My cat

This is what I came inside and found after spending the evening quilting.....cat in the laundry basket! The kids were doing laundry and for some reason they think it should live in baskets, well I guess the cat thinks it should live in the basket also......mmmm nice clean warm clothes to snuggle in.....gotta admit she's cute.

Kristin's baby gift

Kristin's favorite teacher/speech coach/neighbor had a baby boy a week ago, Derek was born just a tad early so she don't get to see him yet because the flu is going around so no visitor's in and out. I am really impressed with Kristin, she went out to my studio and found flannel, designed the quilt and made the top all on her own. The little lamb is in the border print and I think her teacher will love it! We sent it off to the binder today so when they have a shower or she gets to visit it will be ready to give.

Project Pink

I am so excited, I have 3 project pink quilts done, now they are off to the binder to be finished and donated.(my mom is the binder, Hi mom!) I think they turned out wonderful, the gal's at Heartstrings are a great bunch and I am really excited to be part of their group. They were soooo good about sending blocks, tops, etc. then it took me so long to get back to quilting after surgery that I wanted to show them I didn't forget the project so I did 3 in the last two days.

lost camera

I finally have some quilts to take pictures of and I can't find my camera......I am hoping it's still in my daughters car. But of course her car isn't here for me to check, ughh I can't win.
I stared up the quilting machine last night after a two and a half month break. Oh it was cranky! I think I finally got the bugs worked out and this morning it was going well except it didn't like the border fabric on Maxine's quilt. The quilt is a blue angel quilt for her niece who has cancer. The cancer is terminal so this was a rush job. I will deliver it back to her today so she can bind it. When I do these quilts (rush jobs because of tragedy or sickness) I always feel blessed that I was asked to help. I am very thankful I am able to help in such a way that brings comfort to others that are hurting. I am also thankful I am healthy enough to keep up with the sewing and quilting I love to do.

I got a heartstring quilt done! Ok I got it quilted, now it's off to someone else to bind and donate. I will post pic's soon, like today when I finally find that camera!!!

rain turned snow

The rain turned to snow before I got the corn hauled, it was hard to see north when I came to crossroads. Kev called and said the parking lots are slick but the highway is fine so far. I've been cleaning and sorting, (watched tv and ate lunch too). Kristin started a baby quilt for her teacher last night, she went to my shop and found flannel in pastel colors. One print had sheep on it so she is appliqueing a large lamb onto blue background, I'm guessing the sheep print will be border or back, I am letting her do the project herself. I know I have quilts out in the shop ready to quilt but it's her teacher and she wants to give it so I will let her do it. Besides she is a good enough quilter to handle it. I would add a pic but I think my camera is in the back seat of her car and it's parked at school. I on the other hand don't seem to know where my machine is because I can't seem to sit down to it lately. I have lots of projects, just no ambition. Maybe that will change when I get the housework caught up. HAHAHAHA

monday and weather

Monday sucks on it's own usually, but the weather don't help today. Gray and stormy...........it's actually raining! (ok the rain means its above freezing but it's coming down at a slant with the wind) I am supposed to haul corn today. Ok I may do one load depending on the weather, it's already loaded and waiting for me. Not sure I'm going to load another in this rain though, guess I'll wait and see how it goes with the first load before I make any choices.

something about lists....

Well there is something to be said about lists......ughhhhhh! I just looked at my last list and I have not touched one thing on there, so much for getting things done! So this week I am not going to make a list, I'm just gonna work on the last one I made and hope for the best.
Today I am waiting to hear from my friend Dawn, she moved about an hour and half from me and has no one to watch Willie while she job hunts so I told her I would meet her and keep him entertained while she applies different places. We have put it off a couple days now because of weather and her just being worn out from the move. I think Willie and I will have to visit the local quilt shop, what a treat for him.(not!) I am excited that she has moved closer to me, she is a big time scrapbooker and thats another thing I love to do, just not alone. I think we might get more done if we did it together. The only thing I have scrapbooked has been on the computer, I did a page of puppies. I do want to redo my Bahama's book, it was flooded in the basement last year and I tried to save it but it's totally ruined. I was so proud of that book because I actually got it done. Oh well, gotta think positive and make redoing it fun!

my favorite puppy

Kara is my favorite puppy.....of the moment anyway. I love them all, it's hard to choose just one, and they all do something different to get your attention. Joey follows me around and sits by me just waiting for me to pick him up. Chip is shy and kindof stays back, but loves to be held and petted. Kara is so bouncy and wild....she wiggles the whold time you hold her trying to lick your face. She is in love with our cat Stormy, they play and wrestle all the time. The puppies have been good for the cat, she is a much better kitty now and she is learning to keep her claws in when she plays. I think the cat will be lonley when the puppies find new homes. (I know I will) We take Katie to Omaha this weekend, her new family is so excited, and I get a trip out of the deal!

winter blah's

Ok I know it's not just me feeling the winter blah's.....everyone is feeling them from what I gather talking to different people. The cold weather is really taking a toll on attitudes. It's 8 degree's outside today, I didn't even want to leave the house to get a pop! (ok we went to town for lunch and the bar was closed, that left pizza from the gas station or the local grease pit, we went to the store and came home for leftovers!) I know I have a problem with this time of the year and I know I have to really keep myself motivatied to do anything but I think the weather is affecting everyone. I don't have any wood cut for my stove in the studio so I don't go out and quilt or sew, my sewing table in the living room is a piled mess so I don't sew there, I look at magazine's in bed but that seems to be about it lately. I do add a few rows on one of my afgan's I have started but two of them are big enough they are hard to haul around so I have to work on them in the living room chair, I never watch tv in the living room so I don't get much done on the them either. Mom, Luanne and I went to Quilt guild in Norfolk monday night, we all needed a night out so we went early enough to have dinner and go to Hobby Lobby. I bought black fabric,(I am so sad about their fabric department being downsized) and yarn. I also bought greenery to put up on my new cabniets in the kitchen. I am in the process of painting them dark blue and I thought they would need something to brighten them up so I bought greenery with dark burgundy berry thingy's. I would of bought more fabric but they just don't carry much anymore and with Quilters Candy Shoppe and their sale room there just don't seem to be a reason to shop Hobby Lobby fabric anymore. I thought with the weather being so cold I would get alot done in the house, it has a way of making me more lazy. I guess I will go clean off my sewing table now, maybe that will motivate me.

Puppies for sale

Joey is looking for a new home....my puppies are ready to go and I sold two today. Andy and Hailey are gone to Omaha to start a new life with Anthony and Anette. Helena delivered them with Kelsey in the Petco parking lot....we laughed that now Kelsey is a puppy dealer making deals in parking lots and waiting for customers! I asked him if he had a puppy tax stamp, he just laughed. Now if I could just sell the rest of them................

Row Robin

These are the blocks my mom made for my Row Robin on Stashbuilders. She took the butterfly design from her curtains in her sewing room. A few years ago we were in a block swap and the quilt she made got burnt in her house fire. She saved parts of the quilt and made curtains. She outlined the butterfly's in pink because it's my favorite color. I think it's in the mail already and on it's way to the next gal, mom don't mess around and put off making her row's or rounds in swaps she joins. Me, I always put it off thinking about it to long and worry about what to add to the row.......just like now, I have my row to work on, it came in the mail last week, I pulled fabric's 3 days ago, now to JUST DO IT!!!

Lists

Well the list thing was a good idea, I went back and read what I listed and now I can cross off a few of the things on it.

1. Churndash blocks are now pieced, ready for the flower appliques.
2. Block Lottery blocks are done and ready to mail. (not even due till the end of the month!)
3. Row Robin is done and sent to next person (thanks mom for the help)
4. One more Project Pink top set together.

I am happy with the progress I'm making on things since I have been gone so much lately and this week I seem to be working more, (monday day, last night, and 2-8 tonight)

To do list....

1. Row Robin #2
2. Finish Disappearing 9 patch
3. Valentine Happy Block quilt
4. St. Pat's Happy Block quilt
5. Project Pink quilts

I also have another customer quilt I got monday night, I am going to have to start quilting! I just dread the thought of going out to the cold studio right now, guess I'm out of the habit and I just don't feel like hauling wood either!

Denver

This is the view of Denver from the front entrance of our hotel room. Sunrise was beautiful and the temp. was about 30 degree's by then. We had beautiful weather the whole time we were there. The high's were about 50 or so. I love Denver, everything was so busy and moving, I don't even mind traffic. (Interstate was closed down on one side for a giant sinkhole!) I love the view of the mountains on one side and the city and plains on the east, everywhere you drive in the city has a different view of the mountains and I love the way it changes from morning till the clouds come in and settle over the peaks. I love the fact that there is so much to do there also. Kristin don't know what her plans are for college yet, the Colorado Christian College campus is really nice, I liked the fact that you could walk the whole thing and never move your car! Everyone was really friendly and helpful, even got invited to go snowboarding except the roads were closed due to 2 feet of snow in the mountains. I think she liked the campus and the offering of classes but Denver is a big place and I'm not sure she is ready for it. And it is 8-9 hours from home. I want here to be happy with her choice so I am really glad I took her to visit and she could see the possibilities of life there.

Kristin

Kristin is dragging me to Lakewood Colorado for a college visit. I don't know if we are leaving today after school or if we we will head out early tommorow, I don know I want to be in Denver before dark. I don't want to be looking for our motel at night, I will have enough problems finding it without it being dark. We are staying thursday night and have the college visit friday, then staying friday night to check out all the surrounding attractions and such. I think she kindof freaked when she realized Lakewood is a suburb of Denver, nothing like going to country life to BIG city life.........

Making lists....

Guess it's time to make lists of things to do, I can't seem to stay motivated once I am home. Oh I can think of all kinds of things I should do while I'm away from home but once I am here I forget. This seems to be as good a place to make a list as any, maybe I will be more inclined to actually follow thru with my plans if I write them down and look at the progress.

1. Row Robin for Stashbuilders
2. Next months Lottery Block for Stashbuilders
3. Churn Dash blocks for O. Quilters
4. My Block Your Fabric 1st block
5. Just a Buck Block for Quilt shop

and about 6 quilts for other people. I also have pink Heartstring quilts to work on........hmmmm

In the mail today I recieved the last of my Block Lottery December blocks, the purple and green on white is really nice, now all I want to do is play with those blocks. I also recieved Lisa's Row Robin , it's brights and it's fun! It will be fun to work on. I did mail January's Block Lottery to the winner, my Iris cards and sewing bee prize. So I guess I did get something done today!

It was a long week......

I'm hoping to catch up from last week.....it sure seemed like everything was going on at once. I took my MIL to the hospital last thursday, they sent her on to the big one down the road to have her gallblatter taken out, so we spent time with her friday and saturday, Kevin went to pick her up sunday. I worked saturday and sunday. (first days back since early December) Brad went to winter camp, grandma took him friday night. Kristin and Josh had a speech meet saturday. (Josh tied for 1st in humouros in Jr. Varsity) Sara stayed at grandma's saturday. (Thanks grandma!) Kristin picked up Brad suday and they all had youth group sunday night. I have sick horses so last night we went to get med's and to the grocery store, I made soup for MIL. This morning I took her back to the Dr. for a checkup..........whew! Now I'm heading down the road to my mom's, she had me pick up 6" tile for a project and she wants to finish it so I'm going to deliver them and spend a little time. It's blowing snow so my truck is going to stay parked, I don't like to take any chances in that thing and blowing snow is a big chance! I have a row robin to put together this week, lottery blocks to send off, sewing bee prize to mail, cards to mail, and some quilting to get too. I do think this week will be better than last week........

Disappearing 9 patch

This weekend on Stashbuilders Yahoo Group they had a sewing bee. Usually everyone does their own thing and just signs in to win prizes, well this weekend they decided to have a group project if you wanted to. They picked the Disappearing 9 patch for the project and I decided to try it. I bought pink and browns at my Birthday party last week and had no idea what I wanted to do with them. I think I really like this pattern and it's fun to put together. The picture is a fourth of the quilt done, I am going to embordery butterflies on it with my fancy new machine so I don't want to sew it together totally untill I add them so it's not so hard to hoop. Kristin told me tonight my colors are "so in this year".

Kara

I have the cutest puppies! This one is Kara and she is my favorite! Sadie and Sammy had 7 babies on the 28th of December. Kara is #6 of the group and the smallest. I love the brindle and her little white paws are so cute! I named all the puppies after my little cousins and my nephews.

Grandma's Farm Quilt

I am sewing a baby quilt for my Grandma Allen. About 8 or 10 years ago she came to visit and we went to an auction. Well I talked her into buying these blocks. (ok I didn't have to talk to hard) She gave them back to me finished and then it was up to me to finish the quilt. Well they lived in a plastic bag until the basement flood last year. I found them and decided to set them together. It took me a year to find fabric I loved because I kept looking for farm fabric. I took them to my mom's b-day party at the quilt shop and we all decided on Aunt Gracie's repo. I love the red and blue and this way the quilt can be for either a boy or a girl. I have the top set together except for borders. I need to walk out to the studio and find white fabric to extend the Ohio Star pattern into the borders. When I finish this quilt I am going to return it to my Grandma and she can give it to the next baby in the family.

Mom, Sara and I made Iris Folding Cards last sunday. This is some fun paper I picked out at Hobby Lobby. The first card was fun to make, got tired of it by the 4th! If I ever do these again I will pick out paper with more contrast and smaller prints, my card kind of runs into each other or something, (just to busy!) Sara really enjoyed this project and she is sending one card to her Uncle Kelsey and the other to her friend Savannah for Valentine's day.