Vote!

I know life is busy for everyone, but RUN to the voting booth and VOTE! Get out there! Vote! Be a part of your own future! And...the other benefit? I'm hoping this end the mailers, commercials, recorded phone messages, etc.! Yay!

On the quilty front....making bags. And more bags. And a few more bags. My friend Vals' Mother is not well and needs some crafty person to take one of her tables at an upcoming craft show. Sew...I'm making bags of all sizes, shapes and colors. Hope I have enough to fill a table. I still have about 10 days to make more, but I am going to the cabin this weekend. With my husband. Just the two of us. I wonder if we still have anything to talk about. Or anything in common. We don't spend time alone together anymore. Looking forward to it. Wooohooooo!

And...I'm gone. Groomer coming today to make the babies look all pretty for winter. Happy Voting Day!

Cellar Dweller.....

That's me. Back in the sewing room, downstairs. I love my sewing room. The entire basement. 1500 square feet of stuff. MY stuff. Sew, I've been sewing the last couple of days. Last week was a busy week! Senior pics for Cindy, helped Val with a Breast Cancer event at the Township Hall. Made quilt blocks, to sell, for a Memorial Quilt and a Survivor Quilt. Craft Day at our church was Saturday and we tested some quiche recipes for our annual Ladies Day at church on the 23rd. Val and I are cooking brunch this year. Should be fun! I love cooking with Val and I think we've found the perfect recipe made in a Pampered Chef Muffin stone. They looked so nice and tasted great! Yay! And now....here's pics...cause isn't that really what it's all about!

Stitchin' Away.....

Sewing is happening here in Casa One I! Working on these....
I decided to try something new! Quilting using one of those plastic design template things. I have no idea of the actual name for them, so that's what I call 'em. It's time consuming, but I'm enjoying the process. I have a lot of flowers to go though.
I've had these blocks made for a couple of years now and since seeing Patti's completed quilt in the same fabrics and pattern, I've been inspired to get mine put together! Thanks for the inspiration, Patti!

And now....back to the flowers!

GO! Giveaway!

Now...who wouldn't want one of these AND three dies? Well....I do! GO! here and enter for a chance to win! Wooohooooo! By they way, this blogger has some great fabrics in her store and great prices to match! Check that out, too, as long as you're there. I mean, don't we all NEED more fabric?

Still no clever title......but pics!

Working on this project today......
Bought a little fabric last week while at the cabin......the bottom fabrics are Garry's dirtbike fabric that HE picked out himself (can you hear me giggling?)
Hand quilting this smaller pinwheel top. Very relaxing.....
Picked up this UBER CUTE pattern....
That's all the news, that is the news...... Anyone remember where that line came from????

Insert Clever Title Here

because I don't have one. I've been at the cabin for the past week, doing....uhmmm...nothing! Yep, nothing at all. Wandering about the woods, down to the river, went to a couple of quilt shops and to the movies. Funny story, Garry actually found some more of the dirt bike fabric that I got one panel of last year. He bought several yards and some matching border print. It was entertaining watching him search for fabric. Wonder if he'll catch the bug now....ha! Cooked some, slept a lot, ate too much. Garrys' buddies came up Friday night, so they went dirtbiking on Saturday and Sunday. It was a great week except that it ended too soon.

And...here's a great idea! Stop by this blog where there is a great giveaway going on. It's a great blog without the giveaway, but as long as you're there, do ahead and enter! But....I'm hoping to win that fabric!

Maybe there will be some sewing at some point this week. Lot's of laundry to catch up on, lunch with a friend on Thursday....you know....stuff! And...the kid....started her senior year today. This is it! Last year of High School! Wooohoooo! Hope I can survive it....LOL!

There is another Go! Giveaway....

You probably don't want to enter this, because I really want to win it, but if you must....GO! see Sherri! Ok...you getter GO! GO! GO! Now! It's GO!ing to be cool to own one of these cool fabric cutters and dies! Wooohoooo!!!!

I got a box in the mail.....

from the talented Brenda! I won her giveaway a while back and I feel like I struck gold! Thank you so much, Brenda! I'm beyond thrilled with this fabric and the books rock!
Just because everyone likes pics...I'll add a few more!



Not really that exciting. Got all the units made for the pattern on Amy's page that I told you about last time. Big stack of hexies for my Grandmothers' Flower Garden. And on it goes! I'm off to the sewing room and laundry is calling my name! Later ya'll!

The last month...in pictures

My last month in pictures....
Mio, MI Amish Relief Auction, field of sunflowers, Amish woman who was working on this loom......you get the picture (pun intended) and working on a few projects, one is just cleaning out my scraps and the other is a pattern posted by Amy called Steppin Out. The pattern is in her sidebar! Thanks, Amy! Well, well, well....blogger has decided I have enough pics in this post and won't let me post any more. I guess you'll have to wait to see any projects.....am I building suspense for my scrap usage? LOL! Don't get too excited...they are just scrap squares after all!

Still around...

I haven't fallen off the face of the earth. Enjoying the summer. A lot. We've been spending a lot of time at the cabin. I'm still sewing. Still reading all your blogs. I'll have pics at some point. Hope you are all enjoying your summer, too!

Just a quick one....

Mostly pics! What I did on my summer vacation! Ha!



Hope you are all enjoying your summer, too! And now....back to the sewing!

New Bags....

Sew....Moneik posted a new bag on her blog last Saturday and, of course, I just had to have this pattern. I made two so far, but I love this one! Lots of pockets and it zips closed. I liked some other bag patterns, but none of them actually closed. I don't like my purse left hanging open, so having one with a zipper ... well....it just rocks! The second one I made, I finished in under three hours and that's while I was watching General Hospital....giggle! Actually, I don't watch them, but I turn the tv on just for the noise when I'm sewing. Anywho, thanks Moneik for letting me know about this pattern. I love, love, love it! I'm making a trip for more zippers tomorrow! Wooohooo!

Oh! I suppose I should mention that it's a Lazy Girl pattern, Margo! I love Margo! Heheheheee

Hey...YOU! Could you do me a favor?

Cre8tive friend, Jen, has a quilt in a contest. It's a bomb-diggity quilt, too! Go to her blog HERE and check it out. I'd appreciate it! She's kinda like a cool person and all. I sorta think she's ... you know...."special". Ok...seriously, this Chickie has done a whole lot for me in the quilty world of it all and I'd love to be able to help her out with this. It's a very cool quilt. Just go look...and vote! (pweeze?)

P.S. Jen doesn't know I'm posting this, so don't tell her, k? (giggle)

Cell phone pic....best I've got right now....

Nice, huh? Ok...I'm talking about that wonderful pic. Didn't crop it. Just posted it like it was. I'm lazy. It's hot. Heat makes me even lazier! But I love making these blocks!
Due to high temps and the fact that I own a Heating and Cooling Company, no cabin for us this week. We'll survive....and perhaps even be able to put a dollar in the bank! Wooohoooo! That means no complaining about being home this week. Like most of us, if we don't work, we don't get to play, so I'm just choosing to be thrilled that the phone is ringing!
Stay cool, Ya'll.....

A no pic post...ughhhh

Happy 4th of July!

Got home from the cabin a bit later than planned last week. The plan was to come home on Monday night, but I ended up staying until Friday night. Garry and some of his friends came up while Patti and I were there, so Patti rode home with one of them and Garry, Cindy and I just stayed the rest of the week. Got some flood lights up that have been sitting up there forever. I found an Amish/Menonite bulk food store and bought too much there. They had fresh butter and it was good. I hear other women complain about "retaining water" but....I am retaining butter! Found some really really good corn on the cob, cantelope, and a few other goodies. I ate corn and cantelope for four days straight. I just couldn't get enough. Patti and I worked on some disappearing 9 patch blocks. Patti and I also found an amish footwear and fabric store. I didn't buy anything because most of it was at least 65% polyester. They did have some other notions at great prices so I got a few of those. It really was a great week. Relaxed beyond all belief at this point.

I spent yesterday with Val. Our hubbys went to an outdoor Motocross race. Yay! We met at Curves, worked out, went to Joann's, out to Applebees for lunch and then we sewed until about 5:30. I was on a mission at Joann's. I've been seeing Eleanor Burns' new pattern, Day and Night, everywhere I looked. I bought the book/pattern/template a week or so ago and wanted to pick up fabric to make one. I stuck with the color scheme she has on the front of the book, red, black, white. I only got two blocks made yesterday, but I'm in love! What a great pattern! I would post a pic, but I left my camera on the table at the cabin. Oops!

Plan to head back up to the cabin again this week. We were going to head back up tonight, but it's hot as blazes outside. No air conditioning in the cabin and it would be miserable. So....holding plans loosely...as they say. We'll go when we think it's a good time to go. Maybe Wednesday.....we'll see. In the meantime, I'll be making Day and Night blocks. Woooohooooo!

Summertime ...Yay!

Not much sewing going on this past week, but the garden is in! Maters, 42 plants, which means lots of canning later on. A few green beans, green pepper and cucumber plants. My garden is inside the fenced in dogs area. Four dogs and the rabbits are still managing to eat some plants. They chewed my green beans down to nubs. Last night we decided to use some chicken wire and add another fence around the garden. Those darn bunnies! So cute, but...I am not planting for them!

Had dinner at Val's house Friday night. Great dinner. Had lunch at Val's house after church yesterday. Great lunch. She loves to feed people! I'm so glad...giggle! Went shopping with Patti and Cindy on Saturday. Had to get the perfect gift for Garry. Yep...Home Depot gift card. Hadn't been to church in a while with all the going up north and stuff, so it was great to go yesterday.

Heading downstairs to attack Mt. Laundry today. Feels like a Beatles day, so maybe that will keep me moving! Plan to do some sewing between loads. Patti and I are heading to the cabin on Thursday when she gets out of work and coming back Monday evening. I need to get those curtains done for the cabin! Also, want to work on my paper pieced log cabin blocks. Looking forward to Thursday! wooohooo!

Hope you all have a wonderful week! Special hugs to the wonderful Jen!

It's officially a top!

Yep. It's a quilt top. Hope to pick up a backing this week and get 'er quilted.
Fair warning. The pic below is not a pretty picture. It shows the side effects of double hour glass fever. Passing out under a chair is to be expected at some point. Have a friend handy to help ya up! Giggle!

The Madness Continues.....

Patti is copying me! LOL! She's got "double hour glass fever", too!

And mine....sew it grows..... and now...back to it!

I'm begging....

This is for all you wonderfully talented, creative, inspiring blogging quilters out there in Blog Land! I'm begging you to stop posting tutorials, cute patterns, cute quilts, and all the other wonderful crafty stuff you do. I'm drowning in all of it. Now, I only want you to stop for a short time. Just until I try every one of those cute patterns, tutorials, etc. I'm doing my absolute best to start each and every one of them I find! I don't seem to be able to finish any, due to finding another one and immediately starting another one. Ok. I'm re-thinking this. Go ahead. I've got stash. I can do them all. Sure I can. Post away! heheheheeee!

So. Here's today newest one. Allison at Cluck Cluck Sew has this great tutorial on double hour glass blocks. I love it! I did want to use a specific size strip for mine so some math was required. It came out great though. Here's how far I've gotten on this adventure.
Craft day at church is this Saturday, and I'm going to try to go this time. I missed the last couple and I really miss those women. I want to work on my paper pieced log cabin blocks, but I didn't have an acrylic table for my smaller machine. I was talking to a friend about getting some foam and making a portable table to use. My dear husband decided he could make me one. Off to the plastic place he flew! And now, for a really cheap price, I have a portable table. Wanna see?

I love love love love the fact that my husband is handy. There's nothing he won't attack and figure out and then make. I love lighthouses and several years ago he built me a 6 foot wind chime light house for outside. He used copper pipe of different sizes for the chimes. Unfortunately, it weighted a ton and finally, after several years, it broke. But, it's repairable and boy was it cool. So...I am heading back to the many projects I have started......oh man.....

Same pattern....different fabric

I did the same thing when I found the Bento Box pattern. Made it over and over and over and over again. Now, it's the pattern from my last post. I'm in love with this pattern. The most lovely young lady from church and her adorable hubby are expecting a baby in August and the shower is the end of July. She's doing her nursery in blue and brown. I hope this will be the perfect gift for the new baby boy! And now...back to the sewing...

Moda Bake Shop Pattern

I saw this pattern on the Moda Bake Shop site and just fell in love with it. I've been hording some fabrics forever and decided....what the heck! Let's cut those up now! So..cut them up I did. I really like this pattern...sew easy! Lousy pic since I used my phone! It looks so much better in person!

Also, the Cre8tive Jen is hosting a HST swap. Stop by and look it over. It might be something that would interest YOU! I'm in and plan to start making mine tomorrow! Should be fun!

Snow? Michigan? In June?

Ok...not real snow, but there are snowballs everywhere! When Garry had the cabin full of stuff last week and I couldn't make curtains, I HAD to do something and I didn't have a lot of fabric with me. This is what I came up with to pass the time. I made a lot of snowballs. A LOT! Now, to get them all put together. I kinda like it! Garry is working today. Cindy is going to the opera with Val. I'd sooner eat a bug as to go to the opera, but to each his own. They are seeing Phantom of the Opera. I think it's at MSU. I'm going to do some laundry and keep thowing snowballs at my machine. Sounds like a perfect Saturday to me! Hope you all are staying cool and enjoying a great weekend, too!

Home again....

Yep. Home, again. I really didn't want to leave the cabin yesterday, but the real world was calling and I had to come home. Garry got the shower installed. It's only been sitting there in the cabin for about 8 years. That's right, I said 8 years. It may be 10 years, but I'm giving him that one. I mean, after that long, what's two more years? Ha! When I say we have a cabin, I do mean cabin. We have 10 acres and it sits on the AuSable River. Garry's Grandparents bought it before he was born. They paid 10 bucks an acre back then. It's only two rooms and the bath. The main cabin area, the larger room, has two beds, the kitchen, and old fuel oil heater, a kitchen table. The front room is mostly windows and although it's not a porch, we refer to it as the porch. There is another bed in there, couch, tv, wardrobe. I love it up there. It's in the middle of nowhere, on a dead end two track road. It's not that far from the town, but it feels like it is. I sewed while Garry worked on the shower. My plan was to make some new curtains for the cabin, but he had all that area full of tools, the toilet, the sink, the door....you know. Stuff! I figured it best for me to just stay out of the way if I actually wanted it finished. On Sunday night a couple of guy friends showed up. Ben, from church, and Pat, who I refer to as my Husband # 2. He and Garry have been friends forever and he's one of the best people I have ever known. They rode dirtbikes Monday and Tuesday, so I had peace and quiet for two days. I cleaned. And cleaned some more. I stopped going to the cabin about 5 or 6 years ago, so it hadn't been really cleaned in a long time. It's much better now. So..I took some pics.....My weekend in photos.....
My sewing area!

The cabin....



1 and 2 cut down a tree that was half dead. It was close to the cabin and in the fenced in area we have for the dogs.

Twas a great weekend. I can't wait to get rid of those green curtains. Next trip up there....

Taking off again......

I'm off to the cabin, where there is no internet access, so I thought I'd drop a line and wish you all a safe and happy holiday weekend.

It's a great time to remember those who have given so much for our freedoms. We should remember them every day.

Weekends end just too fast!

Patti and I went to the cabin this past weekend. Just a little three day trip to sew! We did pretty good on getting things accomplished and had a lot of fun! Too bad it all ends too soon. We drove up on Thursday night and back on Sunday evening. Here are some pics from the trip....
We had great weather.....

Patti worked hard on a "kit" we both made up for retreat and didn't get to then. I worked on mine, too!

This is mine...all laid out

A couple of weeks ago my friend, Sharon, came over because I have a frame and machine on it, but I just couldn't get it to work right. I finally got frustrated and gave up, so it's been sitting there for two years ... doing nuttin! Now, it's working great! I finished this quilt on it and had no problems at all. Maybe, she fixed me and not the machine...but "whatever"! I'm just happy that I can use it now!


Heading back up to the cabin for a long holiday weekend. I'm going to make some new curtains for the cabin while I'm there. Garry will be doing some riding and working on hooking the new shower up there. That's all the news... Hope you all had as good a weekend as I did.