Started on a quilt that has a lot of pieces to it. It is a Halloween one. So far 8 blocks have been posted and I only have done the 1st two! So far behind!!!  Have the ghost and witches hat done. All blocks are paper pieced. 

 Ramblings ...

This year is almost over. August already. Next month will be a year since I've been retired. Where has the dang time gone? What have I done? Nothing. What have I accomplished? Nothing. What do I expect to get done or accomplished? Everything. But in reality it probably it will be NOTHING.

 12/11/2023

So many many many years have gone by!!! I'm surprised I even remembered my name on the blog!!! Wouldn't have thought of it but I have been searching the net of anywhere and everywhere I have been now and in the past. Was trying to find why I had sewn some up some blocks. But I couldn't for the life of me remember what the pattern was called that I had started on. Did I put the name on the baggie? NO That you have been too smart of someone as simply as me! Found it on this blog! Yipee skippy. Made my December day (what's left of this year) a happy one. The bag will be marked as soon as I get up from here ... hahaha

Another year has gone by!!!

Happy New Year, everyone!

Man, I don't keep this blog up to date, do I? LOL New Year's resolution is to do just that. To blog more.

Christmas was a nice one. Santa was very good to me. Left a Janome Horizon 7700 under the tree! Yee haw Haven't really had a chance to see what this baby can do but then again still early in the year and will have to find the time to play with it. It does look nice and I sure do like the thread cutter button on it. That will come in handy for paper piecing ... lol Don't look at date on picture. Camera year is off :( Will set that next time I snap a picture if I think about it.

Been over a year!!!

Been over a year since I've posted! Time flies, eh?

Yep, haven't really done much. But I did make a pillowcase for a friend who will be sleeping in her new home tomorrow night. First time every making one. Went by a tutorial I saw online. Very quick, very easy. Now I want to make more, more and more of them ... lol

Felt good to be at the sewing machine once more. Will have to make friends with it all over again. Do love the SewEZi table I got back in September. The one I've been wanting for over 2 years.

Off I get. Getting late and have to work tomorrow. Seahawks game Sunday. Go Hawks!!!!

been procrastinating ... as always

Have the top done, been done ... lol Even added a small black inner border to it. Problem, don't have enough of the red that's long enough to go from top to bottom on the sides. Thinking of what to put in the four corners to help with this matter. Do like the quilt top, though. Will think on it a little longer, I guess.

Started another mystery. Did the 8 appliqued hearts that it calls for. Not sure if applique is my "bag" ... haha Went searching for the longest time on the net, knew dang well I had been to a blog or site or something that showed how to set up your Bernina machine for appliqueing. Found it, tried it, it worked. Didn't have the DMC machine embroidery thread they mentioned so just used the Sulky thread that I had on hand. Ann Sutton
sure does do a beautiful job at it!!! May have to get some of that DMC if I want to applique in the future ... lol That will remain to be seen.

Having camera issues. Don't know what I did to the blasted contraption but it doesn't want to take as good a picture as I think it will or have done in the past. Will tinker with it some more and cuss it out even more.

Happy 2010 y'all !!!

Would have, could have, should have said this earlier but have been busy with work and sewing ... lol So Happy belated 2010!!! May it be as good as (if your last year was a good one) or better than (if your last year was as bad as mine). Onward, forward, don't look back. May you do better than me at keeping any resolutions that you have made ... haha

Been sewing on Ann Smith's mystery every chance I've gotten the last couple of days. Need sewing machine at work. Was naturally and understandably slow few days after NYE. Kept busy stocking this and that, though. Was so far ahead of myself Saturday felt like I didn't need to come in Sunday ... lmdao!!!

Have all the clues sewn on the mystery. Now to get it all put together :) :) :) Been having fun and so far every thing seems to be lining up. Rarity for me, let me tell you!!!! Must be getting better at sewing in my old age ... hahaha

Pics below :)

Starting another mystery

This mystery starts tomorrow but I won't be able to sew on it until after work. Did just finish up the pre-sewing of the mystery. Doing the lap/twin size that calls for 288 2½" HST's! Ouch. But they are finally all cut, sewn, ironed and squared up ... whew. Here are the fabrics I got at Joann's for the mystery. The lady was just putting out Valentine fabric and I fell in love with the doggie material! So went a searching for others that might go with this focal material ... lol lol lol Found some dog bones, some paw prints, some dalmation like dotted, and a gorgeous, to die for black!

Here's a picture of all those tiny HST's. If I wanted to turn this into a full/queen size then it would require 300 more of these!!! Think I will stick with the lap/twin. 288 is enough for me, can't imagine doing 588 of them!!! Oh, the pic got a portion of the 8½" X 24" Omnigrid, non slip ruler I got for Christmas. Am going to enjoy this ruler! Green in color. Will have to get used to that since all the other rulers I have are either a yellowish or clearish color.

Side note on Bonnie's mystery: Was working on it, my litte Blossom came down sick and with vet, surgery, hospital stay ($2,500 in all) I kind of lost interest. She is doing well now. Know she is 10 years old and that was a lot of money (at least for poor old working fool like me) but want her around for as long as the Good Lord lets me. Did do some on the mystery, though. Quite a bit actually, but I peeked ahead, shame on me! Bonnie does some fantastic patterns, but, this one didn't really suit me. Either that or the colors I picked just didn't work out well. Soooooooo ... will just wait until she posts another mystery ... ha

Later on update ... lol Just finished cutting out the rest of the clues for the mystery tomorrow. Hoping this will turn out pretty neat. The designer is Ann Smith. She has some nice patterns from what I've seen. Her last one I saved. Never got around to it yet. Still kind of picking out fabrics for it. Have the focus fabric but not all the other to go with it.

Okay, off I go. Work tomorrow so have to get up early. Will certainly start sewing when I get home!

Starting Bonnie's mystery

Here's the fabric I picked out for Bonnie's new mystery, Carolina Christmas. Started the day after Thanksgiving. Clue 2 is up and I still haven't finished with clue 1 ... lol Drat work, gets in my way of having sewing fun at home. Oh, Thanksgiving day hub complained about the tons of unwashed material on top of dryer. Said for me not to buy any more until I could find a place for what I have or to use some of it up. After a serious "silence" time and after smoothing my ruffled feathers I guess you can say I agree with him. There is way too much here in this tiny trailer. My goal for 2010 is to use up what I have. Okay, some purchases along the way, going to buy white with small print and cream with small print. This way sooner or later I will have some to put in one of Bonnie's mysteries. Gives the quilt some depth and it looks P U R T Y ... hahaha Oh, and still have to buy some batiks here and there and still keep buying for my pinks collection that I've been working on for some years. One day going to do a pink and brown quilt! UMMM ... since I have to buy this and that, does this mean I will have less of a stash? (EG) :) :) :)

Will post pic of clue 1 when and if I get it all done.

Oh! And next month will be doing an Ann Smith mystery. This is what got me in trouble. Saw a pretty damn cute Valentine doggie and cat fabric at Joann's and had to get it, plus had to look around for some fabrics that went with it that will go in the mystery. AND then saw some bird fabric that I grabbed and growled over. Oh and then at the check out line a magazine caught my eyeballs. Geeeeeezzzzzz Louise, keep me out of Joann's!!! Especially when I don't have a blasted coupon with me.

The Mini from He** is done ...

Finished this Carol Doak mini late last night. FINALLY. Anything and everything that could go wrong ... DID. It was Sept. 4th when she posted the challenge. Liked the looks of it so went to Joann's and got some of the fabrics I didn't have in stash. I have cussed at and pushed this mini aside quite a few times, let me tell you! At least it is done. Think I will "birth" it, that is when I find out how to birth one. Don't care for my choice of colors or fabrics, so don't want to spend too much time in getting it completely done.

Day 2 continued ... :)

Can't believe it ... already finished with section E and F!!! This day is good, getting on in the evening, but this day is good ... haha Pups food has been cooked and I even have a load of washing in the washer.

Not sure of my fern colors. Seems pale and hardly noticeable against that darn sky fabric. Oh, well, onward and upward. I sure ain't a gonna do over again.

Back to sewing I goooooooooo



9:19pm ... it's all done! WOW ... amazed myself. Now to see what kind of border I can come up with for it. Really enjoyed doing this mystery. Perhaps not my fabric choices.

Shopping for some batiks next week!!! lmao!!!

Paper Piecing

Working on Paper Panache mystery #52. If you are doing it and haven't gotten to the point where you know what it is, don't look at my picture ... hahaha Downloaded the pattern late last night, colored it in to find out what it was going to be and when I saw that it was a flamingo decided to work on it. Like those long legged birdies. And pink seems to be my "new" color right now for some odd reason. Getting old and tastes change, I suppose. But I still love my browns! And just bought 4 yards of some at Wal-mart yesterday. If and when I finish this bird am hoping to start on one of Cindy Carter's patterns called Scrappy Fall Leaves. Check out her site. She is very talented and comes up with some great free patterns!!!

Off I get. Need to work some more on pinkie bird ... lol lol lol

Day 2 ... just finished doing sections C and D and adding it to sections A and B that I did last night. Progress! lol Funny looking flamingo but at least I'm working on it. Think I'm going to start buying batiks. See an awful lot of people using them and they sure can make for a great quilt. Now just watch me buy the wrong kinds when I do. This old gal has weird tastes when it comes to fabric that attracks her ... haha But I really do think batiks are the way to go. Will start out like I did years ago when I got into quilting, fat quarter here and there and work my way up to ½ yard and then into yards of it.

Back to sewing. See how much more of this I can get done.

What I got in the mail today!!!

Oh, heck, long day at work today. Was tired as all get out. Didn't have to walk home, though, boss man gave me a ride! I checked the mailbox and then went inside to greedily open two packages my sister sent me (all thoughts of being tired went out of head and body quickly!). Both packages contained some counted cross stitch pictures I had done YEARS ago. And in one of the package sis had sent me a birthday card with some $$$money$$$ wrapped up in a "bee-U-tee-full" antique hankie. I immediately called her, wanted to speak with her and thank her for what she did before I bawled like a baby. Which I promptly did after we finished talking ... haha

Anyhow, these pictures all need to be washed. Filthy! Each were in a frame, but she took them out so that it wouldn't cost a small fortune to send me. Some of the glass had been broken in a few and some of the frames scratched. I can frame them again, no biggie. Am mulling around the idea of adding a patchwork border on each and sandwiching them. Soft framing ... lol That way if they get dirty again they can go in washer. And if need to move from here to wherever they won't weigh a ton, be breakable and cost oddles of dollars to send. All of these were done back in my still young eyes days. The girl with her arm resting on her knee was done in 1987. The girl in blue dress holding hat was done in 1988. LONG time ago!

Now will get back to my silly tears and put my thinking hat on ... lmdao!!!!!!!!!!

Last night ... whaaaaaaa

Was working on a Carol Doak holiday mini last night. Just having one grand old time. Itty bitty pieces so far. 16 of the 4½" blocks that is required. Started ironing what I had added on to all the blocks. 3rd block from the last my iron spit ... NO ... let me rephrase that ... the damn iron vomited all over the block!!!!!!! I went into a temper tanrum!!! It ain't the first time over ... ummm ... 6 years? ... that this confounded, stupid, idiotic, blasted contraption has done this to me. LAST STRAW!!! I cussed, I fussed, I wept and cussed some more. NEVER again will I buy a Proctor Silex iron. Why have I put up with it all these years? Because I'm a confounded, stupid, idiotic, blasted human. And cheap one too ... haha Just look at what it did to the poor little defensless block, the muslin sheet and the ironing board cover!



Here is the GREMLIN. Named after those cute little critters ... that is until you gave them WATER.

Went shopping today after playing bingo. Got this new Shark iron at Wally world. Am hoping it will not have to be named Gremlin2. Time will tell ... haha

Have turned it on so far, not used it, just waiting to see if it shuts off or I have to unplug it after every use. Keeping fingers crossed that it will turn out to be a fairly good iron!!!

I am still around :)

I haven't posted since ... FOREVER. Was doing pretty well then my sis got sick and sent to hospital towards the end of February and almost lost her. Put a damper on being creative. Couldn't let her outdo me. I came down sick in May, fought it for nearly 2 weeks then went to see a doctor. That turkey called an ambulance and sent my fat unhappy butt to hospital for a few days. Was away from work for 3 weeks. Had pneumonia which was bad on me since they found out I also have mild emphysema. Hospital, tests, scans, doctor visits. I'll be poor for awhile since insurance doesn't cover everything. Bah hum bug. Oh, have to mention, the lung specialist that came to see me got my heart to pumping ... haha Haven't had that happen since Dr. Kildare (remember him? lol lol lol)

Anyhow ... had some good in my life. Belong to a yahoo quilt group (one of many ... haha). This lady posted a picture of her son and guess what!? He is a customer that comes in store where I work! Small world. Patty came to Washington to be with her sons new wife for a few weeks while he had to go away on business. We have gotten together and have had a blast!!! She leaves tomorrow to go back home. I am going to miss her horribly. She has been quilting since 1977 and is a wealth of quilting information! Did get hubby to take a picture of us together ... lol Patty is a total blast to get together with.

new purse :)

After work today my friend and I went to Michael's craft store. I had to use restroom. Theirs were out of order :( So went next door to Gottschalks. Awww ... felt much better ... lol Did some browsing around. Hi di ho ... found a purse! Haven't bought one in 3 years or maybe longer? Debated. Was originally $55 marked down to $40.98 and then 60% off that ... YAHOO! My friend was at register making a purchase and I debated some more. Finally decided to go for it. It is now ... MINE ... hahaha

Will definitely carry it to work tomorrow. Took some time to print out the right sized photo of the pups, but now they are inside the little photo holder of the purse. Next picture I take of them they will have to get closer together ... lol lol lol

Got the top done!!!

I ain't ever done a top in 2 days from start to finish!!! New year, new sewing machine and wow look at me go ... hahaha It is a simple pattern but even simple is complicated to me at times. Now to see how long it takes me to quilt and bind it and possible embellish it a little ... lol lol lol That is a horse of a different color. This banner top is roughly 28" x 42". Take a look see at it ... lol

Already thinking of doing one done up in pink? Purple? Oh, and yes, even my not so favorite color Blue that I seem to have plenty of for not liking the blasted color. Day dreaming. Pinch me and I might wake up and decide just to stick with the one I've done and forget about doing any more this year ... lmao!

Besides, other holidays are coming up, too, and as slow as I am I better think of doing something for them instead of doing anymore Valentine stuff.

Working on something

Knew I had been to the blog before but took forever to find it again last night. Yeah, should put stuff I may want to go back to later in history, shoot me, I didn't, but now the blog is in there ... lol It's a heart banner from
Freda's Hive. Perfect for next month and giving me a break from Doubtful Delight at the moment. Went to Aunt Mary's quilt shop today and got some black and white fabric, little of this, little of that and some border fabric that I'm hoping to use. This part worked up pretty quickly for a slow sewer like me ... haha Had to cut up the pieces and stuff so not counting that into it, it went quick. Now to make another heart block. Had thought about putting rick-rack around the heart. May buy some tomorrow and check to see how it looks.

Oh, and talk about sewing, I am definitely in love with the Pfaff I recently got!!! The Bernina still hasn't been packed up to take to get it fixed. Haven't found the time to do it or to get to the sewing place. Maybe next month? lol lol lol No biggie. Having loads of fun with the Pfaff. Got to name her. She's a keeper for sure! At least until I can get the other Pfaff ... hahaha Maybe I won't though. Time will tell. Haven't tried quilting on this one so will see how she does when the time comes.

Back to sewing. Got a little time before bed so will see how much I can get done.

A quarter? of mystery done ...

Been working on and off on Bonnie's mystery. So far have gotten a corner of it pieced ... lol Don't have much time lately to do it. Besides, those blasted 9 patches are making me procrastinate. Ain't my favorite thing to do. Picture of the corner done. Was taken on the 21st and still like this. Did sew together some of the star blocks last night ... and NO ... didn't do any of the 9 patches.

The little shelf on the side of the cutting table where I have put some of my fabric on fell! Well, one side of it did! It came loose from the wall. Guess that's what I get for trying to put more on it ... lmao! I've got to STOP buying material until I can get some of what I do have sewn and out of this house. UMM, wishful thinking on my part. Too many pretty fabrics out there ... whaaaaa

Several things ...

I WON the drawing at Paper Panache for Mystery #49! Can't believe it. I seldom win
anything ... and that includes bingo lately ... lol Last night when I saw that I nearly had a slight heart attack, let me tell you! Awhile back I posted the blocks I had made. Well I don't think I posted the finished product ... here it is: It's a sewflake block ... ha The blocks of the other ladies who entered are beautiful ones. Think I recognize a name or two from some of the groups I belong to. They always do such splendid work.

After I found out I won I went outside to smoke. Was cold out so wanted my stocking hat. Couldn't find it. I was beyond myself. It's an extremely old ratty-tatty faded hat, but one that means the world to me. Before bingo this morning went to work place and there it was. I had left it at work. Yahooo ... have my hat back again. Happy day.

And yesterday my friend Eddie and I after she picked me up from work we went to Joann's. Was in search of a 3 ½" square ruler. They didn't have it ... again! Did get 3 yards of some of the prettiest large floral fabric I have seen in a long time. Now what to do with it? Couldn't pass it up, it called out to me ... haha Has my colors in it. Love it, love it, love it. Now for a pattern that isn't too "busy" so the border fabric will show. Any suggestions out there? Would be greatly appreciated.

Oh, and came to an abrupt halt on Bonnie's mystery, Double Delight, when I found out I had messed up. BUT ... think I may go ahead with the pattern. May call mine Doubtful Delight or Single Delight since my centers aren't like they should be ... hahahaha

I was bummed at the time. I did make all those little tiny blocks. So, just well not waste my time, thread or fabric used in this quilt so far. It ain't too bad. Just not what Bonnie gave us. Next time she gives us a mystery, going to read the pattern up, down, sideways and even inbetween the lines so I will have a finished project that matches the pattern ... haha