I"MMMM BAAACCK!!!

Hey everyone, Happy Holidays!!! I am finally done with remodeling decorating or creating a general mess in my house, for the next 4 months. I have been sewing in between painting, nailing, tiling, etc...., and I am pooped! What started out as a remodel for my kitchen, turned into the whole downstairs!!!! Whew, once you get started.....

Then, amidst all this, one of my best friends went into total kidney failure, almost died, and had to start on dialysis. The only center she could go to, and keep her regular doctors, is 45 minutes one way, away from us, so, I have been taking her sometimes 2 of the 3 days a week that she has to go. The good news is that her sister is a 3 out of 6 point match for her, so she will be flying to Houston this week, and getting a kidney transplant. I hope all goes well for her, and her sister....

I hope everyone has been sewing up a storm. I know I am lagging, but, plan to get back to business soon.

I need some help from everyone. I want to sell a few quilts, but have no idea where to sell them. I thought I would start with a quilt that I made based on a pattern a friend of mine developed. She has said it is OK to sell it, so there is no problem there. It has won a few awards, and I have had a few of my quilts appraised, this one included, and it is surprising how much the appraiser said they are worth.

Does anyone have any idea where I can start? Is there a good internet site to post quilts for sale? Especially, art quilts. This one is only 42x42, but, the time has come to clear out some of my quilts. The thing that will happen with my first sale, is I guess I will become,,,,,........PROFESSIONAL!!!!!.........

OOHH my what a big step I am taking..

I have included pictures of the quilt, so you can all help me figure out where to post it..

Happy Holidays everyone.

And, happy hurry up and get it done sewing!!!!!

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!!!!!!

Happy Fourth of July to everyone, everywhere. What a wonderful country we live in, where we can be soooooo free... Thanks to all our soldiers and sailors, and anyone else, who has worked to make this country free. While I am not a Mayflower descendant, I am darn close. My maternal family has been here since the first few ships after the Mayflower, and my paternal family has been here since the famine in Ireland. My husband is a second generation American, from both sides of his family, and in my genealocigal research, he has learned so much about the history of our country.

Today, we went to the local park, to watch almost 800 bikers escort one of the traveling VietNam Memorial Walls, into town for display. I plan on reading names, starting very early Thursday morning, since my best friend's brother was killed in VietNam in 1971. It was moving, and loud, to see so many motorcycles, and don't let anyone ever tell you different, bikers are some of the most patriotic and respectful people you will ever meet. I had a cooler, with ice and bottles of water, and these bikers had been riding for many hours, and some of them looked like they would drop in their tracks, it is only 102 in the shade here, and I offered every bottle of water I had to them, and they were all very grateful, and thankful.......I even doled out the ice cubes......bikers do a lot of good.

I actually had the urge to sew something yesterday, so, maybe my inspiration is coming back....just have to see.

Stay safe, have a great Holiday, and ~~~GOD BLESS AMERICA~~~!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Where has the time gone

I have been lurking in the corners of the internet for months now, just waiting for inspiration to hit. I am still waiting. I read so many of the important things being written, and some of the petty things, which has made me very reflective recently. I have a sibling in crisis, which has eaten up tons of my time, I have a daughter who is in crisis, which eats up the rest of the time, and I was just told my arthritis, which I have had since I was 18, has escalated, (my fingers are starting to turn inward), which is not even related to my Multiple Sclerosis!!!!!! Even though my life is so tough right now, and I mean tough, I have so much good. I have a great sewing room, I have 2 brand new machines, I have a new machine quilting frame, I have tons of fabric, and, I think I have the urge to sew again, I have an adorable husband, my dog is gorgeous, my youngest daughter is in a great university doing very well, and my kitchen is almost done, from a remodel we started in February!! Why, I went to the doctor yesterday, and found out I have lost 5 pounds, now how cool is that???? I was looking at my fabric today, and quilts I have done, and I have organized a group of quilters, to make a quilt for a friend who just retired, and, just knowing I have committed to that one thing, gives me some inspiration, even though I would love to just sit and mope. So, I hope to get inspired, and get moving.....
Here is a pretty picture taken last week in Illinois, of a heron, perched on a spit of land on the lake of the nuclear power plant where I met my wonderful hubby,,,,and it is calm, and reflective. Peaceful.

New Sewing Machine Day!!1

In about an hour, my husband and I are driving 3 hours away to pick up my new Pfaff Grand Quilter and Inspira Frame and Quilter's Cruise Control. I wish I had the room, AND the money for a long arm machine, but, for now, this will do fine. I have so many tops to get done, this will help. I still will need a couple tops done professionally, but, now my stack will diminish.

I haven't posted any quilt pictures for a while, so, I will post a picture of the quilt I did for the scrap challenge in my local guild. I have just learned, within the past year, to applique, so, I am finding more things to do that are applique'. I won first place with this quilt, which was a great shock to me, since I am so new to applique.....

Still Here!!!

For some reason, when I am writing this, the pictures are in the correct order, but when I preview this, they aren't, but, you all can tell before and after....maybe I am up toooooo early, it is only 5:30 AM!!!!

I have not blogged for so long, because we are re-doing our kitchen, which turned out to be replacing shutters for the outside of the house, then of course, I had to buy new bedroom furniture, and oh yeah, I bought a new sewing machine, that I will pick up on Friday.......

We are still waiting for the counter top guys to come fix our countertop, and 2 weeks ago, they told me they would be there on Thursday, I guess I just forgot to clarify which Thursday, and which month, and which year.....

So far this is what the kitchen has gone through.... I just need to tile the backsplashes, (of course, I have to wait till the guy fixes the countertop) and get all my new wood blinds up, and make new curtains, and upholster the chairs to the table....hmmm......quilting????? I remember that........

Build or Remodel???

I have been so busy for the last week, getting samples for a kitchen redo, that I probably have enough to do my kitchen right now. We decided a month ago, to redo our countertops, and the decisions to be made are astounding. We have a large kitchen, hence, large expense for anything we choose. We finally decided on Corian countertops, yesterday, so now, I have to decide on wall color to paint, after I strip wallpaper, and of course, new curtains, and maybe reupholstered chairs.... then of course I will have to redo the family room, and on and on....I may never have time to sew again!!!!!

The picture is of a minor few of the samples I picked up...

I have the same trouble deciding on fabrics for a quilt, I just keep piling things up until I find something that I like, and it is almost always 20 or more fabrics...too bad I could not "quilt" a countertop!!!!!

My Grandma

As a genealogist, I have the rare opportunity to keep all my relatives in my head, at all times. Sometimes, I wish they would skedaddle, but, most of the time, I am glad to "know" them. Today, while perusing some websites about quilts from Tennessee, (where my family originates from), I was really missing my Grandma.

Grandma was illiterate, she could get by, but it was hard. But, she could cook and sew, and she was the one to introduce me to quilts. I remember her coaching my Mom, which really proved fruitless.

My Grandma died in 1989, at 81 years of age. I have learned soooo much about her life in the last few years, things I wish I would have asked her while she was alive.

A few years ago, I finally got a few quilt tops she had done, and some blocks that were never set into a top. I have finished a couple tops for my siblings, and I set some blocks into a top that would be like what she did. I have a top like this, that she did, and my Dad said it was just her way to set quilts.

So, whenever I get to missing my Grandma, I get this quilt, because, it was made by her, and me, she did the blocks 40 years ago, I finished them into this quilt.

Take the time to "interview" your relatives, get them on tape, they forget it is even on, and get out those old pictures, and write on the backs who the people are..... I even record people now. I found out the importance of that, when my Mom had a major stroke, and could not talk. But, I had her on tape, and could hear her whenever I pressed a button.....and I hope you all have a quilt to snuggle with, when you miss your Grandma.