The Swap.

Greg and I swapped sewing machines tonight so that he can complete his applique project before our March deadline. I'm already hating that OSCAR is sitting in Felix's spot. We've tried switching sewing stations - but his is SOOO messy and about 6 inches higher than mine. I SWEAR if he breaks mine though.... I'm getting a really good replacement!!

Following Pat's Theme

This is my 5th folder, 5th Picture as suggested to post by Pat of "A little of this and a little of Pat." See her BLOG for more info of this fun Winter Weather Pick Me UP.

This is Bobb-O about to attack me through the sewing table. I used to keep my tomato pin cushion in that spot and couldn't figure out why it was always missing. She's really good at grabbing thread, scissors, invisible to me flotsam and fingers.

HEY! This is my 50th POST! about 5ths - how cool is that?

Real Life Happens Fast

I read this tonight and realized I've never replaced my fire extinguisher after a little kitchen mishap a long long time ago... I always think these stories cross our lives for a reason and I'm going to listen to the moral of the story this time!

http://www.badlandsquilts.com/2010/01/it-really-can-happen-so-fast.html

Quick Grab Snacks

As we were walking down the baking aisle of the local grocery store, the husband turns to me and says:
"Hey, it'd be really great if we could make up some little snacks, that I can just grab real quick when I have munchies.
I stare at him with an eyebrow raised.
He points to the cake mixes on sale and says in a most serious tone "like single serving size, in little containers!"
I laugh, "You mean CUPCAKES??"
Husband: "hrmp" and walks away sheepishly.

Poor guy just wants a no fuss sugar rush.
So tonight we made CUPCAKES.


Small individual servings

From a quick grab container!



Spritz cookies are coming up next!

The Fugue has lifted.

Tonight after a "napis-interuptis" (I really did need the wake-up call or I'd not have slept at all tonight!) I decided to just force myself to sit down at my sewing machine and attack that stupid block.

Thank you for all the encouragement on my last post ... I actually stuck it out and got it done! I still think there would have been an easier way to do it but it's done!

I was so overcome with relief that I actually started to tackle the mess I made with my cats... 5 are now completed and on their base block ready for stitching!!!

I'd have kept going to finish the 16 cats but I ran out of the lite weight heat N bond. I have a bunch of the heavy stuff but it gunks on my needle when I try to sew it.

MEET THE GIRLS - the inspiration

MOBI, age 7, prefers solitude and snuggling Mom's hair

Nicknamed: "the Queen"

MACKIE; age 7 (2 wks younger)

The Princess - is GREG's CAT w/o question

Nicknamed: "bug-bug" as she catches and tracks them

Bobb-O

The youngest, age 1.5, born in our closet by a neighbor's cat and the only one of the litter we couldn't adopt out. Discovered She was not a HE after a visit to the vet for neutering.

Nicknamed: "Stop-it" "NO" "ARGGGGGG" and "general pain in the ass"

But She's proven to be very entertaining!

I'm thinking of embroidering each block with a cats name that has been a part of my life. I might have to limit that to mine and Greg's life as there have been a multitude... I'll introduce the current boys and their blocks when they are finished.

Sewing Blah's

I've been avoiding my sewing machine. I'm not really sure whats-a-matter with me. I had it in my head that I could NOT work on anything else until I finished my BOM for This month. We should have gone yesterday to pick up the new one but still have next Saturday as a back-up. I'm just disliking these log-cabin blocks. I was really into it until about the 4th month - the 5th month I was completely annoyed by the pineapple fabric. I know I shouldn't be that picky about FREE fabric but I'd think they could come up with slightly better blends as I think they clash horribly when the 6 I have finished are placed together. The current block is a rolling log and the directions Aren't quite working for me either. I've shoved the whole thing back into the little bag more than once since mid December. I've been struggling with calling it quits with the whole BOM or continuing on hoping for a magic surprise of how it all goes together beautifully in the end. I'd never do well with a mystery block - I need to know the plan from the beginning. So tonight I decided I really needed to work on something and drug out the Crazy Cats applique project that I started last Feb. I got as far as cutting out all the pieces and then realized I'd no IDEA how to applique. In Sept. Our Quilt leader gave a quicky class and our projects are due in March - so it's 2nd on my to-do list after that damn BOM block. I sewed the bodies of my little cats and then laid them all out on the heat-n-bond to form the whole of the cat. I'm doing this a little backwards because I'd already cut the pieces. SO I'm thinking kinda highly of myself as I'm getting something accomplished. Until I go to peel the cats up! It's been several months since I'd done anything with this and I'd forgotten that you have to heat n bond each piece separately and THEN build the cat and iron it together. oops. SO I have this huge mess with partially stickied parts and only the big overlapping things really stuck together and everything else just kinda flopped off. I've got heat n bond everywhere even though I used parchment paper and it's peeling all raggedy around the edges. I've got one cat re-stickied and put together and then decided I'd better walk away or I'd probably never sew again.

LOG CABIN BLOCK Pictures are of Greg's finished ones... he got the rolling log done - I'm thinking of bribing him to finish mine.

WooHOo Post 45!

I get so excited over the littlest things.  Today I noticed I had a new follower and that I was ready for post 45.  Not necesarrily great acheivements but joys all the same!  I still don't have my "comment notification" thing fixed.  Greg says it has something to do with AT&T and Google blocking each other?  I don't know.  Technology is his department.

Over the past year, Greg and I have been bonding not only in our quilting hobby - of which we crafted 33 quilted projects and 15 friendship bags - but we've also spent each evening before bed reading aloud the 19 books of the Plum Series by Janet Evanovich.  We actually read them backwards which made for it's own kind of fun.  At Christmas my mom gave me the entire Benni Harper Mystery Series by Earlene Fowler. (featured in The Quilter magazine Jan 2010) Not a quilter but names all her books after patterns in her Grandmothers Quilt Block Book.  We started the first of the 12 (Fool's Puzzle) the other night. The first couple of chapters were rough but the story is picking up and I'd like to declare it bedtime in the middle of the day just to see what happens next.  Last night I was stitching Greg's set of Tea Towels that he started -before he decided hand embroidery was not his cup of tea and I kept saying "but I need to finish this line, keep reading."  Got him to do 5 chapters instead of the 3 we agreed on.  It was a little difficult to get up this morning to say the least.  We've been toying with the idea of making a block of each books title.  But they are almost all advanced versions and curves still scare me.  I don't even have my BOM done for Jan. and it's due on Saturday!  And when I get a good book - it's all I want to do.  I bury in under the covers and rarely come up for air until it's finished. 
Another good read I picked up over Christmas simply because the main character had a variation on my maiden name... this probably says something about my psyche .. anyway I finished it today at work (it was slow) and it was such a good, gripping, fast read.  "Promise not to tell" by Jennifer McMahon.  I'm headed to the library in the morning to see if I can pick up a few of the others written by her!

A Renewal

Happy New Year everyone and I hope there are mighty blessings in store for you.  As is our tradition we toasted in the new year over an open fire in OUR NEW FIRE PIT (thanks Santa Mom) and clinked glasses of Balatore Grand Spumante - a favorite since receiving this from a cousin at our wedding 13 years ago.  We've grown alot this past year, overcome some obstacles and predict a better year to come.  I plan to be a little more on top of things this year - housework mostly.  The garage re-orginization is off to a great start thanks to some wonderful new shelving units (thanks to the Parental Santa's) I was rather spoiled this Christmas and received WAY more than I deserved.  My resolution this year:  I'm going to work on being more positive this year in all aspects of my life.