A No Sew Day

No sewing for me yesterday. I was in what my family refers to as "panic cleaning" mode yesterday as I had company coming for dinner. My husband and are were both adopted children and about ten years ago, we found his biological father. We only got to meet him once as he was living in Florida. He died about four months after we found him. Somewhat bittersweet, but Garry was glad he found him. The best part was that he found out he has a half-sister who lives about an hour from us here in Michigan. And, she's wonderful. Anyone who knows me at all knows that I'm very overprotective of my adopted daughter, Cindy. I've let her spend the weekend with my new SIL, Pam. That's a big thing for me. Anywho, Pam and her hubby came over and spent the day with us. My BFFL, is my kid says, Val and her hubby also came over for the day. Val's having her kitchen redone and can't cook, so I told them they can eat here til it's finished. They are family rather than company. It was a wonderful day. I grilled hamburgers and sausages, made salad, tater salad, fruit salad, jello whipped stuff, chips, dip, corn on the cob. Just a summertime meal. The company was wonderful and my new BIL told me it was "a meal fit for a king, and he was just my brother in law". What a nice compliment. The guys stayed in the house and we women wandered around outside looking at my flowers and mater plants and rasperries growing everywhere. Then we drug some lawn chairs under a tree and just sat and visited. It was so nice! Perfect day. Cindy loves Harry Potter and spent most of the day watching it in my sewing room. Cin did get a new top cut out to make. Best to do that with Val here because I do not sew clothes. Val does. I need to post a pic of Cindy's dress that she made. She got it done just in time to wear it on Father's Day. Garry thinks it is so cool that she loves sewing. I do too! I'm also grateful she has Val to help her with it....hehehheheeee
So, all in all....a no sew day.

If I were a carpenter....I'd file bankruptcy.....

...I'm building windows. Cathedral Windows, that is. And it's slow going. I don't mind that it's slow going, but it looks like I'm accomplishing nothing. Most of the time is spent cutting the squares and ironing/folding them the right way. The actual sewing time is really not much at all. I hear a lot of people who don't like the pressing/ironing, but I don't mind it at all. I added a couple more rows to it and here it is now.

I found a bag pattern in a magazine. I'd say which one, but I don't remember. So, I made a couple of them. This blue one is my second attempt. The pattern calls for using kitchen towels. I'm sure you've all seen the magazine by now. I tried the first one with just cotton and I like it but it's very flimsy. So, I tried this blue fabric and used a stablizer (?) and doubled the fabric over. I like it much better. It has body to it now. I might take the tan one apart and do the same to it. I did happen to pick up some lovely towels a few days ago and some more handles. I might have to do some more of these to break up the window building work. I also worked on my hand embroidery for a bit yesterday.

Kristie and I are having a bit of a competition to keep up with The Prolific Quilters who are in a serious competition. I think we may really just be encouraging each other to keep on keeping on..... Should be fun!

Hope everyone has a safe and happy Fourth of July! We'll be going to a big cookout later today. Another couple from our church family has a very big event every year. It's a great time and fun for young and old. Tomorrow, we have Garry's sister and her family coming for a cookout here. I've done nothing to prepare for it and won't be home most of today....oops! I'll get it all done tonight or in the morning. Nothing like failing to plan and working under pressure......hehehhehee

Jumping In....Head First....

Well, not to be left out of anything...I am in on the ticker tape sewing challenge. I set up a goal ticker over there. No. Over there on the right. Up. On the top. Yep, that's it. I'm actually only competing against myself, but I'm cool with that. I've set a goal of 70 hours for the month. I should be able to do that easily. I have my office in my home, so....I can sew when I want to some degree. The house will be a mess and no one will have clean clothes, but ... 'eh, what the heck, it's only for one month. They can put on a swim suit, or Heaven forbid, wash a load themselves. I'm figuring they can survive on hot dogs and chips. Hehehehee...who am I kidding. That would never work. Garry would have me committed to some mental institution. I'm way too OCD to be able to let that happen anyway. I'll make it, I can go without sleep...... Figure I can get some UFO's completed this month and work on my Cathedral Windows. It's currently 4 blocks by 4 blocks. Doesn't sound very big, put it's growing.......
I hope you all have a wonderful, safe Fourth of July. God Bless America!

Cathedral Windows

I've had lots and lots of questions about where does the fabric come from that you fold over the "window" piece. Well, I'm not a tutorial kinda person, but here goes. When you sew the two pieces folded fabric together you get two triangles that kind of flop there in the middle. When you lay them down they flatten into a diamond shape.


This is where you put your "window" fabric and batting piece if you choose to add batting. I did.



Your window fabric is slightly smaller than the area you are covering which gives you background fabric to curve fold over the window fabric like in the next pic with my short chubby little finger holding it....hehehehe
See the pic with the stilleto holding the fabic over the red window fabric? The fabric you use to fold over the window fabric just sort of automatically curves over the window fabric. I pin all four sides like that and then take a close look at the points of the window to make sure they line up with the window next to it. I think you are "suppose" to hand sew this down at this point, but I used what I think is a blind hem stitch and used the machine of course.

I know myself well enough that if I "had" to hand sew them all down, it wouldn't be this big ever. I need to work on keeping mine flatter when I pin them. I've noticed that if you don't, you have some puckeryness (like that's a real word, or like I spelled it right if it was). I have already figured out that it's easier for me to pin several windows and then sew the fabric over them all at once.

Hope this helps everyone that asked me about it. Again, Thank you for this tutorial for without it, I wouldn't have even attempted this quilt. Hers is a great tutorial! I loved how she suggested just cutting six pieces of background fabric in case you don't like making these. I didn't really understand how this worked when I decided to try it, but as I sewed the background fabric squares together, it started to make sense and her pics are great in that area. Anyone who tries this, let me know, I'd love to see pics of them!

Just like a bad penny...I always turn up again....

Hiya Everyone! I've been antisocial for a while, but I think it's over now. I have a dental work reprieve until August 11th. Yippeeee! So, anyone care what I've been up to? If so...here goes.....

Started working on this Cathedral Window Quilt last night. I've been looking at them for a while now and they really move me. I think they are amazing. I found this Tutorial and I'm sort of amazed at how much easier it is than I thought it would be. My hubby is over the top over it. He can't figure out how it's done, so he just keeps looking at it. Eventually I'll have to show him...maybe....well....we'll see.....
I've been outside A LOT. Planting flowers, weeding garden, built a thing for my cucumbers to grow up so they wouldn't spread all over the ground. Just a couple of poles and some fencing but it'll work. It's the same thing I've used in the past but can never find it the following year, so I make a new one. Hmmmmm....
Raspberries are doing very well this year. I put these in about five years ago and up until this year there have really never been enough to even make a cobbler. Now they are everywhere. The birds have managed to spread them all over the property. I can live with that. They are so sweet and I'm excited to have so many finally.
I am giving hand embroidery a try, also. I found a series of "Cabin" patterns online, so I drew one out on a piece of white fabric and picked up a cheap package of embroidery floss and this is what I have so far. I like doing it, which surpised me. It's kinda relaxing to do while I sit in the same room as the rest of the family. I'm usually in the other room and never really hang out with them. Watching tv makes me nervous. Like when you go on vacation and just know that you've left the coffee pot on or the iron plugged in. Know what I mean? I don't like that feeling so I avoid watching tv unless I have something else I can do at the same time. I think it's why I've always crocheted.
Ok...the rest of the pics are flowers and plants that I've been busy with. If that doesn't thrill ya....the fun is over for YOU! Heheheheh....
These "hens and chicks" are from a friend. She was kind enough to give me some after a bridal shower she hosted at her home last Saturday. She has a master garden degree (I know nothing when it comes to this) and her gardens are amazing. I had so much fun wandering about in them. Thanks, Phyllis! I spread them out in different flower beds and kept some in a pot to bring in for the winter. These always remind me of my Grams and bring a smile to my face. Hope she knows how much I miss her. This is my Clematis. It's just growing in leaps and bounds this year. We've had so much rain. I think that's helped with everything. The hostas is about to bloom. Actually all of them are, but I think this is the biggest one I've ever seen. And last, but certainly not least, my lillies have just started to bloom. Garry (hubby) planted these all by himself. Funny story, he planted them all upside down and I had to make him dig them all back up and replant them. He thought the roots coming out of them were the plant growing. I've hooted on him pretty bad about it over the years, but he's so proud of all of them now.
And...just for fun and because I don't like him much, here is my big bird, Purdue, after his bath. Somehow, I just feel better knowing how much he hates getting a bath. If he would only stop the screaming! He's happier now, since he's living outside on the deck. I think he happier with all the activity to keep him entertained. The dogs, humming birds, and us give him something to watch. Boredom makes him scream. Maybe he needs his own tv and a subscription to the animal planet?
Last, but certainly not least, I want to give my condolences to Jill (Bratgirl) and Moneik (The Bride). I know the competition hasn't started yet Ladies, but, really it's over before it begins. Jen (and thanks Cindy, too) is gonna kick some Quilter Butt in July. I've got faith in ya, Jen! So...I'll just leave you with this....

Bad Blogger Alert!

I'm a bad blogger. I haven't posted in ages, it seems. Some of you wonderful people have emailed me wondering where I am. I'm here and I look like this:

Having some dental work done. Ok...lots of dental work. I'm not a happy camper. I have been doing some sewing. It keeps my mind off the misery some. Bear with me. I'll be around, but I'm just not very social right now. How can something so small as a tooth cause such misery and pain? Ok, enough of my whinning. Gotta take the kid to drivers ed and then ... who knows? Later!

Wanna look around where I live?

Ok...if you want to, I'll show ya around. Not too exciting really, but I'm bored and lazy today.
So here goes. My driveway is lined with Silver Maple Trees on both sides all the way to the house. I love these trees. I love most trees.
These are the trees on both sides. Pretty dreary here today. No sunshine, but lots of Severe Thunderstorm Warnings.
This is one of my favorite trees on the property. I have several acres with woods on two sides. This is a very old Shag Bark Hickory. This pic doesn't do it justice. It's so rough and yet somehow majestic in its size. Can you see the rope swing hanging from it? It's on the right side of the trunk of the tree hanging from one of the branches. Hard to spot in the pic. The smaller pic is of several more Shag Barks.
I did get all my mater plants in this week. I cut back this year by a lot. I only put in 48 mater plants this year. Half are romas and half are a local hybrid called Brandywine. Looking forward to fresh tomatoes. I usually can about 180 qts a year. Last year I had a lot of extra, so I made and canned salsa. I have some bell pepper plants and some cucumber plants to get in yet, but no hurry here in Michigan, yet. We had frost last week.

See that fancy tomato cage there? I made those. First year I lived here, I found a roll of fencing in the barn and thought....I can do something with that. So, I stole...uhmmmmm....I mean I borrowed Garrys recipocating (sp?) saw and cut the fencing up and then rolled it and made cages. He thought it was great until he got a look at his saw. I hurt it. OOppppsss.....Sorry, Garry!

Hostas are looking good and I think the Peony bush will have to be moved soon. It's outgrowing this spot. I don't want it near the house because they draw ants so bad, but I love to see it bloom.

This is the only quilty thing I've done all week. Spend some time at the dentist last week and I'll just leave it at "I hate this dental stuff". I've had a fever off and on all week, swollen face, bruised cheek bone. I had TWO AND ONE HALF HOURS OF DRILLING done. During a short break in the drilling I did ask my dentist, Dale, if he'd struck oil yet? I'm getting a bridge. I go back next Tuesday. If it didn't still hurt this badly, I'd cancel it. Anyway...have a wonderful weekend. My daughter starts driver's ed next week....pray for all of us here.....ahahahhhaha (insert evil laugh here)
I need this link on another computer that I don't have my email set up on. This is easier than setting it up, so, I'm leaving it here for myself. Odd, huh? Gracie Bag Tutorial