Another February Week

Boy, these weeks pass so quickly. I can hardly remember what I did with my time other than sewing and reading and a little cleaning.

The weather has been so warm and springlike, but rain and cold are expected this weekend. It was bound to happen. We have to have some sort of a winter.

Mike went to Lubbock for a few days, so Mama and I were here alone. I probably did more reading than usual and a little more sewing. Our company is changing work platforms yet again, so I've had pages and pages of new things to learn, conference calls and training sessions. I like learning new things though.

As soon as he got home, we watched the latest Downton Abbey that I had recorded. We never want it to end.

All the rice bag/hand warmers were much appreciated. Emily loved them immediately even though she thought they were just little bean bags. Once she learned what they were for, she liked them even better. I make things for fun, but it makes me feel good when people actually use your projects. She says she heats them when she's at home and walks around with them in her robe pockets.

Ryan has many ideas for them - putting them in the freezer for muscles aches or headaches and making them in a doughnut shape for hand warming without having to hold them. I think they may have some of these. Leave it to a South Dakotan to know all about ways to keep warm. I'll have to get some masculine fabric. I can't imagine a snowboarder with little birdies and flowers on his hand warmers.

I think Mama loves them the most. I'll have to make her lots more. She is constantly warming them up during the day to make her hands feel better and actually had me make some for her friends with hand pain.

Looks like I'll be making more of those - and some bigger ones for shoulders and backs. I wouldn't mind having one under my desk to keep my feet warm when I'm working.

I did finish 2 books. I'm a reading machine lately. It helps when you find books that are this good. I read Nightwoods by Charles Frazier, the author of Cold Mountain. I don't remember reading Cold Mountain but loved the movie. I thought this book was pretty good.

I just finished reading another Kristen Hannah book, Magic Hour. I loved it and finished it just over a day.

That's maybe why my quilting goes so slowly.

But I did finish the hexagonal quilt (top) and the companion stacked coins (top).

My thoughts as I sewed this were: OH NO. I hate it. Too much white. Then: Well, I hate it less but still a mistake. To: Hey, I think I like this pretty well.

With a bright binding to match the binding on the other one, I think it's going to work. The two little boys are not going to be too picky, I'm sure.

I still like this fabric.



I decided to take a break from those 2 quilts and work on Elise's quilt - the one that was started too long ago and put aside again and again. I'm not sure why. It's not hard, and I like the fabrics she's chosen.
But after sitting and measuring each square - nearly 100 of them, I found that I'm off on some little seam somewhere on over half of them. So I'm gradually ripping seams and doing a better job this time. It's slow but the kind of thing I like to do.

We'll go to Andalusia tomorrow to visit Roy, and that will finish off another week - a week without buying groceries or going to Wal-Mart. Maybe that's why it was such a good one.

More Little Quilt Progress

I finished the top of the first little floor quilt and am pretty pleased with how it turned out. Lots of fun to make. We'll see if I'm still having fun after quilting and binding it! The colors are really a lot brighter than this picture shows.

I think it would be fun to put carriers on all 6 sides and a drawstring so it becomes a toy bag - but we'll see. I have my best ideas right before getting up in the mornings. Today I got so carried away I even considered piping. Oh no! It will be tricky to get a finish around the edges if I do it that way, and I haven't even picked out a contrasting color for the binding/piping. Not like I don't have enough choices.


I'll also put a matching binding on this stacked coins quilt for the twin brother. I need a few more rows to make it about the same size as the other one.


For the backing, I was worried I would have a hard time finding something that wouldn't fight with all the colors on the front. I took a panel to Jo-Ann Fabrics for a start, and nothing pleased me. Until I saw the dots - all colors and combinations - but this is the one I think will work nicely.
The shade of orange is perfect as well as the blue and, of course, the browns. The only thing missing is a green - so maybe now I've answered my binding color question. There is a Kona green that I saw that was a perfect match. I need to go dig up another 40% off coupon.

Hexagon Progress

I'm ready to roll again with the Castle Stairs little quilt. My jellyroll from Crazyquiltgirl came - quickly. I should make a lot of progress tonight and nearly finish the top. I'm not sure about the backing, but it will be something bright and cheerful.

This is 6 rows at least. I'll check after 8 and 10 rows to see if I want to stop.

Happy Birthday, Emily

It's been a long journey from Lu's Learning Center to Washington and a fun one.

We love this girl and are very proud of her strength and maturity. Hoping it will be a happy day.

Castle Stairs - the Ups and Downs

I've had this Castle Stairs pattern in mind for several months now for twin boys expected to arrive in a couple of months - I hope not sooner!

My first thought was to make 2 little quilts, but I'm waiting to see if I get one finished first.

It's the most interesting and satisfying project I've done in awhile. This is how it looked after 2 rows.
The designer of the quilt, Kelly from Kelby Sews, has written a wonderful tutorial. She warned about what would happen if you make the same mistakes she did and emphasized pinning and paying attention so much that I followed her advice, and so far it's been a dream to sew.

Every time you sew a strip, it has to be trimmed off. Kelly recommended lining up the 2-1/4 inch line on your ruler with the last seam, and every time I hold my breath that it's going to be off. So far, it's been perfect, and that means a lot coming from me!



Now for the downer.

I had found some of this Riley Blake fabric when we stopped at T&C Pharmacy in Opp, Alabama. Don't let the name fool you. It's not only a pharmacy but a Radio Shack dealer, a Christian bookstore AND a beautiful fabric shop. The people are so nice, and the shop is just full of colorful fabrics. I bought a few pieces of the Mod-Tot line and then saw this pattern, so I ordered a jellyroll (for non-quilters, a roll of 2-1/2 inch strips of all the patterns in a particular line of fabrics). Unfortunately, even though I thought I had read the directions well, the pattern designer's jellyroll had 35 or so fabrics in it; mine had 21. I was happily pinning and sewing and pressing and trimming, and my pile of strips kept getting smaller and smaller. At some point, I came to the realization that I was not going to have enough.
I thought about going to Opp next time we go to Andalusia and get a few more fabrics, but then I wasn't sure what they would have so went ahead and ordered another jellyroll. This might even give me enough fabric to make a companion quilt - something like this.

So here we are waiting for the new jellyroll to arrive. Five rows done, and there are supposed to be 12 rows in all. I miscalculated pretty badly, although I might not do that many if it's looking big enough after 10 or so.



I think the little boys will love the bright colors and funny little animals.
I've gotten quite attached to them myself.



I've just finished a book that I can actually recommend as being one of the best books I've read lately. It's Winter Garden by Kristen Hannah. I almost stopped reading during the fist half because the characters didn't seem to interest me enough. But I kept on. It is a heartbreaking story within a story of a Russian family in Leningrad during the German invasion, and it's very hard to read but such a good story you have to keep on reading to find out how it ends. It sure makes me treasure a warm home and food and a safe place to live.

Mama just showed us a laptop in a sales paper and expressed an interest in it. How can that be? There probably aren't too many laptop users about to be 89 years old. Or maybe there are. I still don't have one!

Little Bits of Sewing

That's all I have to show for this week unfortunately. We had some nice rain and warm temperatures. I played mind games with a runaway dog on Thursday, bought groceries on Wednesday (saved about $60 at Publix and Wal-Mart), finished one book and started another.

Talked on the phone and e-mailed some. Better yet, cleaned out one e-mail and deleted bunches of old e-mails.

Worked 20 hours.

We watched Downton Abbey and Upstairs, Downstairs and discussed with Emily and Elise.

The week sure passed quickly.

Pinterest has been good for me, if for nothing else than to make me feel guilty enough to do things. I have a "Things to Make" category, and I pin the things I like and might make in the future to that board. Several times a day I notice that someone has repinned my idea to their boards or "liked" it, and I feel like everyone is making these things but me.

I guess that's as good a reason as any to make useless things just because they're cute. So here goes--

I finished 4 of these purse organizers. It didn't even make it to Pinterest, but I had made one earlier and really liked it.

So I did 3 more, varying the heights and lengths. Very easy and fun to make.



I'm sending these to the girls to see if they like them or to give away. One is snuggled down in my purse and not going anywhere.

Then I made this cute little thing from some leftover fabric.


I read about these when Emily was doing a lot of playing in the snow, and I know how much trouble she has with her hands getting cold, so I planned to make some of these for her birthday. On second thought, the snow is gone now. Maybe they're really for her patients!

The first one was really teeny but just what I was looking for. Mama noticed it, and I asked her if she would like some bigger ones for warming her hands in the mornings. She has circulation problems and can hardly hold a cup of coffee in the mornings. I thought she could heat these in the microwave while her coffee is heating or just any time she needs them.



They were a big hit. So---

I made some more.


I had these charm squares of Fandango by Kate Spann which I really love but had never used. I made each side different and a size somewhere between the small one and the large ones. (Did I notice on that link that this fabric was ON SALE? Hmmm)




I think my favorite part is filling them with rice with a funnel and watching them plump out like little pillows. I think the bottom 2 could use more plumping.

My last thing was this grocery bag or tote. I can't say it was easy! I think I started over from the beginning 3 times, but once I got the hang of how it was supposed to be (and stopped forgetting to "yarn over"), it was great, especially for car trips.



I did learn a new technique called an I-cord. I had never heard of it and nearly gave up on it. I just couldn't see how it was going to work. So I looked at the video on You-Tube and had the AHA moment, and it was downhill all the way after that.



A pretty neat way to made a border and especially a handle. Mine is not as neat as I would like it to be, but at least I understand it and can do better next time.

So there's a little feeling of accomplishment, but you should see my sewing room. Next week will be for cleaning it up. I have a feeling the weather is not going to be so nice from now on for awhile, but it will make us appreciate spring when it gets here.

Snoqualmie Pictures

As we enjoy our unseasonably warm weather, I've been getting pictures from Emily. She was so afraid there wouldn't be enough snow to cancel work, but it sure looks like there was.

There may be more today. I'm looking forward to more pictures when they get through enjoying it.

I tend to enjoy snow like Jack.
He was born in South Dakota and spent the first 4 years of his life there, but living in Alabama for 3 years spoiled him. Emily bought this cute basket for yarn, but Jack had other ideas.

Speaking of keeping warm, I stole this picture of Gus from Debby's Facebook page. Just trying it out for size.



And while I was stealing pictures, I decided to get a couple more. I knew I could find cozy kitties on Sherry's blog.

Here's Nicholas enjoying the snow last winter. I'm not sure they've had any snow in TN yet this year.


The ultimate snuggling picture. Finnegan and Bentley. Sweet boys, all of them.


What I'm doing today - well now that it's half over.


I spent the morning organizing coupons and grocery lists and buying groceries. Pretty successful. Spent just over $100 and saved $41. It would have been more, but Mike and Mama kept adding things to my list that weren't on sale.

We also did one more chore that's been bugging me. I had the easy job of sorting through the various bottles and boxes, and Mike did the actual cleaning. Sounds fair to me. Maybe under the cabinet needs a little attention too.
The knitting is a project that I pinned on Pinterest. It's not quite as quick as advertised or as easy. You sure have to pay attention!

Here's a nice take on Pinterest. I thought it was a little silly at first too and still am not sure how it works, but it sure does keep my to-do list more organized. I tend to want to read all the books on my list and do all the projects faster since someone's looking now. The first thing I ever pinned was a knitting needle caddy, and since then 40 people have repinned it to their boards and 7 have liked it. I have no idea how these 47 people found my Pinterest board. Mine is pretty much bare and unimaginative, but every day I get emails saying so-and-so has pinned or liked or commented on something I have.

I left some dishes in the sink when I decided the cabinet needed cleaning. Then I stopped to check my email. Then I thought about blogging and taking some pictures and stealing some pictures, so now an hour later I'll creep back in and finish those dishes.

Small Accomplishments

I came to the computer to start my grocery list for tomorrow and ended up 2 hours later writing this - with no grocery list in sight.

I tried to remember how I ended up getting so sidetracked but can't even remember that. I went to the kitchen for something and saw the dishwasher needed to be emptied, and then the mail came. I mentioned again about how nice it would be to hang the grocery bags in the garage near the car so I wouldn't forget them as much.

This is where they usually stay - in this overcrowded section by the garage door.


Now with one simple hook, they are neatly out of the way and able to be seen from the car if I forget to take them.


We've done so many things - or Mike has since he's been home. Mama now has a bird bath and bird feeder in front of her window and loves them. The back yard beds are all cleaned out and ready for spring flowers. All the cabinets in the kitchen open and close smoothly, and the scuff marks have been touched up. And we still find time for reading, watching movies and sewing(me)and computer time.

I completely finished a project this morning, sewing the last of the binding on. Now to put it somewhere where I can find it next Christmas.

We (I) want to plant a tree right outside the kitchen window but aren't sure what kind. I want a star magnolia. I've loved them ever since we had one in Thomaston, but I hardly ever see them.

It seems perfect for blocking the kitchen-window-to-kitchen-window view of our neighbor's house. Except in the winter time when it's bare, but there's something comforting about looking out your window in cold or rainy weather and seeing the lights on across your yards.

Speaking of reading, Emily mentioned that she couldn't read a book I recommended until she read her 100 Best Novels. I asked for the list, and she said to Google it. Cheeky child. I did, and there are many lists, but I found one I like and will try to get a few of those in. (Nothing like tailoring your list to suit you!) I like Radcliffe's 100 Best Novels List. It looks like I've read a lot of them, but I'll see if I can't reread them. Most are probably free on Kindle. Ulysses will go to the bottom of the list. It's on every list I see, and I can never understand why. I've tried too many times to read it.

My mind is too full of things I want to do and not enough time to do them. I'm also hearing hints of a trip to Washington in a couple of months. Fingers crossed it will work out soon.

A Little Sewing, A Lot of Doing Nothing

I love days like this with no place to go and no expectations. It helps that it's really cold with no temptation to leave the house for anything.

It's nice to get bring Darby and Stella into the den and let them entertain us while we drink coffee and read, although that's pretty short. They'll play and interact for a few minutes the best a dog and cat can do until one of them gets mad and bites too hard or goes off in a huff.



We're trying to teach Darby some more tricks since she's a good student, but we can't think of anything she needs to know. She refuses to obey "Stop escaping and running all over the neighborhood," and everything else seems a little frivolous. She will sit, shake hands. She'll change paws if you say "other one." She can sit up on her back legs, roll over, let me put a treat on her nose and wait for the signal to get it. She brings her "puppies" to you and is in the process of learing to put them on the blanket - but only for a treat. She does pretty well with "get on your blanket" with most of her body, depending on whether there is a cat taking up some of her room.

Lunch was a bunch of good leftovers and easy to make. I did boil the leftover rotisserie chicken for soup later, and it smells so good. Mike's in there doing something with the mixer. I heard him grumbling about where the cinnamon was, so it sounds like maybe ginger snaps.

After I worked about an hour, I decided to do a little sewing. Since the first 2 purse organizers worked out so well, I thought I would make the other 2 but a little larger. I've gotten the interfacing ironed on and ready to sew.

and have started putting the binding on the Advent calendar I did earlier.

That will be 2 (or 5) completed projects the first 2 weeks of the year.

I started Tenth Circle by Jodie Picoult, and despite a depressing subject, it's very interesting and readable. I love going to the library and having a nice stack of books just waiting for me.

I was planning to read while the football game was on - some sort of NFL playoff or something - but Mike says it's over in the 1st quarter. Oh well, maybe it will get more interesting. If not, we have all those movies recorded.....

I think we may be enjoying this no-schedule life too much. Or maybe not. We slip a little housework in here and there. Mike did wonders for the hinges on the kitchen cabinets and touched up the paint. I may not have done as much, but cleaning the bathroom counts double. And working for an hour.

It WAS ginger snaps.

Yum. I need milk.

Rediscovering Lee Smith

Twenty years or so ago, I discovered the author Lee Smith and read everything I could get my hands on that she had written. I'm not sure that I liked every one of her stories, and no one title stands out as being especially wonderful, but I really was crazy about the way she wrote. When I was working in the library in Thomaston, I read everything we had there and later on bought some of the paperbacks or checked them out of other libraries.

Mike and I were in our library earlier this week looking for a few books I have on my list to read. I found one of them and a couple of other ones that looked interesting, but as we started to leave I saw the shelf with the Lee Smith books on them. One of them, Fair and Tender Ladies, didn't ring a bell, so I brought it home and started it that same afternoon. I could do nothing else but read that book!

It's amazing, and I didn't want it to end today. I've sat there and forced Mike to listen to excerpts, so I'm sure he's glad it ended.

It's written in the format of letters from the heroine Ivy Rowe from the time she was 14 years old until she is an old lady to family members and friends. The author knows and portrays the dialect of the area and the era so well.

It definitely made me laugh and cry and broke my heart thinking of things families like hers had to go through trying to keep farms going or work in the coal mines 100+ years ago, just trying to survive. So sad.

I now have a list of all of Lee Smith's novels and am going to try to go back and read and re-read as many as I can find. Ob-session!

I was looking through our bookshelves to see if I might have one of the books on the list, and I remarked that I could spend years just reading and re-reading the books we already have.

It used to make me sad when I worked at the library that I would never be able to read all the books I wanted to in my lifetime. Although I have given it a good try. I now have too many other interests to read like I used to, but I'm going to make more time for it instead of spending so much time on the computer - like right now.

We also recorded 3 movies on our magic new cable thing, and I have one waiting for me now. Retirement is not so bad!