Ok, a few days ago I was sitting and dreaming of what my studio would look like if I managed to buy the empty lot next door. I've been keeping it mowed and cleaned of junk and saving my pennies for several years just waiting for it to come up on the city auction block. See... I can money along with the vegetables every year.


All of a sudden I feel the whole house shake and vibrate.... earthquake!? I run outside... to find that it was only the old Phillip Morris plant being imploded..... or was it? As the day progressed I realized it was my dreams tumbling down in an avalanche of boulders in my path. I found out that my dream of getting the lot next door will never happen. The city didn't even give me a chance to buy the lot.... no auction at all..... they sold it to a rich person. A house is going to be built there.

Ummm.... I guess I should explain what I mean by a rich person. There is a very big difference between a rich person and a wealthy person. A rich person is someone with money and doesn't care who they trample on in the quest to get even more rich. Donald Trump is one example. A rich person also flaunts their money to those with less. You know who I mean.... the ones who have flashy expensive cars and 2000 dollar shoes. They treat store clerks and hotel janitors like it is their lot in life to be servants to the rich.

A wealthy person is sooo much different. A wealthy person has money but you would never know it by talking or working with them. Wealthy people are the ones with the biggest hearts. These are the people who give anonymously to a needy person featured in a news broadcast about tragedy. Wealthy people drive 15 year old cars and shop thrift stores for college kid furniture. In other words, this is how they stay wealthy.... by not spending foolishly.

I am neither rich nor wealthy.... although I do my best to live frugal and do what I can to give to charity. Well anyway, my dreams of having a studio next door have come crashing down... never to be seen again. The boulders in my path are too many to step around. I have to turn back and find another path..... this time I'm not sure I want to find another path.

In this particular case.... the wealthy person just happens to be a church. It uses tithe money to buy cheap land to build houses to rent so it can buy even more cheap land to develop. Why would a church need sooo much money but doesn't help the needy? Yes, you read right.... it doesn't help the needy. No food pantry and no help center office but the church does own many, many rental buildings, land, restaurants, businesses and such in the west end.

Ok, enough of my grumbling.... I'll set those thoughts aside and show you what I did while I was without a computer.... There was this issues quilt. I sometimes call these my challenge quilts. The quilts challenge me to make them flat. The maker is such a sweet old lady. As you can see... plenty of issues.


Plenty of fullness.... and loose threads....



Also has very friendly borders..... this one waves at me plenty... A tuck here and there helps.


An open design tames much of the fullness....


Can't stitch in the ditch when I can't find the ditch.... serpentine lines help stabilize it so a design can be done in the blocks....


A quilt with issues benefits from a really nice design.... the owner will be so busy looking at the roses she won't even notice the fullness anymore... besides, this quilt is for a special grandchild.... the owner's grand-daughter.... Victoria Rose.


And here it is.... as flat as I could make it... time and a few washings will flatten more of it. Pat myself on the back... no wonder they call me the quilt fix all fairy... (wink, wink, smile)


The next one to be quilted.... a quilt by an appliqué artist.


Woodgrain design on the frame...


Couldn't quilt on the arms or legs... it's padded... but I could contour the dress.


And the glass just seemed to need close diagonal lines to indicate it was solid.


Then on to this quilt....


Cross hatching in the center.....


Fish on the outside border to go with the fish in some of the fabrics...


Next was this one....


It was full of flower fabrics so flowers were the design in the blocks and the inside border....


More flowers on the border..... this time it gets a leaf vine instead.


A view of the leaf vine from the back.


Ok, I also worked at changing this room's color from this....


To this.... I have plenty more work to do in here before I can actually get started moving stuff back. Lots of trim to finish and the closet office to paint.


Decided I better find a better place for the travel baby bed.... thank goodness it's small... I decided the best place would be here in the corner.... so it got cleaned out....


The baby bed finally has a place of its own... looks like Jewell appreciates the new spot.



And finally.... I worked on these.... I'm supposed to have these wall hangings finished by the 10th of April. They are supposed to be in a gift shop before the Derby season starts. I hope I manage to finish in time.... if not.... oh well, its a head start on next year.



So that's what I did while I was without a computer..... when I'm not spending a few hours a day reading and typing.... I get more work done.