Start, stop, start

Well This is my attempt at a crazy quilt heart shaped pillow. I had so much fun with this I got carried away and made 2. So I am thinking a Valentines gift for dear daughter. The one on the left in the solid red patch for some reason developed a stain from the spray starch. So I think it needs a rinse before I start with the fun part. The only part I wished I had done differently is chose fabrics all the same weight. The white part on bottom left of left one is very light weight, therefore sorta see-thru. It's really no biggie I plan to add a muslin backing before I start embellishing. The seam flipped over though I can see. I can see where this would be an issue if the contrasting material would be showing thru. This broke in my new sewing machine dear husband bought me for Christmas, and while I so want to use one of the 60 built in stitches to embroider this...it is only a practice one so I need to do it myself to learn some of the cool stitches in links my mentor Miss Debbie has sent me....hehe maybe on dear daughters I will try some...you know just to save time so she gets it this Valentines and not Valentines Day of the UFO pile! I am so sure if I looked I have a project for every holiday and/or season! I did find one for Mardi Gras...now how many of you have a UFO for that occasion??? I am off to plan my stitches, watch the grand baby and enjoy another day God has given me...hope you are too. Big warm hugs to you all.

I really do finish some projects!

I was so disappointed yesterday when I went upstairs to gather the clothing I thought I could use for my weekend project...there was only a flannel gown and a pair of corduroy pants. Well I did get the lace and buttons off the gown and will use it for cleaning rags. The pants I put back in hopes of someday using them or donating them. So in an effort to still keep this project going, I went to my fabric stash and found this quilt I had finished some time ago.

We used to own a camper when our children were small and every weekend we would head out for the camp ground. Only 45 mins away from Cleveland but far enough out to let you know you were out of the city. Right before the turn off to the camp grounds was an Amish village. I loved going thru there on wash day as all the beautiful quilts were lined dried. I think was my "Amish phase" I made this quilt and several Americana wall hangings and I think I even cross stitched our whole family...including the dog and cat in Amish figures. It was fun meeting this old friend...I remember covering with it the first winter..it's really afghan size so it was perfect for me. She will be laundered today and put on the quilt rack later. I am off to work on my project now...breakfast is done and I have a pork roast in the crock for some pulled pork bar-b-que sammies later. Hope you all are staying warm and doing your favorite things with your favorite people...me I am gonna stay in today...it's 10 below 0 with our wind shield factor...perfect day to quilt!!! Sending you all big hugs!

Weekend project, old memories and a new friend

I am determined to do a small project this weekend! I know I have spoken of my momma on here before, she was to me the epitome of southern grace. My mother was the daughter of a preacher that married kinda late...at 25 years old back then almost put her in spinster mode. It was a classic tale of good girl meets bad boy and marries. To this day I cannot hear a song by Waylon Jennings..." Good hearted woman in love with a 2 timing man" and not think of the hardships Mom endured being married to Dad. My mother struggled with weight issues her whole life. She would never have been a svelte model but in my eyes she was the most beautiful lady I have ever met. Her heart was gorgeous, her spirit graceful and her manner was so soft spoken. When mom passed I donated what I thought was all her clothing to a lady that had been on hard times, was over weight and had recently just started a new job and was trying to get her life together after leaving an abusive husband. The other day while on the bead quest..gathering them from all corners of this house...I found a bag of mom's clothing. Not a large bag and I couldn't even look at them. I know they are brand new...something she had ordered from Roman's that didn't fit I am sure. Which brings me to this weekend's project. My dear new friend Miss Debbie from http://mosaicmagpie.blogspot.com so generously walked me thru the basics of how to get started with a crazy quilt. With her help from her generous spirit and email and links she provided I am going to make a small crazy quilted pillow this weekend using those clothes I had forgotten. I don't even care what they are...and I know the shape will be a heart...something my mom and Miss Debbie know about sharing. So there you have it...my new weekend project..a few of my memories of my dear mother and my new friend...God bless them all. I so admire Miss Debbie for taking the plunge and helping me...so many don't want to take the time or are afraid to share info on how to's. If we do not share our wealth of information for fear of copy right things and what ever else the reason our crafts will end with us. Families used to make sure skills like quilting and embroidery were passed thru the generations. And isn't that what we all are now...one big cyber filled family? Why is it fine to share sympathy or hugs but not enlighten and encourage others in your craft? I, for one have never turned down anyone asking me how to do something...it's rare anyone wants to know...lol..but I would never even consider turning away someone or not helping if I could. I know some have shops that they hope will earn income and think they have the corner on the market of something and to share info would cut profit and maybe they have a point...or maybe their craft will make a profit in this life but who will continue it? Just my opinion...that and a about 3 dollars will get you a cup of coffee. So enjoy your weekend friends...and if you ever get the chance to help...please do...I know I have to...I know too many that already have shared with me and some day it will be my turn to pass it on...and I'm ready! Big warm hugs to you all!

A question for you all

Does anyone know of a wood working blog? Like one that would show projects to make out of wood or even how to search for one on here? Any thing that would show simple bird houses or toy boxes? Husband has all kinds of saws that need to be put to use...him not me...I like my fingers...all ten of them!!! Thanks for your help and have an awesome day! Big hugs

Welcome to my nightmare

this is todays 15 min clean up...I find I am now playing beat the clock with this little exercise. Todays took one 15 min drill with the next one only being 10 to finish up so not bad for 25 mins. Funny thing is I'm not just clearing it off and shoving it some place else...things may start to be getting organized...can it be? I even took time to wipe off the wall heater hubby put out there for me. I am sharing this room with the pantry and dishes. As a matter of fact this cabinet top I cleared off this morning holds the Halloween and Christmas dinnerware and glasses. BUT.... I did not get to the bottom part yet so the Christmas glasses are still in the kitchen, the dishes are on another shelf and Halloween things are still all junked up there too...oh well another day. I am finding this 15 min works in perfectly with all the other household chores I have to do in one day...trust me ...running after a 2 year old..not alot is getting done but the vac sure gets a work out! I think I have wayyy to many hobbies...is that possible and should one ever admit that out loud...or put it out there for all to see? If I have broken a sacred secret...shhhh...just don't tell anyone! I dream of a day when all my beading, clay, cross stitch, quilting, painting, mini, and paper crafting can live harmoniously in one room and everything is at a glance...not hours of tearing out to find one thing that I may or may not have (finding 6 glue guns today was good for a laugh though)Leaving you today with the extra thought of why do we do this to ourselves? If I live to be 125 years old and never from this day forward buy another hobby related thing to do, I still would not use up all I have amassed. Am I greedy...I sure hope not...but I sure plan on giving what I do have a run for its money...after I escape the nightmare it has become! Hope you all have a warm blessed day...sending big hugs from my mess...umm...I mean organized wanna-be home to yours!

Trying to get organized

This lil table is proof that some times I can get in the mood to really clean. Oh you should have seen it before it got this good...piled up with so many things with no rhyme or reason. I even found a clean unmated sock!!! So yesterday before we went to church I decided to tackle it. I have read all these monthly magazines with tips on how to organize and the only hint I found do-able was the 15 minute rule. You set a timer for 15 mins and do what you can and when the timer goes off...walk away. Do something else. Then if you still fell motivated come back for 15 more. Hmmmm I says to myself...I think I can spare 15 mins...as long as there a cup of hot chocolate as a reward. So I set my oven timer for 15 mins and set off to do just those 15 and then my cup of cocoa and then I had to get ready for church. Needless to say those 15 mins was just the kick in the seat of my pants that I needed. When I came back home I don't want to tell you how many more 15 min mini-cleans I did..BUT...I got er done! I actually found the table cloth underneath...haven't seen that since June! I am so excited that I may clean the whole house in times sessions! Of course my rewards are gonna have to change...theres only so many cups of hot chocolate I can drink. Theres even a bakers rack to the left of the table that I started to clean but it really needs a complete over haul. Would love to be able to just have it for all my beads...so they could be in one place. The only problem is the small baby food containers that each group of beads are in are smaller than the bars of the shelf, making it possible for the whole container to slip thru and if they were stacked the whole column would come crashing down. I don't want to put all of them in shoe boxes as they are now because then I have to rummage thru the whole box to see what beads I have. Funny, I am so diligent to put even the smallest quantity of beads in a lil container, even write on a paper what they are and where purchased...then the containers make their way all thru the house...right now as we speak there are some in the Dining Room hutch, the desk and now the bookcase and bakers rack.Oh some day I will be so organized...wonder how many 15 mins are in some day???? Have a great day all and sending you warm hugs from a frosty cold Cleveland!

My UFO Friday

Ok...here it is ...the one thing I have to finish this year! I started making this lil envelope type purse for my granddaughter last spring. Oh I had such high hopes of having it finished for her by August of last year!!! Yeah well...it did manage to make its way to the top of the heap of my unfinsihed projects. She has a birthday this year in June so maybe...just maybe!

The top flap ( kinda looks like a triangle) will just flip over the bottom part and I need to bead the entire back of this thing...very time consuming, and add a chain...was thinking maybe beaded daisies. I had bought hot pink silk for the lining and still have it here...somewhere! There was no particular design in mind when starting this other than having her inital on it...good grief at this rate the child might have it when she graduates high school! So here it is...my biggest shameful UFO...bad gramma I know. But to tell you the truth those lil lines of beads were driving me bonkers...maybe next time I will try to sketch something out to make better use of my space...but hey...no pattern and no sketchs is how I fly...that and by the seat of my pants!!! lol. Hope you are all staying warm and cozy...now if any of you have any ideas on how to take up space on the back of this thing without me going completely crazy...give me a shout here...until next time...big warm hugs from our artic home to yours!

Working in mini and going blind

I started this blog to chart my progress with my daughter's older dollhouse. It is a huge Victorian that she had put together during her teen years and now is a sad former shell of itself. Not much has been done to the house...its been painfully slow progress, and of course I get side tracked so easily. Thanks to Miss Casey over at http://caseymini.blogspot.com/ I found this chart for cross stitching a rug that I think will fit beautifully in the front parlor. Miss Casey so generously details her own creations mixed with adventures of her side kick Miss Tessie (who is a mini witch) Learning has never been so entertaining, and Miss Casey (and Tessie) are so talented, you never know what you will learn from them. So I guess in some sort of way I am still in hopes or restoring the grand old manor to its former grace...if I don't go blind doing these little projects first! This is the first time I have ever worked on 18 count and let me tell you...these poor old eyes are blessed to have the lighted magnifying glass my daughter bought me for my birthday last year. This is now a front burner project along with a little Valentines hearth rug I am making from my own chart. Oh to have one of those programs that charts it for you...well I do have another birthday coming up!!! lol and daughter seems to like buying gifts that will help move along some sort of work in her old house!!! Back to work...big hugs to all

Looking out my front door

When I got up yesterday morning I spoke with my aunt in West Virginia. She told me of all the snow they had...which is uncommon for her area this time of year. I smugly told her that we only had a ground coating...get up this morning and look what happened since then! The door is in the picture as the snow was preventing it from opening any wider...husband is at work and I know more about brain surgery than a snow blower! If you look closely at the dog kennel across the street you see our problem here...drifting. Living so close to Lake Erie, the wind comes right in off the lake and snow isn't enough for us...we get massive drifts. So to be able to stay indoors today and play...well after I clean and do laundry and put on a kettle of steamy veggie soup, is my idea of heaven. (Hence the long list of UFO's!) Which by the way...someone left a comment yesterday that I should do a Friday thing on UFO's...this is tickling my fancy and I'm kinda liking the idea! I'm no genius and again brain surgery is more my field than making banners to hook up links to others who would like to participate but I love the idea of us showing each other our lil projects that may just need a new set of eyes to spark the interest or over come an issue thats preventing it from becoming a star. I think thats what blogging is about...encouragement in a day where everyone seems so secluded and wrapped up in their own worlds. I know some times all I need is that lil push or words of appreciation to get back in there and get 'er done! Who doesn't need a hug some times...weather its a real, full body bear hugger or someone from another part of this vast world reaching out to give you a hug from this screen? For me...I'll take either one! Thank you so all so much the hugs I got yesterday welcoming me back to the blogging world...see...those lil hugs work...I'm back!!!!! Until next time...Big hugs to you all...think I'll hibernate a lil while longer!

Anyone home?

I thought I would have something so clever to say since I have not posted since September. Thinking of all those on-line dating services where you never quite meet the man of the pictures, I could also lie and say what a wonderful 4 month cruise I have been on, or how the ship sank and I was just rescued from a deserted island. Or I could say in my absence so many of my UFO's are finished and I have a gaggle of photos to down load to show you how I so creatively used my time...but it would be all lies!!!!
I got thru Christmas...still have some decorations to take down. I have just plain been lazy...no way around it...L-A-Z-y. Yes the y is little cause lets face it I did keep the house up and the laundry going...all the holiday meals done and shopping on top. So I think I owe myself the small y!!! But now its a new year and I have decided to either get with this blog or let it go...I'm hoping I am interesting enough to keep you here for a while longer so I have opted to keep the blog. I need you all...love hearing from you and seeing whats going on in your world. So I am back, I still have a table full of UFO's and have started more! lol. If you run across a organizational blog for the unfinished projects...please throw the link my way! Hoping you all are still here...I am!