The Sassy Stitcher's Sanctuary

Lost and Found

2010-05-10T16:40:00.006-05:00

Just when I thought I was going to do better at keeping up with my blog, I have fallen way behind. I was indeed lost but hopefully I have found myself. I seriously think if I would give up the gaming on Facebook, I would have more time for blogging. lol

February -
Books read: Sarah's Keys, Prayers for Sale and Not my Daughter.
Movies seen: Dear John, From Paris w/Love, Valentine's Day, Crazy Heart and Shutter Island,

I finished a quilt for nephew Keith's 40th birthday and made a trip to Orange to visit Mom and deliver the quilt.

March -
Books read: Parting Gifts, Easter Island, and True Women.
Movies seen: Brooklyn's Finest, Alice in Wonderland, Remember Me, Green Zone, The Bounty Hunter, She's Out of My League and Hot Tub Time Machine.

I finished a quilt for my sister-in-law, Sabrina's 55th birthday and got it in the mail to her.

April -
Books read: Bed and Breakfast and If the Devil Had a Wife.
Movies seen: The Last Song, Date Night and The Back-Up Plan.

I found a crewel embroidery piece that my mom had made for me back in the early 70s. For many years it hung in my dining room. when I changed the colors, I removed it from the frame and stored it in my cedar chest. Seeing all the wonderful hand work that mom had put into it I realized that it need to be seen once again. I trimmed the background fabric, added borders, sandwiched it with batting and backing and quilted it. I finished it and now have it hanging in my stairwell to be enjoyed once again.

Back in 2004, I participated in an International quilt project....."to be remembered". Each participant was to make a block and write a story. The block was to have fabrics, etc. that maybe brought special memories to mind. The story was to include information about special people or memories. The blocks were made into one quilt and the pictures of the blocks along with the stories were published in a book to be sold to raise money for UNICEF. 86 women and 4 men from 24 countries and 5 continents participated. I just received my copy. www.memoryquilt.website.ms

January 30

2010-01-30T16:04:00.002-06:00

OH my gosh! January is almost finished. I guess it has been a productive month. Books read this month are: Land of Mango Sunsets and Fault Lines by Dorothea Benton Frank, Shanghai Girls by Lisa Lee, and Tallgrass by Sandra Dallas. Movies we have seen: Leap Year, The Book of Eli, The Lovely Bones, Extraordinary Measures and Edge of Darkness.

I finished the binding on a couple of quilts: The Texas Quilt and Dulcinea. And I made a tropical fish coin purses for gifts. They were a bit more difficult since I wanted to use Batiks instead of ultra suede. But I love the way they turned out.

January 6, 2010

2010-01-06T19:31:00.003-06:00

I had a good day sewing in the studio today. The two receiving blankets (pale yellow plisse and rosebud flannel) were made previously. But I made the cute little flannel shows and hooded towel today. So my gift is all ready for the shower Saturday.

I know I have seen these little cloth shoes before but this is my first pair to make. They are so easy, I know I will make up some more to have ready for future gifts.

I always have a stash of flannel and plisse receiving blankets at the ready.

Welcome 2010!

2010-01-03T14:01:00.007-06:00

We have now crossed over to begin our journey through a new year. This picture of the #1 man in my life, David, was taken Christmas Eve after services in Arizona. We left Ruston on December 22 before sun up and had a great day driving and listening to books on tape. We spent the night in El Paso, TX heading out before dawn the next morning. We had the most enjoyable trip driving through light snow in Demming, New Mexico to get there. It was fun watching the change in scenery from state to state. Making great time we arrived in Anthem, Arizona before 3 pm December 23.

First order of busines was taking my girls for manicures while we let Poppy relax in front of the TV for a while. Once back from having our nails done, we all headed to one of our favorite restaurants, Abuelos for the best mexican food anywhere!

Finally got the Voss family to sit down long enough for a picture: dog, Bridgette held by Caitie sitting in her dad, David's lap, my daughter, Aimee, dog Jack held by granddaughter, Alex. The girls opened their gifts from us and are already wearing their new pjs. We spent Thursday, Christmas Eve, making pies and gumbo. The girls love making pie crust for fresh peach pie, chocolate pie and Pineapple Chess pie. We all went to early vigil Mass before coming home to enjoy the delicious ChickenSausage Gumbo. We spent Christmas day seeing the Chipmunk movie and hiking. That evening we played games until time to get some rest before the long journey back to Ruston.

Jordon, Lori and Chris in front of the Christmas tree in Ruston. We had a great Sunday Christmas celebration with them before leaving for the AZ trip. Chicken Okra Gumbo and Chocolate Pie! Ballgames and table games. And we all got to watch the Survivor finale together! What a day!

Gleaning every bit of 2009..............

2009-12-11T13:37:00.010-06:00

As we approach not only the dawn of a new month but a whole new year, I am busy trying to enjoy every bit of 2009.

As always, we have made it to the movies quite a bit enjoying: Amelia, The Box, 2012, A Christmas Carol, Blind Side, Old Dogs, and Everybody's Fine.

Books read: Just Breathe, Ford County, A Quilter's Holiday, and Fox's Earth.

During November, I attended the Gift Shop in Orange, TX bringing all the aprons for the sale. It was so much fun getting to visit with old friends. The following weekend, we tailgated and attended the LSU vs. LA Tech game in Baton Rouge. It was really an exciting game. Tech made the Tigers work for that win!

I completed one of the sweatshirt projects purchased at the Houston Quilt Festival and have enjoyed wearing it several times.

I have been working tirelessly on the handquilting of my Dear Jane quilt. Having completed all the quilting, I was able to get the binding stitched on and have it finally complete after all these years. How excited I was to make that last stitch.

It has been a busy month with getting decorations up, shopping, attending holiday functions, etc. We are looking forward to a wonderful Christmas celebration with Chris, Lori and Jordon here at the house then will travel to Arizona t see Aimee, David, Alex and Caitie.

It is getting to that time when everyone is thinking about New Year's Resolutions. Well, here is mine: I aim to do a better job of giving more attention to this blog.

Approaching the end of October............

2009-10-21T17:14:00.004-05:00

I have been one busy little bee lately! In September I read Identical Harts and Black Hills and saw several movies: All About Steve, Whiteout, The Informant, Pandorum, and Surrogate. I stayed busy making aprons for several days finishing all 24 of them. I ordered the Simplicity Bias Tape maker and was so excited that it arrived perfectly for me to give it a good workout for the apron project. Aren't new toys fun? Accompanying David on a few business trip during the month was fun. On the 16, I attended a 50s theme party and couldn't resist dressing the part. It gave me a chance to wear my Pat Boone portrait pin with the little white shoes and a circular skirt. I always have loved playing dress-up!

October arrived with a break in the drought bringing lots of rain. I have read Sullivan's Island and am now reading 92 Pacific Blvd. So far this month, we have seen Love Happens, Invention of Lying, Couples Retreat and Law Abiding Citizen.

Last week was a time for fun. Yvonne and I attended a quilter's group in Jasper, TX and made tote bags called Sunday Satchels. On Thursday we headed to Houston for the International Quilt Festival. Oh my, what an adventure. We had so much fun shopping the 2000+ vendors, we didn't even get around to viewing the quilt exhibits until Friday. We made some excellent purchases and enjoyed seeing all the new products and creativity of others work.

This week I have been busy catching up from being away. I am looking forward to attending my Thursday sit and stitch group so I can put a few more stitches in Dear Jane. But the biggie is coming up............my 40th high school reunion in Galveston. I know the weekend will fly by in the blink of an eye. It will be great getting together with friends after so many years. We invited the class 1970 to join us so this should prove to be a very exciting time.

Although I didn't get a great deal of sewing/quilting done this month, I refueled my creativity and hope to enjoy productive time in the studio real soon.

September 2...........but wait. What happened to August?

2009-09-02T10:02:00.006-05:00

Just when I think I am getting better about keeping up with this blog, I realize that I am further behind than ever.......two months worth!

July ended up being pretty busy after all. I read three books: River's Edge, The Girls from Ames, and A Thread of Truth. As always, we frequented the Celebrity Theater seeing: Public Enemies, The Ugly Truth, Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince, and Funny People.

We participated in an Employee Free Choice Rally in Little Rock, AR on July 11. It was a very moving experience as we heard speakers remind us of how far we have come in our struggle for equality. Our march began in front of the Little Rock high school where history was made and ended on the steps of the AR capitol building. Later we gathered on a huge tent to enjoy fried fish dinners and cold drinks.

Yvonne and Fish came up for a visit on the 15th. Since Fish forgot his golf clubs, our guys were a bit lost for something to do. David suggested that we follow them home so he could help Fish with a few projects at their house. So we sent the guys to Orange on Friday so Yvonne and I could enjoy a little girl time. Then she and I drove down the next afternoon. While there the guys installed a whole house water filtration system, repaired the sprinkler and built a deck and steps for their pool.

Once back home, I plunged right back into planning a quilt for our parish priest. My Thursday quilt group decided on the quilt pattern Fractions made in greens for Fr. Blane O'Neill. He had come by our group gathering one day hinting that he needed a new bed cover. We will present it to him September 17.

On July 26, David invited some of his union friends and their wives over for a barbecue. He prepared ribs and sausage. I prepared Potatoes Au Gratin, Ranch Beans, Saurkraut salad, garlic bread and peanut butter bars.

As always, most days are spent in my studio working on one of my many unfinished projects. On Thursday's I work on the hand quilting of my Dear Jane. Some day I will complete it!

August was here before we knew it. David spent a week in Pittsburgh. I miss him when he is gone on his business trips, but it sure gives me the opportunity to work and not think about cooking. As soon as he returned, we had to pack up and head to Orange to attend the 40th Reunion of the West Orange class of 1969. They invited the classes of 1967(which was David's),1968,1970 and 1971. We had so much fun.

To our surprise, Aimee and the girls had made a quick visit to Orange that same weekend and drove up to Ruston on Sunday just after we arrived back home. We had such a wonderful time having them for a few more days. Aimee and I took the girls to see Julie and Julia. Caitie says that she needed to see that movie since she plans on being a chef one day. They all got hair trims while here. We didn't do anything exciting but spent time and relaxed together. Well, until Thursday, that is. That is the day that we went shopping for the girls some school clothes. Oh the memories of shopping with girls! Caitie was quite entertaining; I enjoyed being in the dressing room and helping them. On Friday, Alex and Aimme went to see The Time Traveler's Wife while Caitie and I went to see G-Force. On Sunday, they had to pack up and head back to Austin. David and I went to see The Time Traveler's Wife to console us for having to face an empty house after our week of fun and games with the girls.

That Friday, David and I went to see the movie Inglourious Basterds.

I have been working on a Bulls-eye quilt with blocks from an online group swap. It has been so much fun seeing all the different fabrics everyone uses. I finally got it all together with borders. I kept needing more blocks because I kept enlarging the design.

For the past couple of weeks I have been working on a project in blue and white fabrics for a gift. Yvonne gave me a pattern for my birthday called Dulcinea that is a small wall hanging. I used that pattern but enlarged the blocks a bit and made it into a lap quilt. I have been collecting blue and white fabrics for several years. About a year ago, many of these fabrics were included in a box along with a center I made for a Round Robin I was participating in. Once my center medallion made the round and came back home to me, I was busy on other projects so just put it away. I pulled it out so I could start thinking about how I want to finish it. In doing so, I got the idea to make this blue and white lap quilt knowing that I had way more fabric than I would need to finish the round robin quilt. I can't say who this blue and white quilt is for because I don't know when I will get it quilted and don't want to let the cat out of the bag just yet.

We had another barbecue for union friends and wives this past Sunday. It was a lot of fun. David again did his famous ribs and sausage. I made homemade macaroni and cheese (I love it so), Ranch Beans, garlic bread, cole slaw and those peanut butter bars that David loves so much. His review of them states that there is only ONE THING better.................

So as I sit here mulling over the past few months, I realize that today is my brother, Mike's 60th birthday. Hope I can catch him on the phone later. It is very quiet here today as David is away on business for a few days. Sounds like a great time to get to work in the studio. But instead of working on any of my unfinished quilting projects, today will be my day to cut and plan the aprons for the St. Mary's Gift Shop in November. So I best be getting to work................

July and it's hot, hot hot!

2009-07-04T11:36:00.005-05:00

Since my last installment, quite a bit has gone on around here! On June 14, David and I celebrated 39 years of wedded bliss! Not being one for romantic dinners and such, we opted to just do our usual thing..............movie on Friday and dinner on Saturday evening. We had a business trip to Dallas; he worked while I shopped! What great fun! When we left Dallas, we headed down to Orange to attend his family reunion. I always tell people that Broussards are like ants; there are just so many you wouldn't believe! The older generation keeps decreasing in numbers and there are more babies all the time. The best part of this reunion is that both of our children and their kids were able to attend also.

The movies we've seen this month include: My Life in Ruins, The Taking of Pelham 1,2,3, The Proposal, The Hangover, David saw Transformers and I saw My Sister's Keeper. Explanation on that will come later!

Aimee, Alex, and Caitie arrived here Friday, June 26 for a week long visit. The girls wanted to see Transformers so Poppy agreed to take them. He didn't want to see My Sister's Keeper but Aimee and I did, so it was a natural solution to Friday nite entertainment. The movies were at different time so we couldn't ride together. But just as our guests arrived, we realized that the
A/C was not cooling!!!! We were not overly optimistic about getting someone out at 5:50 on a Friday evening. But one phone call and "the man" was here within 30 minutes. Poppy and the girls were able to get to their feature but "the man" was still working when it was time for Aimee and I to leave. We voted that A/C was definitely more important than the movie. We had a cool night and "the man" returned Saturday to replace the fan motor.

While the girls were here, Aimee needed to get some homework done toward her teacher certification course while Alex, Caitie and I played games and worked on sewing projects. On Sunday, David fired up the grill and played with the girls while Aimee and I caught the early feature of My Sister's Keeper. Aimee had read the book and said that although she enjoyed the movie...........the book is way better. David had to leave Sunday evening for a business trip. So for 3 nights, we were an all girls household.

On Monday, we headed to the Blueberry Patch where we braved the sweltering heat to pick 2 1/2 gallons of delicious blue fruit. When we returned home, Aimee made a big pot of chicken and dumplins while the girls and I washed and sorted the blueberries. Aimee spent the afternoon studying while the girls and I made pies............delicious, juicy, blueberry and peach pies.

Several days during the week, we went to Chrissie's to swim and enjoy a relaxing time. Caitie made several small artsy projects with fabric, sewing and markers. Alex wanted to make a quilt; so several days were spent finishing it. They both wanted frilly skirts so they chose fabric from my stash, drew their plan and I made them each a skirt. The top layer of Caitie's skirt was scraps from my bridesmaid dresses while another was scraps from my graduation dress. Alex chose fabric that I had bought to make a dress that never happened with the lining from a bridesmaid dress Aimee wore in a friend's wedding. I am sure they will get many hours of fun playing in these skirts.

As of Friday morning, things have quietened down quite a bit.............the girls headed back to Austin, TX where their two dogs Jack and Bridget and their husband/daddy eagerly awaited their return.

In June I readThe Ocean Inside, Red Leaves, and River's Edge. Loved them all.

David and I will be attending a 4th of July party today that has come to be an annual event.
Happy Independence Day!

Summer Time.......and the living is easy!

2009-06-05T18:10:00.005-05:00

Oh my gosh! Someone must be stealing my blog posts. Surely I have not neglected my blog all this time? Have I been in a coma or what? My last picture posted was of the challenge project I made for the Quilting Retreat I attended in April. Yvonne and I had a great time in Quitman, TX. We met 30 wonderful ladies from all over. We each made a Turning Twenty quilt top and I even made 15 Paducah 9-patch blocks for our church raffle quilt. The quilt top is finished and already quilted and ready to give away.

It has been an exciting time in that I finished piecing the border blocks for my Dear Jane quilt. It is in the hoop and I already have about 8 of the blocks hand quilted. No promises on the completion of it any time soon. I have designated it my Thursday project to occupy my hands during my church group sit and sew session.

During this time I have also finished my Mystery on the Oriental Express quilt from my online group. I hand quilted it also.

I have been busy the past few days making tote bags. I purchased a couple of pieces of color print fabric and black for lining. I sandwiched each print with batting and a lining then machine quilted with loops and swirls. I cut tote bag sections from the prequilted fabric and made 4 tote bags with outside and inside pockets. I had previously purchased nylon web for handles; it takes quite a bit for each bag because I stitch the handles around the bottom of the bag for extra strength and stability. I still have to make sturdy fabric covered cardboard inserts for the bottom of the bags.

March blows in...............

2009-03-05T20:11:00.003-06:00

I received a package containing a variety of fabrics all sizes in the mail a couple of weeks ago. It was for a challenge associated with a retreat I will be attending in April. The challenge was to make a project using only the fabrics included which were mainly left from block of the month kits and such. There was a one yard cut of a leafy fabric. I studied the fabrics and gave it serious consideration before coming up with a plan. I wanted my project to be something that I would use. One of my aims this year has been to make small wall hangings for my stairwell. From there the idea evolved. My project is called "Lost Cabin in the Woods". I grew to like it the longer I worked on it. I decided to hand quilt it using the stitching to form cabins in the leaf fabric squares.

Just a lot of everyday stuff going on these days. February ended with the beginning of Lent. I finished reading The Bronze Horseman by Paulina Simons. What a wonderful book. I have now started reading Alexander and Tatania which picks up where the other ended. There has been much cooking and baking lately. As we have a program at our church called Stork Bites where we bring a hot meal and frozen casseroles to a family with a new baby. Another program that I volunteer with is Dollar Lunch. We prepare lunch for college kids on Wednesday. They get a complete home cooked meal for $1. What a bargain! It is so rewarding to see how excited they are as they come through the line. They are so appreciative.

I have started the machine quilting on my king 4-patch Posie quilt but ran out of thread and am awaiting the arrival of more. Hopefully, I will get finished within the next week or two and can start enjoying it on my bed!!!

2009-02-15T12:26:00.001-06:00

Just keeping busy!

2009-02-15T11:46:00.004-06:00

The past month has been a flurry of planning and plodding. I did attend a quilt show in Jefferson, TX and thoroughly enjoyed the day with friends Julie and Chrissie. To prepare for the big fund raiser at church, I made 4 batches of Roux, each batch made with 5 lb of flour and a quart of oil. During the month of January, I read several books - Revolutionary Road, The Memory Keeper's Daughter, A Single Thread, All That Matters, and The Quilter's Kitchen. I liked them all. I am now reading the first in a Trilogy by Paulina Simmons call The Bronze Horseman. They are all three large books with small print. I will be consumed with them for quite a while. I also have at the ready John Grisham's newest, The Associate.

David and I continue to enjoy our weekly movie dates. We have seen some really good movies lately - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Grand Torino, Last Chance Harvey, Slumdog Millionaire, Taken, The Reader, He's Just Not That Into You, New In Town, The International.

The first week of February, I drove down to Orange, TX to visit my Mom and do a few things for her. The big thing was getting her a new flat screen TV and setting it up on the new console that had to be assembled. We got some visiting in and a little cleaning done.

Last week was Gumbo Week. Monday was the day of bell peppers, celery, and green onions; we cheat and buy the white onions already chopped. Less tears! Once everything is chopped uniformly, it is weighed and bagged in a appropriate amounts for each pot of gumbo. Tuesday and Wednesday we cook. Each pot makes 52 quarts of gumbo. We cook 5 pots at a time and two cookings each day. once cooked, the gumbo is put into quart containers and ready for pickup. By the end of the second day of cooking, we have sold over 1,040 quarts of gumbo. We all have a wonderful time together working on this project but are always glad when it is behind us for another year!

I had thought I might start my machine quilting on my 4-patch posie quilt. But just received in the mail fabric for a challenge. I will be attending a Sew n Spa in April and forgot about the challenge associated with it. So that is what is taking up my time right now. I am trying to get my creative juices flowing to come up with a idea.

David gave me a beautiful Valentine card that said all the right things along with a heart shaped box of Pecan Millionaires. He knows what I like! I gave him a card and washed his car. We went to dinner last night and played cards with friends. It was a very nice day.

It is hard to believe that our granddaughter, Alex, will celebrate her 10th birthday Tuesday. She is such a joy! We have so much fun together. She is learning to cook and sew; we have so much fun together. We also like playing games. She loves to read too.

January 19,2009

2009-01-19T13:08:00.003-06:00

Well, since I am well into the new year, I realize that I have been excessively quiet. I continue to diligently plod along doing the hand quilting on my Mystery on the Oriental Express quilt at my Thursday quilt group. Since my new year's resolution is to whittle away my UFO stack, I began putting together my 4-Patch Stacked Posie quilt. Whew, is it big?! It will be used on my bed so needs to be a king. I have never machine quilted one so big but I plan to give it a whirl using the backing fabric design for the quilting pattern. I haven't decided on the thread color yet or done a practice run. So I have no idea when I will get to work on it. I will definitely make sure I have lots of time with no distractions.

I am looking forward to going to my first quilt show of 2009 on Friday, January 23 with two friends to Jefferson, TX.

Approaching 2009

2008-12-31T16:22:00.002-06:00

As I sit here contemplating, I am jolted to the reality that another year has passed. Since my last post, so many family activities have engulfed my time. Aimee, Alex, Caitie, Chris and Lori were here with us for Thanksgiving. We had a wonderful time and even got in a little shopping. Immediately, we were vaulted right into the Christmas flurries. Chris and Lori surprised me with a wonderful evening of dinner and a Ronnie Milsap concert in early December for my Christmas. What sneaks, they all kept the secret for several months without my knowledge.

David and I made the trek to Leander, TX the weekend before Christmas to share the holiday with Aimee and her family arriving back home in time for Chris, Lori and Jordon to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas morning here with us. We made the trip to Orange, TX to visit family and friends the day after Christmas arriving home the following Monday. It was a nice trip. I spent last night at a "Girl's Night Out" house party just eating, drinking, and visiting. Very nice!

Here it is New Year's Eve and David and I have no plans of any kind. I guess that means we are getting old! lol It is a good thing we enjoy each others company so much.

I look forward to starting the new year with gusto with the resolutions to finish several of my quilting projects. The Dear Jane quilt is the oldest but the one that I will concentrate on the most is the 4-patch posie quilt for my bedroom. I would like to have it done for spring. If I can just refrain from starting anything new and not join in too many swaps! lol

So long 2008! Happy New Year and welcome 2009!

National Tie One On Day!

2008-11-15T07:55:00.000-06:00

Participation in National Tie One On Day is simple - on the day before Thanksgiving, pause in the preparation of your own bounty, wrap a loaf of bread or other baked good in an apron, tuck a prayer or note of encouragement in the pocket, and tie one on...an apron, of course! and deliver the wrapped bundle to someone in need of spiritual or physical sustenance.

2008-11-15T07:53:00.000-06:00

Sweet November

2008-11-08T11:44:00.003-06:00

As the seasons breeze through my ordinary life, I am reminded of the beautiful outdoors! Halloween came and went without much flurry around here; no tricksters or treaters in sight.

But the following week has been so full of anticipation and excitement. David has been busy with the political action campaign for Steelworkers. Due to his absence, I have had lots of quilting/quiet time. I was thrilled that he was able to be home on Election night so we could share the making of history. We are both so excited for our new president and for all of America!

After a long stretch of small projects, I have finally finished a quilt. This project was a block of the month that I purchased in a sale bin. I had the patterns for quite a while before actually gathering up the courage to begin. I am so excited to have finally completed it and have it hanging on my guest room wall.

Already Fall!

2008-10-13T09:12:00.001-05:00

Like so many others, my summer disappeared far too quickly. The highlight, of course, was the wonderful adventure with Alex and Caitie. Soon after my last post, their parents arrived to add a few days of joy to my world. We had such a good visit that ended much too soon. Once they left to begin their new journey having just moved back to Texas from Arizona, my life was filled with getting back to what I expected to be my mundane routine. I quickly learned different; my help was needed to trek over to Austin to supply some adult supervision while Aimee and David started their new jobs. What fun we had playing games all day and just spending quality time together.

It wasn't long after getting back to Ruston settling back to the everyday ordinary existence that I call "my life" when we had another diversion called "Gustav". We had planned on having weekend guests for the Labor Day weekend. Those plans had to be altered a bit. Instead of just a visit, it turned into an evacuation plan. lol Our evacuees saw more wind and rain by coming here than if they had stayed home. They were all home just over a week when more plans had to be made to prepare for "Ike" who proved to be much more distructive. While some of our "guests" headed home to begin cleanup (flood waters inside a house is not a pretty site), my Mom stayed with me by David headed to Nashville on business. Once he returned, we drove Mom home and got her settled. Fortunately, her only loss due to "Ike" was things in her refrigerator and upper freezer.

OK. Life now returned to what we know as normal. David and I made the trip to Oxford, MS for the Presidential Debate. No, we didn't get anywhere near the actual debate but loved the frenzy surrounding it. We were in the crowd behind Chris Mathews during his commentary on MSNBC. If you were looking very close, you could see us in the crowd holding signs. We then met with a group to have hamburgers and hot dogs to watch the debate on big screens. What a wonderful experience!

Here we are almost half way through October and life is just busy enough to keep me from being bored. I have started hand quilting my Mystery on the Oriental Express and my Afternoon Tea in the Garden quilts. I really want to get the Afternoon Tea quilt finished since I will be hanging it in my guess room. So the Mystery has been put aside for now. I had also hoped to get back to work on my Dear Jane by now. But I just get too obsessed when working on it so it will stay buried for now.

Hopefully, I will get some new pictures taken soon to spice up this blog. Will I ever get my act together enough to keep this blog fueled more frequently?

First sewing projects finished!

2008-08-05T19:04:00.002-05:00

This was Caitie and Alex's first sewing experience. They really enjoyed it. Alex is already planning a project for her next visit. Caitie stitched pre-cut squares together for a front and back then stitched it all together with batting. She bar tacked the intersections.

Alex wanted to do a collage of fabrics. She cut shapes from squares of fabric and stitched them to a foundation with a zigzag stitch adding embellishments by hand. We made a wire hanger for hanging since she wants to hang it in her bedroom at home.

And the adventure continues

2008-08-05T18:52:00.004-05:00

After doing some Monday chores, mainly laundry, the girls and I headed to the library. After spending some time on the computers in the children's section, they found lots of books to bring home.

Today was our day for baking. We have a tradition of baking pies (scratch dough and all) every time they come. Sometimes they are here during Blueberry season and we even get to pick our own berries for the pies. Not so this time. They are eating the blueberries that I saved in the freezer for snacks. We made Ruston Peach pies today. I found the cutest little pie dishes at a kitchen shop- bigger than an individual serving but smaller and easier for the girls to handle.

Their parents are driving in tonight, will stay a few days to visit also before taking the girls back to Austin. Since their dad does not eat peach pie, we made a batch of Sugar cookies for him. Of course, he probably won't get as many as he would like since the girls have been scheming on them too.

What has been keeping me busy?

2008-08-05T13:36:00.004-05:00

On Wednesday, July 30, David and I drove to Orange, TX to pick up our two darling granddaughters where they had been visiting friends. Alex - 9 and Caitie- 7 have kept me hopping! We spent Thursday and Friday playing in my sewing room. This has been their first sewing experience and they love it. We started with making each of them an apron then I let them use their imaginations to just play and create with needle and thread and the sewing machine. It was getting hectic with them having to share the machine, so I pulled out my traveling machine so they could each stitch away. I was hopping from one side of the room to the other teaching and assisting. They are so different. Alex is the careful planner, taking her time and trying to get perfection. Caitie is the creative designer who thinks done is better than perfect! I stepped out of my zone and let the room stay in an upheaval with fabric and threads all over the place.

They each brought several items from home that needed mending. So I showed them how and let them help. One of the items was Caitie's gingham check plisse baby blanket that I had made before she was born. She still sleeps with it. It had an L-shaped tear. So we sandwiched the tear between two fabric hearts.

We got a break from sewing on Sunday when we enjoyed a day of good food and visiting when Uncle Chris, Aunt Lori and Jordon drove over from Shreveport for the day. It was too hot to be outside for very long, so we played games indoors and had a great time.

Catching Up

2008-07-19T15:56:00.003-05:00

Here it is Saturday again! We just returned from a business trip to Biloxi, MS. Well, it was business for hubby; fun for me! I got in some good shopping and relaxing, enjoyed some really good food too. When I got home, the instructions for the final steps for my Mystery on the Oriental Express quilt had arrived. I couldn't wait to complete the mystery; I had a fair idea of where the express was taking me! I have the top complete but have no idea how or when I will quilt it. It will probably just get folded and put away for a little while.

Passing The Award

2008-07-19T14:36:00.004-05:00

Here it is a week later than I was honored with the Brilliante Award and i am just now making my announcement of my awardees. Besides having a hard time making a decision, I was out of town all week.

I gain so much inspiration from my blogger friends.

Gail was the first to inspire me to start a blog.

Fran is a fellow quilter and QOR sister.

Wendy cracks me up with her zest for life and neat projects.

Mavie inspires me with all she does.

Lucy has such an interesting blog filled with lots of goodies.

Award

2008-07-12T14:04:00.002-05:00

I was greeted first thing this morning by the most wonderful honor. My QOR sister, Veronica, awarded me with the Brillante Weblog. What a surprise. Unfortunately, I had never heard of it until this morning. I know now that I am to pass it on to five other deserving bloggers. I will need a little more time to prepare for the passing.

summer projects

2008-07-12T08:47:00.003-05:00

I failed to mention some of the things that have kept me busy lately. I made the cutest little water bottle carriers for my daughter in law, Lori and two granddaughters, Alex and Caitie. I saw the pattern at the AQS quilt show and just knew I had to get it. I even monogramed their names on them. They love them.

......................Still Summer

2008-07-12T08:17:00.002-05:00

Once Yvonne and I got the quiltlets made and mailed, we could move on to the big project. In Paducah, we bought a pattern for The Professional Tote and planned to make it together. Just the cutting and fusing took almost an entire day. Of course, we like to take breaks and enjoy our snacks and drinks! How exciting when we finally finished our bags!

Jumping from Spring to Summer

2008-07-12T07:47:00.004-05:00

Wow, has life just whizzed by since my last post. We had a wonderful trip to Paducah, KY attending the AQS quilt show, shopping at Hancock's, and enjoying our stay at a quiet little cabin in the woods. Leaving Ky, we ventured on to Pittsburgh where David attended meetings and I got my first look at PA. As always, we enjoyed our time spent in the car traveling listening to audio books and talking.

Having barely been home long enough to finish laundry and catch my breath, we headed down to Orange, TX to pick up Mom bringing her back to Ruston for a Mother's Day visit. Chris, Lori, and Jordon came over and we had a wonderful day together. What should have been a busy week of fun things was not; for Mom suffered with her back so much that she could not do anything. It hurts me so to see her in pain with no relief. She did manage to feel good enough for us to go to my regular Thursday Quilt group and then out to Hannah's Quilt Shop. We drove her back home Friday where she could relax in the comforts of her own place.

June was heralded in with my adventure of being guest speaker at the Jonesboro Quilt Guild. I brought my Dear Jane quilt top in progress. I told them about my introduction to DJ and what I know about Jane Stickle. They were all so very interested, it made me feel good for questions to be asked and me to have answers. Still having the borders to make and add, they pleaded that I return when the quilt is finished for another presentation. I couldn't wait to get home to start work on all those pieced triangle borders!

David and I celebrated our 38th Wedding Anniversary on June 14. We are long past the hype of romantic dinners and gifts. We spend a great deal of quality time together throughout the year and don't wait for any certain day to show love and affection. Therefore, other than beautiful cards, on our special day we went to Mass, dined out at a Mexican Restaurant in town then stopped at Lowes before heading home for a relaxing evening.

At the end of June, while David flew to Vegas for the USW Convention, I remained back in Ruston to enjoy of week of quilty girl fun. Yvonne drove up from Orange to join me. We first attended the Peach Festival that Sunday then worked on our Quiltlets for the QOR Online Retreat Swap. Mine is the one with the green border. Yvonne used a 9-patch house block then added borders. We were happy to get them
so we could get them in the mail.

Keeping busy

2008-04-22T21:20:00.002-05:00

Log Cabin Posie in a box kit received from Yvonne for my birthday. It went together so fast and looks so good. I just love it. I still need to quilt and bind it before it is ready to hang on the wall. It is 20' square.

Looking to the end of April

2008-04-22T21:10:00.002-05:00

Just returned from a 7-day Cruise to the Western Caribbean. We had a great time. Unfortunately, Montego Bay, Jamaica wasn't too kind to me. Our group decided to take the Appleton Estates Rum factory; sounds pretty harmless. Little did I know when I agreed to this trip was it involved a 2 hour "roller coaster" bus ride up, around, and across the island! I spent my time at the estate sipping ginger tea and dreading the trip back while the others enjoyed the tour and lunch. And I missed the Beef Wellington being served at dinner that night! Our day on Grand Cayman was much better. We walked the beach enjoying the scenery then had lunch at Margaritaville. Our day at Cozumel was the most fun. We shopped and toured then partied at Carlos and Charlies. But as the saying goes, "there is no place like home".

2008-04-03T21:40:00.001-05:00

Kristy's Round Robin.

2008-04-03T21:39:00.002-05:00

Vines and Roses!

Plunging into April

2008-04-03T21:37:00.001-05:00

Afternoon Tea in the Garden before borders.

March is almost gone!

2008-03-28T07:33:00.002-05:00

Oh, I can't believe I almost let March slip away without a mention! What the heck have I been doing that has kept me away from this blog? My darling husband, David, was gone for two weeks; that was supposed to give me lots of free time, right? Wrong! I filled that time with so much activity! I spent some of the days driving to Texas to visit my Mother. She always enjoys those times when I make that trip alone. She knows that she will get my undivided attention while there. We visited her quilting group, played around with fabrics in her sewing room and just enjoyed each other. I spent the last day there cleaning her house. I needed to get home to rest! lol

Once home, it was nice to enjoy the quiet and do whatever or nothing. March 8 was my birthday. My dear friend treated me to a visit at the Crescent City Coffee Cafe where we enjoyed Cappucino and Chocolate Khalua cake while having the most wonderful 2 hour visit. The next day my dearest friend and cousin, Yvonne, drove up from Texas to spend time with me. We always have such fun together but with no husbands, it was like a girlfest! We shopped on Monday then she treated me to lunch for my birthday. That night was my regular Bunko night and she was able to accompany me and play. And she is the one who won!!!! She paid a price for coming to visit during this week because I had prior committments; but she agreed to help with them. We prepared lunch for my ladies church group on Tuesday and helped serve lunch to college kids at our church on Wednesday. Of course, we didn't work the entire days, we still had time to play in my sewing room. We were working on projects for a quilt retreat we will attend together in July. Then on Thursday, we went to my regular quilt group which is always fun. By Friday, she had to return home and David was on his way home. What a whirlwind two weeks that turned out to be! Isn't that always the way when you are having lots of fun?

I have consistantly been working on my Afternoon Tea in the Garden applique quilt and will soon be ready to assemble the center blocks so I can start the applique process on the borders. Pictures will come later.

On my birthday, I started a new wall hanging. I made a spool quilt several years from a kit. It is truly one of my favorite quilts; I love the fabrics sooooo much. I have a book that Chrissie gave me for my birthday last year that had a cute little quilt that I like. I decided to use the scraps from the Spool quilt and make that wall hanging. It has turned out so cute.

Because of internet problems, I was able to post to my blog. Here it is already almost a week into April. I have the Roses and Vine quilt finished and hanging on the wall. I have the Afternoon Tea in the Garden assembled and ready for borders. I also have my round complete on Kristy's RoundRobin Center.

When I can get this crazy Internet Explorer straightened out, I will post the pictures.

2008-02-23T16:18:00.003-06:00

What a week! What do I have to show for my time? Not much, I am sad to say. As far as accomplishments, there is one that I am quite excited about. I received my first Round Robin box last Saturday. I knew what the center looked like because Sherry had posted a picture on the QOR site but until reading her instructions and seeing her fabric selections, had no idea what I would add. Those of you who know me, know that I don't let myself work on hobbies or fun things until I have my work done...........and my mother is not even here watching over me either. LOL I just seem to enjoy my hobbies more knowing that the housework is done! Not only that, I had Bunko last Monday night and a casserole to prepare for a family with a new baby. We have a program at our church called Stork Bites where we bring a hot meal and several frozen meals with dessert to the family when they get home with their new baby. So while preparing the meal, I decided to go ahead and make a few loaves of fruit bread for the freezer. I will use it next month for my Women's Guild luncheon.

Once I had all that done, I hurried to my sewing room to create!

I am really pleased with the outcome. I had seen the magazine which gave the directions for the center that Sherry chose at quilting a few weeks ago and fell in love with it. Wow, was I ever surprised to see that Sherry had chosen that same design for her Round Robin project. It will be hard for me to box it up and send it on to the next participant. lol I had already made a pattern for myself from my friend's magazine for later when I have time. I want to make a wall hanging using that design.

Since completing my round on Sherry's center, I have just spent my spare time hand quilting on my 2005 QOR Retreat Swap Blocks. I now have one 12 block and the borders to quilt before it will be ready for binding. It will be really good to have another UFO complete.

Unbelievable!

2008-02-15T12:26:00.003-06:00

I knew that I needed to update my blog but just kept putting off taking the time. Today, I have a little while and thought I might as well write a few lines. Upon arriving at my blog, I was totally surprised to see that it had, indeed, been too long since my last update. Has it really been since November? or is there a blog thief on the loose?

Things got pretty busy during the month of December. Besides the usual holiday parties, preparations and shopping, our neighborhood association sponsored a mailbox decorating project and cookie swap. The mailboxes were decorated with wooden cut outs of trumpet playing angels, fresh evergreens and large red flocked bows. It was really beautiful! The cookie swap was a great way to get the neighbors to visit and share recipes and goodies. I put many of the cookies I brought home into the freezer in air tight containers and enjoyed them for many weeks.

After celebrating Christmas in Ruston with Chris, Lori and Jordon, we hit the road driving to Arizona to celebrate with Aimee, David, Alex, and Caitie. It was a wonderful adventure for David and I to spend time together. By the time we found our way back to Louisiana, 2008 had rolled into play.

January took us on business trips to Little Rock, Arkansas and Dallas, Texas. Good greif, Janaury sure seemed short!

February is always a time of busy work getting ready for the big Gumbo fundraiser at church. I spent days making roux, 6 batches in fact. That means six 5lb. bags of flour and 3 gallons of oil. That is only what I made. We use a total of 20 batches making that many pots of gumbo. Each pot makes 52 quarts of Chicken and Shrimp Gumbo. We make and sell 1040 quarts total. Since it is our Women's Guild's one and only money making endeavor for the year, we have good participation. We just completed the cooking and selling process this week in time to relax and enjoy Valentine's Day.

Each evening after a tiring day of either chopping vegetables, cooking, etc., I came home to a relaxing bubble bath and spent my evening on the sofa hand quilting. My project stays ready and waiting for me each day. It is my swap blocks from the 2005 Quilts On Review retreat held in chicago. All the blocks are some shade of green, each block different.

On Thursdays at my weekly sewing group, I work on my Afternoon Tea in the Garden applique quilt. I have two blocks to complete and will them have to prepare the borders which also have vines and flowers to applique.

I still think about getting back to work on my Dear jane quilt. but since the QOR Round Robin has begun, all my creative juices will be needed for those quilts.

I did get a new pin cushion made this month. It is from the book,

"Pin Cushions for Every Occasion". I used corduroy that I had received

in an unusual fabric swap. The corduroy raveled more than I liked but

the end result was what I wanted; that is all that mattered. I save labels

from ready to wear, etc. to use on crazy quilt projects. I used two on this dress form pin cushion. Now that I have made this one, I can't wait to

make another one from the book.

Just where does the time go?

2007-11-18T16:52:00.001-06:00

I wish I could say that I have been so busy creating lots of wonderful things and that is why I haven't written for almost two weeks. My whirlwind trip to Texas was fun. All of the aprons sold as well as the pecan pies. I love divinity but never make it so i was able to buy some there and thoroughly enjoyed it. Once home again, I have been busy with everyday life. I started hand quilting my Fractions quilt. The nice thing about having a portable project is that I can work on it for small increments of time when not in the mood to machine sew or get a bunch of stuff out. I spent one day last week make Stick Pins as you can see in the photo. It was fun but time consuming. I guess if I would concentrate on working to finish the quilts I already have started instead of starting new things like making pin cushions and stick pins, I could complete a quilt! lol

I remember back when I didn't really have anything particular I collected. Now I am collecting thimbles, old needle packs, pin cushions, etc. And my sewing room just keeps getting smaller and smaller...................as I keep adding more stuff!

It will soon be Thanksgiving, a time to enjoy good food and fellowship with family. Why don't we ever think about having turkey and dressing any other time of the year? And then in a flash it will be Christmas, wait, I haven't even started decorating yet. Oh fiddle dee dee, I will think about that tomorrow!

It's just me again!

2007-11-06T13:57:00.000-06:00

Yea, I know it is really November 6! Time is flying by fast enough without me rushing it more. lol

I wish I had kept account of all the aprons I have made for the Gift Shop through the years. A few years ago, I made 50 for that one sale! I got really carried away, I know. But it is so much fun choosing apron fabric and then matching up fabric for the bias trim. The hardest part of the project is making the bias trim but it makes them so "one of a kind". Although quilting is my first love, I just can't help myself when it comes to fabric shopping. The first thing I think of is aprons and what would look good!

Autumn At Last!

2007-11-06T13:39:00.000-06:00

Well, here it is November 7 and finally we are experiencing a little autumn splendor! Trees changing colors, cool breezes, pleasant sunshine; what could be better? So many things have kept me busy, not complaining because I really like being busy! I have spent today making Cornbread Dressing for the Dollar Lunch Program at church tomorrow. We prepare hot meals for the Louisiana Tech students every Wednesday. Students pay one dollar while adults pay two. Tomorrow being the Thanksgiving feast which they look forward to with much appreciation. Once the dishes are done, I will pack the car and head to Orange to my Mom's house. We will be attending the church Gumbo and Craft Sale. I have spent several months making aprons to sell and just today made mini pies - Toasted Coconut Chocolate Pecan, for their bake shop. Of course, being vigilant about quality control, DH and I sampled them. Oh yea, they are good!

I have not started any of the Dear Jane border blocks yet. Staying busy with little projects, traveling, and household chores keep getting in the way. I did make a little purse using that plastic mesh that is used for pet carriers.

Dear jane blocks

2007-10-22T18:44:00.000-05:00

There are so many of these blocks that i find truly interesting and might consider making again, just bigger! lol There are also several that I would not attempt for all the tea in China!

The one above is called Snow Crystal. The one to the right is called On Target.

A few Dear Jane blocks

2007-10-22T18:42:00.000-05:00

This is the last block I made. I was so excited to get it finished; it was a real challenge but turned out beautifully.

It is called Chieko's Calla Lily.

October 22

2007-10-22T18:31:00.000-05:00

If I weren't so tired I would be doing a happy dance right now! I just finished stitching all those 4.5" Dear Jane blocks together - 169, to be exact! They were NOT all perfectly the same size so that may the process SO much fun! As I stitched them together, I was reminded of all those who had made blocks. There were more who dropped from the group than I had remembered. Unfortunately, I discarded all the background on it and can't remember the core group. I will probably take a short break from this project before starting on the 56 border/corner triangles. It is just so exciting to see the light at the end of the tunnel on this project. I can't even remember exactly what year this project was started. Six ladies from the Quilts On Review started this as a swap. I took someone's place several months into it. I just know that I have been working several years and would like to see a finished quilt before I am too old to enjoy it!

The Mosaic project is done!

2007-10-12T15:11:00.000-05:00

OK. I applied the grout to the mosaic tray project yesterday afternoon. It is finished; I am so excited. I love the way it turned out and can't wait to make something else.

Where has the time gone?

2007-10-10T21:30:00.001-05:00

Here it is already into the second week of October and t0day is the first day I have taken to post. Since we have been busy working on the landscaping, keeping up with the regular laundry and other household chores, and doing all the regular church and community activities, I have been quite busy. Well, not too busy to work on a few sewing projects though. Today I prepared a quilt top and backing to baste tomorrow at regular sewing group, I made 4 water bottle carriers, and 2 Dear Jane blocks! Whew! But it sure does feel good to get so much done. And besides that, I started a broken dish mosaic on a silver tray today! I bought an old tarnished silver tray at a flea market during the summer. I have been saving various broken dishes and pottery vases that got broke throughout the past few years with this idea in mind. I got the pieces positioned and stuck down. Once enough time has passed, I can clean it up and apply the grout.

I am so excited! I only have 10 more 4.5" blocks to make for the Dear Jane. I am seriously thinking about adding the 1/2" sashing and joining the blocks together before starting the border triangles. But then again, who knows what other projects will need to be done before then. I guess time will tell!

Hopefully, I will not wait so long before adding another installment.

Quiet Sunday Afternoon Sewing

2007-09-30T17:24:00.000-05:00

What a day! I have had the whole day to work ,almost uninterrupted, in my sewing room. I decided earlier in the week to get back to work on my Dear Jane quilt blocks. I have been able to get 15 more made this week. I still have 24 of the center blocks to make and all of the border triangles. I am really enjoying the process since each block is different design, different fabrics and different stitching techniques. I am sure before I get to the border triangles, something else will catch my attention and draw me away. But for now, I will just enjoy the moment and plod along.

One of these days, I will get creative and post somthing really interesting and even include a few pictures. But for now, I will just end this boring little story and call it a day!

What the heck was I thinking?

2007-09-24T16:53:00.000-05:00

I have never been a person to keep a diary. I know that I have frequent musings throughout the day but never felt the urge to write them down. My idea of a diary is making jottings on my calendar of things I want to remember. But now as I meander through life, I am seeing how I wish I had been compelled to write down more of my thoughts and feelings.

I don't know how often I will feel the need to document my thoughts but now I have a specific place to do that.