin Smiles pillowcase for the Ronal McDonald House in Minneapolis. Gotta remember to send in the SASE to get the Benjamin labels for the cases.

Found a few other places I’d like to sew for: Angels for AIDS, a groups that makes nice warm lovies for babies up to young adult sized for people suffering the effects of AIDS, this is based out in California.

One I found a little closer to home is Warm Fuzzies that’s fleece blankets made for persons going through chemotherapy or surgeries related to cancer in Michigan. I plan to get 3 yards of 2 colors of fleece (male & female) and satin edging to complete 6 of these.

Then there’s Quilts from Caring Hands in Oregon. They take baby and youth sized quilts. I’ve made up mailing labels and a size list for all of these so I can just sew like a freak and ship as the boxes fill up.

AND some day soon the kids will be moving out soon. As soon as they get a check in the mail…then I’ll watch Oliver while they move, Jim will tear out the fence in our soon to be room, tear down ½ the wall so we have a living room again, and rearranging the computer room door with the living room door. He’ll be making it so the ½ door he puts in the living room wall doesn’t open, it’ll be like a window between the kitchen and the living room. Hopefully this will happen soon…VERY SOON!

Happy Fried Agg Eve

Perhaps within a week er so… the kids could move out… (calm almost can’t be seen happy dance!)

Here’s my new kitchen layout after the big event:

check it out, room to move…an actual eating area and good traffic flow!

And onto the living room…OMG I’ll have a living room again! it’s been so long! When taxes refunds come allong I’ll be getting a futon, some massive bean bag chair and a normal cumfy chair + a oh I’m thinking purple rug!

as I munch my pineapple chunks…we will be removing 1/2 of the wall that made the living room into a bedroom, givnig the kitchen and living room good traffic flow yet dividing them from each other quite nicely.  We’ll trade the front bed room’s door with the computer room’s 1/2 door making a window type deal in the wall between the living room and the kitchen for better shared lighting and air flow.  the 1/2 door will be nailed shut so there won’t be any bright let’s go through the 1/2 door moments.

Fried EggZ for 1 and all

All righty tidy…Friday is FINALLY here…This week has seemed to take for frickin’ ever!

With the $ cluster F (you know what I mean) for the kids…Tab being sick…Jaz just being really weenie about EVERYTHING…Me trying to smooth everything over for everyone as usual, having little luck and feeling the all encompassing failure that comes with motherhood… UGH!

Got my bonus check-ee-poo today…WOO HOO…it’s not like totally massive but it will be enough to get some head phones for my not-really-an-Ipod so my ears won’t hurt, a case of Dew for the weekend, hopefully a travel pillow so I can practice a Benjamin Smiles pillowcase, then off to the quilt shop in Waconia for a bit of silliness…we all need a wee release now and then.  Since Tab’s home sick, I’ll pick up Oliver from Day care and he can come with to Waconia.  When it’s just me and he…there’s usually very little weenieness…

Picked this up at Wall on Wednesday:

Got it baggied in my purse so I can find some fun fat quarters to go with it at the quilt shop.  No idea yet what I’ll be doing with this…probably a baby quilt and something wee for me out of the left overs…I love paisley and the bright colors!

I hope to accomplish my perfect tote this weekend…and perhaps even cut out the Home of the Brave quilt and a few benjamin Smiles pillowcases.  I always have such high hopes…perhaps when I’m no longer the Taxi service and stuff I can actually make plans for myself and actually accomplish a few things now and then!

Maude-Dae Maude-Dae

Oh Maude…it’s Monday…

 

K…the weekend was rather productive! Started Friday after work I was planning to bring Oliver with me to Target and the quilt shop.  He wasn’t coping well with the fact that his mom wasn’t in the Jeep…threw a fit followed by a shoe so I dropped him off at home with Tab.  I went alone.  I fell into step with all the other moms, grandmas and single chicks there with their baskets in hand and ‘green’ reusable totes wandering around trying to locate what we were there for, not get run over by any vicious breeders with their too many children running free to have a firm finger shaken at them occasionally and otherwise totally ignored by their perfectly coifed made up ever so thin mommies on their cell phone guffawing uproariously at what ever Stacy, Brittany, or Courtney just said from 2 isles over. Yeah I’m that kind off pissy shopper!  I said nothing though…just wander to a different location!  Found a travel pillow…ONE in the entire store.  Got 2 sets of baby spoons & forks for Tiny Angels.  Found nifty assed wicked cool HOT pink breast cancer awareness headphones for my not-an-IPod-shuffle so I can walk at work now and use them as earmuffs! Picked up a couple nice dishtowels for the kitchen too…Teal and hot pink!  Perfect!  Then off to the quilt shop where I found 10 different fat quarters for the Home of the Brave quilt I’m working on.  Very nice muted dark reds, dark blues, browns and greens!  Also picked up a yard each of mottled hot pink and Robert Kaufman or Hoffman print that’s FABULOUS for the Extreme Retinal Damage but keep Jim warm Quilt.  This should finish the top now.  Payday I’ll pick up a hot pink or purple king-sized flat sheet and an inexpensive light colored bedspread to use in lieu of batting then I can really get to work on completing it.  If Tab, Travis and Olie don’t move out soo I’ll ask mom if I can borrow her front room floor for pinning and yarning.  I think I’ll just quilt the outside border to keep the blanket from shifting and yarn the rest of the quilt. Then when I get my room back there will be a fantabulous new loving covering the whole bed!

 

Started and FINISHED my professional tote all in one day and it didn’t take 11 hours like it would have in the class…took 5-6 hours in fact and only had to tear out 2 seams.  I love it…massively massive!  When empty Oliver can sit uncomfortably in it, there’s a middle pocket…

Chrystaline Brontosausus

Chrystaline Brontosaurus…look no really look…not at my shadow…
do you see him (I’m just figuring it’s a him, have to be pretty tough to be out in this cold)?
he has no tail and he’s looking over his shoulder…during my lunch walk

The combination of salt, ice inhibitor and water makes bulbous crystalline monster foot prints in the breakdown lane where I walked today. 

Made it all the way to the 1^st mailbox past 90^th street…that makes 1 mile in half an hour. 

My breath billows hotly in the slight breeze. 

Whilst the Dresden dolls scream angst in my ears…the occasional call of a crow makes it’s way past the ear mashing headphones. 

The sounds of the tires rushing past me sound odd in the cold…kind of a ripping sound of pain. 

860 calories with NO fat calories all day for breakfast & lunch…shouldn’t I be loosing weight?!?

I’m just a bit opinionated!

Man crashes vehicle into Planned Parenthood in St. Paul

ST. PAUL — A man purposely rammed a vehicle into front door of Planned Parenthood in Highland Park.

The incident happened at 7:30 a.m. on Thursday in St. Paul.

A 32-year-old man told St. Paul Police he intentionally drove his SUV into the front door of the Planned Parenthood located at 1965 Ford Parkway in St. Paul.

A spokesperson for Planned Parenthood says one employee was at the front desk ten feet from the door. Most of the staff was in the building preparing to open for the day. No one was injured.

The man was immediately arrested on the scene for aggravated assault.

Planned Parenthood showed a KARE11 crew surveillance tape of the incident. They could not release it due to the ongoing investigation.

The tape shows the man driving his SUV down the sidewalk and clipping a retaining wall before steering into the front door of the clinic. He then backed up, and rammed it two more times. The driver got out of his vehicle and began waving a crucifix. He surrendered to police when they arrived.

KARE 11 crews on the scene say the damage to the building is minimal. There is damage to the trim of the front door from the vehicle.

Planned Parenthood CEO Sarah Stoesz says she is saddened by the incident, and adds that nothing like it has ever happened at the clinic on Ford Parkway. While that clinic is the only one in the Metro area that performs abortions, Stoesz insists that only 5 percent of its patients actually are there for an abortion.

Tim Stanley, executive director of Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota, said patients were still being seen at the clinic on Thursday.

Thursday marks the 36-year anniversary of Roe v. Wade. The Roe decision said that most laws against abortion in the U.S. violated constitutional rights to privacy.

K…here I go with my wee bit of WTF-age… WHY do men think they have to do anything like this?  Has this man ever had sex much less fathered a child?  Why does he think he needs to make a decision for the entire female species?!?  Hmmm?  Why?  Women have the RIGHT to make their own decisions about their bodies, reproduction and anything that dwells in there.  And YEAH I am PRO CHOICE!  Not pro abortion…pro choice…if a woman any woman even my own daughters feel that for their well-being that they need to abort a fetus…then so be it.  I will not ever stand in anyone’s way or stomp on their rights to make their own decisions about their bodies! Damn already…grow up and cope…we are ALL different and ALL have different beliefs…LIVE WITH IT!

Fraidegg fabulous Friedegg

Painful happy dance…the kids are actually moving to their apartment this weekend!  Tab told me this morning right before we left for work.  SO…tomorrow I was planning on going out and about with mom…Oliver will be coming with now, so mom thinks dad can keep an eye on him at their house while we bop to Wally in search of curtains for my soon to be bedroom and looks like the living room too.  I’ve got lovely black faux velvet drapes pn the side windows so I think all I’m gonna look for are drapes and a valance for the front bowed window.  Also since I have a 20 floating around my change purse I think I’m gonna get ½ yard of each of the cute frog fabrics they have at Wally too along with solid mint, pink and maybe light blue or lavender to make a Froggy quilt.  Should be too totally cute!  Perhaps a heart baby quilt!

 

I’ll be calling Jim soon to let him know that they will be moving this weekend so to be ready to tear down the fence and gate in the bedroom and ½ the wall in the living room.  Heavens I SO cannot wait!  Perhaps I’ll be sleeping in my bedroom as soon as Saturday night!  Bet I’ll sleep well with all that quiet back there with out all the traffic in front of the house! Update: called Jim…he’s bringing home a celebratory poppa John’s pizza for supper tonight and will be ready to help tomorrow with the big disassemble and move!

 

When I’m out with mom, worrying about dad and Oliver the whole time, I’m going to pick up a phone to hook up in the bedroom, so I don’t have to run past Jazmin’s moldering corpse to answer the phone on feet that feel like the bone is slicing through my heels. And price throw rugs for the bedroom since Tab’s taking the black rug from the bedroom with her.

 

Whoa…the owner of the company just called me…ME…to make sure I put his revised write up in the company newsletter…I did…huh, does that mean anything, or am I still a bit freaked about the whole gonna getta bedroom this weekend…probably the bedroom!

 

Sweet Oliver has his last day of day care today.  I feel so bad for him. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t understand what’s going on.  He’s going to really miss his little guys…Carson, Carson, Cameron, Hunter, Hunter’s cute little brother, the girls…and Josey the Chihuahua…not to mention Karen one of the best daycare operator’s I have ever met! (tear) Then Monday he’ll start daycare/preschool/speech therapy…total huge change to his day, different rooms, new kids, many new adults…then to have a new place to live too without the backup he has at our house…hopefully if Tab has any days that he’s horrible and she needs time she’ll think to call me…she can drop him off any time!  We love the little boogar! Especially Jim…Olie’s his little man.  Once Oliver gets a bit older he can walk to our place on his own…after letting his mom know 1^st of course.  It’ll be good that he has an extended family this close by.  Not a lot of kids have that now with both parents having to work and grandparents having to forgo retirement so they work till dead too.  At least when Olie’s new daycare will be off in June and I think August I’ll have my vacation time so I can take him, still get paid and Tab can not have to worry about working…

O MY F-in-Hymer Maude!

O MY F-in-hymer Maude!

Welcome to Monday and the insanity ensues! I got to work 5 minutes late so I have to stay till 3:35 in hopes of getting 8 very needed hours of work in.  UGH! SO…after our group weekend of horrid stress with a dollop of hell we were hoping Oliver’s new preschool/daycare/speech therapy would be a tad bit easy on us and on Oliver…Well NO what were we thinking?  I hurried this morning to grab Olie’s snow pants at our house so he’d have them for day care um yeah it will be a high of fricking 8 today and this little guy will be thrown out in the cold…great!  Jump in my not even close to warmed up vehicle drive like a freak to Tab’s apartment so a shell-shocked and weeping Oliver can be crammed into his carseat crying for his baby that he can’t bring with. We get there and the lone chick there has no idea what paperwork Tab has to continue to fill out after filling out a trees worth of crap already.  I’m trying to get Oliver calmly interested in the toys while yanking all his winter crap off of him.  Woman 1 say it’s fine that we don’t have Olie’s shoes with that she sees the preschoolers in their socks quite often…then comes woman # 2…unhappy about Oliver’s not total potty training…after Tab had spoken to chick number Z about it and it being found to be acceptable.  Broad # 2 asks where Oliver’s lunch is…Yeah NO ONE told Tab that Oliver would be needing a lunch packed…WTF?!?  Our tax dollars at work?!?  What a joke, the paperwork Tab had said Breakfast, Lunch and snacks were included in the amount we are now paying for this!  Color me too tired and too much pain to even be as flippant as I’d like to be!  So with the clock ticking Tab and I leap back into the Jeep, Pass Travis on his way to work, to my house to throw together a semblance of a lunch for Olie with one of his croissants, pudding and a juice…Tab runs it into the school and I think chick # 2 says OH, Oliver’s 4….he can get hot lunch…just fill out more paper work….welcome to 6:45…I have 15 minutes to get to Delano, drop Tab at Mickey D’s and get me back to MMI…F-ing Joke…Then chick # 2 tells Tab she’ll have to go home to get Oliver’s shoes, he can’t be in socks…He will be spending the day in his boots…I really hope his day goes better than ours has started. As I pulled up to Mickey D’s Tab’s phone is ringing…they’re calling her to tell her she’s late…ONE MINUTE F-ING LATE!  Ass wipes! You’ll have to pardon my language…ugh! Yet another reason my daughter’s were NEVER in daycare!  UGH!  I’d rather be poor than driven over the edge by the people who are supposed to care for my child in my absence!

 

On the move: The kids were basically totally moved into their apartment Saturday night.  Course it hadn’t been cleaned so Tab got to scrub all the previously viewed people scatterings all day yesterday.  Yum!  We got our bed room mostly moved yesterday, the wall in the living room removed, the fence in the bedroom Jim and Jaz removed late Saturday night while I hung the new curtains.  Tonight once my dashing about is completed, I’ll be throwing Lasagna into the oven and working on the living room. Just could get into it yesterday.  I was eventually just hobbling about on painful feet since I wore the Vans yesterday with no squishing insoles for all the work and grocery shopping…Got all the clothes moved from the computer room into our closet…how nice now I can like dress looking adequate rather than always in t-shirts!  The dressers and bed are all in there and filled.  The giant Jimi Hendrix is in Jim’s corner.  The purple batik is over the bed with our handfasting cord, all is well…tired, achy, but well.  Tab Travis and Oliver are in Stephi’s old apartment so I can find them in my sleep!  Plus we can see their windows from our front window.  So, they’re just across the way.  Kinda nice!  They can just wave if they want!

 

Yesterday Jazmin’s older rat Lucy passed away.  Jaz was holding her at the time.  L So Jazmin has Gertie the Snake beater rat and Gideon the insane red squirrel who was running around like a total freak last night.  Once the living room is all put together and vacuumed (what a mess!) He can run all over without any worries.

 

Wow my legs hurt!  We moved so much yesterday!  I hope Tab’s day at work goes well.  I really hope Oliver’s day goes OK.  I don’t want him to ever feel bad that the adults in charge aren’t on the same page.  These little guys depend on them knowing what’s up and sharing information…They better step to! That’s the Nana talking of course…they don’t listen to me! That them…ugh!

Price of children

 

This is just too good not to pass on to all. Something absolutely positive for a change. I have repeatedly seen the breakdown of the cost of raising a child, but this is the first time I have seen the rewards listed this way. It’s nice.
 
The government recently calculated the cost of raising a child from birth to 18 and came up with $160,140.00 for a middle income family.  Talk about price shock! That doesn’t even touch college tuition.
 
But $160,140.00 isn’t so bad if you break it down. It translates into:
 
   * $8,896.66 a year,
   * $741.38 a month, or
   * $171.08 a week.
   * That’s a mere $24.24 a day!
   * Just over a dollar an hour.
   
Still, you might think the best financial advice is don’t have children if you want to be ‘rich.’ Actually, it is just the opposite.
   
What do you get for your $160,140.00?
 
  * Naming rights. First, middle, and last!
  * Glimpses of Maude every day.
  * Giggles under the covers every night.
  * More love than your heart can hold.
  * Butterfly kisses and Velcro hugs.
  * Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm cookies.
  * A hand to hold, usually covered with jelly or chocolate.
  * A partner for blowing bubbles and flying kites.
  * Someone to laugh yourself silly with, no matter what the boss said or how your stocks performed that day.  
 
 
For $160,140.00, you never have to grow up. You get to:
 
  * finger-paint,
  * carve pumpkins,
  * play hide-and-seek,
  * catch lightning bugs, and
  * never stop believing in Santa Claus.
 
   You have an excuse to:
 
  * keep reading the Adventures of Piglet and Pooh,
  * watch Saturday morning cartoons,
  * go to Disney movies, and
  * wish on stars.
  * You get to frame rainbows, hearts, and flowers under refrigerator magnets and collect! spray painted noodle wreaths for Christmas, hand prints set in clay for Mother’s Day, and cards with backward letters for Father’s Day.
   
For a mere $24.24 a day, there is no greater bang for your buck.  You get to be a hero just for:
 
   * retrieving a Frisbee off the garage roof,
   * taking the training wheels off a bike,
   * removing a splinter,
   * filling a wading pool,
   * coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs, and coaching a baseball team that never wins but always gets treated to ice cream regardless.
 
 
You get a front row seat in history to witness the:
  * first step,
  * first word,
  * first bra,
  * first date, and
  * first time behind the wheel.
   
You get to be immortal. You get another branch added to your family tree, and if you’re lucky, a long list of limbs in your obituary called grandchildren and great grandchildren. You get an education in psychology, nursing, criminal justice, communications, and human sexuality that no college can match.
   
In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there under Maude. You have all the power to heal a boo-boo, scare away the monsters under the bed, patch a broken heart, police a slumber party, ground them forever, and love them without limits, so one day they will, like you, love without counting the cost. That is quite a deal for the price!!!!!!!
 
Love & enjoy your children & grandchildren & great-grandchildren !!!!!!!
It’s the best investment you’ll make!

Cool Ked

Cool shoe I frappe’d on http://zazzle.com out of JPEGs of a few of the quilts I’ve made.  I will SO be getting a pair of these when I get my taxes…I can have quilt chick feet then!

Preppy Love Purse

January 28th 2009

Wicked too totally cute purse I made in like 3 hours…I got the pattern off the web fer free…blew it up on the copier…cut it all out planning to sew it this weekend but some how managed to get the whole thing done in one evening even throwing in dinner, making a set of Wall-E cutrains for Oliver’s new room, a shower and going to bed on time…too cool!

Sewing maniac…itZ catchy!

January 31^st 2009

I try to practice any new or haven’t been attempted in a while block before planning a MASSIVE project using the block.  I cut out 4 civil war sanitary quilt blocks…figured I’d just sew them into a wee quilt to donate…but rather made them into a blindingly bright tote bag! 12X12X6 rather than the HUGE professional tote or the cute but too small preppy love purse…

 

Used variegated green/yellow machine embroidery thread to do the quilting. Side pockets are from block cut in half, just the right size finished to hole my travel sewing kit in one and mail in the other.  Inside pocket is one block folded in half.

 

Interior fabric is this painfully wicked cool screaming flower child fabric I found at Wally-Mart.

 

I finished it in a day…really didn’t time myself, but made it to bed by 2am…

 

 

February 1^st 2009

Needed the ‘perfect’ wallet…can never find one with enough space for what I actually need to carry with out the space for crap I don’t even have i.e. check book…made this one in a couple hours, white we were trying to NOT watch to super bowl…My license fits perfect in the lil plastic window.  2 pockets inside to hold money, change and the plethora of cards…too COOL!!!

Or shall I say spicy HOT!

Next one I make will not have a metal zipper though! Jaz want me to make her one…gotta have her pick out 2 colors…Still gotta chunk of the red from mine I could use on hers…I’ll have to see if blood clot red works for her…I’ll have to see if Tab would like me to make her one too…

 

 

As of February 2nd the Rainbowie-Severe-Retinal-Damage-But-Keep-Jim-Warm king-sized quilt has gotten to the damn near close to finished stage.  The length is now just right.  Just need to add 24 inches more of borders to the width then I can finally get this monstrosity made into a quilt.  I have a black flat sheet for the back and a nice heavy blanket to use in lieu of batting.

 

I am sick, SICK, sick of being sick! I’VE HAD THE FLU ALL WEEKEND… Hmmm caps…that’s eyecatching!  Still sick but hopefully not contagious.  Gotta work, I can’t afford not to…OY!  Now pleurisy is having a good time maiming me every time I cough or sneeze.  Oh to be old with a crapped out immune system!  Poor Olie has quite the cough too.  I’m thinking it’s from catching a chill at school since they put the kids out side unless it’s below 0…Hopefully his cough won’t turn into anything worse than it is now. Jim’s still sick too, but going to work like a trooper.  Thank Maude for Day-Quil, Sudafed, and the painkillers I can look forward to when I get home!  Rent this week…sigh!  Can’t wait to get my taxes back!  Finally get some furniture in my living room!  The camp chairs are wearing on me!

tired…sick…cranky

I do so being ill…well ill in combination with the unhealthy that is me.  Been sick for about a week…gross cough, cement in my sinuses…expanding, exploding, pressure causing, cement…can’t blow it or snarf it…just dangles there behind my left eye making filing a real joy as well as picking up Oliver, putting on my shoes…oh yeah, it’s pretty!

Get paid today…pay rent…call in my Rx which I hope Jim can pick up for me on Friday as I’m gonna pay 100% of the rent…tired of paying rent too!  HEY where’s my rent receipt for 2008 and 2007?!?  sure would like to get credit for paying it!  Pukes!  Yeah I’m sick…I hate everyone when I’m sick…alright not everyone…just the people that just normally piss me off…now I really despise their mere existence!

Got a quilt for hmm…Project Linus or maybe tiny angels…on the machine.  Bought a cool little baggie marked bright at the quilt shop full of chunks, strips and even some charm squares all brightly colored.  Made four 4-patch blocks…threw in some interesting borders and wrapped it all up with a 6.5 inch wide pastel rainbow striped border look way cute! baby or girlie!  probably girlie, there’s butterflies on some of the squares.

Got fabric piled and ready to cut for Benjamin Smiles pillow cases, received the labels for those in the mail from his mom.  Got a nice stack for at least 1 Home of the Brave quilt.  Some yummy flannel for Tiny Angels.  Wonderful pink and love shades for a heart baby quilt (will I ever finish the Heap of Sheep quilt I started last year?).  And some MEGA bright and sassy prints for a Project Linus quilt…now all I need is unlimited time, a pile of batting, a few spools of thread and postage!  Yeah all I need…

Tax lady called today…In about a week I can go sign my tax papers, pay $155 and off they’ll go…hopefully I’ll get my refund back real quick! I got plans!  Pay ALL the outstanding medical bills, pay the entire gas/electric bill, pay for my Jeep insurance for the next year, rent a massive roll off bin this spring to clean out the shed, entry way and anything in the house we’re tired of falling over, furniture: 3 chairs, and a couple floor pillows for the living room, wood to replace the floors in the bathroom and hallway, tile wall board to replace the walls in the shower, (sigh) and IF there’s anything left over (ha right) the fabric and quilt needs I have a list of out of Keepsake Quilting and send some $ to Tiny Angels to help with the shipping of the baby things.   Hmmm, we shall see…shan’t we?!?

*Sniff…Cough…hork…snarf*

weekend too quick!

Amazing how fast the time goes when it’s limited!

But I did manage to complete the top of a quilt for some sweet baby who’s not feeling too well.  When it’s done I’ll send it to Heart Babies in Minneapolis.

 

Trimmed up the monster template and taped it down to the kitchen table… have the muslin all ironed and taped down over it…Hopefully I can get the lines traced tonight.

 

I zipped up hmmm, no idea how many assorted purple 9-patches for hmm, tiny angel quilts, perhaps a Snuggle Bunny quilt too.  Saved out 4-orphaned ones to make a table runner probably for my mom for mother’s day or perhaps her anniversary in June.  She has a thing for purple.

I’ll have to make a red and black runner for the coffee table I hope to get along with the furniture when taxes come back.

Sigh…another day another dollar…

Henry Rollins Stumpy Butt!

“Henry Rollins Stumpy Butt”

 

4 day headache

Welcome to day 4 of a lovely headache that actually woke me up last night just to make sure I still noticed it.  Lovely.  It’s all on the left side of my head so it’s either a migraine just hanging out till I give up and drug myself into unconsciousness to get rid of it or it’s one of those intermittent headaches from my under control epilepsy just reminding me that every seizure caused a wee bit of damage…so keep taking those medications…sigh…every few months this happens…just to remind me my head is really a bit off. Oy!  I’m not calling the blanketty blank doctor though because all they do is discuss stress, caffeine, work, take a gallon of blood and send me home with duh-duh-duh-duh…Advil.  I’m not in the mood to pay a massive bill and take what I already have at home. Blend the headache with the achiness that never goes away and the forever tired…oh yeah I’m pretty useless at times! 

 

I sewed a whole lot of nothing this weekend.  I hate when I don’t accomplish something.  I did however make assorted piles of fabric for assorted quilts I can make some time in the future.  Jim put up the shelves so they go all the way around the living room about 10 inches down from the ceiling.  I painted the bottom of every shelf crayon red and the edge matte black.  On my Fridays off I will be painting the wall behind the shelf up to the ceiling vibrant purple, semi-gloss. When complete it should look FABULOUS what with the black velvet drapes on the side windows and the red tie up fabric blinds across the front…I want to get a vibrant purple throw rug to cover the ugly tan carpeting, then with the black and or red furniture I plan to get…wow a living room that actually like oh I don’t know…matches…too odd!  I could get used to living in a home albeit a ‘vintage’ (1973) trailer as long as we actually have the comforts of home for a change!

 

We had Oliver for a bit on Friday while Travis was at work.  I managed to trade the painting table for the kitchen table so when I do get to so next it will be lovely with a rectangular surface rather than the odd egg shape of the painting table.  Course not I really don’t like the egg table in the kitchen cuz it so small and doesn’t blend with the bench or the chair.  Some day I’ll be satisfied.  Ha, yeah right! Did manage to trace the foundation piece for the monster pineapple with Oliver’s assistance, He held the table in place…it wasn’t really going anywhere…

 

Jim and I traded Valentines gifts Friday after Oliver went home.  He got me the sweetest card, how I make him laugh and stuff.  What a sweetie pie! Gosh I love him! He got me a wicked cool black bracelet too.  I got him a Homer Simpson card that talked.  I think I should have looked for a ‘feeling’ card instead.  Thursday is his birthday, I plan to get him a flip shut track phone since he’s always talking about getting one and he never did.  Found a cool law and order card that makes the noise of the show when you open it. 

 

Today on the way home after picking up Tab’s paycheck since she doesn’t work today, I’m stopping at the dollar store with my 3 dollars and getting a few plastic baskets to hold the ever growing tidied fabric menagerie. Then pick up Oliver at school, pick up the mail, drop off Oliver, finally get home, put the pork loin in the oven, locate the paper cutter (bottom brown drawer under the frog tank in the kitchen) and start properly labeling the fabric.  Got such an assortment if I label it at least I’ll be able to find what I’m looking for eventually.

As I sit munching

from my wee can of peaches, in heavy syrup of course…I look at the sweet gift my sweet lima bean man got me…

yeah I know it wasn’t horribly expensive, I’m perfectly happy being a cheap date, specially n this economy.  I’ve never needed diamonds, gold, roses.  I’m ok with pretty stones, silver and a card!  Just to have him look at the racks of silly, tacky, wacky, occasionally sad costume jewelry and find the one that I would like the most and actually wear to death, is enough to let me know that I finally found the guy in the world who is truly my soul mate.  We may not like all the same things, some of his music may pain my ears as I’m sure mine does his, we may not agree on politics and all, but we still are perfect together!  I make him laugh, he makes me laugh…we love freakishly spooky movies and he doesn’t get mad when I scream along.  He appreciates that I ache most of the time.  I appreciate that he works to exhaustion most days.

Gosh but he’s just too totally dandy!

 

Remind me to make something turquoise and orange…those colors look wicked lovely together!

photoshop B-4 quilting

I made 4 postcard sized rectangles out of 4 different lovely batiks then painted goddesses on them with metallic paint (4 different colors of course) they’ve lived in a baggie with a few other batiks I’ve found along the way for almost a year now…I going to finally make them into a wall quilt with prairie points along the bottom!

Contemplated in WORD, then tranfered into Paint then arcsoft to make it into a jpeg.

this one’s been Gimped to see what the colors would look like.  The pastel/metallic batik prarie points are already cut out and all the fabrics are ready for the big chop n sew!  I really can’t wait, some hand quilting for in front of the boob tube.  I’ve got this great outerspace stars and planets fabric I’m going to use for the backing…should be a weight inducing feast for the eyes!

goddess runner pieced

K so I thought I had 4 painted goddess squares in my baggie of do this when you have time…come to find out I had 8…my goddess wall hanging has turned into a goddess table runner for the coffee table I haven’t purchased yet.  All machine pieced and ready for copious hand quilting.

Approximately 52 inches long by 20 inches tall not including the prairie points.

The frappe’ of batiks and the green stars and the yellow check in between the goddesses plays a happy tune on my retinas.  The dark blue water/flame fabric and the metallic batik wrap it all up into a definite keeper.  Shhh…all my favorite fabrics have found their way into this…happy giggly dance…I can’t wait to get home so I can get to quilting it!

 

I LOVE the fabric for the backing.  I can flip the runner over and have the universe staring up when the mood hits me.  The quilting stitches should look way too dandy on this side!

 

Machine sewing completed February 17th 2009

a lil cheese with that whine

When-Z-dae eve and have many plans for payday…as it were…32.5 hours give er take. Minus medical insurance, let’s see 98 bucks…minus 401K –unattractive sound-…joke… 10 bucks, 61 cents…take away FICA 32 bucks, yank out federal tax um, 34.42…pry out state tax oooh, 15.55…then there car insurance this week…heavens I do hope I get my taxes soon… Nonetheless after getting the money order for car insurance Gotta mail out the box of batiks I traded for the fabulous dancing under the moon plate when I pick up the money order and the 1 stamp. Gas up the Jeep, and I’m off the Heavenly Patchwork to pick up my Dear Jane quilt book… -hands in air which looks odd for me and a hoot hoot-get another yard of light cream batik for background and browse the plethora of novelty fat quarters…and if $ allows get 1 yard of a bright solid-ish teal/turquoise and 1 yard of something rainbowie-eye-burning with lack so I can FINALLY finish the Extreme-Retinal-Damage-Rainbowie-but-keep-Jim-Warm-Quilt, whew it would be ever so nice to get our quilt done before winter ends! I’ll have to stop at Douber’s and get hmmm, 5-6 skeins of bright embroidery floss for the tying since I’m only machine quilting the outer borders to keep the blanket inside from shifting too much.

(sewing corner)

When I ever get the tax check…I’ve got to order a roll off trash bin so we can totally clean out the shed and entry way to make room for all of dad’s saws and carpentry equipment he’s giving Jim. Pay up the gas/electric bill (UGH), pay off all of Jazmin’s medical bills, Maude I haven’t even added them all up because I’m afraid of the total! Get furniture for the living room so we can put away the camping chairs, which are too totally uncomfortable. I really want NEW furniture but it looks like we’ll be going to Saver’s or some other previously viewed store. Sigh! Just a love seat, perhaps a rocking type chair for me, a coffee table…something for Jaz to sit on…You know I look at the grand total of my tax rebate and although it is dandy, I see just how fast it will leave my hands and where it all will go…won’t be going into fixing up the house, won’t go to a bit of clothing or new shoes, I just really hope there’s a chunk left so I can go through a few fabric catalogues and get fixin’s for the next years worth of quilts to donate. Oh and pay up my car insurance for an entire year so I have one less bill every month. Money really sucks when you have it, when you don’t, when you need it…UGH!

(Sewing Corner again!)

Oh to be the working poor! Jim is totally stressed; one of the welders where he works was laid off yesterday. There are only 5 employees where he is so you can imagine how slow it must be to have 20% of your workforce not working. He hopes he’s not next, Maude me too! Just for his sanities sake if nothing else. There’s a part timer there still. I’m hoping if nothing else that guy will be next for the chopping block before Jim. I mean we will survive with him on unemployment till he can find something else. Just tighten the belt in a few places; we’ll be fine.

(dandy shelves by Jim!)

I brought home a list of phone numbers yesterday for Jazmin to call to search for employment. I can see her MySpace activities from work and her being ‘bored’ is getting mighty tiring! Course then there’s her hand out every time she senses money in my wallet and that she has basically quit doing any chores at home (thus no allowance). Way tiring. If she can’t do anything at home AT ALL except whine and complain she can get a job so she has a reason to be tired.

(Hyachinth in the kitchen window)

Speaking of whining…I think I’ve done enough!

hippity hoppity happy hump day

Happy Hump Day…well for me it’s my Friday eve also since my Fridays are free of charge now.  WOW just got my 1^st 32-hour paycheck…good thing I was already sitting down or I would have surely collapsed in a dead heap!  8 missing hours and more taxes being taken out…talk about shock and awe.  Could have handed me a live grenade and it wouldn’t have peeled my eyes off the lack of money.  Thank Maude in HIMMEL Jim still has a job and is still working 40 hours per week. As I knock on simulated wood grain…Nonetheless I have much to do with this pittance!

 

Jazmin has tonsillitis and of course there are no samples of antibiotics at the clinic so I get to go there 1^st after cashing this joke on paper and hopefully not have to give them more than half of it for the drugs.  Gotta get Gas…another painful moment, male out the box of fabric in trade for the pretty plate…I’ll forgo car insurance till Saturday when I cash my state tax refund, got that yesterday…honestly I’m shocked anyone getting a refund this year is being allowed to actually have it at the rate everything’s going!  Rant!  Then drop off Tab and Oliver at their apartment…drop off Jazmin’s drugs…

 

And go all alone to the quilt shop for my Dear Jane book and colors for the 1^st 2 or 3 or 9 blocks…I’ve it all figured out…each block will be a different color of the rainbow!

 

See?!?  Hope it shows! Totally cool in a totally not 1930’s reproduction way!  BOOWAHAHAHA! All the backgrounds will be dappled crème colored batik except the white blocks, which will have bright rainbow batik for the background.  Although damn near destitute, I’m really looking forward to starting this MASSIVE project.  I realize ‘Cornea-Sizzling-Synapse-Frying-Dear-Jane’s-a-Pain-in-the-Quilt’ will take quite a while to accomplish but it will be well worth the time and pin pricks.  Should painfully fan-tab-u-lous!  Well hey…keeps me out of the bars…ha…hate bars…don’t even hardly ever drink anything fiercer than coffee…go figure!

 

Saturday Jim and I, perhaps Jaz if she’s no longer catchy, will venture into the beeg ceety Minneapolis to cash the tax check, get the money order for the car insurance and one for my order from keepsake quilting…then to a few hopefully only a few previously viewed furniture stores to sniff and I do really mean sniff out some furniture for the living room.  Having never had brand new furniture in the living room and having gotten many a used piece of furniture I know exactly what I do NOT want coming into the house!  Anything thread bare, anything with cat/dog/other hair on it, anything with critters living in it i.e. fleas My penny pinching X found a chair in the trash…not sitting on the side of the road saying free but chucked into a dumpster, brought it home and not only was the chair infested with fleas soon our cat and in fact I had flea bites too…we had to bomb the apartment and chuck the chair.  I put a sign on it that said beware: fleas! And ANYTHING with an odor!  I got a really nice looking couch from a co-worker once…the smell of cigarettes was so overpowering you could get a contact high just from brushing up against it…the smell NEVER left the couch. Had it for over a year and every time I walked into my house the smell hit me like a brick.  Since I don’t smoke my nose works just fine, almost too well at times…so what ever we find for the living room has to be more than just Fabreezed for quick sale. I want a comfy chair preferably a rocking but not spinning type.  Jim wants a recliner but since we have an ottoman perhaps just a comfy chair would be OK.  Jaz wants one of those video chair deal that looks like an upholstered banana.  And a coffee table.  I’d really prefer everything to be black, red, purple or any combination of those three.  Perhaps once we fill the truck with non-stinky bug free slightly attractive furniture I hope we can go to IHOP, never been there…I’d love some French toast and sausage!  Hoping we can be super time efficient so we can grab groceries on the way home so Sunday will be mine to cut, sew, contemplate!

Ever so March!

WELCOME TO MARCH!

Got the smaller of the Tax checks so FINALLY have furniture in the living room!  We browsed a couple discount furniture places in Columbia Heights to no avail!  Oy!  Either ugly colors (really…sea foam green couch?) or way flipping too much ($500 for the chair Jaz liked) so off we went to Ikea…where we all found exactly what we wanted and I could afford it!  Jim got a recliner with ottoman,

Jaz a springy black chair with foor stool and I got my garish black rocking chair and Tab gave me a black foot stool… so now all I need is a purple rug to cover the ugly assed tan carpeting in the living room!

 My 1st dear Jane block…all done on my friday off from work… doing them by hand as they’re too tiny fo me to use my machine with out having fits and paper piecing didn’t work for me…

Pinwheel Gone Awry

1-2 buckle my shoe using orange poppy on dappled batik! 2-27-09

Shhh I got lazy with this one…appliquéd a circle of batik onto dotted yellow then appliquéd the curvy cross onto it… Renamed Bumble Bee Moon 2-28-09

Renamed this one Dr. Jensen’s Stethoscope since he’s been our doctor since Tab was a fetus way back in 1987. 2-28-09

Jaz’s Bon Fire…we don’t camp but Jazmin has many bonfires in the yard during the spring summer and fall…what’s interesting is we burned this rather crappy laminate stuff and the flame was almost this shade of teal…I’m sure totally poisonous and unhealthy! 3-1-2009

my dear jane insanity

Row-Block	My Title	Original Title	Page #	Color	Background
A-01	Pinwheel Gone Awry	Pinwheel gone awry	17	Red	Light batik
A-02	1-2 buckle my shoe	One two buckle my shoe	17	Orange	Light batik
A-03	Bumble bee moon	Hunter’s moon	18	Yellow	Light batik
A-04	Dr. Jensen’s Stethoscope	Courtney’s stethoscope	18	Green	Light batik
A-05	Jazz’s Bon fire	Cathie’s campfire	19	Teal	Light batik
A-06	Sweetie Uncle Stevie	Uncle homer	19	Light blue	Light batik
A-07	Dear Old Dad’s Plaids	Dad’s plaids	20	Dark blue	Light batik
A-08	Flo Nightingale	Florence nightingale	20	Bright purple	Light batik
A-09	Trailer Park Fever	Cabin fever	22	Lavander	Light batik
A-10	Witch Points West?	Which points west	22	Hot pink	Light batik
A-11	Yane’s Protest	Pebble’s protest	23	Kissy pink	Light batik
A-12	Mom in a fancy frame	Framed fancy	23	Black	Light batik
A-13	Work day or night	Star light star bright	24	White	Rainbow batik
B-01	Batchelor Buttons in da garden	Bachelor buttons	24	White	Rainbow batik
B-02	Rhubarb pie	Sweet tator pie	25	Red	Light batik
B-03	Looking at you looking at me	Mirror image	25	Orange	Light batik
B-04	Neal’s Soccer Field	Chris’ soccer field	27	Yellow	Light batik
B-05	Hot toasty Buns	Hot crossed buns	27	Green	Light batik
B-06	Catch a pretty duck	Wild goose chase	28	Teal	Light batik
B-07	Kick ball diamond	World series	28	Light blue	Light batik
B-08	Water Lily in lake Minnetonka	Water lily	29	Dark blue	Light batik
B-09	Tinker Toys all over the floor	Tinker toy	29	Bright purple	Light batik
B-10	Dr. Whistler’s Trophy	Judd’s trophy	30	Lavander	Light batik
B-11	Cross the T	Melissa’s cross	30	Hot pink	Light batik
B-12	Blood roots in bloom	Star flower	32	Kissy pink	Light batik
B-13	Always in the middle	Four corner press	32	Black	Light batik
C-01	Odd copper’s Badge	Trooper green’s badge	33	Black	Light batik
C-02	Young Mr. Dressen Teacher o the year	Streak of lightening	33	White	Rainbow batik
C-03	Wanna build a Fence	Rayelle’s fence	34	Red	Light batik
C-04	Modern Molding fun colors	Tic-tac-toe	34	Orange	Light batik
C-05	Tropical depression	Eye of the cyclone	35	Yellow	Light batik
C-06	Sweet Oliver’s Aura	Ashley’s aura	35	Green	Light batik
C-07	Feeling flowery	Megan’s mountain laurel	36	Teal	Light batik
C-08	King of everything Crown	Hani’s crown	36	Light blue	Light batik
C-09	Tear jerker	Jane’s tears	38	Dark blue	Light batik
C-10	Revier’s Lantern	Patriot’s lantern	38	Bright purple	Light batik
C-11	Height’s Welder Man	Soldier and sailor’s monument	39	Lavander	Light batik
C-12	Scary Multi-Family Reunion	Family reunion	39	Hot pink	Light batik
C-13	Sioux City SD moment	Lakota Sioux	40	Kissy pink	Light batik
D-01	Sully’s Guiding Light	Alison’s guiding light	40	Kissy Pink	Light batik
D-02	Rat in the Mirror	Mouse in a mirror	42	Black	Light batik
D-03	Stepping on Jacks	Jason’s jacks	42	White	Rainbow batik
D-04	Friend Crystal’s Star	Crystal’s star	43	Red	Light batik
D-05	Gumma’s Pretty Window	Cathedral window	43	Orange	Light batik
D-06	Good may the long walk do ya	Challenge	44	Yellow	Light batik
D-07	In the living room	Meeting place	44	Green	Light batik
D-08	Many Cousin’s Delight	Dee Dee’s delight	45	Teal	Light batik
D-09	Uncle Mike	Uncle Richard	45	Light blue	Light batik
D-10	Nightly pillow fight	Battle field	47	Dark blue	Light batik
D-11	Pez Man	Snow crystal	47	Bright purple	Light batik
D-12	Ode to Kristen O.	Crossed swords	48	Lavander	Light batik
D-13	Field of English Daisies	Field of dreams	48	Hot pink	Light batik
E-01	Guido’s eating’ Phlox	Aunt exie’s phlox	49	Hot pink	Light batik
E-02	Myhre’s Merry May	Merry may	49	Kissy pink	Light batik
E-03	Puppy paddle	Paddle wheels	50	Black	Light batik
E-04	Spiky Leaf Hopper	Buffalo leaf hopper	50	White	Rainbow batik
E-05	Squint @ the Rising Sun	Rising sun	52	Red	Light batik
E-06	Grandpa Stan’s Medley	Michelle’s medley	52	Orange	Light batik
E-07	Fill the Bread Basket	Bread basket	53	Yellow	Light batik
E-08	Zoë’s Maze	Mama’s maze	53	Green	Light batik
E-09	Quilt Jail	Quilt jail	54	Teal	Light batik
E-10	Douber’s	Five and dime	54	Light blue	Light batik
E-11	Bicycle Wheel	Wagon wheel	55	Dark blue	Light batik
E-12	Grandma Ruth’s Corset	Mary Ruth’s corset	55	Bright purple	Light batik
E-13	Moth in Stanley’s Web	Moth in a web	57	Lavender	Light batik
F-01	Big Top by the skate park	Big top	57	Lavender	Light batik
F-02	Plethora of Allergies	Kaleidoscope	58	Hot pink	Light batik
F-03	Snowball fight in the middle	Snowball	58	Kissy pink	Light batik
F-04	Massive electric windmill in Burnsville	Old windmill	59	Black	Light batik
F-05	Jim loves his Grandmas Dorothy	Parcheesi	59	White	Rainbow batik
F-06	Kaili’s Daisies	Deanne’s daisies	60	Red	Light batik
F-07	Cheyanne Star Struck	Star struck	60	Orange	Light batik
F-08	Hail smashed Window	Church window	62	Yellow	Light batik
F-09	Side Garden Autumn Aster	Autumn aster	62	Green	Light batik
F-10	Fiery Potholder	Potholder	63	Teal	Light batik
F-11	Goin’ to Target	On target	63	Light blue	Light batik
F-12	4th -o- July fireworks in Delano	Starburst	64	Dark blue	Light batik
F-13	Tour de Watertown	Tour de France	64	Bright purple	Light batik
G-01	Dobie’s Ducky House	Hattie’s hen house	65	Bright purple	Light batik
G-02	Off the beaten Trail	Mohawk trail	65	Lavender	Light batik
G-03	Four Leaf Clover in the yard	Four leaf clover	67	Hot pink	Light batik
G-04	Such a Shutter Bug	Shutter bug	67	Kissy pink	Light batik
G-05	Poof there it is	Poof	68	Black	Light batik
G-06	Bupppa’s Star	Papa’s star	68	White	Rainbow batik
G-07	Minneapolis	Indianapolis	69	Red	Light batik
G-08	Heidi’s Comet	Justin’s Comet	69	Orange	Light batik
G-09	Tracy’s Journey	Mary’s journey	70	Yellow	Light batik
G-10	Heavy metal	Woven meadow	70	Green	Light batik
G-11	Diamonds on the souls of her shoes	Decisions, Decisions	72	Teal	Light batik
G-12	Glory to Maude	Gloriae	72	Light blue	Light batik
G-13	Mini Muffins	Molly’s muffins	73	Dark blue	Light batik
H-01	Peek-a-Boo I C U	Peek-a-boo	73	Dark blue	Light batik
H-02	Oh those Mulligans	Jacob Anthony	74	Bright purple	Light batik
H-03	Lavender Baskets	Berry baskets	74	Lavender	Light batik
H-04	Abigail von bus Kirk’s eyes	Abbey’s Eyes	76	Hot pink	Light batik
H-05	Jim’s Motorcycle	Michael’s motorcycle	76	Kissy pink	Light batik
H-06	Burned cookie Sale	Pie sale	77	Black	Light batik
H-07	Blinding white Star	Bennington star	77	White	Rainbow batik
H-08	Minnesota’s Crossroads	Eaton’s crossroads	78	Red	Light batik
H-09	Sloshing thru the melt	Snowflake melt	78	Orange	Light batik
H-10	Marvelous Marvin’s Bowtie	Ben’s bowtie	79	Yellow	Light batik
H-11	Piercing Rays thru green waters	Piercing rays	79	Green	Light batik
H-12	Natalia’s Heart	Hannah Lou’s hearts	81	Teal	Light batik
H-13	Hobby Farm Fields	Farm fields	81	Light blue	Light batik
I-01	Yane & lima bean Man’s Handfasting	Ralph & nelda’s wedding	82	Light blue	Light batik
I-02	Playground ‘cross the hi-way	Kaye’s courtyard	82	Dark blue	Light batik
I-03	Blended Family Album	Family album	83	Bright purple	Light batik
I-04	In-Stability	Stability	83	Lavender	Light batik
I-05	Hot Spicy Pink	Maria’s majesty	84	Hot pink	Light batik
I-06	Giggle Box Cookie Puss	Viewer’s choice	84	Kissy pink	Light batik
I-07	Snakes & Lizards	Mac & muff	85	Black	Light batik
I-08	Yane & Heidi’s Paint box	Pete’s paint box	85	White	Rainbow batik
I-09	Walk 2 school or carry a lunch	Chase A Myth	86	Red	Light batik
I-10	Pumpkin Medallion	Iris medallion	86	Orange	Light batik
I-11	Gideon Squirrel Chase	Coyote chase	88	Yellow	Light batik
I-12	Carver County Fair	Fred’s square	88	Green	Light batik
I-13	Sweet Harmony & Amber	Sweet harmony	89	Teal	Light batik
J-01	Jumpin’ Judy Moos Jonquil	Josepha’s jonquil	89	Teal	Light batik
J-02	Outside the box	Perfect Picture	90	Light blue	Light batik
J-03	Royals Volleyball Net	Rick’s volleyball net	90	Dark blue	Light batik
J-04	Robyn’s Apron Strings	Adelaine’s apron strings	91	Bright purple	Light batik
J-05	Rubbing the headstone	John Jacob’s windmill	91	Lavender	Light batik
J-06	Asylum wandering	Granny weaver	92	Hot pink	Light batik
J-07	Lizard Tracks	Chicken tracks	92	Kissy pink	Light batik
J-08	Weld Freek	Anna’s anchor	94	Black	Light batik
J-09	Rats for all!	Maury high school	94	White	Rainbow batik
J-10	Poppy sniffing	Chieko’s calla lily	95	Red	Light batik
J-11	Separated @ Birth	Twin sister	95	Orange	Light batik
J-12	A tisket Basket	Rebecca’s basket	96	Yellow	Light batik
J-13	Ringing dinging Bells	Pam’s bells	96	Green	Light batik
K-01	Crooked Creek on the farm	Crooked creek	97	Green	Light batik
K-02	Pumpkin patch Chickens	Grandpa’s chickens	97	Teal	Light batik
K-03	Seven Girlie Friends	Seven sisters	99	Light blue	Light batik
K-04	Taking turns	Thea’s turns	99	Dark blue	Light batik
K-05	Sound of wind chimes	Passing Thru	100	Bright purple	Light batik
K-06	Cass’s Folly	Ann.’s folly	100	Lavender	Light batik
K-07	Rose of Moo-Cows	Rose of sharing	101	Hot pink	Light batik
K-08	Spring @ lake Rebecca	Spring in BrookPark	101	Kissy pink	Light batik
K-09	Oh behave	Scout’s honor	102	Black	Light batik
K-10	Quite the Quandary	Quandary	102	White	Rainbow batik
K-11	Luce Line Columbine	Columbine	104	Red	Light batik
K-12	Laurel’s Dilemma	Doris’ dilemma	104	Orange	Light batik
K-13	Wish upon a Star	Brandon’s star	105	Yellow	Light batik
L-01	Plexiglas Pane	Widow’s pane	105	Yellow	Light batik
L-02	Stephermini’s Snowflake	Stephanie’s snowflake	106	Green	Light batik
L-03	Sniff the garbage cactus	Reflections Abound	106	Teal	Light batik
L-04	Cross 2 Bear	St. George’s cross	107	Light blue	Light batik
L-05	Luce Line horse trail	Chattanooga Charlie	107	Dark blue	Light batik
L-06	Witch’s maze	Maze of Madness	108	Bright purple	Light batik
L-07	Waconia Town Square	Town square	108	Lavender	Light batik
L-08	Bicycle Crash Dummies	Box kite	110	Hot pink	Light batik
L-09	Yane’s Place	Walter’s place	110	Kissy pink	Light batik
L-10	Delano Wandering	Nan’s naiad	111	Black	Light batik
L-11	See the chicken scar	Caitlin’s star	111	White	Rainbow batik
L-12	Stephi’s Pride	Sally’s pride	112	Red	Light batik
L-13	Orange moon rises	Harvest moon	112	Orange	Light batik
M-01	Dog Days @ the lake	Dog wood days	113	Orange	Light batik
M-02	At the pet shop	Duff’s bluff	113	Yellow	Light batik
M-03	Heavenly Patchwork	Fireweed flower	115	Green	Light batik
M-04	Stepping Stones during the drought	Stepping stones	115	Teal	Light batik
M-05	Retty’s Point	Mother’s point	116	Light blue	Light batik
M-06	Grandma Hazel’s Simplicity	Simplicity	116	Dark blue	Light batik
M-07	Tabitha’s Rose Garden	Rose garden	117	Bright purple	Light batik
M-08	Ultimate fighting insanity	Enchanted Square	117	Lavender	Light batik
M-09	Fan Dance on key west	Fan Dance	118	Hot pink	Light batik
M-10	Simple jack	Simple Simon	118	Kissy pink	Light batik
M-11	Night walks	Rickshaw	119	Black	Light batik
M-12	Hopscotch on the sidewalk	Hopscotch	119	White	Rainbow batik
M-13	Law & order marathon	Lynette’s diamond	120	Red	Light batik
Top Left Corner	Sweet Oliver’s Imagination		122	Red	Light batik
Top Right Corner	Tabitha’s Dream		123	Orange	Light batik
Bottom Left Corner	Jazmin’s contemplation		124	White	Rainbow batik
Bottom Right Corner	Natalia Tatianna will be forever missed		125	Red	Light batik
Top – 01	Shelf mushrooms		127	Orange	Light batik
Top – 02	Bug eaten Pines		127	Yellow	Light batik
Top – 03	Tabitha’s Checkerboard		128	Green	Light batik
Top – 04	CSI that T		128	Teal	Light batik
Top – 05	Sand by the drought river		129	Light blue	Light batik
Top – 06	Travis’ fiery Flame		129	Dark blue	Light batik
Top – 07	Fjord 2 Angie’s		130	Bright purple	Light batik
Top – 08	Sharpie Humper		130	Lavender	Light batik
Top – 09	Get to the Point		131	Hot pink	Light batik
Top – 10	Precious Gems		131	Kissy pink	Light batik
Top – 11	Salemwitchiepoo		133	Black	Light batik
Top – 12	Uncle Jerry’s Oak		133	White	Rainbow batik
Top – 13	Water Tower in red		134	Red	Light batik
Left – 01	A silly Fantasy		135	White	Rainbow batik
Left – 02	Jazmin’s Diamond		135	Black	Light batik
Left – 03	Special Brownies LOL		136	Kissy pink	Light batik
Left – 04	Oh fly a Kite		136	Hot pink	Light batik
Left – 05	Legal fireworks		137	Lavender	Light batik
Left – 06	Burnsville		137	Bright purple	Light batik
Left – 07	Natalia’s Steeple		138	Dark blue	Light batik
Left – 08	Wiggly sky		138	Light blue	Light batik
Left – 09	Slaughterhouse Guitars		140	Teal	Light batik
Left – 10	Cathedral in St. Paul		140	Green	Light batik
Left – 11	An Ikea Cake Stand		141	Yellow	Light batik
Left – 12	YaneZ Wicked Wall Art		141	Orange	Light batik
Left – 13	Watermelon		142	Red	Light batik
Right – 01	Chaska Valley		143	Red	Light batik
Right – 02	Shakopee		143	White	Rainbow batik
Right – 03	In the Beeg Cities		144	Black	Light batik
Right – 04	Wandering the Skyway		144	Kissy pink	Light batik
Right – 05	5 little girls		145	Hot pink	Light batik
Right – 06	Tumbling Blocks		145	Lavender	Light batik
Right – 07	Both Aunty Deb’s Hearts		147	Bright purple	Light batik
Right – 08	Love Forever		147	Dark blue	Light batik
Right – 09	Long Walks Nowhere		148	Light blue	Light batik
Right – 10	On the traintracks		148	Teal	Light batik
Right – 11	Hills of Jordan		149	Green	Light batik
Right – 12	Goddess’ home in the Valley		149	Yellow	Light batik
Right – 13	Toddler’s Pirouette		150	Orange	Light batik
Bottom – 01	Post Straight Line Winds Rainbow		151	Red	Light batik
Bottom – 02	Le Sueur Woods		151	Orange	Light batik
Bottom – 03	Attic Window		153	Yellow	Light batik
Bottom – 04	Stormy Sky		153	Green	Light batik
Bottom – 05	Heidi’s Glory		154	Teal	Light batik
Bottom – 06	Baby Rickrack		154	Light blue	Light batik
Bottom – 07	Jazmin’s Clown		155	Dark blue	Light batik
Bottom – 08	Butt Clouds		155	Bright purple	Light batik
Bottom – 09	Buddha Monkey Head Garden		156	Lavender	Light batik
Bottom – 10	Don’t need no Diamond		156	Hot pink	Light batik
Bottom – 11	Gaelic pretty		157	Kissy pink	Light batik
Bottom – 12	Bupppa’s Stained Glass		157	Black	Light batik
Bottom – 13	Argyle tattoo		158	White	Rainbow batik

Jazmin’s Charm Quilt

Jazmin my youngest daughter (18) has taken up quilting! I am so excited that she has decided to delve into the sewing arts! She already started a 9-patch with skull fabric and black and red solids, but that has been put away for the moment (ran out of solid red and need a center medalion chunk of fabric for her idea) we went to the Quiltshop on Friday since I have that day off now. She picked out a pre-cut charm set, no idea whitch fabric since as soon as we got home she set to work. There weren’t enough of the colors she wanted so into the stash to cut a plethora of other colors to make the rainbow. I hoping today while I’m at work she’ll dig through the basket of ‘big chunks’ and decide what she wants for borders. Then I think I’ll teach her how to do prairie points since I have a bunch of rainbowie 3 inch square already cut. I am ever so proud!

Jazmin’s Pincushion

New pincushion made by Jaz. 

All cotton pieced and finished by hand. 

Really old grandmothers flower garden pieces. 

Weighted with pennies. 

Looks great on my Jello mold table!

Finished some time in the wee hours of the morning March 11th 2009

DANDY PERFECT JOB Jaz!

happy april 1st!

may not a fool irritate your day!

grief & sewing

Saturday the 18th of April would have been Natalia’s 20th birthday.  I think I did really well for a change.  I actually got out of bed at a reasonable hour (8:30am) got dressed…didn’t cry…

 

April 17th one of my many fridays without pay off…I put the finishing touches on the retinal Damage Rainbowie but keep Jim warm quilt top

 

With left overs fro the last 2 borders for the retinal damage…while The Hills Have Eyes I & II screamed on, I made Tab & Travis an Apartment Warming table runner for their dining room

Got a good chunk of Sissy Mary’s Kitty and grandkid quilt going…Roman strips in the middle the there will be a goose chase on the left and right with 11 inch Cat square at the corners with assorted stripes on the top and bottom and a few borders and prairie points…

constant busy work keeps me sane!

Mary’s Quilt thus far

Mary’s Here Kitty Kitty & Grandchild quilt middle

one more borner and it’s ready to be sandwiched…

Mary’s quilt finished and on it’s way

Actually it’s already in Louisiana and she loves it!

detail of lettering of her grandkids’ names

Folded triangle Stars

My Goal is 60 er so of these done by Yule time gift giving time… they’re each about 6.5 inches across

are they pot holders?  Trivets? really big coasters? wicked cool diddle-dee-doos to hang and dangle?!? 

heck…I think they’re all of the above!

I got the pattern from ‘Inchy’ at quilttalk@yahoogroups.com

1st try above…Hense the rather sad finish, I didn’t have enough of the edging… gave it to mom as she loves purple, she lived it in spite of it’s short comings completed June 12th 2009

fabulously bright rainbowie lovely hanging on my window at work, Completed June 13th 2009

Made this one for Robbie…I’ll give it to him when he pickes up Jaz for gay 90′s! Completed June 14th 2009

This one’s for Demetria my Secret Quilting Sister in Michigan.  Completed June 16th 2009

Old lovies but they still look good!

I was at my mom’s last Saturday to pin the retinal damage but keep Jim warm quilt so I could finish it finally.

After pinning and making sure I didn’t pin Keek (Mom’s cat)  inside the quilt I wandered to the reading room and noticed a few quilts I had made in the past for mom & Dad.  Knowing none of them were properly photographed…I did just that!

I made this in like 1995 er so.  Hand quilted…Lapsized Gave it to mom for her Birthday

9 Multi-colored Frogs Dancing in a Blueberry Bog…

I made this quilt for my mom for X-mas 1997

Froggie Signature Block

Drunkard’s Frog Pattern I threw together so I can make another froggie quilt one day!

Broken Dishes lap quilt I made for my dad X-Mas 2003

Wicked fun signature block I made for the broken dishes quilt. I love the silly fat rat!

Adam’s Star

Since I’m making one of these potholders, tivet, coasters for each of my co-workers, friends & family for Yule tide giving this year…each one will have the name of the receipient (sp)

This one is for Adam one of the tool makers

angel pocket 1

I received an email from one of the organizations I sew for needing burial clothes for preemies and micro-preemies. being not too fabulous at sewing clothing I searched the wed and found fetal demise pouches.  um…Angel pocket sounds a bit kinder

http://danettesangels.tripod.com/home.html

The fetal demise pouch is used for early losses, or infants that are too small or fragile to be dressed. On request, nurses take pictures of the babies before burial for the families.

 

http://www.touchinglittlelives.org/fetaldem.html

Wal-Mart Drug Providers:

Dear, Dear managerial staff of the pharmaceutical in-store suppliers… Now 1st off I am all for hiring the special needs, functionally illiterate and crabby assed postmenopausal rags…all for it…keep it up…BUT not for the pharmacy! Bad enough you can’t pronounce my name much less any of the drugs I take…but that 45 minute wait turned into 2 f-ing hours…I can only look at your drastically cheap assed and usually unattractive merchandise so long before I go to the sportsman department…purchase a long rifle and start taking people down! Yeah I have no insurance but you’all should like me! There’s no pesky paper work for you…no middle man…I’m paying 100% of the money owed to you IN CASH!!! You give me the amount…after nearly feinting I fork over the cash…that simple! Check it out…you don’t even need to count (and touch) my pills…take ‘em off the shelf…slap a sticker on it put in the bag and HAND IT TO ME!!! 5 times we stood in that WAY TOO F-ING LONG line with people just as unhappy as me yet more than likely sharing their illness with all of us and were told it’s almost done…were ya’ squeezing every pill out of a newborn babe? Making them out of endanger species flesh?!? NO! You had your obviously challenged woman (I’m guessing she was a she here) struggling with the label machine while your pharmacist I’m guessing there too…chatted it up with the post menopausal hormonally challenged blob of happiness you had running the cash register…Now I’m not prone to being loudly verbal no matter how incredibly pissed I am…but my mutterings were getting louder… Had I an ice-pick handy (I didn’t browse that isle) I would have surely driven it into left eye socket…hammered it home….slide it to the left…slide it to the right…give it a swirl for good measure…surely lobotomizing myself so watching you people working SO INCREDIBLY SLOW wouldn’t bother my so much! Well that being said and the fact that you actually ran out of one of my needed drugs (who knew there were so many epileptics in Buffalo)

I will see you again today…but you will NEVER see my pleasantly plump ass standing in your line to hell ever again! Target Pharmacy…Don’t fail me…for if you do…off to CUB…Walgreen’s…Coburn’s…fill in the blank baby. I may be poor, unhealthy and pasty white…but I don’t take slow motion inept incompetent treated-like-shit well!

Yours with ever lovin’ giggle-ee-tude…

A VERY UNSATISFIED CUSTOMER YOU HAVE LOST PERMANENTLY!

Heidi’s quilt DONE

13 days to spare…I finished Heidi’s ( Jim’s wicked cute daughter) Birdy with the Yellow bill quilt.  Each block is 8 inches square and has a bird of some sort in the middle square.  Some left over from other projects, 1 fabric from my SS, one actually purchased for this quilt…I started this and then realized I had mixed my bird fabric with many fish fabric giving me the inkling that I had more bird fabric that I actually did…UGH!

I love the black backing…wow that’s alot of stitching! I drew the stitching patterns on the blocks as I went.  There are 4 of every design except the spider web of which there are three. each design is slightly different so no two are totally alike

fabulous signature block…added Happy Birthday Heidi after completing the quilt on the 7th of November

voted the favorite block at our house…I’m working on my next project to show off this quilt design again!

celestial rainbow top done

well the top’s all done! turned out just how I wanted it to.

plenty of room for fun hand quilting…rainbows for retinal scalding…the little heart lower right will be the signature square…by the time I got the quilt this far is was bed time

49″ across by 62″ tall…I think it’s a perfect size to be lugged around and quilted on.  Course the lovies I live with feel it needs to be much bigger…I guess they want yet another quilt for their beds…HA…not!  This one will be keeping my legs warm with the upcoming winter thankyou very much…

Yule tide Ornament Swap

Yule ornament swap via quilters coven yahoo group

made 12 all together…

keeping one….sending the rest out…looking forward to getting my box of goodies back for a fabulous Yule decorating…

11-2009

Twas the night before Rama-Kwanzaa-Christmakkah-Bodhi-Yule (hope I didn’t leave anyone out) and all through the house many a creature stirred but nary a mouse.  The stockings were hung above the turtle tank with care in hopes that some one with wee gifts would fill them while dangling there.  Yane in those way attractive p.j.s and Jim in his flannel camo pajama pants have just collapsed for a well deserved nap.  When out on the lawn between the trailers arose such a clatter…Yane dashed about (phone dialed 911 but not sent yet) too see what was the matter…when on the rubberized roof could be seen a rabid raccoon chasing a feral cat…but no tiny reindeer…hmmmm…guess this is why there are no holiday shows based in a trailer court…go figure!

round robin 2nd border

I made the outer most border, saw tooth, from the book ‘Borders: Basics & Beyond’
CRAZYQUILTERS ROUND ROBIN 2009 Reiteration:

FABRIC: Only 100 per cent cotton (pre-washed) fabric from quilt shops is permitted. Fabrics purchased from Joanne’s or Wal-Mart is not acceptable.

THE PROCESS: Each participant (Quilter 1) will create a center block  (using either a piecing or appliqué method). The center should be between 14” and 16” square or rectangle. The block is then sent to the name that appears after their name (Quilter 2) on the address sheet. Quilter 2 will have 30 days to add a border to the center block. The border must be at least 5” in width but no wider than 9”. Each border that is added can be either pieced or appliquéd. The border must use fabric that compliments the center block. If you choose to use any of the fabrics that are in the center block, please do so sparingly. Be sure that the border measures correctly on all four sides, leaving a good quarter inch seam allowance. Quilter 2 then sends the block on to Quilter 3. Quilter 3 will have 30 days to add their border. All of the above instructions apply. And so it continues. After Quilter 6 finishes his/her border the quilt is then returned to Quilter 1.

NO CLUES: During the exchange Quilter 1 will be kept in the dark about what work has been done on his/her block. The big surprise will come when it is completed.

NOTEBOOK: Each quilter will include a notebook with their information and any special requests (Ie: no appliqué, no stripes, no flowers, etc.). This notebook will include a page for each of the other quilters to add their comments on the work they did. This is not the place to make unnecessary remarks about another quilter’s work. The notebook will be included with the block as it circulates through the system.
I am using these printed pages in lieu of a notebook.

MAILING THE BLOCKS: The blocks must be sent by “Priority” mail, with a signature required to accept mailing. The date deadlines for each round to be mailed are: September 25th 2009, October 25th 2009, November 25th 2009, December 30th 2009, January 25th 2010, and February 25th 2010.

UPDATING: Each quilter must keep the hostess up to date on the status. We all know “things” happen and sometime we fall behind. It is most important that we stay as close to the calendar as possible. When you send the block you are working on to the next quilter please email them and the monitor.
I will keep the quilt site monitor updated on our status. If at any time you are not satisfied with the exchange you are free to let me know and the site monitor of any concerns.

GIFTS: If you would like to include gifts for each of the quilters working on your quilt, that is up to each quilter. If gifts are included please be sure to forward them on to the next quilter.

Twas that night before Yule

‘Twas that night before Yule, when all ‘cross the heath, Not a being was stirring; Pagan, Faerie, nor Beast, Wassail was left out and the altar adorned, To rejoice that the Sun King would soon be reborn. The children lay sleeping by the warmth of the hearth, Their dreams filled with visions of beloved Mother Earth, M’lady and I beneath blankets piled deep, had just settled down to our Solstice sleep. Then a noise in the night that would leave us no peace, Awakened us both to the honking of geese. Eager to see such a boisterous flock, When we raced to the window, our mouths dropped in shock! On the West Wind flew a gaggle of geese, white and gray, With Frau Holda behind them in Her gift-laiden dray. The figure on Her broomstick to the North sky made it clear, La Befana was approaching to bestow Yuletide cheer. From the South came a comet more bright than the Moon, And we knew Lucia would be with us soon. As these Spirits sailed Earthward o’er hilltops and trees, Frau Holda serenaded Her feathery steeds: “Fly Isolde! Fly Tristan! Fly Odin and Freya! Fly Morgaine! Fly Merlin! Fly Uranus and Gaea! May the God and Goddess inside you soar, From the clouds in the heavens to your cottage door.” As soft and silent as snowflakes they fell; Their arrival announced by a faint chiming bell. They landed like angels, their bodies aglow, Their feet left no marks in the new fallen snow, Before we could ponder what next lay in store, There came a slow creeking from our threshold door. We crept from our bedroom and were spellbound to see… There in our parlor stood the Yule Trinity! Lucia the Maiden, with Her head wreathed in flame, Shown with the radiance for which she She was named, The Lightbringers eyes held the joy of a child, And she spoke with a voice that was gentle, yet wild: “May the warmth of this household ne’er fade away.” Then she lit our Yule log which still burns to this day. Frau Holda in Her down cloak stood regal and tall, The Matron of Solstice, the Mother of all, Under Her gaze we felt safe and secure. Her voice was commanding, yet almost demure: “May the love in this family enrich young and old.” And from the folds of Her cloak showered coins of pure gold, LaBefana wore a kerchief on Her silvery hair; The veil of the Crone who has secrets to share, In Her eyes gleamed a wisdom only gained by spent youth. Her voice was whisper, but Her words rung the truth: “May health, glad tidings, and peace fill these rooms.” And she banished misfortune with a sweep of Her broom, They then left a gift by each sleeping childs head, Took a drink of our wassail, and away they all sped. While we watched them fly off through the night sky we laughed, At the wonderous magick we had found in the Craft. As they departed, the Spirits decreed… “Merry Yule To You All, And May All Blessed Be!”

European Shoulder Bag

K…it’s not really European but it was the only way to get my man to pose with this wicked cool reversible grocery sack!

a stitch in time

A stitch in time…save 9?!? 

how about a few million…I’ve never gotten bored enough to actually count all the stitches I’ve quilted in a quilt…most likely won’t start now…but here are a few I’ve placed thus far in my Celestial Rainbow quilt.

Hard to see in the photo…Not real easy to see them in real life for that matter… but here’s the stitching in the sun portion of the quilt.  I’ve drawn it on free hand using a pencil…yeah I know…pencil bad but I couldn’t see the ‘special’ white marker I purchased for just this occasion so I gave up and grabbed the graphite…

since I’m making this quilt for me…yeah I know…like it’s my turn or something…I figure I can cope with a lil pencil residue…

who knows how long this will take my since this is my drag to assorted waiting rooms and wait…quilt…

started 11-11-2009…and the count down begins…giggle

Quilter’s 12 steps

The only 12 step process that would work for quilter’s or fabric addiction:
1) determine what you want to make
2) buy fabric
3) Audition fabric for the project from your stash
4) trade dull cutting blade in rotorary cutter with sharp blade
5) Buy more fabric
6) wind multiple bobbins with needed color of thread
7) cut out project
8) buy more fabric
9) begin project
10) buy more fabric
11) either complete or put away project to be completed another day
12) return to step 1.

got from a friend on http://quiltingcompanions.ning.com

Ruth!

last weekend of January sewing

Went to a baby shower yesterday for one of Tabitha’s friends – Becki – they have known each other since they were 4…wow am I old…

well Becky will be having Ava soon – aw another sweet baby girl! so, I made this quilt outa Moda charm squares and HOT spicy pink

 

Positively sizzles!

Started 1-24 completed 1-31 in the AM

2010

 

I’m in a monthly block swap in Quilter’s Coven…

This month I’m making paper pieced trees for the Swap Recipient.  After making her’s I’m making myself a few…for every block I send out I’m making a duplicate for me in fun wild fabrics to make a lovie for Heart babies or project Linus…

1-31-10

 

I’m in a monthly block swap in Quilter’s Coven…

This month I’m making paper pieced trees for the Swap Recipient. 

I’ll be adding log-cabin-esk border to make this 8 inch block grow to 12.5

1-31-10

 

lovely rose I won for guessing Becki’s tummy full of Ava size… Smells TOO yummy!

paper pieced trees

Went home early from work yesterday…pipe in the house sprung a leak…Jim rushed home too and repaired it, no damage done! BUT…since I was home I got back to paper piecing and finished 3 more bright fabulous trees!

each one is 6.5 inches square…Haven’t ironed any of them yet, thus the flappiness and not quite flatness…

tonight they’ll all go together to create this neat trees in the round block! Think it’ll make a nice center of quilt some time in the future!

February 1st 2010

SWGWSW block swap February

here’s a paper pieced tree I made for a block swap…After I finished the 6.5 inch square I kept adding till I could turn it wonky and trim it to 12.5 inch block.

I think it turned out lovely but what a lot of work… whew…

Creative Energies

I’m in a block swap and for every block I make to swap I’m going to make a duplicate for me in wild colors to eventually become a quilt to be donated. 

Here are my crazy trees made from a Yule tree pattern. 16.5 inch square

 

 This is NOT a star block…it didn’t turn out just right…still painfully bright and silly 16.5 inch square

Jazmin’s been creating too.  She’s found a consignment / antique store to sell her hemp and embroidery floss jewelry!

Here are some of the great embroidery floss bracelets…love the colors!

 

 And here are a few of the hemp versions…gotta love that pretty bead!

paper piece pattern creation

my 1st attempt at creating a paper piece – foundation piece – pattern…
This here’s a mini Schnauzer…his name’s Shamus in case yer wondering!
add 1/4 inch all the way around so when you sash you don’t lop off his nose or tail…

color key
I’m blowing him up to 11 inches across…

2-11-10

Paper Pieced Bird Houses 1

Here’s my Quilter’s Cache bird house block!  I LOVE IT!  Turned out just like a wanted…this doesn’t always happen… I used yo-yos in black check for the holes…Blinding…huh? 12.5 inches square

Finished February 13th 2010

JimZ Birthday Weekend

Friday (the 19th) was Jim’s birthday…you’ll note no photos of him… BUT…

Oliver made a fabulous play-dough snake on the birthday eve…

and finished the top for my Niece Amber’s baby boy due this coming June. This started from a scrap pack from my quilt shop… how was everyone else’s weekend? 4 days till we make the trek to pick up our mini schnauzer Shamus….the count down begins!

Where’s Shamus?!?

yup still sewing…my machine is right next to the TV so it’s always taunting me…sew…sew…sew

So I did! I’ve had this fun puppy paw fleece for quite some time, saving it for the day we would get another sweet puppy… Well, we pick up Shamus on Friday (happy dance) so I put together a puppy bed for him no pattern… just cutting a kinda oval and stuffing it with all those batting scraps I’ve been keeping for no apparent reason. So his living room space has been created. Lil toy box, bed…just need Shamus now…thus time DRAGS…

So Excited!

Just made my appointment to go pick up my Mini Schnauzer Shamus on Friday! (Happy Dance) since here at work we haven’t been working Fridays ( and probable won’t for a while) It’ll be perfect. Already have the map…wow 56+ miles one way to get our lil sweetie. My daughter Jazmin will be coming for puppy hugging on the way home. My other daughter Tab has to work or I’m sure we’d cram her in the Jeep too. 10am is the moment…so since I’ve never gone there before I figure we’ll start out @ 8:45…in case of cruddy roads, traffic…me getting lost (which I do well). I’m going to a ‘Quilt till you Wilt’ Friday night so Jaz and Jim will be with Shamus…Jaz thinks I should skip it…but both Jim and I told her 2 people at home with him will be fine. Since it’s from 6 to midnight he will probably be sleeping most of the time anyway…so much chaos in one day for the lil guy. But then again s’not like the chaos will be ending any time soon…his first Vet appointment is the next day, he should only need his rabies booster and a checkup. We are all so excited to have a new fur baby at home! I’m sure he’ll be slightly blinded from all the pictures I plan on taking. just had to share! ~ Elaine!

JBRR # 26 bellybutton

She’s not done yet…I just can’t allow her to remain faceless…

She’s all of 4 1/2 inches square; I did her by hand since I didn’t trust my machine to sew such tiny seams…

 

she’s be the center square for a block round robin where I send her to 4 other quilter’s and they add tiny border’s till the block is 14 1/2 inches square.  I think the next tiny girl I make I’ll put 3D hands on the ends of the arms so she doesn’t look like an amputee…

I found the pattern in the Carol Doak book 300 paper pieced quilt blocks.

March 31^st 2010

happy Shamus

Shamus has been with us just over a month and fits right in!  THe only person he actually barks at is Jim and they’re always playing at the time.  Oliver is getting used to Shamus jumping up to look him in the eye and he’s getting better at walking on the leash.  I’m signing him up for general obediance (sp) classes starting later in April.  I love that I found this new member of our family!

JBRR # 26 can see!

SHE CAN SEE! wow…my embroidery abilities really need help!

Just need to add some buttons to her dress and she’s ready to be sent out! think I’ll just leave this girl an amputee for the moment.

The next girl I make I’ll add hands to. Her pattern is from the book 300 paper pieced quilt blocks by Carol Doak. She 4.5 X 4.5 inches…

April 1st 2010

April is for Witch making

finished the last of the witch bonnet sue blocks for the swap, now I’m working on mine…this will eventually be the most wicked cool quilt! this and all the other WBS blocks is 12.5 X 12.5 the center hand pieced then the borders machined on. Pattern can be found : http://www.sewhooked.org/paper_piecing/img/hp/edited/5_inch_paperpiece_hogwartssue.jpg finished April 3rd 2010

JBRR # 27 (Just add a Border Round Robin), I’m still working on the # 25 round robin but I figured I’d get an early start on the next round robins by getting the bellybutton squares done. This is a witch that has been shaken me thinks, her eyes say so… and since I couldn’t locate a star button (go figure) she has a rubbery frog on her hat. 4.5 X 4.5 inches square, all hand pieced…she looks better in person as the flash kinda washed her out… Her pattern is from 300 Paper Pieced patterns by Carol Doak pattern # 089 finished April 3rd

Witch Bonnet Sue # 6 2010

My very own Witch Bonnet Sue block…and I think it turned out swimmingly! Blinding frappe’ of Gigglytude!
This WBS block is 12.5 X 12.5 the center hand pieced then the borders machined on. Pattern can be found: http://www.sewhooked.org/paper_piecing/img/hp/edited/5_inch_paperpiece_hogwartssue.jpg
Finished April 5th 2010, now I have a few other witchy blocks to do for this quilt too to make it a nice size, perhaps something to sleep beneath or cuddle up in the living room with. All the other blocks from the swap should arrive some time in June (my birthday month how appropriate!) till then I have about 4 other paper pieced witch type blocks printed up and blended in with my other hand work.


calm Shamus

Shamus and Jim ‘a calm moment’ these boys aren’t calm very often.  Every time Jim wiggles his goatee or gives Shamus the stink eye Shamus is insane with his horribly masculine barking, growling feign attacking…all 12 pounds totally out of control and vicious…LOL…we do so love this puppy butt!

under construction

Yup another witchy block…well the beginning of one, got too late to complete this one.

She still needs a face and border to make her 12.5 like the other blocks.

I found this pattern at http://www.quiltconcepts.com/quilt/patterns/free/

She’s a hippy witch…I blew up the postcard sized pattern to 8.5 X 11 so her face wouldn’t be so minute.

She’s about 7 by 10 right now…I hope to give her a face tonight and her borders.

April 6^th 2010

postcard witch from the edge

Hippy postcard witch block…

Her face says she’s a bit touched or just finished watching an America’s Funniest Home Video marathon… the pattern started out being 6 inches by 4 inches…too tiny for the block I wanted so I blew her up to a little less than 8.5 X 11…now she’s finished and the block is 12.5 X 12.5 . Think she’ll blend quite nicely with the batch of witch bonnet sues.  This quilt may end up being quite sizeable…can’t wait to start assembling it!

Oh, this pattern is from: http://www.quiltconcepts.com/quilt/patterns/free she’s the Hippy Witch towards the bottom of the page.

April 8^th 2010

Hearts and Flowers Challenge

Challenge block made for the yahoo group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CarolDoakQuiltingGroup/

The winner of this challenge get 10 yard of fabric (I think, perhaps its 15 yards, can’t locate the email that started the challenge) think of all the baby lovies I could make with that!

I used fabric from the Beatles collection, some leap frog greens, white on white from the quilt shop in Waconia…tried to have a fun assortment…course as soon as I posted my block I was checking out what other ladies have made…mine will be lost in the shuffle…Oh well, I plan on sashing it in more white on white and adding it to my SWGWSW swap quilt…

Pattern: http://www.caroldoak.com/pdfs/FlowersandHearts.pdf

Finished block = 6 inches square

Completed April 13^th 2010

American Cheese Star n Shamus

American cheese star…started it thinking oh yeah Cheddar fer sure but when I finished it I noticed it was just the right shade of individually wrapped American cheese…

The pattern is from the book 300 paper pieced quilt blocks by Carol Doak, block # 239

Finished size is 4.75 inches completed April 15^th 2010; the main fabric is from the Beatles yellow submarine collection…

 

Looks like Shamus is catching on when I have the camera, he always looks the other way.  This is his pre-hair cut shagginess

April 15^th 2010

 

‘Help, Jaz is squashing me’ note lil pink tongue…too cute!

April 15^th 2010

Crazy Hearts the beginning

Natalia’s Heart

I had already done this pattern for a friend in a block swap so I pretty well knew what was up; doing Natalia’s block was a healing experience. For some reason when I think of Nat’ I think of Teal and butterflies…so I frappe’d all the teal I had in my stash and wonderful blue butterflies on black.  Jaz noted that the block was a bit busy…hmmm…isn’t that like the goal of a crazy block? The black half of the heart is for her heart defect, Hypoplastic left heart syndrome…I thought of her wonderful brown eyes and that great black curly baby hair that I always slicked up like a kewpie doll curl on top of her head. You’ll always live on in my heart sweet baby.

March 19^th 2010

Yane’Z Heart

I did mine next just to get into it…so if I made a horrid mistake I could cope since it is my block after all…I’d feel quite devastated if I totally trashed mom’s or Jim’s…ya know what I mean!

I actually put 2 fabrics in backwards since I seem to do many a thing totally outside the box…course I’m sure I’m the only one who will get the irony…any other quilter will look at it and go…hey…you put the fabric in backwards…can you see them?  Oh…and my embroidery prowess is WAY lacking but I can do the backstitch pretty adequately…

Peas (green) and carrots (orange) are one of my favorite color combinations…right up there with pink and green…purple and teal…well I had to pick 1… So this isn’t a ‘normal’ or regulation crazy block, no subdued or jewel tones here…blatant silliness!  Two done…18 to go…boowahahaha…takes me about a day to do all the hand piecing then I put on the ribbons by machine.   

March 21^st 2010

Jim’s Heart

 

 

Jim’s is all red and black…tried to make it ‘angry-heavy-metal’ doesn’t seem to have turned out totally terrifying what with the heart fabric and the kissy lip stuff, but I think the tattoo dragon and skulls make up for that. Used some lovely see-thru ribbon for embellishments.

Hand pieced like all the others will be.

Finished March 26^th 2010

Round Robin is HOME -n- tiny heart

it is beautiful! I LOVE it http://groups.yahoo.com/group/crazyquilters/photos/album/1142863585/pic/522220117/view?picmode=&mode=tn&order=ordinal&start=21&count=20&dir=asc Thanks to Rita, Debbi, Candis and Shelly…beautiful work ladies! Haven’t decided if I’m going to keep it now or donate it. It would be perfect to warm my knees on those long cold Minnesota nights…I just can’t thank you all enough for doing such a beautiful job! All I have left to do is add prairie points all around and I can get to quilting! Thank you again! And I can’t wait for the next round robin! April 22 2010

2.75 inch wee little heart…9 pieces…had to put on the readers to do this one…I may try to go smaller eventually, I have 5 more of these to finish first. I’m making a tiny pink and red heart quilt or perhaps center block for another round robin. 1st itty bitty tiny heart done on April 22nd 2010. From the book 300 paper pieced patterns by Carol Doak. Pattern # 120

last rainy weekend in April

SWGWSW May block going to Donna in Albuquerque…Pattern from the book 300 paper pieced blocks by Carol Doak Block # 94 block = 8.5” square finished April 24^th 2010

 

Red and white quilt commissioned by Andrea…top finally finished April 25^th 2010…large enough to snuggle in…hope to finish it next weekend to be done with it…

 

Beginning of the center block for the next round robin I want to be in…painful huh?!?  Red pink and white on white will be the colors for this eye burner…hearts optional.  ‘Home is Where the Heart is’ yeah I know everyone has used that title on a quilt er two…

Paper pieced mini blocks are from 300 paper pieced patters by Carol Doak.  House block is # 117 and is 5 inches square, the corner hearts are pattern # 120 and are 3 inches square.  I have another border with 2.25 heart blocks to add then off to a zip lock to wait for the next round robin to start. The block so far is 11.75 inches square.  April 25^th 2010

 

Shamus has given up getting 100% attention this weekend…poor baby!

April 25^th 2010

Piecing in the Merry Month of April

Leaf block made for my SWGWSW swap quilt.  Every block I make for another participant I make a duplicate for me in wild colors to go with the other blocks I already have.  The pattern is from 300 paper pieced blocks by Carol Doak.  This is pattern # 94.  The block is 12.5 inches square unfinished.  The fabric for the leaf is from leftovers I got back with my round robin quilt from Crazy Quilters.  Love the cat eyes and the frogs…too cute…and of course an eye burner. April 27^th 2010.  Now I’m working on the July block…should be interesting!

 

Shamus recovering from a night walk with Jim.  Kinda a sloppy sitter, but he’s tired so I’ll let him get away with it!

April 27^th 2010

Apple one!

1^st apple for two Apple Bees quilt blocks I’m making.  Pattern from http://www.sewhooked.org/paper_piecing/img/paper_piecing/edited/5_inch_apple.jpg

Went wonderfully easy! This will go into a block for the SWGWSW July swap.  We’re to make a block that represents a place where you had an experience of inspiration, a special place of enlightenment, a place you love, a place that spoke to you sometime in your life.  Now I’m sure yer thinking ‘Apple Bees’ yeah that’s inspirational…not…well, that’s where I had my 1^st date with Jim, Jazmin in tow as our behavior adjuster…we met at Ridgedale Apple Bee’s and it was a lovely start to our relationship which has lasted 4 years now and promises to be one of those permanent deals…even now when we want a date night inevitably we end up at Apple Bees…

Like all the other SWGWSW blocks I’m making 2, one for the swap one for my quilt.  They’ll both have blue paisley background (I love paisley).  This block is about 6.5 inches right now…looks pretty nifty!

April 28^th 2010

Welcome to MAY babee

 

Completed Apple Bees block for Donna via the SWGWSW swap… The apple pattern is from Sew Hooked: http://www.sewhooked.org/paper_piecing/img/paper_piecing/edited/5_inch_apple.jpg The bee is from piece by number: http://www.piecebynumber.com/pastbom/beepatt.htm Does the block look a bit off center?!? Did that on purpose since both Jim and I are a bubble off and this block is supposed to be of a place that means something to me. My 1st date with Jim was at Apple Bees… block is 12.5X12.5 finished on May 1st 2010…the swap is for July…what can I say, I was in a hurry…

 

Apple # 2…this one is for the block I’m making for my SWGWSW swap quilt. The pattern is from SEW Hooked: http://www.sewhooked.org/paper_piecing/img/paper_piecing/edited/5_inch_apple.jpg Look almost good enough to eat…well maybe, I don’t recall any blue apples…I’m sure a scientist some where is working on that…LOL Block is 5.5 inches thus far… May 2nd 2010

Yet another Witch for my WBS (Witch Bonnet Sue) Quilt. This one is a green eyed monster…I’ve have the purple spider fabric for oh about 10 years now…the Celtic green I thought would look lovely for the hat… block is 12.5X12.5 and the pattern started out at a fabric postcard pattern that I blew to 8.5X11 so it would be larger on this block. Pattern from Quilt Concepts: http://www.quiltconcepts.com/quilt/patterns/free/witch-paper-pieced-pattern.pdf Finished May 2nd 2010

Jim and Shamus after a long day mowing…a bit tired but never too tired for a good wrestling match on the floor…hmmm…who has the bluest eyes?!? May 2nd 2010

Cinco de Mayo eve sewing

My bee for the apple bees block…for some reason the camera chewed off the corner…None the less I really like the way this turned out!  The blue is from a swappin’ friend who sent me some extras with the block she made me.  This wee block is about 5 inches square. All piecing was done by hand. I may be adding some embroidery for antennae but haven’t decided yet…

The pattern is from Piece by Number: http://piecebynumber.com/pastbom/beepatt.htm

Finished May 4^th 2010

 

The completed Apple Bees block for my SWGWSW quilt…I’ve had the bumble bee fabric forever and finally had a perfect block for it!  The 2 small blocks were done by hand, and the block construction done on the machine. Finished Block is 12.5 square

Apple patter is from Sew Hooked: http://www.sewhooked.org/paper_piecing/img/paper_piecing/edited/5_inch_apple.jpg

Bee pattern from piece by number: http://piecebynumber.com/pastbom/beepatt.htm

Both patterns are free in the web.

Block completed on May 4^th 2010

 

Splayed Shamus…this is who spreads out behind me on the floor while I sew…just waiting for an iota of attention…or better yet a massive pile of wrestling…poor Shamus has absolutely no toys! He’s the furry son we always wanted and the irritating little brother Jazmin could live without most of the time…LOL

May 4^th 2010

motherZ day work

SWGWSW Sperm whale for Lutra…not due till September…but hey! Had the pattern so got to work! Purchased pattern from: eQuiltpatterns.com finished block is 12.5 inches square. Whale done by hand and border by machine. Jazmin loves the water fabric. Embroidered the eye and spray, and the French knot pupil actually worked! Completed May 7th 2010

My version of the whale…course mine has to be totally NOT naturally colored…wacky whale made from the sperm whale pattern from eQuiltpatterns.com. Whale by hand and border by machine. Jazmin was not overly impressed with my silliness…go figure! But the French knot pupil worked for this one too! Block is 12.5 inches square. This silly whale will reside in my SWGWSW quilt, eventually for my bed! Completed May 8th 2010

Finally finished the belly button block for the next Round Robin…whew! Eye burning home is where the heart is. This is 17 inches square…all the hearts and the house were hand pieced the borders were added by machine. All patterns are from 300 Paper Pieced Patterns by Carol Doak. The house pattern is number 117. The inner 4 hearts are number 124. The outer 4 hearts are 120. When this leaves for the round robin the borders added will be in shades of red, pink and white on white. Promises to be bright and fabulous! Completed May 9th 2010

Sweet Shamus stretching up on me like a kitty…too cute! May 9th 2010

rainbow witch one

Rainbow witch one (Purple & Red) for my rainbow coalition witchy block…this is Block # 89 from the book 300 paper pieced blocks by Carol Doak.  This block is 5.25 square.  All hand pieced. It will be joined by 3 others: Orange & Yellow, Green & Blue and Black & Pink.  I’ve some wacky rainbow fabric to sash the block with.  She’ll get a face when the whole block is done. This of course will be a part of my Witch Bonnet Sue quilt. May 11^th 2010

Rainbow Witch Two

Rainbow witcht two  (Orange & Yellow) for my rainbow coalition witchy block…this is Block # 89 from the book 300 paper pieced blocks by Carol Doak.  This block is 5.25 square.  All hand pieced. It will be joined by 3 others: Red & Purple, Green & Blue and Black & Pink.  I’ve some wacky rainbow fabric to sash the block with.  She’ll get a face when the whole block is done. This, of course, will be a part of my Witch Bonnet Sue quilt. May 13^th 2010

 

Shamus with his pleading eyes…pay attention to me… May 13^th 2010

Rainbow Coalition of Witches

Rainbow witch three (green & Blue) for my rainbow coalition witchy block…this is Block # 89 from the book 300 paper pieced blocks by Carol Doak.  This block is 5.25 square.  All hand pieced. It will be joined by 3 others: Red & Purple, Orange & Yellow and Black & Pink.  I’ve some wacky rainbow fabric to sash the block with.  She’ll get a face when the whole block is done. This, of course, will be a part of my Witch Bonnet Sue quilt. May 15^th 2010

 

Rainbow witch Four (Black & Pink) for my rainbow coalition witchy block…this is Block # 89 from the book 300 paper pieced blocks by Carol Doak.  This block is 5.25 square.  All hand pieced. It will be joined by 3 others: Red & Purple, Green & Blue and Orange & Yellow. I’ve some wacky rainbow fabric to sash the block with.  She’ll get a face when the whole block is done. This, of course, will be a part of my Witch Bonnet Sue quilt. May 15^th 2010

 

Rainbow Coalition witch block embroidery detail…some of the French knots worked…others…not so much…oh…those are kissy lips on the black and pink one!

May 15th 2010

 

Rainbow Coalition Witchy block complete. These are Block # 89 from the book 300 paper pieced blocks by Carol Doak.  This block is 5.25 square.  Witch blocks are hand pieced. The block building was by machine. This, of course, will be a part of my Witch Bonnet Sue quilt. May 15th 2010

 

Neener’s big boy burn your retinas birthday Lovie!

May 15th 2010

 

TOTALLY tired shamus after a very busy day May 16^th 2010

home is where the heart is siggy

Home is where the heart is Signature square.  This will go with the belly button block I made for the next round robin I’m in.  The signature block was all hand pieced.  Haven’t decided it I want to sash it yet. Perhaps more of the same red…who knows! Block is 7.75 inches square.  I did the writing in indelible ink so it’ll last! Left plenty of room so the other ladies in the round robin can add their signature, want to give credit where credit it due!  This quilt when completed will more than likely either go to a baby girl born at the time or to a heart baby down at Children’s Heart Clinic of Minnesota.

Block # 120 from the book 300 paper pieced quilt blocks by Carol Doak

May 17^th 2010

3 little candy corns

Three little candy corns waiting to be frappe’d together with some white to make the signature block for my witchy WBS (Witch Bonnet Sue) quilt.  Each little corn is 2.25 X 2.25 square…super tiny! Pattern from: Paper Pieced Quilt Labels # 6 by Scraps of Time http://www.scrapsoftimequilts.com/index.html

May 19th 2010

WBS signature square & damp shamus

Completed signature square for my WBS (Witch Bonnet Sue) plus quilt…

I’ve noticed that nothing I sew is ever ‘perfect’, wonder how other quilters do it…but I digress…this block is about 9 X 7 inches…give er take.  It’ll eventually live on the back of the WBS+ quilt. The three wee candy corns are from Paper Pieced Quilt Labels # 6 and can be found at http://www.scrapsoftimequilts.com/index.html

Completed May 21^st 2010

 

Post bath Shamus…he got away before being thoroughly dried off…silly puppy.  He loves being without his collar while drying.  Freshly bathed and smelling kind yummy with his herbal shampoo. Shamus 7 months old on the dot.

May 21^st 2010

Almost the last weekend in May

Mother/kitchen witch (see the spoon) from a pattern I purchase from Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/listing/47064238/mother-witch-pattern?ref=vt_related_1

Blew her up a bit but she still turned out quite small so I added the Mac-n-cheese star from 300 paper pieced patterns by Carol Doak pattern # 239.  Completed block is 12.5X12.5 square May 23^rd 2010

 

Rather lame attempt at fusible machine appliqué without the benefit of fusible anything… Oh well…had this with for quite a while, about 10 years in fact, and had to put her somewhere…this is the result…sigh… 12.5 X 12.5 square…May 22^nd 2010

 

Shamus sprawled not enjoying the 90 degree heat index at all… May 22^nd 2010

Shamus checking out the huge hairy bumble bees on the other side of the mesh…May 23^rd 2010

 

Who’s that schnauzer in the rat tank?!?  Shamus never was properly introduced! May 23^rd 2010

 

Er whut? May 23^rd 2010

embroidered witch block

Wicked cool embroidered witch craft block…isn’t she cute?!? I found her on Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/Richaway1230 and what was really nice is I could customize her hair color, dress and the green kitty (no schnauzer, oh well) I trimmed the block I received and added some fun borders from left over fabric from another quilt.  Block is now 12.5X12.5 and ready to join the others in the WBS Witch Bonnet Sue + quilt.  I think this quilt will be big enough to warm two! Boy to I want an embroidery machine!

May 24^th 2010

merry month of may comes to a close

Block I completed (the outer most border) for a just add a border block swap.  May 28^th 2010

 

Shamus was very curious of the freshly washed lovies…had to sniff the clothes basket after all the warm blankets were removed.

 

Jazmin caught the first 2 fish of the fishing season on May 31^st.  Both were cat fish and too small to keep. J

 

Shamus behaving on the fishing dock with me while Jim and Jaz fished. May 31^st 2010

 

Shamus gotta nice cold ice cube for behaving…don’t touch his cube! May 31^st 2010

Thus June Begins

Wee sample tree that will be a part of a flying witch block 2.75 inches square. MH Designs: Faces of Fall banner pattern from http://www.grubersquiltshop.com

June 1^st 2010

 

Weird storm that was building while I was blissfully oblivious while piecing.  Storm didn’t amount to anything more than thunder bumpers and some rain…interesting clouds though! June 1^st 2010

wee flying witch block

Completed flying witch block for my WBS (Witch Bonnet Sue) Quilt…this one took quite a while to complete…many tiny pieces.  Love the dark blue on black around the edges! 12.5 inches square. MH Designs: Faces of Fall banner pattern from http://www.grubersquiltshop.com

June 6^th 2010

a bit of witchiness

Cool moon wee quilt to keep my hands busy in waiting rooms… about 10 inches square…added a bead for the sinister gleam in his eye… chunk of a panel called Hair Raising Halloween Pumpkin & Witch Panel Multi Fabric By The

Panel From: Fabric.com  

June 8^th 2010

 

Fun witchy sisters on red block, thrown together rather haphazardly…12.5 inches square.  Wicked witch fabric from THE SPIDER’S WEB FABRIC J

All they need are cups of coffee and this would be me & Stephermini! Finished June 8^th 2010

a little bugg-i-poo

Itty bitty monarch butterfly caterpillar Jazmin found on a milkweed we have growing in the garden…must be fresh from the egg he’s so tiny!

June 9^th 2010

 

Shamus can barely contain himself he wants to eat the wee caterpillar…or at least sniff it ferociously…

June 9^th 2010

ah…colonoscopy

Very pretty (even I’m impressed) block for a Sarcoma quilt I’m donating to.  Pattern from 300 paper-pieced blocks by Carol Doak.  I’m planning a second block to send to…main color is to be yellow.  Most of the block is hand pieced…love the colors! Block is 12.5 inches square finished June 12^th 2010.

 

Finished 3 wee Yule quilts.  Patterns from the book A Quilter’s Ark by Margaret Rolfe…Kitty for Judi, Emu for Ross, Giraffe for Paul…finished them on June 13^th2010.

 

Shamus…slightly suspicious…doesn’t like it when mom doesn’t feel good. June 13^th 2010.

look away if you can’t handle entrails…

k…the colonoscopy went swimmingly…the prep…HORK! the deal itself…thoroughly stoned…I will fer sure be going back to this Dr. if I ever need this done again!  She’s fun…happy…gross job…she even made Jim laugh!  SO…I have diverticulitis…bleck…meaning my innards have lost their elasticity and are unhappy about it…no infection which is nice…pain comes and goes…many biopsies were taken so I need to make an appointment to find out what’s up with those…no big C…whew! on to the yummy photo…ya ready?!?

sexy huh?!? NOT

from the wilds of Minnesota

Jim’s Yule tide mini quilt is done… this is a Howler and the pattern can be found at http://www.sewhooked.org/paper_piecing/img/guests/challenge/howler_pattern_jpyka2.jpg

It’s about 9X8 inches with mean little red eyes. Finished June 15^th 2010

 

MASSIVE snapping turtle Jaz and I saved on the road between Watertown and Delano last night…he was about 40 pounds of reptilian anger…his foot was bigger than my hand.  Took us a while with a reusable bag and a lug wrench to push his really heavy butt off the road into the ditch.  He must have stayed down there and moved on since I didn’t see any body this morning (Whew) June 15^th 2010

 

Does Shamus have enough toys?!?  He has so many he’s exhausted just having them all over him after an evening walk.  Poor baby! June 15^th 2010

A Goat Named Dave

The goat named Dave is Complete!  Check out the tiny revolver…found it on Etsy.com

My bestest Friend in the world made my paper piecing go to the next level…
she wants a goat, but not any regulation goat…
She wants a ‘Hunter S. Thomson-eske’ goat named Dave…
so I added a few extra lines to the pattern to dress the goat in a Hawaiian shirt…Hunter S. liked the Hawaiian shirts…He liked guns and writing too…couldn’t locate a tiny typewriter so I went with a wee revolver…
Indelible ink for the words Hi I’m Dave…I do so love a challenge! Oh her favorite color is green too…
Pattern from the book A Quilter’s Ark by Margaret Rolfe…

June 16^th 2010

Busy Birthday weekend

Mammatus clouds floating overhead after a horrid evening of storms.  Watertown only had wind and rain…but none of the tornadoes that struck other towns in Minnesota. June 17^th 2010

 

Shamus taking in the calm after the storm…he really doesn’t like getting his feet wet…silly puppy June 17^th 2010

SWGWSW June book case block…my appliqué abilities are rather lacking… 12.5 X 12.5 “ square…note my quilt tag used as a book title J June 18^th 2010

 

Finished Tab’s Yule purple sumo hippo…TOO stinkin’ cute! Think once I finish all the Yule wee quilts I’ll make one of each of the beastie blocks for a beastie quilt! Pattern located in a Quilter’s Ark of paper pieced blocks by Margaret Rolfe.  Completed June 18^th 2010

 

2 dandy Yule humming bird wee lovies…one for Krystine one for Dear ol’ Dad…hmmm about 7.5 square er so. Pattern located in a Quilter’s Ark of paper pieced blocks by Margaret Rolfe.  Completed June 19^th 2010

 

big baby quilt via: crazy quilter’s round robin completed for Joseph at work for his 1^st baby who will be making his/her appearance in October this year…it’s about 3.5 feet by 4 feet er so…MASSIVE…machine quilted in the ditch with a light teal backing…love this quilt and I’m sure it’ll be dandy for throwing on the floor for the wee one to sprawl on J finished it on my birthday June 20^th 2010

 

Signature block on the back of Joseph’s 1^st baby’s quilt… June 20^th 2010

 

Shamus really needs a hair cut…a bit aloof while I fold and bag up wee baby cloths and lovies to donate. June 21^st 2010

 

Silly Shamus gnawing my knee…such a fun puppy! June 21^st 2010

Shamus needs more attention

just a bit

Good thing I usually have quite a bit of newborn sweetie baby things laying about…last minute baby showers seem to crop up occasionally!  Made the wicked cool red dinosaur receiving blanket to complete the bag full of goodies!

 

Jazmin’s new gerbil Jozie…she’s a bit flighty hence the death grip to keep her in place.

skull duggery wedding invitation

yeah…I know the wedding isn’t till 2011 but hey even if it isn’t a massive affair I gotta get a few things contemplated before hand…like the invitations…granted this is my 1st attempt for this occasion…as I love orange…well there ya be!

some sewing of old

Ah the 1990’s…when men were men and I sewed everything I could find…being gainfully unemployed and having nothing else to do but sew I started sewing a jacket out of a b-zillion wee triangles (broken dishes)

 

And ended up making way too many vests…all of which I finally gathered up and donated to the local thrift store since they are small and I’ll never wear them again…

Halloween pointy edge lined with a blanket…yes…a blanket!

 

Jonah and the cool purple whale…LOVE the lining of this one!

 

Noah and a plethora of assorted beasties…note wavy bottom hem…lined with denim

 

Reversible vest…well behave on one side frantically tropical on the other…

 

Sky vest made of all the sky/star fabrics in my stash at the moment…lined with denim…I do hope some one will purchase these…I worked quite hard on all of them…angelhandsthriftshoppe@yahoo.com

A few more for the WBS quilt

Sewed a bit for the WBS (Witch Bonnet Sue) Quilt.  I was gathering all the Halloween fabric I could find in my stash to frappe’ some preemie lovies for the season and in so doing chopped up a few more blocks for the WBS quilt.

Some of this is new fabric ordered just for the WBS quilt some WAY old and has been sitting in it’s box for quite some time waiting for a purpose.

piecing, sewing…wedding

Paper pieced hearts I made for a block swap…finished one at the Quilt till ya Wilt at Heavenly Patchwork in Waconia.  Blocks patterns are all from 300 Paper Pieced Block patterns by Carol Doak.  Each is 4.5 inches square…

# 130 & # 124 July 9^th & 10^th 2010

 

# 120 & 134 July 11^th 2010

 

# 126 July 11^th 2010

 

Started my wicked cool wedding table runner / wall hanging deal! Finished the ‘E’ all 7.5 inches square of it…great colors huh?!?  The purple and orange are from Heavenly Patchwork in Waconia J the pattern for the ‘E’ is from sew hooked http://www.sewhooked.org/paper_piecing/img/hp/edited_alpha/uppercase_E.jpg

Finished July 9^th 2010

 

Completed the heart for the wicked cool wedding table runner / wall hanging deal!

The oranges and creams are from a fossil fern charm pack…I’ll be embroidering our wedding date in the cream area… 8 inches square. Pattern from Carol Doak http://www.caroldoak.com/pdfs/CrazyPatchHeart2.pdf finished July 10th 2010

 

Started and completed my ring bearer’s batty pillow…took about 2 hours start to finish.  Jazmin of course want one now…sigh…I free handed a pattern used iron on batting for the wings and machine quilted his wings…used ‘safe’ eyes and a nose…love the ribbons!

July 11^th 2010.

stop -n- smell the fla las

Accidentally snapped one of my star gazer lilies off last night… but a vase and some water makes for a dandy impromptu photo shoot!

 

My mother’s day orchid from Tab is still alive too… I’m shocked too!

 

Helga’s wondering what all the commotion is about!

HAIL Hail paper piecing & Hail

AND…ampersand made for the wedding table runner / wall hanging…6inches by 9 inches…pattern found at: http://www.paperpanache.com/pix/srpdfs/ampersands.pdf

Completed July 17^th 2010

 

Letter thus far: E & Heart… Made for the wedding table runner / wall hanging  July 17^th 2010

 

J is for the Jim who loves me! Made for the wedding table runner / wall hanging… 7 inches square…pattern found at: http://www.sewhooked.org/paper_piecing/img/hp/edited_alpha/uppercase_J.jpg

& E Made for the wedding table runner / wall hanging July 18^th 2010

 

The beginning of M…massive maniacal M…pattern found at: http://www.sewhooked.org/paper_piecing/img/hp/edited_alpha/uppercase_m.jpg

July 18^th 2010

 

Sirens screaming marble sized hail July 17^th 2010

 

Sirens go silent…hail get bigger July 17^th 2010

 

The after math…Jim’s car is much more aerodynamic now that it’s dimpled like a golf ball July 17^th 2010

 

Shamus with is new patriotic nom toy from Gumma July 18^th 2010

 

Shamus…blissfully oblivious July 18^th 2010

 

Jazmin’s dinner plate dahlia…July 17^th 2010

 

Star gazer lily…can you ever get too close? July 17^th 2010

had to share

(thanks Debbie for sharing)

I wanted to share this, from an article in Quilters Newsletter this month, with all my quilting friends. The message is very powerful.

“Getting Back to our Roots…
Some of your letters to the editor really saddened me. When did quilting become such an elitist, snobbish, and judgmental pastime? As a traditional quilter for over 30 years, I’ve lately observed a disturbing trend in quilting. What used to be a group of diverse women gathering to share their time and ideas seems to have become, in some cases, a rarified group of competitive, inflexible individuals. Quilters, let’s remember why we quilt. We may not love the finished piece, but we always love the process. We keep on quilting not for contests, money, or adulation — we quilt because we love it! “Let’s foster compassion over competition, celebrate shows over contests, and show more appreciation for diversity and less arrogance toward our sister quilters.” Patronize the shops that struggle to serve us and honor the quilts that speak to our individuality.
Nadene Besonen
Port Austin, Michigan” unquote

I couldn’t agree more. I’ve noticed that there are a few too many, who seem to “snub” other quilters, as if they are “queen” in this craft. Quilting should be as it used to be, a gathering of all type, race, religion, nationality, economic status of “quilters” who share the one common thread…the love of quilting, or the desire to learn to quilt. We should be inspired by each other, not because one is an experienced quilter, or a quilt designer or teacher, but because we enjoy the unique or individual inspirations of even the very beginning quilter. Not because we think someone (or ourselves) to be better than others in the room…but because we can learn from each other, even through your mistakes or mine. I’ve taken classes, where I’ve learned as much if not more from the lady sitting next to me, then I did from the teacher of the class…because her “wisdom” of tips helped me. I’ve been inspired by a new quilter’s choice of fabric’s or colors, more than I have by “professional” quilters, designer quilts, or art quilts. I’ve appreciated a sincere compliment with a quilt tip attached, more than a “destructive” comment, judgmental look, or arrogant attitude of a quilter who believes herself to be better than other’s in the room. Let us remember, honey gains more than vinegar, and judge not lest we be judged ourselves. Let us enjoy each opportunity to share among friends, strangers, and all quilters, our wisdoms without judgment, our compliments with grace and humility, our comments with kindness and acceptance. I would hope that if we find someone who demonstrates an “attitude of elitist, snobbish and judgmental ways”, that we find the courage and strength to turn away and foster a new friendship of “compassion over competition, celebrate shows over contests, and show more appreciation for diversity and less arrogance toward our sister quilters.” I couldn’t have put that any better.
I look forward to connecting with my quilt friends. I look forward to opportunities where I can join any group of quilters, for the sisterhood and friendships. My seams may not be exact, my fabric choice may not be well blended, but my heart is in every stitch, and I really love to quilt…ALL type patterns of quilts.

we are all our own person…we like what we like…
then again there are pleasent ways of saying to another creative person that perhaps you’d do it different…without hurting that person’s feelings…

Becka’s Heart

Becka’s swap block for http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WeRQuilters

Pattern from 300 paper pieced quilt block patterns by Carol Doak Pattern # 120

4.5 inches square…all by hand (I’m a freak like that) Becka sent all the fabrics except the Purdy pink which I added and sent a piece along with the block to the next lady in the swap…by the end of August Becka will receive a lovely 12.5 inch square block worked on by 3 ladies… I’ll be getting my great Hallow-eenie block then too…can’t wait!  I’ll be adding mine to my wicked witchie quilt! July 20^th 2010

M is for…

M is for the many things he gave me…like love, companionship, understanding…pardon the overwhelming river of sappiness!  Massive M…10 inches square give er take…all by hand (this took me a while to complete) Pattern from: sew hooked http://www.sewhooked.org/paper_piecing/img/hp/edited_alpha/uppercase_m.jpg

33 pieces…whew! Completed July 21^st 2010

in the know

Layer Cakes, Jelly Rolls, and Turnovers. . Oh My!
Everything You want to Know about the Latest Fabric Products

WHAT’S A LAYER CAKE?

A Layer Cake is a Moda product made up of 40 – 10″ squares of a fabric line. Another fabric product beginners are sure to love, and, because of its larger size, offers more options to make quilt blocks. For a quick quilt, they can be use without cutting. . . check out our #101 Charm Square Quilt in the ‘Pattern Catalog’. Instead of using a Charm Pack, substitute 10″ square and adjust the length of the sashing and border to fit the larger size square.

Like the Jelly Roll before it, the Layer Cake previews 40 squares of fabric line is the prelude to yardage of the fabric line.

WHAT’S A JELLY ROLL?

A Jelly Roll is made up of 40 strips of fabric, each 2 1/2″ by the fabric width (usually 41- 44″). Beginning quilters are attracted to this product because strips are precision cut, making cutting fabric in the quilt-making process easier.

The 40 strips of fabric which make up a Jelly Roll preview fabric lines and usually all of the fabrics in the line are represented. Sometimes multiple strips of a single fabric print are included (this usually depends on the number of fabrics in the line.) Once the fabric manufacturer decides which fabrics and how many strips are to be in the product preview, it is rolled up so that it looks like . . . . a Jelly Roll.

WHAT’S A CHARM PACK?

On the market for a little longer period than Jelly Rolls, a Charm Pack is a package of 5-inch square fabrics. Like Jelly Rolls, they preview new lines and give the quilter a sampling of that fabric line. Precision cut, they provide accuracy and simplicity to cutting and, as a result, are attractive to beginner quilters. Quilts designed for Charm Packs can often use additional fabrics for more complex quilt blocks, sashings, borders, backing and binding.

Unlike Jelly Rolls, Charm Packs vary in the number of five-inch squares included in a package, so check the label for that information. Because of this variation, prices may also vary.

FAT QUARTERS . . . WHAT ARE THEY?

Most quilters are familiar with this fabric product because it has been around for the longest. A fat quarter is a 1/2 yard of fabric which is then cut in half (so there are two fat quarters in a 1/2 yard of fabrics). Fat quarters measure 18″ x 21-22″, depending upon the width of the fabric used.

Fat quarters offer the quilter the option of purchasing smaller pieces of fabric that are required in many patterns, wider fabric choices for scrappy quilts, and generally a more inexpensive way to expand the quilter’s STASH!

TURNOVERS. . . . IN A VARIETY OF FLAVORS!

Turnovers are one of Moda’s latest fabric products. Made up of 40- 6″ precision-cut squares the squares are then cut diagonally to make 80 triangles. The fabrics in the Turnover are samples of all of the fabrics in a line. The photo shows “Oh Cherry Oh” by 3 Sisters for Moda. A quick way to make half-square triangles and other shapes. We used them in our new pattern, Cheri Cherry Turnover Quilt which is available in our ‘Pattern Catalog’ on this website.

HONEY BUNS. . . A SWEET TREAT

Good enough to eat, Honey Buns are another new Moda fabric product. Precision-cut and representing all fabrics in a line, the Honey Bun is made up of 40 strips – 1 ½” x WOF (width of fabric). Our new pattern, Squares and Stripes uses the Honey Bun from the Snippets fabric line by American Jane for Moda. Check it out on our ‘What’s new?’ page and our ‘Pattern Catalog’ page on the website.

Now You Know…

a lil sompin sompin

The swapped witches are here!!!  Also the 2009 witches…

and the quilt will begin on Friday the 13^th (August)…WOOOOOO HOOOOOO can’t wait!

A quilt for ME!  Freaky weird…

 

I dyed…hot spicy pink and voluptuous purple…

2 white queen sized sheets and 2 chopped up remains of white sheets…

 

Halloween wall hangings for my Halloweenie bathroom

http://www.fatquartershop.com/store/stores_app/Browse_Item_Details.asp?Shopper_id=550783846565507&Store_id=499&page_id=23&Item_ID=45950&Parent_Ids=

Purchased at Heavenly Patchwork in Waconia, finished July 27^th 2010

 

The paper dolls…

http://www.fabric.com/quilting-fabric-novelty-conversational-quilt-fabrics-girls-only-aunt-lindy-s-paper-dolls-rag-doll-panel-natural.aspx?cm_vc=756b1813-cbc1-43b3-84bd-29889bf8fb7b

Purchased at Heavenly Patchwork in Waconia…given to Emma, Ella and Jocelyn…

Finished July 27^th 2010

 

Olie got his face painted at Rails to Trails in Watertown too cute!

 

Shamus totally worn out by his hair cut snuggles up with his new puppy from Gumma July 24^th 2010

 

Sweet Lovie made for Jocelyn…started a while back but finally finished July 31^st 2010…

large crib sized with tie dyed backing…machine quilted and tied for super washability

Swap Blocks wet dogs & flowers

Scrappin’ Sew & Sends (Alpha group) via http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WeRQuilters/

 

Lorrie’s Block 8-2-2010

 

Sheila’s Block 8-2-2010

 

Poor post run in with the garden hose Shamus 8-2-2010

 

Seems the creeper is eating the house 8-2-2010

 

RUUUN the creeper is eating Jim & Jaz…note quizzical looks on their faces…hmm 8-2-2010

 

Jazmin’s Dahlia see the tiny fly? 8-2-2010

 

Jazmin’s Cleome’…very pink! 8-2-2010

 

Jazmin’s Scabiosa…do so love the Scabiosa! 8-2-2010

E is for Ella

E is for Ella the sweetie pie!  Hand pieced for her super fan-tab-u-lous Ella quilt…Pattern located in 300 paper pieced patterns by Carol Doak pattern # 005.  6 inches square, completed August 5^th 2010

painting-sewing-painting-shamus

S is for Sophia – pattern located in 300 paper pieced quilt blocks by Carol Doak pattern # 019 – 5.5 inched complete…August 7^th 2010

 

E is for Emma – pattern located in 300 paper pieced quilt blocks by Carol Doak pattern # 005 – 5.5 inched complete…August 8^th 2010

 

J is for Jo – pattern located in 300 paper pieced quilt blocks by Carol Doak pattern # 010 – 5.5 inched complete…August 8^th 2010

 

Ella Sophia’s quilt block belly button…love the green and pink! August 8^th 2010

 

Emma Jo’s quilt block belly button…bubbles for her current like of water.  August 8^th 2010

 

Shamus checking out the new bathroom mirror…do so love this mirror and the silly canine in it! August 8^th 2010

quite the flibberdy gibbet

not one to cuss out right here on the web I have quite the WTF moment…I’m making quilts for a friend’s 2 adorable daughter’s and decided to make the quilts personalized for each lil lady by embroidering their names and birthdates on on of the blocks.  I’m using some blocks I received in a fun block swap, bright fabulous colors…I managed to complete both embroideries during 2 long Stephen King movie extravaganzas…massive bummer is I mixed up the birthdays…

UGH! So (sew) this last weekend I paper pieced the girls initials and got the dates correct from mom so the quilts will still be quite lovely but now I have these 2 really beautiful blocks with incorrect embroidery on them… do I throw out the blocks (I think not!) take apart the blocks and replace the unhappy squares?!?  or practice some needle turn applique’ over the embroidery?!? so totally unhappy with myself to have damaged such great blocks like this! OY!

repaired blocks:

heavy sigh!

the bunny of disappointment

Jazmin’s 1st Hibiscus

Jaz just bought and planted this last Friday and already the 1st massive bloom makes an appearance!

August 11th 2010

sewing with Shamus

Shamus quilt block received from a build a block swap via WeRQuilters@yahoogroups.com

16.5 inches square…I embroidered Shamus’ name on it and will be quilting it.  It will become the pillow for his chair.

August 11th 2010

 

Sinister Shamus getting in the way while I iron his block…it’s almost like he knows it will be for him.  Let’s hope he doesn’t eat it! August 11th 2010

 

Me and Shamus…no fair! His eyes are bluer!

August 11th 2010

that and the bathroom sink

No sewing accomplished this weekend…instead Jim and I finished our bathroom sink project!!! No before photos as it was just too hideous to memorialize in photos…suffice it to say the cabinet was 70’s dark wood paneling, the sink was harvest gold (yes you read me correctly harvest gold) the walls were this odd white on light yellow paneling stuff and the counter top early 70’s white Formica…BLECK! August 15^th 2010

I found the great mirror at the Watertown thrift store ‘Angel hands’ that started the repair the bathroom odyssey… got the great sink with nickel fixtures there too! http://angelhandsthriftshoppe.vpweb.com August 15^th 2010

I painted the Formica, wall and nasty cabinet fabulous high gloss black…Jim plumbed the sink and wa-la fabulous sink! Next month we’re tackling the replacement of the bathroom floor and the hallway floor…also early 70’s quality house trailer loveliness… August 15^th 2010

going into sewing withdrawal

Shamus and his pillow…block swap via WeRQuilters@yahoogroups.com

BABRR (Build a Block Round Robin) # 25 Group.  Hand quilted and stuff with Shamus’ existing chair pillow.  So far looks like he won’t eat the pillow since he has another pillow for vicious attacks.  Just have to make sure he always has a pillow for violence and perhaps this one will be safe. August 16^th 2010

Shamus heavy sigh…after barking ferociously at Jim for playing the guitar…guess Shamus isn’t a music lover…he’s just giving me a glare through his eye lashes…such a puppy butt August 16^th 2010

Back of the Shamus pillow using great puppy fabric with a finished opening I can stick any ol’ pillow inside!  Fun signature square from a secret quilting sister last year… August 16^th 2010

Cephalopod Embroidery Quilt Layout

Mind you haven’t even start this yet…but plan to start tracing the embroidery pattern onto the GREAT white on white bubble fabric I purchased at the quilt shop last night.  Also picked up the green batik that has wave like swirls on it and saw (and will eventually purchase) purple batik with bubbles on it for the outer border…this will be quite the adventure.  I found some of the octopi and one of the cuttle fish with a Google cephalopod line drawing search.  The big octopus, tentacles and the love cuttle fish are from the site: http://corvustristis.wordpress.com she has other really fun embroidery patterns available too! a few of the others I found via a ASK search for free embroidery patterns-octopus…not totally easy to find just the line drawings for hand embroidery since it seems everyone is into machine embroidery now…haven’t quite afforded one of those just yet…

SLAYER-embroidery & quilting o-MY!

Saturday Jim Jaz and I went to the Slayer-Megadeath-Testiment concert at Roy Wilkins auditorium…WICKED LOUD & too cool 4 words! Erik Hess a photographer for City Pages took out picture before we went in…

his fabulous photography from this concert can also be found at: http://www.citypages.com/slideshow/slayer-and-megadeth-storm-the-xcel-center-30866119/

Massive Octopi embroidery has begun.  This one is in shades of green…really green! I figure each cephalopod will be in a different color…rainbow-eske’ once again! I found the octopi and one of the cuttle fish with a Google cephalopod line drawing search. The big octopus is from the site: http://corvustristis.wordpress.com/2009/03/11/cephalopodia/ . Enlarged the picture from 8.5X11 to 11X14 on the copier…looking quite nice thus far! August 21^st 2010

Sewed the WBS (Witch Bonnet Sue) + quilt together…backed with a black sheet and have started hand quilting…almost done with the 1^st block! Machine quilted in the ditch between the block to hold it together while I quilt…good and hearty!  Its 60 inches across and 72 inches tall. Jazmin of course thinks she should get this quilt when I’m done…erm…NOT…this will be living on the futon when finally done so those wicked cold winter evenings! J August 23^rd 2010

Note: sleeping Shamus…

it’s give away time at the curious quilter

http://thecuriousquilter.wordpress.com/2010/08/26/its-giveaway-time-at-the-curious-quilter/

go here for a chance to win a quilting book and some wicked cool fabric!!!!!!!!!!!

this weekend’s MeanderingZ

Quilted signature square for my WBS (Witch Bonnet Sue) plus quilt…
I’ve noticed that nothing I sew is ever ‘perfect’, wonder how other quilters do it…but I digress…this block is about 12.5X12.5…give er take. The three wee candy corns are from Paper Pieced Quilt Labels # 6 and can be found at:

http://www.scrapsoftimequilts.com/index.html

August 29^th 2010

Echo Quilting around one of the WBS (Witch Bonnet Sue) Blocks I received from Lorraine in New Zealand.  I LOVE water erase marking pens! They made this wicked cool echo quilting possible!  Completed August 29^th 2010

E is for Ella’s nappy time towel for school.  Paper pieced the E and embroidered the K in kiwi colored embroidery floss…E pattern is from 300 paper pieced patterns by Carol Doak, pattern # 005. Finished August 28^th 2010.

Shamus post weekly bath…yup that’s yer butt!  He still hasn’t learned that pose nice for mommy yet… August 28^th 2010

Incredibly damp close up of Shamus’ schnozzle. Pretty sure he wanted to eat the camera…August 28^th 2010

a lil work for Labor Day

No idea if Tab is currently really ‘into’ pink but when she was a baby I put her in as much pink as possible so people would realize she was indeed a she (no hair for a while).  Added the Beatles fabric cuz’ she knows the words to every Beatles song via osmosis; she was a bit inundated with the Beatles from the womb on… Threw tassels on hers because they were so hot spice pink! Hand pieced…embroidered (look close) Pattern: ’crazy hearts’ http://www.paperpanache.com/guests/aheart.htm for the quilt Those Who Dwell in my Heart.

Finished September 6^th 2010

The four hearts I’ve completed thus far…this quilt will be an eye burner…haven’t decided if I’m added sashing between the blocks yet…better yet, what color?!?  Oy! Pattern: ’crazy hearts’ http://www.paperpanache.com/guests/aheart.htm for the quilt Those Who Dwell in my Heart.

September 6^th 2010

My SSS block (Scrappin’ Sew & Swap) all I did was send the fabric via http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WeRQuilters/ this is my alpha block…lovin the Halloween-ie happiness…think I’ll be sending out Halloween fabric for this swap till I have a quilts worth. 12.5 inches square, thanks Becka, Lorrie and Sheila for working on my block!

Photo taken September 6^th 2010

Oliver at the park on Labor Day just before the rains came! September 6^th 2010

Olie first day of a new day care and school…still a bit tired September 7^th 2010

Oliver’s Locker…aw…September 7^th 2010

Shamus at the park…don’t think he likes the slide September 6^th 2010

Totally wiped out Shamus…poor baby! September 6^th 2010

EVIL schnauzer puppy

We’ve an 11 month old miniature schnauzer, Shamus McSuchy (Sookie)…he was doing so well being alone free in the house for an hour or so at a time…but yesterday after taking my grandson to speech I went home to find he had shredded and entire note pad, a box of kleen X, my almost new and unfortunately only spool of hand quilting thread, my quilt marking pencil and marker…a few bills (there’s a bummer) and my reading glasses… spreading them all over the floor in front of the couch.  I spent my evening trying to blindly paper piece using machine quilt thread…mildly infuriating…course payday is pushed back a day because of the holiday.  Going to the quilt shop is an event since it’s 2 towns away…sigh…so tonight I’ll be struggling with the with the lack of site and horrible twisting, knotting thread…but I digress…he’s still a baby with the brain of a pea…what am I to expect…still love the little poop…guess I’ll have start actually using my sewing box to keep everything safe from nibbling teeth!

eclectic confabulations

Jazmin’s heart in progress for my ‘All Who Dwell in My Heart’ quilt.  Pattern: ’crazy hearts’ http://www.paperpanache.com/guests/aheart.htm Purple and black are Jazmin’s colors…Purple was the color I tried to dress Jaz in…Tab’s was Pink, Nat’s was lavender and light teal…so Jazmin’s was purple.  The shade has gotten darker over the years.  The skull fabric for the heart is from a quilt started by Jaz (I’ll finish it some day) Dark and spooky is the route taken with this block, hope to find some great spooky trim for it.  Her name will be embroidered in black. September 8^th 2010

The great and fabulous gonna be a pumpkin bed pan in progress.  Bedpan supplied by Kris to the K of the Angel Hands thrift store in Watertown…I’m hoping this is orange enough…quilt the retina singer at the moment…still searching for a little pile of pretend poop to drop inside once it’s done…haven’t figured out how I’m going to hang it on the wall yet…this is for my Halloween bathroom…

September 9^th 2010

Jazmin’s Heart WIP

Jazmin’s heart WIP (Work in progress).  Purple and black are Jazmin’s colors…Purple was the color I tried to dress Jaz in…Tab’s was Pink, Nat’s was lavender and light teal…so Jazmin’s was purple, super girlie.  The shade has gotten darker over the years.  The skull fabric for the heart is from a quilt started by Jaz (I’ll finish it some day) Dark and spooky is the route taken with this block, found some fun ribbon and did a nice vine stitch with the machine.  Her name will be embroidered in black. September 9^th 2010

New Bathroom Floor Weekend

While Jim was putting in the new bathroom floor I stayed out of the way and stayed busy!

Finally finished Jazmin’s heart.  All it really needed was the embroidered name…yup that’s the spelling, phonetic since she’s a person not a plant… J Block and pieced then the ribbons put on be machine. Block pattern found at: ‘crazy hearts’ http://www.paperpanache.com/guests/aheart.htm this block will join 19 others to make the quilt: All Who Dwell in my Heart.

Completed September 11^th 2010.

Heidi’s retro artistic flamboyant heart.  Picked out fabulous artsy colors since she is a painter and sketcher extraordinaire!  Added kitty fabric for her kitty Joplin.  Added the blue meanie fro the Yellow Submarine since she’s a Beatles lover. Tried to find as much retro 60’s fabric since she is a born again hippy flower child. Hand pieced, added the fun ribbons be machine and embroidered her name in dark fabulous purple/pink. Block pattern found at: ‘crazy hearts’ http://www.paperpanache.com/guests/aheart.htm this block will join 19 others to make the quilt: All Who Dwell in my Heart.

Completed September 12^th 2010.

First potato harvest…granted this is only from one plant.  I’m leaving the others in the ground till we need them or just before the ground freezes…these were great in the beef stew I made with onions from the garden too! September 11^th 2010

Shamus napping on my WIP witchie quilt.  No wonder my quilt always has the slight puppy funk about it…hmmm…guess it’s bath time again! September 12^th 2010

The pumpkin bedpan has a face…think I’ll work on the eyes a bit more! September 12^th 2010

companion animal heart

Companion Animal block is for all the beasties large and small who have been a big part of our lives.  Reptiles, fish, amphibians, rodents, arachnids, cats, dogs, birds, the odd horse and cow…even a snail for Igor Jazmin’s Apple Snail. A butterfly for the monarch’s we try to grow each year.  Yes we’ve attempted many a beastie! They all will dwell in our hearts long after they’ve left this mortal sphere. Note: the 2 Shamus’…he was sprawled warmly against my leg while I hand pieced this one…

Completed September 14^th 2010

Shamus isn’t really into his new Halloween hat…It does keep him on one place till he gets it off his head though! September 14^th 2010

Shamus is having a good glare at me for heartlessly strapping a hat on him.  Guess he’s just not that into fashion! September 14^th 2010

Fried Egg once again!

Samhain (Halloween) Block…granted this isn’t a person or beastie but since Samhain is my favorite moment of the year and we will be getting married on Halloween (2011) this was a totally essential block for this quilt. Some blocks take longer to Complete than others since I work on them during busy days…this is one of them…loving the way this one is turning out.  The ‘Halloween’ is centered just right! And the jack-o-lanterns fir the heart fabulously (really absolutely fabulous).  Got this far September 16^th 2010 this is going into the All Those Who Dwell in my Heart quilt; Pattern: ’crazy hearts’ http://www.paperpanache.com/guests/aheart.htm

Oliver’s School picture…what a cutie pie! He’s 5, in preschool 2010-2011

Olie in the Egg chair we have on loan from Angel Hands thrift Shop in Watertown…He loves this chair…he can get away from Shamus! September 16^th 2010

Olie Goofing! He has his moments! September 16^th 2010

the weekend’s piecing

My Shamus BABRR (Build a Block Round Robin) came home!  I supplied the center piece and 3 other ladies added to it to make it into a 16.5 inch block.  This was via: WeRQuilters@yahoogroups.com. I received it September 16^th 2010.  Too Cute!

The Samhain (Halloween) heart block is done.  Mom found the fun metallic lace…looks lovely and WAY eye catching! Completed: September 18^th 2010 Pattern: ’crazy hearts’ http://www.paperpanache.com/guests/aheart.htm this block will join 19 other blocks to make the quilt: Those Who Dwell in my Heart.

Dear Ol’ Dad’s heart WIP.  I tried to locate as many plaids and man fabrics for this.  When Mom & Dad got married plaid leisure suits were ‘in’.  Dad had many a plaid suit.  The wood grain fabric is for the wonderful cabinetry he would make in the garage.  I got to nail scraps together.  Ah memories! September 19^th 2010 Pattern: ’crazy hearts’ http://www.paperpanache.com/guests/aheart.htm this block will join 19 other blocks to make the quilt: Those Who Dwell in my Heart.

dear Ol’ Dad’s Heart

Dear Ol’ Dad’s heart.  I tried to locate as many plaids and man fabrics for this.  When Mom & Dad got married plaid leisure suits were ‘in’.  Dad had many a plaid suit.  The wood grain fabric is for the wonderful cabinetry he would make in the garage.  I got to nail scraps together.  Ah memories! Added plaid and argyle ribbon…no idea if dad ever wore argyle but he did have some fabulously eye burning neck ties! Pattern: ’crazy hearts’ http://www.paperpanache.com/guests/aheart.htm this block will join 19 others to make my quilt: Those Who Dwell in my Heart. Hand pieced ribbon added by machine. Block completed September 21^st 2010

Becka’s House

Becka’s house via Scrappin’ Sew & Send Charlie Group: WeRQuilters@yahoogroups.com Round # 2 hand paper pieced house pattern found in 300 paper pieced quilt block patterns by Carol Doak Pattern # 042 completed September 23^rd 2010 Becka supplied most of the scraps I added the lavender flower fabric.  This block will visit 2 more ladies then will be sent home to Becka.

a lil Shamus a lil piecing

Went to Target to get Oliver an inflatable mattress since he now will be sleeping at my house Sunday thru Thursday because his mom now works 3^rd shift…can’t go to Target without checking out the dollar bins.  Well, there was Halloween baby t-shirts…hey it’s a buck so I got one for Shamus, I figured since it had the flap neck it would fit over his head.

You would not believe how calm he was after the t-shirt was on, no jumping up on us…no hyper behavior.  Jim though it was because he was embarrassed…hey…I could have gotten pink!  We tried putting it on him again when Oliver came over since Shamus cannot behave when Oliver is over…didn’t work, guess he got over his embarrassment!

September 26^th 2010

Yule swap ornament this year will be a 4 inch (complete) paper pieced tree in shades of batik and white on white…I hope to make at least 7, one for me, one for mom and 6 to send for the swap…one done, takes about a day of hand piecing and quilting…with the usual interruptions. The flash really washed out the color…the tree is lime green the trunk tan fossil fern fabric… pattern from 300 Paper Pieced Quilt Block Patterns by Carol Doak, Pattern # 044 completed September 26^th 2010

been dashing about with my head cut off

I’ve been working on the same block for almost 2 weeks.  Another heart block for my heart quilt.  Usually I could get one block done in a day of hand work interrupted by the regular stuff like wash, the dog, meals…not any more… My oldest daughter got a good job at the same factory I’m the Document Control chick at…good pay (well adequate if you budget) eventual good benefits…she’s working 3rd shift…I’m on 1st…so now my grandson Oliver sleeps at my house Sunday through Thursday…Monday and Tuesday I just take him home with me after picking him up at preschool…Monday both my daughters go to GED classes in Watertown, Tuesday Olie has Speech therapy in Watertown.  Wednesday’s and Thursday’s I take Olie home to his mom till bedtime when I pick him up and take him home with me…thus far it’s working out great…Tab’s working, Olie’s getting to school, I’m working…I think Shamus may even be getting used to the situation…I just haven’t found a way to cram ME into the equation…by the time Oliver’s all snug in his bed I have absolutely NO inclination to sew…I’ll put it on my lap and there it will sit angry and ignored till I finally go to bed. And now I’m just mad at myself…I’ve been leaving everything I love to do undone and

I’ve been letting Olie take his baby (lumpy the TY moose) to school to better cope with the new living situation…he lost Lumpy yesterday…can’t find him anywhere…and of course he is ‘retired’…I found him on Ebay hope to get his replacement QUICK…still pissed at myself! UGH…so now my creative everything is a total mess AND I’m horribly guilty about Lumpy.  Poor Olie.  I know all of this is NO ONE’S fault.  We all just need a little time to get used to everything.  I need to crack the whip on myself to get back to sewing I’m obviously going into withdrawal…and I need to chill on the Lumpy deal…kids loose things even things that mean so much to themselves…sigh… hopefully we can get the replacement Lumpy shipped QUICK so I can quit beating myself up about it…TIE the new one to Oliver so he doesn’t misplace this one…think I’ll even buy an extra one to put away just in case.

Hope to finish mom’s heart this weekend and maybe even start cutting the massive pile of Flannel for baby lovies!

OY!

~Yane the silly putty mommy(pulled in 17 directions)

UPDATE:

from Olie’s teacher:
Hi Elaine,   I stopped in to TKC this morning and they found the moose!  Oliver was also having a good day and he was earning his buttons on his button board.     Have a nice weekend,   N
HAPPY DANCE!

Finally some piecing!

Mom’s Heart

M Is for the Many things she gave me,
O Means only that she’s growing Old.
T Is for the Tears she shed to save me,
H Is for her Heart of purest gold.
E Is for her Eyes with love light shining,
R Means Right and Right she’ll always be.

Put them all together, they spell MOTHER.
A word that means the world to me.

 

Hand paper pieced in purples and greens the colors she like to wear most…this will join 19 other heart blocks to make my quilt ‘Those Who Dwell in my Heart’. Pattern: ’crazy hearts’ http://www.paperpanache.com/guests/aheart.htm ribbons machine sewed on & ‘mom’ hand embroidered.  Completed October 10^th 2010

2 Yule ornament swap trees done thus far…pattern from 300 Paper Pieced Quilt Block Patterns by Carol Doak.  Pattern # 044. All hand work.  Tree on the left Completed October 10^th 2010

 

almost mess & tiny stitches

This morning I found that the lap desk I use for paper piecing had been knocked onto the floor and hastily picked up and put back upside down…lovely arrangement of all the stuff I use to paper piece though…I can always use a new Wally paper for my computer to make me look forward to going home and piecing once again! October 11^th 2010

tiny stitches…I try to get more than 12 per inch when paper piecing by hand…I always paper piece by hand since I’ve a phobia of sewing through my hand/finger/piece of me when working on little stuff…thus far I’ve only rapped my knuckles with the screw holding the needle in place but who wants to take any chances?!? This is the back of a 4 inch square pine tree…

October 11th 2010

wintry block swap

Scrappin Sew & Swap Charlie Block.  This one belongs to Angel and has one more lady to go to before going home to Angel.  THis swap is through the yahoo group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WeRQuilters

8.5 inches square completed 10-12-2010

rather busy weekend

Oliver’s Heart

Olie is SO a little boy (at the moment) I went through all my fabric to find all the boy fabric.  Couldn’t locate any snips and snails and puppy dog tails so we’ll have to just put up with truck and motocross and flame coated tattoos! A lot of the fabric Oliver has picked out over the years at the quilt shop.  Guess I’ll have to make an entire boy quilt one of these days!

Hand paper pieced with the manly ribbons machine sewed on. Pattern: ’crazy hearts’ http://www.paperpanache.com/guests/aheart.htm this block will join 19 others to make my ‘Those Who Dwell in my Heart.

Completed October 16^th 2010

Hearts for my ‘Those Who Dwell in my Heart’ quilt so far…11 so far…9 to go!  This will be such an eye burning assortment of Gigglytude!  Pattern: ’crazy hearts’ http://www.paperpanache.com/guests/aheart.htm October 17^th 2010

Three little tree Yule ornaments for an ornament swap…each hand paper pieced and quilted…7 more to go for this swap…I better get in gear! Pattern from 300 paper pieced quilt block patterns by Carol Doak pattern # 44 October 17^th 2010

Shamus is totally bored by my sewing…poor tired guy got a bath then I trimmed the hair across the bridge of his nose so he could see out of his eyes. October 17^th 2010

Oliver and this 3 hour Lego airplane. October 17^th 2010

 

stitches per inch

from JoAnn

As with so many aspects of quilting, the way we measure our stitches can sometimes vary. Some quilters count the stitches visible on the top side of the quilt. Other quilters count the stitches from both the top and bottom.

As a general rule, quilters are referring to the number of stitches per inch on the quilt top. So, when discussing stitch size with other quilters, be sure they clarify the process they use to avoid confusion.

Quilters measure their stitches by the inch. So, you will often hear quilters talk about how many stitches per inch they strive for in their quilting projects.

Here’s the kicker – they may vary the stitches per inch they strive for based on each individual project. So, a quilt top that is going to be more heavily quilted may end up with more stitches per inch than one that is rather lightly quilted.

As a general rule, hand quilters tend to lean toward 6 to 8 stitches per inch (counted on the top side of the quilt, not both sides).

Machine quilters typically strive for 10 to 12 stitches per inch. Why the difference? With hand quilting you have to accommodate for the fact that you are human.

While any experienced quilter could create 10 to 12 stitches by hand, think how tiny those would be…and how much strain it would put on the quilter’s fingers and wrists. It’s just not quite as practical as 6 to 8 stitches.

Now, there may be hand quilters out there who get 10 to 12 per inch, but let’s face it. It’s easier to program a machine to do it.

If you are a beginner, make a few quilt sandwiches on which to practice your stitches per inch. These don’t have to be anything fancy.

A couple of layers of scrap fabric and some batting are all it takes. If possible, use at least one solid piece of fabric for your practice piece.

This will allow you to more closely examine your stitches. Prints might hide them. You want to be able to see any and all imperfection when you practice.

With your hand sewing supplies or your machine, run some test stitches on your practice quilt sandwich. Lay your ruler beside the stitches to see how many per inch you have done.

Another way to do this is to mark your fabric in one inch increments. This is especially helpful when practicing hand stitching. Stitch between the lines until you get the hang of it.

What happens if your stitch count doesn’t quite make it? That depends a great deal on the loft (thickness) of the batting.

Some batting, like polyester, doesn’t separate much. So, fewer stitches won’t matter. Your batting will stay together inside your quilt for a long time. Natural fibers like cotton or wool, however, require heavier quilting to keep them in place as they are sandwich in the middle of your quilt.

Without enough stitches, the natural fibers of cotton or wool batting can eventually separate inside your quilt and become very lumpy. Even so, bonded batting or batting with a scrim will prevent that separation, although it is more difficult to hand quilt.

In addition to the number of stitches you sew into an inch of fabric, you really also need to work on the consistency of the length of your stitches.

Work to make them straight – which sounds easier than it is sometimes. Make them evenly spaced and make them each the same length.

This isn’t so much of an issue for machine quilters because you set your stitch length and width between on your machine.

Hand quilters, however, really need to work to get a grasp of the technique. The good news is that once you get the hang of it, it’s with you forever!

 

 

assorted sewing silliness

Up to 5 tree Yule ornaments now…3 more to go and I can make mine & mom’s…who would think these would take so long to make!  Each is 4 inches square, using fossil fern charms for the trees, trunk and the sky nearest the tree, batik charms from a charms swap for the left and right rectangles and some white on white left over from a baby quilt…the neato ribbon is left over from my heart blocks, the backs (yeah I know you can’t see them) are other bright batiks from the charm swap…even using left over fusible batting for the innards.  All I’ve actually purchased for this adventure is more hand quilting thread.  The pattern is from 300 paper pieced quilt block patterns by Carol Doak, pattern # 44

October 24^th 2010

Scrappin’ Sew and Send Charlie block for Lorrie.  She’s using all of her swap blocks in a red and white sampler quilt.  Hope to see it when it’s done!  I added the courthouse steps border to the outside of the block that 3 other ladies have worked on.  It’s 12.5X12.5 inches.

October 24^th 2010

Made 4 fleece lovies to send to God’s Tiny Angels this weekend too.  Figured I should blow the dust off of the Serger occasionally!

October 24^th 2010

SSS Charlie Block came home

Scrappin’ Sew & Send Charlie Group: WeRQuilters@yahoogroups.com

Round # 2 September 15^th 2010

This one’s mine…eventually I’ll be making a WONDERFUL Halloween sampler quilt…size, undecided at the moment…guess we’ll see how many of these I join! Block was created by 3 lovely ladies: Becka, Angel and Lorrie using scraps I sent and scrap they added.  They decided on the block pattern, 1st one making the bellybutton block and the others adding borders till it grew to 12.5X12.5 inches.

received October 25th 2010

 

beginning of this quilter

In the beginning…I was trapped on bed rest with my 3^rd daughter…trapped from 4 month gestation on…Jaz’ was in a BIG hurry to join the world.  I had personal care nurses come in a few hours a day to help with the house hold stuff and to make sure Tab, almost 3 at the time, had a bit of a life during that lovely pregnancy.  One of those great ladies was a quilter and brought me a box of scraps and other goodies for quilting so I could keep my hands busy while busily doing not much else.  She gave me a few pointers but other wise I was on my own.  These quilts all live in the hallway of out house, helping to deaden the painful echoes and insulate the Northern wall of our ‘vintage’ 1973 house trailer…

The first of my quilting adventure was a bunch of squares that were already cut out and some bunny pillows.  I blended them all together using a horribly itchy blanket as the batting.  Now almost 20 years later I still don’t know how to hand appliqué (much less machine) I whip stitched the bunnies onto the squares after sewing them together by hand.  I had no idea how to finish the quilt or quilt the quilt…so it holds it self together with no quilting or tying…go figure! The bunny quilt was completed in September 1990 and is 37” X 40”, all hand sewn.

Jazmin’s Star Quilt…an adventure into a not-square quilt.  I started this when we lived in our cramped little apartment.  I used cardboard cut outs of the Civil War Sanitary block tracing around them on the wrong side of the fabric then cutting out all the pieces with a scissor…I’d no idea what a rotary cutter was yet. This was started when she was almost 1, I was hoping for this to be her 1^st birthday quilt…She finally got it when she was 3, had her own room and a big girl bed. 53”X53”

The Girls Art Quilt… Started in 1993 Completed 1994…Tabitha was 6 and Jazmin was 3 when the art work was created using Crayola Iron on Crayons. I quilted around each pictures using colored embroidery floss to go with the colors in the pictures.  Then the ladies got to pick out beads and buttons to give the quilt a tactile feel.  37”X52”

Sunflower Block Swap Quilt.  I found this in Quilter’s Magazine Newsletter when they had swaps and quilting pen pals noted in the back of the magazine.  WAY before I knew of Yahoo Quilt Groups!  I sent out the bellybutton fabric to 20 other quilter’s and I received 20 other belly button fabrics to create blocks around…This is one quilt made of the blocks I received…other quilts made of these blocks have long since been given away and forgotten.

This quilt was completed in 1994, tied and slightly hand quilted, machine pieced…using a very garish table cloth for the back. 51”X62”

Kewpie Doll Quilt completed 1995 made of fabric swatches in an attempt to look like a watercolor quilt, backed with a hideous black blend fabric I got at a garage sale. Machine quilted with a chunk of cotton batting. 25.5”X25.5”

 

Shades of Pink Home Sweet Home lap quilt.  Made many a lap/baby quilt using printed pillow panels for the center and wide borders and squares all around.  Prairie point to match and machine quilted.  This is the only one left…slightly sun bleached and rat chewed from rat hugging on the couch in the winter.  Completed in 1995 45”X43”

‘9 Lakes and a Puddle Enlivened by Native Beasties, Ecologically Sound Trails about, the Green Grass Grows All Around’ Quilt.  Completed in March 1998.

I had been gathering fabrics that were just TOO great to throw into just any quilt.  Once I had a nice stack I located the pattern at the local library, ‘Tropical Depression’ is the name of the block, basically a square in a square in a square etc.  Machine pieced with an itchy blanket in lieu of batting, hand quilted. Again not a square quilt.  I added a little more fun to the back using other fabric in the collection I hadn’t added to the front.  Signature square hasn’t faded even after many washes. 62”X54”

 

There are quite a few other quilts out there I never got pictures of and they no longer live with me…

 

WEEKEND OF BUSY

Quilt I whipped up for Oliver’s preschool teacher Natalie who will be having a baby girl soon.  Bunch of 6.5 squares sewn together to make a 42” X 48” lovie, machine quilted with a

Tie Dye backing (I did the dying) finished up with multicolored prairie points. 11-7-10

Shamus extreme eye close up…I was trying to capture his incredibly long eyelashes…they’re like 2 inches long…freakish! 11-7-10

7 little paper pieced pine tree Yule ornaments…sigh…I don’t think I’ll make it to the 10 I was trying to accomplish… L 11-6-10

my WIP (work in process) blocks…I hang them behind the sewing machine so their always glaring at me to COMPLETE a project…eventually… There are the crazy paper pieced heart blocks for my ‘Those Who Dwell in my Heart’ Quilt…a group of swap blocks and blocks I’ve made that turn out larger than 12.5 square…some paper pieced blocks that are waiting for a quilt to live in, some signature blocks for the massive blocks when they grow into quilts and Halloween swap blocks…have 2 so far…this quilt may take a while to accomplish… 11-8-10

 

what to do during a winter storm

Quilt made for Jazmin’s GED teacher Emily who will soon be having a baby boy! Flannel front with a hearty cotton backing, machine pieced and tied with green floss. 42 inches by 48 inches…just right for a baby gonna be a toddler before you know it.  11-14-2010

Jazmin’s gerbils are growing up so fast…one day naked and hanging on mama

the next covered with velvety fuzz…too cute! 11-14-10

Shamus really needs a haircut…

Oliver and his Lego fire truck, complete with marker and pizza on his face…hmmm 11-14-10

 

Shamus-gerbils-XMAS?

Shaggy Shamus…needs a trim! 11-20-10

Shamus and his new lavender puppy toy…rather stoic… 11-20-10

Jazmin’s gerbil momma with her babies 11-20-10

Gerbil babies with fur and opening their eyes! 11-20-10

Shamus’ X-mas stocking…turned out a bit large… 11-20-10

Selvage Quilt contemplation

just got the book Quilts from the Selvage Edge by: Karen Griska

I can’t wait to do my 1st selvage quilt!  I’ve been saving all the selvages I trim off fabric, cotton, flannel, even some velvet (I really do NOT like sewing velvet) I have 1 large freezer zip lock full of selvages…unfortunately look like I don’t have enough to finish a quilt yet, I know, I’m shocked too! so if anyone has any selvages from any fabric except super stretchy knits…I’ll gladly take them off your hands!  the book says selvages need to be 1.5 inches but I think any width would be great!  I can send shipping $ if you’d like or trade in kind for fat quarters or chunks of what you need at the moment! Comment and I’ll get right back to you!

Santa coming to a tree near you

Santa ornaments in process can’t remember where I got the pattern…4 inches square 11-28-10

Santa’s ready for eyes and noses 11-28-10

 

Santa’s can SEE

Santa’s can SEE and well smell, not in a bad department store Santa way…dare say I think my French knot abilities are getting better!  Each is 4 inches square thus far…one for mom, one for Tab’s 1^st X-mas tree, one for one of the QC chicks at work and (whew) one actually for my tree…go figure!  Pattern = http://www.azpatch.com/bom/pp2000/patterns/santa.htm

11-29-10

My Santa…I was running out of the fossil fern reds so his hat is a bit pieced…think it turned out pretty good! 4 inches square give or take… Pattern: http://www.azpatch.com/bom/pp2000/patterns/santa.htm

11-29-10

 

4 little santas

Four little Santas are hanging in the tree…all ready to go to their new homes…’cept the one I’m actually keeping, yeah I’m shocked too! Pattern: http://www.azpatch.com/bom/pp2000/patterns/santa.htm

11-30-10

Detail of Tab’s Santa…wee little stitches! ‘He sees you when you’re sleeping…He knows when you’re awake’…hmmm…is Santa some sort of childhood hero or a freakish stalker who has bugged your house and sits across the street in a nondescript vehicle with a camera complete with telephoto lens…just contemplation…I digress

Pattern: http://www.azpatch.com/bom/pp2000/patterns/santa.htm

11-30-10

Would any day be complete without a little Shamus…still VERY furry…he’s a bit of a padiddle at the moment! 11-30-10

 

Quilter’s Last Will & Testament

The Quilter’s Last Will And Testament*

I,___________________________,being of sound mind (a statement which does not bear close examination) do hereby record my last will and testament.

Knowing that __________________________________, my _________________ (husband, sister, or friend) hasn’t the least understanding or appreciation for, or for that matter, knowledge of my extensive fabric collection, which collection is suitably deposited in sundry places for safekeeping.

Knowing also that ___________________________ has already notified the local dumpster to pick up and dispose of the before mentioned collection “willy-nilly” (the thought of which causes me a most severe case of hives).

Therefore, I do will this collection and all other collections related to it, to my dear friend and fellow fabric preservationist, _________________________.

It is my wish that she/he, upon hearing of my death and obtaining clear proof that I did not manage, although goodness knows I tried, to take it with me, would come to my home post haste, before the dumpster, and search out my collection which is similarly stored at her own abode.

That she should rescue said collection and stack it in my quilting studio, along with my sewing machines, frames, old buttons, lace, patterns, quilts, dolls and works in progress.

After she/he has done this, she/he should purchase refreshments for my friends not yet departed, which friends are also her/his friends, and every last one shall be in that room and they shall hold a wake and say lovely and kind things about me until they run out and then they shall divide amongst themselves, by lot, my wonderful collection.

I shall be hovering over that very spot until this is done. _______________________ shall then quit this spot and close the door, leaving trivialities to those who do not understand. This is my wish on the matter.

Signed: ____________________ Date: ___________

Notarized: __________________ Date: ___________

*This is not a legal document

Written By Elinor Peace Baily,
Published in “The Cloth Doll”
Spring/Summer 1990

Mug Rugs

Mug Rugs…wicked cool X-mas gift giving! Idea from http://thecuriousquilter.wordpress.com/2010/11/30/make-a-basic-quilted-mug-rug-a-tutorial/ 6X9 inch mug rugs made from leftovers from a girlie quilt I’m working on with some great Laurel Burch holiday fabrics to make them really POP! Made four to sell at the thrift shop bizarre: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=110996545586605 and 3 for ladies at work.  (Currently working on 5 more for a craft show I was invited to!)

Blended with some up-cycled glass mugs and gourmet cocoas perfect quick gift! December 4^th 2010

 

Poem added to each mug rug gift set (yeah I can rhyme occasionally)

This little mug rug I made just for you.

It’ll hold a cup, a bowl or crackers, just a few.

It’ll hold coffee or tea

Or even a glass of wine with cheese.

Don’t worry if you spill

(and you know you will)

Just throw it in the wash,

spend some time in the dryer

Good as new it will be,

Now don’t be a crier.

So put it by your computer,

Or your favorite easy chair.

It’ll wait patiently till you put your hot drink there!

 

some more blizzard work

Flannel over tie dyed cotton girlie quilt, here kitty kitty! Made this for the Mud Lake Furniture: http://www.facebook.com/Mudd.lake.furniture.co craft show (12-11-10). 42” X 48” tied with embroidery floss and machine quilted. December 5^th 2010

Tired Shamus tired of being ignored while I quilted. 12-5-10

Poor baby…fresh from a bath and I combed everything forward…see…Shamus is a padiddle again…peek! 12-5-10

Slightly blurry Chuey, Jazmin’s new sugar glider.  Too cute! 12-5-10

Granted we’re not one of those totally inundated with lights house…But Oliver likes our ash tree light up extravaganza none the less! 12-6-10

 

holiday sale sewing…well cutting

Newborn fleece hats cut out and hopefully completed in time for the holiday sale at http://www.muddlake.com/upcoming_events.php should quite interesting to actually be a part of a sale type deal! Would be nice to actually sell something…totally odd…usually I just keep everything and give it as gifts or give to a charity… 12-7-10

 

sew sew…snow snow

Last weekends blizzard was great fun as long as you weren’t out driving in it…thankfully Shamus doesn’t have thumbs so he wasn’t going out for a spin other than on the deck! 12-11-12 & 12-12-10

Jim post snow blowing…by the way snow blowing a newspaper makes a very funny noise! 12-12-12

Super furry Shamus…totally ready for that haircut!

My sewing ladies…the newest is the brother embroidery machine…I am SEW happy! 12-10-10

Oliver’s early birthday celebration at Gumma & Buppa’s 12-10-10

Shamus in his freshly personalized jacket…

he really doesn’t like being dressed…go figure! 12-12-10

 

Shamus sans all that fur!  He likes his coat now! Tidy little guy! 12-14-10

Some more mug rugs made for Heidi & my desk at work!

12-12-10

Heidi’s care package, filling up! 12-13-10

Name tag for Sue’s secret Santa gift @ work…lovin’ my embroidery machine! 12-12-10

Elaine not really the riveter 12-12-10

 

sew 4 sale

Lovies, newborn sized sewn up for the sale out at Mud Lake December 18^th is the sale 9-5… http://www.muddlake.com/upcoming_events.php

Fleece 12-11-10

Newborn fleece caps up for the sale out at Mud Lake December 18^th is the sale 9-5… http://www.muddlake.com/upcoming_events.php

12-11-10

Mug rugs up for the sale out at Mud Lake December 18^th is the sale 9-5… http://www.muddlake.com/upcoming_events.php machine pieced and quilted 12-12-10

My corner out at mud lake http://www.muddlake.com 12-10-10 think anything will sell?

 

New embroidery machine :)

Really enjoying my embroidery machine!

Jim got me a 12 foot long USB cable for Christmas so the computer at home can reach the embroidery machine!

This is the well loved boy, free from Embroider This…this is the 1st design I did off the computer…He is just too CUTE! He’s a little less than 4 inches tall. 12-24-10

Purchased this design from Urban Threads…

I’m thinking this would make great belly buttons for mug rugs!

I’m using thread I have on hand, will be purchasing more to make these even more fabulous! 12-26-10

I contacted Embroidery designs and they created a program to make a black and white version of my quilt label…LOVE IT…so now I’m having a color version made so I can embroider my label on to the quilts I make! No more purchasing labels for me! 12-27-10

Here’s the well loved girl from Embroider this…Jazmin wants to make a key chain out of her…we’ll see…I may make a wee wall hanging with her and the boy… 12-27-10

 

Sewing Embroidery Quilt piecing

Still Quilting / Sewing…well, occasionally… Made MY BED pillows for all the wee ones I know…Oliver, Sully, Neil, Zoë, Ella, Emma, Jocelyn…for Yule/X-mas…

Olie likes his…hope the rest do too! 12-19-2010

Embroidered form monograms onto handkerchiefs for my dad for X-mas so made a few more sets to put on Etsy for Dad/Grandpa…according to mom not many people use hankies any more…haven’t figured out how to embroider Kleen-X yet… 12-22-10

 

here’s the Peaceful Betty Rainbow Tea Party quilt beginning… eye scorching! Traumatic retinal damage even! I little bit of peace, a little Batik, a little Betty Boop…quite sizable thus far, haven’t decided if I’m adding prairie points yet…it will be backed with purple tie dyed sheeting eventually. 12-26-10

 

sewing in the new year

Massive people sized tassel at HS Harris fabric extravaganza, treat from Kris 12-30-10

Made myself a set of flying pig dish towels…I didn’t like the way the stabilizer turned out on the backs so I kept them…I usually keep the stuff I wouldn’t buy because of defects and such 12-31-10

I’m all outa bibs now…will have to buy more since the embroidery is way to fun! Love the dragon and the mom tattoo the best so far! Gave one away, will contemplate selling a few and will be donating the rest… 1-1-2011

I can date my quilts with assorted colors now…too neat! 1-2-2011

From up and routy to sprawled and snoozing in 3.7 seconds 1-2-2011

Totally dilated ready to attack 1-2-2011

 

a lil everything this weekend

Birthday quilt for Sully will be 6 this year! Oliver said Sully would like the colors! machine pieced then tied and machine quilted…tie dyed backing complete with orange prairie points.

Embroidered the signature square with the machine!

3 more letters done for the alphabet quilt…the Gnome took almost 40 minutes…

3 lovely bibs that are now washed and ready to go to God’s Tiny Angels for some sweet little babies!

a block for a swap…yup used the embroidery machine on this one too

Shamus of the crooked head, this is what I see when I turn around from the sewing table

E is for embroidered Ella

E is for Ella…the Ella quilt continues with her name machine embroidered into a wide sashing around the blocks completed thus far…this will be one of the neatest personalized quilts ever…well one of the 2 since her sister’s will be just as fabulous!  This cool design was found at http://designsbycuties.cuteembroidery.com/2220142/Ragdoll-Alphabet-Letter-4×4-Hoop.html for FREE!!! can ya beat that?!?

1-18-11

 

wrk wrk wrk

Love this little devil! Purchased this design from Urban threads http://www.urbanthreads.com …their designs are so stinkin’ fun! This little devil will be joining the other practice embroideries in an I spy quilt…eventually… January 27^th 2011

Hey can you ever have too much girl power? Probably but until then this hot pink piece of in your face will be added to pink bibs (when I get them) and a tie dyed onsie (after I dye it of course) till then this practice embroidery will be joining the ever growing pile of I spy squares…bought this design from Urban Threads http://www.urbanthreads.com I can’t say enough good things about their wicked coolness! January 27^th 2011

My work is never done…here are 2 works in progress…Emma & Ella’s spectacular eye burning quilts…the little girl faces will be the corner squares of a stripe pieced border I hope to complete this weekend…wish me luck! January 28^th 2011

tie dye & embroidery

3 black embroidered lace bats on the color catchers from my dye extravaganza design from Urban Threads http://www.urbanthreads.com/product_details?product_id=2952&category_id=6 …1-30-11

Pile of zip tied and ready cottons for the dye baths… 1-28-11

Super dark blue (almost black) bat choker WIP, will be adding beady eyes to each bat and dangly black beads off each point…if it doesn’t match my wedding dress I’ll probably sell it…any takers? Embroidery design from Urban threads http://www.urbanthreads.com/product_details?product_id=2952&category_id=6

1-29-11

freshly embroidered black lace bats still on the stabilizer design from urban threads http://www.urbanthreads.com/product_details?product_id=2952&category_id=6

11-30-11

detail of black blue embroidered lace bat…about 3.5 inches long…design from urban threads http://www.urbanthreads.com/product_details?product_id=2952&category_id=6

1-29-11

Squinty Mc Shamus…rudely awakened for sure! 1-30-11

Fabulous tie dyed hankie embroidered for me…hot pink perfect for nose blowing! 1-29-11

 

a little this a little that

Hmmm sometimes free just doesn’t hit me as a great deal…these Autism embroideries looked great on the computer screen but I’m not quite knocked for a loop…don’t get me wrong they’re lovely…think I’ll search out some I can purchase that are a bit tidier and filled in…still they’re cute on the tie dyed hankies! 1-31-11

Now free from Urban Threads is always a good thing!  Love this love! It will be great in the I Spy quilt…almost have enough practice squares to get that started…I need a few more irons in the fire! 1-31-11

Oliver picked the colors for the peace splat practice square…you can never go wrong with orange! Peace out! 1-31-11

HEY look what I found in my digging while the machine was whirring away…a massive basket of previously viewed hankies!  Some to embroider some to put back away for that ever elusive hankie quilt…think I’ll embroider the black one for my wedding with blue thread…something old…something new…something borrowed…something blue…I’ll have them all covered ‘cept the borrowed part…I’ve got time! 1-31-11

 

contemplating more work

Couple more Battenberg lace book marks, a super cool pink cause ribbon book mark from: http://www.criswell-emb.com/frontpage/singles/singles72.html will be making a mess more of these in ever color I have! Again…piggy is merely embroidered on the towel J 2-3-11

 

When I’m not embroidering I really need to get to cutting and sewing…check out all this fabric…OY huh? Top batch of flannel and a cotton came in the mail from Ms Bowerman…THANKS I can always use more flannel!

The next pile of flannel is all fun stuff my mom gets when she’s out and about…

The bottom pile is from Kris for X-mas…wow lookit all that color! Whew…getting tired just thinking about it all! 2-3-11

 

super bowl Sundae

My ‘booth’ at the craft fair…I think a crib and high chair to display baby stuff is genius…thanks Kris! And I actually made a sale!  My first ever…wicked cool! 2-5-2011

Cause ribbon book marks made for the craft fair…think these turned out really neat, I added tags to each noting which causes go which colors! 2-5-11

Dead cupid bib… design purchased from Urban Threads http://www.urbanthreads.com/product_details?product_id=6488&category_id=6 sold this bib to Jill…thanks Jill! 2-5-11

Dead cupid bib detail… design purchased from Urban Threads http://www.urbanthreads.com/product_details?product_id=6488&category_id=6 sold this bib to Jill…thanks Jill! 2-5-11

Pile of book marks and dangly deals all ready for the craft fair! 2-5-11

My painting corner at Angel Hands…now if only Dr. Seussian Surreal art would be ‘in’ so a few would sell! 2-5-11

Shamus Nostril check before the super bowl…K…it’s all there 2-6-11

Totally drippy Shamus…2-6-11

Post bath dampness 2-6-11

All stretched out while I sew 2-6-11

Emma Jo’s fantabulous quilt WIP…added another border during the super bowl…took my  mind off that horrible ½ time show…hork 2-6-11

Ella Sophia’s wicked quilt WIP…added the border when I wasn’t paying attention to the super bowl…sigh…2-6-11

 

I Spy a new quilt growing

Beginning of the I Spy extravaganza (Practice squares)…yeah 9 blocks so far…think I’ll blend the alphabet embroidered squares in to make it that much more busy…oh my eyes! I’m planning on doing a log cabin deal to frame each square before sewing them together…eventually I think it’ll grow to a twin sized or an almost twin sized quilt…eventually…oh yeah…the base fabrics for the embroidered squares are assorted, muslin, white and white on white…just to keep ya guessing…massive shout out to Urban Threads http://www.urbanthreads.com/, Bunny Cup http://www.bunnycup.com , embroidery designs http://www.embroiderydesigns.com and all the other sites I’ve been locating these cool designs! 2-9-11

 

pre valentines giggle-ee-tude

Olie sledding…eeeeeeeeeeee…eee…eeeeeeeeeeeeee…eee too fun yet very damp since the temperature was in the 40’s 2-13-11

13 lace bats a drying after having the wash away stabilizer washed away.  Design purchased from http://www.urbanthreads.com/product_details?product_id=2952&category_id=6 too cool! 2-13-11

enough thread?!?  I think not…I can always use more! 2-13-11

Olie with the heart he made for Gumma for Valentine’s day…can you tell he just woke up from a nap? 2-13-11

My wedding hankie…ya can’t see the cut work but it’s there in the empty spaces of the bat…and that’s Oct…not Oot…sigh…now I have my something old since I got this hankie at an estate sale! Design for bat purchased from: http://www.urbanthreads.com/product_details?product_id=2952&category_id=6 2-13-11

 

valentine’s embroidery

Found a site that has Skelanimals machine embroidery designs…too cute http://www.needlework.ru/shop/CID_62.html! They work great on cotton…

not so much on terry cloth…quite a learning curve with this machine embroidery! 2-14-11

Also found a wee puzzle piece to embroider for Autism Awareness…no idea if this is THE puzzle piece shape or not.

I had purchase one that had Autism in the title but it turned out to have too many stitches for my machine to handle…go figure…2-14-11

 

hoping to sell on Etsy…

HOPING mind you!

I drool there4 I am bibs

Wacky fun drool bibs show a little more personality than your average rather bland spit catcher…

Fabulous colors and characters make your little drool factory a spectacular saliva producer!

Terry cloth with Velcro closures for quick on and off for those more rowdy of the newly erupted tooth.

Machine embroidery survives the many washes these spittle catchers will need to go through.

7 inches by 10 inches of absorbency

Have a special event coming up and want you goo dribbler to go in style? Convo me and I’m sure I can whip something spectacular up for you!  No added charge!

Spooky eyed doll not included with bib…

Payment = Postal Money Orders, Personal Checks and well hidden $ mailed to me…No Pay pal payments yet… L

Shout Out to Urban Threads http://www.urbanthreads.com for their GREAT designs!

Can be purchased at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/YaneZweeLovies

sold 2 bibs!

the green pocket protector and the orange retro floppy disk…SOOOOOOOOOO last night I made 2 mare pocket protector bibs and one floppy disk bib…

I drool there4 I am bibs

Wacky fun drool bibs show a little more personality than your average rather bland spit catcher…

Fabulous colors and characters make your little drool factory a spectacular saliva producer!

Terry cloth with Velcro closures for quick on and off for those more rowdy of the newly erupted tooth.

Machine embroidery survives the many washes these spittle catchers will need to go through.

7 inches by 10 inches of absorbency

 

Have a special event coming up and want you goo dribbler to go in style? Convo me and I’m sure I can whip something spectacular up for you!  No added charge!

 

Spooky eyed doll not included with bib…

 

Payment = Postal Money Orders, Personal Checks and well hidden $ mailed to me…No Pay pal payments yet… L

 

Shout Out to Urban Threads http://www.urbanthreads.com for their GREAT designs!

 

Can be purchased at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/YaneZweeLovies

 

Blue Black beady eyed lace bat choker…

3 wee embroidered lace bats to dance macabre around your neck.  With a ribbon to tie so they will fit any size neck out there…faceted glass beads hang down and tiny little dark purple Miyuki glass beads look out to all who look at your wicked cool choker and exclaim…HEY! I want one! Be you a Goth, Steampunk, or just a person who likes the dark side on occasion…these three bats will make a lovely addition to your pile of gnarly jewelry (and you know you have quite the pile!)

Center bat is 3 ½ inches wide, side bats are 3 ¼ inches wide, black satin ribbon ties are over 16 inches long…

Machine embroidered black lace bats, sterling jewelry findings, Miyuki glass seed beads, faceted glass beads, satin ribbon

Shout Out to Urban Threads http://www.urbanthreads.com for their GREAT designs!

 

Can be purchased at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/YaneZweeLovies

 

warm flannels

in contemplation of actually having time and energy one day to sew like a maniac and make many a flannel lovie

I see quilts…receiving blankets…preemie lovies and newborn lovies just waiting for the needle and thread…

The 1st Braingnet

This is your embroidered Braingnet (yup I made up that word…) Your embroidered Braingnet can stick mysteriously to just about any metal object…a metal light fixture…a previously viewed dryer (perhaps a new one too), a metal bed post…even the metal strings of a guitar although I don’t think it will improve your playing ability…it can even stick to a vehicle exterior but I don’t think it will still be there once you reach you destination or survive a car wash…If you’re really old school you can put your brain on the refrigerator…so retro the whole magnet on the fridge!

This fabulous machine embroidered brain is all of 1 14/16 X 1 9/16 inches on a dime sized magnet…and it can be all yours with free shipping…yes FREE shipping

Dark green brain matter with silver grey sulcrus (brain wrinkles)

If you just love this Braingnet but were thinking different colors would better fit your brain just convo me and I can totally create a brain of a different color!

For sale on: http://www.etsy.com/shop/YaneZweeLovies

 

embroidered bibs

I drool there4 I am bibs
Wacky fun drool bibs show a little more personality than your average rather bland spit catcher…Fabulous colors and characters make your little drool factory a spectacular saliva producer!Terry cloth with Velcro closures for quick on and off for those more rowdy of the newly erupted tooth.Machine embroidery survives the many washes these spittle catchers will need to go through.
7 inches by 10 inches of absorbency
Can be purchased at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/YaneZweeLovies

Halloween Bouquet

I’ve moved away from the machines for a bit to work on my wedding stuff…I have a heaping pile of feathers, some wee black roses and ribbons…a few skeletons and some black tulle…

the wedding is on Halloween and we’ll all be in costume so I’m so not going with anything traditional or white for that matter…my dress is black and I’ll have a wee black top hat with a skeleton sitting on the back with his bony legs hanging on the bit of veil there…haven’t started the hat yet but I started the bouquet last night so this is definitely a work in progress as I don’t have everything for it yet…I’ll be making lace bats and a brain or 2 on the embroidery machine to add…the zombie baby isn’t part of the bouquet but he will be sitting at the table of refreshments for after the wedding…

And I ordered my shoes and dress this week…Ordered Jim’s (the groom) coon skin cap artificial as I wasn’t going to pay for a real one… He’s dressing up as a mountain man with knee high moccasins, suede and cap guns…and the coon skin cap of course…I will be in a black steam punk dress with black shoes that have clock gears on them…Shamus is the best man, he’ll be in a puppy tux…Oliver is the ring bearer with the pillow being a bat I made…I have Jim’s earring, since he can’t wear a ring because of his work, the earring is a black bent barbell with spikes on the ends…If the weather’s nice we’ll be in a friends gazebo in her garden or if the weather’s nasty we’ll be in her artist’s loft…about 24 people at the most…should be interesting, I’ve never planned a wedding

bibs bonnets bartering & shamus

Just a Little Hankie ‘

I am just a little hankie, As square as can be; But with a stitch or two, They’ve made a bonnet out of me. I’ll be worn home from the hospital, and on special days, and then I’ll be carefully pressed and neatly packed away. Then on the wedding, I have been told, every well dressed Bride must have something old. So what would be more fitting than to find Little Old Me, A few stitches snipped and a wedding handkerchief I will be! And if per chance, it is a boy, someday he still will wed. So to his Bride he can present the handkerchief once worn upon his head’

Made 3 girl bonnets and one boy bonnet…

Pile of goodies I’m bartering with a scarf maker for an eye burning winter scarf…hey, till I can walk in the garden without sinking to my knees winter isn’t over yet…

Hot pink ninja bib on Etsy

Punk in training bib for sale on etsy

Rocker in training bib for sale on Etsy

Zombie ducky bib for sale on Etsy, I’ll be adding this little ducky to the table cloth I’m using at my wedding…

Shamus in need of a haircut stretching on me during a brief interlude between sewing projects…

2 hour dog toy

Shamus got a great new toy from the thrift shop!

It lasted all of 2 hours…

first he chewed the antennae off…

but when the started unstuffing the caterpillar…well that was it for the new toy!

Oh…and Jazmin’s orchid is blooming…beautiful!

wedding preparations continue

While working on the brains for my wedding gobble-dee-gook I noticed Shamus was rather occupied…eating the Groom ducky from Oliver’s bucket of ducks for bath time…is this a wedding omen?!? Bad puppy…

Pretty sure his eyes are open…

My wedding bouquet…ran out of lime green ribbon though…so it’s not totally done…3-26-11

Jim’s boutonnière…yup that’s a brain! 3-26-11

My hat…LOVE IT!!! But alas ran out of lime green ribbon so it’s not totally done either… I’ve tried it on…quite solid it is…I may have to put in a weird ponytail so I can drive a hat pin through the whole thing to keep it in place… 3-27-11

Back of the hat with a skeleton wearing left over lace wings…neato! 3-27-11

Front of ‘the hat’ with fun froo froo feathers dancing in the slightest breeze… 3-27-11

Throw bouquet…I had some left overs from the bouquet and hat so WALA a freakish throw bouquet…some how I picture all the single ladies running to NOT catch it. 3-27-11

Throw bouquet detail…see the brain…mmm zombie love! threw it a couple times when Shamus wasn’t in the room…very durable! 3-27-11

My fantabulous wedding garter…see a theme growing?!? 3-26-11

 

Zentangles BABEEEEE

New sewing this weekend…CHA…I’m shocked too!

HandZ

Hard to tell but Jim’s hand and mine were used to make the beginning string…the man in the moon does indeed need a shave!

Sakura Pigma Micron ink on Strathmore paper

8 1/2 X 11

4-1-11

Corkie Screwie 1

Made while a bit loopy on Benedryl…ah allergies!

Sakura Pigma Micron ink on Strathmore paper

8 1/2 X 11

4-2-2011

Home Sweet Home one

Started during a viewing of 2012…finished quite a few hours later during Sixth Sense …scanner kinda chomped the very top and very bottom off, stinkin’ scanner!

Sakura Pigma Micron ink on Strathmore paper

8 1/2 X 11

4-3-11

The CBS Evening NewsZ

‘The CBS Evening NewZ’

death dismemberment fear a tiny bit of human interest…isn’t that special…tune in at 10 to get even more news just like the news we just gave you but we’ll use more intense music so you think it’s new news even if it isn’t…Sakura Pigma Micron ink on an official Zentangle Tile…yeah I actually bought some…wacky huh?April 4th 2011

Yane Mushroom zentangle

Mushroom ala me…Yane!

8.5 X 11 Strathmore paper with Sakura Micron Ink pens…scanned as black and white so I can’t color it with Gimp…yet…will be rescanning it in color so I can color it to my hearts content…

4-5-11

Mushroom ala me…Inverted

Color inverted in Paint

Original: 8.5 X 11 Strathmore paper with Sakura Micron Ink pens…

4-5-11

Mushroom in FULL fabulous color…

Woo Hoo…Yane Mushroom in life like color…ok so not totally life like…LOL…thanks to Photoshop and Gimp I give you a fantabulous Zentangled Mushroom in just about tactile shades of giggle-ee-tude!

Original: 8.5 X 11 Strathmore paper with Sakura Micron Ink pens

4-6-11

to see these in full sized massiveness go to my deviant art page!

i c u c me ATC

my 1st ATC artist trading card type deal…although I can’t ever see me actually trading them…made during a bit of vintage COPS and a new Hoarders…didn’t pay very much attention to both…TV is becoming background noise and something for me to focus on occasionally so I don’t totally blind myself working on such tiny stuff.

Wonderful new pens one as tiny as .005 for the veins on a Strathmore watercolor ATC card 2.5 X 3.5

4-6-11

photo-shopped version

to see the full sized versions go to my deviant art page…

weekends tangles

Eyeball headache…

This started out as a Buddha face with his eyes closed…but as the stress of the week washed over me it became an eyeball headache…ya know a rusty slightly dull nail protruding from one eye or the other that Advil doesn’t seem to totally eliminate…fun…worked on this with from dust till dawn and a cheesy rendition of day of the dead droning in the background…and wiggly lines were from Shamus being incapable of sitting still

New set of Sakura Pigma Micron pens on 8.5 X 11 Strathmore paper…one of the pens is .005…wicked tiny! April 9^th 2011

 

X marks the bloody spot…

Reign of Fire brought this one outa me…I’m mildly addicted to background noise in the form of movies…go figure people burned beyond recognition make me think of bandaids…thinking I’m going to do a Zentangle alphabet…no idea what I’ll do with the alphabet perhaps spell things that have no repeating letters…

Sakura Pigma Micron pens on 3.5 X 3.5 Zentangle Tile… April 10^th 2011

 

-A-

Evening news and helping Olie make a bracelet guess that’s what the letter A means…sigh…well and looking at my unused sewing machines and the table cloth I should be embroidering for my wedding…hence the fabric, ribbon and button textures…

Sakura Pigma Micron pens on 3.5 X 3.5 Zentangle Tile … April 10^th 2011

to see these full sized visit my Deviant Art Page

tangled tree

this one took 3 days of on mostly off drawing...think next time I'll work on not getting 
so close to the edges...
the scanner tends to chomp the top and bottom of the page off...ugh!
New set of Sakura Pigma Micron pens on 8.5 X 11 Strathmore paper…
one of the pens is .005…wicked tiny in the veins of the side eye!
finally completed 4-14-11

Zentangle-Z

Peace Flowers Freedom Happiness

…a moment of hippy-ness in Sakura Pigma Micron pens on 8.5 X 11 Strathmore paper

Finished after 3 days April 18^th 2010

 N is for Natalia

Her birthday was on Monday the 18^th she would be 22 this year

Lovely Natalia
Walking in circles
I lay my head upon the urn
of cold uncaring stone
mumbling innocence
into the smooth reflectiveness
that glimpses at my tears
that threaten to slip by
in intervals.

Violent yet secretive
shudders corrode me
smiling like a star
in the bright morning.

Holding on to my fingers
in fear of collapse
I sing a song
that no one hears
not because I sing it low
it is an internal melody
that rings
like a bizarre expression
that help my spirit
as you fell
out of my arms, out of my control
out of my life..

I shed a tear
running down my cheek
in vain
wiping my illusion
to a nakedness.

You fell in an abyss
where I cannot reach.

All I can do
pinch myself bloody
wake from this intolerable
nightmare
hoping you would regain life
from my internal melody.

-Sakura Pigma Micron pens on a Zentangle Tile, 3.5X3.5 watercolor paper

Full sized art can be viewed on my deviant art page: http://wiccanwitchiepoo.deviantart.com/

embroidery & orchids

Home Sweet Home WIP...will eventually be a tiny wall hanging deal so I can finally get rid of the door knocker
 I've disliked since 1993...I procrastinate!
design from Urban Threads
4-26-11

White grocery store orchid face...they trimmed her roots...I hope she survives!
4-26-11

serged giggle-ee-tude

Massive pile of fleece serged lovies of assorted sizes…newborn receiving blanket size…preemie bassinet under sizes and wee drag-a-long/dolly/action figure blankie sizes…couple hours of cutting and Serging…tada…pay no attention to the sprawled baby alive…she’s not being smothered…she’s perfectly safe…really!

4-27-11

Serger leavings…blinding cacophony of color!4-27-11

Quilting with a side of Shamus

Lettering for Brandon’s Birthday Quilt…I think a 14 year old would be OK with this… 5-1-11

Brandon’s Birthday Quilt…Backed with black and tied in Orange and electric blue 5-1-11

Shamus can see…really! 5-1-11

Shamus sleeps on the vent in the living room while I sew 5-1-11

Shamus on the vent while I tie a quilt 5-1-11

Shamus Mc Suchy lovely in profile 5-1-11

Spur of the moment Halloween quilt made of left over squares from Prairie points and 4 swapped blocks 5-1-11

Signature square for the spur of the moment Halloween quilt…I hope to finish hand quilting it in time for my wedding…this would make a nice table cover under the candles and cupcakes! 5-2-11

Spur of the moment Halloween quilt ready for Prairie points 5-2-11

Spur og the Moment Halloween Quilt points

Points in place all ready to be sandwiched…bummer is I don’t have any sheeting big enough for it…plan on getting a black or purple full sized flat sheet tonight and MAYBE have enough time before bedtime to sandwich it and I can sew the edge tomorrow…perhaps even start pinning and tying it so I can quilt on it while I sit at the crafty show at the Thrift Shoppe on Saturday at Angel Hands in Watertown http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001197956523 

and…quilt

got it sandwiched and am finally hand quilting the Spur of the Moment Halloween Quilt…now Jaz wants one like it so I’m going through the leftovers from this quilt to make another one…just another iron for the fire…5-9-11

sew…sew…quilt

Aubriana bib made to order for an Etsy Customer…machine embroidery…5-9-11

Couple quilt belly buttons made from left overs…5-10-11

Boy Bear quilt top I made in the 90’s…perhaps I should finish this soon…45 inches square…5-10-11

Girlie polar bear quilt top I made in the 90’s when thinking I could make a living by quilting…since it is unfinished you see where my cottage industry got me…45 inches square…5-10-11

Fun rainbow block quilt made from a charm set and a few extras picked out by Jazmin…this one’s totally ready to be finished…even has the prairie points on it…45 inches square…I think the next rainy weekend I could get this one going…5-10-11

Rainbow kitty quilt I’m hand quilting (so this may take a while) lemon yellow backing…hmmm…no idea how big this one is…probably just crib sized give or take…5-10-11

SMHQ (spur of the moment Halloween quilt) stitching…pretty sure I’ll get this done in time!5-10-11

momentary ramble

…we have no idea when Tabitha is due as she has no insurance (we’re waiting on MN care…wonder if they will care) the OB GYN want $500 every appointment and we cannot afford that…sigh…We’re hoping the baby is healthy since any tests are obviously beyond our pocket book…Tab wants another boy so living in the 2 bedroom she’s in now will work out, no way she can afford a 3 bedroom on her own.  She work 3rd shift and I work 1st so everyday when I get off work I pick up Oliver (6) and bring him home with me…looks like I’ll be bringing home a sweet baby and Oliver eventually…so much for sleep…by then we should have Oliver assessed for Autism and have a handle on any therapies…My youngest daughter is being assessed for disabilities (learning and any other) at the moment…I’m aiming to have everyone’s appointments scheduled in stone so I know what’s going on at all times since I’ll have a by then 7 year old and newborn in tow…would be great if I could get all the appointments in the same proximity…well when one door closes another opens even if it’s hell in the hallway…thus I ramble…

HWHI

Home is Where the Heart Is quilt

eye scalding red pink heart quilt WIP (work in process)…sewed together a pile of 6″ charms last night to make one of the borders and gathered the rest of the fabric I’m going to mash into this quilt…no idea how massive this may become…hopefully no bigger than 60 inches square so I can do the floor work here at home…the center block and the signature square were paper pieced by hand the rest of the quilt will be machine pieced…then I’ll do some tying, machine quilting and hand quilting to the center block and signature square…I’m thinking red and pink prairie points around the edge too…so many quilts so little time!  No idea who this one’s for…may sell it…give it away…donate it…may just give up and hang it on my wall

5-13-11

a lil this a lil that

Jazmin’s Halloween quilt WIP…made of left overs from another quilt made of left overs…we refry everything! 5-15-11

 

Olie biking in the graveyard…the only safe place nearby with a paved road…

 

Olie in his racer pose…

rapture hail

we’re all still here…

Hail one of the 5 bouts of it on the 21^st…plants got a bit mulched but all in all no damage.

HWHI corner blocks

Corner blocks for the Home is Where the Heart Is (HWHI) garish red, pink & white quilt…the embroidery designs for Skelanimals were purchased from: http://www.needlework.ru/shop/CID62.html  the corner blocks will all be trimmed down to 8.5 inches square…hoping the long weekend will help me finish this top, Jazmin’s Halloween top and maybe even finish Ella and Emma’s tops as well…here’s keepin’ my fingers crossed!5-26-11

Memorial Day Weekend work

Ella’s quilt top complete approximately 45 inches square 5-30-11

Emma’s quilt top complete 45 inches square give er take 5-29-11

Home is Where the Heart Is quilt top in all it’s eye scalding beauty finally complete…even have painful prairie points…about 45 inches square 5-28-11

4 Halloween wedding trick or treat bags for the kids done… 5-30-11

Shamus has MASSIVE eyebrows…pretty sure he can still see 5-31-11

just a walkin

Jaz, Shamusand I went for a walk on the trail at Lake Rebecca on Sunday between rain and tornado watches…

Blood root

Columbine blooming

Pelicans

Empty Turtle shell

Fern Gully Minnesota style

weird blue fungus on the trees

so nice to see the green again!

baby tree growing on a lumpy adult

extreme close up of moss

rushing water

super EEEEEEEUUUUUUUUUUUU

the path

yummy smelling shrubbery

Oliver has the country

Purchased a slab of fabric from Keepsake Quilting that has the USA map on it…arrived yesterday…HE LOVES IT…I’m hoping to throw it together, tying on each capitol…so he can start using it on Monday…he already loves finding where he lives…it’s be great to find a yard sized map of just one state so he can see many towns and roadways…Shamus of course hangs out with who ever is awake in the morning…1st me then Olie then Jaz…lastly giving Jim a maul goodbye…6-15-11

 

 

B-Day Quilting and raindrops on poppies

Batik House quilt top complete

Jim made me a Plexiglas template of a house shape a few years ago…I traced it onto many a fun fabric and cut out piles of houses…they sat in a box untouched but not forgotten for 2 years…the lovely sky fabric I got from Kris for X-mas…the pastel rainbow is left overs from Emma & Ella’s quilt tops…the really neat green batiks are from a fat quarter set from Keepsake Quilting… all in all a lovely baby quilt top… about 45 inches square with prairie points…no idea where this quilt is going yet… 6-19-11

 Oliver’s massive pink poppy opened during a deluge of rain so I ran out with an umbrella to capture it in case it was totally trashed by the rain so Olie could see it when it was pretty… 6-18-11

Tabitha’s toilet tank topper…her bathroom is in shades of green, orange and frogs…

33 inches by about 16 inches…backed with bright lizard fabric and machine quilted. 6-20-11

Arboretum walk about

Went on a brief walk about at the U of M Landscape Arboretum in Chaska with Jaz 6-16-11

http://www.arboretum.umn.edu/

baby pine cone

blood root

cacti in the conservatory

fox glove

emerald hummingbird

same bird on another columbine

interesting green flowers

massive purple iris

blue orchids

big white orchids

white orchids with pelican vine in the background

shaped garden

white mushroom

waterfall

wisteria

47 burp cloths

in celebration of my soon to be granddaughter (yeah I’m going to be getting a granddaughter in November) and her very healthy heart (whew what a relief, no heart defect in this sweet baby) Tabitha’s naming her Olivia Grace (after my mom…mom still doesn’t know the babies name, Tab wants to surprise her) So Oliver will have a little sister…he’s still not too sure about all of this…he loves babies though so I think he’ll be just fine…OK onto what I made…

Last night I cut out 47 burp cloths out of fabulous fun flannel

yup forty-seven of them…lets say I was on a roll! 4 for Tab to pick out for her house, 4 for me to have at my house since Olivia will be coming home at night with Oliver when Tab’s at work…a few to try to sell, 2 for the trick-or treat bags for my wedding for the newborn and soon to be born girls…the rest will be sent to God’s Tiny Angels in West Virginia http://danettesangels.tripod.com for sweetie babies in need!

Independence day sewing

sewed the 1st seam, clipped the curves and turned all the burp cloths right side out…just need to finish the sewing and wash them all in Dreft and these are ready for little burpers!

7-3-11

one of the 2 sets I’m making for my tiniest wedding guests.  Zombie duck bib with matching burp cloths for the newborn and soon to be newborn babies that will be at my wedding… thanks to Urban Threads for this nifty design! http://www.urbanthreads.com

lil weekend work

Actually got a few things accomplished this weekend…cha I’m shocked too!

Bat skull burp cloth and bib set to attempt to sell on Etsy… burp cloths = 17.5 inches long.http://www.etsy.com/shop/YaneZweeLovies

Kitty lovey and burp cloth set.  My mom made the lovey and gave me the scraps and Lovey…go figure made a kitty set to sell on Etsy… lovey is 32.5 inches square. http://www.etsy.com/shop/YaneZweeLovies

Cheshire grin kitty bib and burp set the embroidery pattern is from Urban Threadshttp://www.urbanthreads.com/product_details?product_id=7098&cat…

Hoping to sell this set on Etsy… http://www.etsy.com/shop/YaneZweeLovies

Little sister bib and burp set for Oliver to give his mom for her baby shower…He picked it out…purchase this designhttp://www.embroiderydesigns.com/productdetails/Needle+Passion+Embr…

Too cute!

please leash your pets

I witnessed a gut-wrenching ordeal this weekend…past 10:30 pm during a horrible storm that took down trees…me in my P.J.s which are black) after bringing my daughter to work…I couldn’t save a dog that had been struck by a cop car…a second car almost ran me over…and ran the poor thing down again…burnt into my memory forever…
dear people with companion animals who let their animals outside: leashes save lives! even a cat or a bunny will grow to accept a leash…keep your loved beasties safe…collar, harness, leash…and remember ID tags! just saying…
need to go cry some more…
~just another chick with a dog who will never be allowed to run free…bummer Shamus this is how it has to be…

frog burp & bib sets

made 2 frog bib/burp cloth sets last night that will hopefully sell on Etsy http://www.etsy.com/shop/YaneZweeLovies …

or be given at the next baby shower…who knows!

Sewing in a heat wave

with the heat index of 110 outside this weekends and it was a balmy 84 inside…

Burp cloth & Bib set to sell (hopefully) on Etsyhttp://www.etsy.com/shop/YaneZweeLovies

 7-16-11

 

 

pink pile of happiness probably will be from Oliver to his baby sister for his mom’s baby shower

7-17-11

 

35 inch square flannel bigger than a receiving blanket, blanket for Olivia Grace…White with Lavender paw prints on the back…too cute!

7-16-11

 

weight gain

With time, women gain weight because we accumulate so much information & wisdom in our heads that when there is no more room, it distributes out to the rest of our bodies. So we aren’t heavy, we are enormously cultured, educated & happy. Today, when I look at my butt in the mirror I will think, good grief, I must be a genius!! 

a lil this a lil that and a spider on top

peas and carrots set from Shamus to Olivia for Tab’s Shower

OK Shamus didn’t put ALLOT of effort into the bibs and lovie…but he was there…

Burp and Bib Sets

Flannel burp cloths keep mom/dad/whomever’s shoulder basically free from split-up and come in such fun patterns! Matching bib will catch any excess!

 

Each burp cloth is 17.5 inches long of goo absorption!

Bib = Terry cloth with Velcro closures for quick on and off for those more rowdy of the newly erupted tooth. 7 inches by 10 inches of absorbency

Can be purchased at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/YaneZweeLovies

 

Shout Out to Urban Threads http://www.urbanthreads.com for their GREAT designs!

I drool there4 I am bibs

 

Wacky fun drool bibs show a little more personality than your average rather bland spit catcher…

Fabulous colors and characters make your little drool factory a spectacular saliva producer!

Terry cloth with Velcro closures for quick on and off for those more rowdy of the newly erupted tooth.

Machine embroidery survives the many washes these spittle catchers will need to go through.

7 inches by 10 inches of absorbency

Washing to keep your embroidery fabulous:

Hand washing or gentle machine washing is suggested with detergent, no bleach.  Allow bib to dry flat or dryer at gentle low heat setting.  If the bib hangs out in a hot drier the embroidery may constrict, curling your bib…not very attractive…

Can be purchased at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/YaneZweeLovies

You have a beautiful baby boy…just look at that little man!  Yet there you are at the grocery store or the mall and a well meaning stranger will lean over the carriage, look at your little dude in denim and a little sports jersey and ask how old your lovely DAUGHTER is…UGH!  Don’t cha just hate that?  Well here’s a bib that not only will sop up all the drool from your little teether but it will also assist the well meaning strangers of the world to realize you have a SON!

Can be purchased at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/YaneZweeLovies

Tiberius the Rosy Tarantula…Tab got him for me on Friday…eeeeeeeee I have another spider…Happy Dance!

 

 

I sewed, I quilted, we dyed

Olivia’s MASSIVE baby shower quilt…it just kept growing…this should keep her warm till she’s a teenager! Quilted in the ditch by hand for my newest grandchild! Finished 7-31-11

Oliver tie dying a t-shirt hold the ties…disregard the hideous linoleum…7-31-11

Olivia’s coming home from the hospital hankie bonnet:

Just a Little Hankie

‘I am just a little hankie,

As square as can be;
But with a stitch or two,

They’ve made a bonnet out of me.
I’ll be worn home from the hospital, and on special days,
and then I’ll be carefully pressed and neatly packed away.
Then on the wedding, I have been told,
every well dressed Bride must have something old.
So what would be more fitting than to find Little Old Me,
A few stitches snipped and a wedding handkerchief I will be!

7-30-11 looks much better in person!

Olie’s slightly blurry self portrait 7-31-11

Dying complete…I dyed a few newborn long sleeved onsies too…again…ignore the sad 70’s flooring…7-31-11

 

 

Dog Day Weekend quilting

Ella Sophia’s Quilt COMPLETE!

Paper pieced initial block by me with hand embroidered birthday…2 blocks from a quilt block swap…birdhouse paper pieced block by me machine embroidered name…a pieced border…a couple solid borders…machine quilted with a watermelon colored backing…whew… August 6^th 2011

 

Emma Jo’s Quilt COMPLETE

Paper pieced initial block by me with hand embroidered birthday…2 blocks from a quilt block swap…paper pieced techno colored whale block by me…machine embroidered name…a pieced border…a couple solid borders…machine quilted with a sky colored backing…whew… August 7^th 2011

 

Frog lovey kit Oliver picked out at the quilt shop

…I didn’t follow the direction because I didn’t have the heart to cut the frog in half and sew the parts to the lovey…

so I added green ribbons to the lovey and the frog can be super rather than disemboweled…

August 6^th 2011

Oliver under a quilt sandwich waiting to be turned right side out (the quilt not Olie)…

August 7^th 2011

getting ready for kindergarten sewing and more

Olie trying out his new Kindergarten Nappy Blanket…Blue Flannel Side…Olie picked out the fabric himself…flannel for chilly days cotton for warm days…machine embroidered his name on the red side in bright Orange and black…machine quilted with extra fluff for a slight pillow…quilted in a lightening bolt for Lightening Mc Queen…

8-14-11

Olie trying out his new Kindergarten Nappy Blanket…Red cotton Side…Olie picked out the fabric himself…flannel for chilly days cotton for warm days…machine embroidered his name on the red side in bright Orange and black…machine quilted with extra fluff for a slight pillow…quilted in a lightening bolt for Lightening Mc Queen…

8-14-11

Oliver movie watchin…yup Gargoyles… 8-13-11

Serged Newborn sized fleece lovies…I love getting remnants big enough for lovies! Made 2 of each…2 will go to God’s Tiny Angels in West Virginia http://danettesangels.tripod.com 2 are being put into the gift bags for the newborn and soon to be born babies at my wedding. 8-13-11

Super soft fluffy lovie for Olivia…no idea what this fabric is called but it’s like faux fur almost but wonderfully soft…a little stretch and the edges shed horribly…I double hemmed it before turning it right side out…I hope it survives being washed… 8-13-11

lightening strikes Betty Boop

quilt top complete for Jazmin’s friend Jackie…Jackie likes Betty Boop and butterflies…thus the lightening strikes Betty Boop Quilt…even machine embroidered her name on it.  used both machines on this beastie.  Jaz will be helping me tie this one with fabulous embroidery floss.  We hope to have it done this coming weekend…Hope… it’s about 45 inches square…the pink Betty’s are flannel.

8-21-11

Olie’s 1st day of Kindergarten…and some borders

Oliver’s first day of Kindergarten…told him to smile big…he did…age 6…9-6-11

Borders for Jazmin’s Halloween quilt

 

 

wedding sewing, paper piecing, Oliver

Muskrat pelt made for Jim’s Mountain Man costume for our wedding…just didn’t feel like bringing home any road kill for this occasion…

Note the intelligent gaze in his mismatched eyes…9-10-11

Stephermini’s paper pieced heart…she loves greens…paper pieced by hand, ribbons attached by machine, name embroidered by hand… 9X10 inches, will be cut down to match all the other blocks… Pattern: ’crazy hearts’ http://www.paperpanache.com/guests/aheart.htm this block will join 19 others to make my quilt: Those Who Dwell in my Heart. Hand pieced ribbon added by machine. Block completed 9-10-11

Oliver at Lake Rebecca Playground in Delano…that’s a faux bat…9-11-11

Olivia’s Heart WIP

Olivia’s paper pieced heart WIP…haven’t embroidered her name yet…Tabitha picked out pink and grey as her colors…paper pieced by hand, ribbons attached by machine, name embroidered by hand… 9X10 inches, will be cut down to match all the other blocks… Pattern: ’crazy hearts’ http://www.paperpanache.com/guests/aheart.htm this block will join 19 others to make my quilt: Those Who Dwell in my Heart. Hand pieced ribbon added by machine. Block done thus far 9-14-11

those who dwell in my heart WIP

‘Those who dwell in my heart quilt’

…thus far…whew…each heart takes about 2 days on and off hand paper piecing, some machine piecing, machine attaching the ribbons the hand embroidering the names (if you look close you’ll see my cursive abilities are a bit lacking) rest assured at least I can read the names lol…so far I’ve completed: Mom (Lavender/Green), Dad (plaids), Jim (Red/Black), Me (Orange/Green), Tabitha (Black/Pink), Jazmin (Purple/Black), Natalia (shades of teal w/ black & red heart),  Heidi (Retro Hippy w/ Beatles), Oliver (fun boy fabrics), Olivia (Pink/Grey), Stephermini (Shades of green), Companion Animals (Beastie Fabrics) and Samhain (Wild Halloween-ie)…I’ve 7 more to make…each heart will eventually be cut down to the size of the smallest one about 7”X8”…I think I’ll frame each with black to make each block pop more…think I’ll skip prairie points as this quilt will be busy enough…unless I go with a black border all around and black prairie points…definitely nothing definite just yet…The pattern was free from: http://www.paperpanache.com/guests/aheart.htm

September 16th 2011

friends & family heart

Friends and Family heart…one of 19 hearts blocks for the ‘All Who Dwell in My Heart’ quilt…If I was to make a heart for everyone in my family, extended family, on line friends, school friends, work friends, new friends, old friends…well I wouldn’t have time for anything else ever…So this is the all inclusive everyone not already noted heart…made it with a plethora of rainbows to fit quite nicely the rainbow coalition of buddies, pals, cousins, aunties, uncles etc…The pattern was free from: http://www.paperpanache.com/guests/aheart.htm hand paper pieced, machined a bit, machine attached the ribbons and hand embroidered the words…about 9X8 inches at the moment 9-18-11 (happy birthday dad!)

last weekend of September!

Kaili’s heart…one of 20 hearts blocks for the ‘All Who Dwell in My Heart’ quilt…Black and Blue…not for bruises…and not for Emo or Hipster (giggle) just kinda dark but not horribly dark…hmmm…well yeah! With a dash of celestial…The pattern was free from:http://www.paperpanache.com/guests/aheart.htm hand paper pieced, machined a bit, machine attached the ribbons and hand embroidered the name…about 9X8 inches at the moment 9-25-11

Olie & Jim flying a styrofoam airplane…every time it landed it fell apart…guess that’s part of the fun…reassembling…9-25-11

 

Cheshire cat embroidered for an eventual swap design from Urban Threads 9-25-11http://www.urbanthreads.com/product_details?product_id=7098&cat…

 

Batch of preemie happiness gathered for Tab’s friend Rebecca’s tiny daughter Phae…aw…9-25-11

 

Handkerchief baby bonnet made for Phae…eventually it’ll fit her! 9-25-11

 

Embroidered sweatshirt for mom to give away…9-25-11http://www.urbanthreads.com/product_details?product_id=7098&cat…

 

Detail of embroidered sweat shirt, I haven’t washed away the wash away stabilizer yet…9-25-11 http://www.urbanthreads.com/product_details?product_id=7098&cat…

Olivia’s Skeleton Outfit

found these cute Halloweenie pajamas at Walmart (Newborn) just HAD to buy them for Olivia even though they really don’t scream girl…

so I made a headband to match that screams girl…wicked cool girl…looking forward to seeing ‘Liv in this! Just in time for Tab’s Olivia shower this weekend!

Mary’s baby blue quilt WIP

Work In Process…Very blue baby boy quilt top complete…will either have sheep flannel backing or solid baby blue backing…it’ll be tied with blue embroidery floss.  This will be going to Louisiana for Mary for a baby shower (hope it gets there in time!) 48″ X 36″ unfinished I’ve left overs of the snowflake fabric I mixed with light teal to make a preemie or newborn sized quilt to donate…

10-2-11

a little baby sewing

Quilt made for Sissy Mary with sweet baby’s name on it. 10-9-11

Yummy flannel receiving lovey made for Olivia for when she’s at my house…36 inches square…10-9-11

eeee peas and carrots flannel lovey for Olivia at my house…36 inches square…10-9-11

Olivia’s sleepin’ corner…yes that’s a puff-a-lump…all we need now is a sweet baby to tuck in…10-9-11

Shamus in dire need of his wedding hair cut…gotta wait till the 22nd…10-9-11

craft swap WIP

this is the 1st half of a wee pillow front for a swap on Deviant Art with Sparkling-Ziggyhttp://sparkling-ziggy.deviantart.com/…it’s a paper pieced heart like the many others…pink and black…should be quite fetching when it’s done…working on the other half now…am incorporating a machine embroidered Cheshire cat smile on that one. 10-10-11

paper pieced pillow top continues

the paper pieced heart for a pillow front continues…have the machine embroidered Cheshire cat face attached…think I may actually get the whole thing completed this weekend!
10-14-11

wickedly busy

Finished the fabulous swap pillow…IT’S FABULOUS! I so want to keep it…I will have to make another one…eventually…the Cheshire grin really makes it! It’s about 11 inches square…10-15-11

The open back makes it easy to remove the pillow form for very gentle hand washing as needed…10-15-11

And a moment for Shamus’ massive mouth…massive 10-15-11

My wedding bat choker…beaded and wicked!

Check out the crystal dangle beads…EEEEEEEEEEE…2 weeks till the BIG day! 10-15-11

Chinless Shamus…visualize him with ALL his hair shave off…poor baby with a flat bony head and no chin…don’t think we’ll ever do that…he needs his goatee! 10-16-11

Started the Kris-Ella-Emma heart for the ‘Those Who Dwell in My Heart’ quilt…their heart is all flowery prints…girlie and garden filled…looks stunning so far! Pattern: ‘crazy hearts’ http://www.paperpanache.com/guests/aheart.htm  10-16-11

And finally Shamus…really needs a hair cut…he’s becoming quite the fur ball… 10-16-11

latest obsession ingredients

Ingredients for my latest obsession: yup socks and gloves…got 2 books so far: stray sock sewing http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004KAB4TW/ref=oh_o04_s00_i01_details and Happy Gloves http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1557885397/ref=oh_o00_s00_i00_details and have another oh 5 to make assorted soft squishy making books…but I still have numerous quilt top to make into quilts…and the ever present paper piecing…think I am quite occupied!

10-28-11

wee wedding plus a BABY!

Our wee wedding…here we are tying the knot…Jim, Me, Oliver (Thor) our ring bearer and Candy our lady of marriage…

This little silliness was made up by Tab…cute! She even spelled our name correctly!

No idea what we were laughing at but I love this picture!

And now on to bigger and better things! Olivia Grace was born November 6th 2011 at 2:55 pm…with me, Jazmin and her dad well hanging out and enjoying the show…

6 pounds 12 ounces…18 inches long!

Oliver LOVES his little sister…hugs her when ever he gets a chance!

 

Jim meeting his new grand daughter!

Jazmin can’t wait to baby-sit!

Olivia working on that ever elusive eye contact with me!

sewing painting beastie making

Jazmin’s Glove Squirrel…kinda looks like a fox but I made it using the pattern for the chipmunk…oh well…Jaz likes it none the less…
10-30-11

Big Brained Cat Rabbit…no pattern used…just let the socks speak to me…lol…made this for Heidi for her birthday…$1.50 worth of socks…on sale at Target…
11-4-11

Ella’s Zarzak…Ella so loved my Halloween sock beastie from an art trade that I made her a Zarzak of her very own for X-mas…
From a kit off Amazon make your own sock monsters (John Murphy)
11-5-11

Chicken Headed Frog Chameleon…a chunk of a toe sock and a pair of cool girls socks left over big brain cat rabbit sock…and WA LA…chicken headed frog chameleon for Jazmin’s birthday…also this month…
11-6-11

 

Olivia’s Oonie…doesn’t quite look like the original Oonie…But I hope Olivia like it when she gets bigger…1 red heeled sock and baby safe eyes & nose…
11-7-11

Sock beastie family portrait…group portrait before shipping out the cat rabbit
can you see the resemblance?
11-7-11

In between the wedding, Olivia, and copious sewing I decided to repaint the trim in the kitchen…unknown to me Shamus was the QC on this job…can you tell what color I did the trim?

Course I was so on top of things I didn’t notice his new eye-shadow till it had dried…I managed to comb most of it out although he still has a few little dots of orange on the short hair…OY!

Lucky Sock Cat

Lucky Sock Cat made using the book: Stray Sock Sewing: Making one of a Kind Creatures form Socks… gotta admit lime green and purple argyle…gets your attention. Think I’ll be saving this kitty for the holiday gift exchange at work! Completed: 11/10/2011…sewn all by hand with wee bell on Hello Kitty ribbon collar

some sewing with Shamus

Sewing…my coping mechanism when I’m not painting…as Shamus tends to put his face in what I’m painting sewing is much easier to clean up!

Bu-Oonie…kinda a bunny made like an Oonie…yup there ya go…2011

Bat-sox…found the free pattern for this one on-line http://heatherbailey.typepad.com/heather_bailey/2009/10/did-a-bat-bat-thing.html …if I make another I’ll be changing a few things…double layer of felt for the wings or better yet cotton to match the legs…yadda-yadda-yadda…the flash on the camera made the neon of the sock flash back allot…sigh…a little larger than palm sized fer sure not kid safe…not very hearty either…Shamus though better of testing this one’s ability to survive him! 11-11-11

Greenie sock monkey…this one I really like! Got the socks on clearance in the Halloweenie section at Target…made this one with safe felt eyes and embroidery…this one may go to Olivia for X-mas depending on who else I manage to make before then.11-12-11

Pink Yoga sock monkey…SUPER long legs this one’s made of Target ladies knee socks…do so love argyle! Child safe nose and eyes…hand embroidery (haven’t figured out how to mash these into the embroidery machine yet) this one will go to Ella for X-mas 12-13-11

wee lucky cat

Wee Pink Lucky Sock Cat made using the book: Stray Sock Sewing: Making one of a Kind Creatures form Socks http://www.amazon.com/Stray-Sock-Sewing-Making-Creatures/dp/B004KAB… … out if a tiny newborn pair of socks… sewn all by hand…I didn’t even think of trying to sew this on the machine. Note size compared to the spool of thread…wee and adorable! Again…no idea who this will go to…but she will eventually! Completed: 11/14/2011

miss my dad

My dad died this morning at 5:45… I’m going to speak at his funeral…some how doubt I’ll do it without crying…that and I am so not a public speaker…this is what I’ve come up with:
So many people loved my dad…Honest Rog.  He was always there to lend a helping hand to his many friends, family, his kids and especially his grandkids and his great grandkids.

Our loss is still too fresh right now but one day we will all be able to reminise about dad with fewer tears and gentle smiles.
Dad riding the hay when the hayloft collapsed.
Dad in his uniform looking all spiffy.
Dad saying no when we put brand new babies on him but him hugging them nonetheless.
Dad giving big gentle bear hugs and wispering in our ears that he loved us.

Dad you touched so many hearts in so many ways.
You’ve been counted in my blessings ever day.
Thank you dad for deciding to be my dad.
I’ll miss you every day.

finished eulogy

I’ve been invited to do his eulogy…this should be interesting as I am so not a public speaker…

So many people loved my dad…Honest Rog.
He was always there to lend a helping hand to his many friends, family, his kids and especially his grandkids and his great grandkids.

Our loss is still too fresh right now but one day we will all be able to reminisce about dad with fewer tears and gentle smiles.
Dad riding the hay down when the hayloft collapsed.
Dad in his uniform looking all spiffy for the legion.
Dad saying no-no-no when we put brand new babies on him but him hugging them nonetheless.
Calling mom horrid pet names but always with love in his eyes.
Singing along with Slim Witman in the truck on the way to the cattle yards…dad never quite hit those high notes…not for a lack of trying.
Dad com bossin’ the cows for supper.
Buppa huggin the kids (little and adult) goodbye and slipping them money…shhh don’t tell your mother…
Dad giving big gentle bear hugs and whispering in our ears that he loved us and would see us soon.

Dad, you touched so many hearts in so many ways.
You’ve been counted in my blessings ever day.
You’ll always live in a room in my heart filled with shades of plaid, perfect dove joints, phone hook ups and love.
Thank you dad, for becoming my dad.
I’ll miss you every day.

I’d like to close with a poem:

There is nothing I can do,
to make him come back
There are no words I can say,
that can replace the words you will long to hear
There are no answer’s I can give,
that will satisfy your questions
There is not another soul I can introduce you to that will ever replace his
And, there is no love I can offer that will ever replace the love you shared
I can not promise your broken heart will ever be complete
I will not say it could have been worse
I will not deny this is a tragedy
I will not lie and tell you he will come back
He never really left
I do promise he hears you when you speak
I will say he loves you no matter the distance
I will not deny he is in a better place
And, I will not lie; he is waiting to greet you someday
Roger is every you step you take
Roger is in everything you do
Roger is the air you breathe
Roger is every beat of your heart
“Roger is like the wind. You can not see him…but you will always feel him”

a few sock beasties

Tiny toddler sock monkey…OK not that tiny…actually about 9 inches tall. Machine and hand sewn, hand embroidered wiggly lips, repurposed sock tail…definitely not baby safe! Small wooden bead nose and jingle bell necklace…very cute and Oliver approved! Will eventually be for sale on Etsy…completed 12-3-11

Tiny Toddler sock monkey for my mom for Xmas. OK not that tiny…actually about 9 inches tall. Machine and hand sewn, hand embroidered wiggly lips, repurposed sock tail…definitely not baby safe! Small wooden bead nose and tiny glass bottle necklace with an ‘I Love You’ note inside…very cute and Oliver approved! 12-4-11

Toddler Sock Monkey Brothers

 

3 eyed candy cane sock monster made of a pair of thigh highs and a pair on knee highs and the finger tips of 2 gloves…not very baby proof with the bells hanging off the jester danglers…used red ribbon to give her jointed arms and legs…

pretty sure this is a her…Oliver says she’s silly…machine and hand sewn…’safe’ eyes and nose…need to measure her to see how tall she really is…she’s kind of gangly…weighted beads in her butt so she sits better…completed 12-6-11

Sock beasties & Shamus

3 eyed candy cane sock monster made of a pair of thigh highs and a pair on knee highs and the finger tips of 2 gloves…not very baby proof with the bells hanging off the jester danglers…used red ribbon to give her jointed arms and legs…pretty sure this is a her…Oliver says she’s silly…machine and hand sewn…’safe’ eyes and nose…She’s about 21.5 inches tall…but she really can’t stand on her own…she’s kind of gangly…weighted beads in her butt so she sits better…completed 12-6-11

Smile Slouch Sock doll…all of 5.5 inches tall…made of one toddler sock with happy faces on it (Hence the ‘Smile’) not even remotely baby safe…sewn all be hand with button eyes and fun buttons down the front…small felt eye lids and a wiggly smile complete her pocket sized silliness…completed during a viewing of the Abyss…the theatrical version…12-10-11

Jester Slouch Sock Doll…this one’s about 6 inches tall unless you straighten out the jester dangles…not baby safe…stacked button eyes and blue jingle bells…he’s made on one child’s sock and three fingers from a stretchy glove…sewn all be hand with a very wiggly smile in orange to match the bird face on his back…completed during a few too re-run Law & Orders… 12-10-11

K. Man Alligator…he’s almost 2 feet long and used a pair of Halloween spider socks, the tips of 2 fingers from a stretchy glove and a pair of mismatched greenish socks…felt mouth, teeth and spikes on his tail…pierced tongue and a fabulous orange bow…fabulous! Safe eyes but I think that’s about all that’s actually safe about this beastie…sewn on the machine and by hand…worked on through out a day of movie background noise…He can be rolled into a nice tidy circle for storage…12-11-11

Shamus not amused at my sock beastie creativity at the moment…I won’t let him take any of them for a test drive…kinda don’t think I’d get it back in one piece…poor Shamus! 12-11-11

Making X-mas Cookies

Made a few batches of cookie people this weekend…Started with this Burnt or as Oliver and Jim decided chocolate cookie dude…you’ll note I removed him from the machine too early so I had to hand embroider his smile…Textured felt…too cool…pattern purchased from Urban threads…I LOVE URBAN THREADS! http://www.urbanthreads.com/product_details?product_id=2962&cat…

Finished 12-17-11

 

Cookie people for a few coworkers…whole cookies for the girls and chewed cookies for the boys…patterns from Urban threads 12-18-11

 

Girl’s cookie ornaments for coworkers pattern from Urban threads http://www.urbanthreads.com/product_details?product_id=2962&cat…

Completed 12-18-11

 

Boy’s cookie ornaments for coworkers pattern from Urban Threads Note: the Packers colors on the Paul ornament…lol

http://www.urbanthreads.com/product_details?product_id=2963&cat…

Completed 12-18-11

 

Shamus not impressed with today’s goings on…12-18-11

 

Zombie Cookie People made for ME…yes I actually made something for me…yeah I’m shocked too! Denuded leg bones are glass tube beads with tiny puffballs…Entrails are 3 different lace deals left over from scrap booking…completed 12-18-11

 

Zombie cookie boy made from pattern from Urban Threads http://www.urbanthreads.com/product_details?product_id=2963&cat… denuded leg bones made from glass tube beads and tiny puff balls… completed 12-18-11

 

Zombie Cookie Girl made from pattern from Urban Threads http://www.urbanthreads.com/product_details?product_id=2962&cat… entrails made of 3 different lace chunks left over from Scrap booking…completed 12-18-11

 

oooooooOOOOOOOOOOoooooooo Olivia 12-18-11

working on Sock Beasties

neckless wonder made of 2 newborn ankle socks…safe eyes…puff ball nose…felt tongue with swarovski (sp) crystal piercing…sewn all by hand…yeah like I could get this tiny deal on the sewing machine…lol…12-22-11

 

eeeeeeeeeeee…massive pile of fuzzy toe socks…think of the multitude of monster type beasties these will make!!! 12-22-11 I love Amazon!

 

Ape armed slouch…beginning…made of 1 Halloween toddler sock 12-22-11

 

Used to be a hippo…unstuffed and taking apart at the seams so I can use the fabric…this is what I’ve stooped to since I can’t locate fabulous fake fur…sigh…what a linty mess! 12-22-11

Winter weather is dangerous — drive slowly (Video)

Reblogged from theCHIVE:

The video starts out slow but picks up…

this is all fun…ya know the crashing and terrifying scariness…but I’ve decided IF I ever decide to do any recording…I’m getting a tripod…

plethora of plushies

Black & Grey yoga monkey….22 inches tall standing…alas he’s not overly muscular so standing really isn’t his forte’…perfect for a boy or a girl…has a curly wiggly grin and belly button in blue to match his lovely washer backed eyes.  Completed 1-8-12 Will be for sale on Etsy http://www.etsy.com/shop/YaneZweeLovies 

 

Doily Flower eyes…who needs makeup when you have flowers! Fun funky knee socks from Douber’s make this 19 inch skinny monkey too cute and feminine… washer backed eyes and nose with a wiggly lavender grin…completed 1-7-12 Will be for sale on Etsy http://www.etsy.com/shop/YaneZweeLovies 

 

Grape Striped ape…er Monkey…made of toddler knee socks that REALLY stretched…16 inches tall standing…he really doesn’t stand very well though…guess it’s that lack of bone and muscle…for sure not baby safe with the stacked button eyes and button nose….fun wiggly grin in white…completed 1-8-12 Will be for sale on Etsy http://www.etsy.com/shop/YaneZweeLovies 

 

iMonk…not an Apple product…lol…custom made baby safe monkey for a Facebook friend…the I is the initial for the little person who will be getting this hot pink orange grey and white yoga monkey…I think she turned out quite nice! Completed 1-11-12

 

Olivia Safe Monkey butt…Oliver picked out the socks at JoAnn fabrics and decided Olivia needed a monkey at my house…totally baby proof…embroidered lips, nose and ‘Olivia’…have the owl placed just right that it’s eyes are the monkeys eyes…the ears turned out funny so I guess this is a teddy monk…with super long knuckles dragging on the floor arms…now just need to wait for Liv to get big enough to play with it. Completed 1-7-12

 

Peace Monkey butt…22 inches tall yoga monkey made of cool peace sock my mom found for me…purple cat eyes and a fun purple button nose make her face cute…yes she’s a girl…see the eyelashes? Added a little more peace to her ears and finished her off with a peace ribbon…really can you have too much peace? Didn’t think so! Completed 1-10-12 Will be for sale on Etsy http://www.etsy.com/shop/YaneZweeLovies 

 

Plush Pile…some (not all) of the beasties I’ve made thus far that are waiting for their forever homes…three of these do have a home they’ll be going to soon…the others…totally for sale! 1-9-12

 

Shamus doesn’t like the doughnut…it’s not glazed… 1-9-12

 

Liv and Grandpa Jim having an in depth discussion about Dime Bag Darrel… 1-10-11