Where to Start?

School has come and gone! AJ graduated Kindergarten and will be moving on to first grade. Kylee passed all of her classes and will be a freshman next school year. Wow! Where has the time gone?







We started off the year UNhealthy, but seem to be doing better finally, to a degree. I still have ringing and pressure in my ears from my sinus infection since September. One of these days I will finally break down and go to specialist. AJ has had another seizure and breathing issues/sinus infection/strep throat. Kylee has gotten "curvier". We are just waiting for her to grow. Her specialist happened to be on the news a while back explaining scoliosis and what he has done to improve the procedure and that he has kids come from all over. In the meantime, she has had pneumonia and a recurring low grade warmness. Wayne had issues with his shoulder, back and neck. He then got into an accident in his big truck and whatever happened fixed whatever was wrong. He doesn't hurt in those areas any more. Hopefully we will finish off the last half of the year alot healthier.


In the meantime, because of the lack of energy from the above mentioned, I haven't done a whole lot of sewing. I think that I will need actual therapy instead of my own therapy.


I did get my dads quilt top made and showed the family the top at our family gathering in December. Then it was a matter of getting the back made and sent off to my quilter. It took a while to do the back. I decided to do it scrappy and use the fabric that I had originally bought but didn't use on the front. It's fun! Trust me. Now I can't wait for it to get quilted. Can you say ANXIOUS!

I have since done some clothes sewing for a couple of different friends and a bunch of quilt sewing for my designer friend. Stories to come at a latter time.


Now for summer! We really didn't have a spring here. It went from snowing to raining and back and forth. Today it may be decent, I may have to try to sneak outside and get some yard work done.

Sneak Peak

This is how I have decided to put great grams quilt blocks together. If you can picture it, the empty spaces will be a plain, solid fabric, actually the same fabric that is around each block. I am hoping it will all look totally awesome when all is said and done. I know dad will love whatever I choose, I on the other hand am my own worst critic!

Now for the long part of the process, sewing a quilt on point like this,

TAKES F O R E V E R !!!!

Enough whining, time to get sewing!

Happy Stitchin

Better Late then Never

I finally have all the the blocks framed. Now to trim. What size??? Well mom would like it to be a queen size quilt or as close to it as possible. Well, hmmmm... What layout am I to use? Sashing? or no sashing?? Here is where MATH comes into play with a large piece of scrap paper and of course a calculator! After a little bit of consulting, some time away from the project and A LOT of MATH, I finally decided on how I am going to lay it out and what size I am going to cut my blocks! YEAH ME!! but am I sure? do I really want to do it that way? will it be to much of the background??? the doubts are creaping in. Not a good thing.

So I had a little conversation with myself, nothing to be alarmed over, it happens. "Self, get over yourself! Just do it already!!!!" Well whats a person supposed to do? GET OVER IT! So off to trimming I went!

And here is the pile of the trimmings. There is probably a good yard of WASTE fabric there -- give or take. And yes it A L L went into the garbage!! I know shocker! Right?!?!?!? (Dad would be so proud of me for doing this. However, he would add, Now that I am on a roll, get rid of MORE!) Gotta love him!

And wahlah! here is the pile of all the blocks framed and trimmed to all the same size. Now to cut the fabric so that I can lay it out and get to sewing.

Happy times!

Not so Surprise!

Long story short -- These blocks were made by my great grandmother and after all was said and done, I ended up with them to make them into a quilt -- for my dad. and yes he knows --hence the Not so surprised.

It has taken me a long while to figure out what to do with them. I have consulted many different quilters and read many different articles and was still confused. Why? Well you see, they are all just a smidgen off of being all the same size, some have been washed while others weren't, the fabric on the edges were so frayed that I would need to trim so much off to get to good usable fabric that I would cut off points UGG and they are 1/8th inch seams. sigh............

So here is what I have decided to do. Trim them all to where there is good usable fabric. Border them all so that I can then trim them all to the same size! And yes I will use 1/4" seams which will mean, NO points to any of the blocks - which really bothers the professional seamstress in me. In this case, I would rather be safe than sorry. So here goes..... Unfortunately, I didn't think to take pics before all this started, so here we are -- its like starting a movie a half hour into it and missing some vital info. oh well.

I absolutely LOVE this block! It's the only one hand pieced! Ya! Not in MY life time!


I love how she has used whatever to make the piece so that it fits -- two different greens

In this one, the 2 blues and then the one corner triangle is different from the rest

Check out all of the little pieces in the pink

Here she almost matched up perfectly the lines in the plaid - AWESOME! Did you happen to notice the teeny tiny triangle in the very corner. This won't even be seen when all is said and done.

The green stripe must have been an old shirt, I am assuming, because it looks like she has sewn up the holes? I could totally be wrong, but that's my thinking and I'm sticking to it.

There are 4 different fabrics in this one.

I love the fact that this one has a stain on it -- center blue square.

This one just tickles my fancy! That one corner square that's so different!

Backside of one of the blocks with the teeny tiny seams.

And here we are in the process of getting "framed".

And the sewing continues!

overwhelmed

I have gained quite the collection of fabric over the years, especially since I worked at a quilt store for a number of years. Well it is truly OUT OF CONTROL! When we closed the store I brought a bunch of fabric home which made my collection even M O R E..... Some for me and A LOT for my boss; for the following: 1) because I still have a bunch of quilts that I am sewing for her and they need backs and pillows and cases - and 2) Her husband said that she couldn't bring anymore fabric home -- she had enough! YA RIGHT!?!?!

Well anyways, I tend to hang onto my scraps -- to a degree,-- that they seem to have multiplied like @*%# BUNNIES! I paid good money for all of my fabric and worked even harder for it. The price keeps going up and up and up -- almost 10$ or more a yard now for good quality fabric. Yes I have become a fabric snob! I won't be able to buy new unless Wayne wins the lotto, so I hang onto my fabric. It is bordering on hoarders. I look at it as I have a 2 year supply for E V E R Y O N E in my family! hahaha However, I can't find anything to finish my PHD's because the rest of the fabric is buried at the bottom of the pile. uuggghhh.....

And lets be serious, I have more than enough tops then what my kids will like to last their grandchildren a lifetime.

On one hand, I can't throw those usable pieces away -- look at all of the beautiful scrap quilts that get made and were made back in my grandparents and greats day. But, on the other hand, I have a real serious issue in making scrappy quilts! I don't know what it is -- it is truly hard for me???? And on the other hand, I could clear out a fair amount of space if I got rid of them. But on the other hand -- price per yard..... And on the other hand, I have P L E N T Y of kits and groupings of fabric to last me a good 5 lifetimes or more. But,...............see vicious cycle.

I have given a very few limited quilts as gifts, and let me tell you, for me, it isn't easy. There is atleast one that I wish that I could reposes and a few that are still on the fence. There is even one that I made but never gave to the people, because HE turned into a #1 A class JERK! They aren't a cheap easy gift. They are an expensive timely heirloom gift, to be used and loved -- not thrown in the corner for the dogs to lay on and chew, or to be thrown on the garage floor to set the greasy engine block on while you are rebuilding you vehicle -- and yes these things have happened but fortunately not to me.

I have sold a few and have made a few for customers. Well let me tell you my issues with these. I live in UT where ALOT of people make their own. Alot of us have a "I can make that myself for a whole lot cheaper" attitude and mentality. So in essence, no one around here, unless they have money and don't sew, won't pay me what I am worth. I would have to try to sell my quilts out of state -- which with the internet, shouldn't be to hard -- if you are computer knowledgeable which isn't me. Also, after you/I spend so much money on fabric and time to make the quilt, get it quilted and then bind it, it is really tough to want to sell them. Alot of them, there are stories involved with them -- the memories, struggles, retreats, classes, new pattern or procedures, class demonstrations, friendships, THERAPY that are involved, and for me that is hard to want to let go of. I will admit, I have some that aren't my favorite and I could let them go in a heart beat -- if it weren't for those bloomin stories! Some day.......

So back to my scraps, in trying to get some of my PHD's done, I have made a big mess in trying to find the scraps at the bottom of the pile, 3 piles back to finish the top. In doing so I get seriously side tracked! I end up making a bigger mess in trying to tame my mess. You should have seen me going through the bags and boxes -- do I really need to keep something this small? At about 3 in the morning I had gotten rid of as in thrown away 2 small garbage cans full of junk as in non usable scraps that I had been hanging onto! WHY?? I truly don't know, but they are gone now! and what a nice feeling that is. In the middle of all of this, I am moving piles of yardage from one side to the other and back again trying to make sense of it all -- this is still in the works, can't put that away yet, or, this goes with that other fabric, better keep it out so that I remember, or sheesh, there is enough leftovers I could make a whole nother quilt with it, or I start thinking this would be really cute made up in this pattern - lets see if I have enough to make it? and sew on and sew on.....some SERIOUS SIDETRACKING GOING ON! I don't want to, well I DO want to make new projects because they are a lot more fun and alot of the fabric is easier to get to, BUT I am trying and needing to finish the older ones. sigh............ I know that IF I can ever get a handle on my scraps and learn to make SCRAP quilts, life will be easier...or atleast in my sewing floor. Oh seriously, who am I kiddin????????

So I guess, back to the madness!!!!!!!

Trials and WHINING!!

Just a note of warning -- whining is going to happen.

Today I took Kylees xrays with me to my local back quack to have a consult and an adjustment. The consult was first. He looks at the xrays, and tells me this isn't good, it has definetly gotten worse. I can help here and here, but here I can't do anything to help this area. This will need a specialist and more than likely surgery. LOVELY! As of this evening, I still haven't heard from her doc. Her xray was taken 2 weeks ago! Frustrating to say the least.

Understandably I am bummed.

For quite a while now, my eldest son has been on my mind - more than normal. I went to the store where he works in the deli to see him. Unfortunately he wasn't there. His recent current exgirlfriend was working. She is highly concerned about Andy. WHY?? "He's really depressed and I am really worried at what he might do!" Yeah thats comforting news every mother wants to hear. I don't know how to help him nor would he accept anything from me.

So HIGHLY emotional at the moment.

K Lord, I need a break from all of these trials you think I can handle. Not doing such a good job at the moment. I am so selfish at times. My trials aren't as bad as others, but are worse then some. I shouldn't complain and normally I don't. I am just throwing a pity party for one at the moment -- or until I can get the emotions back undercontrol. I just would like to know what to do and how to handle EVERY LITTLE BIT! Will be adding my car to my prayers, that it will last for a lot longer, especially since we will be needing to go up to Primarys and that Wayne will stay healthy enough to be able to work, that his bloomin truck will stop breaking down and stop costing us income. Why is it when theres light at the end of the financial tunnel a cave in always, always happen in some form or another? And it's not even the holiday season yet! We are starting early this year.

sigh................
enough is enough!

Pre Testing

We just went to the elementary school to do the testing for Kindergarten. Boy do I feel like a failure as a parent! AJ is a little undeveloped in this learning and unfortunately I/we haven't spent the time with him like the other children. I feel horrible. I have known about this for a while and haven't taken the time. My mistake! Time to turn off the tv and back away from the computer and my sewing room.