This and that

Let's see what have I been doing since I last posted??  This and that probably describes it fairly well.  I had a routine doctor's appointment Thursday morning and then met a friend at our meeting place to help him pin a twin sized quilt.  I offered when he mentioned that it was getting too big for his normal basting methodology.   Happy to help him out as no one needs to be crawling around on the floor and killing their knees if I can help it!!

Friday was not a good day for the fuzzy headed.  I thought it was getting better and had talked to the doctor about it the day before.  He seemed to think it might be med effects and possibly my B/P med might be need to be changed if it continued--check my pulse and b/p and see if a pattern emerges.  Well, I was really rocking and rolling.  Gait disturbed more than anything.  I stayed on the couch like a lump.  Thankfully, by Sunday I was able to get back to my walking regime after laying off for the better part of two weeks.  Now stay away, will ya?  Not welcome here!

 I should probably be sewing and specifically sewing Aline's D9P blocks together but I am in a holding pattern before I get any further along than placing the blocks on the "design wall".  She wants it bigger and one way to achieve that is to sash them.  I have some stuff her daughter's sent me--a soft yellow like her small squares and then a light blue for an outer border.  I think maybe too light with the bold teals, greens and purples.  She is still recuperating from her recent injuries and family members are there to help.  Might be wearing her out!  I told her call when she had a few spare minutes for me to run out for a consultation, LOL.

Meanwhile, over the weekend I have been digging around in the closets.  At first it was just to switch some of the long sleeves and jeans around in favor of my summer wardrobe.  Read:  a few things more than bike shorts!

Then I was off on a treasure hunt and looking for quilt backings for some of the recent top finishes.  I thought I had all the Ribbon Candy tops paired up but I forgot one.  I did have some yardage set aside  but initially I thought that it was going for a different top.  I want something else for the binding though.  I had a list started for Connecting Threads anyway as I discovered I do not have quite enough yardage for the queen sized Pixie Stix quilt from the GE Designs book Strip Your Stash  (or alternately, one called Quartet on craftsy.)  I need to get another yard or two of the denim Quilter's Candy Mirage I had previously purchased.

I also puzzled over which gray was which---Moda Bella Solid has a Gray  9900-83, Zen Gray 9900-185 (I think!) and Fog  9900-282.   One might be a tad dark but the Fog might be perfect for a challenge quilt I need to work on in the next few month.  Since I had the invoices and could check past orders, I believe the storage methodology is straightened out.  The hangers are labeled if it won't fit in a project box for now.

How about a choice of Hay 9900-104 or parchment  9900-39 or Snow 9900-11?  What is really the difference between Bleached White PFD 9900-97 and white 9900-98 anyway?  Would it hurt if you mixed the two in the same project.  I am trying to keep them separated for now.  Making my head spin.  You too, no doubt.

I found something I can use to back the Charming Boxes but it will need to be seamed.  I've got a little time before our quilt meeting to get that together.  It is a striped fabric and NOT horizontally either.  It is waiting over the machine which still needs to be de-linted and bobbins wound, needle changed before I start on any sewing.  Working with pre-cuts makes for a good bit of dandruff bits in the machine, on the pressing surface, probably what is floating around on the ceiling fan blades too.

I drew a bit in EQ which helps me figure out how to re-size the block and layouts if I wish.  It is an alternate idea (or two, LOL) for the challenge quilt.  However, I am fairly certain that I will go with my original idea.  I reserve the right to change my mind.

In reviewing the online order history at one site I saw I had gotten a Blooms and Bliss layer cake and charm pack.  Huh??  I don't remember what I did with that let alone what I make with it!!  Of course, it was in a container, even labeled as it turns out, but in with another project.   I was noting the other project but not the small print.  LOL.

 That lead me to ponder the difference between the Moda Bake Shop Speedwell Quilt presented by Nicola Dodd and the similar looking Missouri Star Double Square Star.   I guess it depends on many seams you want meeting at the block intersections.  I like the cleaner looks of the Speedwell one better---and the pieced in border color.  I've printed the pattern off and put it with the fabrics and in its own container.   I love the pretty pastels and florals in Blooms and Bliss and it would work well for this pattern. I will work it into the "mental" list.  I should really start a document so I can scratch off or remind myself what I planned to do with my fabric treasures though I have been doing better about leaving notes in the containers if not the actual pattern print out or copy!

Meanwhile my friend Lucy has completed not one but two Floating Squares!  She said I could post the pictures.   Mine is waiting but I may work on it tomorrow, after I cut out something else I have in mind.

This is from her relocated Peppered Cottons and is probably quite similar then to the one shown on the Missouri Star tutorial.  I really love how these turned out and seeing them makes me want to get cracking on my version!

What am I cutting out?  Have you seen the Fat Quarter Shop free patterns page?  Or their videos?   Scroll down and there is one called "Layer Cake Lattice" that is a currently craze of plus quilts..  I would link it but it goes straight to pdf download.  You should check out the page when you have some time.   I have a well antiqued layer cake I got for Christmas from DJ (Silk Road from Benartex) that I will use.  I am using a Moda Bella Parchment and maybe bind it with Hay, LOL.  (he gave me money to spend down---worked for me and even more for him!  Pants that turned into an iron instead any indication of his shopping expertise??)

I puzzled how you did Indian Hatchet shapes if you don't want to do a flippy corner half square triangle.  Marti Michell had covered this in a Farmers Wife Sampler post---I know because I read back on her blog to find THIS POST on cutting tricks.   I have many of her template sets in my sewing collection and the idea of not wasting the fabric but removing the fabric and sewing on the correct sized half square triangle could possibly be explored.  Scroll down to what she shows in the Ava Block #19--that is an Indian Hatchet shape and what is needed in the Speedwell Quilt.  I couldn't get it to work necessarily with the charm square but may have found a work around but need to do the seam to know if it will work for sure.   OR I could try Trudie Hughes Rotary Mate with the speedy triangles shown in several of her books, Crib Quilts for one.  I have the ruler.



I spent a good part of the day Saturday washing and trying to dry the pet linens.  Skyler is not using either of his perches so I took them down to wash the sheepskin stuff.  He would rather park on the dog crate or the front door rug right now.  However, that danged washing machine is not good about heavy or bulky items.  I could not get the water to spin out properly and that meant prolonged drying times.  So what does Mister Mister do after all that?  Dumps his bed upside down along with his frog and sockie laying on the BOTTOM, not the cushy top.  What a goofball!  Oh and drug it over to the front door area.  Not quite to in front of the TV but close.

And this one?  He had been snuggling up with me on the couch till I needed something, like the camera off the coffee table.  Of course, I can't get a decent picture of him.    He won't look at me, or is licking or scratching for a kitty blur.

So I resort to this..........I had switched out the quilt on the master bed to the more summery Cheese and Crackers quilt.  Then threw the light weight 50's vintage bowtie on top of it. Skyler is acting like he found a long lost friend.  Oscar wants up there in the worst way but mainly because Skyler is on there!  Hop, hop, hop.  Lucy says I should get him steps, LOL.  I think not.

Well, Oscar is acting like it is time to walk again and I am about ready for supper. Greek Salad awaits!

Hope you have had a good day in whatever you chose to do.  I've been busy as usual but trust me, that is way better than mugwumping on the couch like Friday!  Till next time------

Checking in

This was a picture that Wendee, my tablemate took of me at the sew-in and recently posted to the guild album.  We were to wear an old fashioned apron that day which explains the attire.  Otherwise, I'm in my standard t-shirt and jeans or in hot weather, t-shirt and bike shorts until I get the summer clothes officially out in circulation, LOL.

Anyway---
 I have been doing a good bit of sewing recently with this one getting moved along.  This is the Climbing Roses top I showed you from last week though at that point I had 5 more rows to go.  I did that on Thursday when I was trying to keep my mind occupied and not get so mopey about the day's significance to me.    I then spent the rest of the day flipping strips, re-sewing and generally changing most of the quilt around in some manner.  Sometimes more than once on the same section.  Friday morning it got so bad with all this quilt fiddling that I finally got out of the house and went to Ashville House Quilt Shop for some retail therapy, LOL.

They were having a 25% off sale of everything except sewing machines and I needed some backing for this top.  I ended up getting something that is not quite the same shade of aqua but it WILL work since I am using some yardage that is that aqua and red diagonal stripe for the binding.  It also happens to be the same Good Karma yardage that was issued for the fall challenge quilt for the retreat with the Attalla bunch.  The shop has plenty more on hand if I mis-calculated my needs for the two quilts.  I know what I am going to do for THAT one but have not started it yet.

Saturday, I started sewing the sections into pairs.  Later that evening I sewed the pairs into sections of 4, or into thirds since there are 12 vertical rows.  That is where it still stands two days later--just two joining seams to go.  I didn't feel much like sewing yesterday and then we had some thunderstorms roll in.  Figures too since it was Race Weekend at Talladega, near here.  Always rains, storms, even tornado threats.

I am un-decided what I want to do next but have it narrowed down to three things.  That is, after I prep the back and binding.

1)  Make the other 5 blocks needed for Square Dance.  Leaning more to this one as it would be a quicker finish.

2)   Get back to the Granny Squares that have been waiting since two fall sew-in's.  I don't remember how many I have done or even how many more I need but it used some of the leftover Ellen challenge fabric.  I already did one top and this was a bonus one, or two.  I had planned to see how far I would get with the strips I had already cut.

3)  Something altogether new.  I have a charm pack of Bernatex "Brigitte" that I got for free from Missouri Star last fall.  I had pulled some Moda Marble background from my stash, ordered just a bit more to be sure to have enough.  I want to try that Missouri Star tutorial for Floating Squares with it.  When I put the fabric away in its own little compartment, I had typed up my own sort of cutting guidelines so it would just be a matter of going in to cut the background fabrics up, more or less. Might do that if I don't want to drag the machine to evening sewing this week.

 ALWAYS thinking of the next project or in this case, the next three, LOL.

To commemorate DJ's birthday, I did two things in his honor.  I made pizza, albeit this one was topped with turkey pepperoni.  He would have preferred ground beef or ham and cheese with white sauce like they had at Cici's.   When I think of all the crust recipes I tried till I found the one we both liked.  I think I told you the story about how he was telling me about his days working the part-time job at George's Pizza in Bloomington while he proceeded to burn the tar out of frozen one we planned to have for supper.  The 2nd, he had ice cream almost every blessed night---it was the lowest fat content he could find or the cheapest store brand low fat he could get.  I asked him once why he didn't get the "good stuff" and cut back on the frequency of eating it.  I did not want to get in the habit like him and rarely ate it but I did buy some Klondike Bars (Heath Crunch, thank you very much!)  and consumed TWO in his honor.  That's the closest I could come to a bowl of fat free whatever stuff.  Mostly, I treasured my memories and him.  I was truly a blessed woman and wife.

Okay, what else?  Saturday I was invited over to Paul's for a fish fry.  He had been out fishing a couple days late last week and told his mom to call and tell me late Friday evening.  His former boss even gave him some fish he had caught.  I guess Sonny wanted the fun of fishing but didn't care to clean or eat them!  Miss Kathryn said she was bringing some coleslaw but I didn't need to fix anything else.  I did anyway recalling that they had apparently had to hunt to find some tartar sauce last week.  I whipped up some Comeback Sauce which is supposed to be "so good that it would make you slap your mama", whatever that means!  Anyway, I used what is supposed to be a copy of Zax Sauce but a tad less heavy on the hot sauce content or it was when I made it but I still ended up adding about what the recipe called for, and made a triple batch.

These critters!  Oscar can't decide if he wants in or out.  Mostly the opposite of whatever he IS doing.  It has been threatening rain or actually raining for three days now so outside is a little chancy.   I am almost positive that the back gate was his escape site based on something he managed to do today inside.  I had the hallway gate closed and the bungee cord tightened across the top.  You may recall that I caught him recently with his head between the gate door and the frame?  I was working in the kitchen when  I heard him clattering the gate.  With it intact, the little booger had gotten on the other side and I found him sitting in the master bedroom near the foot of the bed.  I stretched the bungee cord a bit tighter.

I had found one of Skyler's old sparkly puff balls (AKA PomPoms) in the couch cushions recently.  He used to love those things!  Oscar tried to eat them so neither one of them was getting any to play with.  Skyler promptly lost it, I thought under the coffee table.  I could feel that there were others in the frame.  You see, DJ had hammered some lumber strips on the table to keep Skyler from loosing all his puff balls in the crack in the frame.  He knew I would try lifting and scooting it to get at them or use a yard stick under the couches to dig them out.   I don't think the strips worked as look what was under or jammed into the frame work!!

I never did find the blue sparkly one but man, did I others of them.  The frayed one was extracted with an old hemostat from the sewing room.  Skyler has again become enamored with his scratching post too hence the catnip mess on the floor!  And a pink sparkly puff ball.  I think it is lost again but he sure had some fun tossing it around.

Glynda and Robert sent a bag of cat toys that had been the sister-in-law's the other day.  You got it, Sky wants nothing to do with it and Oscar plays with the stuffed mouse though so far he has not managed to tear it up.  As soon as I see stuffing, it is gone and he can play with his squeaky frog again.

I probably better walk Oscar one more time before the rains come in.  THX for stopping by to see the latest installment of "Life on the Lane".  Few dull moments here, that's for sure!

'Round here

The azaleas are done and it appears that the Snowball bushes and irises are out. What I THINK are Confederate Roses are blooming and the magnolia trees nearby are beginning to flower though it seems early for that.  Meanwhile, I'm growing........ clover.   Lots of it but I am not alone with that!  There are also fields of red clover growing wild.  Oh, and kudzu is coming up unfortunately.   It is too hot, too soon but a week from now they say we are back to 40's overnight with rain and storms possibly in between.  We marked 5 years since those devastating EF-2, EF-3, EF-4 and maybe 5's hit the state---bad  4-27-11.

So what is going on 'round here?  Beats me and I'm living it along with the two critters.  My friend Sandy teases me by calling my blog the "Alabama Home Companion" but I suspect she might be right with these tales I spin.   True stories though, not Norwegian bachelor farmer stories.

This is the looks I get when I open the refrigerator door, the two little beggars come running.  I have even managed to get Oscar out from under the bed with that trick!

Of course, Skyler gets right up close and personal and begins yowling even though it was just 10 a.m. at the time and he got feed two or three hours ago, he feels it is time for treat bites AKA a glop of Fancy Feast canned instead of crunchies.

Have a squirt of cream instead--maybe that's what he was after anyway.  You see the untouched crunchies though he didn't have one kernel in there first thing this morning.   (Oscar got a baby carrot for his treat.)

I know they can't tell time but I DO think they hold to a certain schedule maybe in part set by me but they know when it is light and dark, when to follow the sun to the front door instead of laze in the morning sun.  Oscar goes and stands at the carport door when he wants to walk and so forth.  When I do things like eat "lunch" at 10 a.m. no wonder, they get confused.   I grab some water and a breakfast bar before I go do my laps.  That's not breakfast but I don't feel like scrambling eggs, making oatmeal or even eating really before I go trudge around the park for +/- 2 miles.   By 10, 1030 I finally feel like eating but sometimes it will be anything but traditional breakfast food.  What does it really matter?

Today it was the third hamburger patty I fixed Monday evening.  That's what was left in the bag of patties from the freezer so I fixed them all.  Now the story, LOL.  My neighbor Robert had called to see if I had a staple gun he could borrow.  He had a speaker component he wanted to re-cover.  Sure, I said be right over and I grabbed my little case with it and the staples, not knowing what size he wanted.  Miss Kathryn was out as I started back home so I stopped to chat with her. Paul (her son) was out fishing so would not be over to join her for supper.  She said something about maybe going out for a  burger.  I had been thinking the same thing and had in fact, just come back from a bread store run (buns and rye bread).  Well, once I got home I thought "I'll make us some patty melts and join her for supper".  I hate looking at that empty chair of DJ's at the table, come meal time.   I sliced up a couple onions to carmelize and called to say I would be bringing over dinner, don't run out.   LOL.  I had gotten some potato salad to go with the fish so dished up that up and trotted the plates across and up the lane.

Paul had apparently caught enough fish last week to have a fish fry on Saturday afternoon. At 10 pm I found a text from Glynda saying her Mama had fish from Paul and if I wanted some to get with her.  That was sent at around 8 so I thought I missed out.  Sunday Miss Kathryn called and said some of that fish and hush puppies were for me, LOL.  It re-heated nicely.  Last week it was collards, a mix of Hoppin' John with purple hull peas and cornbread.  Think they might get me to like beans and greens yet?

I had gotten that pile of binding strips sewn together on Sunday and put the machine out in the car for Belles day.  As I am known to do, I just dumped the whole pile of it on the pressing table in the sewing room.  I couldn't find Skyler later that night and you guessed it, he was sleeping on that mess of "spaghetti" though I made him get off it.  Some of those quilts will be donation stuff and let's cut down on the cat dander, shall we?

The carpeted surfaces of the house got vacuumed but I still need to mop the kitchen floor.  I swear, it is a losing battle trying to keep things swept up.  Oscar goes out and rolls around in the yard and drags in grass clippings or from getting too close to the bushes to water them when we walk.  I drag in stuff on my shoes from the walking trail or the drive.  Skyler drags grit from the litter box in spite of the matting around it though it does cut down on some of that mess.  SIGH.  And dusting??  I thought that the pollen had lessened but there is still something flying around out there as the car is coated and so are the electronics and TV screen.  Dust the surface and it just lands right back where it was and more air borne!   I've already learned the lesson to not look up at the ceiling fan blades--best to either not look or keep them spinning, LOL.

Yesterday was Belles Day and a fun day with my buds.

Here is what I am working on.  There are 5 more vertical strips to go.  This one is called "Climbing Roses" and uses Bonnie and Camille's "Hello Darling" from Moda in pre-cut Jolly Bars, 2 of them, from the Fat Quarter Shop.  (Actually, I could have gotten a layer cake and cut it in half)  It also calls for two charm packs of white.   Mine will look a whole lot like the picture in the link as I was following the pattern trying to match the fabrics in it.  I layered those together Sunday evening with the PostIt denoting which row and which one needed to be cut back or halved in the case of the charms to get the staggered row effect, rather then randomly cut 4- 5 x 7 1/2

Beverly and Jackie were working on binding.  Jackie took the last stitches on this lovely quilt after lunch.   She said it was a quilt kit called something like Sweet Berry Fondue.  She has a small throw made with leftovers from the kit that she uses in her favorite chair that she calls "Leftover Fondue"  LOL.

Marilyn was sewing and working on Twisted Sister Blocks in teal for ovarian cancer donation.   Margarita was sewing on her Block of the Month for Ashville House.  I guess they get two of them each month.  Jane was doing some un-sewing as she had discovered one of her batiks in a Fiddlesticks top was running dye.  She was going to substitute something else for the offender.  Brenda was marking freezer paper for two lovely applique projects she has in the works.  Two big old sections worth!

Bev needed me to help her with an on point setting.  The blocks were a mystery quilt from Lick Skillet Guild had done called "Hanging Cabins".  Apparently they used a Mystery Quilt from North Parish Quilters as I found it online when I googled it.  Bev said they did not get the page that had instructions needed in step 4 of how to lay it out and she was lost in completing her UFO.  My best hint is that you HAVE to think in terms of diagonal rows not what you see when you look at it head on.  AND, isolate the row so you don't get confused in which direction the setting triangles and corners go.  I take the picture of the quilt--usually something I have generated in EQ or copy a page from my book or magazine--and fold it so all I see is say, the corner of the quilt in that diagonal row.  Then move on to row 2, 3 and so forth.  It should look just like the picture before you move on or fix it.  Bev was on the right track but one end had a couple of misplaced blocks.  We got down on the floor and un-sewed, re-positioned and she pinned the block or setting triangle in place.

She was also missing two sashing component 4 patches.  I showed her how to do 2 at once 4 patches with a charm I cut from her scraps and one of my white ones.  Just for an example as I did not complete the final cut.  This is the method shown in the Nickel Quilt books, Billie Lauder Quick Quilt Tricks and the old Alex Anderson"Simply Quilts" TV series is where I learned it.    You can find a pdf file to print off on Moda Fabrics Sewing Tips page that has a quick sheet for this technique  called "What Can I Do with a 5 inch Charm Square?".  Here is a screen capture of what you are looking for but seriously, go download and print it off for reference!  There is one for layer cakes too.

Speaking of layer cakes (10 inch squares), Margarita had been working on some unique 3D fabric bow tie blocks and had enough for two baby quilts.  Not the usual four patch with the knot sewn in kind I learned to love years ago either.   She said that they had someone demonstrate how to do this at a retreat but it was one of those things where the" notes got cold"?   She had found a video on You Tube that she thought was a bit easier so this is the one she used on her blocks from Paw Patch Quilting.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULjpeUAyGuo

The entire thing is done by hand and the blocks were 7 1/2 inches unfinished.  Margarita was working with a directional print for her bow tie blocks and figured out how to manipulate the fabric at a certain point to have it go the way she needed so half of her blocks went one way and half the other.  She needed some guidance for sashing and cornerstones, like how many strips to cut etc and we had discussed doing pre-sashing on her last quilt.  Way easier when you understand the concept it.  I told her I would draw it up for her in EQ and do some calculations since the evening group would be at the church.  We went over this last evening then and I think she is clear on what she needs to do next.  I had sort of color coded things and marked up the print out, just like I do my own, LOL showing how I arrived at the numbers.  Basically you strip piece the sashing bits and cornerstone and cut in her case 41 of them.  Then they go on the verticals on the block and across the top.  The unpieced ones go on the bottom of the block FIRST.  AND cut one single cornerstone for the very corner of the quilt.  The first quilt will be practice for the 2nd one.

Got you all confused??  Sit down here with me then  and I'll go over it with you.  LOL.

Even though Brenda and Jackie had brought their lunch to Belles, we convinced them to go out to lunch with the gang.  Bev and Beverly's husbands had both come to pick them up for lunch so they left before we decided where to go.   There was the usual "I don't care" stuff and almost as usual. I picked a spot since no one would decide for the group.  We could "I don't care" for hours, LOL and get hungrier by the minute.   McAlister's Deli though Margarita picked ahead for next meeting, LOL  Or I said that was where we would go next time as we drove to McAlister's.


On another tangent, tomorrow would be my dear man's 80th birthday.  I am not entirely sure how I will mark the day other than to thank the Good Lord above for the time we had together and that he came into my life when he did.  I will love DJ till the day I join him again and miss him daily.  I might not have gotten to celebrate those last three birthdays with him but I honor him for the man he was with me and for me.

Now, if you'll excuse me,  the clock says Skyler can have his round two treat bite and Oscar is probably ready for a walk.  Hopefully he will not just stop dead still up near the neighbors in the blazing sun as he has been doing---right in the middle of the lane!  We're up in the high 80's all week and I don't need my neck sunburned.  LOL.   THX for stopping by--------

Some productivity

I have been trying to get some sewing done for several days. Actually that plan is just as much so I can get the machine put up and get my kitchen table back and mop the floor in there!  Yeah, that last part is no fun but needs to be done desperately.  Same with the living room, hallway, master bedroom floors for strings.   I would still rather do something creative than clean but not always possible.

I considered going to the evening group earlier this week but got held up here at home (laundry dragged on longer than it should).   I did go over just to say "hello" to the girls and see what they were up to.   Three of the gals work days and relatively new to quilting, well Donna not so much but the other two girls need assistance from the more seasoned quilters among us.  I was happy to see Janice working on the binding on what I think is her 2nd or 3rd quilt.  Margarita is feeling more confident about following the block of the month instructions this go round.  Even the newest member has a completed top of simple squares and was starting on a baby quilt with a panel at center.

Wednesday night after Oscar was tucked in bed I sat down and finished sewing the blocks together for row 7 and then joined the sections seams (2 long seams).  This is called "Prairie Sticks" and uses a Jolly Bar from the Fat Quarter Shop.  These measure 5 x 10 or half of a layer cake.   Only took me a half hour to finish up but by 9:30 pm I was beat and ready to call it a day.

Yesterday morning I woke up early and got up and cut what will be the backing for this.  I would like quilted with a loose stipple which means it will go to a long arm quilter (maybe--I don't do that!).  A long armer requires at least 4 inches all around the top so I knew I had to get the top wider and longer.  I had fabric left over from this and the other top I made with the same fabric line a couple months back.   I only had to snitch one strip from another junior jelly roll to make the 7 blocks as I had typically over-cut section of the jelly roll for the Prairie Sticks.    I sewed this up today between home chores today.

I also cut binding for 4 quilts.  The pink/orange stripe was already cut for my recent Ribbon Candy top (the pink and purple one) but it was just sitting around in the sewing room.  This may sound crazy but that red/orange print from the Charming Box might work for backing THAT one too.   I should have enough for both tops.  The blue goes for two Ribbon Candy tops that the Belles and I worked on.   The multi-stripe goes on the No Bake Jolly Bars Chevron.  The Doily stuff,  Prairie Sticks.

Sewing this goes on the "tomorrow list" though knowing me I will not press these till somewhere down the line!  It is too sticky standing over the iron when the indoor temp hit 78 this afternoon.  I called "uncle" and turned on the air for just a bit till the sun truly sets and the outside temps start to drop a bit.  It was 66 when I got up at 6 a.m. and sticky with rain on the way in.  Way too early in the year to start with that stuff!

Then I finished up today's production by joining the blocks into rows for this top from late March.  It has been pinned to the table cloth and folded up since I thought I MIGHT get to it at the retreat---I didn't, LOL.  The top two rows are joined but not the two bottom ones---not in this picture, but trust me, I got it moved along.   Tomorrow.  It won't take long.

Electronics maintenance continues.  I think I told you I had re-set my phone this week.  It kept draining the battery and I think it is that darned google play mostly.  Anyway, I decided to switch phones with one I had tried before and had in the drawer.   It took a bit to get that switched over yesterday and make sure the number was activated properly and the few things I had downloaded added to the new one.

Today between sewing I had to go to Walmart to find out what had happened to some software I had ordered online that had been delivered on 4/16 but I was never notified to come get it.  I had chatted with Customer Service online who said contact the vendor.  The vendor was no help because, as I already knew, UPS/USPS had already delivered it and I had confirmation.  I printed all that stuff out and headed over to Site to Store.  The CSR couldn't even find the order number in the computer.  After a few in store phone calls, her supervisor came by and she remembered the package.  Come to find out, the address label only had my first name and middle initial, no last name with the store address.  NO packing slip, no order number, no way of tracing it.  She put it in the back figuring someone (ME!) would come looking for it.  I did, one day after the delivering window ended.  So anyway, after a late lunch and this unplanned break, I got Office Home and Student 2013 installed on the desktop.  Then back to the OTHER machine.   See above.

Oscar has been such a good boy since he ran away up the lane!  Goes out and comes right back in practically sitting on the back stoop till I let him in.  I still don't know how he got out or the modifications I made were the escape routes and they are effectively blocked.   I got him a new harness type thing and retractable leash so we are both getting used to that.  Well, I thought the webbing leash I had gotten was too long.  Glynda said "you sew.  shorten it".  Machine was sitting there so who cared about the wrong color thread?  Then I cut the wrong section away---oops!  I took the old handle apart which frayed the leash and then it was way too short.  Get the retractable one and it can be long or short or just right!   Thing is Oscar is poking and plodding along so I don't know if it just needs adjusting somehow or he is just in that frame of mind, LOL.  He keeps wanting to go over the neighbors but then we often stop to see Paul and his dog when he visits his mom or just to visit with Miss Kathryn.  He is starting to think it is part of walking in the lane, I guess.

I took the day off from walking my laps in the park, woke up too early and I'm beat!   I've been a busy girl  most of the day today with not much down time.  I think it is an early to bed kind of night but I hope I don't keep waking up before 6 especially when I can't get to sleep till after midnight.  

Guess that's it for this installment.  Off to find my jammies----

I love retreats!

I was privileged to attend the 2nd day of the JOY Quilters 1st ever Spring Retreat.  Actually it is more of an all day sew-in because you don't stay overnight but the facility was open from 8-8 for two days.  We met at First Baptist in Jacksonville in a large meeting room right next to kitchen facilities.  I only went one day as Lois and I shared a spot--she could only go Thursday so I said one day would be enough for me and we split fees.

The theme was an old fashioned quilting bee.  They asked us to wear an old fashioned apron on Friday.  Marilyn had rode with me and mentioned this just before we left the house.  She had a few extra to share but I had one of my own that my friend Pam had made for me several years ago.  I grabbed it and off we went.  Some of the girls partcipated in decorating quilting bonnets.  There was a prize for that.

They set up a lemonade station and we each got a mason jar with lid decorated with our name and little lady bugs.  Our name tags were beehives with a magnetic "pin" that our president Wendell had painted.  Later he passed little bees around and encouraged us to decorate our jars or pins with ribbons or whatever.  There is mine down in the corner.

The folded stars were a little give-away from our friend and fellow member Jennifer who does a lot of the long arm quilting for the group and the Attalla group.  They will host another retreat in the fall as they have for the last two years---I'm going!  The fat quarters were clothespinned to the trellis (that you will see below on the left). There were enough for us to go through twice and pick them out so those were my choices.  I picked a couple out for Lois as well at the organizers instructions.  There were door prizes galore too---I won a vintage Pattern box and this pillow case kit and the latest issue of 100 Quilt Blocks Summer 2016.  Jennifer has a block in it as she has done in other issues called Franny Odorlicious (cute skunk) on page 31.  She autographed it as she had donated it as a door prize!  I misplaced it though and thought I had left it behind.  It turned up in my sewing accessories bag right with the sewing machine manual.

I borrowed this image from the JOY Quilters page.  I'm at the machine on the left pinning rows to my current project or finishing up the assembly of what I would teach the girls to make that afternoon.   You can see some of the vintage quilts that decorated the room.  There was also a panel that some of the group told about their quilting mentors.  Marilyn gave her thanks to Bama Belles and our dear friend Joy Albea who co-founded the group with me.  JOY Quilters was formed out of our group some years later after a chance meeting with Ada and I at a Home Extension sewing session for cancer caps and pillows.    Wendee, my table mate, was diligently sewing on sewing 4 patches for Disappearing 4 patches in both standard and diagonal methods.

On Thursday I guess the lunch was catered but Friday we had some yummy chicken salad from one of the local Jacksonville businesses.  The committe folks set those up on croissants from Publix and had fruit, chips and desserts that some had brought to share.  I think Margarita made a pumpkin cheesecake with a gingersnap crust that was delicious!  If you went hungry, it was your own fault.

Most of the time was set up for sewing but most of the group played "Strip Poker" with 2 1/2 inch strips they were asked to bring--12 of them.  Donna came back saying she had lost her favorite purple strips, LOL.  I don't know who won or how many of them just went to see how the game was played.  I didn't want to part with my strips though!  They passed a basket of hankies with change tied into them and read a poem about hankies.  The one with the most change won a door prize and we all kept the change.  Annette's husband was the one who had his change jars raided.  There was also a reading about aprons.

Since the display boards were forgotten, I had to talk the girls through the steps of making one of my "Charming Boxes" blocks that will be combined to make a donation quilt.  I walked around with some of the sections pinned to my apron!   I'll have to make a few more blocks to go with it and will do the assembly.  Wendell will quilt them.  Most of them participated so I have a nice pile of blocks.

We were asked to make a 6 inch finished Spring block and a 12 inch finished "guy" block.  One lady one all the spring blocks.  The guy blocks will be combined for a comfort quilt.  Aline offered to sew those.  I didn't take my camera and didn't think to get a picture with my phone.  They turned out well and made for a neat display at the retreat.

You saw my completed Charming Boxes top in the tutorial that precedes this post.  I did the final rows assembly at the retreat.  Then I started on this top which is "Prairie Sticks"  named after the Prairie fabric (Corey Yoder for Moda)  So easy.  I sewed a bit yesterday afternoon and all the rows are now done, the top half all joined.  I only have to sew the last row of blocks together and 3 seams to complete it.  I may go over to the church to sew once the laundry is done.  Or I might not.   At any rate I'll probably have this top done to share in the next post.

I left the retreat about 4 on Friday.  Mostly because I was tired and my body was rebelling.  I got the worst leg cramp in my right thigh that would not let up no matter how much walking or flexion/extension I tried.  Later that night the peroneal muscle on the left lower leg kicked in.  I just cannot sit and sew for hours like I once did!

Also I needed to stop at the store on the way home to get stuff to make potato salad.  Paul, my neighbor's son and/or brother had invited us to come watch the Alabama spring scrimmage game (His mama Miss Kathryn lives across and up the lane from me in a mobile home on her daughter and SIL property.   Glynda the daughter is his sister.  Paul is a friend of mine. )  Got all that, LOL?   Us is Miss Kathryn, their friend Esther, his friend and former co-worker Charlie, his lady friend Carolyn, Paul and me.  Paul was planning on grilling burgers before the afternoon game and I offered to bring potato salad to go with it.  I knew from talking to him that he preferred dill relish.  Later I thought I should have gotten some mayo since they probably did not prefer "the tangy zip of Miracle Whip" like I would.  I borrowed some Hellman's from Miss Kathryn.  Then because it tasted so different to me with dill and mayo, I took some over to ask her if it tasted all right.  Next day I was still not so sure about it and bought a small container at the store just in case it was inedible.

I was still messing with computers this week.  I decided to hook my old one back up in the master bedroom just so I still had access to some of the software and old emails on it.  It does not have internet hookup though.  I found a small monitor at the thrift store that will work out fine and got an inexpensive pair of Logitech speakers so I can listen to downloaded music on it.  A few of the more recent additions were missing from the old desktop so I was running back and forth from the notebook, the new desktop and the old one a good bit on Sunday afternoon.   The only problem I had with hookup was the printer said it was offline---I got two new ink cartridges to do the taxes so I wanted that thing to work till it runs out!  Later as I was walking it hit me what the problem might be.   I did not recall with any degree of certainty that I had plugged the USB cord into the processor.  Sure enough, that was the problem.  I'm back in business!

Yesterday was trying to get a backup to run on the new desktop.  The initial one ran fine last week.  It took 4 tries till I finally got the job done.  I think part of the trouble was the computer kept shutting down after 20 minutes as a power saver and then the backup timed out.  Still, I was not going to stay up Sunday night for hours to see if it would go.

Today, the biggest thing that happened was Oscar somehow escaped from the back yard.  I had heated some leftover pizza slices from the freezer and went out to give him the crust end.  He was gone!  He has not escaped for 2 years and I thought we had the fence secured.  I do not know where he got out.  It seemed sturdy enough the length of the fence even where he had been digging.  Possibly he squeezed out under the back gate.  I've put a paver and/or cement block at those locations.  Miss Kathryn heard me hollering for him and then she spotted him running down the hill at Glynda's yard with her cat.   He got called by all three of his names just like any bad boy when they are in trouble with "Mama".  I had the leash in hand and he flopped on the ground for belly rubs, like it would make it all better.  He must have drunk half the bowl of water once he got home.  I have been advised to watch him without him knowing I am doing so and see if he is hanging around a spot in the yard and that might be his escape spot.  That is, if I have not thwarted him already.  He wore himself out on his unauthorized trek up the lane and has been flopped on the floor in various locations this afternoon.

Last week I caught him trying to open up the hallway gate with his head and shoulders.  I had not tightened the bungee cord across the top enough and there was some play in the gate.  He managed to get a portion of himself between the gate and frame banging it.  I was in the kitchen and he thought I wouldn't see him doing it.  Most times I wouldn't because he quits when he sees me coming around the corner, LOL.  Booger butt!

However, it is time we should BOTH go stretch our legs and I need to check the dryer too.

There you have it---thanks for stopping by to see what I've been up to.

Round the house

 I have been a busy, busy girl since I last posted.  Yeah, I know some of you have the impression that I am always on the go, and sometimes I am.  I can waste a lot of time online but I sure got a good bit of sewing done this week since my wi-fi was not connected for several days!  More about that in a minute.   It is almost 3:30 in the afternoon as I finish up this post and I still haven't checked email or facebook today--believe it or not!  Well, other than to retrieve a document I emailed to myself from the tablet to the desktop, that is.

I set up my base of operations in the kitchen, even though it is not my first choice.   Mainly, I did not want to take down the old Singer to set the New Home up.  I am going to take this one to the sew-in date and want to complete the project on the same machine.  Also I could keep an eye on the critters.  Often when I am at the kitchen table, Oscar just climbs back in his crate since the door is open.  Skyler takes "the upper bunk".  In fact, that is exactly where they are as I write this.

I have been asked to do a demonstration at the sew-in and I picked my method for making an existing block to share with the group.  Even though one designer (Deidre K. Brown) calls her's Split Decision and another Christa Watson calls her version Puzzle Boxes, both of those use entirely different methods to arrive at the same place.    I know because I own both patterns.   I used charms so I'm calling mine "Charming Boxes."

I had hoped to have at least part of the quilt top together for an example.  This morning I made 4 more blocks just to have a bit more variety.  I was using Beach House by Kate Nelligan for Moda.  One of the fabrics included in the line was stylized waves and it just did not translate well to this block pattern. There went 3 out of the mix.  I need 40 blocks for a donation quilts so 2 were not going to make the cut anyway.  I may stick the extras on the back though so they won't go to waste.   Also there were dupes of the fish net looking one in multiple shadings so it was harder to keep those scattered.  Oh well! Initially I had not wanted to use the buoys but those ended up in the mix.

I holed up in the master bedroom arranging and re-arranging the blocks.  Even after I took the picture, I swapped out a couple more.  I have already told you how I feel about moving one and then moving half a dozen more as a result of that first decision.   I am going to use that orange-y red for the binding and backing so that I added a bit more of.  There is one more row that goes on the bottom but I ran out of flannel backed table cloth.  I probably will try to get at least half the top done once I am done with this post and then pack up the sewing stuff.  I hate this mess and clutter all over the kitchen!

My poor critters are getting short shrift this week.  Here Skyler is trying to get me to feed him his treat bite--he had already had it---and I wasn't paying him much attention, other than to take his picture.  You can see below that he was not straying too far away from his food bowl just in case I saw the light?  LOL.

 I finally buckled down and did the taxes on Saturday--while I still had an operational printer.  Turns out that was a good plan.  I may have mentioned that I was going to upgrade to a new desktop as I also had to upgrade from the old Vista platform.   Chrome was not going to recognize it, Microsoft was probably not going to either or already didn't.  The cable company said my modem was outdated for their increased speeds.  And so on---time to bit the bullet.

Well, Sunday was the day to get those boxes opened up after they had sat in the sewing room for 3 or 4 days.  As if my brain was not fried enough after dealing with the tax forms the day before!!  I got things hooked up fairly easily till I got to the wi-fi connection and the printer.  I could NOT get it hooked up.  I could not find the disc for my printer and it is old as well. Now what?  I figures too that I had just gotten new ink cartridges for the old one.  Had to in order to send in those tax forms and have copies for my files.

 I got on the phone with Dell support on Sunday evening after trying and failing.  With the help of the CSR, we picked out a new router and printer.  The router is the same brand as my modem so maybe they would talk to each other better.  The printer is wireless though it would not have had to be.  The price was good.  Those arrived yesterday afternoon.

Oscar has spent a good bit of time outside lately.   I have not actually had to make him go out either.  Sometimes he doesn't want to come back in necessarily but I know he needs to eat or drink.   He has fresh water but doesn't always drink from it.  He gets in and wants out and vice versa.

I had Belles on Tuesday so he HAD to go out even though rain threatened.  We broke up early with just 4 of us there.  I was working on my blocks.  Jane was helping Beverly and Lois pin their tops.  Lois and Jane left soon after.  I waited with Beverly till her husband came to take her too lunch.  Jack invited me to go with them but I declined so I could go rescue my poor pooch.  I think we had 1.5 of rain overnight Tuesday but he did not get caught in it.

Wednesday was super busy!  I stayed home from walking and got up at 6:30 which was probably a good thing.  3 loads of laundry, grocery errands, other errands, sewing blocks ( I did get done with the numbers required for the top!)  The Fed Ex guy arrived in the lane just as I was getting back from lunch and the grocery errands.  LOL, I was at the mail box in the car when he was coming up the lane from the other end of the loop and he needed in my drive after I pulled in.  He had the printer and router and asked where I wanted them.  I said there by the door was okay but he said, "I can take them inside for you if you want".  Sure!  "Put them on the kitchen table--oops!  Forgot about the sewing machine and all that mess."   He carried them to the living room and I took it from there.    Not too much problems with the hookups but I will have to see what I need to do yet to print wirelessly.  Either I have a "dumbphone" or it is operator error.  Must have missed a step or don't understand what I am to do exactly.  It works fine even though I did have to email myself the revised copy of the handout once I finished tweaking it.  I've been doing that for months anyway.

I was happy when the neighbor's son Paul met me in the lane on his way to pick up some sub sandwiches.  He said his mom would only eat half of hers and to come on over if I wanted to share it with her.  Good food and good company.  After the day I had, I didn't have much energy to want to do much more than throw some yogurt in a bowl.   Crashed and burned once I went to bed too with only a wakeful time around 3:30.  Once I got back to sleep, next thing I knew it was 8:30!  Surprised Oscar wasn't barking or Skyler meowing to get back in the room.  Oscar some mornings is not ready to get up and doesn't even if the door to the crate is open.  Today he almost knocked me down trying to get out to potty!

I DO intend to share the tutorial for my method here on the blog but after the sew-in. Rather than print off umpteen copies of a 6 page document, I will take email addy's for the group or they can look at the instructions here.  Some do not do email or facebook so they can have the few copies I did run.  That was more or less practice to see how the printer software worked anyway!

I had thought about making cookies to take tomorrow but I couldn't decide between Pride of Iowa oatmeal cookies or my favorite, White Chocolate Macadamia Nut.  I will eat more than I should of either of them so they have to be shared.   Also the day is half over, I'm already tired and still want to sew at least half of this quilt top together.   The only other thing I think bake at this point is Apple Butter Bread from Sweet Pea's Kitchen but that's mostly since I just opened a big jar of the stuff when I didn't have any jelly for PBJ the other day, LOL.  I'm out of the notion of wanting to cook anyway short of something for supper.  I told Paul I would make some potato salad for the A game viewing I am invited to attend to go with the burgers he is going to grill.  I was talking with his mom (my neighbor) about the menu before I sat down to write this.  Paul gets the Alabama games on his sports package and invites 4 or 5 others to come watch it.

I know I am all over the map with this post.  I know what I meant even if I have you totally confused.  That's what kind of week it has been--don't know if I am coming or going!  Break over and back to the blocks as I replace one machine for another.   Then I MUST unload the dishwasher from two days ago and re-load.   No knives left in the silverware drawer, after all.

another week goes by...........

Here the machine sits, not even plugged in from last week's meeting day.  I only have to put on two side borders and this top would be/could be done.

The closest I came to doing anything quilty was draw up this block in EQ.  It is a block in the friendship quilt that my friend Veronica assembled and quilted for me that I particularly like--there are two identical blocks using this pattern in the quilt.

You see, I am going to a guild sew-in come mid-April.  An email was sent out saying we are to bring the two blocks to our next meeting.  Why so early, was not explained but whatever!  One is to be a 12 inch "male" themed block that will be pooled to make comfort quilts for the guys.   The other is a 6 inch Spring themed block.  We did something similar for the fall sew-in that many of us went too only it was fall themed blocks and QOV's for donation.  Some lucky duck(s) won the fall blocks.

SO I figure this block can work for both and printed off the two sizes to foundation piece them.  Oh, I could do it the standard piecing way--EQ does give rotary cutting instructions as you can see on my print out but that one shape almost needs a template to verify it is cut correctly.  Besides, I like to foundation piece.

About the only creative thing I have done lately is cook.  That is something that I seem to do precious little of.  Why bother for just me, too easy to throw a salad or sandwich together or grab something out.  You know all the excuses.  Saturday I spent a good bit of time in the kitchen figuring I would at least fix something good for Easter.  I made a half batch of blueberry congealed salad, prepped some asparagus and nuked it, made a batch of scalloped potatoes (they can be frozen--not quite as good but okay enough).   I put the pork tenderloin in the crockpot and sliced it up and ended up making a small batch of egg salad.  

Actually I decided to do a tenderloin instead of some ham expressly so I could make this Cubano sandwich.   Does that make it planned-overs??  Thin slices of pork, deli ham, swiss cheese, mustard, dill pickles slice on a ciabatta bun and grilled on the panini press.  YUMMO!   Last night the leftover asparagus wound up in a quiche. The rest (not the blueberry stuff though--ate most of that!) is in the freezer for down the line.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I took those pictures this morning before lunch intending to post then.  Oscar wanted to go to the back yard so I let him!  He was testing out the new bedding out in the dog house.  I had taken his old one to air the other day as it felt a bit damp. The next thing I knew, the side split out and huge clumps of stuffing were falling out on the patio.  I guess the extremes of hot and cold got to the fabric after two years.  I chased around yesterday tracking down a new one to put in there.  

That and 3 more bags of ant mound treatment where the main shopping .  I had already gone through what was left in the shed and 3 bags the day before.  I had spent two mornings this week treating every fire ant mound I had spotted, along the road, even some technically in the new neighbor's yard since Oscar heads that way when we walk.  40 lbs of the stuff and it had not looked all that bad yet.  I hate those things!

Today dawned and I was off to walk.  I have found by the pedometer app that 7 laps and walking TO and FROM the park via the trail access totals the same as doing 8 laps or close enough to it 2.2 miles.  Add another mile, mile and half to the days totals walking Oscar in the lane 4 times.  The parking lot is still not re-paved but most of the work must be done as only two pieces of heavy equipment are on the premises.  No one was operating it at 9 a.m. but maybe it has to settle a bit before they lay down the asphalt or something?  Word is, they hope to open the Community Center sometime in April so there were a few workmen around for that.  I heard a power saw going when I neared the building.  We'll see!

After lunch, ashamed of myself for being such a slug about sewing and with obliging dog outside, I went into the sewing room for a bit.  Skyler was happy that I let him sit in the open window.  I only had to chase him from the cutting/pressing area twice.


Borders are all on this one now------

 ..........and so you can see the fabric better, particularly the dot which is not really showing up above.  This is the one that Bev and I teemed up to assemble last week.

This next group of Ribbon Candy blocks was a team effort with Brenda and Lois.  I finished up one small section of the blocks halves on the lighter green one and joined the halves.  Then I cut the setting triangles and corner triangles using that same blue fabric.  It works better than what I originally thought I might use as Lois used more blue fabrics from the strips Beverly had left for us to use.   There is enough left of the blue dot and the blue to back each of the quilts so I set that aside.   I still need to cut binding for the two quilts but I'll wait till my new blades arrive to do that.  I was having to re-cut those "hairs" a bit too much with the one in the rotary cutter now.

Oscar is back in and keeping me company on the couch.  I may head back there to pull some fabric for those two blocks but I have a feeling I'm done for the day in the sewing department.   The top can wait till next Belles meeting anyway.

Tomorrow/late tonight we have been advised to be weather aware.  2-4 inches of rain and some possible tornadic activity or high wind speeds are possible.  I doubt that it will be too conducive to sewing but I wouldn't be able to hide back here for a couple of hours anyway if it is storming.  Oscar would most definitely be in and he hates wind, rain, lightning.  Lots of that high pitched whining.  We'll see what happens.

Lily did well with her surgery on Friday and may have even gotten to go home yesterday or today.  I have not heard from my sister, her Nana, for a couple days.  The tumor is out, all systems go.   Diane said Lily was playing games on her phone and didn't seem too uncomfortable.  Smiling.

Guess that's it for now----thanks for stopping by and I hope you are having a good day wherever you are.

this and that on a Monday

Around the house---

Oscar has been in and out all day today, walked three times as of this writing (4:30 pm).  1st trip was before I went to the park to do my 2.2 miles.  We'll go again about 6 and then it is the backyard should he indicate he needs out.  Of course, we go through the usual "Time for bed, Oscar.  Get in your bed."  and he interprets this as "go outside and bark", LOL.  BUT he usually will hop right into his crate when he comes back in to settle in for the night.

Meanwhile, Skyler has been napping in the back of the house this afternoon, other side of the gate.  I was busy with laundry this afternoon and assumed he was either sitting in the sewing room window though he cannot see out OR on my bed or window perch.   I was wrong!  This is a new one on me.  He only used the perch to get UP on the armoire and the stack of pinned quilts (3 are mine and they've been waiting for some time!)

He only used the perch to get UP on the armoire and the stack of pinned quilts (3 are mine and they've been waiting for some time!  One is Aline's.  3 are donation quilts and the one that Skyler is parked on is a personal quilt.  I see I missed grabbing one of my t-shirts for the wash too.)

No sewing since last Belles' day.  The closest I came to doing anything quilt related was cutting the setting and corner triangles, oversized.  The butterfly fabric is kind of growing on me but then I look at this each time I pass the master bedroom.

Oh, I think about sewing but walking in the sewing room to do it isn't happening again.  I didn't even unpack the machine from last Tuesday.  Probably going to Tuesday sewing so that part is handy, LOL.

Today, I ordered some cone thread for a couple of the Belles along with some marked down 40% Connecting Threads fabric ($3.96 or something a yard) that will work for a background on another of GE Designs projects.   If the order is $50 or over, no shipping so we have combined orders before.

 I also finally got around to packing up the used rotaty cutter blades for both the Belles and me personally.   I so rarely turn on the desktop anymore unless I need to print.  Today I did so I could send a note with the checks and then ran it into the post office.  L.P. Sharp does an exchange thing where you send in a minimum of 5 used blades and they send you brand new Olfa blades in their place.  They have recently increased their pricing but slightly.  The girls know to turn in their old ones for me to collect when they got a new one from me, reimbursing the treasury.

So what have I been doing?  Well, Friday and Saturday it was high school Basketball mania around here!  My nephew Teddy is a senior at LeRoy (IL) high school and is on the basketball team with a group of kids he has played ball with since 2nd or 3rd grade.  The Panthers had finally gotten passed the regional round on the 3rd try, I think that's right.  They won the sectional---they won their super sectional last Tuesday which makes them part of the Elite Eight and on to State.  Class 1A, the smallest enrollment schools.  Friday, they won the semi-final game beating Liberty by 16 but trust me, the other team pulled within 4 at one point.  So on to the finals!  They beat a tough Chicago St. Leo team by 3 points---and that game was tied up late in the game, exchanging shots.  It took a 3 point shot and a last second missed shot for them to emerge as the 1st place team.  Exciting, nerve wracking to watch.  Teddy is in the last row next to the assistant coach in the blue shirt.  I was able to watch the games, post game interviews and read the articles off Facebook links along with enjoy pictures my brother and other parents took and posted.  I paced, I told Oscar he had 5 minutes to walk as it was half time but by golly, the kids made history,  not only with their team getting passed regionals but going to State and then winning the whole enchilada!  The football team had done well this school year also---some of the guys played football as well--I believe they made it to the semi's?  Teddy had an injury then so his season was cut short.  Here is one Phil took after the medal and trophy presentation.

Sunday after all that excitement I read,  finished up one half done book, read another one through and started on a third till Skyler came and sat on my chest/belly again and I gave up.  It is hard to read a real book or use the Kindle app on the tablet with a cat inches from your face.  Unfortunately, I did not get really get to sleep till 4 a.m. new time ( I hate changing the stinkin' clocks!  pick a time and leave it there---sheesh)  I don't know what my problem was but I hope it does not recur tonight.  I crashed and burned till 8:30.

Guess that's about it for this installment.  It is just been errands, walking and more walking with the dog,  haircut, two showers (the 2nd one to get those itty bitty scratchy hairs off me) and laundry today.   THX for stopping by-------

Checking in

Oscar is being a good boy and cuddling up with his frog and napping.  We have already been on three walks today and he also logged some outside time so I could work on my quilt top.

Skyler, of course, wants my undivided attention since the dog is not around on the other side of the gate.   It was fine when he was in the window, like this.  Not fine is sitting on the pressing table while Kitty Mama has the iron in her hand.  He was also trying to burrow under it while I was trying to pin the rows together.  He was removed so the last joining seam could be completed in peace!

And, drumroll please, the No Bake Jolly Bar Quilt top is done!   Today's task was to join the rows on the bottom 5 and then join to the top half that was already completed.

For being touted as a quick and easy quilt I sure made it harder than it needed to be, LOL.  My sewing is a little less than stellar in a few spots, not nesting as well as I would like.  I re-tried it on two spots and since it didn't improve the situation much, I gave up.  I'm going with something my dear quilting friend Theramae used to say "it will quilt out".  

I did see a slight variation of the technique for this quilt yesterday.  There is a tutorial from Denise Russell of Pieced Brain for this.   It starts off the same and then she goes the "disappearing route".  I think she said this was a way to use some of the leftovers in HER version of No Bake Jolly Bar since you don't use the entire pack.  

What's next in the sewing department?  Back to the Ribbon Candy blocks and the two blocks I was stitching on when we packed up on sew day.  I hope to get a top done next week.  But first the machine needs de-linted, needle changed etc.   Bama Belles will be meeting this next week so I'll plan on sewing then.

What else?
Jane invited me to go to the Kiwanis Annual Pancake Breakfast this morning.  Her husband was out of town at a ham radio operators event so I was her "date".  I could have gone to Ashville today as she and Aline were off to their block of month deal at the quilt shop.  It would have been fun but I wanted to sew.

We had guild on Thursday but several of us met at a local Jacksonville restaurant as it was a friend of ours birthday.  Betsy the birthday girl got to pick the place.  It was a horrid rainy and cold day.  Gary said it was even snowing and sleeting as they left.  I just know that the thermometer in the car was reading 35-36 and there was little icy balls hitting the windshield.  Thankfully, better weather is back.  Those Bradford Pears will be open soon.  The forsythia is coming out on a couple neighborhood bushes.

Nothing much else going on here.  I've been trying to straighten up this house but just end up making more of a mess (sewing will do that!).  I'll wait till Oscar goes out to drag out the vacuum cleaner to avoid the barking and attack.   I made a batch of Sunday Eggs and Bacon (but used sausage) in my "new to me" casserole dish and took some over to my neighbor.  She sent me home with some vegetable soup as she had made too much.  Swapping food works!  I've got supper already made, right?

Till next time-------