Quilting with Candace

Time Sure Does Fly By.......

2011-11-05T19:25:00.001-07:00

Eighteen years ago today,
my wonderful oldest daughter
decided to grace this world.

She was three days late,
one hour in easy labor,
and 30 minutes in hard labor after I got to the hospital,
she was placed into my arms.

Since then she has been a joy to her father and I.
It's hard to think our little 7 lb 4 ounce baby girl
is all grown up now.

Love you babe.

Blast from the Past

2011-10-27T08:55:00.001-07:00

While I am waiting for my chicken to cool down so
I can pull it apart,
I thought I would post something from the past.

I made this quilt for my son's Kindergarden teacher 9 years ago.

I sent home the block with each child in the class and asked them to decorate them and I put them together and we presented it to her on the last day of school.

Friends Swap Package Here

2011-10-26T09:53:00.000-07:00

I received my box from my partner Amanda http://aussiestitch.wordpress.com. She had stated that she was not going to open her package that I sent her until I received mine. I emailed her the other day to let her know that it had arrived so we could open our presents together.

I think we had the same calling on fabric during this swap, as she sent me the place mats and used colors similar to the ones I sent her. I love the Christmas fabric and am trying to decide how I am going to use it to the best advantage. She also fed my reading bug. Can't wait to sit by the fire with a warm cup of tea and do some light reading. I think the neck warmer will come in very handy, as our fall days are starting to turn colder.

Thank you Amanda, your gifts are greatly appreciated and loved and I am glad to have met a friend like you.

Friends Swap

2011-09-28T13:32:00.000-07:00

Every year my friend Khris from Sew Prim Khris has a swap. I of course wouldn't miss it for the world. You really meet a lot of nice people in this swap.

So Amanda your presents are on they way, of course I had to stand on a chair to get a picture of all of them without getting the words that are on the tags.

And I can assure you that the shoes in the corner are not coming your way.

Although I could send the animal if you really want her.

Off to the Races

2011-09-19T09:33:00.000-07:00

You know how you get an idea to start something and you think

" I'll have this done in no time"

But then you realise that it is taking longer for your vision to come out right.

Well that is were I am at.

I joined the friends swap again that my friend Khris (Sew Prim Khris) throws together.

And of course I tried to come up with a great idea for my swap partner Amanda http://aussiestitch.wordpress.com

Now I was trying to be creative, (maybe that was my first mistake) so I found a pattern block I thought I would work with.

I get half of the block pattern done and realise my next mistake was this would take longer then I thought. (picture-scraps are just from this one block)

So I make adjustments to this block that I feel comfortable with and continue on my way.

Now I just have to finish it in time to send it off. Hence the title of today's post.

HAHAHA

Latest Project

2011-07-20T15:33:00.000-07:00

First I started with four years of class t-shirts,

I cut them apart and used both the front and back logos

so I was sure to have enough squares,

Added a Varsity Letter for the center piece

then you add the lattice and borders in the school colors

I put it all together, and added some embroidery of sports that she played throughout her High School career, sew it and quilt it together,

(I used a follow the lines paper tear off from Quilting Made easy)

And you end up with a lovely quilt that your graduating senior

will be proud to show her friends.

This is what I have been working on since

the end of March,

and I finished it the night before the grad party.

This is WAYYYYYYYY Overdue.

2011-02-23T10:36:00.001-08:00

Aren't these the grestest gifts in the world?

Awhile back I entered the Friends Swap that Khris at Sew Prim Khris holds each year, where I met Vanessa (The Clip Cafe). She and I really seemed to hit it off. We swapped stories of our lives with each other as well as cool gifts. And we still keep in touch. In my previous post I had stated that she must of really got me, because the things she sent me really were me.

Fast forward to two weeks ago and the doorbell rings, the postman has a package for me and who do you think it was from? Yup it was from Vanessa, that special person had sent me new things to ooh and aah over.

Unfortunately, I have been a bad friend (I should have to sit in the time out corner) I received these wonderful items two weeks ago, just as Girl Scout Cookie season was getting into full steam. I have been so busy with my duties as the Booth Coordinator as well as the cookie mom for my troop, that I spend the day making sure stores are happy with the scouts that visit them and making sure that I have enough product for my troops booths, and then I get to go work them. I only have to survive until March 20th, but it seems to be creeping up on me very fast.

So Vanessa, I am SO SORRY I did not get this on until now. I love everything and of course you shouldn't have.

Do You Always Go with your first Instincts?

2010-12-12T20:47:00.000-08:00

I walked into the pet store yesterday to exchange my puppies harness, and walked out with a new puppy. The local Pet Smart was hosting the Whiskers Cat and Canine Rescue Adoption Event. As soon as I saw this one I knew it was for us. I also knew my husband would just fall in love with her. So now she has a new home and name (Missy) and a big sister in Peaches. Of course just as I get one puppy house broke, what do I do, but get a new puppy. Missy is a 9 week old Retriever/Lab mix and is just so loving. She loves to be passed around by everyone in the family and she is giving Peaches every inch of what she receives.

X-mas Season

2010-11-21T19:54:00.001-08:00

Ok, I know it may seem to early to have the big man's graphic's up, after all we don't have Mr. Turkey to dinner for four more days.

However,

it has been decided that we will make the 2,500 (one way) mile journey to the sunny state of California for the holiday season.

I am of mixed reaction,

I will love seeing my friends that I made when we lived there for seven years, but I will also miss home for the holidays. You know the one where I do not have to do anything but stay in my jammies all day if I want. (HAHAHA)

Also, my DH has decided that the drive would be too much for his bones,

(wait it is his family we need to see in California)

So it looks like just myself and the three youngest will go alone, of course one of those youngest will share in the driving with me, so that should help.

Postal Delivery

2010-11-08T19:37:00.000-08:00

Today I received this

My New Friend and partner from across the Deep Blue Sea

She thought so much of me to send me things I could really use well. I can't wait to use the fabric. I have been thinking I needed more solid christmas fabric to combine with my old and come up with a new christmas project to work on.

I had told Vanessa that I would love to have something unique to her country and she more then came through with the book The Red Centre by Steve Parish. A collection of beautiful images celebrating Australia's Red Centre.

Friends Swap

2010-08-16T04:57:00.000-07:00

( Peaches)

Once again I am entering into the Friends Swap hosted by Sew Prim Khris. This will be my second time participating and am looking forward to making a new friend.

I have still not been doing any thing in the sewing category, except for picking up fabric now and then, so I thought I would show everyone how I have really gone off the deep end.

Peaches is five months old and we got her at four. I am still trying to get her to understand that my house is not her toilet. She is just like one of the kids, she will do really well all day with her training and then just when you think she gets it, she will potty inside.

July 4th

2010-07-04T20:46:00.000-07:00

I spent the weekend at my brother's place in Port Hope Michigan, for the Annual Antique Tractor Pull. We decided to campout in the backyard of the farm. Every year they have the wonderful Antique Tractor Pull, along with a flea market. This year they also had a quilt showing. It was very small, maybe 2 dozen in all, but they did have a quiting frame up and there was some hand quilting going on. I wish I had pictures to show, as most of the quilts were very old, but we were not allowed to use the camera in that area.

New Additions

2010-04-06T20:57:00.000-07:00

I finally did some retail therapy.
And came home with all of the above. The top picture is of fabric that I bought for quilting, and the second picture is fabric that I bought for bags.
I have yet to work with it and was thinking of getting to it after cookie season, but that of course coincided with spring house cleaning and the kids school break, so it is still sitting in a pile waiting for me to make something fabulous with it.
I hope I am up to the challenge. HAHAHA

The Time Just Goes By Without Me......

2010-01-25T20:09:00.000-08:00

Good

Better

Best

I have not been sewing lately, because I have been working on these little hats.

My Girl Scouts and I have been taking lessons on Knitting so that we may earn our Junior Bronze Award (the highest award you can achieve as a Junior Girl Scout). The first of three awards that you can achieve in your Girl Scout Career as you get older. I had read an article about another troop out West that had done this and so I put it to the girls and they agreed that this would be a great project. So since October 19th we have used our meetings to learn how to knit. Lately we have also been having Sit N Knit sessions at my home during the week. This helped the girls when they would get stuck or mess up.

The idea is that each girl makes twenty hats and we donate them to the local hospital nursery unit. Now this is a large project for 4th and 5th graders, so the Mom's and I have also been learning so that we can help the girls along the way and also make up the difference if a girl is short and if not then we will have more hats to donate.

The first two hats I had to make using the pattern of knit a row, purl a row, knit a row. I just couldn't get my hands to change the direction of the yarn to do it the way the pattern said too. I also figured if I was having trouble the girls would too, so this method seemed the way to go to start. As you can see my hats turned out OK (no holes).

After that I followed the pattern that was knit 2, purl 2, until you decreased to close the top. I got better and better and told the Mom's and Girls that they can switch to this method after they had made two hats the other way.

I have now made fourteen hats and figured out that I can make a row in 4 minutes, and a hat in 6 hours. Of course this means that I don't get time to be on the computer as much and I have to put any sewing on hold until this project is finished. I am hoping that we can deliver A nice assortment sometime in June.

It really does seem that time just keeps passing me by, but I know that I am making progress on these hats.

Little Known Secret

2009-11-03T08:54:00.000-08:00

Ok, I know this has nothing to do with quilting, but while I was looking throught the templates from the cutestblogontheblock.com, I came across a neat background design.
It is called the Candy Cane. Now most people know that my name is Candace, it's in my header, but what you don't know is that my maiden name was Caines. As a teenager I was called Candy and only started using Candace when I was working in an office and my business cards looked better using Candace instead of Candy. So I have added the new candy cane background in my blog for the time being.

Waiting for Ideas to Jump Out at Me

2009-10-25T21:47:00.000-07:00

Ok, I have not been sewing for the last couple years like I had or would like to be. As in past posts I have mentioned that the well has run dry for me and I can't seem to find a fill up tank. But for the last six weeks I have been on medical leave from work due to a neck problem which is probably turning out to be a pinched nerve. I will be seeing the neck specialist on the sixth. Anyway, one of the problems was numbness in my thumb and hand. So even if I wanted to sew, this was really putting the breaks on any sewing work I might like to do. Lately, through physical therapy I am feeling better and so I decided to try by sewing the most recent patches my kids have earned through scouts on their vests. After finishing that I was looking at a pile of scraps from my two projects made in my serger class and started cutting up 3 1/2 inch squares of the above fabric. Now I am waiting for ideas to come to me. I sure wish they would hurry and come to me as I will have to go back to work soon and then who knows when I will have time to sew again.

Class #2

2009-08-13T14:04:00.000-07:00

In yesterdays Serger class, Lizzy and I made tote bags. Lizzy used a sea animal pattern, and the tote will end up being a gift for her swim sister at the end of the swim season in November.

I used a cute penguin pattern and do not have a person in

mind for this tote. Also, I put corners on mine and Lizzy left hers square.

Our next class was not decided yet by the teacher, she was too busy and over extended, so she did not have time to come up with an item. She is however, thinking of doing a two month project that would use both September and October.

Serger Club

2009-08-04T15:28:00.001-07:00

Lizzy and I had our first class of the Serger Club. I got to use the store machine and Lizzy use mine. The first item was a table runner, that was actually so easy to make, that you could make several before you would get bored.

I did mine with Christmas fabric and since the backing was purple flannel, I just picked purple for the top.

Lizzy used Halloween fabric with a purple flannel backing. The backing is flannel to make the top heavier. Our next class is on the 12th and we will be making a tote bag. So now I am sewing again, however it is just during these classes. I need to find time to spend sewing, but I seem to spend my free time cleaning, weeding, lawn work, reading and playing on the computer. Oh well, one day at a time will see what happens that way.

Friends Swap

2009-07-23T18:37:00.001-07:00

Today my gifts came from Mary, my partner in the Friends Swap. Don't they look cute in the wrapping paper? As you can see my partner really got my sweet tooth going with the boxes of Mike and Ike's, but I love the cute little green frogs. They are so sweet. I have been noticing that I was not as good a swap partner as I could have been. I did spend lots of time to give just the right grifts to my partner and I wrapped each present separately, but I never even thought to label each gift with the letter to spell friends. Since this is the first swap I have ever been in, I hope that my partner and Khris can caulk it up to inexperience and will let me join in another swap in the future.

Friends Swap

2009-07-11T17:29:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally got my gifts mailed out for the Friends Swap that Khris from Sew Prim Khris held. It took me alot of time to decide what I was going to send out. I kept changing my mind of what I was giving to spell out Friends. I can't show what it was, but every week I would look at the pile that I had arranged out on the floor and add/take away things until I thought it was just right. Well, then of course in all this I have been having computer issues and lost my partners address, so of course I had to email Khris and my partner to get the address to ship my package. And so, yesterday, the last day of the deadline, my partners package was mailed out parcel post and is out of my hands.

Finally!

2009-06-30T18:59:00.000-07:00

I finally took my Serger out of its box. My class was yesterday, so I took my daughter and we went to learn how to use the new machine. I let her do the work and just watched and gave my opinion. It was mostly like using my regular machine, just a few extra advantages. While we were there I signed us up for a new Serger Club that my JoAnns is having. It is a once a month class for $10 per class. The first class will be making a table runner. Since I only have the one Serger, the girl told me that they would let us use one of the other Sergers they have out for display. That way my daughter and I both can do the class.

Getting Ready

2009-06-21T19:32:00.000-07:00

I have been doing a little house cleaning, so it was only right that I get my sewing area back in shape. I may still have to move the boxes under my table and of course I really need a better chair (my chair is being used at the computer desk). I am thinking of more storage containers like I have in the background. As you can see my new Serger is still in the box. My class is a week from tomorrow and I didn't want to mess with it until I have learned what to do with it. I haven't been sewing for a while and I don't want to quit from frustration before I begin.

I am thinking I might need to add another table too. Now that my sewing room is organized again. I have also organized my arts & crafts supplies from Girl Scouts that I have been collecting for the last two years. I am in the organizing mood lately, can't stand to have it all cluttered anymore.

New Machine is Here

2009-05-24T19:50:00.000-07:00

Well, the new machine is here. I picked it up on Thursday, and signed up for the class however, it is not until June 29th. So it now sits in its box waiting for my class. I have decided that I will take DD1 with me for my class, that way she can learn how to use the machine at the same time as I am.

I have lucked out this week and will have Thursday thru to Monday off this week, so I will have time to plant my garden, flowers, and get my package ready to send out to my friends swap partner. I really put thought into this and hope that she likes everything that I send her.

I am also putting together some jars of jam that DH has made. We had to make each batch twice since this was the first time we tried making it and getting the amount of pectin just right.

This Weeks News

2009-05-07T21:45:00.000-07:00

Well today I went back to JoAnns and had a different sales person order me my new serger. The last girl couldn't find out how to charge me for the machine and was supposed to call me, but she never did. So now I just have to wait for it to come in, they told me it could take two weeks.

I have also been getting my things ready for the Friends Swap I signed up for with Khris from Sew Prim Khris. I am trying to be very imaginative in my gifts, and since they are not due until July, I have plenty of time. I can't say what I am giving, but will post a photo of all once my partner has received her package.

I have been thinking I might post some of the quilts that I have made, since I am not working on anything right know, but haven't had the time to take pictures yet. I will get them on as soon as I can. I have made over a dozen and have all except the three that I gave away.

No New Machine Today

2009-04-29T18:42:00.000-07:00

Well, I did not get my machine today after all. I went to JoAnns to purchase it, however they were out and it needed to be special ordered. I was OK with that, what can you do right. The problem started when the clerk tried to special order it. She was not familiar with the correct procedure of ringing up this type of sale. First she couldn't remember how to get to the order screen, then when it rang up at the regular price she had trouble changing the price. Twice she had to start the order all over and then when she did get to the correct screen to change the price to $249.99, she kept coming up with the price of $2.49. Would have been a great price but, being a sales clerk myself, I could not let her finish the sale incorrectly, so I told her I would come back later once she was able to complete the sale correctly.

So, the family and I went to dinner at Olive Garden and since we had an extra hour before my Leader meeting, we decided to go to Best Buy and look at new computers. This one has been shutting down on its own lately and we are worried that the hard drive maybe going. We looked at several models and they were having some great deals so we bought a new one, of course this in itself was a feat in patience. I swear the Best Buy in my area has the worst customer service in the world. We stood there for 35 minutes waiting for someone to let us pay for the model we chose. Then the clerk, although nice, took the next 20 minutes completing our purchase, so need less to say by the time we finished paying and I got the family home and got to my meeting I was 15 minutes late. I hate to be late, I keep notes on our meetings and if I miss anything there is no one that gets the notes for me.

Needles to say, I do not know why people are not giving the best service they can in these hard times. You would think they would want to take your money as fast as they could.

Friends Swap

2009-04-28T12:56:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I received word that I was excepted into the Friends Swap that Khris over at Sew Prim Khris is having. I can't wait to get started. I will have to put my thinking cap on and come up with some really good things for my partner, whomever that may be. I should know in a couple weeks who I get. It might be like expecting a baby, the thrill is in wondering what you will get. In the meantime I am going tomorrow and pick up my Serger that I have been wanting for so long. Can't wait to play with that too.

Friends Swap

2009-04-17T22:37:00.000-07:00

I enjoy reading the blogs I have found since starting one of my own, and I follow several that I list on my site. Today in reading Khris' from Sew Prim Khris, I ran across her Friends Swap and decided to join. I have never been in a swap before, but I have e-mailed Khris a few times and find her to be very nice. I like most people followed her and her husband during their adventures to the States and love to she what she is working on day to day.

I guess this means I will have to start writing more often in my blog and not whine so much, so that whomever becomes my swap partner doesn't think she got herself a dud.

Ok, so I have not bought a new machine yet. I know I have mentioned it but I am making sure other things are taken care of first like the kids summer adventures this year and I just tell myself that I will get one when I am ready to spend the money on myself.

Maybe I will just take some photos of the quilts I have done and post them. At least they will give me something to talk about here. I have kept this blog for my sewing and use my other blog for my everyday life happenings. maybe I should just merge them. I don't know.

Spring Break

2009-04-09T08:46:00.000-07:00

It's Spring Break here and the kids are decorating Easter Eggs today. I still haven't made a move on the new machine, but it is only because I keep telling myself I don't need it today, but only when I will start sewing again. Life just seems to get in the way here too much. My sewing area has turned into a vegetable garden right now. I have started my plants indoors early so that I may get a longer growing period once I move them outside.

Tomorrow I am taking the girls to see the Hannah Montana Movie, Evie won a gift certificate and has been waiting to use it. I told her we would use it when there was a girly movie that she would like instead of just whatever movie happened to be playing that week.

Today I think we will go bowling before I go to work, that will give them something to do beside stay indoors all week. It has been chilly here after the snow this week, so they haven't been out yet and so they have to keep trying to find friends that are home to play with.

So maybe I will go get my machine this weekend, JoAnn's is having a sale on the Serger for $249 until the 11th.

2009-03-25T18:00:00.000-07:00

Nothing new to report here. I am still debating as to the Serger or not. I have had the flu the last few days so I haven't done anything at all. My next day off isn't until Monday again so I will see what I can do then. Working afternoon/evenings doesn't leave a lot of time to do much of anything let alone spend time with my kids so sewing is really on the bottom of the list right now, but I keep hoping that I can change that and bring it back up to the top of the list again. I did see a block I am interested in so we will see.

New Machine?

2009-03-06T20:31:00.000-08:00

I have been thinking of purchasing a Serger recently, and so I have been shopping for inexpensive machines. I do not think I really need an expensive machine like I purchased when I first started quilting. So I am leaning towards the Singer model. I have seen it at JoAnns for $300, and on line for $249, but I found it the other day at Wal-Mart for $178. I know I like the price at Wal-Mart, but I also think I might need to take a few classes which come free at JoAnns with the purchase of the machine.

I figure since I haven't been quilting lately, I might try sewing small things like PJ pants and such, just to get back into the sewing feeling.

I will see what happens in the next few days, maybe find out how much a class would cost and when I could take one.

Not doing Much

2009-02-13T08:56:00.001-08:00

The only sewing I have been doing lately was to make a Banner for cookie sales. I have been reading a lot of blogs and magazines and they all give really inspiring ideas, but I just don't have the time lately to sit and sew. Since I only get my days off during the week I usually spend it cleaning house and playing catch up with the kids. I always seem to have these days jammed pack with things to do so that I do not feel like I have had a day off. I am not sure why I do this, I keep saying that I am going to have a day of staying in bed (hahaha) but I just don't get it.

My kids all love the one hand sewing piece I did and they can't wait until I will set them up with a piece all their own. So I do have that to add to my never ending list. What I need is a place to go away from home and sit and sew like I use too.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-24T07:53:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to all. Here is our tree all ready for Santa to put the presents under. I got all the presents wrapped yesterday. The kids will keep track of Santa's progress throughout the day. And when he gets here he can enjoy the cookies that where made in his honor and of course there are carrots for the reindeer too. Have a wonderful Christmas and I hope you get everything you wish for.

Life Happens

2008-12-21T09:38:00.000-08:00

Check out my other blog Life with the Roen's to see what I have been up to this week. And I am still undoing the stiching on my quilt. I am almost done and then can begin to start hand stitching on it. I go to work tonight but, get the next two days off so I can get going on this, after I make sure Santa has everything he will need for this weeks journey.

First piece Done

2008-12-16T11:25:00.001-08:00

Well, I finished my first piece of hand work. I guess it is ok, except that after finishing it I found out that it is off center.

I think with more practice it will get better. After I finished this, I decided to finish undoing the quilt top that I wanted to do. I have been undoing it since I put in the first five lines of quilting. I decided that I didn't like the way it looked, I had been trying to stitch in the ditch and was not watching where I was going. So I think I will try my hand stitiching with the quilt now. It will take a while though. I only worked on this little one three nights in the last month, so a whole lap quilt will take longer.

Nothing New to Report

2008-12-15T08:21:00.000-08:00

Well, there is nothing new to report on the sewing front. I am still working on some hand work. Not sure if I like the outcome or not. We are our own worst critics they say and that may very well be true. I have also been doing a lot of baking for treat giveaways to friends and the house is as decorated as it will get. I went very minimal this year and tried not to bring everything out as it would be easier to put away less. Plus it seems that I spend my days off cleaning the house and doing things with the kids since I don't have time on work days. I am lucky if I see my kids sometimes right now, When I work the 2-11 shift, I am never home when they are awake. Boy, I miss being the stay at home mom. I think I will keep trying to work on the hand piecing and I did pick up a pattern at JoAnn's during Black Friday and thought I might try to tackle making pajama pants. My kids love wearing them and since they have tons of t-shirts they really need the pants.

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-26T21:37:00.000-08:00

Here is my hope that you are enjoying this day with your loved ones.

Ramblings of a Mad Quilter

2008-11-18T09:13:00.000-08:00

Nothing new here on the sewing front. I did start to hand stitch the pictures I traced last week, and will see how the first one turns out. I have been spending my time reading all the blogs I can online. I love to see all the new things that people are making out there. And it gives me ideas on what to make in the future. I am really at a cross roads in life and can't spend any money on new fabric and don't want to use up all of my small stash. I am not sure what direction I am heading to. I love to quilt, but I miss quilting with people. I can't afford to take classes right now and so it stunts my flow. I wonder if I would be any good trying to design my own quilt, I only use other peoples patterns as of yet. Oh well, on the bright side if I did have any spare money I would probably spend it on the day after thanksgiving sale at Jo Ann's. I thought I would be working that morning, but it looks like I will not work until the afternoon.

2008-11-10T14:57:00.000-08:00

Today, I worked on tracing some snowmen that I was able to find online at the family fun coloring pages website. I am going to try some more hand work. I want to try to do a quilt entirely by hand stitching. My 15 year old wants to do it with me, so I have to trace enough for both of us.

I had to go out and buy new thread because I couldn't find the thread that I had. Turns out that my daughter has been using it to make bracelets with for her friends, and has it in her mess of a room somewhere. If you have a teenage daughter you know how many times you ask them to clean up their room.

Finally

2008-11-08T12:26:00.000-08:00

Finally, I have had the time and will to sew.

I put this together with some redwork iron-ons that I found at Sew Special when I lived in California. I also have another set in blue. At the time I bought two sets of each so I have made two of these in red.

They are nice baby size, but the two end squares on the middle row I embroidered yesterday. I just couldn't leave them blank but because I had already sewn it together and quilted in the white borders. I was a little nervous to sew by hand and not take it through the whole square. But I had no problem after all, to look at it you would not know that it was done as an after thought.

Where has the time gone?

2008-10-27T09:18:00.000-07:00

I know, it packed its bags for new pastures. I have been so busy with trying to live everyday life that the time has just moved on without me. I work from 3-midnight, come home try to catch up reading blogs, play a game and go to bed. My kids go to school while I am sleeping and are sleeping when I get home.

Ok, enough of the pity me. I have moved on now and trying to keep up with more blogs. There are some really nice stories out there and I just love the ones that have pictures of their latest work. It keeps the quilting bug alive. I haven't worked on anything in the last year, however I did finally install my EQ5 CD and have started to play with it. I need to find some video's on working with the CD to explore more creative uses. I tried by making a baby blanket first and I like it but when I print, it seems to print smaller than I think it should be.

So, although I am not using the machine, I am one step closer to getting back to it.

Maybe it's Time

2008-08-30T16:12:00.000-07:00

Well as you can see in the previous post there has been a death in the family and my husband will be going to the funeral, but we will not be going with him. He is only going for three days and I only get one paid day off work for bereavement, and the kids have their first day of school this week.

So I will be taking the three days while my husband is gone off from work to take care of the kids. I think this will be a good time to get the sewing room done so that I can try to find time to get back to sewing. I received the new catalog from Keepsake Quilting and of course just love the cover quilt, it made me want to start a new fall color quilt. Of course thinking about going to San Deigo made me want to visit all my friends at Quilt in a Day too. Oh well it will just have to wait till next time.

Family Sadness

2008-08-29T00:04:00.000-07:00

At 11:05pm Michigan time (8:05 California) my husband got the called that his father had past away. He and his sisters will be joining his mother in the next few days. School starts here on Tuesday so my husband will be attending the funeral alone.

2008-06-26T21:44:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I haven't been sewing yet. I haven't really felt like it. I do get a twinge now and then and wander why I am putting it off, but it really boils down to the fact that there is not enough time anymore.

I have been unpacking the kids rooms lately and once done with that I need to get the garage done and then maybe I can set up the sewing area better to suit my needs. I miss not taking classes but again there is no time and for that matter I really can't afford it either.

I did it!

2008-05-09T20:38:00.001-07:00

I did it, today I had to use my sewing machine. I have a class tomorrow for Girl Scouts and one of the homework projects was to make a mess kit drying bag. I used a very heavy material and thread. I thought my machine was breaking down, it was making a lot of loud noise. But after I got done making my bag, I tried stitching a couple of cotton patches and the machine was working fine. I need to find a place to take my machine for service and I need to get some new needles, but it was working. Maybe next week I can get some more done. I only have four days of work and although I could use the money, I also need time to get things done around here. Nothing gets done here if I am not around to make everyone do the chores.

One more Day

2008-05-01T09:00:00.001-07:00

Well, hopefully one more day until I can finish unpacking and start sewing. I still have to pick up a hook to hang the lamp in the ceiling. The room has no light to speak of. Then I can finish unpacking the sewing things and get it organized and do some actual sewing. I have been so busy with work and trying to spend time with the kids, that when I do have any free time I end up laying around the house. I do however spend at least an hour a day on reading blogs too. When I get home after work at night I read some blogs and then play some computer games while having dinner and then it is off to bed. No time for sewing then. So I will only be able to sew on my days off and sometimes in the mornings. Oh well, we do what we must, but I sure miss the days when I was the stay at home mom and had more time to sew.

Will I ever be sewing again?

2008-04-16T20:13:00.000-07:00

Well I have my sewing area set up and almost all unpacked. I still need to hang the overhead light, the room has no lighting to speak of. Once I have everything unpacked, maybe I can get down to sewing again. The stress that I have been under for these past months has really made it hard to take the time to sew. I need to find my happy place again and get back in the swing of things.

I do seem to keep up with all the blogs I have been reading. I like to see that there are others still do sewing out in the world, even if I am not.

On to the New

2008-04-13T16:43:00.000-07:00

Today our son bridged from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts. It was our last Blue and Gold ceremoney. I am such a wimp, I always have a tear in my eye when onhe of my kids are recognized as if it was my great achievement. Well, in a way why not, I am the one that had to go to all the meetings and campouts and other activities with them.

I am hoping to get started on my sewing area tonight. I really have been wanting to sew.

Just Another Day

2008-04-12T19:37:00.000-07:00

Well, we are in. Now we get to set everything up. This could take a while. So I will just take it as it goes. Starting a new department at work this week. Going to be working at the service desk. Hopefully, my hours will be better than lately. The kids are already moaning that they don't see me enough.

I don't have my sewing set up yet, but I have the next three days off, so that should give me time.

All Moved In

2008-04-07T19:55:00.000-07:00

Well, we are all moved in. My husband has been complaining the whole time. The kitchen is too small, he doesn't have enough cupboard space. For a chef this is the worst. But what can we do. Now I get to spend the time getting everything set up. It always amazes me how much stuff we have. And I know that we have gotten rid of a lot. When we moved to California, we gave away alot of our things like all of our outdoor furniture. When we moved from one house to another in California after the first two years there, we got rid of more of our stuff like furniture that was getting run down, and alot of things that we found we hadn't used in that time. When we left California we downsized the truck to come back and so again we got rid of so much stuff, kids toys and clothes, appliances and such.

So now again we have moved and it took two days to move everything out. We have not replaced any of the things that we gave away in the last seven years, but we still seem to have more junk than anyone I know. Ok I have been replacing my Girl Scout supplies, but that was because when we moved anything that I had, was reinbursed by my Troop there, so of course I would need to collect new things here, and that is not hard to do. With a meeting every two weeks from September to June, you do collect alot of supplies for crafts and info to teach things needed to work on the patches the girls will earn.

I hope I can get my sewing up and going again in the next two weeks, I want to get started on the new mystery that Bonnie from Quitville is doing, but I still need to unpack boxes, however I am trying to unpack the smart way, by having a box available for garage sale items and one for items that we will keep but do not have room for so they will stay packed. Like our knick knacks we want to keep or our dishes that will not fit in the cupboards. And I need to get the kids rooms put together so they are comfortable and reflects there personnalities.

I'm so sad

2008-04-01T20:15:00.000-07:00

I'm so sad , the house that I have loved for the last ten years has been lost to us. We moved back from California when my husbands job closed last year, we had hoped that he would find a new job somewhere in the country and the kids and I would stay here while he went off to work. I would have been fine with this as moving to California had not been the joy we were had expected it to be and we were now heavy in debt. But he has yet to find a job after a year and a half. It is hard to imagine that there is not a job somewhere in this big country of ours, but we haven't found it. We are not being picky either, he has went on a couple of interviews but to no avail. So now we will be moving this weekend, as the new bank that bought the house did not want to work with us. They would not even talk to us, they just served us an eviction notice.

So again I have not done any sewing and have instead packed it all away for the move. I am going to unpack it and set it up right away, but I do not know if I will feel like sewing or not. I am just trying not to get depressed about this and hope that this is all part of a bigger plan for my life, but right now it just feels rotten. This is the house that I had told my husband when we lived in California and he wanted to get rid of it, I would divorce him first before I gave up the house. I know you will say but it is just a house, but this is my house, I had another house when I meet my husband, and sold it after we got married because it was too small and he promised that in time we would buy a house together. This I did and three years later we bouhgt this house. This is the house I bought my children home to from the hospital, this is the house where I started on my road to volunteerism, signing up for the association board, helping out in the neighborhood and just enjoying sitting on the front porch at night or the back porch while the kids played in our park that backed to the house.

I started many of the current fun familyactivities that my neighbors now enjoy in this subdivision like Easter Egg hunt in the park, the annual Christmas lighting contest of which after the first year I started this, our city government took my lead and expanded the contest to the whole city. I start the first neighborhood caroling, and at Halloween my neighbors would welcome a nice tall cup of warm apple cider during their walks with the trick or treaters.

I will miss sitting by the pool on warm days and enjoying nice parties for the kids and their friends. I don't want to think of someone else living in my home, the home I expected to grow old in where my grandkids would visit. Now I am going to have to start all over and hope that by the time I have grandkids I will have a place of my own for them to visit me instead of the nice house I just pay rent for.

I AM SO BAD!!!

2008-02-27T10:27:00.000-08:00

I really am. I just don't see to think about keeping up this blog. I want to, but I spend so much time doing other things that when I get to it I can't think of anything important to say.

I have been reading some blogs of other quilters, want more, can't seem to find enough. I don't have time to go to the quilt shops. Couldn't get anyone at Quilt in a Day to answer me when I asked to do the BOM through the mail again. Really miss having the patterns to look forward to every month. Found Bonnie's mystery quilt, copied the instructions and keep telling myself I am going to start working on it. Made my ducks, but stopped before stitching them. I just haven't felt inspired to sew.

I don't think anyone has found my site. I am probably the only one to see it HAHAHA.

Oh well, just have to keep trying.

Update for the Week

2008-01-27T19:45:00.000-08:00

OK, So I have been very busy this week. I have my duck applicates on their background, and have been playing around with the stitching. I think they are going to look great when their done, unfortunately, I have not had a lot of time to play with them.

I have also been playing around with my son's cub scout photos. I am making a slide show for his blue and gold banquet. I knew people had been making them in the past and they looked great, but working on one yourself and seeing how cool they can look is a whole other feeling.

This week starts a month long involvement with Girl Scouts, from activities and field trips to cookie booths. First we have a meeting tomorrow to finish up the swaps we will need for Saturdays field trip to the splash bash. Then we have a cheer competition, pine wood derby and the splash bash all in one day. I don't think there will be one minute to have for myself to sew this week, but I will get to it soon. I also want to try making the Carolina Crossroads Mystery quilt I found on the Web. So I will keep plugging along.

Monday, January 14,2008

2008-01-14T08:03:00.000-08:00

Today I am recovering from a weekend of Boy Scout Camping. I took my 10yr old son to interview a Boy Scout troop in our area for their annual camping get together. He will cross over in March. He really seem to enjoy the weekend, but it was very tiring, this was a non-stop event.

Before I left though, I did start a block from Jody Davis' Duck Series. I have the first block layed out now and am ready to stitch together. The only thing stopping the finished product right now is to machine stitch or try to hand stitch. I would like to try hand stitching so I am leaning that way.