Happy Easter... ok I'm a little late, but...

Well, my posts are always going to be a little late.  I blog about stuff after it happens... too busy having fun to stop in the middle to share!

The Saturday before Easter I was running around trying to clear off the infamous dining room table... again.  It seems to be a catch-all for everything but the kitchen sink!  We only use it as a dining table for family dinners at holidays or special occasions, so it just becomes the dumping spot and worktable for paying bills and organizing taxes (got them to the accountant on Friday! Whew!)... Nope.. no before picture here... wait a few months, errr... weeks, errr... days... and then it will be back to normal again! LOL! 
Doing this while babysitting my three-year-old grandson was a bit challenging, but I got the job done and we did get to enjoy dinner at the table!  In the midst of cleaning I got a phone call from my youngest daughter saying that the Easter Bunny was available for pictures at the local flea market so bring the grandson over. 

There is  only one store remaining at one end of the old Cookeville Mall... JCPenny.  All the others have moved cross-town to the new shopping area.  The owners want to knock everything down and build something new, but it's my understanding that Penny's won't let them break the lease/contract because they and their customers like this location.  So, while that fight drags on, the owners have leased out the remaining mall area to a Flea Market. Chain link cages have been errected throughout the interior to make something like 400 booths!

 You can buy just about anything there!  Some vendors are there for one weekend to sell yardsale stuff... others are local stores and shops setting up for some extra exposure.  There are also crafters, antiques, knives, purses, quilts, food  items... you name, you can probably find it.  With a three-year-old in tow I didn't get many pictures.  But I did spot the hand-pieced/hand-quilted wedding ring quilt, and this machine-pieced/hand-quilted pink and shirting quilt.  The backing was shirting too!... It was worn and faded in spots and if it is still there next weekend maybe I'll get a chance for a closer look without the grandson in tow.   I also saw this old rusted New Home Sewing machine tucked in among jars of marbles, silverware and old keys.  No time to stop and investigate as up ahead the grandson spotted balloon lady!

She was dancing around and waving her balloons
crafting them into animals and shapes for the kids... 
He just wanted to look... not touch!


Finally he saw Mr. Easter Bunny... sitting in his wicker throne with a basket of candy at his feet.  The purpose of the trip was for a picture with the big guy himself.  Although the basket of candy was very enticing, there was no way he was going to sit on the bunny lap for a picture!

 

Oh well, maybe next year!

My big find of the day was this teapot I spotted on the way out the door!  It looks like a sewing machine!  I had a miniature one of these but the top got lost in the newspaper wrapping when we moved.  The booth owner wasn't there and I couldn't hang around all that glass stuff with an active three-year-old, so I bribed my daughter into coming back and bartering for me!  It now sits next to my Easter table centerpiece!

Hope you enjoyed your Easter!

what's on your bed?

Last Monday was laundry day for Bonnie Hunter and she showed us a picture of what she put on her newly cleaned bed  http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2012/04/whats-on-your-bed.html  and asked for a link to what's on our own bed.  So.....

This quilt I purchased  (gasp!) from JC Penny maybe 15 years ago ... that was way before I knew what quilting was!  I loved the floral applique and at this point, could probably make one myself.  Maybe, one day, I will..  But, in the meantime... with a simple cotton blanket underneath I happily continue to use it.
  Several years ago I hurt my shoulder raising up the garage door.  As I rolled around under the covers and got tangled up in blankets I would hurt myself pulling with that shoulder.  So, I started sleeping with quilts and blankets pulled up to armpit level but my arms and shoulders would get cold...even with long-sleeved flannel nighty!

A few weeks later I was gifted this quilt by a friend who attended auctions to fill her booth at a local consignment shop.  She spotted this flimsy and had it quilted for me.  I belive it was made with original 1930's sack cloths.   I woke up cold again one night and grabbed it to lay over my exposed arms and shoulders.  I usually keep it neatly folded on top of my pillow when not in use. 

There are some worn spots in the muslin where there was some light staining and I have been eyeing it lately trying to figure out how to repair the damage before it gets any worse.

Spring Walk

We were watching our grandson again last weekend... or was it the weekend before... I'm a bit behind on my postings... anyway, watching him always involves a walk with Toby (the dog) for some special cookies from Mutter... that's his great grandmother (my Mom) . 

The unusually warm weather (80 degrees in February and March!) and wet Spring has lots of flowers and trees blooming throughout the neighborhood.

A neighbor getting sweaty working out in the yard has hung up her hat in an effort to cool off! LOL!

The big entertainment of this walk were the dandylions sprouting up in lawns alongside the road.  Blowing and sending the fuzzballs flying was loads of fun for the grandson... I don't think grandpa or the neighbors will be thrilled with the resulting increased population of dandylions in the lawn! 

As is typical this time of year, the skies quickly darkened and we barely made it home in time to escape the downpour!  It is difficult (for me) to take pictures of the heavy rains but you can see the resulting runoff!

 . 

 
And while it poured outside we all took shelter in the garage for while.

March... In like a lion...

I've been forced to take a break from computers and blogging and even cut back on my quilting (gasp)!  This month of March has been very busy and hectic, but not necessarily in a good way.  

The month started with a phone call full of wailing and tears as my daughter's heart was broken once again when she and the boyfriend split, again.  I think it is a permanent break this time.  I know there is more to the story than she has let on, and I hope that one day she will confide in me, but for now all I can do pray her heart heals and she can move on to find a better true love.

Next came a phone call from day care.  My adventurous grandson took to jumping off one of the playground toys... and although it was only a foot or so off the ground, he landed wrong and broke his elbow!  We had to pin him down to get the cast on and then he cried pitifully for hours afterwards... Nana.. take it off!  I need it off!  A good night's sleep and he was off and running and jumping again the next morning.  Thank goodness children bounce back so quickly when they are young!  The cast is scheduled to be removed next week and he is looking forward to a promised day of water play when it is gone!

Then came a cancer diagnosis for our church secretary and some immediate surgery to remove part of her colon.  The surgery was successful and initial tests look encouraging.  She is awaiting one more set of test results before deciding if further treatment is necessary.  With 4-6 weeks recovery time from the surgery, I've had to step in and work full time at her job in addition to my family and quilting obligations.  As each day passes I have discovered  how much "extra" work this secretary has been doing that has gone unrecognized, until now.  Things just always got done and no-one realized how much extra she just quietly did.  So far I have managed to scurry around and get most of it done, but I know I can't go on much longer and keep up with my own obligations.  So I've cut back on my quilting commitments, rearranged some personal appointments and  I've gotten permission and have now trained a helper so that we can split the job between us, working 2.5-3 days each.  Hopefully between the two of us we won't forget anything.

Next came the phone call no parent wants to hear... Mom... the car is totalled... I've got some bumps and bruises but the baby is fine!  On a dark and wet night, a tractor-trailer cut in front of the car in front of her and set off a chain reaction of squealing breaks and spinning cars.  She managed to not over-correct and to not roll the car, but it did bang into and bounce off the walls of the nearby overpass before finally coming to a stop in an upright position.  The car behind her also got banged up and several cars behind them were strewn about the highway when all was done.  The offending tractor-trailer and lead car went on their merry way and we are left dealing with the insurance company and figuring out work schedules and car-sharing until she can replace it. 

The good news for the month is that she has found a new job working as a home-caregiver.  She is now happily working in the medical field rather than fast food!  She still hopes to one day be able to go back to school and get her RN.

The Depot

In historic downtown Cookeville, next to The Depot is parked this 3-car train.

There is an engine,  a coal car and a caboose.

When we first moved here, ten years ago, I took the kids on a train ride to Nashville. 

We rode on refurbished rail cars, high class travel back in the day.

There was a "bar" car selling sodas and  a "window" car with a glass roof for a full view. 

It was a 3-hour trip there; 2 hours to walk, shop or eat in downtown Nashville; then the 3-hour ride home.

I mistakenly thought it was a guided tour showing points of interest and local history.  OOPS!

No, just a long leisurely ride to the city.  I wish I had brought a book or games to entertain the kids.

I'm glad that we have highways and cars to get around in these days.

Here's The Depot Museum.

I have yet to find time to be there when it is open.

Opposite  is "the old shirt factory" that in recent years has been used by local bands to hold concerts and other social gatherings for the 20-somethings in the area.  I'm guessing that it was purposely located next to the train station for ease in shipping products in and out.

Every now and then I hear someone talking about having worked in the factory or I see an old quilt like the pink one pictured in a previous post http://madakamom.blogspot.com/2012/04/happy-easter-ok-im-little-late-but.html that  I assume was made and backed with shirting from this factory.

Playground Hazzard

We have constantly warned him about jumping off things... couches, chairs, steps!
Well, the inevitable happened at daycare.
He jumped off one of those outdoor climbing toys... only about a foot off the ground.

But, he landed on his elbow.  Fractured the radial head.... ie.. elbow for us lay people.
Had to pin him down to get the cast on and he cried for two hours to take it off.  Poor baby!

Scooby-Doo on tv, grilled cheese sandwhich and a couple chocolate cookies and he's better. Took him shopping to find some shirts with wider arms to fit over the cast. Spiderman for him and Hawaii for me!

Sewing will wait for another day.

UFO Listing

As part of reorganizing, some of my online friends have posted their UFO's... a list of all the projects and kits in their possession.  Since I'm working on reorganizing too, here is my list ... so far ...  I would have to dig through and examine each basket to determine a detailed listing of how far I've progressed on each project  and I don't have time for that now... but this will get me started.

COMPLETED IN 2012
Improve Block Quilt (february)

WAITING TO BE QUILTED
Rosewood Cottage - 1/2 hand quilted
Lucky Charms
Basket Sampler Quilt
Birthday Star
Monkey Wrench BOM
Set of 4 placemats
ScrapMania - listed as flimsy... can't locate????

ALMOST DONE
Christmas Swap Blocks - waiting for boder fabric to arrive
Baltimore Album Quilt - needs borders to be a flimsy
Sunbonnet Sue - needs 3 prairie point borders to be a flimsy
Basic Class Wall Hanging - need to finish hand applique on 4th block then assemble
Pillow Cover - assemble parts

STARTED AND STOPPED
Barn Blocks - 5 more applique blocks, then log cabin blocks to assemble
1950s Santa - applique - working on block 2 of 12
Happiness Key - background prepared
Vicksburg BOM - 3 to hand applique.. I may just assemble the completed blocks into a flimsy and stop
Scott's Quilt - 1/2 cutting done
Dear Jane/Hot Momma Rose - 3 blocks complete
Cheddar Bowties - 81 blocks complete, 2 of 9 rows completed for first 1/4 of quilt
Orca Bay - some of steps 1 and 2 complete
Swartz Creek Quilt - unfinished class project
Jamestown Landing BOM
Green/Pink BOM
Black White & Red
Orphan Fan Blocks
Heart Blocks
Pumpkin wall hanging
4th July Wall Hanging - paper pieced
Recycle Quilt Teddy Bears

UPCOMING CLASSES
Winston Ways
Turkey Tracks
Midnight Flight

KITS NOT YET STARTED
Pastel stars
Pink Baby Quilt
5-Star Tablerunner
Parisian 20
Cardinal Wall Hanging
Quilt Diva
Colonial Christmas
Golden Stars tablerunner
CJ's Care Bears
Iris Table Runner
2 Americana Dolls

I also have several boxes with quilt-of-the-month kits stored in the closet...but I'll leave them for another day to inventory and decide what to do.

Swaps

I have just completed another swap with Pat Sloan's Mash-up group.  I've got the blocks stitched together... now I have to find a Christmas fabric for the border.

Organization 102

The rooms have been emptied and rearranged, and while not completely organized I am happy with the results so far.

 
My quilting studio is now formed by a wall of shelves and boxes of fabrics and scraps.  As customers walk into the room there is a table to lay their tops on where we can measure and discuss work to be done. The boxes are labeled with content or fabric color.  I love that there is more open floor space for me to maneuver as I quilt along.

 The sewing studio is reorganized too.  Along the back wall of the room is a table with baskets of UFOs that need to be finished.... yes that pile is way too high!...but it was even higher last year, so I am making slow progress getting things done.  Next to that table it is my new pressing table that my husband made as a Christmas gift with some batting scraps in those pink crates underneath.  Right now it is piled high with fabrics that I am in the process of  preparing for three different quilt classes I will be attending in August.  The spare bed on the right wall serves as a "table" for my roll of batting with the extra roll stored standing on the floor in the corner.  At the bottom of the bed is the spare dresser in which I am organizing and sorting my fat quarters and storing my Dear Jane kits with work in progress.

Along the left wall of the room is my sewing table and chair.  I've discovered that I need to buy one of those plastic or wooden things for the floor as my chair will not roll on the carpet.  I've got a couple of  folding tray tables and my handquilting hoop and stand with the quilt I will eventually finish for me!  Now that it is set up and constantly staring at me I will be able to view and decide how to quilt the next block.  The last item along that wall is my cutting table... it is constructed with saw horse legs purchased from Lowes and my old butcher-block kitchen table. Yes, there is a pile of projects to be cut stacked here too, and I will get them all done eventually!   On the window sill above the table are my Civil War fabrics and some of my collection books

Lastly is the closet.  It is crammed full with two large tubs of various yarns and knitting projects, another two large tubs of fabrics and patterns for dresses and jackets that I planned on making, another large tub of kitchen towels and yarns and yet another full of colored plastic bags to be cut and crochet into waterbottle holders or entry-way rugs to help stop dirt and leaves from being tracked all over the house!  Not sure how it got knocked off, but I'll have to get hubby to put that one door back on it's tracks this weekend.

There are still more boxes to sort through, organize, and label, but at least now I can move my elbows while working and not have to worry about knocking something over.  I am so lucky to be able to expand into and take over two rooms... one for hobby and one for busniess!

organization 101

If you are like me and trying to get your sewing studio organized... again.  Check out Pat Sloan's posts on getting organized.  Lots of helpful hints.

http://quiltinggallery.com/2012/02/02/organization-101-pat-sloan/

My first step will be to empty both work areas.... my quilt studio on the left and my sewing studio on the right.

Thank goodness for strong young son's wiling to work for food!
LOL!

Hope Academy

My son has recently joined a group in town sponsored by a local church.  Hope Academy is a supervised social gathering for young adults with disabilites that meets every Wednesday.    The leader is a retired 3rd grade teacher who is assissted by a volunteer RN to help deal with individual's medical issues.  There is a visiting music teacher once each month and parents take turns volunteering time and talent to help entertain these special kids.  One of the church's other ministries provides lunches.  

Sharing a tasty lunch!



Field trip to Marble Slab Creamery!


Activities include arts and crafts, bowling, Wii games, music, and field trips.Today's field trip was to Marble Slab Creamery where we indulged in our choice of ice cream flavors and many tasty toppings!

Happily our field trip was not cancelled because of the horrible weather... dark clouds and rain started blowing in as we were heading out. A tornado watch was issued. Shortly after we got home... the sirens start blaring... just in time for me to go pick up my grandson from daycare! I carefully watched the skies as I drove through torrential rains to pick him up. By the time I was almost home the skies began to clear!

Visiting a Friend

Today I took a nice drive and visited my friend Becky.
She gave me some tips on freemotion feather quilting ... in my mind, she is the queen of feathers!...and she has pictures to prove it!  I am going to do some in the very near future.

I helped her start her blog!  Check it out at http://busybeebsquilting.blogspot.com/  She'll have more pictures posted soon.

It was a beautiful day for a drive and I was able to figure out how to use our new Garmin so I  don't get lost any future drives!  A very successful day!

The Morning After the Storm

Yesterday afternoon was gray and dreary as the snow came down in gobs... several times I had to step out onto the deck to clear the satellite dish because the snow was blocking reception.

This morning... bright sun and blue skies! I enjoyed my walk with Toby around the neighborhood.  When I started it was in the low 20's but it was warming up quickly.  The wet roads were a bit slick with black ice and I had to be very careful how I walked.  But the bright sun on the blacktop quickly had the ice melting.  The birds were out singing like crazy!  I wish there was a way to share that beautiful sound with you.  It just makes my day. 

Luckily, I remembered to grab my camera when I left the house this morning and took some nature pictures.

I love how the frost forms on the edges of these leaves and grass spikes

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Snow covered red berry bushes look awesome!

 Neighbor Dan was out pruning these berry bushes as I walked by on Saturday.  He left a pile of branches for the truck to come by and pick up.  I grabbed a couple branches to take home and arrange in a vase for a bit of color in the house.  I almost picked some snow covered daffodils from another neighbors yard, but I resisted the temptation.



 And while the neighborhood children had fun in the snow yesterday, I was working down in my quilting room making this using up some of the Improv Swap Blocks made last year by my friends at Pat Sloan's Quilt MashUp.

Thimbles

I've tried a variety of metal and plastic thimbles over the years, but they never felt comfortable so I didn't do very much hand sewing.. or if I did it  involved only very short working sessions because I would end up with raw fingers... the finger underneath the project would get pricked  and the finger on top trying to push the needle through the project would get poked! I'm sure I have a few old thimbles here and there that I have tried, but I can't find them right now.

About 5 years ago I started an applique quilt... the calendar quilt with various barns by Piecemakers... It was, unfortunately, my first needleturn applique quilt and I struggled along both with the small piece sizes, technique and sore fingers. But I really liked the idea of quilting a picture, so I plugged along... on and off... for most of the year before life got busy and I fell so far behind that all I did was collect the kits and I box them up for another day. I actually completed only one of those blocks with the pieceing and embroidery. I have another seven or eight blocks with all but the tiniest pieces appliqued and none of the embroidery. (sigh)
I've done other applique and handstitched projects since then with much bigger pieces and discovered this leather thimble at one of the quilt shows. I like the elastic-y part that was tight at first but stretched to a more comfortable fit in short order. I would sometimes lay my work down and walk away forgetting I had the thimble on until someone would ask what I had done to my finger!... it became a part of me.

Here's a picture of the working side of it. It is hard to tell in the picture, but this one is about ready to be replaced. It has been getting a lot of use lately as I'm handsewing those Cheddar Bowties.  That gray area where I push the needle through is getting worn thin and the needle is starting to poke through to and into my finger. I am hoping it will last me until the next quilt show comes along and I can purchase another one.

Bonnie Hunter is doing a linky thing on her blog today where everyone can show their thimbles and extol their praises... or not. You can read about it here:  http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2012/02/its-thimbles-up-monday.html  I am heading there now to link up and read your post!

Organizing...again

Eighteen months ago when my new Nolting quilter arrived I cleaned out my portion of the basement, moving everything into the family room. I now had a clean quilting area in which to work, but a disaster in the family room.  So began one of my ongoing attempt to get organized.


Within a couple of months of setting up the quilter, I was going to need to get at the gas fireplace hiding in the brickface wall behind all those boxes in the family room.  I began going through the boxes and organizing some items.  All my unstarted kits got boxed up and stored in the bottom of the coat closet. My cutting table and two folding tables and my folding ironing board got put back in my quilting workroom.  My bins with completed for-sale work is stacked under the cutting table.  Some of my UFO projects were placed into trays and stacked on one table with my sewing machine in hopes that being able to see them daily would incite me to work on them and clear some working space. (Yes.. I have completed several of those projects this past year.)   I color-sorted and boxed my scraps and miscellaneous projects and piled them on top of and under the second table or hid them in closets and corners around the house, wherever there was a space. So I was back to a crowded quilting/sewing space again... and I had to go searching in boxes all over the house to locate any one specific item or project.(sigh)

A few months ago my daughter moved out and I decided to set up her room as a sewing studio and keep my current space as a quilting studio. I had to keep her large dresser and the spare bed but the almost empty room had possibilities.



I set up shelving for my boxes of color-sorted scraps, my goodwill shirt collection and boxes of miscellaneous fabrics.  You can't see the closet but it is full of yarn related projects and supplies in one half and fabrics and clothing patterns in the other half.  One roll of batting lays on the bed ready to be cut and the other is standing next to the dresser by the doorway.  I am in the process of gathering and pressing all my fat quarters and sorting them in the dresser drawers for easier access.

My Civil War fabrics and some books are up there on the windowsill in those pink crates, and under my brand new pressing table (Christmas gift from my husband)  are some boxes of batting scraps.  I still have boxes with "kits" in a coat closet and books and other misc fabric in the understairs closet.  Due to my most recent attempt to organize there is a a minefield of assorted boxes of stuff I'm trying to sort and organize on the floor that I have to step around whenever I go in there. Having boxes and labels is good , but  I hate not being able to see my fabrics at a glance.   And... yes, there is my hoop and the top I have been (not) handquilting for me.  If I set it up I might actually be able to work and complete it!

Now that I'm a bit more sorted and organized, I'm thinking about rearranging everything, once again.  I'd like to put my cutting and sewing tables here in the studio with my pressing table.  If I could leave my current projects set out and walk in and just sit and work I might get more done!

I would like to  invest in some nice cubicle shelves to display my fabrics and kits so I can see and use what I have before purchasing more!  The current shelves and an extra folding table could be set up in the the quilting workroom to define my space.  I'd have a nice clear table to consult with customers and maybe organize paperwork somehow to make bookeeping and taxes easier to deal with.  I guess the goal is to look more professional.