Quicky posting today

Just a real short blog update today along with some pictures of what I've been up to.

I haven't been in the mood to sew very much lately, but, I have been crocheting a lot.  Doing so in the evening gives a chance for Bill and I to spend a little time together.  Him watching TV and me crocheting.  At least we are in the same room together!

I've made 2 rag rugs.  The black one is made with t-shirt fabric and the red and white one is regular cotton.

About 30" round

About 20" round

I've made the 2 little girls dresses. They were made to match for the step-sisters.

The next 2 pictures are of my buddies that visit with me when I'm on the back porch taking a break.

This is @#$%, so named because he gets into the bird feeder!

Bill has named this one Leo

We got rid of our little Chevy Cruze.  Great little car for around town.  We wanted something a little bigger to haul things.  So we got this:

2013 Honda CR-V

I went over to my girl friend's place last week.  Our other girl friend met us and it was work, work, work with a short lunch break.  We were helping her to organize her sewing room.  Much progress was made.

That's about all the things that are new around here.  Not much happening in the summer cause it's just to darn hot!

A day of sadness

Janet Van Houten

  7 February 1942 -  29 August 2013

After a 3 year battle with ovarian cancer, my oldest sister went to heaven where she joined our parents and brother. Sis is survived by her husband, 3 children, 3 grandchildren,  2 great grandsons, 2 sisters, and 1 brother.

I will be forever thankful that she was my sister and most importantly a fantastic friend.

One of the best memory of her is when we would argue about watching American Bandstand or Mickey Mouse Club.  When Sis would win, she would make me dance with her.  Now anyone who knows me, knows that I can't dance and I don't think I could back then or else Sis was a bad dance instructor!

I will mourn losing you.

Busy week for me

At the start of the week, Bill and I decided to redo the living room.  We have started by painting the built in entertainment center.  It was originally stained in red mahogany, way to dark for the living room.  So after living here for 9 years we have decided to lighten it up.  I took us 2 days to complete the painting and another day to put it all the stuff back.  I have to get some knobs for the doors yet. Our next step will be to take up the carpet and put in hardwood floors.  Here's the end result of all our hard work:

 
Today I treated myself to something that I have never done in my whole life......  I got a manicure.  I am very happy with the results.  I also believe that I will have it done every couple of weeks, that's how much I like it!  Sorry that I can't post a picture, the battery in my camera went right after I took the above picture.

Tomorrow my girl friends are coming over.  It's been awhile since we have been together.  If we all would stay home instead of roaming the country side, we could get together more often.

That's it from a very hot Texas.  The temp was over 100 today and the same for the next couple of days.  No rain and we really need it.  My green lawn is turning brown!

Yee-haw

It felt like round-up time last evening.  I was taking a break on the back porch and I see 2 horses running so fast their tails were straight out.  Through the neighbor's yard up on the road and then across the field in back of my house.  I knew something was wrong because the whole subdivision is fenced in except the road going out to the main road.  Sure enough a Sheriff came, then two, then three, and finally an Animal Enforcement Officer with a pickup and big horse trailer.  They all put on a great show because the horses did not want to go home.  They blocked the entrance with an SUV to keep the horses in but the horses still did not want to be caught.  The owner and his family came to round these critters up.  Still no deal.  The food they offered wasn't good enough for them, I guess!  The Animal officer used the truck and trailer to try to round them up.  Still no good.  After about 2 hours and just before dark, they caught the horses and loaded them into the trailer.

 I'm sorry that I didn't take any pictures of the police, the truck & trailer, and the owner riding around the field trying to get them cornered.

Here's my story of another interesting thing.  Bill and I decided that we should upgrade our DirecTV.  We hadn't done so in 15 or so years.  We get a new HD dish (I'm in the 21st Century now), new receivers, and connection to the internet so I can watch TV on my iPad.  They had finished installing everything by noon on Thursday.  Around 4 the TV went to a blue screen and said no signal.  Bummer.  Called and talked to a tech and we couldn't get it to work.  So I was set up with an appointment for Saturday.  I argued with them and said no, I want it done Friday.  Needless to say, they are suppose to be here between 12 and 4 today.  I'm not a tv person but try not to want to watch tv when you don't have one!

I've been making bucket hats for the little kids.  Here are a couple of pictures.

I did not pick out these fabrics but look at the results:

Here are two of the four hats that I'm making for the kids for July 4th.  All the hats will have the same lining but different outside fabric.  The hats are reversible.

That's it from a glorious sunny day in Texas.  No rain, yet!

Addition to my earlier post

I just had to show you the sky tonight.  Very impressive. 

We are having storms all around us.  None have reached us yet, but the sky at 8:30 was just spectacular.   The thunder is getting closer and Tanner is very nervous and it's time to get off the computer.

Pictorial post today

I don't feel very chatty today so I will just do a pictorial of my doings of late.

This picture is of a lap quilt that I got quilted and binding put on.  It turned out pretty good.  And it has found a new home already.

Close up of the quilting.  I did meandering with leaves put in here and there.

Woven Christmas rug finished.

 The next picture is the start of a queen size quilt for my stepdaughter and her husband.  It's a faux pineapple 9 patch.  So far I'm very pleased of how it's going together.  Just 29 more blocks to go!

My beautiful granddaughter and her boyfriend had their prom picture taken at the Fort Worth Botanical Gardens.  I think they look great.

Aly - Prom May 18, 2013

The last picture is of my celery plant - still going strong.

Maybe next time I'll feel more like chatting.

Happy rainy Thursday

I started my day by getting up at the ungodly hour of 6 a.m.  My son was here at 7:15 a.m. and away the three of us go to an estate sale in Weatherford that started at 8.  It was a BIG disappointment.  But I did manage to spend $3.50.  I bought 7 folding  containers.  I didn't think  $.50 each was a bad price and they look like they have never been used.  I don't have anything in mind to use them for right now, but, I will!

This weekend they are having a neighborhood garage sale at a subdivision near me and if the rain will hold off, I think I will head on over there to see what I might find.


When I was out west, I was going to crochet some slippers for my stepdaughter.  The yarn that I bought was not the type to use, so I started a chain then proceeded to half double crochet back and forth.  I crochet a few rows every night and I take it with me if I have to wait in a doctor's office.  This variegated yarn is so soft I thought that it would make a nice cozy throw.

I'm also quilting a queen size quilt, no pictures until I finish it.  I'm not working on it everyday so it might be awhile before I get it finished.

Bill's favorite chair broke from so much use.  We put the recliners in the spare room and brought out the wing back chairs.  I need wanted to have my feet up and I wasn't about to go buy an ottoman.  I took the foot stool from my porch set and recovered it.  You can't tell that it's made with PVC pipe.  The chair's color is maroon but it look like a purple in the picture.  It does match the footstool perfectly.

The last picture is of my celery plant.  I'm not sure if it's suppose to be this way but for sure - it's still alive.

That's about it from not so sunny Texas!

I've been sewing a little bit

I got back into sewing a little.  Today I made a rug, well almost done.  The instructions are on modabakeshop.com.  Since I wasn't sure if I could do it, I used Christmas fabric.  It's turning out okay, but not the greatest.  I think that instead of 'eye balling' the straightness of the rows that I would use a (gasp) ruler to make sure that it was straight.
Here is a picture of the not finished rug.  I need to trim it up and put a binding on it yet.

Woven fabric rug 20" x 30"

When I was in Arizona, I bought the Accuquilt Go! die for a log cabin block.  Joanns had 40% off so I made Bill go with me to get one.  I've used it to cut out 16 log cabin blocks.  Wow, it is so fast and easy to use.  Cuts every piece I would use in a block.

I'm also making a king size quilt for my son, per his request.  Since I had started a quilt before I left for Arizona, I thought that I'd use that for the center.  Then I made some Log Cabin blocks and put them around.

Beginning of a king size quilt

This is the sunflower that grew from the seeds the birds dropped from the feeder which is out of sight above the flower.

I know the date on the pictures are wrong.  I've reset it to the correct date but it keeps going back to this old date.  Maybe I need new batteries??

Thank goodness that it's almost May and that the April showers might go away.  Today is very overcast and with a little drizzle once in awhile.  I'm so ready for warmth.

Miles and Miles of Texas

Texas is sure a BIG state.  The roads go on & on & on.....  Bill and I traveled to Arizona to visit with family.  My big sis is getting treatment at Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center in Mesa, Arizona.  I wanted to go out there to give her some support so away Bill and I go.  We stayed with his daughter while there.  His son flew in from Las Vegas to see his Dad.
While visiting with my sister, we went out in the desert on for a ride.  The flowers were just starting to bloom and it was so pretty.   Here are some pictures that I took.  I took more but with my phone and I'm just not smart enough to get them off of it to show you.  I actually went out in the desert 3 times and enjoyed every second of them. After we got home, it was scary to see the 'big' trees after not seeing any for 2 weeks.

Hawk on top of cactus

Superstition Mts. in the background

On our way home, a dust storm appeared along I-10 in New Mexico.  We made it to Deming before the state police closed the highway.  It was closed the whole state of New Mexico.  We did run into a brown out.  Let me tell you, you NEVER want to be in one.  It was as if the car was buried in sand.  Couldn't see a thing, zero visibility.  Spent a night in Deming then continued on home.  If we had taken the northern route, they had snow.  It's a toss up as to which one was worst.

My oldest granddaughter graduates this year from high school.  This is her senior picture.

Alexandria

Aly is going to take a year off before college.  She joined the Texas National Guard and will be in training this fall and winter.  Aly usually wears her hair up and it's strange to see her with it down.

That's about it from here, it just so good to be home.

Happy Easter

Tonight the Easter Bunny comes and hides his eggs and maybe leave a basket full of candy for the little ones.  It's real hard for grandparents to have something besides candy for them.  Bill and I bought a tricycle for the little boy and clothes for the little girl.  What little girl doesn't like clothes especially the ones that grandma picks out (as long as it has purple and/or pink).  It's not hard getting something for Ethan because he loves riding toys.  I hope that everyone remembers the reason for Easter.

One lap quilt is done.  I quilted and put binding on it.  Here is a picture of it and a close up of the quilting that I did in the border.  Free motion quilting isn't hard as long as you have a picture in your head of what you want it to look like.  Just remember not to quilt to the edge (like I did).  I didn't take into consideration of the binding.  Next time I'll remember.

Lap quilt from scraps

Showing the stitching in the border

 The hummingbirds are back.  We first noticed them about a week ago.  Sure sign of spring.

We have a bird feeder hanging on the end of the porch roof with sunflower seeds.  The pic below shows the results of the dropped seeds.

Sunflower plants growing on their own.

The celery has been replanted 3 times.  The dumb a$$ squirrel keeps knocking it over.  My dreams of finally growing my own celery are disappearing.  No picture, it looks to pitiful to show.  Oh heck, let me go take a picture.

 
Ya'll have a great Easter and no fooling on Monday!

I'm baaaaack .......

One short week seemed like 2 weeks.  Hubby and I made a quick trip to Florida to see my family.  My sister from New Jersey traveled to Florida to visit with her new granddaughter and Bill and I decided to headed on over there to see her.  (Like Texas is a short hop to Florida???).  We left last Sunday and hit rain all the way through Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.  It seemed like we were in a car wash for 2 days, that's how hard it rained and why it took that long to get there.  Anyway, it was a great visit with my two sisters (one lives in Florida) and my big brother.  Here are a couple of not so good pictures.

From left to right:  Brother Bob, Me, Brother in law Gary, sister Janet.

 

Three Sisters - Jean - Donna - Janet

The day before I left, I made a large lap quilt using 1 package of a layer cake  (about 40 pieces of fabric that is 10" square).  I finished the top in ONE day.  Easiest pattern I've ever made.  Here is a picture of it:

My one day lap quilt - just need to put it together then quilt it.

 We can't forget my celery.  It needs to be planted now.  Hopefully, I should get it done by the middle of this week.  It's looking good!

Started 2/28/2013

Bill got the lawn mowed today.  It was real high in spots and brown in others, but it's looking great.
My granddaughter has surgery tomorrow and I think I'll head on down to the surgical center to be with my son while the operation on her knee is taking place.

If I didn't lead such a boring life, I would have more to write about!

What do you get when you . . . . . . . . .

Mix lime green, orange, black, and a crazy neon squiggly striped fabrics?

The crazy striped fabric was in a box of fabric that I bought at Suzanne McNeil's warehouse sale a couple of months ago.  I've been debating with myself as to what I wanted to make with it while using some of my new templates and some of my stash.  These 2 - 20" blocks are what I came up with.  I only have 7 more to do.  Then it will be a 'square' lap quilt 68"x68" when finished.  Far cry from what I would normally do.  But maybe one of my granddaughters will love it because I definitely don't!

Simplest Wedding Ring by Cheryl Phillips of Phillips Fiber Art

 

 

 

 It sure doesn't look like the picture below

Booklet and template that I'm using

EQ Stitch

 
I did get my ElectricQuilt's EQStitch.  I'm really impressed with it.  I've been fooling around with it for a little bit and it seems quite easy to use.  Let's see if it helps me design any quilts.


Let's see what else I've been up to:

Yes, I'm going to try and grow some celery again.  I'm hoping that I can take better care of it this year.  Last year with all the treatments, feeling yucky, and doctors appointments, I didn't get to nurture the other one.  Check out the green grass,  yippee spring is on it's way!