Quilty Weekend Shot to H**L

Another weekend come and gone, and all good intentions of quilting shot to hell! It all started so innocently! I made the mistake of going into my daughters room to wake up Torrie, then I looked at the floor, and under their beds and in the closet, and lost my mind! So, I told both girls that they would be cleaning their room with big black bags. When all was said and done, the entire weekend was taken up with completely emptying their bedroom, taking down one of the beds, putting together the trundle that goes under the other bed, (think T shaped bunk beds) they started out with two loft beds. We completely redid every thing, the nice thing, we doubled their storage space and usable space, and gave them a little more floor space. Each girl now has a "dedicated" part of the room, so not as much "shared" space. I wish I had taken before pictures at the transformation is truly amazing.



I am still working on their clothing, washing, trying on, getting rid of things that don't fit. So I probably won't get to quilt till later in the week. I am hoping that I will get to sew for a little bit on Thursday as I have a childcare conference on Saturday. So the weekend will again be pretty much shot. Sigh, maybe just maybe I can squeak in a couple of week nights of sewing, I have got to get to work on my Christmas Presents.

Well, it's late and I must go to bed. Will post again later.
Have a wonderful day.
Ginny

Chitter Chatter.

I can't believe it's Wednesday already, I have gotten NOTHING done this week, still tired from the trip, why does a short trip like that make my so tired?

I have not even stepped into my quilting room since we have been home, I do plan on spending my entire evening out there tomorrow! I am going to take out the Block Lotto Pinwheels and play around with companion blocks for them.
Also, Torrie wants me to help her make a bag like mine, she got the larger sized pattern and she is going to use it to carry books. Poor kid, because of her school schedule and where her locker is, she carries all of her books all day. Her backpack is not big enough to carry them all.

So that is the plan for tomorrow. Today I am off to Joann's to buy fleece, they are having a great sale 50% off plus my 10% discount card, Yea!!! I need to buy 6 yards, 3 yards each complimentary colors, every year my poor couch gets a little more beat up, having 6-8 daycare kids everyday is really rough on furniture, this poor couch has holes in it and I just cannot see replacing it before I give up the daycare. So I cover it with fleece, the fleece holds up to the wear and tear plus I get to pick my color for the year. It is a small price to pay I guess. Last year the couch was bright purple with Tinkerbell. I am NOT doing Tink again!!! I think a nice dark blue.

Ah well, such is life in a day care. Sometimes I get bummed because my house is not pretty, and I don't get to have nice things, plus we get super cluttered all due to my job, but when I start looking at outside work, well I make too much to give it up yet. I keep saying six years, my six year plan. In six years Morgen will be out of School, and gasp away to college. Then I can find a job that I want, till then I will be home every day for my kids.... did I mention six years....

Speaking of the job, time to get back to work it is always fun typing with an 18 month old on your lap, they try to help (thank God for spell check).

I will post again soon with pictures of Torrie's bag, progress on pinwheels and I am still trying to get that tutorial done on the rag quilts, I have had several emails asking for it, I had just gotten started on it when the computer died, now I need to start all over again. Stay tuned, hopefully by early next week...

Till then, Have a wonderful day.
Ginny

There and Back Again...

Wow what a whirl wind trip, over one day back the next!!!

We went so fast that I hardly took any pictures!!!

But, we did have a nice dinner with Stuarts sister Ruth and our niece Jackie and Grandma Ivy.

Originally I was going to just drop off the uhaul trailer and Stuart at Ruth's house then go to Vashon to see Mom and Dad, but there was not as much there for Stuart to pick up as we thought, so we did a quick change on our plans, loaded up and got out of Tacoma fairly early in the day. Stuart went with us to Vashon and we left for home straight from there, we managed to get home almost 4 hours earlier than expected, which was nice as we got home before midnight!

I did have a wonderful visit with Mom and Dad, plus I got to take Torrie and Morgen for a bit of a trip around the Island to show them all of the places they hear about in my stories, it was very fun. We went to where I grew up, they were pretty jazzed, they got to see 3 deer running through one of the pastures! (dummy me left the camera in the car).

Oh and it rained, and rained and rained. I hate the rain, I live on the dry side of the state for a reason, it rained the entire time we were over there, and we did not get dry again till last night when we crossed back over the mountain!

So since we still have to unload, I will post pictures with just a quick note about each, (Stuart really wants me to get moving!!!)

This is my Dad! Good looking guy Huh? One of the best people I know! The series of photos below this are of his latest landscaping project, the lady he is doing this for owns the ravine, they are putting in the switchback to the fence, then beyond the fence, two ponds for a deer sanctuary. The trees and brush use to to to the top (where the guy in the yellow is) they hand cleared all of the brush, and due to the access, have and carried and laid every bit that you see, including all of the rock. WOW!!! enjoy the pictures! And yes it is as steep as it looks!

My Mom and Dad own a nursery. So if you are ever in Seattle and you want to spend a pleasant afternoon on a nice not so touristy little island with tons to offer, go to Vashon, while you are there, stop by Kathy's Corner (just south of town) and say Hello to Kathy, she is my mom, tell her I say HI! This is just a quick shot looking down the Nursery, there is more and I will post later. Even in the rain and grey it is beautiful!

So I have to run, Stuart is calling.

Thanks for stopping by

Ginny

Off and Away

TGIF!!!
It's Friday Yea!!!! We leave this afternoon for our trip to see my Mom and Dad, it's not much of a trip. Just an over and back really, we leave tonight stay in Tacoma, tomorrow I will drop Stuart off at his sisters house to get more of his stuff that she has been storing for years, The girls and I will head over to Vashon spend the day there and then come back over to Tacoma late in the evening, pick up Stuart and drive home. He decided he did not want to say a second night and so we won't get back till about 3 am. YUCK!!
So wish us a safe drive and I will post pictures of scenic Vashon when we get back. Until then have a wonderful weekend.
Ginny

Snowball & Pinwheel layout???

Hi!

Well, I am still excited about the blocks I won, I have been asking questions about tea dying, if you know any thing about tea dying please let me know..

So I had this wonderful lady named Joyce suggest using a snowball block instead of a nine patch to go with the pin wheels, well, I am not sure... I broke out the lap top fired up EQ6, learned how to draw a block... I really really need to spend a weekend playing with that program I never did finish the book and I know I am missing on a whole lot... but I digress... so here is a rough look at the pinwheels and snowballs, now mind you the colors are not a match, but you kind of get the idea

Hmm, I will have to think on this one, and play around with "live" fabric to get a more real color sense. I think I will also draw up a quilt using the 9 patch just to see if I like it better, I almost feel the the snowball overwhelms the pinwheels.

Will check in later with the other sample.

Thanks for stopping by.

Ginny

I Can't Believe I WON!!!

Oh I am so excited!!!

The girls and I went to Quilters Night at our local craft store, this is the third time we have gone, very fun, they usually have a demo of some sort, they do a door prize, show and tell and a block lotto. Tonight was the first time I have done show and tell, I showed both my Dads quilt and on a whim I showed my purse that I just finished! Wow what a reception!!! After I showed off my purse they sold out of the pattern!!! I had several ladies look it over and compliment me on it. It was pretty neat :) The coolest thing tonight was the Block Lotto, the store hands our a block pattern and a piece of that months "focus fabric" you go home making the block using the focus fabric and fabric out of your stash. You then bring your finished block to the next meeting and turn it in. They take the names of the ladies who did a block and put it in a drawing, if your name is drawn you win all of the blocks! Well, this is only my third time attending, and my second time at turning in a block... I won 16 blocks!!!! I NEVER EVER win any thing, so as you might imagine I was very excited! My favorite thing, focus fabric this month was a cool purplish batik!

Look down for Pictures!

So here are the blocks, I think I love them all! Actually the one by Groucho's tail is probably my favorite, the pinwheel in the center is done is a pretty Asian fabric, BTW don't you just love how helpful Groucho is, he would not move!

Well, That's about it for tonight, I am bushed, I can only stand so much excitement, and this whole day was a crazy crazy day. I have been a whirl wind today and I think now I am going to whirl off to bed. So good night and thanks for stopping by.

Ginny

Morgens Birthday, Quilt and Pretty New Purse!

Oh what a busy weekend! But boy was it fun and I got a lot done!

We celebrated Morgen's Birthday Friday night, just family. Then Saturday both girls each had a friend over, I took them to the mall, they did the teenager thing and shopped till they were all broke! While we were out I did pick up a pattern that I had been looking at online, the Mini Bow Tucks Purse, Pattern by Penny Sturges, here is the link http://www.quiltsillustrated.com/index_files/Page1849.htm

So I had been looking at it, then at our craft store I saw the larger version and was in LOVE.

So some back story, I carry a granny purse, don't believe me, check it out....

It's big, it's brown and it's UGLY, the sad thing is my last two purse were just like it, I have fallen into a purse rut and hate it. But is seems that there is nothing out there in the stores that I like, I love pockets lots of pockets and dividers and such. Well, enter the wonderful pattern I found, I was so excited that I got up early Sunday morning and finished Morgen's Birthday Quilt. I had sworn I would get it done this weekend and it took me most of the day but I got it finished!

OK so she doesn't look to thrilled, but it was 6 am when I took the picture, I am not sure she was totally awake. Morgen did pick the quilting, each black diamond has either a flower or a butterfly sewn in a rainbow thread, the borders are done in loopy hearts, it did turn out rather pretty.

So I got it done, that gave me time to start on my new purse, now you have seen the ugly brown purse, can you imagine what color I would do my new purse in? Well, let me share a secret, I love bright blue, I love green and I adore Batiks... So away I went, now I don't sew clothing, I only do quilts, to do a 3 dimensional project is really really stepping out of my comfort zone, but the instructions were very easy to understand and the fusible fleece made it super easy too. So with out further ado, pictures...

This is it! it is about 11 inches long, 4 inches wide and 7 inches tall, the pocket on the front is suppose to be one big pocket, but I sewed an extra line down the middle to break into two my cell phone and MP3 player fit snug in the pockets, but within easy reach. I love the handles, they are puffy and soft, nice and padded!This is a side shot, I love the ties on the side, the close up the bag and add a really cute touch! The pattern calls for them to be the same as the main body material, but I liked the contrast better.This is a not so great shot of the inside, there are 9 pockets on the inside of this thing, one for the check book, one for my little packet of cards (ATM and Drivers Lic. and such) smaller ones for pens, lipstick, I even have one for receipts! I have to save all of those because of the business, and I love having a place for them. BTW, this shot is with the sides untied and the bag fully open!

I am so in love with this pattern, the most amazing thing, start to finish it took me about 5 hours to do, for me that is super fast! I was really easy! So if you are into bags and want to try something fun, click on the link above and get this pattern I highly recommend it.

Well that's about all for now, time for me to empty the ugly brown thing and move into my new purse!

As always, thank you for stopping by, comments are always welcome.... Hey here is a thought, I think I will go back to the craft store and purchase another copy of this wonderful pattern (sorry you can't have my copy! :) Post a comment and at the end of the month I will have a drawing, if I draw your name I will send you the pattern! So, don't be shy, say hi and maybe you will win!

Have a great night!

Ginny

The Day I Stopped Watching The News

9/11 A Day I Will Never Forget

I was just getting the kids off to school when the phone rang, Stuart calling telling me to turn on the TV something terrible has happened.

I did, I saw the buildings fall, I cried, and cried and cried, I could not get past the horror, so many people, so many lives. I had to turn it off, I did watch later, but small bits, my heart cannot take so much sadness. Then as the months went buy, and we send all of those young men and women back into war, I cried, every time they showed a deployment, the memories were too strong, I know how they felt, and the homecomings just as hard to watch, I know how that feels too, you are never the same after being in a war. It changes you.

So I turned the TV off. I still read the paper, and read the news I keep up on politics and the world around me, I just choose to keep the TV off, I cannot stand the graphic details, my heart breaks. So today as will almost all of the days before this, my TV will sit silent and dark. I will not watch the shows, the memorials, the graphic descriptions and analysis of that day.

I will however stop many times this day, bow my head and wish for peace, peace for the families and loved ones. Peace for the souls that were lost that terrible day. Peace for our troops, both now and in the future. And I wish peace for you, kind soul who happens to read this today. Take a moment stop and pray.

Thank you

Ginny

Morgens Quilt and Pictures of the Pets

Well, It's been a busy week here at the old homestead, Not a bit of quilting done, but I did do a little shopping, got two nifty bag patterns and a practice sheet for the quilting frame. I also played around with some stencils and picked the design for Morgen's birthday quilt. The quilt is....

Pretty simple actually, but I have had this one sitting in the wings for Months, waiting to get the frame running. So we played around and decided that in the black squares we are going to do butterflies and flowers in a variegated thread, the triangles around the edge are going to be butterflies also and the borders are loopy hearts. Morgen got to pick the patterns so I know she will be happy. So I will attach it tonight and start quilting as soon as I get off work.

Now on to a couple more tid bits! I love my children, I also adore my pets, we have 4 cats and a dog, The four cat goes something like this, Torrie belongs to Bambi and Jack, Morgen belongs to Mittens and I belong to Groucho (Cho for short) And the dog rules us all!

So Torrie and I are out in the quilting room the other day and Cho decides to join us well in typical cat fashion.....

Helping cut and iron, before the picture was taken we really were cutting and he was laying on the fabric and trying to grab the cutter, he is such a BIG help!

And then there is the Dog, Scoochy, my son, yes I actually call him my son! He is a precocious little thing, and a world class beggar.... Proof!

Torrie, having a bowl of pudding, now he does not ever actually stick his nose in the pudding nor sneak a bite, but he sure wanted to, he stood like that the entire time she was eating the pudding... now on to pizza

he started out sitting next to Stuart, by the time the pizza was gone, he has wormed his way all the way up Stuarts chest, and was resting almost chin to chin, what a mooch.

Scooch is also a major camera hog, the other day I whipped out the camera to nap a shot of something one of the girls were doing, and as soon as he heard the camera turn on he knew it was a photo op!

Nope, not spoiled a bit! Did I mention I love my dog!

Well, that's it for now, baby is crying, time to change a diaper :(~

So I will post a little bit later,

Thanks for stopping by.

Ginny

My Baby Turns 13 This Week

On Friday, September 12 my youngest child will turn 13! I am stunned by this, I am mom of two teenagers, where did the time go? It was just last week that she learned how to crawl, and just yesterday that she started school.... Now, this morning as she floats out the door, hair brushed, earrings in, cute pink top, (she has started dressing like a girl this year!) back pack on, with a love ya mom over her shoulder, I am left with a sense of amazement in less than six years both of my children will be gone, I have so little time left with them! I can't help but wonder if I have done my job well enough, have I prepared them for the world? Oh heck, I guess I still have some time. But 13 years did slip by so amazingly fast.... I love ya baby girl.

Mom

Dads Quilt Done, Now on to Morgen's

Hi!
Just a quick note today. I got Dads quilt bound and finished. I am happy with how it turned out.

This is a full shot of the front, I used the left over small pieces to make the binding

I love how it turned out. And yes that is Stuart behind the quilt holding it up. He is

6'4" the only one tall enough to hold it up off the ground!

This is a close up of the front, you get a better more accurate look at the colors.

Well, I do hope you like it, I know I do, I was pretty happy with it, and I am happy to say that it will fit on a Queen size bed.

Now I am off to my quilting room, am playing around with the frame and machine still, think I have just about worked all of the bugs out. I hope so because I still need to quilt Morgen's Birthday quilt for her, if you look to some of my earliest posts you will see one on the table, black with multi-colored X's That is her quilt.... and her birthday is Friday!

So off I go, have a great weekend.

Ginny

Reflections....

Hi all, wow two posts in one day, this is unusual for me.

I was sitting on the couch this afternoon thinking about my Dad, I am so worried for him. My Mom either does not know what is wrong or will not say, all I know is weight loss, and more weight loss, He had surgery this last winter and they thought it helped for a while, but now Mom is saying he is going down hill fast. So between that and her cancer I am feeling a bit down.

You see, I have never been close with my parents, I love them, but my Mom made it pretty plain when I was small that she did not want me and resented me. I could go into a hundred different things said and done, but dredging up the past is not what I am about today. I have forgiven my Mom for the horrors of my childhood. I wish that we could have a closer relationship, I must say that given the powers of the Internet we have a better relationship now than we have ever and I do mean ever had before, we IM a couple of times a month!

Any how, I guess as I ramble along today my whole point of this blog is parents, love them or hate them, through all of the hurts and healing, years of not being involved, or if you are lucky having a close relationship.... whether you parent is alive or has passed, if you could tie a message to a balloon and send it on a puff of air what would you like to say to your Mom or Dad?

For me it is pretty easy....

Mom, I am sorry I was not the child you expected, but please can we be friends, it will never be to late for you to be a part of my live and most importantly to be grandmother to the girls. I love you.

Dad, I love you please don't go. Thank you for always being such a good Dad. You will always be.

Thank you for stopping by today,

Ginny

Dads Batik Quilt Almost Done!

Hi all,

Well here we are agian, busy baby day so I am going to keep this short since the little one is helping me type!!!

I wrote yesterday about the Bali Pop Batik quilt I am doing for my Dad. Well, after fussing and fussing with my quilting frame and machine, I think I have the bugs worked out and managed to get it quilted, there are a few areas that I am not happy with because of the effing thing, but all in all it turned out very very pretty, so with our further ado, two pictures, taken this morning, just quick shots, I will post finished shots when bound and washed.

Thanks for stopping by.

Ginny

P.S. If you love this quilt, please check out my post just before this one, it has the link to Rachels Blog, with the tutorial on how to make this lovely quilt, I really want to make sure she has full credit for!

Had a Wonderful Holiday Weekend, Oh and Check out This Tutorial!!!!

Hi All,
Well, School has finally started, Ahhh blessed silence! Some of you might know from reading earlier posts that I am a daycare provider by day and quilter by night! So summer time is my busy busy time, then when school starts most of my kids go to school, and I just have two little ones, currently I only have one here and she is (whispers) asleep!
So I have decided that I will catch up on my blog! I spent part of last weekend exploring other quilting blogs, WOW I am amazed at some of the beautiful quilts out there, I really really need to share one special blog, 2ndAvenueStudio owned by Rachel. She did a awesome tutorial for the new Hoffman Bali Pops (which I love) I purchased a pack, not exactly sure what I was going to to with them, but got a sweet deal so got them knowing I would use these beautiful 2 1/2 inch strips, had planned on a Bento box but then stumbled on Rachel's blog, So with out further ado, Link to the Bali Pop Tutorial 2ndAvenueStudio: Bali Pop Tutorial.
Now, I had the Bali Pop pack.
Then after a talk with my Mom about my Dad, Dad is not doing so well, it was decided by DH and I that I should take the girls over for a visit. So the plan emerged, leaving on the 19th of Sept, and visit over the weekend, so I figured that I could use the Bali Pops, and Rachel's quilt pattern for my Dad, planned it out, oh not big enough! Back to the store, another pack of fabric.

Then disaster strikes!!! OK so not really, but hubby did decide that this was the weekend to paint the outside of my sewing room, so painted all of Saturday and most of Sunday, finally got to start sewing Sunday night at 7 pm, sewed until midnight, then got up Monday, squared the blocks, sewed the quilt together, put it on the frame, and wouldn't you know it, my Babylock decided to act up. I did get about half of it quilted, and am pretty sure I have resolved my thread breakage issues with the Babylock, so hopefully I will be able to finish quilting it tonight, bind it Sew the binding together Thursday and bind it over the weekend. I will take a couple of pictures when it is done, I love this quilt, this one will be hard to give away.

So until I have pictures up, please check out Rachel's blog, I don't know her, but wish I did!
As always,
Thanks for stopping by, and have a great day
Ginny