It Is Official!

When my kids were little, I honestly never thought the day would come. And... I really thought when the day did come, if ever, I would be all excited! But... really its a bummer, and lonely. I guess I will have to get used to the empty nest.

I did see them both today. I helped Nellie pick up and deliver her new frig to her newly purchased house. It was scary driving it down the road, but I went slow. The answer to the age old question, is your refrigerator running, was NO, IT IS CRAWLING, and making lots of people behind me not so happy to be crawling. We made it there safely though. I thought this refrigerator pic I borrowed on flickr was too cute! I saw Cody and Brooke when they came over to get some more of Cody's things. I was feeling nostalgic, and told him to leave the basket of dirty clothes, and I would wash them for him. What a sucker I am sometimes for nostalgia. LOL

Apron Obsession

I don't know about anyone else out there in blog land, but I have been bitten by the apron bug. I remember my grandmother always had on an apron. My farm grandma anyway. My city grandma, I don't remember her wearing them, but I'm sure she did. Anyway, they have been making a come back. I see apron patterns everywhere. I've actually made a couple for myself recently. To spread the apron joy I've decided to host an apron swap. This will be different for me, as I usually host block swaps. Come join the fun! You can find the swap here.

Colene

Fabric Binge

I have to say that I have been really good about not buying fabric recently. But... Today I stopped at the lqs on my way home from work to pick up a couple yards of black on black fabric for a batik and black swap I am participating in on the about.com quilting forum. Wow, did I have fun buying fabric today.


Starting on the left is a pretty yellow coordinating print that came in the same line as the paisley print right next to it. The one on the left looks like dots, but it is actually little flowers all in rows. Both from Anna Griffin's Lulu Collection for Wyndham Fabrics. I love her stuff, really modern, but retro at the same time. These will become my next bag/purse/tote for me, I'm not sure what pattern I will choose yet. I got about 2 yds of each. The beautiful blue on brown flowers, I purchased 3 yds of this. This is a Robert Kaufman fabric, the selvage just says screen print D# BKT 6004. I love it! I'm thinking it would make a cute messenger bag for my very secret recipient person not to be named here as she reads my blog. shhh. (no beggin, its already been decided) And last, but not least the black on black I went shopping for to begin with. LOL 2 yds of that. I would tell you who makes it, but I can't read the black writing on the black selvedge. I am set for the weekend, as today is my Friday. Yay!
Oh, and on another note: Murphy had another seizure last Friday when I was home. The vet put him on meds on Monday when she got in. This is his fourth seizure in about 8 months, so I think it best to get the meds going. Its so horrible to see him have a seizure. People seizures are horrible, and in my line of work I've seen a lot of them, but seeing my dog have one is horrible horrible also. He is liking the meds as I sneak them into a piece of velveeta each morning and night, and he thinks he's been so good to get such a treat, and twice a day too! Good boy!


He looks so funny after playing in the sprinklers.

Summer Totes

Today I spent doing yucky stuff like laundry and housecleaning, and answering the crisis line. I did get some fun sewing in though, and made two totes. One for me to keep and one to exchange at my guild picnic next month. We are to make a tote bag, and put it inside a brown paper bag, close it up and bring it to the guild picnic. Then, we all put the bags of bags, on a table, and then everyone takes a random brown bag with a bag and they get to keep the bag they chose. I made the bags using Lazy Girl's Summer Tote pattern. I love how they turned out. I had this pattern for about a year, but was chicken to try it. It was fun, and different and it turned out great! Thanks to Lazy Girl. (I watched her video also for help)

This one is for me.



This one is for the swap

Almost Finished

I need to sew the binding down by hand, and then this one is finished. I believe the block is called Puss in the Corner. I used scraps to make it, and I love how it turned out. I tried a panto on it for the quilting. My first try at a panto. Its definately not perfect, I need to work on lining the rows up without as much space between rows of quilting, but its okay for my first try. The quilting itself turned out nice. Any tips or tricks to using a panto? I'd love to have tips.





The panto is called Simply Roses by Anne Bright, BZQuilting.com

Getting My Groove Back?

I used to play in the block lotto on about.com quilting forum every month. Then somewhere along the line I lost my motivation, but this month was too cute to resist, and I made these two blocks up for the june lotto. I love how they are so bright and cheerful.


I was also able to finish my doll swap this week. This swap was also on about.com We aren't to send these out for a couple of more weeks, but at least it is done. The picture is a bit washed out from the flash, its much clearer fabrics in reality. I made a duplicate for myself. I believe the recipient will be open to the patriotic colors, even though she didn't actually say so. The pattern is from American Doll Quilts by Kathleen Tracy.

Other stuff this week. A few years ago my eye doc suggested bi-focals. I bought them, but never could get used to them no matter how many times they changed them. I went for another visit yesterday, and ended up with a different doc as mine was on vacation. This doc said I should be wearing contacts for far away, and reader glasses for close up. I have lazy eye (luckily you can't tell by looking at me) but the result is my eyes are opposite, so when I would wear the glasses they made me very very dizzy. Anyway, I had previously tried contacts about 6 years ago, but could never get them in my eyes. I came home yesterday with a pair of trial contacts. This morning dh helped me by telling me up or down or whatever, and coached me and I was able to get them in both eyes. I love being able to see street signs etc. We went to a family reunion about 1 1/2 hrs away and I drove and could actually see well. It snowed on us at the reunion btw. It was outside and cold. That's the way it is in Idaho sometimes. I recall being snowed on, on the fourth of July one year.

I also went to the family cemetery while there, and did my cemetery thing. Not so much fun, but not too horrible either, dh was with me.

Irons

I hit the thrift store near my work today in search of an iron. I hit the jackpot. I found a cute little folding travel iron by durabilt for the grand sum of $1.75 that puppy gets HOT! and FAST! I also bought a regular old iron for $3.75 it gets plenty hot too, but needs a scrubbing as it doesn't run smooth across the fabric. Here's a pic of one just like the folding one I got.



Strange thing, that picture I lifted from the internet yesterday of the iron looks just like the one I found today. How is that for coincidence?

What an ending to a great sewing weekend

I had a great weekend, and got a lot of sewing time in. I worked on my doll quilt for the about.com doll quilt III swap. I got the binding ready for a quilt, I quilted on Friday. I started a new scrap quilt. There I was going along cutting fabric, pressing, cutting, pressing, and I realized the pressing part wasn't going so well. HMMMM what is this? My iron isn't hot. That's strange the power light is on, it was working a minute ago. Kapoot! All of a sudden, I have no heat! I guess its time to buy a new iron, this one lasted 2 1/2 years. I hate the thought of spending money on an iron when I could be spending it on pretty fabric. Oh Well! Maybe the thrift store will have one. LOL