A decision

I finished binding the wedding quilt tonight. Tomorrow it will go in the wash and get a label and then it will be tucked into a box so the cats quit trying to claim it belongs to them. Sparky and I have already had words and I've been getting "THE GLARE" as I've worked on it these past two nights.

Having this out of the way, frees me up to start on my little projects. I'm going to start making bags of different types, kitcheny items like potholders and place mats, hot pads and maybe even those potato cooker bags if I can figure it out and have time left. I haven't officially run this by my boss so I don't feel comfortable officially asking anyone to donate items. In the past, I've always just made what I could and that was good enough. I really don't expect more than about 10 women to attend the Holiday party but we are currently working with about 40. Each woman has on average 2 children. Last year Greg made a few crayon rolls for me. He even made his own crayons with that magic crayon maker. Let me tell you that was a mess! smells the whole house up like burnt wax and I don't recommend it. The crayon rolls were cute though.

I was trying to think of the things that I use everyday that make my life a smidgen better and my TO MAKE LIST keeps getting longer! love my plastic sack keeper - need to add that on there!


What are some little things that you use everyday that make life a little better?

Almost done.

All I have left to do is hand stitch the binding down. I really hate that part. I convinced Greg that his part in helping me is to read to me while I stitch. We've been on Seven Sisters by Earlene Fowler for several months now and need to get back to it!

Quilting Detour

I had planned to sew the binding onto my "wedding quilt" and take a few pictures this weekend. But the yard wasn't mowed.. sent G out to mow and he ran out of gas. So off he went to work and I decided I'd prep those binding strips. Turned on the machines... There's a network of cords to two power strips. Everything is tied together. It's like the sound the movie makes before it starts... *hhhmmmmthwwwwwannnngggggg* And ON come the lights and the power and the .... too dramatic? Long story short, my machine resets to the 0.0 needle position but my 1/4 inch foot requires a different position. So I snapped of the damn needle, rendering my machine useless because the extra needles are somewhere in G's .... well I can't type the word I'm thinking.... so I decided to do a little food prepping from our shopping trip.

I've spent the past few days pooring over the store add and the cookbooks to come up with easy and cheap meals. But I never really got around to making the list. And I may have gotten a few recipes confused... never the less - I give you SEAFOOD CHOWDER:


Made up of celery, carrots, potatoes, bacon, shrimp, fake crab, fake lobster, scallops, homemade chick broth, 1/2 n 1/2 and cajun seasoning. It's really good and add a little crusty bread with garlic butter and italian seasoning and it's just Cat-calling-riffic. I had at least 3 cats fighting to "sit" with me.

Usually in Sept. Greg and I go over to the Orchards in Weston MO. and have a cup of cider (frozen, cold or hot depending on current temps) and an apple fritter - only its an apple donut. But the bridges are all getting worked on. The normal 20 min drive would now take around an hour with a lot of back tracking. Only a few more weeks and the roads will be open and we can go for our pumpkins. In the meantime, I've really been craving the apple dishes I'd normally make this time of year. This is apple Oat Coffee cake. Apple cake with layers of oatmeal streusel. I've already had 3 pieces!!

I was going to freeze some servings of each... but I don't think they are going to be around that long!

CELEBRATION GIVEAWAY!

I'm GOING ahead with a Give-a-way of my own.

(watch for a combined B/G giveaway again

mid-October for the wedding anniversary)


I reached my one year blogging anniversary (and missed it back in Aug)! SO I'm working on getting organized and you can benefit! I'd also really like to reach 100 plus followers for the Accuquilt Blog sign up. Think you can help? Invite anyone who enjoys a good ramble.. or better yet those who enjoy a jumbled hodpodge of a ramble!

HERE's what you gotta do:


#1 Become a follower of my blog

#2 Leave me a comment that you became a follower/are a follower.

#3 Extra entries for each person who says you referred them.

Here's what you win!

Greg and I both use these as our Sewing Caddies. Lots of possibilities. Pincushion center is removable. It just squishes in there.

BTW - it's a tumbler -cut with the Accuquilt GO cutter

Side cups are removable if needed. Very handy for holding pens/safety pins/rotery cutters/seam rippers, stilletos.

And I even have stored fabrics and threads in the middle. It's also a GREAT hiding place for that secret stash of chocolate!

There might be a surprise for the winner in this one too.



PLEASE Keep in mind that I made this... me... not so perfect, likes to get it done... me. This was my first altered paint can too.

Drawing will take place on my 1 yr - 1 month anniversary

Sept 26th - 8pm

Missed it!

Can you believe that I missed my Blogiversary? . I've been trying to stay busy at work and was purusing different sites for "research purposes" and decided to look up exactly when did I start my blog. Aug 26th! So I think I need to do something to honor that soon. But our wedding anniversary is coming up soon too and two giveaways back to back might be challenging. Will have to talk it over with Greg. Right now I'm waiting on the man to pick me up and carry me away to our quilt meeting tonight. Buster is going to have his big debut! Don't wait up.

Needs New Eyes

It's at this point in just about every quilt when I throw down my rotery cutter and walk away in a huff. Yes, dear friends, I'm a tantrum quilter. Just before the blocks are sewn together - I HATE IT. I'm sure I've made the biggest mistake and wasted the money and the fabric. I critique every step I've made thus far and reduce myself to a pile of tears. A little time away and a lot of chocolate later, I usually sit down and sew the darn thing together "Just to get it done". Then I love it. I'm amazed how it all worked and came out together. I've been really trying to improve my skills and make seams match (haven't always cared about that) and make sure that I'm cutting presicely. So I'm not sure what happened yesterday... This one is a 1/4 inch too big,

the other a 1/4 inch too small. After measuring and rechecking and trying to find "the" problem area... turns out.. it's just me! My cutting is just slightly off, over and under the mark. My sewing lines wiggle JUST enough to throw it off and when those things combined = 1/4 inch off the mark.

So at this point I'm not sure if I should just cut everything down to fit, or just go with what I've got and hope that the overs and unders combine to make it all work. Cutting it down again scares me - I'm likely to be off again and if I keep cutting it down I just end up with a pile of pillow stuffing. Well here's what I'm going for from the Aug. 2009 American Patchwork and Quilting magazine.

It's for my Cousin's wedding. Their colors are Teal and Chocolate Brown.

I've got less than a month to get it finished, quilted and bound. I'd hoped to have it to the quilter by the end of this week.

oh my chest does rumble strong and tight

a sneeze from me causes quite the fright
My nose is runny but stopped up too
I just don't know how both can be true
I've rolls of tissues trailing after me
the cats do chase adding insult to injury

Oh to be well, a dream for sure
A full drawn breath, oxygen pure
how I long for sleep uninterrupted
or to taste just once what i supped-ted
an oath i udder in my wheezy rattle
to the germy invaders waging this battle

A prisoner in my bed I will no longer be
I have my heart set on sewing you see
I'm on a short deadline and down a day
Catch up I must and without delay
So I gathered my medicine and set my trap
but alas I'm now worn out and need a nap.