Problem Solved

My computer is back with a new motherboard installed! I guess I was loaded with spyware also, even though I had McAfee installed. Hmmmm. I still need to play with the settings, though I am not sure I can fix them. Everything is smaller than before. Maybe my eyesight changed...I have done ALOT of reading in the past couple of weeks. I am anxious to get caught up on my blog reading. I sure missed everyone. I hear I won a giveaway from Kim. I unashamedly asked Linda to enter me in the giveaways concerning support of Sharon. WooHoo!! It pays to be shameful sometimes!

So, I mentioned in my last post (not Linda's last post) how my children were evicted once again. Yes, I took back more of my house. We had given them a small TV room where they could watch movies, play games, and give us some down time in the evenings. This worked well and served it's purpose for quite a while. Most recently, however, things had changed. Bickering and arguing were more common than not. Sweet Hubby and I decided we would get control. The kids are different ages and different genders and their interests in movies and games are not the same anymore, plus they were just not appreciating each other. Some of this is understandable and some is not. We put their things in their rooms and re-organized the "formal" dining and living rooms. We put the formal dining room back where it was suppose to be (in the room the kid's occupied) and the formal livingroom, was once again in it's place (where the formal dining room had been). The kids actually began to miss each other's company and get along much better now. Plus, Sweet Hubby and I have back our morning coffee time in a room with no television. I have spent much of the last 2 weeks in this room. I already showed you my corner of the formal living room, but here are the other views.It really is not "formal" at all, but very cozy. I have my favorite fountain next to my chair and I so enjoy the relaxed atmosphere. The formal dining room is beautiful. We painted and put up wainscoat and chair rail a while ago, but chose the color and idea based on the dining room. We knew it would again be the room it was intended to be. I put my parents console stereo on a dining room wall and placed photographs of family on it.
Well I think I will spend some time reading your blogs. I have alot of catching up to do and it may take a while. One thing I learned on my forced blogging break, was that I accomplished much more during the day than I thought possible. Today, I have a clean house, but there are a stack of 9 patch blocks that need my attention, and I have a movie I promised the kids we would finish. Plus there is school...Zachary, at this very moment, is shouting from the other room, "Mommy, how many tummies does a dog have?" I guess I need to incorporate biology into our studies. God Bless, and thank you all for hanging in there with me!!! A BIG (((hug))) and a thank you to Linda for doing a couple of posts for me! I will be back tomorrow with a Tackle It Tuesday!!

Happy Valentine's Day

No it's not Bren, but her loyal, trusty, dependable, ever faithful, wonderful, marvelous, awesome, friend Linda.....lol..... Wow that was a mouth full, but oh so worth it.... wouldn't you agree?
Bren wanted me to wish you all a wonderful and happy Valentine's day, and to let you know the progress on her computer woes. Just so you all know her hubby didn't shoot her pc, although I'm sure there have been instances when that thought has crossed his mind.
Her motherboard is dead, (hmmm I wonder if that will effect her thinking).... a new one has been ordered, and hopefully her computer will be back sitting on her desk by Saturday.
Now I did tell you I had a wicked sense of humor didn't I? Just a little taste, and I hope it made you smile, if not laugh, but secretly I'm all those things......lol.......

On behalf of Bren, Blessings, Linda

I'm Back....For A Minute

I am just popping in from my son's computer to post a pic of my 4 Season's Swap I recieved from Grace. I was just thrilled with it. It is called Snowballs and Stars. The gold must have been very difficult to work with. It is hand quilted beautifully. I can't crop or fix photos from here because I don't want to mess up Bud and Rachel's computer...you know that can happen with me. I have kept very busy since I have had no computer, but I really miss all my favorite blogs. I hope to be back soon. The mother board on my computer needs to be replaced...UGH!!! I really hope we can do it soon. Postive thoughts!

Here is a little of what I have been up to...Some 9-patch play... Some fabric shopping.... Oh, and some room arranging...I'll save the entire thing for another post, but here is a pic of my new hand sewing/reading spot. A clue...the kids were evicted AGAIN, but from another spot in the house! And of course here is the promised "after" shot of my sewing room closet... Well, I have a limited time here, so I want to pop in on a couple of blogs. I wish it was to catch up, but I need to copy a couple of recipes. Shepherd's Pie from Niki, and Chicken and Stuffing Casserole from Coppers Wife. I hope to catch up soon. It is possible I will be online on Wednesday, if I can get an old computer hooked up until my custom motherboard is in.

Here is my current read...I am so looking forward to it. If any one else out there has read it, let me know what you think.

Computer Woes

I've just had a phone call from Bren asking me to let you all know that she's having computer problems and won't be available for a few days, maybe even longer. She has however used the time well and done 2 hoops of hand quilting and cut all the fabrics needed for our first round of the nine patch swap.
I think she was a little anxious of what I may have put on her blog, we both have a wicked sense of humor and I think she was wondering if that humor would come into play when I did this post for her, but I'll behave and show her I can be good....lol...
Bren's hoping that her hubby may have a soloution to the pc by tomorrow, otherwise it wll need to go in for a check up, after they get their predicted 14 inches of snow.

On behalf of Bren, Blessings Linda

Snowflake On The Window

I am hanging my head in shame! My Four Season Swap quilt is finished and is going in the mail today...4 days late. It will stay in the US, and I will send it priority mail, so it should only take a couple of days, but still... Here is a close up of the snowflake on the window.

Forgive the pictures. I took MANY and believe it or not these are the best ones. The lighting is terrible. Maybe I will take it out in the snow before it flys off and get a pic out there. Here is the label (before it went on). Labels are not my gift. I have seen some pretty gorgeous labels, but my talent is not in creating them. I am already looking forward to the Spring quilt swap. I have ideas....

Yesterday morning, my Aunt Pete called and asked if I would be home. She had something to drop off. She brought me these. A little House Blessing I plan to frame... And a Diane Phalen Quilt calendar. All the artwork is gorgeous. Here are a couple of my favorites. Look at the kites in the air...they are quilt blocks. And this summer night is wonderful...I look forward to them soon. Today I plan to shovel the 3-4 inches of snow that fell last night watch Sweet Hubby shovel the 3-4 inches of snow that fell last night. Add some basic housework and some major fabric play... after a morning of home schooling, and that is my Monday. Have a good one!!!

Buried Treasure

I was certain I would be working like a dog until Monday night to get this closet cleaned out and organized by Tackle It Tuesday. WooHoo...it is done. It looks so nice. No clutter, everything has a place and is in it's place! I already took pics, because I have some sewing to do and I know by Tuesday it will need another tidy. Here is a little tease...the "after" pics will be posted Tuesday morning!

I was amazed at the amount of fabric I own. No...the other way. I have a very small stash in relation to what I have seen out there. I sorted it all and put scraps to be cut into squares and strips into boxes (3 small ones) and then organized my larger pieces that I wanted to keep in color groups. These are mostly fat quarters, 1/2 yard cuts, and a few 1 yard cuts.

I also found some buried treasures. I found some old orphan blocks from a folk art Biblical quilt I had planned to do. These are the first two (and only) blocks. The wording was to be embroidered. I was not at all happy with the applique method, which was fusable so I ditched the whole thing! I also found this wallhanging. Same fusable applique method, but because I hand quilted the whole thing I can not bring myself to throw it away. You can see the raw edges, as I have no idea how to button hole stitch or zig zag. I also came across a jar of my grandma's buttons. You can see on many of them, the fabric where she cut them off her old clothing. She was a very frugal lady. Ooooh. And have you ever put something somewhere safe because you knew you were going to need it, and then you could never find it?? I knew a lady who hid her son's Christmas presents and then could not find them. At the last minute she did, but her poor son almost had no gifts! TeeHee. Anyway, I put a specific fabric up to be used in a sailboat quilt for a baby boy (should the need arise). Well it is a 50/50 chance I will need this. I found it. It is the perfect "water" fabric and I can not find it in a quilt shop...I bought it 13 years ago for the backing on Kyle's quilt. I had a good amount left over.

I also organized my batting. As a hand quilter batting is SO important. My favorite is Quilter's Dream. Christine and I were "chatting" about batting and I wanted to show her the thickness of this. It is the softest batting ever made. I have been know to carry a little piece in my pocket. I sent Linda a swatch and she can vouch as to how soft it is. Christine splits her batting. I can't quite understand how. I am very visual (nice way of saying slow) so maybe next time you split batting you can show it on your blog, Christine. You can't see in that picture, but my fingers are so sore! I am finally getting a callous and hope to keep it up with my work on the pink and brown. Why I let my fingers heal is beyond me. It is so painful to get your callous built back up.

Amy received her apron from my 200th post giveaway, so I will show it now. It was made with Thimbleberries fabric. I framed the pocket so it would show better. Amy was born 100 years too late, as many of us are born out of our time. (I should have been born in the early 20's, in Iowa or Kansas) Anyway, Amy loves when she loses her electricity from an ice storm and does things in a primitive way even when she doesn't have to. I admire her greatly. One of the things she does is she hangs her laundry out in the freezing cold. I cracked up at her and she swears even though it freezes, it does dry. I told her as I was ironing her just finished apron I had a mental conversation with it, telling it to enjoy that hot iron because soon it would be hanging in the freezing cold to dry! She took a picture of it hanging from a clothes line dripping in icicles!! If the apron could talk it would be screaming "You weren't kidding!"

Thank you all for entering my giveaway. There is a very sweet and generous quilter who has been accused of doing giveaways to gain friends. This is ludacris, especially in light of who this quilter is. A couple of bloggers are doing giveaways in support of their friend. You can go here and here to enter.
Please forgive any overlooked, misspelled words...spell check is not working on blogger.

WHOA!

That is what Sweet Hubby said when he saw my progress on the closet. This is about 2/3 of what is on my sewing room floor. There is no turning back now!!!