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

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

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!!

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

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

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

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