UFO finished!

This morning I got up early with lots of energy to get things done. I made my coffee and sat down to check email and the power went out. I waited a few minutes hoping it was just a short outage but not today.

Since I was still in my PJs I quickly got dressed to stay warm. Still no power. So to stay warm and get something done, I grabbed my 2011 Sampler to work on the binding. I had been working on it before I left for the retreat and forgot how close I was to finishing. A few minutes later it was finished, and still no power.

I got out a book to read but had gotten a headache from the low light while sewing so changed my mind. I did a little bit of dusting and looked through some papers and did some filing. I was getting colder and colder and was thinking of going back to bed when the power came on…. Work time.

Web pages updated, UFO, Retreat and BOM.     Relay too!

Sew what?

Since I’m not doing what I intended to do this week, the wedding dress, I am catching up on some UFOs. I created four little (and not so little) quilts at the retreat, and today I finished them. I added borders to one, and finished the backings for all of them. I am sending them to Wilford Hall Medical Center.

I also finished two other UFOs, they needed borders and backing. They are finished and need to be taken to the quilter’s soon. That means I have four, or is it five, that need a quilter’s magic!

And speaking of quilters, I got all the ones that were out to be quilted back and the bindings are on all of them, by machine at least. I think I need to do some hand work.

Tuesday Task continued

Well I hemmed the inner most lining, but the more I thought about it the less I wanted to go any further. I really am afraid that the bride has shrunk too much for this dress, and I know that I can not take it in AND I know that altering it will cost her more than she paid for the dress. SO… I asked her to give me some time next time she’s in town and we will try the dress on again and see what it looks like.

So I hung the dress back on the hanger, put it in the plastic wrap and hung it up.
And moved on to another UFO.

Tuesday’s Task

I don’t have a design wall and I didn’t do any sewing yesterday at all, so today I am showing my Tuesday’s task…. Which may very well turn into Wednesday’s and Thursday’s and Friday’s and so on and so on… hemming the wedding dress.

I am greatly concerned that more than just hemming will need to be done, the bride has lost a lot of weight. Yes, women want to lose weight, but when you have the perfectly fitting wedding dress you can’t afford to lose any weight. And taking this dress in will cost the bride more than she paid for it since she got such a deal on the dress to start with.

So don’t look for many quilty posts from me this week, I am working on the dress and doing NOTHING else until it is finished…. Although, I might just pin the hem, and have her try the dress on again… I truly am terrified that it won’t fit her anymore and that more than just hemming will have to be done. I think I might have to make straps for this strapless gown so it stays on her until the appropriate time on her wedding day.

More on facebook…

Oh the advice people have given me since I quit, LOL! Thanks everyone, but I am done with it. Several people said that I should have changed my privacy settings. My settings were as private as I could make them. Some people said I should have gone no email. I was on no email, but still got the smutty emails supposedly sent through facebook as well as friend requests and too many gaming and such requests.

I think what disturbed me the most about facebook, except for the smutty emails… that people wrote on my wall. I don’t like people writing on my walls, ask my sons. They always liked to smack the wall above the door jams when they walked through, proving their height (taller than Mom) and that left fingerprints. Now if I don’t like finger prints, why would I want people to write on my wall.


Another thing about facebook that bothered me, people who wanted to be my friend. I don’t have as many friends in real life as those who wanted to be my friends on facebook. Don’t get me wrong, I have many MANY dear friends… but there were people who wanted to be my friend who I’d never met, never had any intention of meeting either. Just because you read my blog or visited my web site doesn’t make you my friend. Just because we happened to live on the same planet at the same time doesn't make you my friend either.


And when the national news asks people to comment on a story on face book, or some advertiser asks us to “like” them on facebook… no thank you. I think facebook is just another name for Big Brother… the one we worried about in the past that is now real… I think he asked me to be his friend on facebook


Yes I know ALL my information is still on there and I can easily go back. The joke is on them, I didn’t put anything on there that people didn’t already know about me. I’m a wife and a mother, I am a quilter and I am a Relayer. I reveal enough about my life on this blog and didn’t need to repeat it on there.


I am done with it, so please, no more advice on what I should have done, or what I could have done, and pleeeez don’t tell me what I am missing… I am not missing anything, my life is full enough without facebook!

I quit!

Yep, I just quit Facebook. Why? One more smutty email from a friend, this time it was Candy. Candy always sends me neat jokes, fun sites to visit, and beautiful pictures to look at. I trust Candy with my life, so I didn’t think twice when I got an email from her through Facebook that said look at this, you won’t believe it…. Well I looked and no I don’t believe it. I can’t believe that people are that sick. So I went in and deactivated my account, put in the password, confirmed the messed up words, confirmed them again since I could hardly read the first one, and then finally was through. Now I can honestly delete any emails that come through Facebook because I don’t belong any more… now know that when I click a link a friend sends me, it will truly be from my friends… not that facebook trash.

PS, yes I know Candy didn't send me that email, nor did Bonnie send me the pic of her cute little.... or Suzi send me the pcitures of... which is why I quit. People I was "friends of" sent me the smut, through facebook, or so it seemed, and I know not one of my true life friends sent me any such email!

Five for $10

Scrappy Pattern Special FIVE scrappy patterns for sale to benefit Relay For Life Make a $10 donation on my Relay For Life web page and I will mail you FIVE scrappy patterns. Just put Scrappy Patterns in the "Name as you would like it to appear on the web site" section and I will stick your patterns in the mail the next day! Patterns are Crooked Stars, Nine Patch Variation, Simply Squares, Speedy Strips and Scrappy GridlockThanks, together we will beat cancer!

Washing fabric

I am finally getting ALL of my unpacking done from the retreat, which right now seems like it was a year ago. I can’t believe what a busy week I have had. The only thing left to put away is the fabric I bought while up there.

I ALWAYS prewash my fabrics and always will. I have a wall hanging made from scraps which were not prewashed and the red ran. I also have a quilt which was given to me by a friend which had unwashed fabrics in it. When it was washed some shrank and others did not and it pulled apart many of the seams.

The majority of the fabrics I am washing now are reds and they made the wash water a pretty shade of pink. Funny thing about all those reds, I was trying to match or come close to a Moda marble I had and had to buy other reds because I could not match that one. After I got home, I found in the summer sewing room, aka the office, two whole yards of the red I was looking for… apparently I had more of it than I thought I did. Oh well… I like reds, and they will make some great stars!


PS when the fabric is dry, folded and put away, the Spring Retreat will be officially over….sigh… what a great retreat it was.

Just one star

I’m sure some of you have heard about this but I wanted to make sure EVERYONE has heard about it. Just like with Relay For Life and one dollar making a difference, in this case it is just one star.

Please read and if it is in your heart, please make a star.

The men and women who are serving our country are doing it for us. They may not agree to where they are sent or the reason, but they are there to assure the freedom of choice, something we in the US take for granted. Imagine not being able to vote or complain about your political leaders. Imagine not being able to attend the church of your choice or even worship. Imagine not being able to attend school but being forced to serve in the military instead. Imagine being shot for speaking your opinion.

End of lecture, now go make a star, please.

51% of Americans are on Facebook?

According to the evening news, which I happened to stop on while channel hopping looking for weather just now, 51% of American’s are on Facebook. That alone is enough to make me want to quit, I have never been in the majority. Besides, I have issues with Facebook… and I seem to be the only one. I get more junk mail from Facebook then I do from foreign orphans looking for money and lawyers trying to give me some. I get emails from my “friends” asking me to visit their web sites… sites I know darn well don’t belong to any friends of mine, and more recently I have people who want date me. Don’t those people know I’m a happily married overweight old lady?

So why am I on Facebook? Darn if I know.

Cancer sucks!

So this afternoon I was checking on some people I hadn’t heard from in a while, something I do once in a while when work is getting overwhelming and I need a break. I heard back from one lady almost right away, she is now a full time baby sitter for her 4 month old granddaughter, and having fun at it.

Another lady I heard back from fairly quickly also and this was her reply…
“Sorry been battling cancer”
I HATE hearing that. Cancer sucks!
I’ve added you to my Why I Relay list and my prayer list too.

Spring?

These photos show spring, but they don’t show the temperature. After mid 60s last week and one day that was even over 70, this week we are back in the low to mid 40s and the weather man even had the nerve to say we might get flurries on Sunday!

As I post this at almost 1PM my time, it is ONLY 37 degrees out. From the window it is spring, but the chill says otherwise!

Busy Busy

It’s that time of year again, Relay time. Of course for me Relay last all year long, which is why my team is over $8000 and creeping towards that magic $10,000 mark. But for the rest of our event Relay is just a few months long, so my work load increases the closer Relay gets. I wish my work load was heavier, but unfortunately with the economy things are slow this year.

But I just said I was busy, right? And in the next sentence I wished it was busier? Well because I’m not, I’ve been thinking up new ways to raise money and trying to share them with other people. However people are just afraid to ask for money this year.

I know the economy sucks, believe me. We are living pay check to pay check just like we were when we were first married and still in college. But cancer doesn’t know that people are struggling this year, so it keeps attacking more and more people. So we need to fight harder and raise more money.

I’m doing the best I can… anyone want to buy a quilt?

Retreat report

Kathy asked me if I had a nice retreat, so I’m replying to her here… and everyone else can read it too.

I went to have a good time, and I sure did.

I wanted to use up some orphan blocks that had been haunting me, and I used most of them, making three orphan quilts. Then someone gave me some more, and I made two more little quilts. Three will go to Texas for a hospital charity there, and the other two to another charity.

And I went to do a little shopping, I needed backing for one quilt which I got, and a red marble. The reds I found didn't match the red I needed so I ended up getting three or four close reds, just a yard of each. And I bought a yard of a blue marble which I know I didn't have in my stash and would go with the baby fabric I want to make a quilt with, same one that I was looking for the red for.

And I raised some money for Relay, thank you to ALL of the retreaters who made that happen, and thanks too for the Wawa card… I haven’t paid for gas since October last year, and that card is at least two fill ups… unless gas goes any higher. (Please no!)

It was a wonderful week, but back to reality now.

Resolution, not yet

A few people have asked me if I settled my issue with the pattern copier yet. The simple answer is no. Actually this person is really rude, ruder than I even thought at first. She purchased a pattern that I have only sold three of. The other two sales I just happen to know the buyers, so it was easy to figure out who she was on my own, even without the information from the student.

I emailed her and nicely asked her if she had reproduced the pattern. After 24 hours of no reply, I emailed her the copy of the thank you email, after deleting the name and address of the person who sent it, still no reply. I have now contacted the local guilds and shops in that area, and am waiting for a reply from any of them.

I have also spoken with my attorney. Even though this person did not steal from me, because of her rudeness, I want to see her punished. Actually, I think that she didn’t make a donation to ACS makes me even madder than if she has stolen from me… I can forgive. However, the thought that perhaps her not donating the 35 dollars for the patterns she copied is keeping someone from getting help that they need in fighting cancer,
or denies someone the money they need for medicine,
or denies someone treatment that they need to battle cancer,
or stops a scientist on the brink of discovering the cure because he or she is just a few dollars short the money needed to buy a piece of equipment….
That hurts

Updates

Today was a busy day and is to be continued. I started out the day by visiting the vampires, monthly blood draw. I wish there was a way to know ahead of time if it is going to be a good one or not, did my counts go down, stay the same or go back up again like they did last month? I want off the prednisone and I want off it soon... but I also don't want the pain again so I will put up with it.

Since we were having a summer like thunder storm when I left the clinic at 8AM I came straight home, errands can wait for a sunny day. I went right to work, trying to catch up on emails, Relay stuff and eventually getting around to retreat stuff. I sent emails to the ladies on the waiting list for next Spring since I have a few openings, two replied almost immediately. Then I started working on the retreat photos and after quite a few interruptions got them posted.

Before I knew it John was on his way home from work, and the load of laundry I put in the washer when I got home from the clinic was still there and I hadn't even thought of dinner …. didn't even take time for lunch and I was hungry. There is still work to be done, but tomorrow is another day and I will finish, hopefully, then.

Highs and really lows

I've just returned from a very successful and joyful retreat. I want to say thank you to all the ladies who attended. I look forward to seeing you all again. I will work on the photos and updates tomorrow after I have visited the vampires for my monthly blood draw, I promise.

While catching up on email I found a thank you note for a pattern from a lady who took a class at her local library taught by a local quilting enthusiast. While her thank you was very nice, it also put up a red flag to me. I asked her for more details and found that one of my patterns had been reproduced and taught by someone without my permission.

I am crushed and extremely disappointed that that person did not ask permission and basically stole money from the American Cancer Society which is where all of my pattern money goes.

To me this person has taken money from the ACS, money that helps fight cancer, helps people fighting and helps science find the cure.

While I am hurt, I am also sad that someone would be so mean... not to me, but to those who are fighting cancer

Retreat report

It's been an interesting retreat, that's for sure. There was not one time this whole retreat that everyone was in the conference room. Even before Pam and Candi arrived Friday afternoon, not everyone had been in the room at the same time. Friday night was close, three were off shopping and when they came back some had already gone to bed. This morning four left and this afternoon another one headed home and still, even with the few of us left, never have we all been here at one time.

Projects are getting done for sure, some have finished more than one. And a one lady didn't even turn on her machine until last night, and one didn't even bring hers.... applique is getting done in her case. Five have been doing the mystery here, one has her center finished and is working on borders, one is just a few rows from having the center finished, and the other three have been out shopping ALL day today and we haven't even seen them.

Tonight is the night I dislike the most, the last night... tomorrow we all must say our goodbyes and head home. I'll post photos tomorrow, I promise.

Day three of the retreat

Remember that dream I had a few nights back... it almost came true.

I found myself alone in the conference room for almost an hour today. But there wasn't another conference room and eventually everyone showed up.

Retreat is going great

So far so good, although right now I am sitting in this HUGE conference room with only two other people... everyone is either out shopping or at the show.

As for me, I'm done my shopping and except for dinner, I may not leave the hotel the rest of the week. And there is a terrific Italian place that delivers, so I may even stay in for that.

This is my kind of fun!

Car's packed

Yes.... the car is packed, except for my suitcase, sewing machine, tote bag with projects I want to work on and my computer. Problem is, the car IS PACKED... I have room for my passenger's stuff and her and that's all... those four items of mine have no place to go...

So I have to do some reshuffling, which I think can be done. I have the tote with the irons and table risers which I think has room in it, and the spaces behind the seats. I'm pretty sure I can make almost everything fit.

If not, I wonder if Joan would mind hanging on to the roof of the car?

One down and 42 to go

I just finished another UFO, and washed it to get the full effect I wanted, and I LOVE it!
Now, which one shall I work on next?

I think I am ready for the retreat!

I got out of bed and showered and dressed and headed straight downstairs to sew. Oddly, no one else was in the conference room. Regardless I was so happy to be there, I sat down and started sewing. I sewed and sewed and sewed... but no one came in to join me. After finishing all my projects I got concerned no one was sewing with me, so I got up to look around and see where everyone was. I looked under the tables, in the closet, and then went out in the hallway. That room was full of ladies sewing, but I realized I didn't know one single person there. I walked around and introduced myself, but they weren't a very friendly group, and they weren't quilting, just sewing... some of them didn't even have fabric, but their machines were running. That seemed strange to me and woke me up....

Well my brain is ready to retreat, so I guess I'd better pack... and I think that's what I will do today!

It’s DONE!

I can finally happily report the new web site is done and finished and I can stop worrying about that for a while.
(Someone remind me not to volunteer to do any more charitable web sites ever again)
Whew… now to pack for the retreat…
YIPPEE!!

Been two of those days....

Well yesterday was Relay day, but I had a lot of other work which I worked on also... but no sewing. Just when I thought I was finished with something, something else would pop up. If it wasn't one thing it was another. As I rushed off the the Relay meeting I knew I had a few things unfinished.

Last night after the meeting I had data entry to do, not a lot unfortunately. The meeting was poorly attended due to Ash Wednesday.. I never knew the Relay gang were such good church people, I only think of them as good Relayers. It was a great meeting and I'm really sorry not every team captain was there to hear what was said.

Today hasn't been much better, one issue after another all over again. That web site I've been working on is done, but now it's disappeared from the internet ….totally gone, like it was never there. I've never had this much trouble with a web site before, and sure hope I never do again.... I might have to give up this line of work

To add insult to injury, I decided to take a break from all the problems and mess and do some retreat work, simple easy job, staple the patterns together. Well my stapler had other thoughts and barely poked through the three pages I was putting together. So I used the soon to be discarded stapler to start the job and a pair of needle nose pliers to finish.

Then I decided to update this blog... of course the internet was down, it's raining out! (30 minutes later it's back and I hope get this posted.)

Busy day, including some sewing

One of those had to run all over kingdom come days, but I think all my errands are done and now just work to do. Web page work is done as soon as the two servers start talking to each other... been a month now and they still aren't talking. Sure makes this job complicated. Tomorrow is Relay meeting day, then hopefully the next day data entry AND THEN.... I can start getting ready for the retreat!

And tonight I sewed two sides of binding on another quilt...

TaaaDaaaaa

A finish!


November Stars, started in November 2010 and finished March 6, 2011... not too bad!

Did I sew last night

Yep! I did! Sewed one whole side on my red stars. And I sewed another side this morning so that quilt is half done now, and the way things are going today, it will be done before I go to bed tonight. Who knows, I might even start working on another quilt's binding!

Did I sew last night?

Heck no, I never even looked at those three quilts with bindings waiting to be worked on.

Last night I packed up that piece of fabric my friend was looking for, weighed it and stuck it in the mail box to go out today. Then I took care of the kids’ money request, I hope the last time but I doubt it, they know where the bank of Mom is unfortunately. I did finish the load of laundry, and actually stuck another one in… it’s still there.

And then I turned on the TV, mistake. There was nothing on that I wanted to watch and while skipping channels I came to a commercial and while that commercial was on and before the show came back I fell asleep in the chair. When I woke up it was almost 10:30 so I got up and went to bed.

Today, more working on that website. I have one more page to do. It will take me a day or two to get it done, and then, hopefully, this job will be over except for occasional updates… at least I hope they are only occasional.

Tonight, I will start hand sewing bindings, I promise.

Trying

I’m trying to get some sewing done, but life keeps getting in my way. Remember my goal to get just three bindings sewn on? Still not done and I’ve been working on them all day.

Got up this morning and started laundry then came right upstairs to work on bindings. Of course I had to check email first, and that led to a barrage of emails back and forth about various subjects, tumblers and other items for sale for Relay, sewing supplies for Featherweights, looking for a piece of fabric, phone calls about products for Relay, more Relay emails, more phone calls for Relay, and then phone calls from kid about money, more Relay emails, kid calling again about plastic canvas, another Relay phone call (Hi Boss) … etc etc. I’ve had 16 incoming phone calls today, made probably that many out, I’ve received 42 emails and sent 11 out and the laundry is still in the washer….

But I have TWO quilts with binding sewn on by machine and the third one half way FINISHED...now just the hand work!

UFO list

I was updating my UFO list to put on line last night when I needed excel help, so asked John (my DH) to help me. He did, then asked me what the list was… I told him and he looked at me and said “Those are ALL UFOs?” I said yes quite proudly, only 44 unfinished quilt projects. However, he thought that was a HIGH number, that many unfinished quilts… I know darn well I’ve talked to him about this in the past, but I guess the shock of his wife having over 150 UFOs erased that from his memory.

I am quite proud of those 44 UFOs, and hopefully by the end of March I will have that number down considerably, I have seven newly quilted quilts that will need bindings… surely I can do seven bindings in a month, right?