August Already?

I know - I haven't blogged in forever. It is extremely hard to get a retired teacher to do anything in June, July and August. So I have been taking time off from blogging - it takes too much creativity and thought.
But I thought I'd let you know -

I look like this - I am very frazzled - as evidenced by my locking my keys in my car and missing my class reunion. Notice there is no cigarette with that cup of coffee. Another reason my lungs feel better and my nerves are shot!

Sitting at the sewing machine has become an obsession and I need to get out in the sun.....

It seems like yesterday I was out with Luci wishing it would warm up.

Well, it has warmed up - warmed up enough for the fleas to drive me and Luci crazy anyways.

She can't stay ahead of them no matter how high she jumps. If I don't get outside, the summer will be a short memory for me.
So Lily and I are heading for the lake in Michigan.

See you in September!!!!!!!

June Quilting

This blog is suppose to be about quilting. So I guess I should show you what me and my Singer have accomplished during June. I didn't compress the pictures so, Vicki, if you double-click on them you should be able to enlarge them for older eyes!!! LOL

This is my feeble attempt to teach myself how to do free motion stippling. I start kinda rough but then I can get into a rhythm and my stitches start getting more consistent. I know the quilt police won't come get my work but 100 years from now one of my great, great grandchildren may look at these and say - "Grandma Effie could have been a great quilter if she'd just practice on her machine more instead of watching reruns of NCIS and Law and Order!"

To make my stippling practice mean something, I made a two sided table topper. One side is traditional floral pattern - it's suppose to look like flowers through a black wrought iron fence??? -- and the other side is my hippie personality - batiks of beautiful colors and patterns with no particular pattern. Looking back, I think it is sad that I let the hippie movement pass me by. I couldn't let my hair grow, wear birkenstocks and not shave my legs. And God forbid someone ask me to give up hairspray and control top panty hose!!!!!

'

These are my two holiday wall hangings. Hope they show that I celebrate Mother's Day - I had beautiful sons instead of hanging out in Haight Asbury!!. And one can be Flag Day (so I can hang it in June) and Fourth of July. That gets me through to August when there are no holidays - just school starts again! Could I hang it for Labor Day????

In an earlier post, I showed my efforts to use up some scraps left over from earlier projects.

I have combined these efforts and have a quilt top for my bed. I can practice free motion quilting on it and when I sleep under it I will be reminded of the quilts I have made and the wonderful people I have given them to. Have you got your order in yet?

If you're having a bad day and the chocolate is all gone, call a friend!! Would love to hear from you!! Charlene

June is plants and good weather

June is almost gone and I'm just now getting to blog writing. Thanks to all those who said they had missed my comments. Summertime just must be enjoyed outside, not at a computer. And when I am at the computer, I have been downloading all my CDs to put on my phone. John is dragging me into the use of phones for more than talking. I didn't know they could do all this stuff like make your phone almost like an ipod and GPS on a phone makes you brave enough to go without worrying about getting lost!!!

I have been busy with different projects. I went to Louisville to get some wooden ladders that Larry B. had gotten for me. I have put all three to good use. I want to paint all three black and add some trim but so far I have only gotten one painted. As you can see, it may be awhile before I get them painted - at least the one that is supporting the tomatoes plants.

I would like to imagine I am in the tropics!!!

More later!!

Simplify. Slow down. Breathe deeply. Hide your to-do list. Sit still for ten minutes... and use this quiet time to thank God for your friends.

Charlene

I'm Back!

I'm back. When I looked at my blog, I couldn't believe it has been a month since I posted anything. I got busy. When you aren't smoking, you have to piddle. So I got to spring cleaning - and I mean extreme spring cleaning. Cleaning windows, taking down drapes, moving all the furniture, cleaning carpets, spackling nail holes, touch-up painting, planting flowers and tomatoes. I really thought I was either pregnant (I was nesting!) or getting ready to die (I have horrors of EMTs having to come into a nasty, upkept bedroom to pronounce me dead.) And, although I can wear maternity clothes very comfortably - and fill them out, I'm not pregnant. And, I'm still alive and kicking. So I guess it was just energy you get when your lungs can be filled with oxygen!!

You can see by the picture that the hobby room is organized! All the rulers had to be at the same height and I filled in all the nail holes I had left previously. And the material on the shelves is destined for new projects.

This is a quilt I am making for myself from scraps from all my projects so I can sleep under good memories of the people I made quilts for. It is ready to be quilted.

This is part of the quilt I am making for Annie and John. Eventually it will be a king-size quilt so it is being quilted as I go. And though it looks pinkish in the picture, it is beige.

This is another scrap quilt I am making out of two and a half inch squares. The quilt is called Chiclets - I found it on line.

So, for those of you who have let me know you are concerned, I am just fine. Walking Lucilu every morning - thank goodness warm weather is here finally. One of the sayings Vicki sent me recently said - "I like to walk because that's the only time I hear heavy breathing now." So true!

I have been doing the rounds of the doctors - each part of your body has a specialist to see about it. So far we have the heart - still more tests to do, the teeth, the feet, the boobs, the skin, the eyes, and parts unrecognizable!!! So far I'm just fine - "for a woman of a certain age"!!

Back to Quilting topics

Thought some of you might like to know what I have been working on since coming back from vacation. It was very nice seeing the children this weekend. And another advantage is that last week, I cleaned very thoroughly because you never know what they might get into. So now the apartment is clean and I can concentrate on sewing for awhile.

First, the important news, it has been over 5 weeks since I had a cigarette. I think that officially makes me a non-smoker. Now the only time I think of one is when I head to the bathroom. Okay, Cord, I know - TMI - too much information - but it's the truth. I thought my inaccuracy cutting material was due to the Chantix or just quitting but I finally decided it was the caffiene I was consuming. I was so jittery and that makes a difference when your whole quilt is made of 2.5" strips. So I quit the caffiene too - except for my 2 cups of coffee in the morning. Don't know if I could function without those. Morning coffee drinking has been with me since 1968 so I think I'll keep it for awhile. Would you believe I can remember my first cup of coffee!

Did I show this before? The colors are off - my editing I guess. It is actually fern green and taupe out of upholstery material. It was outside the bathroom of Cracker Barrel and we liked it so I took a picture to try to remember how to do it. Those black squares are roosters - there is no accounting for some peoples taste - ideas?? I would have used flowers but when I make one, I can embroider whatever I want.

Found this book on sale at Barnes and Noble the other day. Love the pictures of quilt blocks. I may never make a thing but they also gave you a cardboard template of the size of the block!

This is what I'm working on. A quilt that uses 2.5" strips to make 11 different 10.5" blocks to go together as a lap quilt. I am going to make 4 of everything and make a king size quilt. As I said, my cutting wasn't precise enough so maybe my blocks will be 10"! I'll have to make it up in the borders.

I finished my Mother's Day wallhanging and will be putting that up this week for May. Come back for pictures.

Emerson Turns 2!

This is Emerson Lane! She's hiding in the utility closet because she hates to have her picture taken!

This is Jacob Wilson - her big brother!

Saturday, I was fortunate enough to host Em's second birthday. One of my dreams came true - to have someone to make a Barbie Doll cake for just like Mother use to make.

Emerson gets excited about lots of things - her big brother dancing, her trip to the zoo, her trip for dinner to the top of the Radisson in Covington, her birthday presents, her Daddy's praise, her Mother's laugh, almost everything either excites or scares a two year old.

And my baby can't keep his eyes off his babies - unless he has missed his nap!!! Like mother, like son!



Have a good day,

Char

Easter and a Special Birthday

Easter means ham, sweet potatoes and Cordelia's birthday!!!! So Lily provided her with a rabbit birthday cake, the ham, the sweet potatoes, Cil brought salads, I brought beans and corn, Sam brought ambrosia; Ric, Haylee, Hannah, Drew, Dale and Cordelia provided good conversation. We had a wonderful Easter being together and celebrating with Cordelia.