First Mini-Quilt Swap a Success!

My mini swap partner received the package I sent her today. So I can put some photos on, since she's already seen it. It was a blast to make, and finding the cute goodies to go with was also fun. I have to confess, the little ceramic watering can was a lucky discovery at a local thrift shop, but it is a perfect match, and SQJ is a gardener - how perfect is that??? She loves sunflowers, but I had the daisy fabric already, and somehow the other pieces jumped out and said, we match - use us!

I used a piece of cotton batting I had left from a previous project. Piecing the back was a snap, since there was an automatic "striped" piece left from the little nine-patches. I kind of wondered about putting it on the big frame and using the long-arm, but it worked fine, the quilting took about 15 minutes at the most, and I LOVE how it came out. Just a success all around, and SQJ even said she likes it - the best part!

I'm signed up for the next one in July, too. The theme is Summer Lovin', and the partners will be assigned in a few days. Getting involved in a swap was a bit scary, but it's working out great, and I'm happy I signed up.

Finishing Up Today

As you can see above (though most of it is wrapped up and hidden for now - check back in a couple days for more revealing photos), I sent my S.T.U.D. to Sunflowerquilt this morning after I ran a 5K trail race. Two great things accomplished before 10 a.m.! I even won my age group this time! I was 1/3 in women over 50. There were only about 26 runners - a very nice course in a county park by a lake near my town. The sun was shining, the lake was sparkling, the breeze was nice, and it wasn't that hot yet at 8 a.m. I feel I'm adapting to the heat now, too, so I'm sure that helped.

L&B came down to go to a cookout at some college friends' home today. They will stay overnight with us and go to the family reunion with us tomorrow. We are keeping the dog company for a bit, but will probably put her in the crate while I go to the store. Tonight drh and I want to go to the dirt track races if the weather cooperates. But first I need to accomplish some laundry folding, get some groceries to make a salad for tomorrow, and hopefully take a nap. Have a great day.

For the Table

I'm working on a table runner, mostly as another quilting machine practice project. I'm sewing the binding on now. I've found I love sewing on bindings. The quilting took about 15 minutes, I think. It looks great - I think it might need to be pressed because the intersections of the squares in the nine-patches are a bit bubbly. Ironing should take care of that.

Finished A Few Things - Tuesday

I have the day off! We finally finished things at work enough that I can start taking the next few Tuesdays off. My boss retired, so that finished off the party planning and cleaning up a lot of loose ends with her; my co-worker finished her medical leave, so now my double duty has ended and we can take a few breaths in between tasks.

Over the weekend, I ran a 5K and finished 3rd in my age group! I got a nice medal again. It was a small race in a nearby small town at 7:30 a.m. Saturday. The results are not posted on the club website yet, but I suspect there were only 3 in my group... since I ran SO slowly. I didn't come close to meeting my goal pace in the first mile, so just gave up the idea of going "fast". It was only 68 degrees, but sunny, humid and no breeze, so I was pretty hot. It's taking me awhile to adapt to the heat this summer, probably because it came on so suddenly after weeks of cool, rainy weather. It was fun to be with friends and enjoy the outdoors nonetheless.

I finished a mini-quilt for a swap I'm in. This morning I sewed on the label, and quilted myself a duplicate - it was so cute, I just had to make two! Now I need to find a good box to package it up and should have it ready to send before the end of the week. I will put on a photo after my swap-partner receives it, but if I do it now, she may see it and the surprise will be spoiled.

I've been inspired by some cute ideas on blogs to make little girl dresses from men's dress shirts, so took a jaunt through a couple thrift stores to see what's available. I found a few possiblities. These are what I found, plus a tan linen one that is still on the drying rack. Do you like them?

A Bunch of Info - Probably Useless

WHATS YOUR FAVOURITE COLOUR?
Green.
WHATS IS YOUR FAVOURITE ITEM OF CLOTHING IN YOUR WARDROBE?
Some really flattering jeans that are now about 4 years old. They make me look very slim.
WHATS YOUR DREAM JOB?
Retirement.
WHATS THE LAST THING YOU BOUGHT?
Underwear and washcloths from Tuesday Morning.
WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
My co-workers chatting.
WHATS YOUR FAVOURITE ICE CREAM?
Butter pecan.
WHATS YOUR FAVOURITE FRUIT?
Cantaloupe.
WHAT INSPIRES YOU?
Nature, mostly.
WHATS ON THE WALL OF YOUR BEDROOM?
Four pictures. Two over the bed, of abstract flowers in round vases; and two on the wall by the dresser, of lakes, farm buildings, sail boats, etc. All in rich colors like ruby red, navy blue, golds, emerald greens, teals.
WHO IS YOUR FAVOURITE DESIGNER?
I don't have one, but I tend towards a Jones New York type of wardrobe style, maybe a bit more bohemian. But I am not an Eddie Bauer or LandsEnd type at all.
DO YOU ADMIRE ANY ONES STYLE?
Can't think of any one right now.
WHAT LANGUAGE WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK?
I speak German some, but I would like to be better at it.
WHATS YOUR FAVOURITE QUOTE?
A merry heart does good like a medicine.
WHATS YOUR FAVOURITE MAGAZINE?
Smithsonian.
IF YOU HAD A $100 WHAT WOULD YOU SPEND IT ON?
Fabric, shoes, maybe a new top. A bottle of wine, ciabatta bread.
WHATS YOUR CURRENT OBSESSION?
Quilting and learning to use my quilting machine.
WHAT ARE YOU WEARING TODAY?
Black flared skirt with satin ribbon trim, black/teal/white geometric print satin tunic blouse, black patent leather sandals. (I'm at work and dressed up for a retirement reception - not mine, unfortunately.)
WHATS FOR DINNER?
Left over ham/veggie/pasta, wine, cherries and ice cream.
WHAT WOULD YOU EAT FOR YOUR LAST MEAL?
Enchiladas.
IF YOU COULD HAVE A HOUSE PAID AND FURNISHED ANYPLACE IN THE WORLD WERE WOULD IT BE?
On a lake in Michigan or Wisconsin.
IF YOU COULD GO ANYPLACE IN THE NEXT HOUR WERE IN THE WORLD WOULD IT BE. Outside to a lake or mountains to hike.
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO AFTER THIS?
Get back to proofreading yesterday's data entry. Fun, fun.
WHATS YOUR FAVOURITE BOOK?
The Bible.
DO YOU COLLECT SOMETHING?
Not right now. I used to collect bird figurines. I sort of collect clothes, and fabric, I guess.
WHATS YOUR MOST IMPORTANT RULE IN LIFE?
Be honest, and put people ahead of other issues. That's two rules.

Top Ten Things

I might join Jenni here for Top Ten Tuesdays. I missed it last Tuesday, but here are mine for that week:



The Top Ten Coolest Things I’ve Ever Seen (in no particular order)

1. Northern lights - way back in about 1990 or so I saw them once.

2. My new babies when they were born (does that count as two?).

3. Great blue heron footprints in the sand under shallow water.

4. Berlin.

5. The Rocky Mountains in Colorado.

6. The Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina.

7. Wilderness in Canada - I wish I knew where it really was, but it was so beautiful.

8. My new granddaughter's smile.

9. A bald eagle flying out of the woods and along side of us as we rode the motorcycle in Wisconsin.

10. The bonsai trees and plants at the North Carolina Arboretum - fascinating and beautiful!

Cool Cowboy Quilt

Here are pictures of the cowboy quilt finished! I really enjoyed making this and quilting it. It looks so nice. Everything turned out just right. I really hope my friends and their little boy enjoy it as much as I did making it. I just love how the looping quilting pattern looks with the lassos in the print.

Last night after work I stopped at the farmers' market and bought beets, zucchini, yellow squash, hydroponic tomatoes. and a small loaf of olive ciabatta bread. I had some spring onions left from a couple weeks ago. For our supper, I cooked the beets; sauteed the squash and onions with fresh basil and parsley growing nicely in a pot on the deck, jarred garlic, salt and olive oil; sliced a tomato; sliced the bread; and heated up ham slices. It was delicious!

Here is what we had for dinner tonight. It is pasta cooked with some of the beet greens, sliced black olives, chopped leftover ham, leftover squash mix, a tomato, and leftover jarred spaghetti sauce. Sprinkled with parmesan cheese and served with the rest of the bread and a glass of wine, it was SO good - I was SO full but I wish I could've eaten more. MMMM....

My Sewing Machine

From SewMamaSew's sewing machine meme:


What brand and model do you have?
Kenmore 385.

How long have you had it?
About 15 years, maybe 20? I should look it up.

How much does that machine cost (approximately)?
I paid about $150, I believe.

What types of things do you sew (i.e. quilting, clothing, handbags, home dec projects, etc.)?
Now I mostly sew quilts, but I have sewn clothing; stuffed dolls and toys; curtains and other home dec items; doll clothes, bridesmaid dresses, custom sewing and alterations for others as a business; tote- and dufflebags; and wedding dresses for my two daughters. I will probably start making clothes for my little granddaughter soon.

How much do you sew? How much wear and tear does the machine get?
I used to sew a few hours every day while my girls were babies through high school, but now I sew just a couple of hours a week.

Do you like/love/hate your machine? Are you ambivalent? Passionate? Does she have a name?
I love my machine. I love the way it sounds as it sews. I don't have a name for it.

What features does your machine have that work well for you?
Drop-in bobbin, buttonhole template attachment (though the newer versions are easier than mine), durable motor which handles the things I sew, good tension settings.

Is there anything that drives you nuts about your machine?
Nothing drives me nuts.

Do you have a great story to share about your machine (i.e., Found it under the Christmas tree? Dropped it on the kitchen floor? Sewed your fingernail to your zipper?, Got it from your Great Grandma?, etc.!)? We want to hear it!
No great stories - it has done some traveling to many 4-H workshops and both my girls and a few of their friends learned to sew on it.

Would you recommend the machine to others? Why?
I would recommend this type of machine because it's sturdy but simple enough to not intimidate, and has lasted well through lots of projects over the years. I am not sure the company still makes sewing machines.

What factors do you think are important to consider when looking for a new machine?
What it will be used for; match up the skills of the sewer with the complexity of the machine; cost; quality of results possible with the machine; brand reputation; service availability through dealer or manufacturer.

Do you have a dream machine?
No, I am happy with the machine I have now.

June is Flying By

The last two weeks have been rather blurry. We spent a lot of time in the hospital with my f-i-l. He will celebrate his 85th birthday next weekend, on Father's Day. We are grateful to God and all the wonderful medical staff and facilities that he is here to celebrate! On the 3rd, he was to have a stress test at the hospital. He and my m-i-l arrived early and went to the restroom. While in the restroom, he had a heart attack. Since they were in the restroom in the hospital, and in the emergency room waiting area besides, help was immediate. He was taken to the cath lab and a completely blocked artery was cleared by angioplasty. Not the best way to get out of a stress test...

He went through some rough days and nights while his body healed from bruises from his fall, and his brain healed from the cardiac arrest. But now he is home again and seems tired and achy, but also that he'll be back to his old energetic self very soon.

We had a peak of exhaustion but are now recovering from that. A few more good nights of sleep will be welcome.

Besides keeping my m-i-l company, driving back and forth to the hospital, keeping up with a little laundry, and finishing the flower planting, I did manage to work a few hours each day. I skipped a whole week of running and going to the gym, but got out Thursday to the lake for the 4.37 mile loop, and ran 4.5 miles on Saturday. Both runs were good, and the weather is even cooperating with cloudy, mild weather.

I did get to work on a quilt today. Some friends are accompanying their son and d-i-l to the final adoption proceedings of their sweet little grandson next week, and I wanted to make him something to celebrate the occasion. I was inspired by a darling rocket ship quilt with giant pinwheel blocks, and had this great cowboy print. The pattern is just made for showing off a big print that would not be improved by cutting it into small pieces. I got the back made, and want to get it quilted this week.


I haven't worked on the back for my mod sampler yet, but that is next on the list.

It's getting late and the nap I took this afternoon is wearing off. Good night!

Mod Top Done

I got the mod sampler top done tonight! That was exciting but so was getting flowers and planting some of them. It was threatening to storm, so I decided it was not relaxing working outside. I'll have to finish planting the flowers tomorrow night.

What Do I Miss?

Three Kitchen Fairies shares on her blog that she's made some lists to help her introspect and assess her life at the moment.



http://threekitchenfairies.typepad.com/



So to follow her example, I'll try to say what I miss. I miss:



being outside more in the summer. I used to have lovely, long days of fresh air, yardwork, gardens, hanging laundry on the line, taking kids to lessons and the park and library, sitting on the deck after supper to read or chat.



shopping time. And just the time to do errands without fighting deadlines and traffic.



reading books on a regular basis.



my mom, even though she's been gone almost 12 years. I wish she'd been here for my girls' graduations, weddings and new baby.



my dad. I felt like I was really beginning to know and appreciate him when he died.



house time. Time to sew, clean, cook, redecorate, enjoy the comfortable home we've made.



my girls. Although we talk a lot, there are days when I miss the days when they were 6 and 8 years old and they were constantly there.



my sisters. They live too far away.



traveling on the motorcycles with j&j.



To mention the introspection part, most of these thoughts remind me to appreciate the times when I can experience the memories, or enjoy the company of people who mean a lot to me, or enjoy nature or new sights. That is one of the best parts of memories - to teach us how to live our lives better in the present.