Getting Back into Sewing!

Now that the holidays are over, I really need to get back into the swing of things, quilting wise!
I made it to the top of the queen's list on Stashbusters!  For my UFO finish, I finished the Twinkler pillow that I had made from the leftover blocks from the quilt.  I had four blocks left, and I didn't want to put them back away, so I added 5 print blocks, and did some simple quilting on it 
There it sat for months, while I tried to decide what size pillow I wanted. When my name came to the top of the list, I finally made a quick decision! I think it turned out ok!

I've also made some headway on Grand Illusion.  I started the blocks for Clue #2, which was the one that seemed to give everyone the most headaches!  They really weren't as hard as I thought they would be. I've learned to try to be more precise in my cutting, and especially in my sewing. That has helped a lot!  I measure and sliver trim after each step, too.  That takes me a bit longer, since I have to trim and iron in the dining room, but I'm sewing on my 301-A in the office.

I have 12 blocks done so far, and they turned out pretty good!  My points match up pretty closely, so that is the main thing!
It feels good to finally FEEL like sewing again!  I just wish I had the space to leave things out, so I could sew without having to worry about having to clear the dining room every time!  Oh, well.  I'll just have to do what I can.  It's better than nothing!

I think I'm done for tonight, so until next time...

Vickie

Time To Get Back In The Groove!

Oh my goodness, has it really been over two years since I've been on my own blog!
I don't know why I can waste so much time on the computer and not even give my own little blog a few minutes of my time!
Ok, I'm making an early New Year's resolution to try to keep up here a little better.  AND, THIS TIME I MEAN IT!! 
I've even made a couple of quilts in my time away, so... Yeah!! Pictures!!

 My Twinkler Quilt. The blocks were from a block exchange on Pat Sloan's group a few years ago. When the challenge came up on Stashbusters I remembered I had these, and another UFO bit the dust!

All the extra blocks became the back of the quilt, and I used this great red I had. I even threw in some Millennium fabrics I still had!  I had no use in mind when I made this quilt, I just wanted to get it done. I since have been thinking about a co-worker who has been going through chemo, and I think this quilt will end up going to her.

My next project was to make Fall candy corn table runners for myself, my sister-in law, her daughter and her daughter-in-law.  I thought they turned out really cute!  I hope the girls liked them.  My goal is to make runners for every season.  I already have one for St. Patrick's Day I made a few years ago. I guess I don't have a picture of that one.
Oh, I remembered that a lot of my recent pictures are on the laptop, so I'll have to find them on there another day!
It's good to be back!  I'll sign off for now, but I'll be back soon!!

Vickie

How Time Flies

Oh my goodness, am I ever a bad blogger!  I can't believe it's been so long since I posted anything.  It's not that I didn't have anything to say. I think mainly I haven't blogged anything because I haven't sewn a stitch in what seems like forever.  This was supposed to be a blog about my quilts, but I've seemed to lost my quilting "mojo".   I guess when I lost my sewing room I haven't felt much like sewing anything. Poor excuse, probably, I know. I sewed and quilted for many years on the dining room table or desk, so this shouldn't be an excuse. 
I'm off work all this week, so I need to make a real effort to get that sewing machine back out, and sew SOMETHING! Now that I wrote it, I'll have to follow through, right?
Ok, stay tuned! I promise I'll be back soon!

Vickie

My Christmas Quilt

I've always wanted to  make a special Christmas quilt, but just never seemed to get around to actually doing it.
the last time we went to the quilt show in columbus, i saw a really cute quilt i really liked.
called hubs over to see it, and he really liked it too.
it was a kit, and i really never buy kits, because they're usually too pricey for my budget.
it wasn't way too expensive, but just more than i normally spend at one time!
since he really liked it, though, hubby thought i should go ahead and get it, BUT he said i had to finish it for "THIS CHRISTMAS"!!
haha, he knows me too well!!

well. that was in 2010, and it did indeed get finished for THAT christmas! 
i just love it!
we decorate a lot with snowmen, so it fit right in!

Vickie

Much Better Now

Ok, the back issue finally did resolve itself.   finally started feeling more like "normal".
Thanksgiving has come and gone. Lots of great food, as usual, and it's always great to see family we don't get to see often enough.
now it's time to think about Christmas. gosh, how did it get to december already!
i'm not one who gets all the shopping done right after Thanksgiving.  i do NOT do "black friday". ever.
besides, i usually have to work anyway.
i have been known to be finishing up my shopping as the stores are closing on dec 24th!
i'm getting much better, and i don't do that anymore.
i can usually get done by dec 23rd! lol!!
my problem is deciding what to get the guys.
this year, i don't have a clue. or a lot of money to get all the stuff they would really like! :)
first we need to decorate, so that will probably get started next week.
the outside lights are up already.
hubs did a good job, as usual. only around 1300 lights so far! hehe!
was  going to add a picture from last year, but all the good pictures are on the laptop.
will add one later.

'nite for now,

Vickie

Oh, My Aching Back!

For this past week, i've been dealing with a sore back. 

I'm tired of dealing with a sore back.

I guess it really is a sign of getting older, when you can hurt your back not doing anything special.

I was cleaning up a cat mess on monday, didn't think much of it, until i realized i couldn't quite stand up straight.

So all week i've been "walking like an old lady", like hubby says. 

I've had enough of this.

I don't do "pain" well. 

I have too much to do this time of year to not be able to move well. 

I have some cute ideas for Christmas i want to sew, and now i can't sit long enough to do them. 

It's not fair!

Ok, i just needed to vent for a little bit. 

Now i'll put on my big girl panties and deal.

Vickie

Where Has The Time Gone?

Holy cow,  i can't believe it's been two months since i posted anything!
i guess my life really is that boring!
had  another week of vacation in that time, finished my blue and white quilt top, which turned out really cute, btw.
it's kind of big, though, so i'll need to have the guys hold it up for me to get a pic.
halloween has come and gone.
hubs didn't feel like decorating this year.
he usually goes really all out.
our house is usually the talk of the neighborhood. 
even the neighbors were disappointed, and gave him a hard time about not having the "spooky house'! 
guess he'll have to come up with something good next year!
can't believe it's fall already and it's starting to get cooler.
i don't like cold weather.
i love when it is 70s in the daytime and 50s at night.
guess those days are coming to an end.
winters on lake erie are not for sissies!
snow will be here before we know it!  yuck!
need to sign off and get to bed now.
i promise to post more often, just in case someone is actually reading this! :)
be back soon!

Vickie

A New Quilt?!

well, my fall quilt is done done, the log cabin needs a backing sewn, then basted, etc;
the flower pot quilt still needs the quilting finished;
then there are all those other ufos calling my name,  so what am i doing today?
I feel like starting another quilt!
for a while now i've been collecting blues and yellows.
i love the look of a blue and yellow quilt, and i've been wanting to make one for a long time.
our living room is yellow with white trim, and i think a blue and yellow quilt would look so nice in there.
even though hubs doesn't care for blue and yellow because "they're michigan colors", too bad!
that's a dumb reason to me, so i'm going to do what i want anyway! hehehe
sometime ago i bought this yummy collection of half-yard cuts of blue fabrics i've been saving for this.
i don't even remember where i got them, but they're perfect for this project.
then today i opened up a jelly roll of strips i had bought from pat sloan, but never used yet.
inside were yummy yellows! just what i needed.
so that's how this project got started today.
i'm not even going to think about all those many, many other unfinished quilt projects calling my name.
i'm going to close my ears and start cutting!

Vickie

Buffy the Mighty Huntress

so hubby calls me at work the other night, which is a little unusual, because i rarely get calls at work.
i was hoping  nothing was wrong.
he just had to tell me, "Buffy got a BIRD!" 
now, this is funny, because; a. buffy is a chubby ball of fluff; b. she has no claws.
how she managed to pounce on that poor little bird is beyond me!  she's not exactly graceful. my neighbor makes fun of her because her belly wobbles when she walks!
she was quite proud of herself, though.  although the bird managed to  fly away, he did it without a few tail feathers!   

Christmas 2009 

then she came inside ate and took a nap. those are her usual daily activities!

Vickie

What Quilt to Finish Next?

since i finally finished my fall quilt, i seem to have some of my "quilting mojo" back! that's a good thing, since i've hardly sewn anything since february or march. i really miss not having a sewing room. it really does make a big difference when you can just leave stuff out. sewing in the dining room is not as ideal, since we eat there, so everything has to be put away!  i really need a house with about 6 or 7 bedrooms, so i'd be sure to always have one for me! hahaha
anyway, i think my flower pot quilt will be next in line to finish.  this is another one that i started machine quilting, but was undecided how i wanted to quilt around the flower pots. this was another block swap from Pat Sloan's group. we used the same pot template, and the background was to be blue, but the flowers could be anything we wanted. all the flowers were so cute, and so different.

this is my top before i did any quilting. i wanted to do something different in each block, but i'm stuck as to what to do.  i haven't even looked at the quilt for a while, it's still folded up from where i left off. i'm determined to get it back out this week and see where i am and what i need to do next.  i'll post updates when i have them!

Vickie

Finished!

well, i gave up the idea of trying to be too artistic, in favor of "just get it done"!  my "Fall" quilt is now all quilted!

i'm excited to have something actually finished after such a long time.  i just  need to do a little more trimming, and put the binding on. at least it's nice and flat, and i only saw one small-ish pucker on the back. not too bad at all, i think.  
the picture came out a little blurry.  i don't quite have the hang of hub's camera. 
i have no real idea what to do with this quilt now.  it's an odd size, 41"x50".  too small  for my usual lap quilt, and kind of big for a wall hanging.  i don't normally make wall hangings anyway.  i like quilts for people to use, the walls are on their own, imho! 
i'm really happy to have this quilt done, though. it's been too long waiting its turn!  i will have to send a picture to Pat Sloan, to show that i actually got one of my Sloanie ufos done!  Yay !!  (you would not believe how many of those i have!lol!!)

Vickie

Stuck!

i'm trying to get this darn quilt finished, but i'm stuck.  i can't figure out how to quilt the borders. i'm by no means an expert quilter, but i do my best. i can muddle through the body of the quilt most of the time, but the borders always stop me in my tracks! i usually end up doing a big meander or stipple, but that gets boring. i wish i could do leaves and vines. that would actually be perfect for this quilt, since it's all fall fabrics.  I sure wish I had the room and the money for a long-arm machine!  it looks so much easier to quilt big areas on one.  when i win the lottery!! haha!

Vickie

Pictures!

here are a couple of pictures so far:

the "weekend quilt" is banished to the closet, so here's a pic of the pattern-

here's the log cabin quilt top. i think i'm calling it "chickens in the cabins".

can't see all of the border, but it turned out well!

close-up of the cute chicken fabrics

still plugging away on the "fall" quilt. i think i have a picture on here somewhere...
nope, couldn't find it. will take one later.


Vickie

Vacation Progress

well, i'm trying to make some progress on some of my quilt ufos this week while i'm off. so far i've managed to 1.complete the top of my "Weekend Quilt", which has taken many, many weekends!  i bought this pattern, i don't remember how many years ago, intending to use all irish, or st. patrick's fabrics. it sat in a bin for a few years, and i finally got it back out a few months ago and finally got all the strips sewn together. then it hung on the design wall until this week. i really wanted it off of there so i could finish something else, and i was tired of looking at it up there mocking me!  so it's done. i'm not crazy about it, so i hung it up in the closet until i'm ready to look at it again.  

2. the one i really wanted to finish was the log cabin "chicken" quilt. this one has chicken fabrics that i found a few years ago with a special relative in mind as soon as i saw the fabrics. good thing i never told that person i was making a quilt for them!  this one went together really well, and i really like it a lot. it's just hanging in the dining room so i can admire it for now!  i'll need to get it basted somehow. since i lost my sewing space i'm sewing in the dining room, and i don't have good space for basting quilts now.  i'll figure something out, i guess.

3. right now i'm taking a break from quilting my "fall" quilt. this was from a "round robin" swap on Pat Sloan's group a few years ago. it was partially quilted, but set aside. maybe this fall i'll actually get to use it!

the actually quilting is what's driving me nuts today!  i'm not good at making decisions on how to quilt .  so i'll keep plugging along, and maybe i'll have some pictures to add later.  

break's over, now back to work!

Vickie

Two More Babies Added to the Family

Last october when son#3 left ohio for la, he had to leave his cats behind. he was staying with son#1 before he left, so the kitties were there, too. forward to december, son#1 needs to move back in with us, which means kitties come, too. no way would i not take them all! so that's how we ended up with Jasper and Lulu. things were a bit rough for a while. our 2 cats weren't too sure about 2 new cats around. they were finally getting used to the dog! 
jasper and lulu are such sweet babies, though, and so cute. jasper has the prettiest, silky fur i've ever seen, and lulu has perfect coloring. jasper is still very leery around sasha, since sasha always wants to chase him up the stairs, but things are calming down quite a bit. everybody finally is settling down into their routines, and getting along much better. thankfully!

VACATION!

i wish i could say i was jetting sailing off to some exotic,warm tropical island somewhere, but of course i'm not!!
just knowing i don't have to go to work and deal with people for a week is a good thing!  sometimes one just needs to re-charge and re-focus.  i have a long list of wanna-dos for this week, which i won't list here, but my main focus will be cleaning up the house and getting some of this clutter under control!
things aren't super bad, but mainly i need to get my sewing stuff somewhat manageable.  since my sewing stuff got moved to a corner of the dining room, it never really got as organized as i would like it to be.
i also NEED to sew something! i have several (too many) quilts that need attention that i've put off for far too long. if i could get just one quilt completed this week, it would be a big accomplishment!
wish me luck!

Vickie

Too Darn Hot!

i don't know if anybody has even seen any of my posts yet, but i just wanted to say i just haven't been much in the mood to post lately.  it's just been so darn hot and muggy, i just can't seem to get motivated to do much of anything.  i did finally get some new cute pictures of my furry babies, so those will be coming soon!
it really IS "Hot in Cleveland!!" :D    (too hot for me, though!)

Vickie

Another 4-Legged Addition to the Family

Last October son #3 decided to move out to LA to pursue a career in production work. at the time he had a cute shepherd-terrier mix dog named Sasha. his former girlfriend wasn't able to take the dog, and son wasn't able to take the dog to LA, so guess who got the dog?  that wasn't a hard one, was it?  I swore I wasn't going to have another dog, but since dad already said "sure, we'll take her", I didn't have much choice. everything worked out ok, though. Sasha's a sweet girl, although it would be great if she didn't go crazy barking when anyone walks by, (especially the poor mailman!).

Vickie

I Got My Buffy!

  I came home from work on Christmas Eve of  2007, ready for a nice dinner my son promised to cook for us.  i walked into the dining room and saw a little orange and white ball of fluff on the desk.  "well, hello", i said to what i thought was my son's new kitty.  "Merry Christmas, mom", said the guys.  i picked up the little ball of fur and said,  "now I have my Buffy!"  it was love at first sight. she was such a tiny little thing, and a little bit  shy.  she had just been brought into the shelter 3 days  before hubby and son #1 had picked her out.   what is wrong with some people who decide to get rid of their pets right before Christmas, for crying out loud?!  

 First night in new home.

"I'll sleep anywhere"

the spca people said she was 1 1/2 years old, but she seemed much younger. my son  thought they might have gotten her mixed up with another cat.   she was also de-clawed, but for some dumb reason, her former owners didn't have her spayed.  i found that out 2 days after Christmas when she started acting weird and poor Spike was , too.  never had a female cat before, so i didn't know what was wrong , but i soon found out!  a call to the shelter soon followed, and an appointment made for ASAP!  soon after she got "fixed", though, my tiny baby became a chubby gal!  she's still my sweet little girl, though, and  loves to snuggle with mommy more than anyone else.

Vickie

Enter Spike

After  losing Clyde after 19 years, i sure didn't want to think about getting another pet, at least for quite a while.  add to the fact i also lost my mother in october of the same year, i was satisfied being "pet-less".  then one day in january, 2006, hubster tells me to "put on my shoes, we need to go somewhere".  of course, he wouldn't tell me where, so i was getting slightly annoyed.  to my surprise, we ended up at the animal shelter.  hubby decided that i needed another pet.  unfortunately, they didn't have much to choose from that day, so i suggested that maybe we could try another shelter another day when i was a bit more prepared.   a few days later we found the ASPCA shelter, where they had {unfortunately} a lot of cats to choose from.  one guy in particular caught the eye of hubby, a cute tuxedo cat named Spike.  when hub saw on the cat info card that Spike had been brought in on Christmas EVE, for crying out loud, that's all it took. he picked up Spike from his cage, even let him claw his leather jacket, and he was smitten!   So that's how we ended up with Spike, and since i was already a "Buffy" fan, the name stayed!   

Vickie