Still following?

I didn't realize anyone was still following this blog until a couple of days ago.  I thought everyone had abandoned me when I moved over to WordPress.  Many of my really good posts have not made the move over there.  I don't know the reason. I've been working with those posts on here.  You may see several of the past posts show up on this blog, a couple at a time, as I change the contents of each post.  I'm removing anything that is too much personal information.   I learned my lesson about that.  These posts are some of the best ones I did over the years.  They made a transition back in 2006 or 2007 so I'm guessing eventually they'll be fixed this time as well.

I've had three blogs in the past so I may continue with two blogs.  One on WordPress and one on Blogger.  Both have features I like but neither have all the features that work best for me.  I'll have to make a decision but it doesn't need to be made right this minute.

If you'd like to visit me over at WordPress the link is here.....  Anita's other blog.

Ok I will

I've given it a lot of thought.  I've listened to my readers.  I've really given my writing a blog a good going over in my mind and my heart.  The reason I blog is because I want to be helpful and hopefully build up some angel points. 

Another reason I blog is because I know the people of my generation have failed to teach the younger generations ways to live naturally without all the consumer driven economics we see today.  If I can reach just one younger person and let them see a new way of living then I've accomplished my goal. 

I had already checked into moving over to wordpress several days ago.  I found it's much easier to write there but there's still a lot to learn.  What I like best is the way readers can interact with each other through comment replies.  If someone posts a question as a comment, anyone can reply with an answer.  Not just me.  Of course I will still be the one to screen the comments to keep out any negative or spam comments. 

I decided to go ahead and start a new blog at wordpress.  A fresh new start with a fresh new attitude.  If anyone would like to join me there just click here  Na Na's life and memories.  Be sure to bookmark it, or join it, or whatever it is you do, so you can help me make the change.  Wouldn't that be something?  To have 50+ plus people join a new blog with only one test post?  (giggle)  Wordpress might wonder what the heck is going on.

Please consider joining me there.  I hope to make it much more interactive among all the readers.

About the phone call

Let me tell you a little history first. 

On more than one occasion I've gotten a phone call telling me that my child has passed away.  To get one phone call that one child is taken from me was very hard.  To get a second call that a child has died is devastating.  To get a phone call that a third child has died is like you'll never catch your breath again.  Each time it happens it's like your heart is ripped right out of your chest and you don't want to live anymore.  Unless you are a very uncaring mother, the death of a child is something you never get over.  You learn to live but you never, ever get over it.

Flash forward to last Monday.  My daughter calls me while she and Ladybug are going down the road on the expressway.  My daughter tells me she is feeling very drowsy from new medication she's on.  We don't talk long because she wants to concentrate on her driving.  Like any mother would be.... I'm worried.  I tell her to call me as soon as she get there so I know she's alright.  I say a prayer that both of them will get there safe.

A while later; the next phone call I get I'm expecting my daughter to tell me she and Ladybug arrived just fine.  Instead it's someone claiming to be an operator with a collect phone call from my daughter.  The woman gives my daughter's name.  The woman says my daughter has been in a bad accident and is in the hospital.   The woman says that since I don't have long distance on my phone she needs a credit card to accept the charges.  My mind is going numb as I start praying..... God, please don't do this again.  I can't loose another child.  The woman on the phone has other personal information as well and doesn't hesitate telling it to me. 

I know something is just not right when the woman asks for a credit card.  Yet, I don't want to take the chance that my daughter could be taken from me without a last chance to talk to her.  I don't hesitate for a second giving the woman my credit card number.  If you were in my circumstances.... would you hesitate?  A credit card is only money and it can be replaced.  A child can not be replaced.

When I heard the dial tone on the phone I knew I had been had.  I call my daughter to verify she and Ladybug are fine.  Then, I break down to cry with relief.  I say a prayer to God thanking him.  Now I'm angry!  How dare that woman be so cruel?  There is only one place she could have gotten all the information that she had and that's from my blogs.  If she took the time to get all that scattered information then she would have known about my deceased children too.  That's what she used to get me to give her my credit card number.

I know that the banks are not going to pursue a credit card theft but an individual CAN.  I won't go into details about that until after the woman is arrested.  I don't want to give her information that could help her in any way to get away with it.  There is only one way to stop me from pursuing criminal charges against this woman and I'm sure she will figure it out eventually.  Maybe before she is arrested and maybe not.

I've lived a great many years in the ghetto.  Life around gangs and prostitution and drugs and gun toting children will teach a person many things.  The first thing you learn is that life can take one of two paths.   For good or for evil.  I choose to live for good.  Even among all the bad things that happen around me.

I have hopes of seeing my deceased children again someday when it's my turn to leave this world.  I started doing all the good deeds I could to build up what I called "angel points".  My blogs were just another way of helping others because I had things to share that would be helpful in these economic times.  As the saying goes.... no good deed goes unpunished. 

Will I ever blog again?  Right now I'm not sure if I will.  I've already blogged more additional posts than I intened to.  I'm simply answering remaining questions.  I made no money from my blogs.  It actually cost me quite a lot to keep blogging.  I paid for photo storage.  I paid for internet.  I took time away from quilting to write.  I took time away from friends and family to write.  It cost me a lot to be helpful. 

I can still write my journal for my decendants.  I don't have to make it public knowledge through a blog.  At different times through the day I find myself thinking..... this would make a great blog article.... then I realize it might bite me in the butt later.  I'm keeping my blog for now.  I may change my mind later IF I figure out how to make it better.  Right now it's a clean slate just like a clean new paper journal.  All the posts are gone.  An opportunity for starting over.  BUT...... do I want to?

A matter of time

Thank you MJ for adding your voodoo prayers to mine.  Some people don't know how powerful a voodoo curse can be.... but it is very powerful.  Think about it.  People have prayer chains praying to God even though they have never "seen" God.  The power of a prayer chain works. 

A voodoo prayer chain is just as powerful and works just as well.  The local voodoo priest has several of the followers adding prayers as well. 

The woman who telephoned me is going to have very bad luck until she does the right thing.  She won't recognize it at first.  It will be little things that seem to be odd occurrences and will continue to get larger and more frequent over time.  I haven't spent nearly a lifetime living in the getto without learning a few things along the way. 

Last post

Once again I've become a victim of identity theft and it is all because of my blogs.  This post is a courtesy post to let my readers know I will be removing my blogs from the internet.  I had to calm myself down a bit and let my heart stop racing in order to write this post.  What happened to me was very frightening and I don't want it to happen again....... EVER!!!!! 

**  UPDATE:

There is a very cruel sick person reading my blog.  You know who you are because you phoned me today.  After I posted earlier I decided to visit the Voodoo priest that lives nearby.  All I can say right now is that nothing.... NOTHING.... will go right for you until you do the right thing.  You may not believe in Voodoo but..... can you be sure?  You will have extremely bad luck and those around you will have extremely bad luck.  Especially the person in prison who's pulling your puppet strings.  

Come on..... send me a comment..... I want to see it.  We can add it to the investigation going on about you right this minute.  You really don't know that much about me or what official investigators might be close relatives of mine now do ya?  But you will.... oh boy will ya.  You did the wrong thing when you brought in my family.

Ok for my regular (and ligitimate) readers, I appologize you must see me this way.  When it comes to my own family I'm like a rabid dog when it comes to protecting them.  A thing against me is one thing but when a person intentionally brings my family into it....... hell has no fury like a woman protecting her young.  This cruel person had me believing my daughter and grand daughter were in the hospital seriously hurt.  None of which was true.  I'm a little upset for being so stupid and falling for it but I'm furious about the cruelty.   Furious enough that I won't let this go.  I'll be like an alligator with a death grip on a deer.  Once I get ahold of it my jaws won't open.  She fooled with the wrong person when she messed with this mother and grand mother. 

The last time I was a victim of credit card theft I didn't get upset.  I simply did what was required to get it straightened out.  I let the bank deal with the thief.  This time is different.  It was just too cruel.

I would like to keep my blog but it will have to be drastically changed.  Just what those changes are I'm not sure. I'm letting my relatives advise me about keeping it secure.  The same relatives that are going to do an investigation for me.  If they believe it best to give up the blog then that's what I will do.  I will miss everyone but my family's security comes first.  I'm sure you will understand.  And.... you can always email me if you want to keep in touch. 

Spring cream pie

I'm what I call a "discount bin cook" which means I like to use items I find in the stores with the pretty red stickers on them.  I think it's a great hobby while saving money too.  Finding discounted items in the store always reminds me of my Grandmother.  I called her Mama but on my blog I call her Grandma Mama so it's not confusing her with my actual Mother.  On my last shopping trip I happened to find some quarts of half and half with one of those really pretty red discount stickers on them.  Right away I knew what I wanted to make with these.

In the spring and early summer when the cows were making lots of milk, Grandma Mama had to find ways to use it all up.  Food was never wasted or thrown out unless it was totally unsafe to eat.  Seeing the half and half reminded me of a sweet treat she made in order to use up the bounty of cream she had.  Grandma Mama would sometimes make Spring Cream Pie with her extra cream.  

For this pie recipe I needed:

• one quart of half and half cream
• 1 /2 cup of cornstarch
• 2 sticks of butter (or margarine)
• 3 cups sugar or 1 1/2 cups honey (or a sugar substitute)
• 2 baked pie shells

I also needed:

• ground cinnamon (optional)
• ground nutmeg (optional)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

The first thing I did was bake the pie shell.  Hmm..... I know I have 6 pie pans in this house but for the life of me I can't figure out where the heck they are hiding!  I can't imagine why I wouldn't have them in the kitchen where I use them all the time?  So I used a square cake pan instead of two smaller pie pans.

While that's baking I melt the butter in a sauce pan big enough to hold a quart of cream.  I used a low heat setting so the butter doesn't burn.

I add the cornstarch.  If you don't have cornstarch then use the same amount of flour. 

Mix it together really well. 

Add the half and half cream and the sugar. 

When you add the coldness of the cream it makes the butter ball up.  This is ok.  It will get smooth again as you cook it.  Now start stirring and cooking until it gets thick.  Stir almost constantly so the cream doesn't get scorched on the bottom of the pan. 

Keep stirring and cooking over the low heat until it becomes pretty thick.  Sort of like a pudding. 

Pour into the baked pie shells and top with ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg.  Leave setting on the counter to cool.  It will get thicker as it cools.  Yes, you could put it in the refrigerator to cool but it isn't necessary.  My Grandma Mama didn't have electricity so her recipes were not meant to be refrigerated.  Many of her recipes were made around the use of a spring house.  What's a spring house?

A spring house (also called a cold house or a well house) was a building built over a section of a running stream.  Running stream water is cold.  You ever put your feet into a stream in the summer to cool them?  That's what happens in a spring house.  Food is put into containers in the running water to keep them cold.  The coolness of the running water also kept the building really cool inside.  Almost like being air conditioned.  Things that didn't need to be quite as cold could be put on shelves along the walls of the house.   A spring house was usually about the size of a walk in fridge we see today. 

Now about the virsitility of the recipe.  Grandma Mama knew no one wanted the same pie week after week.  The recipe is the basic.  After the cream was cooked to the right thickness, and taken off the heat, Grandma Mama let it cool down a bit and then would add other things to change the flavor.  

Grandma Mama would sometimes add:

• stale left over cookies crumbled up
• a few pieces of  hard candy pounded to tiny bits
• various types of nuts chopped small (we had hickory nuts and walnuts on the farm)
• fresh wild fruit picked on the farm
• fruit from her orchard trees
• shredded coconut when she had it
• A packet of kool aid  (it came in only three flavors back then)

Grandma Mama sometimes left out the sugar and instead made it plain then added items for a different kind of side dish pie:

• roasted onions and garlic chopped fine
• wild chives
• bits of chicken, beef or other left over cooked meat
• cooked veggies like sweet potatoes or green beans or corn
• cheese of different kinds
• ham and beans
• boiled or scrambled eggs and bacon

So you see, this is a very versitile recipe.  After the cooking is finished you can add just about anything to make it a different flavor.  It is always served at room temperature.  I guess you could also call this "left over pie" because you can use up all the bits and pieces of left overs.  Although your family might not appreciate it as much as calling it Spring Cream Pie.  They will think your are just a fantastic cook.

Fair opened

I went to the Kentucky State Fair yesterday for opening day.  I don't really do well in crowds but I do manage to stay all day at the fair.  My SIL and I always go together on opening day.  When I start to panic she knows I need to get out of the building to a quiet place for a little while and doesn't mind this.  She's my support during a panic attack.

I only took a couple of photos.  I thought this was a very interesting recycled item art. 

Here are the details about the piece.

And more details.

One art piece I finally found, that I'm very proud of, is this bird.  It was done by my mother who is in a nursing home.  I was going to call her to tell her about getting a second place ribbon but decided to let her get surprised when she sees it.  The nursing home is taking a few residents to the fair next week for a field trip.  I can hardly wait until she calls me about her ribbon.

I really didn't expect to get any ribbons on my quilts and I was surprised to get two third place.  I didn't expect ribbons because my "heart" wasn't in the quilts.  What do I mean? Well, you know how some people running a race will start off very energetic but as the race goes on they loose steam and slow down?  That's the way I was with my quilt entries.  For example, the photo of Ladybug I was working on as an entry didn't work out.  I switched at the last minute to a two color instead of a 6 color one.  I had very little time to finish my entry. 

All is not lost though.  I've got a good head start on finishing it for next year's fair.  If I enter again.  I'm not sure right now that I want to enter a quilt any more?  I've lost my energy (steam) for running the race.  It's  enough for me to just create..... for me.  I'm kind of like a person that runs just for the fun of running instead of running in marathons. 

These days, I create because I have a desire to create and have fun with the process.  Creating for the purpose of winning something has a whole different feeling to it.  I call it "creative stress" because there is always stress when entering contests.  Idea stress, deadline stress, and disapointment stress.  Know what I mean?

Wall quilt hanger

I had three small quilts that needed a hanging device for pegboard.  Pegboard is what's used at the fair to hang items in the fine arts department.  A traditional hanging sleeve wouldn't work.  I decided to create something that would allow the quilts to be hung from a single hook.  It's pretty simple to make. 



Hanging device for wall quilts



I figure the volunteers at the fair might not know how to use the device so I wrote them a note.  I put the string near the center of the strips for better balance and to keep the string from being visible above the quilt.

I used strips of cardboard to make the hanging device because it's light weight and sturdy and cheap.   What's really nice about using this system is that if I decide to hang these quilts in my house, it can be done with one nail.  Actually, I would use a command hook so I wouldn't damage the walls.  My daughter used to call me the queen of holes in the wall.  Not anymore.  Not since I found a bunch of command hooks on the discount table a couple of years ago.  I'm now a convert to command products.

I got the idea for the hanging device from looking at some of my old picture frames. 

We had some pretty good ideas back then that are still useful today. 

Power out again

I had taken a photo of my first Morning Glory bloom to post about it.  Normally my porch would be completely filled all over by this time of year and I'd have plenty of shade on the porch.  Not this year.  My vines have struggled to get started.  I was proud to see the first bloom.

Just a few minutes later a storm came through here and knocked it all down.  What you see still hanging won't last too long.  The remaining strings show signs they will fall at any minute.  I won't try re stringing the vines because it's already late in the season.  I'll clean them all up and prepare the beds for new vines next year.

This storm brought down lots more trees again knocking out power to many parts of the city.  I had been working on the computer and was preparing to write a post.  I turned the computer off at the first sound of thunder.  Just seconds later is when the storm happened and my power went out almost immediately.  The wind of this storm was reported to be around 60 to 75 miles an hour.

I got out my power outage supplies and settled down for an evening of reading.  I had something to munch on while I read.  My battery operated tv and radio were for getting updates on the weather every few minutes.

I read half the book before bedtime.  Still no power.  Thank goodness it wasn't terribly hot as it has been the last few weeks.   The power went out around 6 pm Saturday evening and came back on around noon today.  Today was supposed to be the first day of School here.  Instead, the kids got their first weather related out of school day.  Many of the schools did have power but with so many traffic lights not working it wasn't safe for traveling school buses.  Also, many neighborhood roads have trees down on them which would make it hard for school buses to get through and pick up kids.

A power outage sure does put a cramp in working out blog problems.  If your new to reading my blog you probably don't know that we have lots of problems with power outages here.  Sometimes it's days before power is restored.  I keep power outage related things handy.  More now than anytime I can remember in the past.

On more than one occasion I've lost all the food in my freezer due to power outages that lasted for many days.  This time I'm happy to say nothing was lost.   I want to say thank you to all those who commented the last couple of days.  Sorry I couldn't let you know what had happened.

Closing down this blog

I've been working with my computer.  I

Years ago, when I first started blogging, it was easier to have more than one blog for different topics.  Now that blogger has added "pages" it's better to keep everything together in only one blog.  I've been checking out different browsers and I've looked into using WordPress instead of Blogger.  

I like the way WordPress works.  I don't plan on moving over there yet though.  Maybe I will eventually but for now I'm staying with blogger.  What I do plan on doing is combining my three blogs into only one.  As soon as I'm confident about moving everything I'll be moving the posts from this blog over to my other blog and closing this one down.  I'm not sure how the moving blog posts gadget works yet.  I have to try it to see if I can make it work for me.  Just in case I do something wrong it might be a good idea for those who follow this blog to pop over to the other one and sign up as a follower over there.  (If you still want to be a follower.)    With all the problems I've had lately I wouldn't blame anyone for not following anymore.

I'm really, really hoping to improve my blog so it's more reader friendly.  More writer friendly too.  I don't want it to continue looking like a jumbled mass of past posts.  I'm working very hard to "learn as I go" and create a place where a visitor can find what they are looking for right away without having to weed through tons of past posts.  

This will the the last post for this blog.  I sincerely hope you decide to join me over at my other blog.

Still here

I'm working on the computer issues. I get frustrated sometimes and think of giving up but I know I'd be really lost without journaling in my blogs. Giggle..... I used to get frustrated with my quilting machine and threaten to throw it out on junk day. That always worked to get the machine to start acting right. Maybe I should threaten my computer.

Blogger issues again

Would my readers mind going to my other blog and read what I've written there today?

My other blog

Cleaning machine rails

On a regular basis I try to do a routine cleaning of my machine.  I don't always do it as often as I should.  I get busy and let it go until I feel guilty for letting my machine suffer.  Machines have a personality you know.  The accumulation of dust on these expensive machines is not good.   See the dust down inside the rails?

The wheels of my machine ride on the top of the upside down V shape and not down in the groves.  The rails (tracks) are made of aluminum.  The wheels accumulate a sort of dust that cannot be remove from fabric if it should get onto it.  I've not found anything so far that will remove black rail dust marks from fabric. 

I have a basic rail (track) cleaning kit. 

I use paste wax made for floors because I like it best.  I've heard of people using car polish and chrome polish.  I use the paint brush (rail broom) to sweep dust out of the groves.  I use the napkins for the polish because if I used a fabric cloth it would have to be thrown away.  I like keeping my fabric cloths for reuse.

When I polish the rails I do not put wax down in the groves.  It isn't necessary and would be very difficult to polish to a shine.  The wheels only ride on the highest part of the V shape so that's all I need to polish.

I start with a very thin coat of the wax rubbed lightly on the rails with a napkin.  I wait about 5 minutes for the aluminum to react to the wax and then buff it to a shine.  I repeat the same coating and buffing one more time.  This can of wax is about 20 years old and that's all I've used out of it.  A thin layer goes a very long way.  The wax is very good at cleaning the accumulation of black rail dust.  Can you imagine what that black stuff would do to a customer quilt?

I use the knife to clean under the channel lock magnets.  I raise the machine very slightly with one hand and use the knife (covered with a napkin) running it under the magnet to remove the dust.  No polishing necessary there.

The other magnet is fixed to the machine carriage but I can run the napkin covered knife behind it easily.

The wheels of my machine are teflon and all that's needed is to wipe them clean with a damp napkin.   After the rails (tracks) are cleaned and polished I have to be extremely careful about not moving too fast.  Those babies are slicker than duck poo on glass.  Duck poo is very oily. 

Cleaning

Every once in awhile I find a break in my quilting schedule that allows me to clean up my studio.  I move things and take stock of what I have.  My machine also needs a regular maintenance in order for it to stay in top shape for daily use. 

If I'm not careful the dust bunnies take over my space.  Well, having a couple of days leeway with my quilting schedule this week means I can clear out the accumulation of dust bunnies.  See them on the frame? 

I took the time I needed to clean.  A clean space just feels different.  It feels.... um..... energetic.  Back when my daughter still lived at home I could always get her to cook dinner by cleaning the kitchen.  There was something about a clean kitchen that got her in the mood to cook.  She never cleaned up the kitchen when she was finished cooking but that was ok.  If she cooked I would clean up.  That's how I feel about a clean studio.  It energizes me to be creative.

So I moved everything and cleaned everything.  I even did maintenance on my machine.  Yuck, it really needed cleaning.  I don't like for it to get that dirty.   It's not good for the machine.

I'm waiting on a batting order before I can work on the next quilt.  It should arrive today or tomorrow.  Until the batting arrives I can continue with my cleaning.

Christmas rugs

 Anyone who has been reading my blog for a long time knows I'm almost as excited by rugs as I am by quilts.  I want to make some rag rugs as Christmas gifts this year.  It's been way too long since I made a rug.  I've been thinking about the easiest and fastest way for me to create the rugs.  It occurred to me that every type of rug I make starts with strips of fabrics.  Sound familiar?  This is the same thing that's true for making quilts.  Many quilt designs start with strips which are then cut to shapes.   I also wanted to use up the many t-shirt fabric scraps I have taking up space in my storage.  I pulled out a bunch and started cutting strips.

I kept repeating to myself..... use it or loose it.  I will either use the scraps or I'll get rid of them.  I pulled out more t-shirt fabrics to cut strips.

Every type rug I make uses the same size strip.  Whether I make braided, woven, twained, crochet, knitted, shag, or other rug making technique, I always start with 1 1/2 inch strips.  So I pulled out more scrap t-shirt fabric and cut more strips. 

Ok, about now (two full days later) I'm getting pretty tired of cutting fabric strips.  But I keep going because I know I'm going to need all that I can cut.  Providing I have the time needed to get all the rugs made.  I pull out even more t-shirt fabric scraps and cut more strips.

Eventually, (three full days) I get all the t-shirt scraps cut into strips.  Aren't the colors pretty?

Even the box of whites look pretty.  I can see a white and cream color rug in there, can you?  Well, at least that's what my friend Martha is hoping for this year, a white and cream color rug.  Shhhhh.... don't tell her I plan to make her one.

When all the seams and hems are cut away (and the strips cut) the fabric takes up far less room in my storage.  I had a small garbage bag full of cut away parts.  At first I was tempted to hang onto those and possibly make a latch hook rug but then I came to my senses.  I let them go straight out to the garbage can for pickup.  I have enough scraps for my rugs.  If I find I'm going to run out of t-shirt fabrics I'll start cutting up some of my scrap quilt cottons.  Those make good rugs too. 

How about you?  Have you started your Christmas crafts yet? 

Finished quilt

Here's the next quilt finished.  This is my SILs fair entry.  She's a beginner.

I did a leafy feather design on the blocks.

A flower and leaf vine on the sashing and corner stones.

I did a version of the same on the outside border.  I really like this design on sashing and cornerstones.  I think it gives any quilt a bit of elegance even though the flowers are whimsical.

Here's a view of the quilting from the back.  I used a grey thread instead of either red or black.  Red would not show up well on the front and black seemed way to dark for the lighter areas.  Grey worked out really nice for both sides.

Here's the stitching on the outside border.

Here's a view of the sashing and cornerstones from the back.

I spent a day .... ummm.... three days cutting up bunches and bunches of t-shirt scraps.  (left overs from making t-shirt quilts)  I want to make some rag rugs as Christmas gifts this year.  I decided it would be easiest if I had all the strips cut and ready to use. 

I've also been working on making changes to my hints blog.  I want to add more links to the pages.  This required me to look through lots of blog posts, read the content, and make notes. I have over a thousand posts to read through.  I've gotten through about 2 hundred so far.  It's a good thing I don't have a deadline on doing that.  I'd have to throw up my hands and surrender. 

And.... if that wasn't enough busy work for me to do..... I also had to deal with meat eating ants.  Scheese!

Those guys are so tiny I had to use the zoom lense on the camera to take a photo.  They are about the size of  the eye on machine needles. 

Before I can cook anything I have to clean them all up.  Then, often before I get my meals cooked, the little guys are back again looking for any greese popping onto the stove or any run away bits of meat.  Those guys are strange creatures.  They won't touch anything sweet but can be seen making a rush toward any spot of grease.   I usually sprinkle the stove with ground cloves before I start cooking.  This keeps them away until I've finished.  It makes the stove look dirty but the house smells fantastic! 

I'm here

After type-talking my anger at all the foolishness in DC the other day; I stepped back and immersed myself into something creative.  This is the last of my fair entries for this year.  I made the portrait at the bottom of the photo first.  It somehow got distorted during the enlarging so that nothing was lining up right.  I don't have time to start all over with it.  I decided it would be faster to simply create a new portrait with only one pattern and one fabric.  That's the one at the top of the photo.

The portrait is going on the machine tomorrow and then I'll finish all the bindings and the hanging sleeves.  I received the entry tags in the mail today which means I needed to speed up in order to get everything finished. 

While being creative I've also been doing a lot of thinking.  (I know that's dangerous.)  It seems like everyone, everywhere is thinking about budgets lately.  Cutting back or going back to basics seems to be the top buzz words seen all around the internet and in every type of social media.  I'm thinking about my own budget these days too.  But, my thoughts are more about being creative while living on a tight budget.  I keep thinking of things to do and things to stock up; but, really what I need is to reevaluate all of that.  

I keep thinking about my Grandma Mama and what she would think about all the hoopla going on in DC.  Maybe I should write a post or two about my Grandma Mama to get me away from thinking about the bad economy and the idiots who seem bent on scaring us.  Just as soon as I finish the fair entry quilts I'll tell you how my Grandma Mama knew what chores to do everyday and what meals to fix...... without a single list in sight. 

Still here

I don't want anyone to think I've been whisked away by the fabric fairies and taken to magic quilt land.  I'm still here.  I've been busy working on the last fair entry.  I did the portrait at the bottom of the picture first but have decided not to continue it.  The pattern got distorted when enlarging it and nothing is lining up right.  There simply wasn't enough time to start over. 

I decided to take a short cut and create another portrait pattern that I could get done much faster.  Instead of 6 fabrics and 6 sets of pattern pieces, I made the one at the top of the picture.  It has only one pattern for one fabric.  This one goes on the machine tomorrow and then I'll do the binding on all of them.  I got the tags in the mail today.... a reminder to "get em done"!  I'll get back to my regular quilting and blogging soon.