Quilting in my cave

2011-01-14T21:12:00.000-08:00

Howdy, here it is, almost bedtime on Friday night. I am rather tired tonight, and am about ready to hit the sack. Been a busy couple of days, and it is telling on me. LOL

Yesterday started very early, with a trip to Mason City, to do battle with the dental lab that made my latest dentures. A couple of weeks ago, another tooth popped out of the lower plate this time, and both Tom and I were fuming. The teeth will be one year old next Tuesday, and should not be popping out yet. The first one came out on the top plate when I'd had them a very short time. Both times got repaired for nothing, but that should be the case, only because of the price we paid to get this set! Outrageous, if I may say so. Even the ones we got for 1/7th the cost of these lasted longer than that! I was madder than an old wet hen when we got there, but after talking to the owner of the lab, felt some better. Left them there, and headed for a drop of used clothing at the Goodwill store there. Then we had to fill our gas tank in the van, and had to pay $2.91 a gallon, at Fleet Farm, and that was with the 4 cent off coupon. Tom needed some shear bolts for the snowblower, so picked those up to get the coupon.

After we filled the car, I got to go play at Hobby Lobby for a bit, and came out of there with 4 yards of Kona black fabric, a couple 1/2 yards pieces of pretty (?) orange fabrics, and some cute little butterfly headed pins for my cruise roomie, who doesn't have that kind. Then back to claim my teeth, which I put in immediately, and headed for our fave Chinese food place for lunch. Had a huge, yummy meal, and came back home. Got here about 1:30 in the afternoon, so the day was not completely shot. I asked Tom if he thought he could actually eat our regular Thursday supper of broasted chicken after the lunch we had, and when he said no, I got busy and whipped up a batch of squash soup for supper at home. Have to thank Diane M. for the good butternut squash from her garden. It sure made good soup. We ate the last of it for lunch today, and went to our fave local restaurant for all you can eat fish tonight!

Didn't write anything in here last night, simply because shortly after I sat down here, I fell asleep, so I just went to bed. Must have been really wiped out, because I barely remember laying down. LOL Woke up this morning, with another full slate to get thru during the day. Had dirty dishes to deal with, which got done pretty early. I got 2 complete loads of laundry washed and dryed, so that is good, too. After I slurped my bowl of squash soup, I drove up to Frost, MN to get my hair cut. Ruth cut it very short again, which I love. I invited her to go for supper with us tonight, which she did. She just turned 83 on Dec. 31, and still works just about every day in the little beauty shop, saying she does not want to have to retire. She is a widow, and all her kids live far away, so she basically only has work to keep her busy. We have asked her to come water our plants and check the house while we are off to Arkansas this year. Our first person is now 92 years old, and is having some problems with our steps into the house. It is not a huge job, just necessary. We plan on being away for at least 2 months this year, so need someone to do the task.

I put a bit of sewing on my to-do list for this day, and got to cross off the job, which was to finish the Dec. BOM from the Carol Doak site. Had to remake it because the pattern got printed the wrong size, and I did not discover that fact until AFTER I had the first block all made!! Geez, I really hate when that happens!! I got lucky to find a workable bright green to replace the one I started with, because that one is about to run out on me. I think I will not have to use all the blocks, because I am making this quilt for Alex, our grandson who lives in Wisconsin. I chatted with him on Facebook last week, and found out the quilt just happens to be made with some of his favorite colors, including yellow and black, so this quilt can be made a twin size and still work for him. I think I have almost enough blocks already made for that size. I feel very happy about that!!

Hmmmmmmm, do you have any idea how tasty unflavored Greek yogurt is, when you stir in a bit of honey? That, along with some walnuts is my snack before bed tonight. Darn good, if I may say so.

Well, kiddos, I am struggling to stay awake here, so think I will wrap it up for this time. Will try to write again tomorrow, but it may not happen, because we have to head north for a steam show banquet tomorrow evening, then stay over with friends in that area, and I won't have my computer along. I may get some new pics to share with ya, so it will be ok!!!

Have a good night, sweet dreams, and stay warm.

Quilty hugs,
Ele

2011-01-12T21:10:00.000-08:00

Happy Hump Day!! I always liked this day, for some reason, and I love the look on people's faces when I wish them Happy Hump Day! When I was opping in the quiltchat room on a regular basis, chatter would come in during my Wednesday slot, just to hear me say that. I loved it, and always smiled when I offered the greeting. Some of the European chatters had to be instructed in the meaning of the phrase, but after they knew, they also liked to hear it.

I like Wednesday, but did not like all the happenings on this particular one. Got up later than I usually do, so that put me behind right away. Ate my breakfast, checked my emails, played the regular games on pogo.com, then had to help Tom decide if he wanted to go along on my "drug run" to Blue Earth. That took an inordinate amount of time, but he finally decided I would not totally wreck the van if he didn't do the driving today. The roads were really well cleaned off, after all the snow we have had. There were a couple of icky patches, but I took care, and got to my destination in fine shape.

Went into Wal-Mart, after landing in a perfectly lovely parking spot, and headed to the pharmacy, where my prescription was waiting for me. I was a bit shocked when the gal told me I would have to pay for it, so I growled at her. After I got it thru my head, that this being the first time for this refill this year, I would have to pay my deductible, which had totally vacated my ancient brain! While I was still working that over, I was informed that my credit card would not work! I just did a transfer payment on that yesterday, so I knew it was ok and up to date, but they told me that the numbers didn't match, and apparently the card had expired. Well, my expiration date will not happen until 2012, so that is what I told them. By this time, I was ready to chew nails, because all of this should have taken about 5 minutes, and I had been in the store already for nearly half an hour. I ended up having to sign my name at least 6 times in that stupid little box on the counter, feeling like my life was really on hold for the day. Finally grabbed my refill and headed for the fabric department, where I picked up 2 packages of bias tape needed for garments I am building to wear on my cruise; a short pair of scissors going to the same place as the garments, and a container of flat head flower pins for my cruise roomie, who doesn't have any. Searched high and low for a simple spice cake mix, but alas, none was to be found. I did pick out a new top, so that made up for no cake mix, and besides, the top is much prettier!! Got a very cheerful cashier, but I even growled at him, but only after he asked how my day was going. LOL

Headed for the local grocery store then, and needed to pick up just a couple of things, which I did, without any problem. Then I headed for the local Quik Stop gas station, for my supply of small, rather green bananas and a quick cup of flavored coffee for my drive hme. That was a good stop, so was a bit happier on the drive home. Went a different route home, and the roads that way were a mess, so I had to pay closer attention. A couple of the intersections were purely awful, and I was happy to get back into my garage. When I looked at the clock, was shocked to see just how long I had been gone. Tom asked what took so long, so I told him, He just laughed and said he was glad he didn't go, then.

I called and got an appointment to get my hair cut on Friday, so glad to have that out of the way, too. Needed to get the cut, because we are going to Faribault, MN for a steam show banquet on Saturday, and will be staying over at friends house, so have to look sorta good for that. Not promising much, however.

Have to get up early in the morning, so we can drive to Mason City to get my denture repaired. The teeth are less than a year old, and this is the second tooth that has come out, so we are both very upset about that. You'd think for the amount of money we spent on the dentures, they would at least last a year. I do know I will not go to that dentist again, for ANYTHING!! That won't be too hard to do, because she is no longer dentisting!! I put my old plate in when we went to have cheap baskets up in Rake for supper, and I discovered that they no longer work very well. They sure do not match up well with the upper plate, so chewing was a chore. Took me extra long to get down my shrimp and fries. Tried to slurp up some pickles, and that was not a good thing at all. The missing tooth and the plate are in a little baggie, waiting to go get fixed.

After we got home from supper, I headed to the cave for some sewing, and I got about 3/4 of a paper pieced block done. My eyes were getting very tire, so I stopped sewing and started looking for a thread catcher pattern I have. Want to make my cruise roomie one of those for the trip, because she doesn't have one of those, either. Of course, you know that the pattern was no place I looked, but I do know it is down there somewhere. I hope I can find it BEFORE March, because then it will be too late to make it. I do wish that Somebody would quit moving my stuff and hiding it, because then I don't know where to look for it when I need it. Oh well, not to worry, it will appear soon enough, I hope.

Should I make Alex's quilt a twin size, or full size? I have enough blocks right now to make a twin size one, so maybe I will. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Well, kids, now it is beddy-bye time, so I can do some more driving/riding tomorrow. Sure hope the repair won't take all day, but the lab does have to work me into their very busy schedule. A real shame, if you ask me.

Have a good night, sweet dreams, and quilty hugs,
Ele

2011-01-11T17:37:00.000-08:00

Here it is Tuesday!! We got lots of snow, because it came down all night long. Tom fired up the tractor this morning and moved enough for me to get the van out of the garage. Then he got into his truck and followed me out of the driveway, making sure I got out!! Too bad he had the 4 wheel drive, because he had to take a couple of runs at it before he escaped!! The road into town was horrible, so speed did not come into play! A snail could have kept up! lol

We got to town in time for the taco salads at the deli, and the place was packed. I truly did not think there would be many there today, because of the weather, but I got fooled. Oh well, the food was very good, so all was fine. Got done with lunch, and headed across the street to the senior center, hoping to play cards with the rest of the oldies. Alas and alack, only 5 of us had showed up by 1:15, so we canceled the party. The last man to show up is just recovering from his knee surgery, so he was absolutely the last one I expected. Jake will do that to ya, tho.

Tom had picked up the mail, so I did not have to stop for that. It was too early for the latest issue of the local newspaper, so I just came home. It was rather strange being home on Tuesday afternoon, as I have been going for the card playing for over a year now, and don't plan any other activities for the day, so was sorta lost for the day. I did go down to my cave for some sewing, after I paid my credit card bill on the computer.

Last night we got the new block from sweetjessy in the chatroom, and got that made before I went to bed. Even got the pic sent to her, so she can get it online. The quilt will become the new raffle quilt for the senior center. Hopefully, I can get it topped while in Arkansas in a couple of months. I did get the last 2 quilted postcards made for the crew on the cruise ship. Amy tells me it is nice to gift the daily assistants who serve us, so we decided to make the cards. I do love making those, so it was not so difficult.

I got one of my UFO's done late last week. Will try to get a pic of it loaded here, but not promising anything. Pictures do not work very well for me in here, for some reason. I have to find a new pattern for quilt guild later this month, so have to look and find something, then make a sample to show the ladies. We are needing to get another supply of charity quilts, so we will use the blocks I pick for that, instead of doing a lottery. We have done the lottery draw long enough now, that nearly everyone in the group has 2 quilts from them. They still want me to pick the patterns, a job I have done now since 2004, I think. I do not know what I will do if Marcia Hohn ever stops doing her quilters cache site. I have used her blocks for nearly every month in 7 years!! I just love her patterns, and have used lots of them for my personal quilts. One I made is a 2 color quilt, pink and white. I went to the fabric store in Minneapolis, and as soon as I walked in the door, I heard something calling my name, so of course, I had to go look for whatever it was! LOL I found the pink fabric, and I bought all that was left of the bolt. It looks like a pink oil spill, with blues, purples, gray and almost white swirled in. Went back AFTER I finished the quilt, and found some more of the same fabric, and ALL of that went home with me too!! May I say that I love that fabric?? So far, that is the only time that has happened to me.

I did find some very wild bright green, think lime, that I bought all left on the bolt, too, but only on the first visit to that store in Arkansas! Too far to drive for seconds! I was on a mission to find at least 20 greens, for a Turning 20 quilt for a lady friend, who's fave color is green. Did not have much of that in my stash, soooooo had to go shop for it. I now have lots and lots of green on the shelf! Still wonder why my likes change so much, because I use green so often these days. I am making a blue Snapshot quilt for a young man's graduation next year, and I even am putting in one piece of green, with animals on it, no less. Well shoot, he does live in Minnesota!!! I will get a picture of that one in here, when it gets all done. That is on my to do list for Arkansas this year.

Boy, I hope I have enough energy to get all my stitching done down there! Leave for there on March 14, and that is coming up fast! Am getting all the projects collected, so I won't run out. LOL I am working on the latest challenge on the Carol Doak site, which is a G E D ( Get 'er Done), and I have my first UFO done already. The pic is here. This was a Scenic Block block of the month in 2009, and I just got it finished a few days ago. I do still have to add a label, then find someone who wants the quilt. Lots of the people I have shown this one to just love the backing I used. LOL I did not take a pic of that, because it is just an old sheet, with brown leafless trees on it, but it goes nicely with the front of the quilt. Why not use it?

I think it is time for me to stop this for the night, and get back to my December BOM from the Carol Doak site. Stupid computer printed the first pattern too small, so had to reprint it. At least it came out the right size the second time, so I can actually get it made now. Have all the parts cut for it, just have to sew it. I have become totally addicted to paper piecing. Carol will be one of the teachers, and the reason I am going, on the cruise I am taking in March!! It will be my "virginal voyage", so am both excited and nervous about it. Sure hope it doesn't end up like the cruise ship on the west coast last year.

Well, I think this is enough for now, so will bid you a good night, send you warm hugs, and tell ya "see ya later".

Peace and prayers,
Ele

My first post of 2011!!

2011-01-09T18:02:00.000-08:00

Well, I did not make it on New Year's Day, like I planned, but hey, it is still January!! I figure if I write anything during the current month, it will count as timely. There has been a lot going on around here, and that is my only real excuse.

We have been losing friends left and right, so going to funerals and dealing with families has been the most frequent happenings since late summer. It is too many, but thank goodness we are not in charge of that facet of life, so we just have to deal with it. Our dear friend, Lorene, had a heart attack after a wet, heavy snow, while she was trying to clear off her driveway. She was 77 years old, and simply should not have been doing that. She ended up in the Mankato hospital, in a coma, and just never came out of it. Because she had no family in this area, we sorta got elected to handle the cleaning and closing out her house, as her family was all far away. It was a difficult task, but I am happy we did what we could to help out. We planned a garage sale for the 11th of December, so of course, that is the day we got hit with a blizzard! Being of sturdy stock, both Tom and I decided to go ahead with the sale, and ended up doing waaaaaaaay better than we anticipated. We also showed the house to several interested couples on that day, too. After we got sold all we could, we had to gather up the remainder and get it to the thrift shops, the charity groups, etc. When all got wrapped up, we found we could make a nice memorial donation to one of Lorene's favorite bluegrass organizations, and that will be mailed this week. Lorene went home to the Lord, and her beloved Chappie, on Nov. 23, so that sorta dimmed our Thanksgiving a bit, because she had been on my guest list. We attended her memorial service on that next Saturday, where many of her music friends came to send her off in a rousing bluegrass jam in the funeral home. The house has been sold, and it has closed already, so am happy about that. Her passing will leave a huge vacancy in my life, but I am happy she is back with her honey!!

I do wish I would have known who all would be at the jam today, as I had stuff for some of them, from Lorene, so will either have to mail it to them or wait until we are together again. I found some old looking Christmas ornaments that are meant for the singer who performed with Lorene. Pam cherishes such things, so old is great for her.

Even with all the extra activity here, I have managed to get some quilting done. I am so thankful for that part of my life, as it is my "equalizer", which has been so needed this year. Why does getting old have to be so traumatic? I turned 69 one month and 2 days ago, and I can feel every single year of it!!! Will be spending most of the rest of this month doing doctor stuff. Have to go for my first 6-month check-up at Mayo, on Jan. 31, for an overnight stay, which actually got stretched out to nearly 7 1/2 months, because they seem to have forgotten about me. I got new dentures last year in January, and have to go get them repaired for the second time already! Tom and I are both incensed about that, because the new choppers cost us a lot of dollars. Think that will take place on Wednesday this week, but it makes us drive about 150 mile round trip to the lab in Mason City!! I just went for my annual physical at the GP, and found my A1C is up to 6.3, which is too high for my peace of mind, but the doctor seems ok with it.

Back to the quilting, I have been keeping up with the BOM from the Carol Doak site, as well as the block of the week from the quiltchat room. The Carol Doak quilt will become a grandson's quilt, and the chatroom one will be a raffle quilt for the local senior center. Both are good places. I have been gathering my supplies, and some new clothes, for my virginal voyage in March. Will be gone on that for a week, then come home, get the motorhome loaded, and head for Arkansas for almost 2 months. However did I find time to work before?? LOL

Well, I am about talked out for this day, so will get back to my sink of dirty dishes. I will try to come back and bore you more a bit later. Stay happy and healthy.

Quilty hugs,
Ele

p.s. Happy Birthday, Mom - you would have turned 94 now.

2010-11-22T22:15:00.000-08:00

Well, here I am again. What a year this has been. I see that my last post in here was in April. Shame on me, but I have been very busy around here since then. Lots of traveling, buying a new (to us) motorhome, getting rid of the old one, burning down our rental house, dealing with the weather, and cleaning up the grounds after the straight-line winds blew down a bunch of our trees. I was also elected to be president of our local senior center, so that also takes some of my time. I never realized all there was to do, when you want to burn a piece of property. We had to move the pressure tank from the old house to the one we live in, as well as changing the direction of our well.

I thought I would miss the second house, but the only time I actually do is when I am headed north on the road past our place. LOL I can now look out of the south windows in our home and see at least a half mile away with nothing blocking my view. I love it!! We burned the house near the end of June, on a day when the temps were in the 90's. I felt sorry for the firemen who were here for the training session, because they had to wear all their gear, and it was sooooooooooo hot! We had 28 firemen in our yard and it took them 2 1/2 hours to get the house burning!! It was so funny, and you should have seen all they did to try making it burn. Some of the stuff they did is not supposed to be done, but they were running out of time and daylight. Got some nice pics of the fire, and a couple are even worth looking at. I am glad that is all done now, because the place looks so much neater now, with the house gone. We now have a dump station in that area, as well as a new flower bed. Should look very nice next summer, just in time for our next bluegrass party in September.

I have been working on quilts quite a bit, too. Got one pink and purple quilt all done and ready to deliver to Angel in Arkansas, which comes in March. I also made a matching pillow case to go with the quilt, and that can be used to store the quilt when she is not using it on her bed. Sure hope she likes it. It is a snowball quilt, with the center of the block being pink and the corners are purples. It turned out very nice, and I machine quilted it. Have also been working on a block of the month from a couple of places on the computer. One is Carol Doak site, and I even got to be a block tester for the November block, which turned out very nicely. We have done 6 blocks now, so it will finish up in May next year. I chose to use black background with brights of the designs. The other block of the month, or week, is going on in the quiltchat room, with the blocks being the same ones that get called for BINGO in the chatroom. We get a new Quilter's Cache block every week, and when they end, we will have 20 blocks made. I have 6 done now, so we are moving right along.

Right next to my computer chair is the small wall quilt I have made to go along with the chatroom stocking exchange. It is red, white, and green fabrics, with a touch of gold, and I machine quilted it with gold metallic thread. I think it turned out pretty, and hope my swappee likes it. I also made her a pretty little teddy bear, and soft and girlie looking! LOL
I am rather sad that there are so few of us from the chatroom that actually joined in for the swap this year, as I think there are only 8 of us doing it. The economy sure screws up the fun stuff in life.

I will be back soon with more of my life's happenings to share with you. I will have more pics for you to look at, too. Please bear with me, because I am trying to do better with keeping up with my blog. We will see how it goes! LOL

Quilty hugs,
Ele

Learning pictures blog!!

2010-04-27T18:51:00.003-07:00

Posting pictures

2010-04-27T18:36:00.000-07:00

This is the center block of my Yours Truly Round Robin quilt I am making, along with a lot of others from the Carol Doak paper piecing site. It is called "yours truly" because it works like a normal round robin, except that you do all the rounds yourself, so you don't have to wait for someone else to send your lovely quilt on thru the mails. This is the first time I have made one of these from the patterns of Carol, so I am really getting my brain stretched. We do get suggested things to do for each round, and so far, I have gotten all those right, I think.

I am hoping that the fabrics I chose will last until we get our last round done, and my black is starting to run low. I may have to punt here! LOL The next picture is how my quilt looks after round 4. I want to work the burgandy and green into the next round, but am having a bit of a problem wrapping my brain around the idea of really sharp points!! Math was/is not my favorite subject, but have to use that to figure all my sides, so they come out looking nice. I will be working on this some more, just as soon as I finish sewing more pillow cases, which will be for donating to Ronald McDonald House thru my local guild. What a fun project, and I have become additcted to making them in bunches. Not lots of heavy sewing going on here, because we are in the middle of doing some well/water repairs here at home, and I just don't want to get my fabrics all messed up. I have a lovely quilt that will be hand quilted by me, all ready to load onto the quilt frame, but must wait until the water work is all done.

Some of the liberated fabrics from Arkansas will definitely become pillow cases, but I will show that picture in the next edition of this blog. Hopefully that will happen before too long. LOL

At any rate, please look at my round robin quilt and give any suggestions you see fit to share. I will need the help.

Thanks and hugs,
Ele

Feb. 28, and 7 more sleeps!!

2010-02-28T21:07:00.000-08:00

Well, here I am, waiting to get the motorhome loaded for our annual trip to Mountain View, Arkansas. I am still hoping that we can get all the loading accomplished, because we have sooooooo much snow on the ground, it is very difficult getting around our yard. We do have the motorhome in the converted corn crib, so at least it is dry!! I am happy that we only have 7 more sleeps before we leave, that is, if all goes as we hope, no more snow, good traveling weather, and no more delays! I know, I know, that is asking for a lot, but we are sure praying for all of that, along with being able to connect with our fellow caravaners. This has been such a long, long winter, and we have had snow on the ground constantly since Christmas, and not much has melted, because it has not been warm enough to do that. Oh well, that is just winter in Iowa, I reckon.

One good thing about all the icky weather is that I have gotten a lot of quilting done. I got the breast cancer quilt from guild to put the binding on, and that is now finished. I have also made a lovely little quilt for a swap in the chatroom, and that is all ready to mail off to the lucky lady whose name I got! Sure hope she likes the quilt, but if she doesn't, I hope she will send it back to me, because it is actually one I have come to love, a lot!!

This is a week of running for medical test/check-ups/appointments, so when that gets all done, we can get busy loading the motorhome. I do know that I will be very tired by the time we get to where we are going, but will have fun after we get there. Lots of good friends to see and hug, and lots of good music to hear and enjoy. We sure love going there, and am glad we can still go. Not sure what we will do when we can no longer travel that far. Just have to wait and see.

I am hoping to get to meet up with one of the ladies in the chatroom, who lives in both Texas and Louisiana, where she works. Was hoping to do that last year, too, but it did not work out. Will try again this year.

Dealing with all the weather, doing my quilting, keeping up with the house work are about all I have been doing this month, so sorry this is boring. Hopefully, after we get to Mt. View, I will be able to write more interesting stuff. I do have 2 tubs of quilty stuff to drag along with me, including some new patterns to attempt, so will keep you posted on how those are going. I have put a picture of the breast cancer quilt in here, somewhere, so enjoy looking at that. I did hand quilt one of my UFO's. and it is now living in it's new home. It turned out pretty nice, and I was happy to have it gone!! I think Ruth will probably wear it out, just showing it to all her friends. LOL

Now it is time for me to find my bed, as I have to go for a mammogram and bone density test tomorrow. Need to be rested up for that, I guess. At least neither of those should be painful, so it should be an easy day. A quick stop at the Aldi store, then home in time to go out for a free dinner at the Branding Iron in Thompson. A couple up the road called and invited us, so we are gonna take them up on it. Never been there, but understand it is a very good place to eat.

More later! Stay warm and dry, and peace to you.

Quilty hugs,
Ele

It's Fish Fry Day!!

2010-02-06T21:14:00.000-08:00

Got up early, so could eat breakfast at a reasonable time, before we head north for the annual Fish Fry in Nicollete, MN. We decided that we have made all but one of the last 17 years meals there, so did not want to break the chain. They cook about 3500 pounds of Alaskan Pollack fish, and a huge amount of potatoes for both American potato salad, and warm German potato salad, and unknown quantities of cabbage for cold slaw. All this is served from 11 a.m. until about 8 p.m. People come from all around the US for this event, so we enjoy being part of the process. We usually meet up with some of our friends, who all like to eat, but this year we ate all by ourselves, because all the friends must have been busy with other things. We also include a trip to Schmidt's Meat Market, because it is around the corner from the fish fry. Today we bought some smoked cheddar cheese, 3 sticks of summer sausage (different flavors), and some wild salmon filets. We also chose 1 very nice looking butterflied pork chop, to be used as a birthday gift for a 90 year old lady we know. Also gave her a jar of our homemade sauerkraut to cook with the pork chop, so she will have a very good meal, whenever she makes it.

After eating all that fish earlier, we just had ham, cheese, and spinach wraps for a light supper, then went to have birthday cake and ice cream with our friend on her big day. It is not every day a person gets to have a 90th birthday. Her kids had a card shower for her, and she had gotten 87 cards by today, and more are expected. Not bad at all, and some of the cards were very funny! I think she enjoyed her big day. She has a lovely cake all decorated, and will serve that tomorrow at her church.

I have been working hard on the little quilt for the Spring Swap for the chatroom I work in. I will have a very hard time giving this one away, as I have come to really love it, even though the colors are not my favorites, this quilt is just plain beautiful. Not sure the colors will show up in a picture, but will try. Sorry, cannot put the pic up yet, because I don't want the recipient to see it before she gets her package.

The last quilt I finished will be going to it's new home tomorrow some time. I really wanted to get it there before now, but have not had the time. I have been going to a new dentist for my teeth, had medical testing in Mason City, and will be going to Mayo for my regular checkup in about 3 weeks, and my mammogram on March 1. We are also getting ready to get the motorhome loaded for our trip to Arkansas on March 8. I sure hope some of our snow will be gone by then, so we can actually get out of the yard. LOL

Now I am tired, so think I will find my pillow soon. I will be working on more quilting stuff this weekend, especially if we get snowed in AGAIN!!

That's it for this time.

Ele

2010-01-16T22:10:00.000-08:00

Yipppppppppppeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!! I got my row of the month quilt all hand quilted, as of 9:50 p.m. tonight!! Even the back looks good, so I am a very happy camper. Got the binding all ready to attach, which I will do later today. Need to have it completed by the end of the month, so I can take it to guild for show and tell. The label on the back of the quilt is gonna say "Thanks for the house cleaning help"!! Well, the quilt has been in my UFO pile for the last 6 or 7 years, so having it gone, will be cleaning house!! I am glad to have this one done, so now Tom and I can redo my cave, so it will work better for me. I have not changed anything down there since we moved in, so it is time for moving things around.

We have decided to do away with our second house on the property, as it will cost us too much to repair the plumbing, after the pipes froze last month. We are gonna salvage some of the stuff inside the house, then either burn it down; smash it down; or give it away to be moved. Any one of those plans will work for us, so if you are in the market for a really nice house, call us.

We had talked about turning it into a quilting studio for me, but not having lots of extra, available cash has taken that option away. Will keep you posted in here.

I finally told Tom about the offer from the senior center in town. He wanted to know how come they asked me, if the job was such a good one. I will have to learn the answer to that, but won't until next week. I told him about the offer only after he had gotten full on my last batch of homemade soup. Naughty of me, but sorry, it worked. LOL

I go Monday to find out about new dentures. On Tuesday, I am going to Minnesota with Tom. He is going to work on some farm equipment for the steam show in Dundas, probably do some welding. I am going to spend the day with one of the wives, shopping, lunch, and gabbing. I need a "girls day", so it should be fun. Look out, thrift stores, here we come!!!

Well, now I am going to rub some Bag Balm into my dry, cracked hands, then hit the bed. Got lots of work to do tomorrow, and need to be rested for it.

Good night, sweet dreams, and peaceful slumber.

Ele

2010-01-14T08:33:00.000-08:00

Oh, my goodness!! I do have to apologize for my gross lack of neglect for this site. I have just been so busy with the rest of my life, to keep this up. I will try to do better!!

I have been slaving away on one of my UFO quilts, and the hand quilting is nearly done on it. When I get it all done, it will become a gift to my hairdresser. She wanted to pay me for the quilt, but I told her we would barter for it. So now I get free haircuts for as long as we can manage to get together, and she gets the quilt out of my house. LOL The quilt has only been waiting to get finished for about 7 years. I will be happy when it has a new home, and I know the quilt will also be happy.

I have been working on a couple of BOM's, so that takes much of my time. I am also trying to sort thru all my stash, so have been pulling stuff out and getting that ready to donate to Goodwill, come spring. My basement now has about 6 good sized containers filled with the items I am culling. Still trying to figure out where all that fabric came from, as I do not remember buying it all. Could that be because I am getting old??

Some little tidbits of news: I have been voted in as Secretary/Treasurer of the local quilt guild, and that job starts this month. Am rather looking forward to that, as it has been a large number of years since I did that kind of stuff. Used to be very good at it, so hope I still have that talent. Another new item for my anticipation is that I have registered for a quilting cruise in 2011! I have never been on a cruise, so am really looking forward to this one. One of the teachers on the cruise will be Carol Doak, my paper piecing guru, so looking forward to meeting her, for sure. The last little bit of news is that I have been asked to run for the presidency at our local Senior Citizen group. That was a bit of a shock, because we are still considered to be the "new kids in town", and the senior center is pretty much all the old timers here. I was both flattered and shocked, but am actually considering taking the job. Have not told Tom about this one yet, so not sure how he will react. I do not think the activity level will interfere with our traveling for music or steam shows, so all that should be fine. Still pondering and praying about how to tell him.

We have been dealing with tons of snow in our yard, as is most of this country. I was a bit upset yesterday, when I got stuck in the driveway!!! I thought I could just plow my way thru the drift across the drive, but quickly found out that would NOT happen. Soooooooo, had to go get Tom from his shop to pull me out. After he did that, we just went into town in the pick-up, which is 4-wheel drive and got us out of the drive just great!! Now our temps are sitting in the low to mid 30's, and the apron by our garage is actually melting of snow. These temps are supposed to hang around for a whole week, but we will see!!

That is about all for now, but I promise to get back to this on a more regular basis. I am hoping to learn how to get more pictures into these posts, so that will make these a bit more interesting.

Until later, quilty hugs and prayers,
Ele

What a difference a year makes

2009-07-12T22:34:00.000-07:00

Well, just one year ago today, I did not know I had cancer!! By this time of the day, I was in a room at St. Mary's Hospital, which is part of the Mayo Medical Complex. Little did I know that is a few days, I would get news that nobody wants to hear. Thank God Tom was there with me, because I really needed to lean on him then. I think he was worse off than I was, because he took it so hard. So much has happened in that year, and I am so very thankful that I am still here to be able to tell about it. Being in remission is wonderful, and a blessing, but what you have to go thru to get to that point is not fun at all. I am now hoping to be more like my old self in about a year more or less. The disease really knocks you for a loop, and it takes a long time to get completely back on your feet.

We went yesterday to the bluegrass festival in Garden City, MN, and that was for our anniversary celebration. We have made it 8 years married now, so we both think it will be a nice long union!! The fairgrounds where the music was held is full of oak trees, so the stage is set up under 2 huge trees that have limbs stretching so far from the trunks, I sometimes feel they will break off. It was wonderfully cool, comfortable, and not many bugs to bother us. The music was great and we got to visit with some friends we had not seen for a few years. All in all, it was a good day. By the time we got home about midnight, we were exhausted, tho, and went right to sleep! Went to the Mongolian Grill in Mankato for our supper, because the food available on the grounds was hopeless. Oh, well, next time we will take our own food in the cooler, so we won't have to drive an extra 35 miles for a decent meal.

Tomorrow I have to drive back up to Mankato for a day of necessity shopping, gotta get stuff for our party in September. You know, paper plates, toilet paper, trash bags, etc. We will be having about 150 people this year, so the trash and garbage really piles up in a hurry. At least we will enjoy the people coming up from Arkansas for the goings on this year, so that will be fun. It has been interesting trying to come up with enough sleeping spots for the people who do not have a camper. Good thing there are places in town for just this purpose, even if there is no motels. We have reserved a small house, to sleep at least 5 people, so that part is taken care of. We have been working on the yard and trees to make it look like someone actually lives here. LOL Poor Tom works so hard keeping up with the lawn mowing in between rains. We had a bit over 4" of rain last Thursday night. What a storm it was, lightening flashing almost constantly. Was glad we were home.

Just wanted to remind myself of the activities of last year, so now I am tired and need to get to sleep so I can travel in the morning. Will be back later today with more words and maybe a new picture. Keep watching.

Quilty hugs,
Ele

My return to blogdom!!

2009-06-03T22:37:00.000-07:00

Hi, I'm back!!! Seems like a very long time since I did this, and from looking at the calendar, it is also very true. I have been so busy since we got back from Arkansas, I barely have time to write anything, let alone sit and think about this.

The last time I wrote, I had just delivered that lovely wedding quilt, and loved watching the bride and groom open and examine the quilt. I was happy to have it done and where it was intended to be, as I worked on it for nearly 2 years, even when I was dealing with my cancer. Needless to say, I was happy to have it gone from my house. My basement looks very bare, but I bet I will be filling it up again, with a new, or another old, quilt for hand quilting. I am making a very large dent in my UFO pile, which had numbered about 25 or so. At last count, I have finished up 8 of them, for which I am very thankful for having the energy and time to work on them to completion. Now if I can just find homes for them all.

I have been having a blast lately, making more teddy bears and paper pieced postcards. The cards are for a swap on the Carol Doak site, which I am a member of. Lots of fun stuff going on there, and I find I love p/p more every time I make a new block. Talk about addicting!! LOL

Had to go to the doctor today, for more info on my diabetes. I have been having horribly high glucose readings, first thing in the morning, after a full nights sleep. I got scared about that, because they should not be that high. He told me that my body was not getting the correct signals from my pancreas and liver, concerning the insulin inside me, thus the high readings. He put me on a generic medicine to help fix that problem, so hopefully, it will help. Will have a couple of months to find out. I spent the whole morning running around today, and got home just in time to do my stint in the quilt chatroom. Picked up some items I needed to complete one little quilt, which is to be a birthday gift in September. I have been working on this one for about 3 years, and all I have left to do is add the hanging sleeve, then make the decorative rod to hold the quilt. Won't take long, except the painting part, because that has to dry before I can get it all done. I will post a pic when the project is totally done.

I have gotten quite a bit of asparagus out of our small patch this year, and we have enjoyed every single bite. Have just about eaten the first package of radish seeds planted, and am about to freeze spinach, because it is coming faster than we can eat it. Not to worry, we love it fresh or frozen, except that the frozen does not do well in salads. LOL

Have gotten all my yellow petunias planted in containers, and they have started to grow a bit, even tho we need some rain. It is getting pretty dry here, so a nice gentle shower would be very welcome. Not sure if the stuff I planted in the rock garden will make it, but I keep hoping. Something or other has been moving my old hens and chickens around the rock garden, because I keep finding clumps of plants all over the place. I think it is squirrels, but I could be wrong. When Tom took the straw covering off, he knocked one bunch right off the spot it was growing, so I had to replant it. That is the ones that keep moving around. Perhaps those chickens are trying to see or go to the other side of the rocks. They will be really surprised, because there is nothing very good on the other side!!

Have had to pick up lots of branches and limbs from trees, because of all the wind we have had lately. New branches almost every day, so have to be careful out there.

Well, it is late now, and my eyes are trying to slam shut, so will take them to bed now. The Tylenol has started working, so I will be able to sleep, even with my sore legs. I have been doing some block piecing on the old Singer treadle machine, and forgot just how much work that is! LOL I have enough parts now to make a good sized quilt, so the pain is ok!!

More later and hugs for now.

Finally back home

2009-04-21T19:45:00.001-07:00

Here is the bride and groom, opening the quilt Tom and I gave as our gift. They did seem to like it, and Sheri cried as she opened the quilt up to look at it. I was proud as I could be, and think they will get much good use of it. The wedding was wonderful, but I nearly had a coronary as I listened to the minister during the service. He was saying nearly the exact same thing I did when I wrote out the quilt label. It was a bit spooky, but then I thought that all the words came from God, so it would be ok. I think the quilt was the only gift opened on Saturday night, because the rest would be opened later, after we had headed home. We drove another 799.2 miles to deliver the quilt, on top of all the miles driven getting back from Arkansas last week. It has been a lot of sitting and riding, but those days are nearly done now, so I will be happy to just stay home for a few weeks. We do have a huge swap meet/flea market to go to this coming weekend, but the weather looks pretty iffy, so may just go up for one day, which would be Friday. The place is about 70 miles from home, so not a real long trip. Might get to stop at Sam's Club on the way back, for some much needed grocery shopping. I ran our food supply down a lot before we headed to Mt. View, so now have to restock. Now I have to get busy with more quilting, so I can work on more of my ufo pile!! I have actually gotten 2 more ready for quilting, as soon as I attach the borders on one of them. The other is ready for sandwiching and quilting, so it will go fast once I get to it. It is a birthday gift due in September. It will be done by then!!

I have some more parts to put together on my Foolish Goose Track BOM, because I missed one whole installment while away on vacation. Got the April part, but have not cut the pieces yet. Hope to work on that tomorrow, but we will see. I also changed some of my hours in the chatroom, so that will be a bit different for me, too. I tend to sit and spread while opping in there, so am hoping by doing less hours weekly will get me outside a bit more, now that the temps are rising a bit. Can't wait to get into the garden. I can hardly wait to crunch into some of our radishes!!

I have not seen any evidence of daffodils in the woods yet, but am still hopeful. I do see some of the bulbs I planted coming up, just not the ones in amongst the trees. The ones on the south side of the house are looking just great, so will be happy with those, I guess. The pretty purple wild flowers I moved to the south side are beautiful right now, too. The little purple ones by the rock garden look like a carpet now, so love to see them out the kitchen window. Looks like the forsythia is starting to turn yellow, too. I love that bush!! Rhubarb is pushing up out of the ground, so a pie will be coming soon! Tom will love that, especially if I add some of the strawberries we get at the swap meet to the rhubarb. Makes a fabulous pie for sure.

Ok, now I am tired, so will wrap this up for now. Am glad to be home, and I apologize for being away from this for so long. Did not have good, steady internet service at the campground, until the day before we left! I was bummed, but lived to tell about it. LOL

Off to bed now, so have a good night and I will see ya later.

Quilty hugs, Ele

2009-02-20T22:32:00.000-08:00

I was having fun the last couple of days, making these cute little kitty blocks, which are going to be in a love quilt for a dear friend, who just lost her Mom. She likes cats, so this is the pattern chosen for her blocks. It goes so fast, I could easily make hundreds of them, but I don't know who would want such a quilt. LOL Oh, well, guess that will not stop me from making more. Got a couple of very good suggestions regarding fabric/color choices that I will try to make up later this week, like tomorrow.

I will be able to do that now, because I GOT THE WEDDING QUILT ALL DONE, EXCEPT FOR THE BINDING!!! It is off the frame, and the frame is leaning against the wall, making my basement look absolutely huge!! I did put up thanks to God for helping me get this quilt done, as I worked the time frame out mentally, and I came up with this quilt being worked on for almost 2 years. That cancer really put a crimp in my quilting time, but it is all better now, so God saw to it that I finished the project. Now I just have to come up with an appropriate label for the back of the quilt. I also discovered to my delight, that the backing actually has a bit of pink in it, so it really goes very well with the top of the quilt, which is teal, raspberry, and cream. I just hope that the bride and groom like the quilt.

My sewing cabinet is coming along nicely, and I think it will be coming home about the 18th of April, as Tom and I come home from the wedding in Moorhead, MN. I sure hope I can get some of the mess cleared up before it comes home. LOL

Well, I hope to get some more of my little swap quilt done tomorrow, as we are getting snowed on again. I hate going out in slippery weather, so quilting will be a great excuse for me. LOL
A nice big pot of soup, hot coffee, and quilting, what more does one need to be happy in February?

More later.

Ele

2009-02-16T10:19:00.000-08:00

Well, it is now after Valentine's Day. What did you do for fun on that special day? I got to sew, and then we went out for barbecued ribs for supper. Very romantic, huh?? Well, the sauce on the ribs was sorta dark red, so that counts. We show love for each other every day of the year, so don't really need a special day for that.

I did get an e-mail from George, showing me the progress on my sewing cabinet. It now has the extensions and front doors on it. It looks soooooooo heavy, I just hope Tom and I will be able to get it down the steps to my cave. I do know it will get much used. Oh, a good news item!! I worked on a new BOM this weekend, using my FW, but because I can't locate the regular foot for it, was using the 1/4" foot, but that did not work well when trying to do diagonal stitiching for 1/2 square triangle blocks. I set that aside and tried again to make the Kenmore actually sew again. I put some heavier fabric in to sew on, so I could pull it hard if I needed to. Well, it would not sew forward, so I gave the fabric a yank backwards, and after a second or two, I heard the gears shift and it started sewing normally again. I was a very happy camper!

Put the FW away for the trip to Arkansas and finished the whole 12 blocks for the next BOM step. Then I cut pieces for the next lottery block for guild, which will get sewn today. I only have 2 more to make so I will not get behind while we are away. No mail today, so I should be getting a F8 bundle in the mail tomorrow, for a Carol Doak swap. I hope to get those 4 blocks done before we leave, but will have to see how that goes. Got lots of packing, loading, listing, etc. to do before we actually pull out, so some quilty stuff will not get done in the next 3 weeks.

I got a phone call today from the Mom of the bride who is getting the wedding quilt I have been working on for over a year. Needed the grooms name, as the bride changed her mind once before, after I started the quilt. Needless to say, putting the former groom-to-be's name on the quilt now would be ultra-tacky! LOL I now have the proper name, so I can start working on the label. I will be glad to see the last of that quilt, even tho it is lovely. It has been taking up space in my cave for almost 2 years, so it is time for it to go!

Well, it is now time for me to hit the sewing, because I do have to do something constructive today. Might as well be quilting, because tomorrow will be laundry and opping in the chatroom. Oh, ya, I get to be home alone again tomorrow, because Tom goes up to Dundas, MN to work on his steam tractor project. I really do like being home alone, because I get to do just what I want to. LOL Please don't tell him I said that, ok? That goes for you too, Morbida!

Well, I will see you later, have a wonderful day, and keep quilting.

Ele

Test driving a new quilt!!

2009-02-10T18:41:00.000-08:00

Here is Edna, trying out her new birthday quilt. She has been bugging me for a green quilt for her, so this is what I made for her. Her big day was on Friday last week, but I figured I had to wait a couple of days, simply because we had house guests that she did not know. I think she looks pretty good laying on her Turning 20 quilt, even at 87 years old. And no, she did not fall asleep and start snoring!! She does do that, however. I got to stay home alone again today, as Tom went to work on the steam engine again. I did my 3 hours in the chat room, then went into town to deliver Edna's quilt, stopped at the post office and the grocery store, then back home. Just after I got home, the doorbell rang. Our renters had come to find out if I could jumpstart their car, as the battery was dead. I did not have cables in the van, so had to go out to the old corn crib to locate the battery charger, which they plugged in and used. Shortly after I came back in the house, they came and said the car had gotten started. It was fun trying to converse with them, as they don't speak much English and my Spanish is what I learned in high school, almost 50 years ago. LOL It was a fun afternoon. Now I am going to the cave, to cut and sew some 9-patch blocks that need to be sent off and received by next Sunday. I hope I can get it all done. All I can do is try.

Quilty hugs,
Ele, in Iowa, where snow is melting

2009-02-07T21:16:00.000-08:00

Well, after a very busy, busy week for me, this is a fun moment at the end of the week. On Friday, I had the pleasure of teaching this nice lady how to sew my favorite teddy bear pattern, and here she is, holding her unstuffed, very first project. She made a couple of boo-boos, but after I made her rip the stitches and do it over, she had a nice looking critter to call her own. I sent her home with her very own usable pattern, the instructions for installing the nylon joints to make the arms and legs movable, a catalogue with the necessary supplies for making more bears, and a couple of estate sale chenille bedspreads she can use to make a bunch more teddy's. Joanne said she had so much fun learning how to do this, and she was very thankful to have my assistance. She was an excellent student. Tom said her hubby was an equally adept student, when they were outside in the orchard, pruning the apple trees. Jim has trees at his home in Minnesota that needed pruning, but he did not know how to do it, so he got showed!!! It is a necessary thing to do for the trees, and now he can help his own trees. LOL

Our weekend was wonderfully busy, as was our whole week, but now it is done, and we can get back to our lazy ways for a couple of days, before we start getting our stuff ready for loading into the motorhome, as we are getting closer to our Arkansas departure date. We are hoping the weather warms up some before we actually leave.

Today, we went to Nicollet, MN for the annual fish fry. We have gone on the first Saturday in February for that feast at least 15 years now. It is such a good meal, and we look forward to it all year long. We always meet a group of friends to share the meal with, and this year there were 14 of us, all eating beer battered pollack, German potato salad, creamy cole slaw, warm bread, and excellent coffee. Nobody went away hungry, I just know. After we eat that huge meal, we go around the corner and hit the famous meat market, to stock up on smoked summer sausage, made at the meat market. That is very good and this year we got a jalapeno flavored sausage that has a real zip to it. Should be wonderful on crisp crackers.

When we got done with all that, we headed to Mankato, MN to get Tom's glasses fixed. He lost the nose pad part of his specs, and we could not find how to repair them ourselves, so he put them on the dining table for about 2 weeks, knowing we could get them worked on today, so he wore an old, very scratched pair, and they are not good for his eyes any longer, so he was not doing well with reading and such. Now he is happier, because he can see again. They must have been in very bad shape, because the repair took almost an hour at Vision World! I think the girl working on them learned a couple of new words while working on them. One lens kept coming out of the frame, every time she was cleaning them before handing them back to Tom. She did some very bewildered frowning a couple of times, but was pleasant most of the time.

Left there and headed to Blue Earth, MN, so I could pick up my prescription refills at Wal-Mart. I also got some fusible interfacing to use for stabilizing some tender chenille I want to use to make a few teddy bears from. It is yellow and lovely, but very easily torn, so in order to make it a bit more sturdy, I will use the fusible, which will strengthen it a lot. I also picked up another box of my Mango/Peach tea, which is heavenly. I love the aroma of it while it steeps.

We left there and headed home finally. Seemed like forever since we were home, but it was just a few hours. lol Was glad to get home, as I really wanted to get to the basement and put more stitches in the wedding quilt, but alas, we both sat down in our recliners, and promptly fell asleep. When we woke up, we had to had a bit of left over soup for a quick, light supper, then back to the recliners, Tom to sleep and I to read some of my book. Now I am doing this and getting ready to head to bed. Does not seem that any stitching will be done tonight! I did take a couple of patterns off the computer to work on, and will most likely take them to Arkansas to work on, as they are small things, one is applique BOM and the other is a pin cushion thing to make.

I will be back tomorrow, to show you the green quilt I made for our friend's birthday, which was yesterday. I did not get the quilt to her yet, tho, as she was gone all day yesterday, and we were busy with house guests. She will get the quilt tomorrow, so I will let you see her with the quilt. I know, I know, this is supposed to be a quilty type blog, but sometimes I just don't get to quilt much. I want to, but it just doesn't happen the way it is supposed to. LOL

So, until I gift the green quilt, I will say good night, stay warm, think happy thoughts, and smile!!

Quilty hugs,
Ele

2009-02-02T19:04:00.001-08:00

This is what my new sewing cabinet looks like on Feb. 1! I have doors! George is doing a great job on this, and will be very glad to have it in my house to use. He does great work with wood! Still not sure when it will be done and ready for me to use, but whenever that is, it can't be too soon for me. I am getting very impatient!

It was a very busy day for me today, and I am very glad to be back home, safe and sound. Tomorrow will be another busy one, but a bit different than today. I get to do "girl stuff" with my friend Joanne and her sister, up in Northfield, MN. We are going to go junk store shopping, so not sure what treasures I will find. Have a few things in mind to look for, but you never know just what will catch your eye. That is the fun of such excursions.

I did manage to get my wedding quilt worked on a bit yesterday, and actually turned on of the end boards 2 twists before I called it a night. The quilt is getting much narrower across the top now, so it is lots closer to being done, thank goodness. I do not worry that it will be off the frame by the end of this month. I also got another of my UFO tops done into a whole quilt, even the binding is done. Just have the label left to attach, which is what I am going to do next tonight. Feels good to have another ufo done, and that makes 2 off the list now. I will add that picture in the next blog. I am just too tired now to bother with it.

I'm off to do that label now, then have to get to bed, so I can be up and ready to roll about 7:30 in the morning. Another early day for me! I think I am getting too old for all these early mornings. LOL

More later.

Quilty hugs,
Ele

2009-02-02T18:42:00.000-08:00

Here I am with Dr. Chee, as I present her with her "thank you" quilt I made for her. She was so surprised and happy to get it, almost as happy as Tom and I are with her and her wonderful care of me while dealing with the cancer last year. I had to go today, Groundhog Day, for my first follow-up visit. I got an all clear, with everything looking very good. I was a very happy person, needless to say. It was a good trip, and on the way home, God blessed us with the most beautiful light show! Sun shining thru heavy clouds and masses of blowing stuff below the clouds. The colors were awesome, and the whole thing changed like a slide show. It was such a lovely gift!

2009-01-31T22:27:00.000-08:00

Wow!!! I can't believe it has been a whole week since I wrote in here last. I have been pretty busy this week with lots of different stuff. I had to get busy and send out a couple of packages, one to the east coast and one to the west coast area. The east coast one was a group of fat 1/8 fabrics for an online swap, and those were received. The one for the west coast is some Barbie doll quilts that are to be used for birthday gifts for a lovely set of twin girls, who's grandma is a sweet lady who comes in to chat in the room I monitor. I had fun making those little quilts, and even tho it was still quilting, they went very fast and I enjoyed the little break from my "have to" stuff. Thanks, Alexandra for letting me help!

The weather here has been just plain frigid, so I stayed home most of the time, and just stayed in my cave and worked on quilting stuff, so I feel like I have accomplished a lot this week, even if it doesn't look like it.

On Tuesday, I was doing something in my wallet, and happened to notice that my drivers license had expired last month, so it was a rush trip to the courthouse, about 25 miles away, to get that taken care of. Had no problem and have an official picture of me with almost hair! LOL Got just enough up there to make a shadow in the picture on the license, so if I ever get stopped and the law looks at my picture, not sure they will believe it is me. I just think that is so funny!

Wednesday I did my opping duties for the regular 3 hours in the chatroom, then worked on the wedding quilt for a while in the afternoon. We decided to go up to Rake for the chicken strip baskets for our supper, so got to chat with some friends from town while there. This little bar has a special on Wednesday nights of baskets for $2.oo each. Pretty good food, and very good price, so we go there when the weather is good enough. I usually choose the chicken strips and the potato wedges, but they have shrimp, fried fish filets, hamburgers, chicken breast sandwiches, and occasionally a hot ham and cheese sandwich. We also order and share an basket of onion rings. Makes for a decent meal, even without anything green.

On Thursday, I had to go to Mason City, to the hospital, for my mammogram. Have not gotten word of the results so far, but will let you know what it is. We did a bit of shopping at Fleet Farm, so now we can plant our garden again this year with all new seeds. We went to the Bonanza restaurant, for a lunch buffet, which was very good again, and only had to pay $5.00 per person, which is cheap for there. Our friend Edna went along for the ride and a bit of grocery shopping at Aldi's. Got back home about 5 to find emails on the computer telling us we were going to be getting company the end of this week. After we had a quick supper of soup, I had to head for quilt guild. Took my feather weight machine for sewing, but after I got her all set up and ready to stitch, I did not sew at all. The ladies asked me to lay out some of the charity blocks we have made, and then wanted to know if I would take the blocks home and sew them together. Of course I did that, knowing it will stretch me something awful this month. I actually brought home 2 sets of blocks to turn into tops. When I get them done, they will go back for finishing at another meeting, so the sewing part is not so difficult for me to do.

Yesterday I just worked on the wedding quilt, and also the Turning 20 quilt that came back from the long-arm quilter. That needs to be completed by next Friday, as it is to be a birthday gift for the lady who watches our house when we go to Arkansas in the spring. She is nutso for green, so this quilt is very, very, very green. I will put up a picture as soon as it is all done. That should happen tomorrow. I did more stitches on the wedding quilt today, and it is getting closer to being done, and I can hardly wait to see what the back of that one will look like. I already know what the top looks like, but the backs are always a surprise for me, but I refuse to cheat and look at the back while it is on the quilt frame. Maybe because I am not good at crawling around on the floor in my old age!! LOL

When our friends come on Thursday, we will first go out for supper, then back home. On Friday, I get to teach the wife how to make teddy bears and also how to paper piece. She will be taking that knowledge down to Mexico, where she and her hubby work at an orphanage they have adopted. She has been teaching the ladies in the area how to sew, so this is another thing for them to learn to make. I think they sell the stuff they sew, so they are happy to learn. They have already started making tote bags, and the bags look great. Will take some pics of the lessons on Friday, so they will be in here, too.

The husband gets to help Tom prune the apple trees, which is good to learn, as he also has apple trees but has no idea how to deal with them. Tom is a good teacher, so Jim will learn well!

On Monday, I have to go back to Mayo for my first check up after the cancer. Am a little concerned about that, but I am probably looking for trouble. I do have that lovely blue and white quilt to deliver to the cancer doctor, and will be doing that at about 2:30 in the afternoon. I have to have a blood draw, a chest x-ray, and a CT scan, before I get to see the doctor. Gonna be a busy day for me. We have to be there by 8:30 a.m., and we are 115 miles from that hospital, so we will have to leave before breakfast!

I am going on Tuesday this week, with Tom when he runs away from home again. He will be going to work on the steam engine again, and I get to spend "girl time" with a friend up in that area. She said we would be going shopping at resale shops and maybe the Goodwill store. She buys books, and I look for fabric for quilts. LOL We will make a great shopping team! We will have lunch out, then wait for Tom to get done with his fun, and head back home, hopefully to get here before I have to go to an online meeting at 8 p.m.

I am getting tired just thinking about all I have to do this month, but hope it will all work out ok. We are leaving for Arkansas in 36 days, and still have to get the stuff into the motorhome, which is a lot of work!! Oh, well, I keep saying that retirement and old age is not for wimps, it is a lot of hard work!!

On that note, I am going to bid you adieu, and say good night, too.

Quilty hugs,
Ele

2009-01-25T13:17:00.000-08:00

Well, here is the quilt I talked about the last post, but the pics did not get into the post. They are in my picture area, but I do not know how to get them to here from there. I think I need lots of help!!

I got 2 more teddy bears all done and delivered on the 24th, as the great-grandma was going to the party today, and wanted to take the twins their bears. I made them from the old spread grandma gave me, and used pink for the girls bear contrast, and blue for the boys. Sure hope the kids get lots of fun from the bears. I do love making them.

Today, Tom and I went to a different church, as they were having an Iowan bluegrass group do the entire church service today, because the regular minister was on vacation. What a wonderful way to spend a cold, sunny morning, listening to uplifting music!! I got to have a bit of one on one time with one of the band members, who is still having after effects of his chemo treatments for cancer, even after 18 months. Makes me very glad I did not have so many, as my energy and stamina is coming back very nicely. I do try not to over-do, just so I won't have a major relapse.

On that note, I will take myself back to the basement to put more stitches into the wedding quilt I am trying to get off the frame. If I am diligent, I will be able to turn each side of the quilt at least once today. Wish me luck.

Enjoy the day and hugs,
Ele, in very cold Iowa

2009-01-22T21:59:00.000-08:00

Well, here are pictures of stuff of mine either done and ready to deliver, or getting done to be delivered to me! Good old George is hard at work on my new sewing cabinet, so I can hardly wait for it to get here, so I can start using it. He is such a wonderful friend, not to mention that he is a real wizard working with wood. He is working away on this project, so it will not be a real long time before it gets to me.

I also have the thank you quilt I made for my cancer doctor, which I will be giving to her in early February, when I go for my first check-up. I am hoping my results are clean and clear. It has been a long road since July last year, and I am very happy to still be here, doing this. God is definitely GOOD!!

One of the chatters who comes into the quiltchat room, is making a playable addaption of the Princess and the Pea story for her twin grand-daughters, and some of us volunteered to help with the quilt sewing, as she needs 40 quilts and 40 mattresses, as each girl is getting her own set of all the stuff. Quite an intensive undertaking, but have had lots of fun making some of the quilts. I have done 8 now, and have to think about the last 2 sets, but I may not actually make them. The quilts are supposed to be Barbie doll size, so the whole thing went pretty quick. I got to bust a bit of my stash, but not much. Good thing I had scraps of batting to use, too. I just hope the pictures are good enough for you to see all the fun stuff.

After I get those sent off, I will have to concentrate on the hand quilted quilt for a wedding in April this year. I don't really have much to finish on that, but I also have not put stitches in that quilt for almost a week now. Sure won't get done by wishing. It will be wonderful to be done with that one.

I also got some fabric ready to send in for a fat 1/8th swap online. Have never done one of those, so getting my toes wet with this. The fabric I am sending is nice, just not spectacular, imho :) It will be fun to see what comes back to me. I will have 5 blocks to put together in a table runner or topper, so whatever I get back will be fine.

Not much else to say, except that I am really getting tired of winter, so spring can start anytime now. Oh, we had a visit from one of Tom's long time friends from Minnesota today. He stayed long enough to go have fried chicken in Lakota with us, and that was a lot of fun for all of us. Ron was on his way home from Chicago, and came in on I-80, which brought him within 35 miles from us, after he got onto I-35. It was great seeing him, as it has been a long time since the last time. His family is the first neighbor Tom ever had, back when he was about 3 years old.

I have been in the basement sewing all day today, except for the time I was opping in the chatroom, and then when we went to eat. I got the parts for 2 more teddy bears cut out, and have started the sewing on those. They have to be ready to go on Saturday, and they will make it. I have the ears made for both bears, and one set is attached to the head piece already. The bears go fast, once I get started on them. I only have to do one hour in the chatroom tomorrow, so will have lots of time to stitch when I am done there. I will put up pics when they get all done.

Now, I am getting sleepy here, as I had a very short night of sleep last night. I did not get to bed until 3:30 a.m., and then was wide awake by 7:30, so have been functioning on just 4 hours of shut eye!! That is not enough for old ladies like me. LOL

I am out of here for now. but will be back later today.

Hugs,
Ele

Yippee, skippee, George is gonna do it!!

2009-01-03T23:07:00.000-08:00

Ok, ok, don't get upset! He did call earlier tonight and said that he had gone to the local store that carries wood, paint, and stuff like that, not sure if it is Home Depot, Lowe's, Menards, or who, but he got a good deal on some oak that will become my new sewing center!! I am definitely gonna let "George" do it. By the way, that is his real name. LOL He is a wonderful friend, who just lost his wife to a brain aneurysm a couple of years ago. They were part of our music camping group, and George still comes. He had made his wife a sewing cabinet to hold her new embroidery machine, but after she died, he sold it, for not a lot of money. He loves to build stuff, so one time I asked him if he still had the pattern/design for that. When he said he did, I asked if he would ever consider making another one, and if he would, could I be the proud owner of one? His call tonight made me very happy. Now I will have to think about a brand new piecing machine to go into the brand new cabinet! Tom will be hard to convince, I fear.

Was down in my cave for most of this day. Good thing I had stuff to do down there, because it kept me warm and dry. We were getting lots of wind today, and then we got sleeted on, which is not a good thing. Traffic on our road was moving very slowly this afternoon. Glad I was home!!

I managed to get the biggest share of my cutting table cleared off today. Then I cut some more pieces for the Taylor's Tulips BOM quilt I am working on. I think that will be one of the projects I take along to Arkansas, because there is applique involved, and I am doing it all by hand, so that will be good to work on in the motorhome. I dragged out the vacuum cleaner, and sucked up some stray threads and lint, and wondered just where all that stuff came from. LOL I then cut parts for a little paper pieced block called Hawaii, which I just finished sewing, but have not taken a pic of it yet. Then I got Tom to help me open the case of batting, and had to work like a couple of do-do's trying to get it onto the rod on my quilting table. It just would not work nice, so I was getting a bit upset. Between us, we finally got it on, so I could get the Blizzard in Blue quilt mounted for quilting! I also chopped off the amount for the green Turning 20 quilt, going to the long armer in a day or so. I made the binding for that quilt tonight, too, so it is all ready to get finished, and then i can check off another UFO!

It is so wonderful to have the energy and desire to be doing all this activity again, as I have really missed it this summer. Now I will just have to work overtime to get caught up, but what else do I have to do? :)

I will get pics up as soon as I can, so hang in there. Now I am off to bed, because it is late and I am tired.

See ya!!

Ele

2008-12-31T20:48:00.000-08:00

Well, here it is, almost next year!! Sitting here where it is cold and windy, but not snowing, at least, waiting for midnight so I can say Hello to 2009! Still have a little over an hour for that, however. Tom is in the recliner, trying really hard to stay awake, but I fear he will lose the battle.

It has been a busy day for me today. I was down in my cave pretty early, working on yet another paper pieced ornament block, which was to be a gift for a friend we would be seeing at lunch. Of course, you just know that Murphy's Law overtook me, but went unnoticed until it was time to turn the ornament right side out, and guess what? I had stitched the batting to the wrong side of the block, so had to unsew the edges while I was doing my opping in the chat room. Good thing the chatters who come in there understand such things, and are very encouraging. LOL My shift on Wednesdays run for 3 hours, so I had lots of time for taking out stitches. Needless to say, the chatting was busy today, and I was also trying to do some computer stuff that I do not know how to do, so Murphy's Law was working there too. I was getting the feeling that it might not be a good day for me.

We had been invited for some traditional German pancakes, which would be our lunch, at our friends home in town. Her sister and brother in law would be there, too, so it was sort of a party. The pancakes are good, but not for my diabetes, but I ate 3 of the smaller ones, and the hostess was happy. I also took along some fresh fruit and homemade pickles, to help round out the meal. My blood sugar reading before I ate was 85, so that was a good number. After we ate, we sat around and visited a while, then came home. I had taken my new quilt to show them, and when we stopped at the post office on the way home, I showed the quilt to the postmistress, who just happens to be a quilter, too. She has a long arm machine in the former quilt shop and still does quilting for others, so I asked her if she could get a quilt done for me before the end of January, and she told me to bring it over, she could do it. I am so happy, because that will take away another of my UFO's! I am excited. The quilt will be for the lady who made the pancakes, who is also our house sitter when we go to Arkansas in the spring. She is getting a very green Turning 20 quilt for her birthday, which is in early February.

While I was working in the chatroom, the clinic called and gave me the day for my next mammogram, which I have to go to Mason City for this year. They usually have to do an ultra sound on me now, because there have been "stuff" showing up the last couple of years. I had a biopsy 2 years ago, but it came back clean, so was happy about that. I figured I would have to go to the hospital again, instead of to Forest City for a "normal" mammogram. I get to go to the clinic for my A1C test next Monday, too. Am hoping the result is good, so perhaps I can get off the diabetes pill, one that has been in the news recently because it has some icky side effects. My numbers have been so good all year, that hopefully I can be done with the pills. My prayers are for that goal.

I have actually been doing some quilty stuff in my cave! I have made the latest paper piecing block from Carol Doak, which is a snow covered mountain, with a frozen stream of water in the foreground. The block turned out very well and I was the second person getting their picture in for viewing. I also got to be first to get my 4500 member block, from the same lady, up for viewing. Never thought I could be first in there. It is hard to believe there are that many people in the world interested in paper piecing, because hardly anyone around this town will do it. LOL I am now working on a larger grouping of that new 4500 member block, which will turn into a little table quilt. I also got the Blizzard in Blue quilt top all made, which is to be a thank you gift for my oncologist at Mayo Clinic, which will be delivered on Feb. 3, when we go for my first check-up.

At the top of this post, you will see me with a beautiful quilt. I was very surprised to get a package from Pennsylvania on Tuesday before Christmas, with this quilt in it. I was very happy to see it was from many of the people who come in to the chatroom to visit with me when I am working there. There are blocks in that quilt from all over the world, so it is very special to me. One of the ladies got told I would be taking a naked picture with the quilt, and she said she didn't want to see that! We had a great laugh about that in the chatroom, and she will not have to worry, because I do not ever plan on any naked pics of me showing up anywhere!! I would never subject the world to that terror! LOL

Tomorrow we have to make a run to Blue Earth, MN, to pick up some medical stuff at Wal-Mart, but then I get to come home and get started on that Blizzard quilt quilting. I am going to use a flannel sheet for the backing on that quilt, because the colors are just perfect for it. Tom has killed the fitted bottom sheet with his ragged feet, so not sure what to do with the almost perfectly good top sheet. If it is fabric, in my stash, it is fair game for any and all quilts. On top of that, it will make the quilt a bit more cuddly. :)

Well, it is now half an hour until next year, so will go for now. Hope you have a very Happy New Year, with good health and happy thoughts.

Pieceful, quilty hugs
Ele

December 20, 2008

2008-12-20T20:37:00.000-08:00

My goodness, I didn't think winter started until tomorrow! Why are we getting all this snow and big winds, turning our yard into a huge bunch of frosting? It looks so pretty, but my poor Tom has to go out in the cold, cold wind and deal with it. He complains about it, but loves to go fire up his tractor, then gets to push all that snow into huge piles! He comes back in very tiredly happy, as well as very hungry. LOL

Good thing I have my cave to go to, because I can't go out to play in the snow just yet, as I still do not want to attempt getting sick with a cold or worse. I have been working my fingers to a frazzle the last couple of days, putting lots of new stitches in the wedding quilt. I worked on it most of this day, and got to turn the end of the quilt twice! It is looking so much smaller now, and I know I will get it all quilted and off the frame in January, so the binding can be added before we head for Arkansas in March. I need to take that quilt so I can show off a bit. I will put the picture of it up a bit later.

I have chosen my fabrics for the new Foolish Goose Tracks BOM quilt from Heather Finnell, which will be starting in January. I am using browns, black, 2 different creams, and red with gold on it. I do believe this will be a wonderful quilt, and can't wait to get started on it. May have to do a bit of arm twisting on Heather, like others in our Midnight Oil group do frequently. LOL

I am planning on making my hemotologist at Mayo a thank you quilt, and hope to deliver it in February, when I go back for my first check-up. It will be done in shades of blue, with touches of pink thrown in for fun. She said blue was her favorite color, but that some days you just felt like a pink day, so she will be getting both colors. The pattern looks very easy, so it should go together quickly. I also want to get my green thank you quilt on my Gracie table, for machine quilting. I would like to have this one done before the 6th of February, which is the birthday of the lady getting the quilt. I think she is looking for a quilt for Christmas, but she will be sad, because she is not getting it then. LOL

I did get the teddy bears done and delivered this last Wednesday, so that is a worry off my mind. I think the little ones receiving them will love them a lot. I made 4, so that is one extra, which I will put in my teddy bear den for storage. Never know when you might need a bear gift, so it is good to be prepared. I don't have many in there, so need to get working on some. Perhaps I will cut some out and take them along to Arkansas for sewing. I will stuff them and finish them at home, because I do not want to drag along the 25 pound box of stuffing in the motorhome. I have already started choosing my take along projects for that trip. LOL Sure don't want to wait until the last minute for that job.

Well, I am going to watch a bit of t.v. now, then head for bed. Supposed to be very cold tomorrow, and lots of the churches around here have already cancelled services for Sunday, just because of the weather. Sounds like a great day to work in my cave. :+)

Stay warm and keep praying for peace and good health.

Quilty hugs,
Ele, in snow covered Iowa

2008-12-12T20:46:00.001-08:00

Here is the little kid's quilt I made up from a panel found in a box of fabric bought at an estate auction this past summer. The lady from guild, Bev. bought the stuff but did not want to throw this little thing away, but she also did not want to make it into a quilt, so I volunteered to do that. The border fabric has been given to the quilt guild, so we thought it would look good with the center panel, and I think it really does! Bev and I got our picture taken, holding the quilt, for the local newspaper. It will be displayed in the hallway of our elementary school as art. It is a small quilt, but a good size for a small child. I am happy with the way it turned out.

I got to go to Mankato, MN today, for some much needed shopping and stopped at JoAnn Fabrics first. Had to see if I could find some shiny fabrics to use in a special project for next years Christmas gifts. I was very lucky to find almost everything in that store was on sale, so I saved over $25.00 on my purchases. I even had a 50% coupon, which I used for a pair of snips to clip the threads on my paper piecing projects. Can't wait to start using the new purchases.

Did a meal at Mongolian Grill, a belated birthday dinner from Tom. It was very good, and that is one of our very favorite places to eat in Mankato now. After we ate, we headed for Sam's Club for some necessary frozen food purchases. Did real good there, only stayed in the building for less than an hour and spent $225.00!! Those steaks will taste great! LOL And, I can make soup for the rest of the winter! We are happy campers again!

The weather is supposed to be getting icky this weekend, so glad we got our running done now. I will be glad to stay home and work on my sewing. I have to build 3 teddy bears before Christmas, and have them started already. They will be done by Monday. I just love sewing when the weather is nasty, I can go to my "cave" and work away!! Best kind of day for me to have. Maybe I will be able to get a new quilt on the Gracie table for machine quilting. I really need to be working on my pile of UFO's!! That pile is not getting much smaller yet, but I will take it down some before winter is done!!

Now I am going to get ready for some sleep, as all the walking I did today tired me out. I will try to write more tomorrow, after I open my stocking exchange package. I finally got that box today!! I was very happy it came, because the opening is scheduled for 9 a.m. tomorrow and I really wanted to open mine then, too. Can't wait to see just who it is from. Check later this weekend to see pics of what I got.

So, later will be here soon, and we can share some more. Nite for now!

Ele

2008-11-27T19:12:00.000-08:00

Here it is, 9 o'clock on Thanksgiving night, and I am sitting here thinking I need to go to my Cave and cut some parts for ornaments for my quilt guild party on Tuesday night. I have to make about 20 of them, and have not gotten even one done! If I had pretty red, glass slippers, I could click them 3 times and have all the ornaments done, perhaps. LOL

I will be able to work on them in the morning, as Tom is driving his old truck up to St. Peter, MN in order to trade vehicles with the fellow he bought a newer truck from earlier this week. I will not be going along, as I am just too pooped today and don't want to push my luck on the energy thing. I will be well enough to go on Dec. 5, for a great Christmas party in Foley, MN. That will be a long drive, but can rest when I need to. It is great to have friends who understand getting well after a draining medical problem. For all that, I am extremely thankful.

I have managed to get one whole side done on the wedding quilt, so I can turn the whole frame again, for working across the block rows. The borders are just too difficult to do without turning the frame. Tom helps with that, too. He is just so helpful when I ask. I hope to have that quilt off the frame by the end of December, or at least early January. I will finish the binding in Arkansas.

When we went for dinner today, our hostess asked me to make her 3 teddy bears for her latest greatgrand kids, 2 boys and a girl, so I will have to get working on those this next week to have them done for her. I have not made any of those for a few months, so it will be fun to play with them once again. I am putting one of those in my chatroom stocking exchange too. Sure hope the swappee likes it.

No actual stitching today, but I have been thinking about it. LOL

Hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving.

Quilty hugs,
Ele

2008-11-20T19:54:00.000-08:00

Here it is, the week before Thanksgiving, and I am so totally not ready for that big day to be here!! I am having energy problems, but hopefully that will pass soon. I would be getting ready for my next chemo treatment this coming Monday, but since I am finished with those, I will have to find something else to do. I think maybe I will go to my neighbor's place, just north of me a half mile, and get working on guild Christmas Party things. We are on the planning committee, along with one other person. I think we will be working on making little paper pieced ornament tags, as just little gifts for all the partyers.

We also have to plan out the games and activities we are going to do, after we all get stuffed with the pot luck supper! We do have great cooks in our group, so there is always lots of yummy food to eat. Not real sure what the activities will actually be, but Bingo is going to be one, I think. We always have fun with that, so cannot see it being different this year.

Have not done lots of sewing the last few days, but that is only because I have been away from home so much. Monday was a road trip, Tuesday was a trip to the clinic for blood testing, and Wednesday I got to go to the local nursing home, where Tom and a couple of other musicians play music for the residents once a month. Then it was off to the Senior Citizen monthly party, where the same people play music, too. I made a very loud statement at both of those places this month by wearing a new t-shirt I picked up on Monday. The shirt is a pea soup green, which is not my best color, and has "with a body like this, who needs hair?" written on the front.
I also had on my newest headwear, a lovely knit hat of aqua, which I promptly removed once I got inside where it was warm. When I am home, I do not wear anything on my bare head, and I am not liking having to make sure my coverings are neat and straight and ON, so I have decided to go au naturale when I go out now. When a person has gone thru cancer and chemo, baldness is just a part of it and nothing to be ashamed of. I am of the opinion that what you see is what you get. LOL Not one person seemed upset with the whole thing, and nearly everyone loved the shirt.

I did get some more work done on a little, old panel, that will eventually get hung up in our schools hallway, in the elementary area. They had asked for donated quilts with child themes on them, and this one came from a box of stuff from an auction. I told them I would finish the quilt and give it to the school. I am nearly done with the top now. I also worked some more on the chatroom stocking exchange stuff, both the stocking and a cute wall hanging. That needs to be finished soon, as I have to get it mailed off in time for the opening on Dec. 13. I also picked the fabrics for a couple of paper pieced blocks. Other than that, I have not done much, just been too tired.

I did have a little excitement the other day, tho. We have some bird feeders on the south side of our house, which are frequented by the squirrels at this time of the year. I do not like those critters much, and hate the thought of them eating all the bird food, but what can you do? I have a wooden spoon at hand, that I use to scare them away by hitting the window frame and making noise. Well, one of those nasty little buggers did not seem to agree with my noise making efforts, and turned around on top of the feeder and actually jumped at me! Good thing I was inside the house and it was outside! Silly thing looked totally stupid trying to find a hold on the glass, and then it's claws got stuck in the caulking around the windows and he couldn't get loose. I was first shocked that he jumped at me, then laughed at the rest of his actions. That feeder is now totally empty!!

With that happy thought, I will say Good Night, and think about heading for bed. Have one more load of laundry to toss in the dryer first, however. Still have one load to do in the morning, but then it is done for another week! I hate that job!

Sweet dreams, happy thoughts, and heartfelt prayers!

Quilty hugs,
Ele

2008-11-18T08:15:00.001-08:00

2008-11-18T08:08:00.000-08:00

2008-11-15T23:12:00.000-08:00

Well, here it is Saturday night, and I have had energy today!! Yippeee! Got a bit of work done around here, and I am happy about that.

I got a small quilt loaded on the gracie table for machine quilting, and have it about half done now. I also sorted thru a couple of storage tubs and came up with 18 UFO's I would like to get done by the end of next year. Not sure what I will do with all those quilts, but I have to finish them before I embarras myself even more than I have already. Too many undone for my comfort. I have started a ticker to help with the count down.

Have music stuff to do tomorrow afternoon and evening, so that will take us away from home for part of the day. Tom has to go play for a Veteran's affair in Garner, IA, which is about an hour away from us. There is a great little quilt shop down there, but it is closed on Sunday, so will have to wait until Monday, when we go to Mason City to take an elderly lady friend for an ultrasound at the hospital. I get to go to Joann Fabrics and the Beehive Quilt Shop both!! I need teeny black buttons and some bright jewel tone fabrics for a swap I have joined. It will be a good trip if I don't get too tired. Good thing Tom drives, so I can sleep on the way home, if I have to.

One of the people in town is coming early in the day to get some wood from us, so they can burn it in their fireplace. Tom has cleaned out the hog barn, and dumped about 4 cords of very old wood on the brush pile in the woods, for burning later. He will torch that off in January, after we get the new recliner home and drag the old, broken one out to the brush pile. It will be a very fitting end for that chair, as it came from his deceased brother in law a few years back. We will have quite a fire!

I have been working hard enough today, that now I need to get to bed. It is late and my eyes are really getting droopy, so will let them slam shut very soon.

More later. Stay warm, dry, and quilting.

Ele

Gonna try this again! Maybe this time it will work!

2008-11-11T18:33:00.000-08:00

Well, here I am again! I started a blog in here much earlier this year, but did not keep up with it, so I think they just cancelled it for me. I will try to do better this time.

I have been working on several quilts this year, but not many are getting done, as I have been battling lymphoma cancer since the beginning of July. Have undergone 6 rounds of chemo, and am completely bald now, but I am also cancer free, which is worth having no hair. LOL I have relied on God to get me thru the entire summer, and He has done so much better than I could have all alone. Tom has been a huge help, and I would be lost without him. He still does not know how to cook, however. I would be starving if I had to let him do all the cooking, because he loves to fry, fry, fry everything. No matter, I will keep him and continue to do the cooking. Besides, he loves my soup!!

I have been hand quilting a teal, raspberry, and cream quilt that will be for a wedding gift next April. I should have that one off the frame in December, or at least by January. I will be taking that along to Arkansas to do the binding, and to show it off to people who will not be at the wedding. It is going to be a beautiful quilt, but then I may be a little prejudiced.

I have the top made for our house sitter too, but still need to machine quilt that. Just loading the quilts on that quilting frame takes all my energy, so that one will have to wait a bit yet. I am now working on the quiltchat Christmas stocking exchange items, and that will be going out in the mail by the end of this month. I will put up pics of that, but just not yet. Don't want the recipient to see it before time. LOL

I am going to add a UFO tracker to this blog, and hopefully, the huge number will be going down next year. I do have so many of those, it is embarrassing when i show some of my work to friends. I have just been in too many round robins and swaps, but have not finished many of those. I also have blocks from guild to make into quilts, but they are NOT UFO's just yet. Hopefully, they will not be, either.

Well, I think I will be done with this for now, but I will be back later. I will try to put up some pics, so you can see what I am doing.

Thanks for reading.

Quilty hugs,
Ele