Starting Over

Sometimes when I am bored I hit the “Next Blog” button on my blog. It starts out with sewing blogs and then morphs into all types of different blogs, from poetry to foreign philosophers on motorcycles.

Sometimes I hit blogs that have not been updated in months and even years.  Some people say goodbye, some change formats and some people just stop posting. Did they get bored? Change life circumstances? Or, as some have told me, get a life?

No, I am not stopping.  As I have stated before, I like my blog. I look at it as a diary and as a way to watch my family grow.  I also enjoy looking at past projects.  I still surprise myself sometimes.

But I did lose interest for a while.  In fact I even lost all interest in sewing.  The thought of going into my sewing room just depressed me.

You see, my friend Mimi died in April. She and I did lots of sewing-and shopping together. We had a couple projects that we were completing together. We laughed and cried together.  I taught her about quilting, she taught me about the Civil War. When I hurt my back, she called me every day. She never came to visit me without a bunch of flowers.  I once mentioned I thought kitty clocks were cute. She got me one for Christmas. She was a wonderful friend.

Mimi and me at the beach in VA. Mimi loved the beach.

John, her husband, has asked me to finish a few of her quilts. As I work on them, I hear her talking to me. It has helped me to start sewing again.

A friend from high school has started a purse challenge on Facebook. I thought that the challenge might kick me back into gear. Here are the beginnings of my purse.  It combines a couple of my favorite things, Japanese fabrics and beading.  I found the inspiration in one of my Japanese craft books.

I will keep you posted on my project.  I am not going anywhere.

Diane

Déjà Vu All Over Again

Cheapskate

Is it a sign that I am getting older and wiser or have I turned into a cheapskate?

I stopped into JoAnn’s today to browse and pick up some stuffing.  I had some money left on a gift card so I thought I could also get a magazine.  The one I wanted was $14.99!  I was shocked! Another interesting one was $9.99.

I guess I am confused.  Last year I signed up to get Quilter’s Newsletter and Fon’s and Porter-both magazines-for $19.99 for one year.  Now the same company wants to charge almost as much for just one special issue.  Am I the crazy one?

Then there is this:

All right-I will admit this scarf (24” x 70”) is absolutely gorgeous.  And there are 11 skeins of a beautiful merino yarn. But the kit is $438.  Four hundred thirty-eight dollars!

Sometimes at the shop I will total up a sale and be shocked, thinking I must have made a mistake.  But no, the total is correct. Fabric prices have skyrocketed!

And these are just hobbies.  Tonight my husband and I were talking and I mentioned that I wanted to take what was really a “joy ride” tomorrow: not an important task, just something to do.  My husband reminded me that this little jaunt would cost $8.00 in gas.  Hmm…

Maybe I will sew tomorrow instead-I certainly have enough to work with!

Don’t Forget to Quilt Today!

Variations of this theme are all over the internet (nurses, teachers, etc.)  Here is one for quilters.  Enjoy!

A Quilter’s Brain

Found on Pinterest

What Do YOU Think?

I admit that I have been holding on to this picture for a couple of weeks and I have forgotten most of the details.  This purse was shown at Fashion Week and costs thousands of dollars.

Of course my first thought was “I could make that!”  Sometimes I think it is pretty cool and sometimes I think, it is kind of, well, not too pretty.

So, what do YOU think?

Once Upon a Time…and Movie Monday

….there was a lazy blogger.  OK she really wasn’t lazy, she just did not blog 6 times a day like some bloggers-or even once a day sometimes!

And we all know that the lazy blogger is me.

Am I really lazy? I hope not? I just find other things to do and then it has been a couple weeks since my last post.  Or I want to get a good picture. Or the camera is not charged and I don’t feel like getting up (OK- I am being lazy THEN)

And I look at other people’s blogs and think “Why all the comments?” And then I wonder if I want to put all the work into advertising or updating several times during the day.  Quite honestly, the answer is no.

I came across a blog the other day and the blogger said, in so many words, “Since no one comments on what I write, I won’t blog anymore!” (I could almost hear the foot stomp!)

I have felt that way a few times. But then my friend will call and ask why there isn’t a Movie Monday post.  Or I will see my sister-in-law and she will tell me her friend said she liked something I made.  And I will feel better. Someone is reading my posts!

I am not begging for comments so please don’t think that I am! I just have to remember why I write this blog. It really is for me. I occasionally go back through my posts and remember how proud I was of a project or how cute my grandsons (and Buddy!) are and how much fun I had somewhere.

And here is a confession- I subscribe to over 100 blogs.  Luckily they all don’t blog every day! Sometimes I read, sometimes I don’t.  Sometimes I comment and sometimes I don’t. And if you all out there are the same, that is OK with me!

Now, if you have stayed with me this long, I present Movie Monday!

I thought this was very interesting for those who quilt on a frame and those who don’t.  Dawn Cavanaugh, who does beautiful machine quilting talks about the direction that we quilt and how it affects our stitches.  Some quilters I have talked with agree with this, some don’t.  I am on the fence…(again!)

Have a great day!

Very Funny-and True!

Lauren just sent me this. It is perfect!

Happy New Year

 

Yes I do realize that it is January 4. I have been thinking about this post for a while.

While reading other’s blogs I have made note of resolutions, changes and plans others have for the New Year.

I asked my husband what his resolutions were for this year.  He informed me, “I don’t have any. I am already perfect.” (well, OK he is darn well near perfect, except for… oh, never mind.

I have broken several New Year’s Resolutions through the years, but I will share a couple of goals I have for 2012:

1.Losing Weight.  This is everyone’s goal isn’t it?  I have the tools and a good start on this one.  I did gain 2 pounds between Thanksgiving and January 1, but I did manage to make some good choices over the holidays and now that the cookies are all stale (That is right! I did not eat them all this year!)  I am back on track.  In July I said my goal was to be 50 pounds thinner next year at this time. My doctor and I agree this is a healthy goal that allows me to be satisfied at the end of a meal.  Again, I hope to be 50 pounds thinner next year in January.

2. Projects. We call them, UFO’s, WIP’s and the albatross around our necks. I would like to believe I will finish one a month or that I will finish one before I start a new project but will even that make me happy-or whittle down all those unfinished projects?  I like to create, I like to experiment, and I like to make pretty things!  Sometimes Things I start don’t always work out  as planned. So I give myself permission to finish those things I want and to gift or get rid of things I know I won’t finish.  And it is OK to start a new project!

3. Fabric. Yes this is a problem-and I work at a quilt shop! But this will be a resolution. Stop buying fabric when bored at work and double check my stash before shopping. Stop “stocking up” and use what I have. JoAnn’s and the fabric stores will survive the economic crisis is I don’t buy interfacing until I need it!

4. OKAY, this is the biggy and this comic sums it up quite nicely:

http://www.gocomics.com/grand-avenue/2012/01/04

I do worry how others view me and I am always looking for approval on everything I do.  I know that I drive my kids crazy worrying that I might have said something that was taken the wrong way.  I APOLOGIZE WAY TOO MUCH! Sorry about the caps, there…

Anyway…let’s work on this mantra:  I can’t change other people. I can only change myself and how I view others. And they are not all angry with me or judging me constantly!

Sewing pictures, later!

Pondering…

I rarely get introspective on this blog but I am hoping that writing about this will help me feel better.

My feelings are very easily hurt.  I have tried, with difficulty, to develop a thicker outer skin but sometimes I it doesn’t help.  I try to cover it with jokes, which sometimes gets me into trouble.  I say things to other people which makes me feel even worse. I suppose that is why I am always apologizing to people.  I don’t want them to feel like I do!

Anyway something happened yesterday.  To tell you all what happened won’t change anything.  But, to make myself feel better, I ate 5 sugar cookies.  Which only made me feel worse. Then I felt bad-and nauseated.

I AM NOT GOING TO DO THAT ANYMORE! (OK- I will try very hard not to do that anymore…) Since July I have lost 22 pounds.  Of that I am very proud.  I can’t blame anyone else for my eating habits but I can try to control how I react.  I have always told my daughters, You can’t change other people; you can change how you react to them.  Maybe I will take my own advice…

On a lighter note…Remember these?

Well, since I posted I have made 6 more!  I included a key chain on a couple.  They are very addictive!

That Time of Year Again!

CSS

I have diagnosed myself as having CSS- Change of Season Syndrome. Symptoms include feeling really lazy, hating all my current clothing and having no desire to cook any meals (it is too hot for this and too cold for that).  Of course this means that nothing really creative has been happening in my house.

But I am glad to say that I am starting to come out of my lethargy. I love fall in Central New York.  The color changes that fall brings are a few weeks away but I already feel better. It is getting cooler and I am sleeping better.  I am actually sewing again and I plan to get out the afghan I started last winter. I am hoping that cooking will become less of a chore and I can start making my comfort foods again (but I am looking for recipes that are a little better for me; I am down 16 lbs so far!).

Yesterday I started on a fall lap quilt.  I just have to finish putting the borders on.  It is a rail fence-very simple but oh I love the colors!  I will post a picture when the top is done.

I will end this post with a few pictures:

Dylan found Michael’s old Halloween costume(sorry- it is a little blurry):

Michael drinking pepperoncini juice (don’t ask!):

My husband and Dylan chilling:

Testing

I just downloaded Live Writer because it is supposed to have better tools than those provided by Blogger.  So I am trying out some of the options in the program. 

Let’s try inserting a picture:

OK that was easy.

Changing the font is easy. I can even cross out words!

Adrienne just updated her blog.  Here is the link.

It will take a little getting used to. I have to say though adding pictures is a whole lot easier. 

Today I tried making some bias for my quilt.  Let’s just say it did not go well.  Of course I was attempting to follow directions that  I read a couple days ago for continuous bias and I was too lazy to go find the directions.  I will work on it again tomorrow. Until then,  toodles!

Random Thoughts

Will you read my blog without pictures? I am hoping you will!

We got some wonderful news this week. Adrienne and her boyfriend Joe are engaged. We are all very happy. I am hoping that she will update her blog (hint,hint!) with all the details. Come on Adrienne-we are waiting!

I am kind of angry with myself. I really don't like the template for my blog and Blogger's templates are kind of boring. I have tried some outside templates and each time I do, I lose my widgets on the side. So now my counter is down to zero. Bummer.

I remember my principal who commented when I kept rearranging my classroom. She told me It was not the room that was bothering me, it was what was going on inside it. She was correct; I had a tough class that year and nothing I did seemed to be working. The next year I had a great class-I only rearranged twice.

Maybe that is the problem here: if I make the content better, I will be happier. With that said, I have some tutorials I want to try. I need to get sewing and stop wishing my blog looked like someone else's. Back to work!