Who won?

How can I tell when it's REALLY time for a good house cleaning?  When I see two large spiders are fighting over who will eat one small spider.  Neither spider won because a fly swatter ended the match.  These webs appear overnight.  It gives me the willies thinking I could wake up one morning with webs all over the house.  It feels like arachnophobia going on around here.  Really creepy!

I don't have time right now for cleaning because I have quilts behind schedule.  Even though I did semi-retire, I feel guilty when the quilts take way to long to complete.  This one has held me up for a couple of days.  I've had a hard time coming up with a good stitching design for it.  Maybe I'll come up with something soon.

I also have this one waiting.  I had a hard time coming up with a design for it too.  I think I finally have a good idea.  I'm waiting for the owner to give her approval for what I have in mind.  I still have three quilts to finish before I get to it though.  What I have in mind will require some marking and putting it on the machine twice.  I think it will look great when done..... if it looks as good as I can see it in my mind.

We had a little food preparation practice over the weekend.  Ladybug was learning about spreading butter on crackers.  It's kind of hard coming up with new teaching ideas for a two year old.    She's so anxious to learn new things that she wants to do it herself before I've had a chance to show how it's done.  I constantly have to slow her down to keep her safe.

I'm thinking a large magnifying glass might keep her occupied for awhile.  Kids can make all kinds of discoveries with a magnifying glass.  Maybe a trip to the school supply store or the discovery store pretty soon might be a good idea.  Gosh, I haven't been to those stores since my sons were small.  I don't know if the stores are still there.    Hmm... maybe I can find some xmas gifts for the other grands while I'm there.  My son tells me a couple of his kids are extremely gifted too. 

Ok, I'm hoping to get an early start on the quilting today.  The fair starts this week and I want to be ready.  I don't want to walk around the fair thinking about the work left at home unfinished.  I retired so I can enjoy going places without guilt. 

Fair entries done

Thank you everyone for the nice compliments on my rose quilt.  Some quilts are dear to my heart and that was one of them.  I made a promise many years ago to make the drawing into a quilt.  Although it took a very long time, I did finally keep my promise. 

I got this rug finished and washed.  It's so soft!  I have to make another rug with this technique.  Ladybug had a fit over it when she saw it.  She said, "Ooo pretty NaNa" and kept touching it.  Can't get a better stamp of approval than that.  She was trying to stick the trimmed off pieces into it and saying, "I make rug NaNa."  

All over the internet I see quilters who knit and crochet as another hobby.  I do know how to knit and crochet and will occasionally pick up the needles and yarn.  But right now my other hobby is rugs.  Actually, if I had enough money to buy one, I would own a harness weaving loom for making rugs.  I'm fascinated how those looms work.  Sigh.  It's simply not in my budget to buy an expensive weaving loom.  Maybe someday, someone will have one to give away free and I can give it a try.  Until then, I will be content to make rugs in different ways. 

Ladybug has a sense of humor

Ladybug went to the dentist yesterday to get a cavity filled.  After the dentist visit, The Mommie needed to get some sleep because she stayed out too late the night before.  She came here so I could watch Ladybug.

The nice thing about going to a Grandmother's house is because she let's you play with messy stuff and never complains when there is a mess to clean up.  NaNa has lots of fun things to feel and look at and learn about.  Sometimes NaNa lets you play with "babik"  and sometimes wall paper paste.

Yesterday Ladybug happen to be playing with the paste.  She started painting the palm of her hand to see how it felt.  At one point she was really concentrating on painting her hand.  Kind of like she was waiting for me to ask about it.  So I did.  I asked her "Why are you painting your hand".  She says  "because".  I asked her "because why"?  She looked at me really serious and said "hold out your hand NaNa".   I did and she starts painting my palm.  She then looks at me with a little sly grin and said.... tickle, tickle, tickle. 

Still here

I've been at the quilting machine working on the current quilt.  It's taking quite a bit of time to complete.  I work until it get's too hot in the studio then I go do something else.  I've been working on the cardboard breakfast bar and posting the steps on the cardboard blog.  Yes, I know it still looks like just a box but that will change. 

I've had to deal with some paperwork, paying bills, filling out entry forms, signing papers for my mother, and stuff like that.  I did have a visitor yesterday for a little while.  Of course the first thing she did was check out the cardboard furniture stuff and the quilts hanging on the design walls.   

When she first saw me she gave me a really great hug.  She takes after her Uncle Jimmy in that way.  He gives really great hugs too.  Not that the others don't give good hugs..... hmm... how to describe it.  Some people have a special way of giving hugs that are from deep inside themselves and you can feel it.  In my opinin, a hug is more precious than diamonds.  I just wish I lived close enough to the other grands to get hugs from them every few days too..... sigh. 

I'm hoping I can finish the current quilt today before it gets really hot again so I'm headed to the studio now. 

Moving day!

They got here mid-morning.  You can't see it but the truck was already half full with stuff from the storage place.  Living room stuff, another bedroom set, washer and dryer, dishes, pictures, and lots of nick nacks.  She didn't have to hire a moving company after all.  Her cousin helped her.  He used to work for a furniture store as their delivery person.

Whew!  Moving is exhausting.  Running around telling everyone that stuff is going to "my new house" is a lot of work. Good thing NaNa's intake table still is a good place for naps.  Her bed was already loaded on the truck.  A minky blanket given to NaNa (from a customer) is her favorite. 

I have an empty room!  There's still stuff in the other bedroom but it will be gone in a few days.  The only thing left in this room is what's in my office.  Can you see that?  I can get to the computer without tripping over anything.

I'm not going to go to their new house for a few days.  I could go if I wanted but I promised I would wait until she has all her stuff put away.  She wants me to see it all finished when I go the first time.

This house seems so empty.  At the same time it feels more relaxed.  Hmm..... what do I want to do first? 

Ok, lil' sis

(Thanks Kathi for the email.) 

I'm fine, just a little bummed out.  I'm soooo ready to have my house back!  I'm so ready to have the space to be creative again.  I want my life to stop being on hold while it waits on someone else's life to move on.  I'm ready to get my creative life moving forward again.  I love my daughter and grand-daughter but it's time that my life was a little less dependant on their needs.  Know what I mean? 

My daughter was all set to move into her new home this past weekend.  We got stuff packed and moved around so it would be easier to load onto a truck.  Some stuff sitting in my studio.  Some stuff sitting in the kitchen.  So what happened?  Absolutely no one willing to help her move.  Everyone kept telling her to call back later.  By Saturday evening her things were still sitting where they were.  Sunday.... same excuses.   Right now it appears she may not get another chance to move for another two weeks..... providing she finds someone willing to help that weekend.  She has to work next weekend.

Right now everything is still sitting where it was.  I can either move it back to their rooms, out of my way, or leave it like it is and do nothing.  I'm doing nothing because I don't want to have to move it twice.  I can't even locate the camera right now.  It's probably hidden by a box or a bag or something.

I've got a quilt on the machine.... which is one of my own.  It's not fancy.  It's a printed whole cloth that was given to me several years ago.  I believe it was originally supposed to be the backing for a quilt and the owner changed their mind.  I plan to use it for a window quilt,but not on a window.  It's going to go in the opening between my studio and the kitchen area.  I can close it to keep everyone who comes into the studio from seeing the dirty dishes in the kitchen.  Oh yeah, it will help with the utility bills too.  I can turn the heat down in the house and use a small ceramic heater to heat the studio.  I can't work on it because there are boxes sitting around the machine. 

I haven't had a chance to plant my square foot garden.  My brother is still waiting for his son to let him use the truck.  We have a lot of compost to buy which would be too heavy for his car.  I can't buy plants either.  I need the compost before the plants can go in the ground. 

I did order the supplies for my drawing class.  I'm waiting for those to arrive.  In the meantime I practiced drawing straight sketch lines on printer paper.  I'm bored with just doing straight lines and want to move onto the next step.  I sure wish those supplies would get here already!

I couldn't get to the computer the last couple of days because I had Ladybug with me the whole weekend. 
The mommie spent time on the phone trying to persuade someone to help her move and some time finishing up the painting..... which I haven't had a chance to go see yet.  I'll take pictures of everything when I visit the first time. 

Ok, I'll post again tomorrow providing I can get to the computer.  I never know from day to day if I can get to it or not.  Right now I've got to find something to be creative with.  Maybe I'll work on a rug or something.

Here I am

A lot has happened the last few days.  I finished this quilt. 

I did stitch in the ditch around all the pieces of the pieced blocks.

Outlined the characters in the whole blocks.

Then I finished this one. 

I did a clam shell design in the center area.

I did a pretty feather design on the outside border.

Of course I had to do a little experimenting and guess who wanted to experiment too.  We were playing around with her crayons to draw on fabric.  No worry..... a swipe with an iron and it all disappeared.   I had hoped it would be permenant.  Duh!  Wax melts.  Oh well.  The fabric is still usable and we had fun experimenting.

My daughter is now in debt for the next 30 years.  She signed the papers on her house yesterday.  First thing she did was get me to go with her to pick out paint for the walls.  Why would she want to paint when all the paint is new?  As she puts it.... "I've lived with cream colored walls since I move out on my own 12 years ago.  I don't want to move into my own house and have cream color walls."    Today she's busy painting so it will be dry when she moves in this weekend.  The utilities have been turned on.  The phone and internet are to be connected tomorrow.  She found a garbage collection company.  Paid her neighborhood association dues.  She's lined up some guys to help with the moving and scheduled a rental truck.  Hmm.... I think she's ready to move this weekend.

You know what that means?  Yippie!  Next week I can spread out my own stuff.  I'll be able to find my creative stuff again.  Oh yes, speaking of being creative, I have great news.  I'm signed up for a drawing class.  Thank you to those who encouraged me not to give up!  You were right.  I just had to find the right teacher because I want to do more than print out a pattern from a computer.  What I'm hoping is that I can eventually combine my love of quilting and my love of drawing into some really great quilts.   

I need to figure out a "creative" schedule.  I plan to work on several different types of creative things.  Cardboard furniture, rug making, backward pieced quilts, machine quilting for customers, piecing memory quilts, and now the drawing class.   I'll have to find a balance in my time.  I have to go now.  I'm packing some of my daughter's stuff for her today. 

Feeling much better

Thank you to those who sent me get well wishes.  I seemed to have had a 48  hour virus of some kind.  I got extremely thirsty but I couldn't even hold plain water down for more than 5 minutes.  I tried all kinds of meds but nothing helped.  They wouldn't stay down either.  I guess it just had to work itself out.  I believe I got it from Ladybug who got it from day care.  Ladybug is feeling much better too.

I don't think I showed you this finished quilt.  It's a baby size and a copy of one I did several days ago.

The owner prefers simple, all over designs on these.  I did line dancing just like the ones before.

My daughter was supposed to be having her closing today but there's a problem with some paperwork on the part of the seller.  She has to wait a few more days so the paperwork can be completed and a new date set with the attorney.  I'm anxious to get my quilting and art stuff out from under beds and out of stacked up boxes in the closets.  I find it very hard to be creative when I can't find the items I need.

I'm getting back onto the machine today and hopefully will get finished with the customer quilt I was working on before I got sick.

I got more work finished on this quilt.  It's almost complete.  The photo is of my design wall.  The wall is behind my machine so when I work from it, everything is sideways. 

I got another quilt on the machine and started stabelizing it.  I want to have this one finished by the weekend if possible. 

Not much else to talk about today.  My daughter has the house inspection this weekend.  I've heard this inspector is very thorough.  I sure hope so. 

Oh, I forgot something I wanted to tell you.  Remember that Ladybug just turned 2 last month, right?  Well we are sitting at the table.  I'm making tabs for my freezer bags.  I lay them in a stack beside me.  Next thing, Ladybug starts picking them up one at a time and counting them.  Counting!  She counted from one to ten and started over.  I didn't know two year olds could count.   I thought most kids learned, at best, to say how old they are at that age.  I thought the counting was learned in kindergarden.  Geeze, have I been that out of touch?  That's a wake up call for me to get out of the studio more often and visit the grandkids. 

Got a little work done

There is a very good reason that old ladies don't have babies anymore. Geeeeze, it sure is work keeping up with a toddler. I love every bit of it though. Nap times are great!

I managed to work on the border of the quilt with fullness issues and blogged about how I did it on the other blog.




I managed to make a temporary cover for my chair before the tear in the upholstery got worse. At some point I'll have to find the time to re-upholstery it with better fabric than the original stuff.

I got the pattern created for a bra to be made out of leftover t-shirt fabrics. I'm not sure it will work but I'm willing to give it a try. The fabric is just sitting there doing nothing anyway so I might as well see if I can make some bras to go with the undies.

Started putting my SILs quilt together for her. What was she thinking? I haven't a clue. I told her to cut down the center of all the blocks. She did every one of the others right but then she did this on the last one. No more fabric to make a replacement block so this one will be different than the rest. It will be the "oops" block. You know, the one that always seems to have a mistake but is used anyway. Usually opps blocks become the block used to sign the quilt.

Well, it wasn't a lot accomplished but at the same time it was "something done". Done is always good. I managed to get some blog reading done too. I'm updated on what my favorite bloggers have been up to the last week or so. Ladybug goes back to day care today. Daycare is good too!