Life.... more meaningful

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I had a great restful holiday weekend. I hope everyone else did too. I sorted papers....

and made hot chocolate mix......

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and started quilting a customer's quilt. This one has been waiting patiently on me for a couple of months. I still don't know what I'm going to quilt on it. It's gonna require some stand and stare time before I come up with something.

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The papers I sorted were lots of recipes I've gotten off the internet to replace my own that I threw away long ago. I thought for sure I packed away my recipes. I may have and just don't remember where I put them.

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When I started becoming known in the area, and my customer base grew larger, I stopped using my "from scratch" recipes in favor of convenience foods. Convenience gave me more time at the machine to "keep on quilting" and making the customers happy. What I mean by convenience is buying a box of hot chocolate mix instead of making my own from scratch. Or relying on soups in cans instead of simmering my own on the stove.

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I changed so many things over the years just to keep the customers happy and coming back. My life became all about the quilts and the customers. My life became all about earning the money. Little did I realize I was missing out on so much of what should have been important to me. (Geeze, I sound like Mr. Scrooge when he started believing in Christmas again.)

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Life is so much more important than the money we earn. Simple things seem to fall by the wayside as we try to keep our customers happy. It's not the customer's fault. The customer only knows about their own quilt.... not the 100 or so ahead of theirs. The customer doesn't know when we have over booked ourselves.

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Yes, I'm going to really enjoy simplifying my life again. My days won't be any less busy but I sure hope they will be more meaningful.

Have a Heart Charity Auction

Last night was the Have a Heart Charity Auction. I went for a short time. I really don't do well in crowds of people.... especially people I don't know. I still had a good time though. It was exciting to see my work hanging in a gallery.



My friends Marilyn and Joan were there. I hadn't seen Joan for quite awhile. I almost didn't recognize her. I got to see Marilyn's heart art up close. It's still my favorite piece of the whole auction. It appeals to my sense of humor about life. Doesn't she look like someone with a humorous attitude and old age spread? Kind of like the way I am these days. Definitely the old age spread part and I try to keep a sense of humor. She looks like a Maxine character.

I looked through a book laying on the entrance table. I found mine. When I took a photo of it the person at the table told me everything was on the website. Well, yes, I know that but it's not the same as seeing it in an art gallery book.

The man who gives me great pieces of cardboard was there. His wife is a friend too. She was ill and didn't attend. I confessed to him I had gotten rid of lots of the cardboard he gave me because I don't have anyplace to store it. I thought he might be upset but he wasn't. He just told me to let him know when I need more.

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I wandered around through the gallery looking at all the work on display. I could imagine some of my cardboard furniture or art quilts on display. Oh heavens, will the end of the commitments ever come? It's very hard to think about finishing up quilts when so many ideas are bouncing around in my head. Hmm... how to describe how I feel. You know how it feels when a special holiday or an especially nice vacation trip is coming up and the days seem to just drag by? As each day goes by you get more and more anxious for the day to arrive? Sort of like a child waiting on Christmas day. Well, that's the way I feel. Like the day is never going to arrive even though I know it will.

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Right before I left there was a man who introduced himself and hugged me. I felt like I really wanted to talk with him for awhile but I was already starting to panic and planning my exit. He told me his name but it kind of slipped out of my mind. I know I should remember who he is but I can't. It's gonna bug me until I figure it out. I'll have to ask Marilyn if she knows who he is.

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There will be another charity auction if February. I've got some ideas for a couple of pieces I'd like to donate if I can get them completed in time. I'll find out what the date is for it and make my plans around that. One is a cardboard furniture piece and one is a wall hanging quilt.

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Note: to those asking if I will give classes on making cardboard furniture. I'm planning to put some pieces together and take lots of pictures for my blog. (maybe another blog) I hope to make it step by step directions that anyone can follow. When you understand the basic construction techniques then any piece can be made. Sort of like learning to piece a quilt. When you know the basics of construction the design ideas are endless. I would also like to write a book with patterns of cardboard furniture. Sort of like a book with quilt patterns. I really, really have to find the time for all these plans..... and space for storing the supplies. Time and space will be the major obstacles. I'll have to deal with them as I get to them. (I have faith.)

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I've got to get off the computer now and get to the quilting machine.

Cleaning in bright light

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It's amazing! I love the brightness of the new lights. Oops, all the bright light really showed all the dust bunnies. When the house was too dark to see, those little buggers seemed to multiply beyond belief.




They show up in the oddest of places. Like this bunch of dust bunnies on the end of the curtain rod. Odd, very odd place to multiply.

My weekend was filled with swiffering the walls, then washing off dirty paw prints. It was a little sad to wash the spot under the window. The last reminder of my furkid Franklin who passed last Xmas eve. I shed a few tears, remembering how he used to stand on his hind legs and lean against the wall to look out the window. I kept telling myself; "the object is not the memory". The memory of him is in my heart along with those of my sons. Then I washed it all away. He wouldn't have liked the new view out the window. A house now sits where the neighborhood kids used to play games.

I moved on to other things like putting plastic on the window. Washing and rehanging the curtains. Washing woodwork, cabinets, and appliances.

I spent quite a lot of time trying to figure out what's wrong with my internet. For some odd reason it got into a loop and kept opening the same page over and over and over again. Nothing would stop it. I couldn't disconnect. I couldn't turn the computer off. It got frustrating so I pulled the power cord out of the outlet.

When I plugged it back up everything was fine. This morning my email won't work. I get a message that the site can't be found. It must be ATT working to make our life more miserable with upgrades and changes. The count I had of opened pages was at about 40 when I pulled the plug.

I have lots more work to do around the house before the move in. I have very sore muscles. Gee, I hurt in places I forgot I had. My daughter has been busy at her place packing and choosing what will be brought here, what to donate, and what will be in storage.

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I'm getting back on the quilting machine today. It feels really good to have a normal 5 day work week again.

What's up lately?

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Retirement is fun! After getting over the fear of lost income (making a mistake) a person can relax and start doing all the things they couldn't get to while working 12 to 16 hours a day 7 days a week. For years.

Yes, I'm still quilting. Just not for sooo many hours a week. This is the current quilt on the machine. It's difficult. I'm using two battings, one is cotton and one is fluffy poly. I haven't done a two batting quilt in quite a while. There is also a LOT of stitch in the ditch around the applique. Because of the two battings I have to go extra slowly to give the needle time to flex properly.




On really nice sunny days there is a certain time of day when I'm forced to stop working on the machine. The sun shines right in the area and it blinds me. It's also not good for the quilt. Sunlight can fade it. So I cover the quilt with some scrap batting and go do something else for an hour or so.

Over the last few days I've spent my down time either moving stuff back where it belongs or doing things I haven't done in years. Like making these from t-shirt left overs. (I put a tutorial on my other blog.)

I wasn't happy just making one so I made more.

There was a time (before quilting) when I made all our clothes. I often asked friends and family to give me the stuff they planned to give to the thrift store so I could make my kids clothes. I would scour places where I could find different types of fabrics. There was a store that sold shirt factory scraps for ten cents a pound. An upholstery shop would give me old samples. My kids never could figure out where all the different fabrics came from. They only knew that Mom made one of a kind.... custom made.... clothes for them. Not once did they ever think of their clothes as "home made" because I told them how some people paid a lot of money to get custom fitted clothes.

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I'm going to enjoy my retirement even more now that there is renewed interest in my sewing skills from my kids. Even my daughter is interested again. She says she missed the clothes I made for her. She didn't ask for any because I was too busy doing quilts. YES, I'm going to enjoy my retirement very much!

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Ok, time for me to get into the studio. I still enjoy the quilting too.

Slow kind of day

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In between showers and storms yesterday....





we had visitors in the neighborhood. It was such an unusual sight to see mounted police in our area that everyone (that is home during the day) came out to watch them go by. Gee, the horses looked like they were walking with their eyes closed. Kind of slow and steady like walking in their sleep. You think they are bored with all the walking? Hmm... this looks like the start of a picture quilt. Naaaaa.... not enough time right now.

Each time it rained I carefully watched for lightening. Sometimes it was just rain but when there was lightening I stopped quilting and unplugged the machine. I did manage to get the next top over half stabilized. Today I should get that done and start working on the design.

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Right after I get some cleaning done.

Another quilt done

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Yippie! I got another quilt finished.... finally.



Coming up with a design to quilt on it was a little difficult. Nothing seemed to jump out at me as sometimes happens while looking at a top. It took some stand and stare time before coming up with something that worked.

I decided to treat the pieces as groups rather than individual. For example these two pieces became one unit which gave me more flexibility in choosing a design.

Then these three pieces became one unit which gave me another design to use.

Then of course this was one unit already.

I did a heart shaped leaf design on the borders.

I hope you can see all the designs. The batteries for my camera are getting old. I've recharged them so many times that they don't hold the charge anymore. I have new batteries on my list for next grocery day. Clicking on the pictures to make them larger should let you see the stitching details much better.

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I don't know what's been wrong with me the last four or five days. I've slept and slept and slept. No fever or illness.... just incredibly sleepy. I think its my body's way of recovering from all the stress I've had over the past few months. My mother, my brother, my house, etc. Yesterday I was up long enough to put some greens in the freezer. Today I was awake long enough to finish the quilt before taking a long nap. I feel awfully lazy when I can't get a lot done in a day. Maybe it's my age or something but I can't multi-task as well as I used to.

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My daughter reminded me that I've not been taking my vitamins or iron tablets for awhile. Maybe taking these again will help. I'm going to the courthouse in a couple of days. I'll pick up some vitamins while I'm out. Can't hurt to give it a try.

Which quilt is next?

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This one is mine. It's a printed whole cloth given to me in some donations a long time ago. It's been on my mind for several months so I decided to at least get it stabilized. I can do that much then take it off the machine to work on a little at a time.

I think I'll just do a stitch in the ditch around the major design and think about how to quilt the areas later. No rush.... just for fun. I'll figure out what to do with it when it's done. I guess you can see in the photo that it barely fits onto the leaders. Lots of things for me to do today so I'm not type talking a lot this morning.

A bit of this and that

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The lot next door got cleaned up a bit yesterday. They did just enough that the construction can begin. This is how it looked before.



This is how it looked after the crew finished. It's much better but not really right. See the hanging branches?

This is next to my fence.

See how it was cleaned? Now why couldn't they just finish cleaning next to the fence too?

I guess it's easier for a little ol' lady, with not much income, to get it cleaned out than for 6 young men getting paid to do it. I'll have to see if I can borrow some tools and get my behind out there and do it myself. I'm NOT going to haul it away.... just move it away from the fence. What really irks me is that I loose two feet of my yard because of the trees.

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I did get some quilting done. Not nearly as much as I wanted to do but the house is much cleaner. Especially the fridge.

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I got the stitching on the border of this quilt finished. This is the corner.

This is along the top. It doesn't show up really well but there is two different colors of thread on a pretty blue fabric.

I'm going to do as much as I can on this quilt today because tomorrow is grocery day. I will simply be along for the ride. I spent my grocery money last week while traveling back and forth to the hospital. Fast food stops got it all because I was constantly on the go. I do the driving because my SIL doesn't drive. Thank goodness I have enough food in the house to feed myself for at least 6 months before I would run out.

A day at the KY State Fair

Start with a kickoff breakfast. Cheer for the scholarship winners and for the $5,000 a pound winner of the champion ham auction.



Take trolley tram ride to the south wing.


Spot this at the entrance.... hmm.... wonder what it means? Must be a KY accent thing.

Check my entries to see if I won. Yippie!

Ok, I gotta check out the work of the machine quilters I know about and see what quilts the toppers are doing these days too.

Take time to look very closely at the stitching work of other machine quilters.... and drool a lot!

Then wonder how some qualify as quilts? It's three layers. Fabric, batting, and back. Yup, it meets the criteria. But..... it's also 4 layers of three dimensional quilted parts. It wouldn't keep anyone warm but it would look very nice on a wall. I like it! This gives me inspiration for when I get around to creating art. I'm not allowed to enter the "original design" category because I'm a professional. If I could enter that category, I might try doing a three dimensional piece like this.

I wander around to see what else is there. HEY! Now there's a category my SIL can enter. For year's I've tried to get her to enter something..... anything.... just for the fun of it. What can be easier than a leaf contest? She grows Hostas so why not enter the Hosta leaf category?

Then there are lots, and lots, and lots of other displays to look at. Christmas wreaths.

Ceramics.

Leather crafts.

Flower arrangements.

Baskets.

There is a category for just about anything these days..... even an ugly lamp contest. The uglier the better. I didn't find the ugliest (ribbon winner) but I didn't look at all of them yet.

On to lunch in the senior room and a few games of bingo to win a bag of chips.

Sit and watch all the people coming and going. Quite a few dogs there too. All of them as part of a show someplace.

Watch the parade of Queens show too. Two from each county. One for Queen of the county and one for Queen of the county fair.

Also get to listen to the politicians as they have the kickoff show.

The best part of the kickoff show was the singers. They were very good!

A bit more walking around and it was time to go home. I took lots and lots of pictures. Far too many to post here. It was a fun day and I plan to go back again before its over. I just barely covered one area. There are animals to see and more contests to watch. Right now it's time for me to go chauffeur my SIL to the grocery stores. If I were not retired, I probably would have skipped going to the fair this year...... retirement is fun!