Happy Easter!

GO BLUE!

R2RR #6

Here we have the latest installment.
Judy is really keeping it simple.
I'm pretty happy with my scrappy experiment so far.

Long arm woes

Lola has been acting up.
She's skipping stitches, breaking threads and being a generally naughty girl.
I don't remember an incident that would cause her injury.
Ugh.
I've sanded, rethreaded, lubricated, cleaned, blown and adjusted...
She's just in a mood.

On top of all this, I've been achy, clammy and headaching since Sunday.

This morning, I was lying in bed having a pity party and it hit me!
Would Deloa be going to NEQF?
If so, is Dave tagging along?
They would be riding right by here.
Could I get a Dave Jones spa treatment?

On the advice of my quilty friend Heidi, I called.
Deloa answered!
She thinks it will work out.

I'm not even going to try and fix it.
I'm just going to piece my brains out and let Dave deal with it.

I feel better just knowing I no longer have to frustrate myself with figuring it out.
And I will get my lights fixed and am researching a new foot for Lola, too!

Life is getting better!

Happy Birthday, Dad.

Where ever you are.
I hope it's a great day with LOTS OF YUMMY FOOD.

LOVE YA,
XO

Update...
I got home from errands and checked my email to find some great pics from Baby Bub of dad from back in his St Peters days.
Priceless!
I have the best family!

R2RR progress

So far, I'm keeping up.

Weekend update

Not much going on here except March madness.
Boring.

Last night, Murray, BB and I had dinner at Murray's new golf club.
The lobster bisque was delish...but too rich for my wimpy weight watcher tummy.
Poo!
I ordered fried haddock with sweet potato fries.
It was very good, but too big portion!
It's a nice place, if a bit stuffy.
But in continuing with my new outlook, I will keep trying to feel like I belong there.

It's sure nice having BB home for spring break.
In a way, I'm glad he nixed Punta Cana.
I'm sure the local dairy farmers appreciate it.
Every time I look at him, there is an empty glass of milk in front of him!

Singing a new tune

Guess who just got back today?
That brown eyed boy that's been away
Hasn't changed, Hasn't much to say
But man I love that cat like crazy!
Spread the word around.
Guess who's back in town?
The boy is back in town
Baby boy is back in town!

(I changed the lyrics a lil bit to suit my needs.
I don't think Thin Lizzy will mind, do you?)

I just love this kid!
I really miss him when he's gone.
And so does Alvin!
And Frannie, of course.

Puppy

I have decided to get a puppy when I get home from Kelly's wedding.
I shall get a Havanese.
A male.
I've been feeling bad for Frannie since Jimmy left for school.
She has no one to play with.
She looks sad.
She drops her ball next to Alvin....
Alvin is a cat.
I shall name him Emmett
Or Theodore
Or Rueben

Unless I change my mind and don't get a puppy at all.

R2RR

I started another project.
What is wrong with me?
I just can't stop myself.
It's called Road to Round Rock.
R2RR for short.
I saw this quilt along on Judy Laquideras blog and tried to resist.
From that day on, I would lie awake at night thinking of all the stash I could use up on it.
What colors?
Could it be made scrappier?
How would it look in batiks?
What's the harm if I finish the project with the group?

It's official.
I'm hopeless.
They should start a support group for chronic project starters.
(I wouldn't sign up. I may lack self control, but I'm not stupid)

Here's what I've got so far.

Another flimsy

Happy St. Paddy's Day

Tater and I headed up to Coleman's on Tipp Hill.
(Tater is Murray's Irish name)
Green beer, corned beef & cabbage....ahhh, yes.
The Wearin' O the Green!
'twas fun!

It's International Quilting Day

Breaking news....I finished a UFO.
Now there are 2 reasons to celebrate!

UFO is the Quilty F word.
A dirty word that no one likes to say or hear.

I've promised myself to get some UFOs finished this year.
This one is now officially a flimsy.
It's a D9 using some Moda/Barbara Brackman fabric I was given as a gift.

The reason it became a UFO is that I'm not wild about it.
If a quilt isn't brightly colored, it's rare that I like it.
And this has a smattering of bright colors through it, but not enough for my taste.
Not to mention, blue just isn't doing it for me these days.
I always like blue when i see it in other people's homes.
And I used to LOVE blue.
Blue bridesmaids dresses.
Blue paint on the walls.
Blue in my furniture.
Blue cars.
Blue jeans.
(Well, I still would like blue jeans but they don't fit like they used to.)
Bodies change.
Times change.
Tastes change.
C'est la vie!

I feel good that I have reduced my UFO shoebox collection by one.
And one day soon, I'll have another quilt for the gift/charity pile.

My 'flimsy hanger' is starting to sag.
That's ok...this mean lots of practice.

Pope

This is a hard one.
I've was raised Catholic by serious Catholics.
I still have a strong faith in God.
And I am full of hope for the future.

The church has suffered so much shame.
Our world is changing & the church is not moving forward.

Do we really need to have a room of tears and papal gowns?
Ruby slippers?
Pomp and circumstance?
Maybe we do.
These things are harmless rituals.
I see no need to deny these things to those who enjoy them.

Personally, I'd like to be able to BELIEVE IN THE CHURCH again.
I think what we really need is ACKNOWLEDGEMENT and REFORM.
Acknowledgement of deception, mistakes made and sins committed.
And real reform.
ACCOUNTABILITY for all actions, no matter who you are.
TRANSPARENCY.
In all areas, the truth.
FLEXIBILITY AND ACCEPTANCE.
Women's contributions recognized and esteemed.
SOCIAL ISSUES must be addressed & validated...from making restitution to kids who've been harmed by the church to mentoring underprivileged kids and aiding impoverished families.
Gays & lesbians welcomed.
Charity.
Forgiveness.
Kindness.
Love.

This is Christianity.
This is what I was taught is the foundation of the church.
Maybe Pope Francis has a similar vision?
That would be dynamite.
I'm hopeful.
Especially since today's dinner at my beloved Francis House was made for us by the Jesuits.

Flimsy

It was a good day in the studio.
More production than procrastination.
My niece put a funny on FB yesterday.
It said, "I got so much procrastinating done today."
I could really relate to that.
Monday. Monday.
But today was better.

Remember this?
The first picture....
I posted it in January.

It is now a flimsy and looks like the second picture.
90x90
Much better.

Lets see how long I procrastinate quilting it!
Bets, anyone?
More of me talking to myself.
Well, actually, one of my quilty friends actually read my blog today.
The poor dear.
I'm sure she's very afraid of me now.
Oh well, she'll soon figure out that I'm weird....but harmless.

Experiment Day 2

I find it hilarious that I am conducting an experiment.
Brings back memories of frogs floating in jars.
And notebooks
And singed eyebrows and a Bunson burner.
Do they even have Bunson burners these days?

As you can see, gravity worked pretty well.
altho, when you are 'in person', you can see that there is still more oil on the top of the cone.

I got through all this without the thread breaking.
So, the oil does help with breakage somewhat.

However, after some more sewing, it started to break again.
I have always had a theory that the heat generated by the needle is just too much stress on 100% cotton thread like this.
But that is just my theory.
Not founded in any fact, just some thoughts rattling around my cranium.
And when I loosened it up enough to stop the breaking, I had inconsistent stitches.
See those little blue mountains in my stitches?
Not good.

Oh well, it didn't cure my king tut problems, but I might just use it anyway.
If it keeps Lola-baby lubricated and the lint to a minimum, why not?
After I check tomorrow and make sure the oil doesn't seep onto my top.

Stay tuned.

UPDATE....
AFTER 2 days, there is no sign of oil on the top. 

And, I've also wrestled with the tension enough that thread doesn't break if I go SLOW.  

Experiment

Remember my post about the Sharon Shamber class?
She told us she dips her thread in mineral oil.
She said it helps with breakage and reduces lint.
Also, it will keep Lola lubricated.
So, I decided to give it a try.

I've missed King Tut thread, with his thick, delish colors dancing across my flimsies.
Lola and Tut do not play well together.
I think it's the whole royalty thing, which case I have to agree with her.
Lola & I are kindred spirits in so many ways.
Only she is not demented.
What is wrong with me that I cannot write a post without getting off on some imaginary tangents.
Bonkers, I tell you. Bonkers!

I chickened out and only dipped halfway down the cone.
I was afraid of over oiling...I'm already worried about it seeping from the thread to my flimsy.

More emotional instability on my part.
I like it in my little world...they know me here.
I'm very weird.
Especially about my thread.
OK...back to the experiment.

I'm counting on the law of gravity to evenly distribute the oil.

I'll let it sit overnight and try it out on a practice piece.
If this works, I'll be over the moon.

It's someone's birthday

(no title)

Today is Phil's birthday.
It's also Murray's birthday.
And Clive's, too.
They are all 57 years young.
Good grief, they are getting old.
All of them.

Ok...I'm done being silly.
For now.

My Murray has many things for which he should be grateful.

He has good health.
He still has BOTH of his parents.
He has all his teeth.
He has the 3 BEST kids on the planet & they love him dearly.
He has had much success in his career, and is still going strong.
He has golf and a new club membership.
He has 3 big televisions.
He has the YES network.
He has a NY address, which makes him official with the Yankees & Giants.
He has Frannie and Alvin.
He has hair on his head.
He has money in the bank.
He has a nice, fancy car. (too bad it stinks in the snow)
And, he has ME taking care of him.
What more could he want, really?

Yes, Murray, I hope you can find happiness and contentment in the coming year.
Cause you have much to happy and content about.

Happy Birthday, Murray!
I love ya!

Feather practice

They say practice makes perfect.
I'm not interested in perfect.
I will settle for decent.
I think I'm getting there.
Soon, I hope.

Virginia

“Faith is not the belief that God will do what you want. It is the belief that God will do what is right.” ― Max Lucado

My heart is aching for my old friend.
Her half sister has been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer.
Very terminal....like 3 months to live terminal.
She already lost her mom to cancer.
Her mom had a heart as big as the ocean.
I know she still misses her.
Heck, I still miss her.
I can't say I know Valerie too well.
I met her a few times, First Communion, wedding, parties.
She's famous....but I remember kindness, a quiet strength and a gentle spirit.
When I met her, I guess I was too young to be influenced by the celebrity.
I just remember thinking she was wonderful.
Just like my friend, Virginia.
I know she'll be ok.
She's always been a force.
A leader, a fighter, and faithful, too.
She has 2 great kids to lean on.
And her hubs, Jimmy.
I sent her a note that I'll be holding her up in prayer.
I bet all of our old St Catherine schoolgirls group are rolling their rosaries asking God to hold her tight.
I know many people love her.
I know she's getting lots of good prayers.
And I know God will help her through this.
But, heartache still sucks.
I love my sisters so much that I can't imagine saying goodbye to them.
I know she must feel the same way.
God bless you, Gin.

Pooh wisdom....

Sharon Shamber

I'm a lucky girl.
The day after getting home from Florida, I hopped in the car and drive to Johnstown.
For a class with the talented quilter, Sharon Shamber.

The class was organized by Sue.
I met Sue at Deloa Jones retreat a few years back.
Heidi, my Apqs friend from Albany, mentioned me to Sue as someone who might be interested.
I'm so grateful to Heidi.
She has really helped me get connected in the world of longarmers.

It was held in the cutest shop, Quilting in the Home. In Johnstown.
The owners were so gracious.
And I got a jumbo Best Press and a fabulous red backing fabric.
Yummy!

I ate Chinese for lunch and salad for dinner.
What a pig I made of myself.
I will be on starvation for the rest of the week to try to regain my healthy diet.
Sheesh!
I've got no will power, sometimes.

The class was basic feathers.
Sharon is famous for feathers.
She's won many best in show for her quilts.
She has many videos and her own LA related company.
She broke them down into segments which makes them easy to understand.
I love feathers.
I hope to one day be proficient at them.
Sharon says I can do it, but I need to practice.
That's what I plan to do this afternoon.
Load a practice piece and work on them.

Sharon also reads people's auras.
At first, this frightened me.
I'm such a guarded and private person in some areas of my life.
But when she read me, well, I didn't mind.
It was really fascinating.
Listening to her talk about colors and their meaning.
Everybody is supposed to have a little of each color, but the dominant ones say a lot about you.
Apparently, I'm mostly yellowy-gold and silver.
And silkie...which means I'm still working on myself.
And I have turquoise on the side.
And red.
I'm glad I have red...we all know I LOVE red.

There I go with the "we" thing again.
Do you think I am schizophrenic?
Maybe that's who I'm talking about?
My other egos?
My mind is wandering again....
It's a good thing this is written so I can look back to remember where I was when I veered off course.

Ok....focus.
She even talked about my kids.
Kelly...she said she was beautiful.
John...she said he was prophetic.
Jimmy...she said he was still immature and I need to let him go so he can grow. :-(
She said Phil has nice legs.
I have always liked his legs.
She said I should compete with my quilts.
She said I need to stop distracting myself and get to practicing so I can grow as an artist.
I wonder if I'm distracting myself right now?
She said I have the color sense and stamina for competition.
I don't know about that...we'll see, I guess.
Hmmmm....
Most of her stuff was spot on.
Except when she said I want to be famous.
I like being anonymous.

I'm off to load a piece and work on my skills.

I got this pic from Sue of the whole group of us.
Thanks Sue!

Florida 2013

Well, I had hoped to have a picture of my nephew with his 40th birthday quilt for this post.
Remember the blue and white one, that I over quilted?
I brought it with me...all bound and everything, which we all know is a miracle.
(Who do you think I'm referring to when I say 'we' since I have NO FOLLOWERS?)
I am clearly unstable...
Where was I?
Oh yeah...
Unfortunately, he was very busy at work and couldn't make it down to Port Charlotte while I was there.
Poo!
That's ok...I did have a great time.

I got to spend some alone time with my sister Patty.
Just the 2 of us, which was so lovely.
We're the sisters with kids, so we've not had that chance in a very long time.
I hope there will be much more of it in the future.

And I did some house hunting.
Nothing yet...stay tuned.

And the best part.....
2 days with....
The one and only....
Claire Ella.

And there were cupcakes...
Of course.

And the cutest of bathing beauties...

And Nana & Papa love...lots of it!

Edit....

And lookie what I just got in my inbox...a picture of my nephew Jim on the quilt.
Accompanied by her highness!
Awesome!