Weekend report

We had a great time up at my sister’s farm in Potter County.  The weather was lovely when we arrived on Friday but by mid-Saturday morning it deteriorated quickly.  I took along my Brother sewing machine as I thought I could at least get the quilting done on some purse fabrics.  That did not work out as planned so I mostly just cut and fused fabric.  We made a trip into “town” and did a little poking around but mostly we ate and laughed and drank a wee bit.  It was extremely restful!

I thought I would share some photos from the weekend.  There was a gorgeous sunrise on Saturday.

This is a photo of the hillside that my BIL had sewn with wildflowers to surprise my sister.  Who said he wasn’t romantic?!

Here are a couple of photos of the house and pole barn.

Nice place, huh?  It sits on a little over a hundred acres.  Apparently there is darned good hunting on the property.  These guys came right down next to the house but by the time I had my camera ready to go they were moving back up the hillside.  This is a pretty shabby photo so I should probably identify them.  They are turkeys.  There are about 34 in the flock. 

We left midday on Sunday.  The first photo is the birthday girl (my mom) and my aunt.  The second is of my sisters.  The one closest to the camera is my non-quilty sister (Marliese) and the one driving is my quilty sister (Julie) who owns the farm.  No pictures of the Reluctant Quilter since I have the camera!! 

'Bout time!

First, I must get this off my chest - I apologize for not posting more often.  My posts are getting further and further apart.  I remember starting out that I used to post every day or at least every other day.  Something always seems to get in the way.  One of my favorite (and overused) expressions is "If it's not one thing, it's another."  Y'all know what my problem is of late.  These darned purses!

OK - I feel better now.  

(My cat is sitting on top of my computer monitor grooming her face and staring at me.  I wonder how often she sits up there and what kind of cat gick is dropping into the ventilation slots at the back of the monitor?  Anyway, it's a little disconcerting trying to type with something eyeballing you!)

I made many, many trips to my basement last Saturday to bring up my fall decor items.  I discovered that I had more than I thought...but I still needed to make some additional purchases!  A couple of months ago I found a brass planter thingy (I am sure it was from a floral arrangement) at the Goodwill for $1.  I have been thinking about what I wanted to put in it.  I decided on a centerpiece for my dining room table.  It isn't finished yet so no photos.  I will show you when it is completed and pretty.  I also need several more candles - big, fat ones.  The hutch needs more work so I won't show you that but here are just a few pics of some of the changes

This is the quilt from the Bear Hollow retreat a couple of years ago.  It is mostly very warm colors and I think looks great for this time of year.  It hangs on the focal wall in the living room.

I "foofied" up a few things in the kitchen.

Lastly we have my "Happy Jack". 

There is still much to be done but at least I won't have any additional trips to the basement to drag up plastic containers of stuff!

This weekend we are celebrating my mother's 79th birthday by taking her up to Bear Hollow.  It will just be my sisters, my aunt, my mom and me.  The sisters are all bringing sewing machines.  My mom and aunt will be our "pressers".  No, we are not going to make my mother work the whole time she is there!  There will be coffee and talking on the porch at breakfast.  (Sisters are doing all the cooking and clean up.)  There will be rides in the Gator to check out the foliage up close and personal.  There will definitely be appetizers and wine on the porch at 4pm.  This time I WILL have a camera!  I have my slim Kodak in my purse and my big, fat Canon in my suitcase. 

I hope you have a wonderful weekend wherever you are!

Projects for today

I haven't really had time to post lately.  (Purses, purses, purses!)  This weekend, however, I have things that need to be done.  I am having company for dinner so I want to get all of my fall decorating done today.  Other than Christmas, the most stuff I have for decorating is for fall.  I love this time of year.  So, down comes the spring/summer wreath (I never even got out the REAL summer wreath) and up goes the fall one.  I have to pull everything off the hutch in my dining room and re-do all of that.  Candles need to be switched from pink and rose to fall colors.  Table runners and quilts will be changed out.  All this means that I will be making several trips back and forth to the basement which is not my favorite place in the house! 

Tomorrow is quilting with S4.  Our group project will be making table runners for the holidays.  Generally speaking I don't "do" Santa stuff for Christmas but one of the runners is just too cool not to do it!  The other is very traditional with a tree on either end.  I think the Santa will make a great gift and the tree will be for me.  Don't I SOUND ambitious?  I probably won't get nearly enough done tomorrow but at least I have a goal!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Cable up and running!

After a false start (bad modem) I got my internet up and running on Saturday.  It could not have been any easier.  Turns out that the Comcast support people are all located in York, PA.  No unusual accents to deal with this time so there wasn't the usual "Pardon me?" going on.  Anyway, once the internet was running I spent most of the day reading blogs, downloading stuff and just basically wasting the day.  It was great!

I did get a few bags done so the count is now at 65.  I picked up some gorgeous fabric on Saturday when I went out to get the new modem.  I spent more than I wanted to but I think the bags will be fabulous.  Now, I just need to convince people to pay me for my "fabulousness"!

On a lighter note...

I have a wireless connection on my computers - both the desktop unit and my laptop.  I have been using the internet via my library since I moved into my house.  (The library is less than a full block away.)  I discovered this morning that an "unexpected reset" had occurred and I didn't have any internet service.  As a matter of fact (and this is really weird), a Comcast page came up and told me that I needed to get myself a Comcast account. 

I am so bummed out.  I loved my free internet! 

I am picking up my Comcast modem and set up kit this afternoon.  They have a nice 6 month cheapo rate so at least I am not paying premium prices for it ... yet!

9/11 Remembered

I was living in Seattle.  We were sleeping soundly when the phone rang.  He jumped out of bed to answer the phone.  He listened for a moment, had a very strange look on his face and then handed me the phone.  "It's your mother."  I said hello and my mother's first words were "It's bad out here.  We are under attack.  Turn on the television."  I quickly hung up, grabbed a robe and headed downstairs.  He had turned on the tv and was sitting in front of it with that same strange look he had when he talked to my mother.  We watched, barely comprehending what we were seeing.  It was surreal.  It was confusing and frightening. 

And then we saw the towers fall.  The horror took my breath away.

We watched for hours and then he went to the Southcenter Mall as it was reported the Red Cross was there taking donations.  Originally he was going to give blood but they said they didn't need that.  They needed money.  So we gave.  And we prayed.  It was all we could do.

I am remembering those today who lost their lives and those who lost their loved ones.  I continue to pray for our nation and our leaders.

I think I may have lost my mind

It's oh dark thirty and I have not touched the sewing machine yet this morning. I haven't turned on the iron or cut any fabric. I believe I need the cleaning fairies come over, zip around the studio, make it all pretty and maybe then I will feel like sewing...a'la Cinderella (Disney version). Maybe not. I keep going back and forth between loving making the bags and wondering "what the hell was I thinking?!" 12 down - 68 to go. Sheesh!!

Here are a few. I take them to the office and hang them on a tree to photograph. Outside light makes for better pictures (at least with my camera) and I can't find anywhere around my house that works for displaying them particularly well.

(Notice the "artsy" fade around the bag on the bottom? I was feeling frisky and decided to try one of the effects in Picasa. I am thinking about using a new photo of me with the blurring effects for my blog photo!)

Long weekend

I belong to an on-line group that is having a quilt along over the weekend. I fully intended to sew along but that would mean dragging out the camera, taking photos, posting photos, chatting on line, etc. which would essentially cut into my sewing time and I NEED to sew! I just finished a huge weekender bag for a co-worker. She bought one from me a month or so ago and used it on a family vacation. Her daugher liked it so much she stole it from her mother! "A" has been walking back and forth past my cubicle at work every day inquiring about her replacement bag. I am so happy it is finished so that I can get my purses and totes made. Time is flying and the deadline looms!

Just another quick item (and then back to the sewing machine), several of the women who commented on my giveaway were "no reply" bloggers. I really like to respond to anyone who leaves a comment on my blog. I always feel like I am being rude if I don't! If you are a "no reply" blogger by choice, that's fine. However, if you don't realize or know how to change that, please contact me and I will tell you how to fix it.

I hope y'all have a wonderful weekend, get lots of sewing finished and still have time to spend with your families!

We have a winner!

I really wanted the pretty screen print to show this but here is the number for the lucky winner!

True Random Number Generator
Result: 6 Powered by RANDOM.ORG

#6 is Karen! (Quilting with Grace). Karen, I will contact you via email to get mailing information.

Thank you to everyone who left a comment. They were all such fun to read. I really enjoy blogging and it was so nice that you took the time to enter my little drawing!

Fat quarter giveaway

There is a fat quarter giveaway at The Quilting Cat. Click on the link and check it out. I hope YOU don't like cat fabric because I really want to win this one!!

A couple of things...

A week or two ago I mentioned that I had finished quilting my scrappy quilt. I cannot for the life of me remember what it is actually called but I got the pattern from Bonnie Hunter's Quiltville site. The outer border is the fabric that I am using for the curtains in the guest room. It is one of the many large pieces of Moda's Vienna Nights that I STILL have! I said I would post a photo as soon as it was washed and dried so here it is



The quilting won't set the world on fire but at least it is quilted!




Second thing - I mentioned the other day that I would be "celebrating" my blogoversary over the weekend. Whoo hoo! (That's about all the celebrating I can muster right now!) To mark this auspicious occasion, I am having a giveaway. Here it is:



A bag fresh from Hazelnut Hill! (Don't you just love April Cornell fabric?!?) Please leave a comment by Friday, 9/4 and I will do the random thingy and let the computer choose the winner. Thanks for reading!!