GOODBYE HALLOWEEN....HELLO....WINTER?

Ooooohhhh....it is nasty, horrid and miserable outside the Cottage window this morning!  It is raining with blustery winds...and It. Is. DARK!  The sky has just gained enough bluish glow that I can begin to see the shapes of trees, cars and houses!  Up until a few moments ago it was pitch black!  Eeeek!  I'm used to seeing sunlight by 7:15 AM. 

Like Halloween, I guess summer is really and truly over (not that I mind Halloween being over...I hate the holiday, lol).  J just calls me a "weirdo" when I tell people I can't wait for it to be here and gone!  Now that the Famous Amos cookies are given out to all of the little ghosts and goblins, the Holiday countdown really begins!  I am SO far behind this year.

BUT, Mom's quilt is finally a flimsy!  Once again, I apologize for the horrible photo.  I was teetering on the step-stool again to get this picture.  I can't WAIT for a design wall!  I just have to trim the jump threads, give it a quick lick with the iron and I'm ready to sandwich.  Wait a minute!  Ummmm.....backing?  Oops, looks like I forgot to buy it!  If the weather ever calms down I will head to Walmart to buy a queen sized flat brown sheet.  I really like using sheets for the backing as I know they will wear well and there are less seams for little toes to get caught in.  Besides, I like to save my scraps for other projects instead of burying them on the back of a quilt, lol. 

Dear Hubby just yelled up the steps to remind me we have to leave for our eye doctor appointments.  Dang, I forgot I was going to have to go out in this mess.  Hubby says it looks "spooky" outside.  Yup, that describes it perfectly (shiver)!

Stay warm, and dry, my friends....

MOM'S QUILT - IT'S GETTIN' THERE!

Please excuse the "meh" picture...I was standing on a step-stool trying to get a good shot, lol.  Step-stools and I are NOT good friends!  Additionally, the two tables are a smidge too high for me.  DH could lower them, but then they would probably be too low and cause my back to hurt too much.  I can't wait until someday when I have a table that works at MY height, lol.  

All I have left to do is the candy border with the embroidered corners and then I can sandwich it and begin to quilt.  Of course, I do need to press it before I sandwich it...there are wrinkles galore!

I'll post more pics when I get it further along.  Take care, my friends....

A FINISH, A DISAPPOINTMENT AND A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE!

Remember my newly painted guest bathroom?  Well, I added a bit more to it yesterday!  It isn't done yet...I have lots of ideas still to come to fruition!  

Yesterday while I was out I picked up the cute little silver and black reed infuser, or is that diffuser?  I needed "something" for on top of the little cabinet, but didn't want it to be anything too big or heavy...the cabinet is held on with two keyholes and screws...and only one of them is in a stud, the other was hung using a "thing-a-ma-bob" (come on, girls, you know what I mean, lol) for drywall with no stud nearby.  Darn word completely escapes me.  I HATE when this happens!  Anyway...the towels are not the new "guest" towels I plan to buy, they are quite old (which explains the discoloration on the washcloth) and were only hung there to test out the towel color.  Yup, black does the trick.  And now, on to my finish...

If you swing around you can see the curtain I made to match the shower curtain.  It was easy-peasy to cut down a second shower curtain to make the valance.  I think I am going to use my mom's trick of clipping on some clothespins to help the pleats drape a bit more regularly.  One steamy shower and they should dry perfectly.  I think I will shower here over the weekend to provide the needed steam.  If you look to the top of the curtain you can see the traditional curtain rod that was hanging there already.  A quick squirt or two of silver paint and it was redone.  And my dad gave me the paint to use...so it was a FREE redo!  It isn't a complete match, but at least it isn't the "glaring" white of the unpainted rod, lol.  My next job is to replace the yellowed shade with mini blinds.  I buy my mini blinds at Walmart.  Dirt cheap and they actually wear like iron.  I'm sure my dad will help me hang them.  

Just next to the window (toilet beneath) is the vanity.  I bought the two brushed and shiny chrome pieces at Ross yesterday (with the reed infuser).  The jar holds Q-tips and cotton balls and the brush holder now houses two new brushes and a travel sized tube of toothpaste...just in case we have unexpected overnight guests.  Please excuse the filthy mirror...it hasn't been washed since the painters were here.  Time to get out my vinegar and water!  I still want to buy a can of black Krylon paint (for plastics) and paint the Dixie cup holder.  I also want to buy a plastic cube tissue holder for on top of the toilet tank.  I would love to find one in black, but I will take white and paint it with the Krylon.  

My next project will be the vanity itself.  Both the base and the sinks have yellowed over the years.  I would really like to repaint the base with a new coat of white paint (dang, should have thought to have the painters do it) and I would like to dress up the plain white doors with some beadboard and trim to match the front of the white cabinet. I would like to replace the sinks with plain white instead of the white and beige swirl that has yellowed to totally beige.  I'll keep you posted as I get things done. 

So, that was my finish.  Now, my disappointment...

These huge boxes sitting on my porch are for the UPS man to pick up today.  They are the project table for my yellow room that we bought from the Improvements catalog (Can you understand why I had to call J just to get them in the house, lol?)  I. SHOULD. HAVE. KNOWN. BETTER!  Poor J came over last night to assemble it.  Horrible.  Absolutely, totally inferior product.  The boards were warped, the holes didn't line up, the holes drilled for the silver turn-y things (technical term here, lol) were not deep enough.  After 45 minutes of fighting with it, J called "UNCLE" and I phoned Improvements to tell them I wanted my money back.  They appear to be okay with the return and said it will be free shipping...but we will see when my charge card gets credited.  J laughingly said if we EVER buy another "assemble it yourself" item that ISN'T Ikea...we can build it ourselves!  He was laughing, but I think there was a ring of truth in there.  Ikea furniture is foolproof.  We have ALOT of Ikea in our basement and bought tons to furnish J's apartment when he was away at college; and we have NEVER had a problem with assembly.  As he was leaving last night J told me not to worry...he will go to Ikea and buy what I need and then deliver it and build it.  My heart is melting... We raised a good boy...

Speaking of my boy...while going through some closets I came across the second quilt I ever made.  Back in 1991 I took a quilt class and made my first quilt, a gray/burgundy/mauve/blue, "Trip Around The World".  It hung in our basement until 2010, blocking the draft at the Bilco door.  When we had the basement finished the quilt came upstairs to snuggle under.  Anyway, the whole time I was making that quilt my then 3-year-old  begged me to "make ME a quilt, mom!" What was a mom to do?  Make my second quilt one just for him, of course!  Here is J's quilt... appropriately named"Make Me A Quilt".  It covered J, his bed, and floor, and any other stationary object, for quite a few years. 

 

Unfortunately, after tons of lovin' and TONS of washing (at LEAST once a week) the quilt has seen better days.  The seams are ripped, the material itself is ripped and the batting is almost non-existent in places.  But I can't bear to part with it.  I can still see his little blonde head straining to see over the top of the six foot tables to catch a glimpse of his quilt.  Believe it or not, I still have all of the fabrics used in this quilt and SOME DAY I will either fix it myself or find someone nearby who is a much better quilter than I and can fix it properly.  I would love to pass it on to a grandchild someday...

That is all that is new at my house today.  What's new at yours?

AN UPDATE...ONE MUG RUG FINISHED, DONE MOM'S DRESDENS, SSDI APPROVED, OVERDID IT AND PAYING THE PRICE!

Sorry I haven't posted in a while, I haven't been feeling too well.  My tremor has been acting up and my pain has increased, probably because my rheumatologist took away my Fibromyalgia medicine (because my insurance was harrassing him that I should not have been on it with my liver disease) and he is decreasing the steroids for my Polymyalgia Rheumatica because they are playing havoc with my other medical conditions.  Such is life here at the cottage...

Front of the Mug Rug

Back of the Mug Rug

On a better note, I have finally finished the back of one of the mug rugs I am making my mom, dad and aunt for Christmas.  If I have time I will finish up the fourth one for a guest at their table (usually me, lol).  If I run out of time I will get it completed after Christmas.  I was looking for just the "right" trim for the back.  I wanted it to be "quaint" and I think the green crocheted lace does the job nicely and makes the back almost as pretty as the front!

On my mom's quilt I have finished all 8 full dresdens.  I now have to cut out 6 more backing squares and then I have to make up 4 quarter dresdens for around the central embroidered saying.  I am hoping to have that done by the end of this week.  Then I can start cutting sashes, the inside border, middle border and fitting the four smaller embroideries into the corners of the middle border.  Hopefully that will be done by the end of next week.  If I am lucky I can have the outer border sewn on and have it sandwiched by the end of October.  I've left myself 7 extra days in there in case of delays, lol, as we all know I have WAY too many of those on a regular basis!  I will have about one month to quilt and bind it with losing time on vacation!  Looks like I am under the gun this year too.  Like last Christmas...IOUs are always a possibility, lol. 

I saw my sleep apnea doctor last week.  He has agreed to me using my Provigil on an as needed basis as I was getting palpitations and rapid heart beat using it every day.  But now I have to  lie down every afternoon for a several hour nap! It's a losing battle trying to keep my eyes open.  He said he needs to take another look at the computer output from my CPAP machine and may even need to do another sleep study and MSLT to check me again for additional problems such as narcolepsy or some other type of condition that hits people in their fifties.  He said I may just have to go back on the Provigil, or one of its counterparts, on a regular basis.  My cardiologist has given me medication to help combat the side effects of the medicine if need be.  Geez, these medicines can give you problems you didn't have to start with!


I got my approval letter in the mail today from Social Security Disability.  If I am reading it right it sounds like I am approved only for the next 18 months and will have to go through a re-evaluation at that time.  Oh no...not again!  I am also confused as it says something about me only being insured through 2016!  I am going to have to call my lawyer tomorrow as I REALLY don't understand this letter.  But at least Social Security has finally agreed that I am NOT able to work.  It only took tons of forms, about a foot high stack of medical records, letters from several of my physicians, a lawyer and a hearing before a judge for the "powers that be" to agree I am disabled!  Gosh, I know people who really aren't disabled and got approved with little to no effort.

And finally, yesterday I did a very stupid, STUPID thing.  We needed some things that were on sale at the grocery store.  My Dear Hubby was not feeling well and not able to go with me.  I told him I was just going to pick up a few things that we needed right away and order the rest of the groceries to be delivered by the grocery store.  When I got there I realized I was only going to be spending $50-$60 dollars total and I didn't want to spend $15 to have it delivered.  Soooooo...I did all of the grocery shopping and just about KILLED myself.  Dear Hubby had a hissy fit when he saw what I had done...and he was right...I was totally and completely STUPID.  Boy am I paying for it last night and all day today.  I HURT, big time, but I guess I deserve every stab of pain!  My muscles are SO weak today from over-straining them. I know when I do "normal" things I can "pay" for several days later.  I expect this payment will last the rest of the week, if not longer. :o(  The decision has been made.  From now on if Dear Hubby is not able to go with me to do all of the reaching off shelves, loading onto the conveyor at the cash register and loading into the car...I will pay whatever it costs to have the food brought to my home and deposited on my kitchen table.  I can then spend a full week putting things away if I need to, and Dear Hubby or J can carry everything down the basement and put it away for me.  It is more than worth $15 to avoid this kind of pain and weakness.  There is a good reason I have not done any grocery shopping in almost two years.  Yup, you can call me stupid...

I had figured that I would take a few pictures first thing this morning...Tuesday...but I woke up with an absolutely HORRENDOUS bout of Trigeminal Neuralgia.  So I will simply add the two pictures I did manage to take and hope for a better post next time around.  Sorry...

PROGRESS...CHANGE...AND A LOT OF FIRSTS !! (picture heavy)

Lots and Lots of things are going on around here these days! 

First and foremost...I've made progress on mom's quilt.  I may just be HOOKED on dresdens!  They are so easy and so incredibly quick to make!!!  I have pulled the "nonpareils" dresden off of the design curtain for now.  I think it was too overall "white" to play well with the other plates.  I will probably use it to make a pillow for mom to rest on when she naps on the couch. To bring a bit of "matchiness" to my dad's quilt (they will be in the same room) I'm backing each of the dresdens with a beige fabric similar to my dad's quilt.  His beige is a faux suede while mom's is a plain cotton, a GORGEOUS Moda Marbles, but they are pretty close in color.  The beige also picks up some of the lighter browns in the candy, ice creams and assorted sweets.  

It also tones down a bit of the bright pink in the Valentine's candy, lol.  Since my mom will NEVER live down the entire box of Valentine's candy she killed in one night, I just HAD to include this fabric, lol!  However, since I didn't want the quilt to end up with a "garish" hot pink look (she isn't a "teeny-bopper", lol), this fabric is only slated to appear once on the front of the quilt.

I am thinking at this point that the assorted candies block to the left of the embroidery will be repeated on the right of the embroidery...

 ...and the kisses on top of the embroidery will be repeated below...

 ...and the miscellaneous sweets in the upper right will be repeated in the lower left.  It also includes just a wee bit of pink and actually brings in a bit of green to pull from my dad's quilt.  It wasn't easy finding fabric that held a special significance for my mom and also fit into a very limited colorway.  Brown, beige, white, pink and a tiny bit of green...all on a sea of black to hold it together (and also match Dad's quilt, lol)

The ice cream dresden pulls just a tiny bit of pink coloring to the bottom right corner.  So all four corners contain a bit of pink, while the four remaining dresdens are plain chocolates.  

 

When my shaking got too bad for actual sewing, I set up my machine to embroider the center block of the quilt.  I intend to use quarter dresdens (one in each corner) on this block in the beige material and the white.  The original design included a blue dress...which I changed to pink (with a hot pink scarf) to match the Valentine block and carry the touch of color throughout.  While I would really like to do more sewing of dresdens today, I'm a bit shaky so I think i will stick to machine embroidery.  Plus, I might as well get as much done as I can while the machine is set up to embroider.  These are the times I wish I had another sewing machine!

I did mention "firsts", right?  This is the first quilt I have made using dresdens and the first quilt in which I have also used machine embroidered designs.  My quick and dirty sketch of the quilt also has embroidered sweets appearing in the four corners of the wide border and POSSIBLY an embroidered cupcake border between them.  Again, I don't want to OVERDO, so that decision will be made toward the end.  Too much is gaudy!  The next first?  I'm actually going to try to quilt this one block at a time and then connect them all at the end with a skinny white sash.  I saw a wonderful tutorial on YouTube by Leah Day and need to look it up to review the process before I get much further.  I'm going for a "window in a candy store" look.  I THINK all of my quilting will be in the dark brown of the wording above.  I'm planning on something "apropos" for the label...maybe a "menu" for my "Breakfast At Tootsie's" quilt.  I think half the fun of making a quilt is tying all of the little theme threads throughout! 

And the changes I mentioned above?  This!  After 23 years in this house I am sick and tired of this border.  It has been on the walls of my guest bath, along with light silver paint, for all this time.  The painter should be here any minute to begin removing the border.  

They will be repainting the bathroom in the same gray as my Expanded Sewing Room (above).  The next change?   My ESR is ALSO going to be the guest bedroom!  When we moved J's old bed back into the room temporarily we realized how well his black bed, black nighttable, etc. went with the gray walls and the furniture of his that I am using for storage of my crafting supplies.  And since it is only a guest room that will be used by guests once in a blue moon...if I empty out one or two drawers in the chest, there should be plenty of room for their clothing!  The rest of the room can still be MINE for sewing supplies!  

  

I have already purchased a new shower curtain for the bathroom...gray, navy blue and black.  I will paint the white dixie cup holder and the toothbrush holder with black Krylon paint to match the current trashcan.  I will purchase navy blue towels to hang on the towel bar.  I plan to make a gray, navy and black striped valance for over the existing miniblind.  

Now that the GUEST bath is also going to be painted the same color as the GUEST room...I'm going to make matching valances for over the bedroom blinds and will make a modern type quilt in black, gray and navy.  I'm thinking tumbling blocks!  Like I said before...I'm nothing if not adventurous!

And the original yellow guest room?  (sorry the picture is blurry, I'm shaky) It is being repainted in a similar light yellow (the border is staying...my painter says it should be no problem cutting around the scallop of the border).  Since the fold up tables my husband purchased are not going to be sufficient for my quilting needs (I don't have the ability to set them up and take them down on my own), my Dear Hubby has suggested we purchase two Expedit cabinets from Ikea, put a top on them and center them in the yellow room to be my "third" sewing room!  YES, YOU READ THAT RIGHT!!!  My dear, wonderful, loving husband has suggested that I use THREE of the four bedrooms for sewing and crafting or sewing/crafting storage!  Oh, and the quilt that I started when the yellow room was going to be the guest room?...it will still be used!  Dear Hubby is going to make me a large design wall (goodbye design curtain and good riddance!) and he will hang the quilt from a rod above the design wall.  That way I can have the design wall covered up to look all pretty when company is coming and I can just slide it to the end of the rod to access the design wall when I am working on a quilt!

 

That same sweet man has just phoned me to tell me of an upcoming Quilt Extravaganza at our local convention center and has suggested I call my mom and aunt and see if they want to go with me.  Dear Hubby could never walk that much, but he has offered to drop us off at the door and pick us up at the door whenever we are ready!  HE IS ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE!!!  God, how did I ever deserve such a wonderful man?

Well, the painter has just arrived, I need to look up the details of the Quilt Extravaganza and call my mom and aunt, and my coffee has gotten cold and needs a quick zap.  I'm off to get started on the rest of my day.  Hope yours is a good one!

BUSY, BUSY, BUSY...A LITTLE BACK STORY...AND A SNEAK PEEK!

 

This Saturday our development is having a garage sale.  For many, MANY years Dear Hubby and I organized and ran the development-wide garage sale.  Considering how much effort it is taking just to get ready to SELL this year, I'm VERY happy we are no longer doing the organization and running of a sale with up to 33 individual houses participating!

Since Dear Hubby and I are both having health issues that impact our physical abilities, we have decided to get rid of A LOT this year.  I'm trying to be absolutely brutal with my decision making.  The less we own, the easier it will be for us to try to keep up with it.  Thank God my dear mom and dad have been coming over almost daily to help get things set up.  I could NEVER do it all alone and between his ridiculous long work days and physical limitations....Dear Hubby can't do much to help.  

Getting ready for the garage sale has left very little time for much else, but I HAVE started work on my mom's quilt.  I have only finished two dresden plates so far.  Lots more to go before it is even anywhere NEAR being ready for sandwiching!  Before I give you a sneak peek I think you need a little "history" to fully understand the quilt's concept.  Here goes:

My mom has "sweet teeth".  Not a "sweet tooth"...she loves sweets WAY too much for a single tooth.  It would take an entire mouth full to generate her level of addiction.  Anyone who knows my mom knows that she looks forward to dessert, plans it from the second she picks up a menu and only fills in a small amount of meal beforehand because "she should".  Her favorite sweet of them all?  CHOCOLATE!...in any shape and form.

For most of my young life, my mom's breakfast consisted of a Hershey Bar and a cup of tea.  She made sure I ate a good healthy breakfast, but hers was all about the chocolate.  I often wonder how much of Hershey, Pa my mom has paid for, lol.  She was probably Milton Hershey's school's biggest benefactor!  And she is NOT limited to only Hershey products, lol.  One Valentine's Day my dad bought her a box of chocolate covered caramels.  Determined not to eat them all at once, my mom put them in the basement freezer.  Over the course of the night my mom made numerous trips to that freezer, two flights of steps down and two flights of steps back up to the bedroom.  One piece of candy at a time my mom finished the whole box!  At least she worked off the calories climbing the stairs all night long!

Maybe it is because of my mom's nickname since childhood, "Tootsie", or because growing up she had very little access to sweets...they have played a MAJOR role in her adult life, lol. 

About a month or so ago I was reading something, somewhere (don't quite remember where), and there was mention of the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's.  Laughingly I thought to myself, "It should be Breakfast at Tootsie's and we could make it all about chocolate!"  Eureka, the beginning of a quilt concept was born!!!
 
Over the past month I have purchased novelty fabric having to do with chocolate candy and her other favorite sweets.  I have also purchased some machine embroidery patterns having to do with chocolate.  Amazingly, I found a pattern that says, "Chocolate, It's Not Just for Breakfast ".  Geez, it couldn't be much more perfect!!!   I knew then that that particular embroidery pattern would feature significantly in the quilt, along with other chocolatey embroideries.  I am still in the very early stages of quilt design, though.  I tend to produce the main parts of my quilts and then build in around them.  So, I will continue making dresdens (now that I have made my sample dresden and am happy with the size) and will stitch up some single color "practice" machine embroideries.  Once I have a good idea of the finished sizes of each of the components I will adjust the layout as necessary and begin stitching the good embroidery blocks.  Oh, and the sneak peek I promised?................

They are both the same size, although the angle of the picture makes the Hershey Kisses dresden look larger than the Nonpareils. 

I've just come in from a horrendous dental appointment and need to go lie down for a little bit to lower my blood pressure and hopefully relieve some of my TMJ pain!  Once I have rested for a bit I hope to work on the next dresden...assorted chocolate candies!

CHRISTMAS DECISIONS...I'm late, I'm late!!!

Yes, the summer is flying and Christmas is getting here in double time!  It is time to start thinking about gifts to be made for my family.  Actually, I am LATE in making my Christmas decisions and starting my projects! 

Last night lying in bed a quilt started taking shape in my mind's eye.  Yup...I decided...this year MOM is getting a quilt!  It is going to be a quilt that incorporates applique, piecing and machine embroidery.  I ordered the embroidery patterns today, downloaded them some five minutes later and moved them all to a folder on my desktop called "Mom Christmas 2013". 

The designs I found are absolutely AMAZING considering the theme of the quilt and name I have chosen for it.  Sorta like when I wallpapered my living room before I had even bought one piece of furniture.  I explained to DH what I wanted in furniture to match the wallpaper and he said, "Just because you want it, doesn't mean they make it!"  Well, he was right...I was EXTREMELY detailed in my description of the furniture I wanted...and had to agree that my chances of finding it were not that great.  Until the following Friday evening when we ate dinner at a restaurant with an attached "furniture and gift store".  In the window....EXACTLY what I had described to my DH.  Eerie....  This time it was a "saying" that was so specific for my mom that I couldn't possibly imagine it pertaining to another human being!  Again, eerie.... (cue the Twilight Zone theme). 

First I need to search through my stash and find some "scrap" pieces where I can do a test embroidery of each design...all in a single color just to get an idea of size, etc.  Then after I am done the samples, I will need to search through my fabric and see if I have some cream colored material to use as a backing for the nine embroidered designs.  I will probably end up buying new, as I have an idea of what I want and I know it isn't in my stash!  Then I will purchase any poly thread I need for the patterns, substituting thread in my color scheme as opposed to all of the colors in the embroidery color sheet.  I think I am then going to alternate the embroidered blocks with dresden plates on a slightly darker backing.  The "arms" of the dresden (sorry I can't remember the real term) will be the cream material, alternating with novelty fabric.  I think I will use a decorative stitch on my machine to attach the dresden plates.  It is really starting to take shape in my mind!!!  The final piecing, sashing and borders will be decided after the embroidered blocks and appliqued blocks are done and I have the basic layout determined.  I am getting SO excited.  Hopefully tomorrow I can start doing a few samples of the embroidery! 

Sorry this is a "text only" post, but I will post pictures as I move along!  If I could open a window to my brain I would give you a sneak peek.  Heeheehee...I can't WAIT!  I just hope I can get it done in time for Christmas.  There is always the option of a box full of blocks and an IOU if I can't get it done in time!  I am also planning to make my aunt a cover for her Nook.  I've already made my mom a Collapsible Craft Container for her sewing box. 

A FINISH (no matter how small) IS STILL A FINISH...

Right?  

Remember these hexie flowers I hand stitched during an unusually "steady hand" day?  Last night was steady also, so I decided to take advantage of my good luck and try to finish my pincushion as quickly as possible.

It is all finished and I just LOVE how it turned out!  I have decided to use the blue side for now (it matches my walls), but I can easily flip it over to the yellow side whenever the mood strikes, lol. 

When I had finished the pincushion I began sewing together some more hexies.  I have an idea floating around in my head to make something that will solve a minor sewing annoyance of mine...but I am unsure at this point if it will turn out exactly as planned.  If my prototype works I will post pics and maybe even a tutorial.  My first!

After only sewing together two and a half hexies the tremor started and I was forced to put away my project.  DARN!

Good thing I got that much done last night, as my tremor is absolutely HORRENDOUS today.  I had a hard time even cutting up fruit for my lunch!  

Speaking of lunch, I am trying to incorporate more summer fruits, veggies and fiber into my diet.  I SERIOUSLY need to lose weight.  My medication has caused a 15 pound weight gain in the last month and I need to do everything I can to combat that side effect!  So lunch today was low fat vanilla yogurt, fresh peaches, and a handful of popcorn to add a bit of fiber to the meal.  Did you know that Herr's Original Popcorn allows 3 whole cups as a single serving?  Definitely enough to fill my belly!  I topped it all with a huge glass of ice water.  I need to go back to my 8 to 10 LARGE glasses per day. 

Over the past few days I have finished sewing up all of the quilt blocks that I had prepped.  

Hopefully tomorrow I can begin to square them up and begin pinning them onto my design wall.  Until I see the "X's" I've completed on the wall I won't be able to tell if I even need to create more blocks, and additionally what colors or designs I need.  I have plenty more charm squares and even some fat quarters and yardage that matches the fabrics I have used so far...so I am good to go whenever I am up to continuing work on my quilt.  

Right now I am exhausted and plan to head to bed for a nap.  There's always tomorrow.....

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SEW-SEW? or SO-SO? SUNDAY!

I'm starting my Sew Sew Sunday a little early...as in Saturday at 8:45 PM, lol.  I won't be finishing the post today, so by the time it hits my blog....the title will fit!

After our usual Saturday morning "breakfast date", Dear Hubby and I took a quick run by my favorite thrift store.  I am planning a "weekly" browse through the store in search of yarn.  I am trying to match the skeins I have used thus far in my guest room blanket.  Since I am determined to supply ALL of the needed yarn at thrift store prices, I know that an exact match isn't very likely. 

But, I lucked out today and found a skein of yellow that is fairly close (it is brighter in real life...the flash seems to have washed it out) and a purple that is pretty darn close, too (also washed out). 

I feel certain that with the intervening stripes between like colors, the tones will seem an even better match.  This is, after all, a utilitarian blanket to be used for warmth! Yes, I want it to go with the existing room decor and "look pretty", but my taste is running more toward "ecclectic" than "matchy-matchy" these days, anyway.  Lucky for me!

I was also searching for a light for the dark corner of our family room.  We have had our current reclining sofa and loveseat combo for seven years now.  Over this time Dear Hubby, J and I have staked out our favorite spots.  One recliner, the left half of the loveseat when facing it, has been typically neglected.  Last weekend I happened to plop myself down in that recliner because Dear Hubby was sitting in MY favorite spot watching TV (amazing the habits we form, lol).  I placed my ice water and bowl of popcorn on the pull down "bar" unit that stands right next to the loveseat, and began to work on my crocheting. 

My duffel bag full of yarn sat conveniently next to me on the other half of the loveseat.  Eureka!  I discovered that the least used seat in the house was the perfect spot for me to simultaneously watch TV with the hubs and work on my blanket!  Everything just felt "right", like an evening scene from Little House...and I imagine I will have even more of a "warm and fuzzy" feeling come winter when we are once again using the fireplace!  There was only one deterrent to claiming the loveseat as my own...there is absolutely NO light in that corner of the family room! 

So, I started my thrift store treasure hunt in the furnishing department where I found the perfect solution to the darkness...a small silver "clip on" lamp, in perfect condition, with a clip that opened wide enough to fit onto one of the wall unit shelves.  At $8 I considered it a steal!  We stopped at Lowes and picked up a 60 watt bulb and my Dear Hubby clipped the lamp to the shelf and, while I sat with my hands at "crocheting height", adjusted the angle of the light to fall right on my handiwork.  He is SUCH a sweetie! Think I'll keep him for the next 100 years or so! 

I'm getting tired so I am off to hit the hay.....

ZZZZzzzzzzzz......

GOOD MORNING!!!!!!!!!  It is a GORGEOUS sunny day here in southeastern Pennsylvania!  The sun is shining brightly, giving me lots and LOTS of incentive.  I woke up at 7:00, took my meds and then headed into the bathroom with a brand new cleaning chemical in hand.  Our shower doors are the PITS.  I absolutely HATE them, but we don't have the money to redo the bathroom yet, and I don't want to replace the doors only to have to redo them again in a couple of years when we refurbish the whole bathroom. 

I was listening to Glenn Haege (The Master Handyman) on the radio and someone called to ask what to use on shower doors.  He recommended "The Works". 

Unfortunately it can't be used on tile, but since my big bug-a-boo is the shower doors, I don't mind.  I have NEVER in all of my married life seen such incredible results.  "The Works" does EXACTLY what it says it will do!  When was the last time an advertisement actually came through on its claims? This COULD be a once in the lifetime event!!!!!!  Next weekend I will hopefully find chemicals to tackle the toilet and floor. 

After washing the shower doors I started the laundry and headed into my sewing room to check my emails and do some more crocheting on Dear Hubby's slippers.  To say I am frustrated is an understatement!  I finished one slipper in Myrtle Beach, intending to finish the second one once we got home.  However, I can't find the instructions ANYWHERE!  I am assuming they are lost...along with the receipt from my mom's Mother's Day present, which was purchased while we were on vacation!  I guess my final "walkthrough" of the condo before I went to the desk to check out wasn't as thorough as I thought! 

 

 I have been attempting to "copy" the increases and decreases I used to get a good fit on the completed slipper.  Considering I have just begun crocheting again after a hiatus of some 25+ years...I'm not GOOD enough to fake it without instructions!  Obviously, my photographic endeavors could use some more work too.  The slippers look like a big, black ugly BLOB.  Wait...they look that way in real life too!  Hopefully you can't see my one thousand mistakes!  Dear Hubby tried them on last night and said the heel on the second slipper was too loose and didn't come up high enough.  I will add another row or two with some decreasing and hope it does the job.  If not, I may just unravel both sippers and search for another pattern!  A simple pair of slippers should NOT cause such consternation!

After I am finished the laundry I will take a quick shower and head to the grocery store.  Yes, you read that right...I'm heading to the grocery store, ALONE!  I am only going for a few absolute necessities, some needed for our dinner tonight.  Dear Hubby and I had intended to do the shopping yesterday (he bends and reaches and loads and unloads), but after a few errands we both hurt too badly to walk the grocery store.  We have been trying to use up what is in the house and have not really grocery shopped in weeks and weeks...over a month or two I am sure.  Now I am COMPLETELY out of the basics... milk, bread, eggs, cheese, margarine, cereal, yogurt, etc.  OUT, as in not even one in the house!  I am planning on hamburgers cooked on my Cuisinart (the BBQ grill has not been put outside yet) for dinner, corn on the cob and potato salad.   Not easy to make the meal without rolls, cheese, margarine or butter for the corn and potato salad!  And the bananas, strawberries and blueberries I picked up at the farmers market yesterday can't be made into smoothies without milk and yogurt!  So shopping today is a necessity.  Dear Hubby is working IN the office today...so I am stuck going alone.  J is working today so maybe he can arrange for a cart boy to help me get the stuff into my car.  Oh to be healthy again!!!!!!!!  By the time I have done the shower doors, 3 loads of laundry and shopped for the essentials I will probably be in too much pain to cook! 

I was really hoping to get more sewing done on my guest room quilt, but sometimes wants have to be superseded by needs.  Maybe later tonight I can make some headway...

A LITTLE PROGRESS IN SPITE OF MYSELF!!!

 

Ugh.  The past two days have NOT been good from a physical standpoint.  Yesterday the tremor was  so bad I did absolutely nothing the whole day except crochet half a row on my quest room blanket.  Doing that only made the tremor worse, so I gave up and plopped myself down in front of the TV.  I didn't even dare to do dishes as I was sure to drop something and then have a horrible, dangerous (to me) mess to clean up on my kitchen floor!

Today I started out the day NOT shaking, so I decided to try to make a little progress on my guest room quilt. 

I managed to sew together 5 blocks this morning (11 done total) before my tremors got to the point where I really can't continue sewing on the machine...or doing anything for that matter!  I think I will head downstairs to the family room and see if I can find anything worth watching on TV.  Maybe I will be able to do a bit of crocheting on the blanket again.  Maybe.  I really need to get some more audiobooks from the library for days like this where my hands are super problematic!

On a brighter note, yesterday the postman brought me the set of fat quarters I ordered from Angela at Cut To Pieces.  They are just so HAPPY!  Now I need to cut the bottom off of another old t-shirt to use to tie the bundle together and I will put it away in my ESR storage cabinet until I find just the perfect project! On second thought, lol, scissor use right now may not be in my best interest!  Oh well, there is always tomorrow! 

WORKING ON MY GUEST ROOM QUILT...AND MORE...

Since J moved out of the house back in January, Dear Hubby and I have been playing musical bedrooms...fixing up J's room as my "Expansion Sewing Room" and slowly moving hubby's "house" office out of the fourth bedroom, which will become our new guest room.  Since we have moved J's old queen sized bed into the guest room, we will need bedding to match the room.  Luckily I found a set of new blue sheets in the linen closet, but the only blankets/quilts available to put on the bed are J's old black vellux blanket and his dorm room denim quilt.  Not very pretty for our new room!  Serviceable and warm, yes, but pretty?  No.  So I have begun work on a quilt for the bed.

After paying to have J's old room repainted, hubby and I certainly can't afford to change the decor of the guest room too.  Being "stuck" with the yellow (not my favorite color...the room was originally J's gender neutral nursery updated years ago with a border and curtains to make a grown up bedroom)

I picked out Sweet Shoppe Calico Candies material by Benartex as it contained all of the colors of the bedroom and retained that "cottage-y" feel (which I DO love, by the way!  It's so ME!).

I then picked out a pattern that felt "scrappy" to me (my first love in quilts) and mimicked the lattice frame on the wall.   However, since I am using 5" charms to construct this quilt, with each of my blocks finishing at 4.5", it is going to require tons and TONS of blocks and hours and Hours and HOURS of work!  Good thing I am in no rush to have the room finished (especially when I only average 12 to 18 blocks per week!), lol.  I am not even sure I have enough charm squares to finish a queen sized top.  Lol.  I tend to "wing it" when designing quilts and adapt as I go along.  While I do have quite a few similar patterned/colored fat quarters that I could cut into charms allowing me to keep it completely a 4.5" block quilt, I may consider some type of sashing to break up the pattern and speed the quilt to completion.  I'm not sure yet and will play it by ear as I move along.  

I am using Bella Solid white charms in the construction of the block.  

Each charm is cut into 2.5" squares, which are used to form the pattern of my quilt blocks.  

White squares are positioned in opposing corners and pinned in place. 

Then, using my all-time favorite quilting gadget (Quilter's Magic Wand), I draw my stitching lines. 

By moving the wand to the right of the stitching line I am able to draw another stitching line 0.5" away.  

 

Two stitching lines done.  

Flip the block around and do the same on the other 2.5" white square. 

Move to the machine and sew on all four stitching lines.  

Snip all threads and prepare to kill two birds with one stone!  

Cut down the middle of your two sewn lines.  

This will give you your primary block AND two teeny tiny half square triangles for a future project!

I wasn't kidding when I said "teeny, tiny"!  Those small HST's will finish at just 1" square!  Teeny, tiny and Oh. So. Cute!  I am thinking they would look just darling as the border on a throw pillow!  As tiny as they are, though, I know better than to try to work with them unless I am having a really good tremor day, lol.  

So, after working on my quilt for just 30 minutes my tremors decided to make their presence known and forced me on to bigger, more tremor friendly things (crochet).   

My stack of completed blocks to date.  A mere thirty one blocks out of, oh I don't know, maybe a gazillion?  This quilt is going to take a long, LONG time, lol.  I think my mom was right when she said I needed to live to be at least 125 to finish all of the projects in my head, but maybe I need that many years just to complete THIS one!

Off to work on crocheting the last dish cloth so I can list them in my shop.  Oh, and speaking of crochet...

 

On Sunday the landscaper came out and weeded, edged and mulched my flower beds.  Over the years all of my beautiful daffodils have died...with the exception of the muted, slightly peach colored flowers you see above.  They looked so pretty set against the new dark black mulch.  So I took my scissors out and cut a few fresh flowers to enjoy in my sewing room.  After pulling out my small vase I decided that a thin, top heavy water filled vase was NOT an ideal candidate for a tremor ridden admirer.  I could just PICTURE the vase and water splattered all over!  A quick search through my glass jar collection located this short, squat jelly jar.  While I like the pattern in the glass, it was still BORING.  So I crocheted a white bobble edging to put around the rim.  Okay, better...but still kinda BORING.  I crocheted a few pink flowers and green leaves to add to the edging.  I pinned them onto the edging in an effort to "live with the look" before I attach them permanently.  Cute, but.....I don't know.  

I like the light pink because it clearly picks up the pink flowers on my tea pot, but I feel like something is just not "right".  Maybe two flowers are too much?  Any suggestions are welcomed!!!!