greenQuilts

A Few of My Favorite Foodie Things

2012-02-15T05:01:00.002-08:00

Thanks for all your well wishes yesterday concerning Oliver. We'd known for some time it was coming. His pen looked so empty this morning. Today I decided to get up and write a more upbeat post, trying to move forward.

So here we go! I finally learned to poach an egg the real way! I've tried to do it before and the egg whites always got out of control in the water. But, I finally found out the secret. HERE. The secret? A bit of vinegar. Not much water. Oh, I can do it perfectly now. And they are cooked perfectly. I do love a good poached egg.
Have you tried these? Lacey's Cookies. Oh. My. Decadent! I had some at Tammie's (yes, she inspires me in every way!) and had to get some. They are hard to find. Whole Foods carries them. You can also get them on Amazon.
And I did finally go to our local Penzey's store to stock up on my favorites. I always thought a spice was a spice was a spice until I discovered Penzey's. Their Vietnamese Cinnamon is wonderful - so much better than the grocery store stuff. We love their Northwoods Seasoning on chicken. Their Fox Point Seasoning is good on anything. Mural of Flavor is a relatively new one - a salt free seasoning mix. I use it on lots of things, too. So fun to play with flavors! If you don't have a store nearby, the products are available on-line.

RIP Oliver

2012-02-14T15:33:00.001-08:00

We'll miss you, sweet boy.

West Alabama Quilt Guild

2012-02-12T10:13:00.001-08:00

I had a speaking engagement this weekend - what fun. (No, that's not me - more about her in a minute.) I traveled to Tuscaloosa to speak to the West Alabama Quilt Guild on the subject of my Funky Little Art Quilts. I had a great time (except for their moans and boo's when I told them I was soon moving to Auburn.) :) Football rivalry invades the quilting world!

I have so many pictures and stories to share, but today I'll start with the lovely woman above. (So sorry, I can't remember your name - I met so many nice people!)

Anyway, she found this pieced lone star somewhere. It was made and tossed by someone else. It had a big raised area in the middle - whoops! Being the resourceful person that she obviously is, she cut a circle from the middle and stitched the remainder onto what looks like a pre made fleece jacket. Oh so creative! I have one of those "found" lone stars tucked away in my stash. A new jacket just might be in my future.

I also met someone who belongs to the guild in Auburn - my first new friend!

So much has happened around here this week. We are not going to buy the house in Auburn on which we had the contract. It had some issues that came up in the inspections. We know we'll find another house. Meanwhile, we continue to try to sell ours. All will work out.

I got my mammogram on Thursday. :( Heard later that day that I have to go back in a week for a compression test and possibly an ultrasound. I'm sure all's well, just one more doctor appointment to deal with. Darn.

For now, I'll keep on sewing! I have big plans for quilting this afternoon. And maybe even tonight while I watch the Grammy's.

Ta-Dah!

2012-02-07T21:46:00.001-08:00

I finished another quilt top for the book today! Here are two quilt tops, along with their backings, ready to be shipped to the quilter. Yippee!!!

Wednesday I have big plans to work on the next quilt in line (already in progress). And then Thursday: good old Gyno/Mammo/Bone Density appointment. A full morning's worth of exams. Worth the time and effort for sure.

Fabric Organization!

2012-02-07T06:30:00.001-08:00

No, this is not my fabric stash. I wish! This is another shot from Tammie's house last week. Her show-and-tell for the meeting was her new organization system. The wooden shelving units are from Ikea - love Ikea! But look how she organized on the shelves.

She bought bunches of those square grids from Walmart. Instead of configuring them into boxes, she put three together to make a "U" shape and then took another one and hooked it in the middle to make another shelf. They are held together with plastic cable ties. Click on the picture to get a closer look. Brilliant, I say!

She folded her fabric around a 6" by 24" ruler. So neat! It took her 4 days to fold her entire stash, but so worth the effort!
I've been thinking a lot about what I will miss about living here in Birmingham. Here's one: the view from the window over my kitchen sink. This tree bloomed very early this year due to a recent warm spell. I like to think it knew we'd be moving before it's regular blooming season. Thank you, tree, for letting me enjoy your glory one last time.

Fabric Covered Branches

2012-02-04T19:23:00.001-08:00

I had to share Tammie's table setting for our bee meeting last week. The vase is filled with branches she wrapped with fabric scraps. The scraps are then wrapped with various color of embroidery floss to hold them in place. She got the idea from a magazine. I definitely want to do this! She gave us each of box of Valentine's candy. Click on the picture a couple of times for a better look.

You might get a peak of her tea cup chandelier. And in the background, one of her quilts is hanging surrounded by colorful plates. I adore her house!
Here another Kleenex box, ready to inspire.
And here's the backing fabric it inspired me to buy. I found it at Hancock's.

And do you know what that means?????? I finished a quilt top today! Yes, one for the book! I even pieced the backing fabric. Both the top and backing are now neatly pressed, ready to send to the quilter. I'm giving myself a pat on the back.

Time in Birmingham is Ticking Away!

2012-02-03T13:03:00.000-08:00

I went to my bee meeting yesterday. Maybe my last one here. :(

Tammie hosted it at her wonderfully inspiring home. I love to go there! Here's her new clock in her sewing room - she took apart a plastic clock and added this rainbow of fabrics. Love it! Great idea! More pictures from her house soon, I promise.

We found a house in Auburn! Yay! We have a contract on it - closing is set for the end of February, so we'll be moving soon after that. It came very close to having everything on our wish list. My quilting studio will be in the home's "bonus room." It doesn't have a closet like I wanted, but it does have two nooks that can easily be curtained off to create closet areas. Plus there are two bedrooms near it with large closets I can use for sewing storage if needed. I'm determined not to clutter up the room with storage! This room currently has carpet, so I want to have wood flooring put down here before we move.

I got another doctor's appointment out of the way this morning; one more before we move - OB/GYN. Guess I'd better call and make that appointment.

I have this strange list of things to do before we leave. Some items are very random. For instance, I want to go to Penzey's Spices and stock up on my favorites there to take along (love their cinnamon!) I know I can always mail order them, and it's not like I'm never coming back to Birmingham, but still....

We still have tons of household stuff to sort through before the move. It's hard to do this, because you never know when we'll get a call for a house showing. That's my excuse, anyway.

Houses

2012-01-29T17:43:00.000-08:00

I hate to go so long without blogging, but there hasn't been time for a few days. The focus is on houses: selling ours and finding another one.

We have had lots of showing for our house. An Open House today. Lots of activity here.

We've narrowed our house hunt to two houses in Auburn. We couldn't go wrong with either one. We'll make a decision this week! It will be nice to be able to picture in my mind where we will be.

I have house showings down to a science now: turning on lights and music, opening doors, wiping down counters, loading the dogs in the crate in my car. Where do I go? Hmmmm. Let's see. If I have an errand then I do that. I've been known to park at Sonic and read a magazine (limeade and onion rings, anyone?) Today I went to Target and wandered, buying a few things I couldn't live without (face cream, hair products, a couple of shirts).

Another showing tomorrow. Hoping for an offer soon. Once you know you'll be moving, you're just ready to go. I know I am.

Off the subject, but did you see the new show Touch last week? LOVE IT! They had me at Fibonacci Sequence! Gotta love the Fibonacci Sequence.

It's How We Roll

2012-01-25T17:33:00.001-08:00

Mickey is still recovering from his surgery, and still has to be confined to a crate. When we have a house showing, or we have to make a trip to Auburn for house hunting, he must come along. (Can't leave a post-op dog to take care of himself!)

He doesn't really like this tiny crate - see how sad he looks? But it works well for car travel because it has a place on top to run a seat belt through. That way if I have to suddenly stop, the crate won't fly off the seat. He tolerates it pretty well, and if I'm really lucky he'll go to sleep. If I'm not really lucky he'll start howling along to the radio. (Gotta have some music on the road!)

I always take along his food, water, and some treats. Yum! His favorite part of every trip!

Box of Quilts for Tornado Victims!

2012-01-25T05:45:00.000-08:00

More tornadoes around here earlier in the week. 2 dead, 100 injured, 500 homes gone. Coincidently I received a big box of quilts Saturday donated for last year's tornado victims. Thank you to Debbie E. and the Crossroads Christian Church quilters! I've decided these newest tornado victims have the greatest need now, so the quilts are being picked up today to be distributed.
How sweet! Children have added their hand prints and names! I know these quilts will bless lots of people who are in need.

Today's agenda:

9:00 am Home Appraisal

9:00 am Termite Inspection

10:00 am Home Inspection

11:00 am Home Appraisal

It will be a busy morning, but I'm glad all these things are happening in one morning!

Living in a Clean House

2012-01-20T18:42:00.000-08:00

The house is immaculate, still. I may need to run a duster over a few things, but other than that, it's all good. The problem: I can't find anything! I've hidden and put away and now I can't always remember my hiding places. Nothing important is lost; it's just little things like a certain receipt, or nail clippers, or doggy chew bones. They'll all turn up eventually.

Our real estate agent spent over three hours yesterday taking photos for our listing. It seemed like a long time, but after seeing some of the photos I can say it was worth it. He's done a great job of showing off our house. The listing should be on-line Saturday a.m. The lock box will also be installed and the sign will go in the yard. Whew! Let the showings begin!

We will probably decide which Auburn house to buy in the next week.

So what am I feeling? Hmmm. I really can't figure it out. I'm excited. I'm scared. I'm optimistic. I'm overwhelmed. I'm tired. So tired. I know everything will work out because everything always works out! But I'll be glad when everything is over and we're all settled in our new home.

Amazingly enough, I've gotten a lot of sewing done in the last few days. I'm on schedule to finish the current quilt top by Monday. I need to add borders on another top, too. I'd planned to quilt my own quilts for the book, but with a relocation looming, that's not going to happen. So I hope to send off two quilts to a wonderful quilter next week. I know she'll do them proud!

If You are So Moved....

2012-01-17T12:32:00.001-08:00

I entered "Patches" in a contest sponsored by Aurofil thread - yes, it's the only thread I use! If you would like to help a girl out, please go HERE to vote for my quilt. If I win some yummy thread, I'll be having a giveaway here on my blog, so you can have some Aurofil yumminess, too!

The move. Ahhh, the move. It's keeping us busy. We've interviewed two real estate agents and selected the one we'll use. We've decided how much to ask for the house, which is much less than we would like to get, of course. Know anyone who wants a great deal on a house in Vestavia Hills, AL? Send them my way!

Tomorrow, a local charity is coming over to pick up the large pile of stuff that is filling our garage.

Thursday, the moving company will come see all our belongings.

The great news is that I have made time to sew every single day since Thursday. That makes me very happy indeed. I'm hoping to finish this quilt top for the book by Monday.

Today is a dreary, rainy day. Perfect for stitching. So I'd better get back to it! Cheers.

Roasted Fresh Vegetables

2012-01-14T04:29:00.001-08:00

With all the hoopla (a.k.a., moving) going on around here, we haven't been eating as well as we should. So this weekend, I've been doing something about that! Last night I roasted a big pan of yummy veggies, along with some garlic, olive oil, and seasonings. It was wonderful with a chicken casserole and wild rice. Okay, so we splurged and had a bit of peppermint ice cream for dessert. Yummy meal! And luckily there are plenty of leftovers.

Yesterday I finally got around to cleaning out the bookcase that needed attention - what an improvement! I should have take before and after photos. But I didn't.

I also found more time to sew. Oh, that made me happy!

Today we have a real estate agent coming over to walk through the house and decide what price he'd set for it. We have another such assessment on Monday. Hopefully the house will be officially listed for sale within a week. Thursday someone from the moving van company will come over to look at our belongings; I may need to have some smelling salts available for him! Yes, we have a lot of stuff!

I'm reserving this afternoon for sewing!

Back in the Studio

2012-01-13T04:40:00.001-08:00

Today I sat here. Yay!
And worked on the pile of loveliness. Yay.

I love being back at work. I lose track of time. Concentration takes over. Stress filters away. It's just me and the fabric. What a wonderful feeling.

I did get the door cleaned and primed. Today I'll get the paint out and attack it. I never got around to cleaning out that bookcase, but today I'll tackle that.

It's oh, so cold here today. Brrrrr! The challenge in this is taking little Mickey out the front door to potty. Lucky for me, he gets right down to business. He's doing great though. He wants to run! But I hold him back. His gait has improved; he still has a limp on one of his rear legs, but it's much better. I can't believe he's almost 4 weeks out from his major back surgery - what a busy 4 weeks it has been! Luckily, Mickey is now used to being confined to the crate while all the cleaning (or sewing) happens.

Hubby is sick with the crud. Poor hubby. He's home today and hopefully a long weekend of rest will cure him.

We have two different real estate agents coming to see our house over the weekend. The relocation company we're working with is sending them by to each set a price for the house. Then we can decide what price we want to set and which agent we want to use. The house should be officially listed sometime next week.

My New Best Friend

2012-01-11T19:22:00.000-08:00

The Shark Steam Mop. Meet my blogging friends. Blogging friends, meet my Shark Steam Mop.

The Shark Steam Mop has been by my side a lot this week. We are best buds now. And my floors are totally clean. Steamy clean. Clean, clean.

I only have a couple of minor things left before we get the house on the market:

1. Clean out one bookcase.

2. Do touch up painting on one door.

Sigh.

Tomorrow I plan to sleep late if the doggies allow. Then I will relax over my coffee. For. A. Long. Time. And then...

I will SEW!!!!

(I may take a break at some point to clean out the bookcase. And paint. Maybe.)

Chandeliers

2012-01-09T20:28:00.000-08:00

I was looking through some of my house hunting photos. I discovered lots of chandelier photos. I'm not sure why I kept focusing on light fixtures since they're so easy to switch out if you don't like one.
But I did.
Again.
And again.

Strange. Not sure what I was thinking. And I missed taking pictures of some important stuff. Oh well.

I had to miss quilt guild today because my mother and I both had to go to the eye doctor. I'm trying to get all my routine doctor appointments out of the way before the move. Two down. Two to go. I ordered new glasses this afternoon.

Tomorrow I need to take my mother to visit my dad at the nursing home. Then the rest of the day will be spent dusting, vacuuming, and cleaning the floors. By the end of the day Tuesday, the house will be ready to put on the market. Triple yay! By the time Thursday rolls around, the plan is to spend the day QUILTING!

House Hunting Begins

2012-01-07T17:13:00.001-08:00

Here's a quick photo of the Auburn condo. Don't worry - that polka dot settee will not be staying with that rug! The "real" furniture will not be delivered for a few weeks, so we put the settee there so there is something to sit on. The rug will stay. Love the rug!

We looked at 7 houses today. Whew! After a while, they start running together. I tried to have a system to keep up with everything. I took along a notebook and a camera. I wrote each address on a page of the notebook. When we arrived at a house, I took a picture of the address I'd written down. Then I took other pictures of the home. Next house, another picture of an address, with house pictures following.

So when I got home tonight, it was easy to tell which pictures go with which house. I also took lots of notes on each home. This process helped tremendously!

I'm sure we'll look at more houses, and we need to get ours on the market. But we saw some great homes today!

Fabric Goodness!

2012-01-06T17:56:00.000-08:00

Oooo Laaaa Laaaa! Yumminess! Look what came in the mail today!
I'm practically dripping with drool! Isn't this the most fun charm pack you've ever seen?
It's a late Christmas present (and well worth the wait!). I also got another charm pack with it. It's wonderful, too. I'll share it soon.

A Little Shopping Spree!

2012-01-06T07:09:00.001-08:00

A good friend gave me a gift certificate to our local quilt shop for Christmas. The store has one big sale on Dec. 30 each year. I couldn't resist! I bought yardage of these two lovelies for quilt backings - they were marked down to 75% off! And with my gift certificate, I practically got them for free!
Little Mickey got his staples out on Tuesday. Doesn't his scar look great?! He's doing very well. His walking ability is improving every single day. He's feeling so much better, but now that he's improving he HATES being confined to the crate. He has one more month of solitary confinement.

We're going on our first house hunting mission this weekend. There are so many houses available in Auburn that seem to fit our wish list, so we are optimistic about finding the perfect home. At the top of the wish list is a flat yard, front and back, with only a step or two down from the house to the back yard- good for little doggies and people!

Of course, a room for my studio is also a top priority. I want a large room, hopefully with a big closet. I also want a big wall for my design wall.

I want at least two bedrooms on the main level so that if this is our retirement home, I can move my studio downstairs when I'm too old to climb those stairs. Plus when my mom comes to visit, she can stay on the main level.

We're almost done getting our house ready to put on the market. Since we did so much remodeling last year and the associated cleaning out, this hasn't been as bad as you might think. Thank goodness! In a few days, I plan to get back up in my studio to finish some quilts!

Happy Birthday to Elizabeth! My baby is 22 today!

After 29 years in Birmingham...

2012-01-02T20:42:00.000-08:00

We're Moving!!!

Yes, we are. We're moving. Found out the week before Christmas. Still sinking in. We're moving. Yes, we are.

Hubby has a new opportunity in Montgomery with the company he's been with for about 30 years - yay, hubby! Proud of you!

But we're not moving to Montgomery. No, we're not.

We're moving to Auburn, and hubby will commute. Yes, he will.

Hubby and I went to college in Auburn. We met in Auburn. We fell in love in Auburn. Yes, we love Auburn. Yes, we do.

No, this doesn't have anything to do with our buying a condo in Auburn for Daughter 2 to live in. Coincidence. She will still live in the condo. We will buy a house.

Oh my. What a year this will be! You see why we've been cleaning closets, etc? Gotta get current home appraised. Gotta put current house on the market. Oh my.

I will miss my Birmingham friends, but I'll come back often to visit. Yes, I will.

Bowling!

2012-01-01T15:54:00.000-08:00

I did a bit of "bowling" over the weekend - an overnight trip to Atlanta.
To cheer for our team.
With the daughters (along with hubby and SIL).
One of my favorite moments (besides our team winning): hundreds of little Chick-Fil-A parachutes, complete with little cows, falling from the domed ceiling.

Happy New Year!

The End of the Year

2011-12-29T18:09:00.000-08:00

What a year this has been! Some of the highlights:

1. The move of Emily and Tommy to Georgia - wish we could see them more.

2. Writing a book proposal with the best partner in the world and having it accepted!

3. Being an officer in my quilt guild and hosting Karen Kay Buckley for 4 days.

4. Dad going into a nursing home. :(

5. Mom having a stroke in her eye. :(

6. Mickey having surgery for a ruptured disk. :(

7. Elizabeth's car being wrecked by a drunk driver. :(

8. Elizabeth being accepted to Pharmacy School.

9. A wonderful trip with hubby to San Antonio.

10. A fun time blogging! I've had more posts this year than I've ever had. :)

What I've learned this year:

1. Never be surprised at what life has in store.

2. When opportunity knocks, answer the door.

3. I am capable of more than I thought.

4. Always keep a pizza in the freezer.

5. Don't go to Express Oil Change to get brakes fixed.

6. Pinterest rocks.

7. Buy chicken from Zaycon.

8. Words with Friends is lots of fun. (Thanks, Alec Baldwin.)

9. Don't forget to trust God.

10. Never leave a dog unattended with a fire in the fireplace.

Plans for the new year:

1. Blog as much as ever.

2. Finish making quilts for the book.

3. Turn in book manuscript according to our contract.

4. Get back to work on the block-of-the-month quilts I started this year (before I got sidetracked by the book!)

5. Finish furnishing the condo so it will be ready for Elizabeth in August.

6. Walk more. (I have this plan every year. Maybe this will be the year I just do it.)

7. Read more.

8. Beat hubby at least once at Words with Friends.

9. Eat more brussels sprouts.

10. Keep calm and carry on.

What are your plans for 2012?

Cleaning...

2011-12-29T07:07:00.001-08:00

I've spent a few hours (several, actually!) over the last couple of days cleaning my studio. I should have taken a before shot, but trust me, it was a wreck. And now it is clean.
My cutting table hasn't been clear in a long, long time. I found 2 rotary cutters and a few pairs of scissors hiding under the pile of fabric that was there.
And my sewing machine table is clear! (Okay, so I didn't clean out the bookcases, but... whatever!)

I'm so excited - can't wait to get back up there. I have a quilt in pieces that I'm anxious to put together. I'll be much more productive now!

While in my cleaning mode, I also cleaned out my bedroom closet and a linen closet. And hubby cleaned the garage. Next step: garage sale or Craigslist sale. Coming soon. The pile of discarded furniture and stuff if now filling up one bay of our garage. It's good to start off the new year a bit more organized.
We almost had a major catastrophe this morning. While hubby was outside helping Mickey do his business (yes, the pee is now flowing!) and I was upstairs taking the clean studio shots, Prince found Mickey's toy and proceed to play with it on the hearth. When I came downstairs I discovered Prince with the end of the toy sticking into the fire! I grabbed up said toy, put out it's flames, and turned off the gas logs. It's terrifying how close we came to having a house fire. No harm done except to the toy (named Bo Bo). He now has a hole in his head. Whew!

Mickey is slowing improving. He no longer drags his rear left left, but he still can't walk normally with it. He will get his staples (count em - 20!) out next week.

Snap Bag Tutorial

2011-12-27T06:07:00.001-08:00

I've been meaning to share some directions for making a snap bag for weeks; sorry I didn't get to it before Christmas.

1. Decide how big you want your bag. The bag will have a fold at the bottom, so allow for that in your measurements. For example, if you want a bag that is 5 inches across and 6 inches down when finished, you'll need fabric that is 5 inches by 12 inches. Allow a bit extra for quilting. So cut two pieces of fabric (one for bag, one for lining) that are 6 inches by 13 inches. Make sense?

2. Cut a piece of batting the same size. Layer the fabric pieces with the batting in the middle and quilt using straight lines. Easy peasy quilting. Trim to the correct size (5x12, in our example).

3. Make a casing for each short end (the 5" ends). This is just like adding a wide binding to the end, leaving it open at both ends to insert the piece of tape measure. Be sure to use a doubled piece of fabric for this step for more strength. Sorry I don't have pictures of this step, but I think you'll understand when you look at the pictures below.

4. Cut two pieces off a metal retractable tape measure. Cut them about 5/8 inch shorter that the width of the bag (approximately 4 3/8 in our example). Trim the ends so they are rounded.
Wrap each tape measure piece in strong tape; this will keep the sharp edges from poking through the fabric over time.
Insert each piece of wrapped tape measure into a casing so that the side that has the measurements (inside curve) will face toward the lining of the bag.
Fold the bag in half with the lining side out, and stitch the side seams. I like to stitch a straight seam a scant 1/4 inch from the edge, and then follow that with a zig zag stitch to enclose the edge of the fabric to minimize fraying.
Turn the bag right side out and you're done! Here's one I made from selvages. I like to have this in a variety of sizes. This bitty one is good to corral lipstick in my purse. I have a bigger one to keep basic one-the-go sewing supplies.

The Best Christmas Present, Ever!

2011-12-26T05:47:00.000-08:00

Yes, Mickey got to come home for Christmas! He has a long way to go in his recovery, but we are trying to be hopeful. It's not easy to see him dragging a leg behind him or to hear him yelp in pain at times. He needs constant care. But he's worth it.
He has to be confined to a crate much of the time, but he manipulates us into putting him in our laps. Spoiled...
He has a nasty, mean incision. Click on the photo if that sort of thing doesn't bother you. Lots of staples down the length of his back. Almost like a zipper.
He rests with his new Christmas toy (from Daughter 1 and SIL).

Our Christmas weekend was busy, but filled with family. Saturday we met Daughter 1 and SIL in Auburn for a lovely lunch at Longhorn Steaks and a fun exchange of gifts. Christmas Day began with a visit to my dad in the nursing home. Then on to my in-law's house for Christmas dinner. My mother was with us for all these visits and meals and enjoyed being a part of all the festivities.

There is lots of reading going on around here. Daughter 2 told me about The Hunger Games books - there are 3 of them. She downloaded them onto her Kindle and has finished the first two in a matter of a few days. I started the first one yesterday morning and now can't put it down.

I hope you and yours have had a very happy Christmas.

Mickey Update

2011-12-23T05:37:00.000-08:00

Again, an old picture. He's still not home. He still needs to urinate. We're thinking we might go see him this morning and see if we can help. Maybe he'll be so excited to see us that he'll immediately let loose.

I sewed last night! I finished the last of the pieces for a quilt - now I just have to put the pieces together. I also spent some time cleaning my sewing studio which had become overwhelmingly cluttered. I still need to do some cleaning in there, but at least I got the process started.

Our Christmas celebrations start tomorrow, so I'd better go wrap some presents!

A Yummy Pizza Recipe

2011-12-21T17:13:00.000-08:00

I haven't shared a recipe in .... well, a long time. Here's something yummy Daughter 2 and I made this week. We don't have a name for it. But it's good!

The first step is to make your own Ricotta cheese. I know what you're thinking. Make ricotta cheese? I always buy it at the grocery store. But Daughter 2 learned to make it this semester in her Microbiology class. Who knew science could taste so good?

Ricotta Cheese:

1 quart whole milk (yes, it's worth the extra fat!)

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons lemon juice

In a large pot, combine milk and salt. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice. Let sit for 3-5 minutes to curdle. This is one time curdling is the correct outcome!

Line a colander with cheese cloth. Place the colander over a bowl to drain. Pour curdled milk into the colander and let the liquid drain off. You've made ricotta cheese!

Pizza:

We used pizza dough from Publix (very yummy, in the bakery department), but you can use your favorite pizza crust. We sprayed the pan with Pam and sprinkled it with a bit of cornmeal before rolling out the dough. Precook the pizza crust in a 375 degree oven for 5-7 minutes.

Spread the crust with 1/2 of your homemade ricotta cheese. (We made 2 pizzas, and used ours all up!) Sprinkle the ricotta cheese liberally with garlic power.

Scatter fresh spinach leaves over the pizza.

Top with 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese.

Bake at 375 for approximately 10 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.

I promise you will love this pizza! And kids would love helping with the ricotta cheese process. But we need a name....

What would you call this pizza?

Mickey Update:

Just got off the phone with the vet. He is optimistic for a full recovery. Yay! Mickey has still not gone potty on his own, but maybe tomorrow? We want him home for Christmas!

Mickey Needs to Pee!

2011-12-20T18:54:00.001-08:00

Mickey had surgery for a severely ruptured disk yesterday afternoon. He came though fine, and they got him up and walking today. But he can't come home until he pees on his own. Pee, Mickey, pee! We miss you!

He will be confined to a crate for 6 weeks when he comes home. Total rest. I may crawl in with him!

Things are crazy around here. Big changes coming soon. Lots of day trips. Shopping for condo furniture. House is a mess. Sewing: hope I haven't forgotten how! Dad is still complaining nonstop. Mom is upset a lot. Hubby holds us all together. Love you, Hubby!

Just Breathe...

2011-12-19T05:39:00.000-08:00

With all the happenings around here, we haven't been eating as well as we should. Too much fast food, too many snacks, not enough vegetables. So Saturday, I cooked - real food! Crab cakes, baked sweet potatoes, and fresh roasted brussels sprouts. Yum.
We've taken a couple of road trips in the past few days. Mickey joined us - here he is finishing off someone's ice cream cone. He still has a catheter in his front paw in case he has surgery. We're checking into that today. We've heard that some dogs improve with back surgery, and some don't. No guarantees.

We've ordered him a set of wheels to support his back end so he'll be able to walk better. Yes, sort of a doggy wheelchair. Won't that be sight!
We enjoyed a gorgeous sunset last night as we drove home. A God-given art display!

I took Mom to visit Dad Saturday. He's still trying to get out of the nursing home. He told us he wanted to hire a lawyer. He can't even dial a phone on his own, so I know that won't happen. He fell again Friday night. He's definitely where he needs to be, but it really upsets my mom to hear him complain all the time.

So what else is new around here? A lot! I keep reminding myself to breathe. Just breathe...

Unique Christmas Fabric

2011-12-14T06:40:00.000-08:00

Have some last minute Christmas sewing projects? A good friend tipped me off about this fabric at Monday's guild meeting. Christmas RV's! The background is a wonderful, vintage green.
Is this not the cutest thing ever?

Gotta love the tree in the toilet and the propane tank!!!!

I know you're waiting with baited breath to find the source! You'll never guess where it's from...

Instructions for finding this wonderful fabric:

1. Go to the nearest Target

2. Go to the men's department

3. Find the underwear.

That's right - holiday men's boxers! You'd be surprised how much fabric you can get from men's boxers. And they're 100% cotton, perfect for quilts.

Mickey update:

Mickey got worse yesterday. We took him back to the vet. They kept him overnight to give him IV steroids. I called to check on him earlier this morning. He had a good night, but is not improving. Next step is most likely back surgery. Poor baby!

Christmas Guild Meeting....And the Straw

2011-12-13T07:33:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was our Quilt Guild's Christmas Coffee. Look at that spread! We never have a speaker in December: it's all about visiting and eating, and plenty of both were done! It did me so much good to be around friends. I had to miss last month's meeting because Dad was in the hospital. We played some really fun games as well - I'll try to share them later this week.
Here's Gwen in her colorful vest, made from a thrift store vest.
And Lori rocked her Grinch t-shirt.

In family news, Mickey was not getting better. I took him to the vet yesterday afternoon. Unfortunately the news was not very good. I was hoping it was a leg problem, but it's his back. The doctor seemed very concerned; in fact he told me if he got worse during the night to bring him to the emergency animal clinic.

Dr. A gave him a steroid injection, and prescriptions for more steroids and muscle relaxers. Mickey needs to stay as immobile as possible. We have to carry him out to potty and carry him back inside. No stairs for this rest of his life! And Dr. A wants to see him again today.

Hubby was out of town overnight. I let Mickey sleep with me so I could keep an eye on him. He had a good night and is no worse this morning. Not sure what will come next - I just hope he starts getting better from the steroids and doesn't need a more invasive treatment.

Last night, I felt like the world was collapsing around me. Mickey's back, though not the most important thing going on in my life, seemed to be that straw that would break this camel's back. I'm trying to keep good thoughts today, trying to stay upbeat and positive, and trying to focus on my many blessings - I have lots of those!

Dad continues to complain. It upsets Mom, and she's not eating enough. She comes home from visits with him totally stressed. We hope this will change over the weeks to come.
Something interesting: I know this looks like a typical shot of the Costco parking lot. But look closer. Click the picture to make it bigger. That's a huge hawk on top of the gray SUV. He swooped around the lot a few times, maybe hoping someone would drop a mega-sized pack of bacon.

Making a Design Board

2011-12-10T05:10:00.000-08:00

The daughters and I have been pinning ideas (gotta LOVE Pinterest!) for furniture and decor for the condo for the last month. I've been dying to learn how to make a design board to combine some of the items in one spot to see how they look together.

Last night, I learned how. The secret? Olioboard! The site has TONS of home item images already, but I was able to move my Pinterest images to Olioboard very easily to make the above board. What fun!

I can see doing this for clothing - putting together outfits with shoes, a purse, jewelry. (Though I will probably continue to wear a pair of jeans and a t-shirt daily - ha!)

And what about quilt ideas? Putting together fabrics (or simply color combinations). I think I'll be having lots of fun on this site!

We're going to see Dad this morning - let's hope he's in a good mood and NOT asking to come home! Mom is doing well, with a really positive attitude despite her vision loss. Here's wishing you a fabulous weekend!

Poor Mickey

2011-12-09T18:10:00.000-08:00

Poor Mickey has a hitch in his get-along. He seems to be hurting in his hip (just like me). I don't think it's sympathy pain though. He acts very pitiful, pretends he can't walk (though he walks around when he doesn't think we're looking), and asks for treats. He has Hubby wrapped around his little paw.

He's had this same malady before and we have medicine left over from the last time, so hopefully he'll be back to his old perky self soon. Until then, he is very pampered. Actually, he's always pampered, sick or not. (Picture above taken last summer at lake.)

Hubby and I spent a lovely day in Auburn. We closed on the condo - yay! We plan to start buying furniture and moving it in during the next few weeks. Can't wait to start this process. We've already picked out a few things, but haven't made any big purchases yet. There is an Ikea trip in our near future for lamps, etc.

I got lots of sewing done during the car ride - trying to make every minute count. I mentioned during the closing that I'm a quilter. The seller's real estate agent asked if I know Flavin Glover. I told her I'd met Flavin, I'm very familiar with her work, and that we have the same publisher. Flavin is a neighbor of the agent who'd recently been to the Glover home. She said it was spectacularly decorated for Christmas, each room featuring Flavin's quilts. Would have loved to have seen it!

Mollie Makes

2011-12-07T16:19:00.000-08:00

I bought this magazine earlier in the week at Books-A-Million. I thought I deserved a little giftie to relax and enjoy. And I'm enjoying it! Love the chai tea cup cozy on the front cover. The magazine is all about making, thrifting, collecting, and crafting - some of my favorite things in the world. It's a bit pricey for a mag, $11.99, probably because it comes from the UK, but a fun occasional splurge, for sure.
And, what's more, every Mollie Makes magazine has an actual craft kit attached to the cover! This issue has a little kit to embroider and make 3 covered buttons. What fun!

After Mom's Carotid Doppler yesterday and today's retinal appointment, I'm pretty much over hospitals and doctors for the time being. Her test results are mostly good though!

The retinal specialist we saw today said that all her problems have been caused by a blood clot in a vein behind her eye, not from her Carotid artery. (He was right because we found out later in the day that the Carotid Doppler came back normal.) There is nothing that causes it; it can just happen. It's called a having a stroke in the eye.

There is not a cure, but only treatment. The treatment currently being recommended is an injection of a certain medication directly into the eye to try to constrict the affected blood vessels. Her first injection was today, and she will get one every month for a few months. She might see improvement in her vision and she might not. Everyone is different.

We are relieved that her Carotid is fine. Overall, we are happy with the results today! We hope her vision comes back, but if it doesn't, as she says, "I can live with that!

Back to sewing!

Spoonflower

2011-12-06T04:50:00.000-08:00

Have you ever wanted to be a fabric designer? I know I have. I've read about quilters who have used Spoonflower to print their own designs on fabric, but I've never tried it myself. Always wanted to, though.

Daughter 2 saw a piece of artwork on the internet - no idea where to get a copy for herself. She's been wanting to recreate it on a budget. I had the idea to design it on the computer and have it printed on fabric. Then she can frame it or wrap it around a canvas.

The original artwork is basically oversized sheet music that looked old and aged, but with some interesting depth. So Daughter 1 found some images and used photo editing software to layer two images. Then she zapped it to Spoonflower and ordered a sample (only a few dollars).

The sample came in the mail yesterday. Yay! I think it turned out just as she was hoping. But she won't be home for a couple of weeks to make the final decision. I'll show more of this as the project progresses. If she's happy with the sample, we'll order a yard of the fabric and proceed from there.

Family Updates:

Dad fell at the nursing home Sunday night, but was not hurt.

Mom's Carotid Doppler is this afternoon. Her retina specialist appointment is Wednesday morning. So hopefully we'll know much more tomorrow about what lies ahead for her.

Her eye is definitely not improving on its own. She doesn't complain, but she can't read the newspaper or do her beloved crossword puzzles. I took her to Walmart yesterday. Usually, we both get a cart and go our separate ways in the store. But yesterday, I needed to stay with her. She felt more comfortable holding on to our cart with me guiding it from the front.

Who-ville Trees

2011-12-04T14:54:00.001-08:00

This is definitely not a Christmas fabric, but doesn't it remind you of the trees in Whoville in The Grinch? So I'll just pretend it's a Christmas fabric, since 'tis the season. I'll be sewing with this tonight while I watch TV.
We put up the Christmas tree and all the trimmings this afternoon. This is one of four placemats that Mom cross stitched for me years and years ago. I never get tired of them.
And here's the tree, in the den instead of the living room this year. I'm glad to have some Christmas cheer around here!

Nothing new about Mom or Dad. Tomorrow morning I'll be on the phone scheduling her many doctor appointments for the week. Looking forward to getting more information on her condition!

Looking at the Bright Side

2011-12-03T19:12:00.000-08:00

I woke up sick today, so Hubby took Mom for her nursing home visit. I'm feeling better this evening, and hopefully this will not turn into the full blown upper respiratory crud. Though the last month has had fewer ups than downs, I'm really trying to look at the good stuff and not focus on the bad.

The Good Stuff:

1. My hip is better.

2. My mother could have had a stroke if the plaque had gone to her brain.

3. My mother has a wonderful, upbeat attitude, despite having lost sight in one eye.

4. Hubby brought me two boxes of candy tonight.

5. I had two naps today.

6. I felt like sewing tonight.

7. Daughter 2 got a rental car this morning.

8. We close on the Auburn condo in less than a week.

9. I stayed in my pajamas all day long.

10. Hubby made me hot chocolate this afternoon.

I have a lot to be thankful for!

When it Rains....

2011-12-02T16:45:00.000-08:00

Yes, it's pouring around here....

Mom was supposed to visit Dad at the nursing home (via her driver). But first thing this morning, I called her and she had suddenly lost vision in one eye. Nursing home visit cancelled. I took her to the Emergency Room at the Eye Foundation here.

The Diagnosis:

She had some plaque in her Carotid Artery that broke free into a vein in her eye. The clog in her eye vein caused bleeding which greatly affected her vision. We got home around 1:30 this afternoon - I had not even had breakfast yet.

I will take her to a retinal specialist next week, and also to have some Doppler tests run on her Carotid. Meanwhile, I sort of feel like she's a walking time bomb - hope no more plaque breaks free over the weekend.

Meanwhile, I've been dealing with Daughter 2's wrecked car. I finally got the correct insurance for the errant driver this afternoon - the info he gave to the police was incorrect. But it was too late in the day when I got the information to have the car towed. That will happen early next week. She will get a rental car tomorrow. I think the driver of the other vehicle is now out of jail.

This, too, shall pass.

The Detour Project

2011-12-01T19:13:00.001-08:00

Ta-Dah! Here's the little project I made. It's a little snap pouch - the kind that use pieces of a metal tape measure to make them "snap" open and close.
I made 12 of them, to gift to my quilty bee friends at our holiday meeting today. A couple of them were made from selvages. I tucked a pad of Post It notes inside each one - gotta love some Post Its!
Okay, this picture was supposed to be of a shoe box full of the snap cases. But somehow hubby popped up. Too tired to swap the photo. Hubba hubba, hubby!

This morning I had a 7 am dentist appointment - it should be illegal to go to the dentist this early! But I survived. While I was there in the chair (so tired, I seem to be rhyming) Daughter 2 called. Her car was smashed overnight while parked at her apartment complex at college. Luckily a friend and neighbor witnessed the crash at 3 am when it happened. The offender was drunk and hit at least 3 cars in the parking lot, but Daughter 2's car got the brunt of it.

Her car is not drivable - the rear bumper is partially resting on the ground. Poor thing - her friends are rallying around to give her rides to campus. Hopefully tomorrow I can arrange for towing and repair, and hopefully a rental car.

It's certainly never boring around here!

Blast from the Past

2011-11-30T19:13:00.000-08:00

The picture's not so great, but here is one of the first ever quilt projects I made many years ago. I remember making it when my sewing area was in our basement in a corner of the guest bedroom. I made a few of these gingerbread potholders that year to give away as gifts, saving one for myself. I see that I even hand quilted it, though only around the binding - haha! Still love it though.

I felt like today was my first really "normal" day in an entire month. Dear Driver B took Mom to the nursing home to visit, so I had the entire day to sew, cook, and do laundry. So that is exactly what I did. I started out the day soaking some dried navy beans. Then I put them on to simmer with the ham bone from Thanksgiving. The "soup" simmered all day, and made a delicious dinner.

I sewed off and on all day, making lots of progress on multiple projects. My hip is a bit better too, I think. A few more days, and I'll be fine. But I think I'll sleep with a heating pad tonight for good measure.
Here were my helpers. They were so glad to be out of the cold and in my lap. Though as I write this they are both in Hubby's lap, of course. Mickey is growling in his sleep.

Slight Detour

2011-11-29T15:41:00.001-08:00

I took a small detour from quilts for the upcoming new book today to work on a very small project. I had some help. More help than I wanted or needed. Have I mentioned lately how Mickey likes to be in a lap? Actually, he INSISTS on being in a lap! So he sat while I sewed. I think we were both glad when I was done. What is this project? You'll see in a few days, I promise!

I managed to totally pull my left hip out of whack this morning. I wish I had a good story for how I did it, like a snow skiing accident, a long distance running injury, or something equally exciting. In actuality, it happened when I bent over to pick up the TV remote from an ottoman. I'll be fine in a few days, I hope. Meanwhile, Advil helps with the pain.

Nothing new with my father. I think he's slowly adjusting to life in the nursing home, though he still asks when he can come home. My mother is adjusting well to living alone. She adores her driver, my good friend. I knew she would! Thank you, B!

An Organized Tool Caddy

2011-11-27T08:52:00.000-08:00

Here's a peak inside my newly organized tool caddy. Loving it! My Aurofil thread spools are handy in their elastic bands. There's a place for everything!
And here's a peak at something I've been working on for the last few weeks. This project has been to San Antonio. It also spent a few days in the hospital while I sat with my dad. When I see parts of a quilt, I have memories of where I was and who I was with when I made it. So this quilt will have built-in memories of great times and not so great times, all within the stitches and patches. I love that part of quilting - the memories it preserves, one stitch at a time, one scissor snip at a time, one scrap of fabric at a time.

As of this morning, our house is quiet. Everyone has returned to their own homes and lives. There are tons of leftovers in the refrigerator, so I won't have to cook this week. (Sigh.) We're in for a soaking rain all day, so we will stay inside, resting under quilts with dogs in our laps. (Sigh, sigh.)

Our Thanksgiving

2011-11-25T05:59:00.000-08:00

Here's the entire family (minus my father). On the sofa, my brother-in-law, me, Elizabeth (Daughter 2). Seated in the middle are my mother-in-law (white shirt) and my mother. Standing left to right, my three nephews, my brother (black shirt), hubby, father-in-law, Tommy (son-in-law) and Emily (Daughter 1).

We had a great day. After lunch, my brother and my mom took pie to the nursing home for Dad. He's asking to get out of there again, but my brother stood firm with him.
After the extended family was gone, Tommy and hubby threw a football.
Doesn't hubby have good form?
By the time darkness fell, we were all SOOOOO tired! But it was a good day.

Today the girls are dying to get in the middle of the Black Friday sales. I'm not so excited about it, so I haven't decided if I'll go along or not. After the last three weeks, my body and mind are both tired...

Craftsman, Cooking, and Condos

2011-11-22T09:27:00.000-08:00

Finally, a quilty post! This is the sad state of my hand sewing that sits besides my chair and goes along with me on road trips. Today I made a trip to Sears for something in the hardware department and I spotted this:
Ooo - la- la! A pink tool caddy! They also have them in red and black. Look at all those elastic loops for thread spools!
Each end has a mesh pocket. That metal clip is to hook a tape measure.
One side has these velcro straps (for a level) - not sure if I'll use them.
Here are the details in case you want to buy one, too. It was $12.99. I'll post another photo once I've filled it.

I'm busily getting ready to host 13 for Thanksgiving Dinner. My dressing is made and in the freezer. The turkey breast in brining in the refrigerator. House cleaning is almost done. Daughter 2 will be here Wednesday. Daughter 2 and Son-in-Law will be here Thursday morning. Brother and 3 nephews will be here sometime Wednesday.

Dad Update: Yesterday Mom and I had a good visit with him. For the first time, he didn't complain or ask to come home. He seemed resigned and very tired. I'm so relieved, and hope his attitude continues. He's fallen once since he's been there, but didn't hurt himself.

Condo Update: On the day Dad went to the hospital, hubby and I were looking at a condo in Auburn to house Daughter 2 while she's in Pharmacy School. We made an offer that day. While hubby was out of town on business and I sat at the hospital, I negotiated the deal and we came to an agreement. Yesterday hubby went down there for the inspection. A few problems came up and the seller will fix them. We close in early December. Yay!

Still Stressed...But Making Progress

2011-11-18T17:28:00.000-08:00

We decided not to visit Dad today. We don't want him to expect us to be there every single day. However, he managed to call me. He can ask a nurse to call me or Mom so he can get on the phone to talk. He did this THREE TIMES today. Count em, three.

He has trouble saying the right words, but he got his point across:

He. Wants. To. Come. HOME.

I think it's interesting that each time, he called me instead of my mother.

He said that if we'd let him come home, he'd help with the housework. He cannot even stand without help. And he's never (in his life!) helped with any housework. He's really working on us. But we will stand firm. We will.

Hubby, Mom, and I will visit him in the morning. I warned him not to spend the visit complaining or asking to come home. He said he would not, but I know he won't remember that by then.

The good news: a good friend of mine (a fellow quilter) is going to become my mother's wheels. She'll drive her to the nursing home 2-3 times per week so that I can get back to my regularly scheduled quilting - that book is not going to write itself! My mother will be paying my friend, so it will be a win/win/win situation for my mother, my friend, and for me.

I can't say enough about my dear husband. He has gotten me through this. Though I did cave and have a good cry this afternoon. Then a nap. And now I feel better.

Relieved....

2011-11-17T04:37:00.000-08:00

Dad is in the nursing home. So glad.

Everything went as well as it could have yesterday. We took him at 1:30. Hubby was with us, thank goodness - what a help he was! Hopefully this facility will be a good fit for him. For my Birmingham friends, he's at Greenbriar at the Altamont on Highland Avenue. It's in a beautiful historic area.

Within 5 minutes of arriving, he was talking about improving and getting discharged. How do you tell someone that will not happen?

I'm taking Mom to visit him this morning. We will not stay too long. Then I will have the rest of the day to catch up on the rest of my life. This has been a long week!

I think I will make the cornbread today for the Thanksgiving dressing. And maybe work on a grocery list for the rest of my Thanksgiving shopping. I look forward to cooking again! And quilting! QUILTING!

A Diagnosis...Sort of....

2011-11-15T16:33:00.000-08:00

It was not a stroke. The doctor said Dad had a sudden worsening of his dementia. We're in for a downhill slide from here.

The good news is that he was corporative during the rest of his hospital stay. The bad news is that the hospital discharged him last night before we had time to make nursing home arrangements. So we brought him home in an ambulance and have round the clock sitters helping out.

My mother and I spent this morning checking out nursing homes and decided on one. Then we spent the afternoon running to the doctor's office and back to the hospital arranging for medical records to be faxed to the nursing home. It poured down rain all day, but I think (HOPE!) we have everything in order.

If the nursing home gets everything they need from all the different sources, we can move him there tomorrow. I know I'm exhausted, so at 81 years old, I don't even know how my mother is still functioning. But she's hanging in there.

The hardest part of all this was having to tell my dad yesterday that he must go to a nursing facility (for the second time this year). He was sad and mad and disappointed. I would be, too. But there is not another option. Hopefully we will all adjust quickly.

Tired....

2011-11-13T18:09:00.000-08:00

Here's the update on my father:

He was combative last night and had to be restrained. When we walked in this morning he was flat out naked (he kept removing the gown and the nurses finally gave up) and tied down. He was not happy, to say the least.

We gave him a good talking to about being nice and cooperative. They finally removed the restraints and he was a good boy. Let's hope he's a good boy tonight.

The doctor says now that it might have been a stroke, but he'll know for sure after the tests tomorrow. Can't wait to get those results!

We're just taking it a day at a time. I know he won't be able to go home when he's released. Some decisions will have to be made.

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. Sorry I haven't had time to reply to you, but I appreciate every comment more that you'll ever know!

Dad Update

2011-11-13T04:26:00.000-08:00

When the doctor visited yesterday afternoon, he said Dad did not have a stroke. So we are really not sure what is going on. Dad will definitely be in the hospital for at least a few days while they run more tests. Unfortunately, when you get admitted on a Friday afternoon not many tests are run until Monday.

He seemed worse again yesterday. He can talk, but doesn't make any sense. His blood pressure is sky high. We hired a sitter for last night so I didn't have to stay with him overnight, and will continue to have a sitter at night.

Off to the hospital I go.

A Stroke

2011-11-12T10:30:00.000-08:00

This is my 600th post; I was planning to have a special quilty post with photos. But my father had a stroke yesterday, so plans have changed.

It appears to be minor, though the test results have not all come back yet. He's having trouble coming up with words, but yesterday he couldn't talk at all, so at least he's improving.

I'm just home from being with him at the hospital all morning while my mother went home to shower and rest. Now she's at the hospital, and I'm home to shower and rest. I'm taking the overnight shift with him at the hospital tonight.

The hospital knows he's at risk for falling, and have told us that someone needs to be with him all the time. Of course, we'd be there in any case. If his hospital stay lasts too long, we'll probably hire some nursing assistance for nights. Hopefully that won't happen.

More San Antonio Pictures

2011-11-09T15:32:00.001-08:00

Here are more of my shots from S.A. Some fun textures...
Cacti...
This pigeon is called Patches by the local shop keepers.
We were serenaded at dinner one night.
Sweet cream waffles, anyone? Yummo!

I have been diligently sewing every day, working on three quilts for the upcoming book at the same time. I want to have all three ready for quilting by the end of the year. I think I'll make it - the power of positive thinking and hard work!

Hubby and I have also been doing some house hunting, or to be more accurate, condo hunting. We've decided to purchase a condo in Auburn for Daughter 2 to live in while she's in Pharmacy School. We want a second bedroom so we can stay over on football weekends (or whenever!) We think we've found one and will be making an offer soon. It's not furnished, so it will be great fun to start from scratch to make it homey and comfortable. Can't wait to get started with that. For now I'm pinning ideas on Pinterest.

I taught a quilting class last night. Four wonderful ladies. It was a one night class and we had lots of fun!

Oh, and a (belated) Happy Birthday to my writing partner, Peggy!

My New Bermuda Friends

2011-11-02T16:41:00.000-07:00

While I was in San Antonio and Hubby was in his conference, I ate breakfast alone in the hotel restaurant. The second morning as I was finishing up, I overheard the "Q" word coming from the next table. I turned around and asked the ladies if they were quilters. YES! Next thing you now, I took my cup of tea and joined them. Quilters always have an instant bond, don't you think?

In the picture above are from L to R: Nancy, Paula, Me, and Noella. They are all from Bermuda. After a few days in San Antonio, they'll be on their way to Houston for the IQA show - yes, I'm a tad bit jealous since I'm not going this year. Maybe next year for me?
Here's a picture of their quilt guild logo - Ahhh, so tropical. Nancy specializes in Bermuda landscapes. She had her IPad handy and showed me some pictures of some of her quilts; they were lovely!

We had a great time together. I was hoping to run into them again while we were there, but never did. Ladies, I looked for you in the bar that evening around 5:15. Let me know how the show was, please!
There we so many gorgeous tile mosaics in S. A. Here a fun one I saw on the River Walk.
I love this photo. I'm not making a commentary on the Occupy Wall Street movement, to be sure. But I just like the photo. This young lady was walking alone in a park. I like that I captured the movement in her skirt as she walked.

Today I picked up my Zaycon chicken. It is beautiful! I divided it up in freezer bags and stashed it in the freezer. I will not be buying chicken for quite some time.

San Antonio!!!

2011-10-31T15:06:00.000-07:00

Wondering where I've been since last week? Hubby had a business trip in San Antonio and I stowed away! I'd never been there before, but I'd go back in a heartbeat. What a fun, vibrant city! We toured the Alamo, of course.
We went to the top of the Hemisfair - yes, I sewed right up there at the top while Hubby took some pictures of the view.
I walked miles along the River Walk, and ate lots of Mexican food.
We saw some amazing plants and lots of birds.
It was a great trip! I even met some lovely quilters from Bermuda, stopping for a few days on their way to the Houston show- picture coming soon! I even gave them a mini lesson during their breakfast.

We got home Sunday afternoon. Today I'm catching up on laundry. I actually got a good bit of hand sewing done on the trip. I kept it in my purse, and sewed my way through San Antonio. I used my handy dental floss pack as my thread cutter. I'm may have to name this particular quilt (it'll be in the book) something with a bit of Tex-Mex flavor since part of it was made there.

A Cool Ride!

2011-10-26T05:24:00.001-07:00

No, hubby is not having a mid-life crisis! But he does look good in this car, doesn't he?

Hubby works for an electric utility, which owns this electric vehicle. He had the extreme pleasure of driving it from Montgomery back to Birmingham yesterday. After taking me for a quick spin, alas, he had to turn it back in to the company.

If you're interested in the details, it's a Tesla. The trunk is designed to hold one set of golf clubs. I thought that was so funny! They expect the car buyer to be a golfer! (Hubby IS a golfer, so he thought that part was pretty cool.) The car is priced at $109,000. No, not in our price range!.

I've been sewing away here. It's so frustrating not to be able to show my projects here! But I do have a project I'll be able to share next week.

Fabulous Fall (and a Good Deal on Chicken)

2011-10-23T10:41:00.001-07:00

We are experiencing the most beautiful Fall weekend here in Birmingham. The weather is sunny and the perfect temperature. My Christmas cacti on the deck are beginning to get some cool nights to instigate their future blooms.
Despite the gorgeous weather, our spoiled rotten dogs would prefer to be inside. Mickey relaxed on the love seat in my studio this week while I worked. What a dog!

I made a big trip to the grocery store today - glad to get that done! I bought some boneless, skinless chicken breasts (among many other things) and was aghast at the price - well over $4.00 per pound. The package I bought was more than $22.00! I need it, so I bought it. BUT, then I came home, got on my computer and ordered 40 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts from Zaycon Foods at only: drumroll please......$1.49 per pound!!!!!!!!!!!!

Can you believe that price? Extreme coupon users will buy chicken when it gets down to $1.99 per pound, but $1.49 per pound - a GREAT DEAL. The chicken is delivered fresh, ready to cook or to divide in packages to freeze. You can order it if you live in the Birmingham, AL, area through Oct. 28, then pick it up locally the next week. And you can order as many cases of 40 pounds each as you want. I've heard from another blogger that the quality is excellent.

Check it out for yourself HERE. They have sales events all over the United States, so check to see if they'll be in an area near you. (They have other foods besides chicken, too.)

A Stunning Quilt!

2011-10-19T09:24:00.000-07:00

Is this not gorgeous!!!? My good friend, Brenda B., made this beauty, based on a design by Judy Mathieson. Brenda is so talented. She does her own quilting on her domestic machine. And her piecing is perfection.

Brenda used to be my neighbor, but she and her husband retired to South Carolina to a lovely home on a lake a few years ago. Oh, I miss her! We used to bounce ideas off each other all the time. Now we have to do it via e-mail. At least we have that!

We had a cold front come through last night so there's a chill in the air today. Mickey DOES NOT like it; he's been shivering all morning. Maybe I should find him a sweater?

A Day in Auburn

2011-10-18T09:30:00.000-07:00

I spent a lovely day in Auburn yesterday, accompanying Daughter 2 while she interviewed for the Harrison School of Pharmacy. She got her official acceptance today! So proud of you, Elizabeth!
We spotted this as we walked on campus Sunday afternoon. Click on the photo a couple of times to enlarge. There are three students in three hammocks - can you see the higher one? He had to work to relax!
Here are some workers removing toilet paper from the Toomer's Corner tree. You probably heard how the tree was poisoned last year. They are trying to save it, but I thought it looked pretty sad. Can you see how those branches on the left look so barren?

Today I'm catching up on sewing and laundry. I'm getting really excited about one of my current quilts - it's turning out wonderfully! Have a wonderful day!

Happy Birthday...

2011-10-17T19:52:00.000-07:00

dear Mickey, Happy Birthday to you! Can't believe this sweet puppy is now 4 years old!

Just got back from an overnight to Auburn - haven't been there in quite some time. Good to be back in the Loveliest Village. Good to be back home again, too.

My Ship(ment) Has Come In!

2011-10-16T06:06:00.001-07:00

Excuse my messy kitchen table in the background, but look what came in the mail! A freakin' tall stack of fabric! I can't show you the quilts I'm working on for the book, but there's no reason I can't share some of the fabric.

This pile includes 10 yards of Kaffe Fassett all on sale from Hancock's of Paducah - I cannot pass up a Kaffe sale! And there are also lots and lots of Kona Cotton Solids thrown in for good measure. These were not on sale, but they're a MUST have as far as I'm concerned.

Do you see that coral and that green near the bottom of the stack? One of them has a good shot of being the background fabric for one of the quilts. Now which to pick? What do you think? I'm trying to step outside my color box - why are backgrounds always white or cream?

Daughter 2 is home with us for a couple of days - she's got in interview Monday for Pharmacy School - good luck, Sweetie!!!!!!!

I'm Catching My Breath...

2011-10-14T15:42:00.001-07:00

Here's one of the projects Karen Kay Buckley taught while here in Birmingham - it's machine appliqué, but it's hard to tell that it hasn't been done by hand. The pattern is her own design, called Kansas Rose.

It was certainly a whirlwind while she was here, but everything went great. She was very nice and very professional. She is also a great teacher, very organized, and extremely talented.

I learned so much from her - not only her techniques, but also some techniques on teaching. I love her classroom setup - she had a movie camera mounted on a tabletop tripod. The camera was hooked to a digital projector. So as Karen demonstrated each technique, her hands were projected onto the wall for all to see. Everyone could stay in their seats and see close up what she was doing. It a very good system and I need to copy it - I already have a digital projector, so I'll need the camera and the small tripod.I made a batch of these for the workshops - pretzels, Hugs, and candy corn. Easy peasy and Halloweeny! The leftovers went to work with hubby yesterday for his co-workers.

Hubby's Surprise: 10K!

2011-10-13T07:11:00.001-07:00

I've been having a fun week hosting Karen Kay Buckley during her stay in Birmingham. She gave a lecture at our guild meeting Monday, and then taught three classes. I promise I will share more details about her visit in another blog post - she is truly a well-oiled machine, and probably THE best quilting teacher I've ever seen and heard!

But first I want to share my lovely dinner with hubby last night. He'd been out of town on business the entire time Karen was here. He flew back to town yesterday, hours before Karen flew back home to Pennsylvania. He'd suggested we go out to dinner since he knew I'd be too tired to cook. So we went to a new restaurant in our area: The Ridge. It's a sister restaurant to Mud House, a popular restaurant in another area of town.

The Ridge is a casual place, relaxed and fun. We had a coupon for a free appetizer - we had sweet potato chips with a blue cheese dip. While we waited for our appetizer to arrive, hubby placed this card in front of me and asked me to guess what it meant. He had a big smile!

My guess was that he'd gotten a raise - 10K! I was spending it my head! But no, he assured me that wasn't the case. Hmm.... I was baffled! When I gave up, he told me that yesterday was our 10,000 day anniversary. Whoa! How in the world did he figure that out!? I was floored!

He'd been planning this for months, it turned out. How romantic!!!

The 10K card came with a few phases of gifts. The first: I had 10 seconds to think of anything I wanted from him that begins with the letter "K." He looked at his watch and started the countdown. I immediately blurted out, "Kaffe Fassett fabric!" He died laughing. We both laughed through the remainder of the 10 seconds! He was impressed I thought of something - the only things he'd come up with were kilt, kite, and kangaroo!

The second phase: he gave me a budget and said he wanted me to decide what to do with it. Maybe a trip for the two of us, maybe something special I've been wanting. Hmmm. I'll have to think on this before deciding.

The third phase: 10 kisses.

Was this not a special idea? We had wonderful dinner and a fun evening.

In My Rear View Mirror

2011-10-07T21:04:00.001-07:00

I took this shot on my way home from a bee meeting yesterday. Look what was staring at me! Click on the picture a couple of times. Now do you see it? A bit freaky. He was behind me most of the way home on the interstate and even took the same exit. Then he went another direction, thank goodness. It was actually a tow truck.
Here's another picture you'll have to click on to see better. Lisa is working on this adorable doggy diamond quilt with Aunt Donna scraps. Pretty much everyone in our Guild knows all about Aunt Donna scraps, but that story will have to be for another day.

I had really good intentions for sewing this week, but life got in the way a good bit. I took my parents to the doctor for their flu shots and check-ups. I ran some errands another day for my mother - she needed makeup, Reeboks, and Christmas garland. Yes, she plans ahead. And then of course, another day devoted to a fun Bee meeting. Whew!

I did take the time today to order piles of fabric from Hancock's of Paducah for quilts for the new book. And I have big sewing plans for tomorrow while I watch football with hubby. Sunday I'll be picking up Karen Kay Buckley at the airport, as she arrives for a few days of workshops for our Guild. I'm her hostess and I'll be with her every day. I'm sure I'll have lots of fun photos from the workshops - it will be a fun week for sure. She'll be speaking at our Guild meeting Monday morning, so if you're in the Birmingham area, come visit our meeting.

The BEST Biscuit Recipe EVER!

2011-10-05T16:06:00.001-07:00

I haven't shared a recipe here in quite a long time - so here's a good one! I originally found this one on Pinterest (of course!) at this site. So go there for the recipe for 7Up Biscuits.

However, I need to tell you the substitutions I make to lighten it up:

1. Instead of regular Bisquick, I use the lower fat version

2. Instead of regular sour cream, I use the low fat version

3. Instead of regular 7Up, I use Diet Sprite, since I usually have that in the refrigerator.

I do not substitute for the melted butter - a girl's gotta have a bit of butter!

The bubbly soft drink seems to make the biscuits light and fluffy - no more hockey pucks around here!

We're having breakfast for supper tonight: these biscuits, scrambled eggs, grits, and bacon. Yummy!

Flimsy Finishing

2011-10-04T05:35:00.001-07:00

Hubby and I took the dogs for a nice walk over the weekend. We usually don't take Oliver along, but we took pity on him this time. He loved it, but we discovered that his hip issues are getting worse. He dragged one of his rear feet the entire time. Poor thing! He probably won't be going on any more walks. He's also been battling a rash - he's on his second round of medications for that. It's not easy getting old.
Here's another outstanding quilt from the Georgia show.
And here are the details. WOW!

Today I will be finishing the quilt top I've been working on diligently. Yay! Don't you love how the Aussies call a quilt top a "flimsy?" I think I'll start using that name.

Anyway, yes, this a quilt for the upcoming book. I'll be so glad to finish the top. Still have to quilt it. Still have to write the instructions. Peggy and I have LOTS to do before our May deadline. We had completed two of the projects for the book before we sent in our book proposal, but based on comments from the publisher, we now want to remake them in different colors so they will pop off the pages of the book better.

I'm taking my parents to the doctor today for flu shots and check ups. They wanted to go in October, and my month is already looking very busy indeed, so I figured I'd better go ahead and get their shots out of the way.

It's Sue Spargo Time!

2011-09-30T18:27:00.000-07:00

To all my friends who have seen me (slowly!) working on my Sue Spargo 2011 BOM's, it's time to sign up for next year! If you are interested, go to suespargo.com now. I mean NOW! She offers a limited number of kits each year and she sells out quickly. So if you're interested in having some fun with wool, and cotton, and velvet, and embellishments, GO!

Another Georgia Quilt

2011-09-29T07:10:00.001-07:00

Here is another one of my favorites from the quilt show a couple of weeks ago - a Sue Spargo beauty!
I adore the textures of wool, velvet, and cotton.

And embellishments galore!
Here's the info on the makers.

I've been quilting LIKE CRAZY this week. I'm trying to finish a quilt top for the book. It's been in progress for months, but I took a very long break to work on other projects and to work on the proposal. There is a lot of hand work involved - for me that mean sitting in my recliner, doxie in lap, TV turned on. I know - tough job!

My biggest challenge is making myself get up and move around occasionally. Yesterday I took a break mid-morning and took Mickey for a nice walk. I think I'll take Prince today.

Excuse Me While I ... BREATHE...

2011-09-26T15:37:00.000-07:00

I'm catching up on EVERYTHING after a weekend in South Carolina. Actually, I'm not even close to being caught up on laundry, but maybe tomorrow???? Hubby and I spent the weekend in Greenville, SC, visiting with Daughter 2 at Furman University. We went to the football game Saturday, more for the half time show than for the game - typical band parents! Daughter 2 is on the far right in the above photo; you'll have to click on the photo a couple of times to get a glimpse. I asked Hubby to get closer to her, but he didn't want to be that "embarrassing Dad!" So I shot from afar.
Here is the entire band during the pre-game pep rally. They have the BIGGEST sound ever! Most of the members (though not Daughter 2) are music majors.

To see them in action performing their half-time show, go to this link. I know you'll enjoy it - they perform a version of "Forget You" that includes dancing - way fun! The interesting thing about Furman is their initials - FU. At little strange to hear cheers of FU, but it's all in fun. The school has now embraced that "Forget You" song. I do love that song - at least the "clean" Forget You version. After hearing the band play it this weekend, I've been singing it in my head for two days!

This is Daughter 2's last year in a marching band. She'll graduate in the Spring and move on to grad school, where she won't have time for this part of her life. I know she'll miss it.j

Correction: I originally said Daughter 2 was on the far left in the top photo. Whoops! She's on the far right! Playing clarinet.

Boy Scout Quilt

2011-09-21T07:14:00.001-07:00

One of the quilts that caught my eye at the Georgia quilt show was this Boy Scout quilt, honoring an Eagle Scout. She could have just sewn those badges into a grid, but no! She was so utterly artistic and creative!
The background was a pineapple pattern using Boy Scout fabric.
A photo of the scout was at the top of the quilt.
And here's the description. Click on it a couple of time to see it bigger. What a fine tribute to years of hard work!

I'm enjoying a week with no commitments. That gives me lots of time to sew, of course, and I'm taking advantage of every minute. Plus I allow myself a bit of time to read. Harry Potter progress: I'm down to the last few pages of book 4. It's so much easier to keep up with the story line and characters when you read the series straight through. I never got past reading book 4, so the next book will be new to me.

Book Proposal Accepted!!!

2011-09-20T06:35:00.000-07:00

Peggy and I were thrilled to find out on Friday that our book proposal has been accepted by the publisher!!! YAY!!! We had just gotten off a bus in Atlanta and we were walking into a quilt show when my phone rang with the good news. We were so glad to be together when we received the news! Lots of hugs and high fives all around!

When I got home from Atlanta that night, hubby had this ice cream cake waiting for me - is he not a sweetie? (And if you don't already know, most people call me "Judy.")

We are so excited about the book - I know it will be a fun one to write. But first, we have to make the quilts! Our deadline is in May, 2012. Wow - lots of quilts to make before then! But I always work better under a deadline.

I still don't feel I can give too much detail about the book here in internet-land until it's closer to being released. But as soon as I can, I'll divulge all the details.

Peggy and I were in the perfect place to celebrate - a hugh quilt show! I'll share some of my photos from that day later this week. Meanwhile, I'd better go work on a quilt!!!

Missoni Madness!

2011-09-15T15:07:00.001-07:00

So I'd been seeing those fun Target commercials highlighting the Missoni collection; opening day was Tuesday. I figured I'd stop by and browse. I do love me a zig zag, and Missoni is all about the zig and the zag!

I got to Target at about 8:30 am, thinking I was early. Boy, was I wrong. By the time I walked in the store, there were tons of ladies (mostly young) in line at the cashiers with piles (PILES, I say!) of Missoni goodness in their carts. I made a loop through the store, only finding the Missoni dregs. There were very few garments left, though I did find a black and white zigzag top in my size. Even the housewares and decorative items had been picked clean.

However, I did score on a Missoni tie for hubby. I don't often buy him clothes - he has very good taste and knows what he likes. So I was taking a chance, but he loved it and wore it the next day to work, getting lots of compliments.
It is a nice pattern, isn't it?

I heard that the Target website was down all day Tuesday. I also heard that Missoni for Target items are now being sold on ebay, of course at elevated prices.

It's just as well I saved my money. I'm going on a bus trip with our quilt guild tomorrow - off to Atlanta! We're going to a quilt show in the morning and a quilt shop in the afternoon. Can't wait!

Beginning Quilting Class

2011-09-14T15:20:00.000-07:00

My last class for the Beginning Quilting group was Tuesday evening. They brought their quilts, all done! Look how wonderful! They were such good students, and I think they will all continue their quilting journey. How rewarding to bring the world of quilting to others! This is why I love my job.
Here's a close up of the one above. She going to add some hand quilting with brown perle cotton to the pink squares.
And Sue got very creative: she machine quilted tea cups in her border. Click on the picture a couple of times to see.
The quilt in front has such a warm, vintage feel. The rest of the students weren't able to come to our show-n-tell session, but I know their quilts are also wonderful.
As I drove away from class, I saw this beautiful sunset. I took this shot while stopped at a red light. Amazing! Then I stopped on the way home and gave my sample quilt to my sick friend. I hope it comforts her!

Did any of you brave the masses at Target yesterday for the Missoni collection? I did. More about that tomorrow.

Hand Quilting Done

2011-09-12T15:27:00.000-07:00

I finished the hand quilting with perle cotton yesterday afternoon- just simple lines criss crossing the big blocks. In yellow. You may have to click the picture to see it better. I think my friend will like it.

It's always heart breaking to hear of someone who has been diagnosed with breast cancer (or any terrible disease). But this woman has always been the picture of health. She has always eaten right, and she has always exercised. I mean REALLY exercised! She participates in triathlons, for goodness sake! I mean, who does that! But her mother had breast cancer, so I guess the genetics played a huge part in it. Prayers for her.....

Quilt guild was today. It was the first meeting of our year, so it was a busy and hectic time. 132 people were there! I'm co-chair of the national teachers and next month I'll be hosting Karen Kay Buckley here in Birmingham. She'll be lecturing at our guild meeting and teaching three workshops. I can't wait - should be a fun time for all!

Sewing Again

2011-09-10T16:49:00.001-07:00

Hubby and I took a quick trip to Georgia yesterday. We took dear Daughter 1 to dinner and went with her to the Callaway High School football game. Our son-in-law is one of the coaches for the football team, so we were there to cheer him on. We only got to visit with him briefly after the game because a coach's workday isn't complete when the game is over. I don't think he made it home until well past midnight.
Here's a pic of Emily and Tommy.

Hubby and I didn't stay the night. We hit the road again, making it into bed at about 12:30. We were so TIRED on the way home, so we sang, and joked, and I kept slapping his arm to keep him awake. He's probably well bruised today, but he did stay awake to drive.

Do you like Daughter 1's necklace? She made it! She found the instructions through Pinterest (yes, I've gotten both daughters hooked on Pinterest, too!) and made it last week. Check out her blog to see the information.

Yes, though yawning all day, I've picked up the old needle and thread again. I'm doing some hand quilting on the sample quilt I made for the beginning quilting class. I wanted to add some big stitches with perle cotton to finish it. I found out last week that I have a friend who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer, and I think this quilt needs to belong to her.

Beautiful Quilts from Beginners

2011-09-08T15:46:00.000-07:00

Here are a few shots from my beginning quilting class this week.
Tuesday was the last official class, but since half of the students lost their electricity due to Lee's remnants, they weren't able to complete their homework.

We're going to meet next week, too, so that I can make sure they have no more questions. And also, I want to see the finished quilts! They all said that machine quilting wasn't as hard as they thought it would be. And they enjoyed learning how to bind their quilts. I will really miss these ladies, as we've all become friends in the process of their learning to quilt. Isn't that the greatest part of quilting - the friendships we build along the way?

I have had one of those weeks. Many tear filled conversations with my mother. Taking care of my father is taking its toll on her. Not sure what the next step is. For now she may hire someone to stay with him occasionally so she can get out a bit. Tough times.

But the good news: DRUMROLL......

My wonderful new partner (Peggy Rhodes) and I have finally (!) completed our book proposal and shipped it off to a publisher! We gave each other a virtual hug and high five this afternoon via cell phone. I do love having a partner! We have each given equally to the project, and we've both brought good ideas to the table. I love having someone to bounce ideas off.

Now maybe I'll clean the house? And take a shower?

Quilt Inspiration From Pinterest

2011-09-04T14:54:00.000-07:00

Yes, I'm still harping on Pinterest! I you haven't joined in yet, go there NOW (as soon as you finish reading this post, that is). It's my new way to bookmark something interesting I see on the Internet. It keeps all those links in one place, store by the categories I select, with the link included automatically. Plus the best part, I see the pictures which makes it so easy to find what I want. And I can look through all the wonderful things other people have pinned - better than a magazine, I tell ya!

No, that egg was not my breakfast! Look closely. Click on it. It's embroidered on toast. Yes, found that on Pinterest. I'm not inspired to make a quilt from it, but boy, is it interesting! Or pinteresting?
And look at these lovely bowls I found on Pinterest. I'd love to own them, but the color combination would make a great quilt, don't you think?
Oh my, I'm drooling now.... love this "worn turquoise" color combo. Yes, these colors definitely need to be in a future quilt.
Okay, you're allowed to go now. Hurry to Pinterest RIGHT NOW! While you're there, do a search on quilts - there are some way cool ones there.

Kleenex Inspiration

2011-09-01T17:19:00.001-07:00

Am I the only quilter who adores Kleenex boxes? I never grab the first box I see at the grocery store. I have to find the cutest, most adorable box. And I ALWAYS see quilt designs in them. I picked up this little gem this afternoon.
And I had to come home with this one, too, which is actually designed for car use. I can really see this one as a modern quilt.
I found this product last week at the grocery. Even though it says it's for water and tea, it was on the aisle with the marinades.
I spotted this recipe on the back of the box (click to see bigger) and thought it sounded yummy. It was! We had it for dinner along with brown rice and a green vegetable. Will definitely make this again.

Blog-iversary and High School Band Reunion

2011-08-28T08:59:00.000-07:00

Friday was the three year anniversary of my blog - can't believe I've been doing this so long! I try to keep the blog quilty, but alas, today there is nothing quilty I can show. Now that my computer issues seem to be settled, I'm back at work on the book proposal. I have a co-writer - more about that eventually.

Friday was also the start of my high school band reunion. I played flute at Decatur High School, and I was also a majorette. Those were good times! Our band director, Jerry Countryman, taught at the school for 25 years. The reunion brought together all his students for those years. Since the Countryman family moved to Texas, I haven't seen them since, well maybe 1980.

The photo shows Mr. Countryman, Debbie (one of my BESTEST high school friends), and me - excuse my flattened hair - it was SO hot and my hair melted. We met in our old band room (lots of memories there!), and then stood out on the football field Friday night before the game. Mr. C directed both team bands in the Star Bangled Banner and we band alumni released red and white balloons into the air.

There were more festivities Saturday, but hubby and I came back to Birmingham Friday night to be home while we had a contractor here. No - no remodeling this time - we've been having cable TV issues, so we had Direct TV installed. The guy was here from 2:30 in the afternoon until 9:30 last night. I think we'll like it, but I have to relearn all the channel numbers.

Back in Business

2011-08-25T07:16:00.001-07:00

What a week! After buying a new computer on Sunday afternoon and leaving it (along with my crashed computer) for the kind Apple folks to transfer my data, I have been on pins and needles. The computer was not ready until Tuesday. I spent about an hour and a half at the store when I picked it up while they helped me update a few things.

Tuesday night after my quilting class, I realized some things on the computer weren't as they should be. So yesterday morning I went back to the store, spending another couple of hours with my computer and an Apple employee as he corrected the issues.

Back at home, yes, another problem. Back to the store for another couple of hours. The problems were all associated with the fact that my old computer was totally crashed, making the data transfer very difficult.

The good news:

-All issues are now solved, and my new computer is working beautifully, though I still need to learn a few things

-All my pictures were saved!

-The book proposal was saved!

The bad news:

-All applications were lost, i.e., Microsoft Office, Photoshop - I'm in the process of reloading these. If I can't find my Photoshop disc, I'll have to buy that one.

All in all, it's good, though. I couldn't be happier!

In other Apple news, congrats to Tim Cook, newly named CEO for Apple. Hubby and I were classmates of Tim at Auburn where we all studied Industrial Engineering together. (He probably doesn't remember me, though!)
My beginning quilting class continues to go well. I remembered my camera this week and took some shots of the students' WIPs. Cute teapots!
Pretty colors - this one will have a gorgeous paisley border.
I love the look of this one - one fabric reminds me of shirting.
And isn't this going to be a happy quilt?

Three classes down - two to go. For homework, the students are to finish sewing their rows together and then sew on their borders. Next class we will learn to baste the top, batting, and backing together, and begin to machine quilt.

Dead Computer

2011-08-22T19:01:00.001-07:00

I haven't blogged in a few days because my beloved laptop died on Saturday night. It had not been feeling well for a couple of weeks, but I was really hoping it would last until September. I was working on an important project (quilting book proposal) and I was OH SO close to being done.

BUT, it wasn't to be. BUMMER.

I took it to the hospital (Apple store) Sunday. They agreed that my prognosis was correct. The computer is done. So I bought a new one and paid extra to have them try to save the data on my old, dead one and move it to the new one. I was supposed to go pick them both up tonight. But just before my appointment they called to cancel. The data transfer was taking longer than they expected, and was more difficult than they expected. Oh. Dear. They will call me tomorrow.

Please keep your fingers and toes crossed that they are able to save my files, especially my pictures and the book proposal. Pretty please.

Bowling, Anyone?

2011-08-19T18:08:00.001-07:00

I have to admit, I don't like to bowl. I've only done it once in my life when our girls were little. I ended up throwing out my hip and being in pain for days. I guess I'm a fuddy duddy.

But the bowling pins themselves are pretty cool. I like the shape and their heaviness. So when I took a little trip down highway 31 earlier this week to visit a thrift store, I couldn't pass these up. I guess I bought them in the spirit of the American Pickers on the History channel. Love me some Mike and Frank. Just heard they're opening a new Antique Archeology store in Nashville.

Now what to do with them? Later in the week I saw a photo on Pinterest of a lovely table in a lovely home. The table was beautifully styled with a cool lamp and some other decorative items. And there sat an old bowling pin that looks identical to mine. Maybe I'm on to something? I only paid $2.48 each.

How I Follow 177 Blogs (And How You Can, Too!)

2011-08-18T08:08:00.000-07:00

I told a quilting friend how many blogs I like to keep up with - yes, that number is currently 177! And always growing! She wanted to know if I live on my computer all day long. No, I don't!

When I first discovered quilting blogs, I bookmarked them on my computer. Then every day, I'd have to go to my bookmarks and click on each blog individually to see if there was a new post. Often there wasn't a new post. I spent so much time daily clicking and checking, sometimes only to find a couple of new posts. I was explaining this to my Software Engineer daughter a couple of years ago and she had a solution which has changed my life.

Now I can read so many blogs in so little time! And I don't have to search to find recent posts. I know many of you may already know how to do this, but in case you don't..... Emily has helped me with these instructions.

1. Go to http://reader.google.com and sign in with your Google account. If you do not have a Google account, click "Create an account" to make an account. (This is free.) This account will give you access to ALL of Google's apps (GMail, Google Calendar, Google Reader, etc.).

2. At the top left corner, click the "Add a subscription" button. This is where you'll start adding the blogs that you read.

3. Type either the blog address (e.g. greenquilts.blogspot.com) or a search term (e.g. Green Quilts).

4. Repeat this for all your blogs, and you're done! You can click "All items" on the left to see all of your new blog posts from all of your subscribed blogs. If you'd rather view only a specific blog, click on the blog under the "Subscriptions" section on the left.

It takes a bit of time to enter your favorite blogs in initially, but it's really not too bad. And whenever you discover a new blog you like, it's so easy to add it to your list.

I hope this changes your life as much as it has changed mine. Now I just have to go to reader.google.com, click on "All items," and any new posts from my blog list appear for me to read. As I scroll through each entry, it is automatically marked as read so it will not appear again. One site. Lots of blog entries. Time saved. It's a very good thing!

grin.

2011-08-16T12:43:00.000-07:00

I got a special delivery today. Actually it was just an ordinary delivery by Mr. FedEx. But to me it was special. You see, I've been looking for the perfect fabric for a project for months. Yes, months! I really try to support the one local quilt shop in our city, but their stock doesn't turn over very often. So frequently they don't have what I'm looking for. Especially when I didn't even know what I was looking for. I just knew that when I saw it, I would know. Have you ever felt like that about a fabric?

So to make my long story even longer, I FINALLY found the perfect fabric on-line. At Hancock's of Paducah. Yay! So I placed my order for multiple yards. Yay!

Then the dreaded e-mail.....the fabric I ordered was on back order. Grrr.

But I've been a very patient girl. And today was the magic day that the doorbell rang and I found that beautiful yellow package on my doormat. And it was worth the long wait! Isn't it lovely?
Here's the low-down on the selvage in case you want to get some of this yummy-ness for yourself.

I'm teaching my beginning quilting class tonight. It will be fun because everyone will be bringing their sewing machines. They'll learn about strip piecing, pressing seams, nesting seams, and chain piecing.

Dumbledore

2011-08-14T09:07:00.000-07:00

Here's a little bitty peak at my latest project, completed today. It needs lots of tweaking, which means I'll be making another one of these in different fabrics soon. Designing is hard work. It never comes out perfect the first time.
After seeing the last Harry Potter movie recently, I got the urge to read the entire series. Years ago, as each book came out, I read the first 4. Then life got in the way. So I'm starting over again with the encouragement of Daughter 2 who declares them "the BEST books ever written." I'm halfway through this first one.
I was in the bathroom a couple of days ago, looked down, and discovered the outline of Dumbledore in a floor tile. This is a terrible picture because of that darn shadow, but maybe you can see it. See his pointy hat? He is holding up one arm and the other is by his side. You can see the outline of his robes coming down to the bottom of the tile. I'll try to get a better picture later. Now I can't go to the bathroom without thinking he is staring at me.

My Stash (Most of it, anyway.)

2011-08-12T18:29:00.000-07:00

When I taught my beginning quilting class Tuesday, I told my students about my stash. How Real Quilters don't buy fabric for each individual quilt. How Real Quilters buy fabric here, there, and everywhere, whenever they see fabric they like. How Real Quilters always have a stash of fabric, ready to cut up and play with at a moments notice. (Students, do you now see why I don't pre-wash my fabric?)

Mine is primarily sorted by color, though I do have a category for dots and one for doggy fabric. I also have a Christmas fabric category.

I'm having a bit of a problem though. The fabrics I've bought in the last year or so are more contemporary in nature. Bold patterns, modern colors, etc. I don't want to sort them by color into these drawers. (IF I even had room in said drawers!) For now, my studio coffee table has become their home, where I can ogle and drool over them constantly. But I know they need a better home. I'll have to think on it.
My usual summer tomato sandwich has morphed into this. Whole wheat tortilla. Hummus. String cheese. One chopped tomato.
With Publix cheddar rice cakes. Note to self: go to Publix tomorrow to buy more hummus and rice cakes.

Catching Up

2011-08-11T05:18:00.000-07:00

My Beginning Quilting class went great Tuesday night. I had so much fun, and hopefully the students did, too. I've taught so many quilting classes over the years, but never a beginning class - it's so much fun to get people started on the wonderful journey.

I took a pile of show and tell so the women could see some of my previous work, including the quilt above - my all time favorite, "Patches." Love the quilt. Loved that dog, too.

I look forward to next week's class.

Parent Update: Not good. My father is going downhill rapidly again. My mother is using the N-word: nursing home. I'm not sure I'm prepared to go through this again. I will get my brother involved this time.

What I'm enjoying this month:
1. Watching Project Runway and HGTV Design Star.
2. Watching the Braves with hubby.
3. Scattered showers.
4. Fresh vegetables.
5. Quiet time spent sewing.
6. My wonderful husband.

All Packed Up!

2011-08-09T12:31:00.001-07:00

But I'm not going far, thank goodness. Tonight is the start of the beginning quilting class I'll be teaching. I'm so excited and can't wait to meet the students. I have prepared a hand-out for them, and I have figured out my "lesson plan" for tonight.

The hardest thing for me at this point is figuring out how long it will take to cover each item. Next week they will all bring sewing machines, so sewing will take up a large part of each class. Tonight will be more about the basics, such as supplies needed, fabric selection, and a lesson in rotary cutting. I can't wait!

Funny - I just realized Mickey made his way into that picture above! He's always got to be in the middle of everything. Love that baby!

So what else is new around here? I'm still catching up on housework and laundry, after taking a week off from all that. The girls are settling in to their new digs. And I actually made it upstairs to my studio today - yay me! Can't wait to show you what I'm making - but it will have to be secret for a bit.

My bug man came yesterday to spray around the house. He'd had a substitute for the last couple of appointments, so he hadn't been here in about 9 months. He came downstairs from spraying my studio and said, "Your sewing room is so neat and organized!" He had not seen it since The Great Studio Makeover. He made my day!

A Wonderful Week

2011-08-05T05:39:00.000-07:00

Prince with his "rescued" rock - tail wagging goodness!
Daughter 2 brought a late birthday gift for me - gratefulness!
Here's the second fat quarter in a green color way. It's "masai swirl" by Alexander Henry - loveliness!
She also gave me a set of 6 place mats she crocheted for me - prettiness!
The girls made a cupcake run yesterday - yumminess!

Butterbeer!

2011-08-02T05:32:00.000-07:00

We're having a fun family week, so blogging is sparse and sewing is even more sparse. Daughter 2 is here for a week before returning to school this weekend - loving every minute of it! Daughter 1's hubby has gotten a wonderful job in Georgia - yay! They're moving this weekend. We'll miss having them in town, but they won't be too far away. Daughter 1 had her last day of work last Friday, so she's able to hang out with us this week.

I'm savoring the moments - I know in the future it will be rare to have us all together for this many days at a time!

The girls made homemade Butterbeer over the weekend - we enjoyed it while we watched the next to last Harry Potter movie, gearing up to the see the last one the following day. Oh, it was good! Daughter 2 created the recipe from a few different ones she'd seen on the internet. She even made it low fat and low sugar for me, since she's knows I'm watching my diet.

Daughter 2 has her latest crochet WIP progress to show. A lovely hexagon afghan - yes, we are hexie mad around this place!

We are staying busy running errands for her - getting her ready for her senior year. New computer. Some school supplies. Some clothes. New white gloves for marching band. Ya Da Ya Da.

So I will be away for a few more days as I enjoy family time. Both girls are leaving the weekend - hubby and I are loving every minute until that happens.

Revisting the Past

2011-07-27T05:22:00.000-07:00

After sharing an older piece yesterday, I thought I'd share another "old" quilt today. This is "Spring Break," featuring Daughter 1 and Prince floating at the lake.
This quilt was juried into the International Quilt Festival in their "Celebrate Spring" exhibit a few years ago. I remember how labor intensive this piece was - it's made almost entirely from tiny (1/4 inch wide) strips of fused fabric.

As usual, click on the pictures a couple of times to see them closer.

For the next 10 days or so I'm going to be uber busy helping kids move from point A to point B and then from point B to point C. Two kids. Three moves. It's all good though! Happy days ahead! Meanwhile, I'm having a show and tell here, sharing some oldies but goodies until I can get back to quilting.

Remember this quilt?

2011-07-26T04:58:00.001-07:00

I made this for a guild challenge last year. The challenge was to include a flying geese unit and a bit of red in your quilt. Instead of making a pieced traditional flying geese unit, of course I had to step outside the box and make these flying geese:
I called it, "Happiness is... A Gaggle of Geese. It was one of the winners at the guild level, and was then entered (along with the other winning quilts) into the Ultimate Guild Challenge at the recent Knoxville AQS show. Our quilts were juried into the show. I wasn't able to get up to Knoxville to see it hanging, but I do know it's back in Birmingham now. I'm picking it up Thursday. No, we didn't win ribbons at Knoxville, but it was great to have our guild represented there.
Whenever I have a quilt juried into a national show, I always take advantage of the appraisal that is offered. I love all my quilts no matter the monetary value. But it is nice to get the appraisal feedback when I can.

I got the appraisal in the mail yesterday. Yes, it made me happy! $1900! That's not as much as my large portrait quilts are usually appraised, but I'm definitely pleased with the amount.

Playing with Fabric

2011-07-25T15:53:00.001-07:00

I finally got around to opening the box of fabric I bought from Melody Johnson. Squeal!!! Look at all these delicious stripes! I'm drooling, but I can't get too excited yet. I'm in over my head with so many projects at the moment.
Here are the pre-cut strips she sent along.
I've also been picking out fabric for another project.

Lake Dogs

2011-07-24T06:53:00.000-07:00

Hubby got a bee in his bonnet. He wanted to go back to the lake yesterday. Though I'm still recovering from the last trip, I agreed. So hubby, Daughter 1, and I (along with the doxies) hit the road for the land of the wet and wild. We took the boat to a small island where the dogs could run free and explore.
Prince did some swimming.
Prince did some heavy duty rock rescuing, on his lifelong mission to rid the lake of rocks.
Mickey was happy to sit in the shallow water, watching Prince do his thing. It was a good day. Now back to the quilting life.
Look what the mailman had brought while we were gone! Yummy! Melody Johnson mentioned on her blog a couple of days ago that she wanted to sell her stash of Kaffe Fassett stripes. I e-mailed her quickly! I was the first to respond, so I got the honor of buying them. It's over 6 yards of fabric (a really nice variety), plus she threw in some pre-cut strips. It was a real bargain! I'm in stripey heaven! It will be some time before I can use them - too many irons in the fire currently - but I do have big plans for them.

Pinterest!

2011-07-21T15:45:00.000-07:00

No pictures today. Hubby and I hosted a big party at the lake yesterday, so we've been gone 2 days. We got home late last night and today (for me) has been a day of rest. I haven't had the energy to make it upstairs to the studio, or even to unload the car. It will all still be there tomorrow when I'm more rested.

So today I want to share my love for Pinterest! Do you Pinterest? Have you even heard of it? I'd been hearing about it, but until I joined in I didn't know how fabulous and fun it can be!

Pinterest gives you a place to create on-line bulletin boards of inspirational photos, recipes, ANYTHING you see on the internet. See a cool quilt you love - pin it to your board. Want to save that fab picture of someone's redone furniture - pin it to your board. You can create multiple boards, each with a different subject matter. You can follow others' boards, and they can follow yours.

I urge you to try it - it's way addictive! Check out my pins here. Follow me if you'd like.

Quilting and Computing

2011-07-18T12:24:00.000-07:00

It only took minutes to quilt the top section and square it up. If you're wondering how big it is at this point, it's about 32" across by 44" in length. I've been planning all along for it to be a lap quilt, but now I'm thinking it might be better as a wall quilt - a piece of art. Hmmm. Not sure. I don't have a great deal of fabric left from my swap, so I'd need to buy some to make it significantly bigger. Not a real problem. I know I want to add at least one more vertical row - it's too skinny for me now. I do have enough fabric for that. Decisions, decisions. I'll have to think on it.
Mickey was my assistant while I did the tutorial on Quilt-Pro. It went very well. I think I'm going to love this new software and all it can do. Beats the heck out of coloring in little squares by hand!

Slowly, But Surely

2011-07-17T19:44:00.000-07:00

I finished the wide row I started yesterday. I sewed it to the quilt, along with it's backing and some batting. Now it's ready to be quilted and that's where I stopped this afternoon. Here it is, ready for some attention tomorrow from my Handi Quilter - love this machine!
I've been wanting to buy some computer software for designing quilts; it's getting tiring using colored pencils and graph paper! Much to my surprise, they do not make a version of EQ for Macs. How can that be? You can make EQ work on a Mac if you have this and that and the other, non of which I have on mine.

After more research, I found Quilt-Pro. Yes, they have a version for Mac! I got it in the mail yesterday, and installed it this afternoon. The instruction manual is great; I need to go through the tutorial included in the manual before I dive in head first. That's on my list for tomorrow (along with quilting the row on the cross quilt).

Saturday Progress

2011-07-16T16:21:00.000-07:00

Not much progress today. I spent most of my time doing some big-time housework. Daughter 1 came over last weekend and cleaned out her old room. So today, I cleaned it thoroughly, washing all the bedding while I was at it. Then I moved on to the basement den. It needed a ton of attention, too.

I did manage enough energy to make 5 crosses for a row across the top. The rest of this row will have to wait for another day.
Here's a shot showing the 5 blocks. They still need to be trimmed.
And here's a close-up (as requested, Val) to show some quilting. For new readers: you can click on any picture two times to make it appear larger so you can see more details if desired.
Mickey shared an apple with me this afternoon. He loves to nibble on an apple core.

It's Getting BIgger

2011-07-15T18:01:00.000-07:00

I added a row on the right side of this quilt this afternoon. I especially like the bright orange fabric I added today.
Get a bit closer...can you see why?
Closer.... there it is! Doesn't every quilt need a dachshund on it?

No Pictures:(

2011-07-15T04:14:00.000-07:00

Blogger is not cooperating with me this morning - unable to load pictures. Or maybe it's IPhoto that's acting up. Not sure. But since I never made it up to my studio yesterday, it's just as well. No progress on the QAYG.

I will definitely sew today! I need to do a bit of cleaning in my studio, too. It's becoming cluttered - don't want it to get out of control!

My new Accuquilt Studio dies came yesterday - a boxful of fun!

And So It Grows...

2011-07-13T16:00:00.000-07:00

I added the row across the bottom this afternoon. Tomorrow I'll do a row on the right side. I'm kind of loving the quilt. No measuring. Wonky cuts. Easy straight line quilting. I'm learning that the key to success in this process is to square the quilt each day when I'm done. As long as I keep it square, I'll be okay.

More QAYG Progress

2011-07-12T19:28:00.000-07:00

This is becoming my late afternoon project. I spent most of the day doing quilty projects that NEEDED to be done. (More about that soon, I promise!) Then around 4 in the afternoon, I worked on this. Today I added the left side section. Tomorrow afternoon I'll add a section across the bottom. I'm going around and around, log cabin style.

I placed an order for more Accuquilt studio dies today; hubby wanted me to get some for my birthday. I can't wait for them to get here! I ordered another circle die (my third), an equilateral triangle die, and a drunkard's path die. He also got me a subscription to a Machine Quilting magazine. And a beautiful flower basket to enjoy on our deck. And some steaks to grill out - we do love to grill!