SATURDAY

I'm going grocery shopping in a few minutes. I just wanted to show you that I found 11 more orphan blocks. Notice a theme here? I must get bored quickly because I guess that I have trouble finishing things. I started testing an entire applique quilt for Quilter's Cache. I had about an 8 month deadline, which should have been the first clue not to take on this task.. I got 10 of the 25 blocks done, panicked because I was running out of time, and did the whole set (plus 11 over again)In machine applique instead of needleturned hand applique. I don't think these blocks are that great. I would do them different if I were to do them again,and now I am stuck with 11 mediocre blocks, and I really need another block done to make it a set. AND I finished my socks. Now I am ready for the movie and Book Seven. I hope it isn't too hot those days wearing wool socks might bee too much.. I know...I'm a dork


As you can see, there is a cool counter in the sidebar. The movie counter sometimes doesn't look like it is working. I am always amazed the difference of what I can see on my computer, and what other people see looking at the same thing. For instance, something might not show up on my blog when I'm looking at it on my computer(counter) and it does on someone elses. Or the opposite. I looked at my blog from my daughters computer, and both of the counters were replaced with some sort of plugin error. So, anyway, I hope you see what I hoped for!!

POOR LITTLE ORPHANS

Thanks to all of you that commented on my orphan quilt.
I used this quilt all of the time, but I have recently started trading off in order to preserve this quilt a little more.
Now, on to orphans. My idea of an orphan block is an only block that was made with no quilt in mind. At one time I tested blocks for the online free quilt block site QUILTER'S CACHE . This left me with quite a few single blocks. Of course, I never thought of making blocks using complementary fabrics, so they don't really go together. Anyway, I have managed to put all of my blocks in one place, and I thought I would give you an idea of what I have.

This is an overview of the stack of blocksThese are a few of my Moonglow castoffs. Not worthy for the final quilt for one reason or another. Yes, the top is all pieced.. no border thoughThese are some of the blocks from one of the AZ retreats. They all were some sort of nine patch using this southwestern print. They at least have like fabric to tie them together

These are some of the blocks from a birthday block swap I did with my New York Beauty Yahoo group. I made duplicate blocks for myself of blocks I made for the others. I think that this is one of them. None of these blocks match.
some 8" blocks, and I think either more birthday block blocks or another AZ retreat collection
There are a couple of Carol Doaks 50 fabulous paper pieced stars
These are some twisted star blocks from a swap
THESE are the other AZ swap blocks (12" nine patch) there are some cast off small blocks from other projects

So any way, as you can see, I have a lot of blocks to make great colorful utility quilts. I don't always have to only work on competition quilts. I am in kind of a slump right now anyway. I am making 3 pairs of socks.. actually I'm coming to the end of the second sock of 2 pairs. I probably should never have started knitting again. It just divides up my time again. But, it is so relaxing, and I am enjoying it. I had to wait for my daughter to get a root canal this afternoon. I would have gone nuts sitting doing nothing, but I had my Ipod and a sock.. kept me busy for that hour plus that I waited.

I have also started a new blog for my knitting. Another time sucking activity. But I didn't want my non-knitting readers to be bored seeing my knitting projects. If you DO want to see knitting content, you will find a link to my blog "I'm Knitting Instead" in the sidebar.

Have a good day!!

SACRED THREADS AND YARN MARKET

My friend and I attended SACRED THREADS QUILT SHOW in a town near Columbus Ohio. Even though it is only a little 2 hours from me I have never taken the trip down to see it. I has always come after the NQA show, and I have probably felt that I didn't want to make another trip down within 2 weeks. This year I couldn't attend NQA, so my friend and I went to Sacred Threads. I have been to a lot of quilt shows, and this is the first one that brought me close to tears several times. The quilt artists did not have to limit the explanation for their quilt to 25 words or less. The reasons for making their pieces were so touching. Some were made to proclaim the love of God, some after the death of a loved one, or inspired by illness, joy, grief. It was a wonderful show. It is biannual, and I don't intend to miss it again.

We also looked up YARN MARKET I have looked at the site online, but noticed that you could shop there. I wasn't sure what to expect when we arrived at a group of warehouses and walked into an office, not a store. It was wonderful. It helps to come armed with what you want, because
There were four (maybe six)warehouses with floor to ceiling bins of yarns in every conceivable color and brand. They gave us a tour and let us loose to pick out what we wanted. I found some great wool tweed and Mission Falls Wool. I will go back to get them when I know how much I need for a project.
I bought three Cherry Tree Hill sock yarns that were called "Potluck" because they were chance dyed with what was left in the dyepot.. no two alike. My favorite is the dusky purple varigated. I bout 2 toufoutsies a soy silk/wool/cotton/shrimp blend.. and Panda cotton/bamboo enough for 3 pair of socks. It was a good day.

BACK TO NORMAL

Let me tell you. It was nice to walk out of work on time today. And the weekend is upon me. YAY!
BAD NEWS...
After 2 years,

Lily Monster.. or Monster has learned to come down the basement stairs which means that at any moment, my poor unsuspecting angel Sam

Might find himself violently aroused out of a peaceful slumber while sleeping on his bed in my studio.
I blame all of this on Claire

Whom I saw walking down the steps with Lily the other day, no doubt giving her instructions. Claire is also responsible for sending brain waves to Sam to be let out of the bedroom in the morning. Sam puts on his best Lassie impression while he looks at me expectantly running to me and back to the door that Claire is behind. Claire has also given Sam instruction on how to find holes in the fence. I think she's trying to get rid of him.
Bill says that I am giving way to much credit to Claire because she is just not that bright. But, I'm just sayin... it's pretty fishy.

I am working on a log cabin.. I know.. boring, and it is going to be kind of traditional in some ways and not traditional in others. I was going to go one way with the layout, but I have decided to do the traditional barnraising layout. As I go along, I'm sure I will think of other ways to spark it up. Starting with it being made of 3" blocks, and it will be a wallhanging size.. maybe 50"

I'm going out to buy one of those clickers that you use to count people. I need one that has 3 digit places. I am going to use one of these to keep track of the number of blocks I have made. Then I don't have to keep counting them. I think that I need around 200. Well, check back later.. you never know what that Claire will be up to..

ANTIQUES

HOW MANY ANTIQUE SEWING MACHINE LOVER'S DOES IT TAKE TO WIND A BOBBIN?

Apparently two...

My friends Kay and Lindy winding a bobbin for Kaye's hand crank Singer.

The sewing machines are the antiques.. Although.........

Kaye may get the last laugh when someday I might want to sew, and not have electricity. Truthfully, I think this machine is awesome, and I want one.

This is the case it comes in.
My work week is finally over. I do payroll for our department, and looked at the hours I will have worked for our next pay. 80 hours. I started to wonder what was the big deal.. it is full time, most people do it.. until I realized that 65 hours of it were between Sunday and Thursday. Groan.. I was SO TIRED.

I am planning a new miniature. the things it needs to not have... intricate piecing to the edge, and intricate piecing all over the top. I think I can manage that.

Well, dinner is on the stove. Catch ya later!!

FINALLY FRIDAY

Even though it means I will have double the work tomorrow, I took today off. I'm glad that I did. I was tired and actually slept in after shutting my dog Sam, out of the bedroom. He is used to getting up with me every day at 4:30 or 5, so he obviously doesn't understand the concept of 'day off'. He got me up a 6 this morning.. his idea of sleeping in I guess. I bleary eyed took him out, and shut the door in his face when I got back to bed. I didn't even notice when My husband got up for work. It felt good to sleep until 8:45. I have been in my sewing room working all morning. I finished the guild challenge ribbons. And YES, I had to stop and buy more blue and yellow because I still haven't found what I already bought. Maybe I left it in the bag and tossed it, which will be it's fate if I ever do find it.

It is almost noon now, and I am going to go up and get dressed to go grocery shopping. I finally gave in and turned on the air conditioner. I hadn't turned it on because I thought it was going to rain and get cool. But when I woke up to a sunny beautiful day, and the inside temp was in the 80's.. I closed all of the windows and flipped the switch.


I hope that all of you have a good weekend. Me... I will be sitting in a small windowless office putting information about patients into the computer. The fun just never ends.