historic day

Well, YOU probably are thinking I was talking about the Cards historic run to the 2011 World Series win. You would be wrong, LOL.

DJ and I picked up my car from the shop this morning and I said I was going to get the shop vac so I could vacuum up my car. DJ said "I wish I had a camera to mark this historic event". I got mine out but warned him not to get a shot my back side.

Yeah, cleaning out cars or doing anything other than gassing them up is HIS job so why worry about it? See how happy I look about my decision, LOL? Once I got done I went after the barbecue grill but I should have had a putty knife to do really good job on it. Not happening, or at least not today.

As for the other historic day---that was last night actually. VBG. I am thrilled along with a lot of others in Cardinal nation. What a year! Who'd a thunk it?

May quilt this afternoon--what little bit I did yesterday had to be taken out so hope that the thread change helps. Hope you are having a wonderful weekend-------

finished to flimsy

#19 finished to flimsy and also #8 for the Belles Scrappy Challenge. I had 4 rows done and assembled by Weds. evening and finished the last three Thursday afternoon. I interrupted DJ's flipping between the Game 6 of the WS and whatever other show caught his attention to hold it up for the glamour shot. (More on that in a bit, LOL.)

The assembly was more less random. Yeah, you try not to get too "matchy-matchy" but sometimes you just have to swap a few blocks out. I think I only have one spot where the same fabrics actually touch and two spots where they are one strip away from ea. other. IIWII---finished to flimsy. Some spots the lights are not quite light enough for contrast but it looked fine through my door peephole telescoping it down.

A friend asked me on Facebook if those scraps were all in my stash---a good many of them are but there was a good influx of other strips from the Belles challenge bag. Some are really pretty pieces that I would not mind having in my stash for a planned quilt. It is fun for me to look and remember where some of my own came from. Like any scraps some show up everywhere to the point where you are "sick" of them. When we were working on the Pineapple Blossom at the sew-in the girls were commenting on how fun it was to play with someone else's scraps since it meant more variety.

I may get back to quilting a bit this afternoon---I had my Gordian Knot and a donation BQ2 in the stack that did not get done on the last quilting binge. I welcomed the diversion that working on the Faux Log Cabin for Pat's bday par-tay and the pineapple blossom blocks at the sew-in but those quilts were on my short term goal list.

LOL, I need some binding for the next eye surgery next week. I am just hoping that we don't have to get there so blamed early just to wait 2 hrs in the waiting room for a bed and then another hour or so till surgery time. Give ME the satisfaction survey to fill out, DJ. He is at the eye doctors now for his postop check/preop visit so we will see what they say about time and/or what time his surgery is actually scheduled for.

The word on my car: some quarter sized piece of plastic that serves as door between the heat and cooling (that thing you hear go "whooomp" when you turn the temperature dial down) broke off and is missing. Unfortunately, you cannot just purchase the small plastic piece. Ford in its infinite wisdom requires you buy a 400 dollar part. Same as my intermittent door lock problem---major bucks to replace the whole mechanism. No thanks, manually opening and closing it will be just fine.

Of course the mechanic does not have one in stock, you take your chances on buying one from a selvage yard, etc. The part is due in from Atlanta sometime this afternoon and the bill with labor is up to 800 something. YEOW! I wish I could get by without the a/c but that is impossible here in the South. Well, maybe not this time of year with the cooling temps but we would still have to pay the guy for the labor and then haul it back in and pay that part again. We could not replace my car (2002 Taurus with only 58 thou miles on it) for one in as good a condition so DJ said we would fix it even if pricey. Man, I hope nothing else goes wrong around here.

What an up and down game that Game 6 was! I could not bear to watch it though I was following the score on the computer while I watched something else. Stupid errors on both teams part. Pitchers struggling. What a roller coaster ride it was.

When it was 7-4 Rangers in the bottom of the 8th, DJ and I both more or less gave up on it and went to bed. Well, he did anyway; I stayed up and was working the crossword puzzle ON the bed. I did NOT want to see the Rangers celebrating in the opposing team's clubhouse but I did want to know the final score and turned on the set. They were interviewing Lance Berkman----and he was smiling! HMMM did they actually pull this one out? I switched over from FOX to MLB network and saw that David Freese, the Cards 3rd baseman had sent it into extra innings with 2 runs scoring triple (I think that's right) and then hit a solo home run in the bottom of the 11th to win the game. The final score was 10-9 so the see-saw scoring continued and both teams battled back. Berkman had a whale of a game with some very key hits esp. late in the game. I wrote a big note and taped this news on DJ's bathroom mirror so he could see it the first time he got up. Do you believe it??

DJ's grandson and his girlfriend had hoped to go the game 6 and had purchased tickets from someone on Craiglist. They got ripped off for $300. Ouch! Still, it was Josh's 19th bday so a Cardinal win was good even if he and Lauren were not in the stands. He asked on FB if anyone would loan him $600 for tickets to tonight's game. Not sure if he learned anything or was just joking.

So game 7 tonight---anything can happen. Can I bear to watch? Well, it is the last game of the season regardless. Maybe with the sound off and the KMOX announcers. Somehow it is easier on the nerves to watch the highlights later, like knowing the end of the mystery and then looking back to see the process. (I do that too, LOL). Either way I hope they can pull it off. If they don't, they still have had one heck of a ride to get to the Series when everyone counted them out. The team, coaches and management didn't share that opinion. Go Cards!

And sew it goes------

WIP Weds/ sew-in notes

Yesterday was the Bama Belles extended meeting, sew-in day. Jane and I were there early and found the room set up for an upcoming (or just finished?) holiday event. My guess is that they had some of the kids from the cottage they sponsor up from the Talladega Presbyterian Home---- or will have. There was a line of skirted tables right up against the wall where all the plugs are. That will NOT do for sewing day! I don't think we got those tablecloths back on exactly like they had come leaving time but we did our best to leave no traces of our being there. I appreciate everyone pitching in to get it that way.

I had encouraged the girls to work on their own project if they wished but we asked them to make a couple blocks using the Pineapple Blossom pattern. This bunch met and exceeded expectations, LOL. Since we were mostly sewing at individual tables I spread them out so the girls would get an idea of what it might look like minus the sashing and cornerstones. We are using a 4 x 6 set and the table is not wide enough but we got the idea....... and so will you, LOL.

I had scaled down the tutorial to 3 pages of print instead of Bonnie's 13 and passed those out a couple weeks back so the girls could cut the strips to size if they wanted or pull fabrics. I cut a pile of 3.5 inch muslin squares from the group's bolt of muslin so that part would be the same throughout the project. The only other instruction was keep them scrappy or a different fabric in each area of the block. Lois and I brought our pretty packed strip boxes. Aline shared some of hers as well. Bev cut strips to size and had them all separated out into 3 baskets. Wanna guess which ones we tore into first?

Lois insisted that she wanted to go home with an empty 2 inch strip box and she darned near succeeded, LOL. Even though I have a whole box of my own strips to use, I took a handful to use for sashing the top. By the time we were all ready to pack it in, we had 48 blocks done or enough for two tops. I have a stack of blocks to assemble as does Lois. In addition she had made a top at home but will add another vertical row, she said. Some of the girls took muslin and strips home with them to make more--homework. We'll just collect them as they show up till we hit 24 for another. Or the one after that, LOL.

We got Bev set up to quilt her Alabama quilt we helped her pin recently but mostly the 8 of us did blocks but she was really getting in the hang of those blocks too. Brenda helped by cutting in addition to cranking out blocks. That really helped especially when we ran out of muslin squares. I had thought I had cut plenty before hand!

Of course no sew-in is complete without good food and fellowship. That we have in spades!

Mostly I finished up the 7 blocks I had partially done from the last time I made any Pineapple Blossom Blocks but I made a couple more too. Then I got back to my Faux Log Cabin blocks from Pat's FAB par-tay. Monday I had done the chain piecing on the 1st and 2nd column of the blocks. Yesterday I was the last one to put my machine up because I had just a few more of that stack of 35 to seam! I just tossed them in the project box so I wouldn't hold up the clean up detail. They still need to be pressed and then joined.

I have an uneven number so will probably go with the Straight Furrows set. That version is easier to quilt too for a stitch in the ditcher like me. Of course I still have bunch of strips cut to size so the question will be: do I stash those strips BACK into the appropriate strip containers? Or do I make a few Picket blocks (not that I would use THOSE piecing techniques!) or Star Struck Or how about Strip Joint ( ctrl+F GE134) or Buzz Saw blocks which are pretty similar.

Obviously we need to come up with some ideas of how to use our cut strips for the next sew-in day we have in the spring! Bright Hopes maybe??

My car had to go into the shop today---the heat stays on no matter where you set the dials, even on vent. Apparently an intermittent problem because something shut in there and the vent was shooting cool air just as we approached the shop but it did that the other day when DJ checked it too. Anyway, the guys just called and said it could one of two things, about 400 bucks in labor and maybe Friday before we can pick it up. Thankfully, next week is the crazy busy week for me and I will need my wheels! Plenty of time to sew, right? Well, right after I do a little job that DJ normally does for me, that is.

Hope you have a great day and thanks for stopping by------

reveal time

Today is Pat's FAB Par-tay celebration day. Birthday girl got to open all the packages we have been sending her this month. We will sew in a bit---some of the girls are still cutting strips and such. Pat's choice: Minnesota Hot Dish from Atkinson Designs though I am doing Faux Log Cabin instead.

Here is what I made her though there were a few other goodies in the box. The initial pattern called "Autumn Blessings" is from Kaaren Johnston at Painted Quilt. It is one of her First Friday Freebies. It contains all the elements of quilting that I enjoy---applique, foundation piecing and stitchery. But I made some changes---first of all, not working in wool since I don't own any of it!

Ignore the string on the pumpkin block. I have another picture but this one was more closer in so you could see the blocks better. I elected to substitute some flying geese blocks for more shoo fly blocks and made maple leaf blocks rather than the pinwheels the pattern showed. I also did one of the applique blocks pumpkin cart as a stitchery block---the pumpkin cart.

Most of the applique is fused though I had the bias press bars out for the little scarecrow block. Anything round shaped like the sunflower centers, parts of the pumpkin applique, the sun in the scarecrow block and the lady bug are all turned shapes like you make yo-yo's (templar and starch). I turned the candy corn block over freezer paper. Almost all of the applique elements were button hole appliqued. No glutton for punishment, I left the sunflowers, pumpkin stems and the scarecrow's felt hat alone! I would not have had to do this but all that checkerboard stuff is foundation pieced-----it finishes at one inch and I do not work well with 1.5 cut inch stuff.

I had a wonderful time making this for my pal and I hope she will enjoy it for years to come. Give her blog a peek in a few days to see if she posted her other fun gifts. FABS are the best!
Our pal Norma is next up on the birthday list and all too soon I will have another Top Secret Project (TSP) in the works. HMMMM what will my choice be?

Football games and game 3 of the World Series will be taking up part of the day and lots and lots of strips chaining thru the machine. And sew it goes----------

WIP Weds

Because of the order the pictures posted, I'll write about the finishes first.

I got a boatload of binding done yesterday waiting up at the hospital yesterday. Turns out Same Day Surgery had 45 surgeries scheduled yesterday and only 18 beds to put folks in plus a few stretchers. We had to sit out the waiting room for 2 hrs waiting to be put in a room. Trust me, we were not the only ones! DJ was one of 10 patients his doctor had for cataract surgery and he was about in the middle of the pack. It got to the point that when they called anyone back we all clapped and wished them good luck---and see you at the office tomorrow morning! By the time DJ and I stopped to get him something to eat we walked in the door near 5 p.m. (and we left here at 10 a.m.)

I tell you all this so you know just how much time I had on my hands to work on binding. I had half of "Pumpkins 4 Sale" done when we walked in the hospital. Then I started on "July" Button up (above left)---all but one long side by the time we left. I finished it up here are home last night.

You may note that Quilt Holder is sitting down on the job. He was so tired from not sleeping well the night before, and a little med hangover from the surgery. I told him to stay put and just hold this up a second. I have convinced him that we can take down his beloved snow scene painting from above the love seat temporarily (till Thanksgiving) to put this up with some command strips. There are already a couple of small wall hangings in that room and I am encroaching on his space a bit. I sort of see his point but it won't be forever or mark up the wall, like my asking him to put a molly up on the other wall did. It is possible that I need to get another rod for it so it may wait for tomorrow's "to do" list.

One of the fellow patient's said to me this morning at the doctor's office said "you didn't bring any stitching with you!". I told her I had finished all that up but had something in my bag to work on. I pulled out my greenwork basket block. Cyndi Hoeller the designer calls this one "Sewing Basket" This will be a snap compared to the last one!

Normally I would not go to the office with DJ---he's a big boy and doesn't need me to "Mommy" him. Today we both had some questions and I had not gotten to talk with the doctor yesterday. First off, I was not sure he was even allowed to drive and preferred to err to the side of caution. Also I knew if DJ asked if it was okay to ride his exercise bike he would neglect to tell the doctor that he had to lift and roll it out from the wall, etc. The key words being lift---no lifting, straining or bending! I had already gotten after him for bending over to get Skyler's water bowl to change the water. He had done it before I could stop him. When you think about all the things you do so routinely, that was one of them. Nag, nag, nag! Unruly patient, LOL.

Initially I thought I might start machine quilting my Gordian Knot today. By the time we left the doctor's office and ran a couple errands on the way home it was almost 11. We had a bunch of drops to put in and I had to fix lunch. I've got about 2 hours before I have to head in the kitchen to start supper preparations. Now I am out of the notion. Embroidery, it is---or maybe hand quilt on "Here Comes Santa", last seen HERE . Either one are good start and stop projects. Decisions, decisions, LOL.

Till next time---------

Design Wall Monday

So here's what is up on the wall.

Yesterday afternoon/evening I finished off the Biscuits and Honey Basket (from the Bee Tree Designs Flickr site). Lots and lots of stitching in this May block! All I basically had to do when I picked it up was finish the honey stirrer, the two biscuits next to it and the little bee on the jar label.

Below that, Faux Log Cabin. My variation of Pat's Bday PAR-TAY block for her FAB celebration on Saturday. Today is the actual day but we can't get the 5 of us in chat to open her presents and start sewing till the weekend. This will be the reminder of the block sequencing when it is time to sew.

Then, that name badge thing I need to finish for the Friendship Quilters quilt show. It has been up there awhile but obviously has not made it to the hang from the neck or pin on finished version.

So far no sewing, quilting, stitching today. I think today will be a binding sort of day, a jump start on one of those wall hangings as it were. DJ's surgery is tomorrow afternoon so it seems like I am putting in eye drops for him every time I turn around, LOL. He got back from doing his preop stuff and invited me out for lunch. That was unexpected! No cooking tonight unless I want to. Leftover Szechuan chicken it is. Actually I think both of us had plenty to eat already since we went to Golden Corral for lunch. DJ was calling it his "last good meal" since he has to do the NPO thing at midnight.

Of course I am very happy that the Cardinals prevailed in the NLCS. Congratulations to the Brewers for taking the division pennant and for having a very good year. You certainly did not make it easy. I admit that last night's game made me very nervous that I could hardly bear to watch it when the opposing team was batting. Nothing new there, LOL. What a remarkable turn around from where they were in late August. The team has a lot of heart and "never say die" attitude, even if others have given up and written them off. I am sure they are up to the challenges the Texas Rangers will present. Go Cards!

Thanks for stopping by------

Sunday check in

Completing "Summer" was yesterday's project. Label, hanging sleeve sections, binding. the remaining embroidered elements and buttons----all done. Woohoo! The quilt show it is entered in is 3 weeks away. No last minute binding rush required, LOL.  (Before picture)

After lunch yesterday, I went out to help DJ with the area out in front of the house. Our little nandina bushes appear to be doing well since their planting.

We haven't really had any rain to speak of so DJ waters them daily and was even misting them. That might be a job that will fall on me soon with the no bending rule in effect when he has his eye surgeries. We put down the last of the black barrier stuff and used all the bags of rock that he bought a few days ago. We are up to 12 bags down now. I helped him with 6 of them just to keep the paper from billowing up. There are gaps and it is not on there very heavily. We are guessing we need 4 or 5 more depending whether or not we put some around the holly bush on the end. The edging stuff will be added but not till late next month. I'm guessing. He wants to mow one more time---whatever he has on the list gets done tomorrow or waits till Doctor gives him the okay.

This is the other nandina bush that we have albeit, one that has never been pruned, watered or fertilized and generally ignored, been here since we moved in 97. It doesn't get too tall and fills out horizontally.

We have the laundry all done, groceries are bought and the next thing I know it will be time to start supper. I should work on something but I think quilting can wait another day---Gordian knot will be next. I plan on working on binding while I wait for DJ at the hospital on Tuesday. Lord knows, they will have us there hours before the procedure is scheduled. SIGH. Oh, I am thinking about doing some embroidery on the leaves of the July Button Up as well as the binding.

Hand quilt on Bird Brain Santas or finish up Honey and Biscuits block? HMMMMMMM If I have a finish to show you soon you know which one I picked, LOL. It's good to have options, don't you think?

THX for stopping by---------

quilting mode

Well, I had a lot of fun piecing and appliquing in past months but it is time to quilt some of these puppies up.

I started off with Pat's bday present earlier in the week since it was a deadline project. Done and mailed out yesterday. Woohoo! Hurray for a finish!

"Summer" is also a deadline project since it is entered in the Friendship Quilter's quilt show the first weekend in November, making the due date set up day Nov. 4. When DJ spotted me quilting it, he wanted to know where the Fall one was---was I entering it too?? Nope, it is next and not even started; they will have to view just Winter, Spring and Summer at the show. It was time to fix supper last night so I didn't bind it yet. That's first on the list for today's session.

I moved on to the July Button up after supper. Since I just do in the ditch, it doesn't look appreciably different than the last time it was shown. The binding is on this but I still need to add a label and the hanging tabs. By the time I got to this point it was about 8:30 and I had enough machine work for the day.

At some point there will be a good bit of hand work to finish up. "Summer" has button and some embroidery elements to do it as well. Both will help quilt it though embroidery after the fact makes for a messier back. Can't be helped.

Next up: The recently completed "Pumpkins 4 sale" and the recently pinned Gordian Knot. Below that my only donation quilt top ( Habitat BQ2) that I allowed to be pinned while I supposedly "caught up". Yeah, right---I came so close even though that sampler quilt is still waiting.

After that, I have 5 of Linda C's donation tops. There are 3 or 4 more in the closet at the church to be pinned but I have no room to stash them at home. (She moved out of state and the quilts/tops were left behind.) There is also one of Aline's that I volunteered to do. Maybe I will finally have something for the binding volunteers to help with one of these days??

Of course, there will have to be time out for sewing! Pat's bday par-tay is coming up on the 22nd. Some of the group will be doing Terry Atkinson's Minnesota Hot Dish. Pat had a couple of different choices of patterns for us and one was GE Designs Strip Joint. Norma thought it had the same elements as MN Hot dish but with strip piecing. To me it looked more like Faux Log cabin combined with Picket Fence elements. SOOOO I am doing Faux Log Cabin instead since I already have scrappy strips cut to size though I do wonder if they could be used for Strip Joint too. I may try it with some of the stuff I already have in that FLC box. I don't have time to mess with cutting out a whole quilt right now. Hot Dish looks like it relies more on planned fabrics and strip piecing. I will do it at some point, just not now. Pat excused me, LOL.

And, the Belles are having a sew-in date on the 25th, our next meeting date. Really it just a more extended meeting day, with potluck lunch. This time, everybody will bring their machines rather than a couple of us. We are asking people to make a few Pineapple Blossom blocks for a donation quilt. Lois and I will bring out 2 inch strips to share and/or they can cut their own if they want as long as they are scrappy! I need to cut the 3.5 inch muslin squares for this which explains why there is a muslin bolt next to the 3 waiting quilt tops. That is a small morning task for me. I don't often get to sewing till after lunch. Mornings are for goofing off on the computer and household tasks, don'tcha know?

Goofing off time is done for now. DJ needs me to put in his eye drops and I have a date with my Viking. Till next check in--------

WIP Weds?

I did have a WIP till about 30 minutes ago and I was binding it. Now it is officially a finish---yep, Pat's bday present is all done. Of course, I cannot share a picture of it till after the reveal.

So how about two of Lois' quilts turned in at the Belles meeting yesterday? This is 4 in 9 Patch zigzag from a previous Quilter's World magazine. I am going to have to try this one down on the line---add it to the "list"

This one is a planned color scaled down Daisy Chain. Pattern by Atkinson Designs. It is amazing to me how different a quilt can look with different or planned fabrics. I have done one in 30's prints and it just looks so different to me!

I was about half done with pinning my Gordian Knot quilt as the girls began to arrive. A few of the girls were on vacation and another had just returned from a trip but rarely if ever, are we all at a meeting. Life happens. My friend Teresa was able to come again but it was her first time at the regular meeting site.

Jane, Aline and Teresa pinned a couple other tops while the table was still set up, two from the closet supply of tops and backs. The first 3 or 4 pulled out the closet were going to need batting pieced so we passed them over for now. I know what we will be doing down the line, LOL. Brenda and I were plugging on binding in between pinning. Betsy was working on cutting up some scraps for the upcoming sew-in block. We are asking the participants to make a couple of Pineapple Blossom blocks so we can make a top(s?) for the kids but I encourage them to work on their own stuff predominantly.

Other than an errand with DJ after lunch it has been a quiet day at home. Nothing wrong with that. I have been gone a good bit lately with this and that so it is fine with me. I don't know if I am going to do anything more creative today or not. Actually my fingers are a little needle bruised from that binding. I am not entirely convinced that the stuff I used was 100% cotton. It just felt thicker and hard to needle. At one point the needle eye was poking into my fingers---owwww.

I would like to watch the Cardinal game if they indeed play it---big chance of rain and tstorms they were saying earlier today. Well, I say that but I get too nervous about the whole deal, mostly when the other team is batting. DJ has to keep me briefed, LOL or tell me that it is safe to look.

And sew it goes--------

Design Wall Monday---wk. 42?

Now that I pulled the "Summer" wall hanging down from the design wall, that area looks so bare! Even though it was not completed at least I got to enjoy what I did have done thru the summer months.

The binding in the bag is for the July Button Up flag and the plaid, for summer. The buttons are needed for embellishments on Summer and Pat's bday present. That stuff is up there so I don't misplace them, to be honest.

Of course my thoughts have turned to fall/autumn and the only one of the four in the Halvorsen "In Seasons" series that is not done. I know it will be the "next up" rewards type project. Maybe leaving the book out will provide some inspiration about which fabrics to use or the push to get some quilting done on these small pieces anyway.

First, I have a few little tasks to complete to get ready for quilt group tomorrow. Possibly an errand or two as well.

In closing, Happy Canadian Thanksgiving to my Canadian readers----

something quilty

I mentioned in my post yesterday that I was going to have to add "another must quilt soon" to my list. Friendship Quilters has a challenge for the group to finish something that was taught at a guild meeting program or class. For me, that would be my Gordian Knot #1. For a full out shot of the top see HERE in March of this year. They need to be done by the Christmas party in early December. I would like to pin it at Belles on Tuesday.

Recently they had a convergence class but I had already made two of those. The one I did as a gift was finished, of course. Mine still needs borders---that should go on my UFO list to get done in 2012. Or when I ever get caught up, LOL. Yeah, right!

I had already prepped the backing for this when I completed the top way back when. I think the binding is done too but I follow up on that tomorrow. I cut the batting and marked the top with a 2 inch wide cross hatching that echoes the width of the lighter blue dot and other of the block components.

I was done with job fairly early in the afternoon and thought what do I do now? Lately I have not had a lot of time nor frankly, inclination to sew, quilt, whatever. Then I remembered that the machine was still set up to button hole applique. My Pumpkins 4 sale fall piece probably last pictured HERE needed most of the applique stitching done. Essentially I had the wagon done and the first letter of the word Pumpkin when I drug it out of the closet.

I finished the stitching about 730 tonight between IM's with two pals. The backing was already cut but I did need to seam the batting. Here it is already to start pinning on the table at home. I have since finished the job.

So a day that I was sure would not be very productive. How about that?

My friend Teresa asked what I was going to work on at the meeting. I replied binding, once I get that one quilt pinned. I supposed tomorrow would be a good day to quilt Pat's bday present! I would like to show the girls how the top came out as they saw it when I was working on some of the embroidery elements.

About time to turn in------so I'm outta here. Thanks for stopping by!

Saturday check in

No quilting or much of anything productive has been going on around here. Not like I don't have quilting to do---in fact, another challenge type thing cropped up today. Another top to pin and get quilted for a different quilt group is added to the list of "things to do".

I thought I would share a few shots from the around the house since I have no new quilty ones I can share. Shown DJ's crazed cosmo plant. I cannot believe all the blooms it still has on it and more appearing daily. Perhaps he should not have planted the whole seed package in one spot but this thing continues to shoot up and out. He tied a rope to the fence to try to keep it erect. Still it one of the few things in bloom around the house. One small white crepe myrtle has some blooms but clear down at the end of our lane.

The leaves have not really started to change yet. Here and there you might see some but not the vivid colors that I remember from IL. It is still a little early for us. I've been all over Etowah, St. Clair and Calhoun County in the past couple days so I think it is safe to make that generalization, LOL.

The dwarf nandina bushes are planted and most of the black paper we need is down. DJ and I ran up to Gadsden yesterday and picked up 4 bags of these marble chip rocks as he could not find what he wanted locally. Initially we thought 3 bags might do it and at the last minute we told the guy to load in one more. Barely a drop in the bucket. I was gone to Pell City to quilt group this morning and 4 didn't even cover the entire length of the space. We looked at some edging material too but he was not entire sure of the measurement required. We may be able to find this same rock in Jacksonville but he won't know till he goes up there in person. It has been a little breezy the last two days so he wanted to put down what he could to weight the paper down.

We had started off the day fairly early with a trip into the Masonic Lodge to the pancake and sausage breakfast. Our friend Jane had given us tickets and her husband Hugh is a member there. I had just barely gotten home from that when I needed to meet Jane, Aline and Terry in Alexandria to go to quilt group.

I had barely walked in the door when a friend from Friendship Quilters handed me this bag of goodies. I had done her a small favor and shared a couple patterns I had already done. She wanted to do something in return. I think that red and white fabric may work will for some QOV things. The messenger tote kit should be fun as well. I had to wonder how she knew I had a busted a couple of Singer needles recently for that machine, LOL.

I took my two QOV tops for show and tell---shown HERE. The woman who is the out going secretary of the group is also the head of the Alabama QOV project and spearheading the area guild's efforts for the veteran's home project. She has been long arming the quilt tops or turning them over to other long arm volunteers. Two less tops will be hanging in my closet for a time! Make that 3 less tops---I am pulling out that gordian knot of mine to pin on Tuesday's Belles' meeting.

Mostly the meeting was about preparations for the quilt show which will occur before the next guild meeting on November 5-6 and set up on the 4th. As expected, I got a bit more stitching done on my basket block----onto the honey stirrer area now, LOL.

I barely got home and was off to get some groceries. One spot where I shop has a 5 buck off coupon with purchase of $25 or more. It helps when the list is long for things I normally get there. Busy day.

Lastly, here is a Skyler shot. I feel like flopping down with him as I still have some issues after my tooth extraction. Meds messing me up plus a few other things going on. UGH! Anyway doesn't he look comfortable if a little bed hoggy? All stretched out and relaxing on the bed after a stint in the window perch. He must get too hot or something and moves over the bed.

I've got my "World Series" quilt on the bed. I hope it continues to bring my team some "good luck". My mom made this one back in 1985 when my St. Louis Cardinals played the Kansas City Royals in the World Series. The name fits because there is a lot of red and blue in it. Originally she had planned it would go to my youngest brother but I said I was the Cardinal fan and had even been to Game 4 of the series games. We barely saw the center fielder all night and sat in the nosebleed section but by golly, DJ and I were there. Unfortunately it was not to be----umpire Denkinger bad call didn't help but they didn't win the 7th deciding game either.

Now in 2011, somehow my beloved Cardinals beat the Phillies to advance to the league championship series. Next up they are facing their national league central division foes the Milwaukee Brewers. Back in 82 the Cards won 4 games to 3 and Milwaukee was the American League representative. What a year both teams have had! Go Cards!

Till next time--------

WIP Thursday

I have been doing a lot of stitching the last two days. Another quilt meeting on Saturday and I probably will finish off the basket part of this one.

Because I had the appointment with the oral surgeon yesterday, I had my stitchery along with me. I had just started part of the hanging down part of the towel on the right side. I had half the basket done by the time I left. You see, it took some time to get back to see the doctor for the consultation---approx. two hours. I was not expecting them to say that they could do the extraction that day. Knowing that DJ's surgery was coming up and that the doctor is only in Anniston two days a week, I didn't necessarily want to come back. I especially did not want to drive all the way home and have to drive back in again. What happened is that there were about 3 of us that went back on the list till the rest of the scheduled appointments were cleared. Once I was numbed up it only took about a minute to get that tooth out of there. By the time I dropped off my script at the pharmacy on the way home, I had been gone a total of 5 hours.

Today, I kept stitching thru the JOY quilt meeting except for when I was doing my program presentation. Jane came and helped me so I could keep talking and field questions. THX, gf! I finally got the July Button Up pinned. These are narrow pieces so I knew we could get it pinned without doing any shifting and re-clamping though I explained what I would have to do for larger tops. Shown is what I carted to the meeting with me, minus the bed risers in the trunk of my car, LOL. The other half of the basket part of the stitchery was almost done.

Good to see some of the quilting friends whose paths do not cross with mine often---traveling in different groups these days.

I got the button hole applique done on Tuesday as well as the last bits of hand embroidery on the TSP bday present. Woohoo! By Wednesday morning I pinned it and "Summer". I could have used basting spray on this one and possibly the TSP but it gave me some time to go over what I wanted to cover for my presentation today.

Once I got the pinning done, I knew I also wanted some data I could use for a handout for my presentation. Google to the rescue yet again! It started at 7 pages and a combination of this:

• http://c-mann.suite101.com/basting-quilts-how-to-pin-baste-a-quilt-a321111 Christine Mann from the sewing/needlework @ Suite 101.com
• Penny Halgren @ http://www.how-to-quilt.com/articles/2323-pin-basting.php
• Linda J’s practical experience with Bama Belles donation quilts since 1999. I know what works and starting from the center does not nor is it necessary in my opinion. We mess up much more when we have to go that route! Mostly I just want people to stand up and pin, not cripple themselves up for days from pinning on the carpet.

Once I was back from the dentist, I put on my pajamas, had an Arby's jamocha shake and edited down to 3 pages to more closely reflect how the Belles and I actually pin. I told the girls that any one of them could have done the program today as we all have passed on what we know to each other.

I don't think that I am going to do anything else creative today. These pain meds are messing with my stomach and I need to go lay down for a while. DJ may be on his own for supper at this rate.

Design Wall Monday---wk. 41?

Oh there is something on the design wall but nothing I can show you till the bday Par-tay later in the month.

Can you tell what I am up today just by looking at some of the tools of the trade? Would the comment to my husband that I needed to vacuum up the mess in here before I made more tip you off? I think that both of these mats are nearing their time to be replaced!

My TSP main part is all pieced though the applique elements need some button hole applique and embellishment. Today it is back to the pieced border and down in the home stretch. I changed some things around in the pattern but that was my choice. Enjoy the process or why do it?

I did some trimming stuff this morning but mostly I was taking care of some of the home tasks to this point. DJ had an app't with the opthalmologist this morning in preparation for his cataract surgery later this month. Lots of eye drops will need to be administered. I will also have to give him a sub-q med since he will be off his regular blood thinner pre-op. To help us both, I made up a med sheet document, similar to what I used while I was still practicing, just to keep it all on track. This week little has changed for him but next week, we will have to be on our toes.

In addition to my trying to get the bday present moved along, I see the oral surgeon on Wednesday. I was lucky that my dentist could get me in fairly quickly to glue the popped off crown back on without the tooth part breaking down any further. The broken, cracked chipped or whatever tooth next to it? Yeah it would be a post, root canal and crown combo to the tune of 1200 bucks. I asked if I could just have it pulled instead. No, I don't really want to be minus a tooth but we just plain cannot afford that kind of money for one stinkin' tooth. The dentist was surprised that it was not causing a lot of pain as apparently the nerve is almost exposed. YIKES! Hopefully we can get this taken care of in a timely manner and before DJ needs me to help him with his situation.

On Thursday I have been asked to do a short program at the JOY group on essentially " you have a top---now what?" Pretty broad subject but I guess they have some new and/or inexperienced quilters in the group. I am to show them how to pin baste but I will incorporate some thoughts about what long arm quilters expect when you take a quilt to them.

And sew it goes--------busy, busy, busy.