Super Saturday!!

Today I finished my "Be Attitudes" quilt top. I took the advice of my good friend, Sherri, and made the border a scappy one, using all of the border prints that came with the kit. I only want to put one border on the quilt, but they give you four different fabrics to put four borders on. I didn't want it to be too big to put on the wall, so I went with one border in all colors. I am in the process of putting together my quilt back, using a lot of different fabrics again. You know me and not being able to throw away scraps...

I also had the chance to head into Vegas to pick up my youngest daughter and had some free time to check out the sewing machine store that Sherri sent me to. I ended up putting $200 down on this lovely machine, a Janome DC3050, which I will make payments on until the end of August...then it is mine, all mine! Just in time for all of my Christmas projects to get done. Yay me again!!

It's a Start...

I have been starting to save up for a new sewing machine. The one that I have is about 25 years old, and has been having problems keeping the thread on the hammer (?) of the machine. It has gotten so bad that I cannot use regular thread anymore. The only thread that seems to work, without it coming off, is serger thread. I'm okay with that, but it ends up being a pretty big pain in the neck when your thread is hanging off the back of your machine and you are trying to keep it from getting caught on your work. I am looking at buying any good machine ON SALE, that will do quilting stitches. I have projects sitting here waiting to be stippled, so hopefully in the next few months, I will be able to do them myself and have them ready for Christmas. I would appreciate any suggestions on what machine has worked wonders for you. There are so many to choose from, I wouldn't know where to start. I guess I start with one that is on sale...

Bottled Butter

My oldest daughter learned from a friend how to bottle butter for shelf storage, so I decided I wanted to learn this for myself. I am not one who wants to be without butter or eggs, so this was a perfect solution. We have our nine laying hens growing up in the backyard and will start giving us eggs in August or September, and now we will have REAL butter on our shelves in case we have a major catastrophe, or even one of our famous "summer thunderstorm power outages." The best part about bottled butter is that is can sit on your shelf for 3-5 years, and it will not melt either. What could be better than that?

Finished Work!

The husband and kids are up at the family cabin for Memorial Weekend. Mom didn't get to go because of church commitments, chickens to feed, and the garden to keep alive through the heat of Nevada - but no fretting, because it has given me lots of free time to sew and get some things done - and I don't mean laundry. Actually, I did the laundry and house work yesterday, so that I could "play" today. So I high-tailed it on getting ready this morning and started right in on some stitching on my "Be Attitude" blocks, then on to this table runner. I decided to "stitch-in-the-ditch" it myself, and even got the binding on it tonight. It is already gracing my kitchen table. Today I had a chance to go over to Sherri's house and borrow a few patterns. She even gave me a magazine that she didn't have use for. What a true friend! I'll take the day off tomorrow to keep the Sabbath Day holy, then ready or not...here comes Monday!!

Block 5

It seems that I get later and later in the month before I finish each new block that comes. Not that I am getting tired of doing them...I just get busy with all of the other projects I am working on, or even just trying to keep up with the family's busy schedule of concerts, field trips, and baseball games - not to mention my piano lessons, church assignments, and household chores. My poor little blocks have been getting sent to the back seat before I remember that they have feelings too and want to be complete. A completed block makes ME feel better too, I guess.

FLANNEL - (just in time for a hot, Nevada summer!)

We've started our women's sewing group project this month and one of the quilt patterns that some of us are using is the "Fields of Flowers" pattern by Pieces From My Heart. I bought a flannel jelly roll of "Timber Creek Flannel" a few weeks ago with the intention of making some kind of quilt with it. I thought that this would be the perfect easy pattern for this cute, cabin-y line of fabric. I love the colors. I told my husband that I was going to make it and take to use at the family cabin. He said "Forget it! It's staying home with us!" What d'you know? He's converting!

A New Background!

I have to send a shout-out to my niece, Karena, for the brand new custom-made-by-her background. Don't you love it?! She is starting a new home business designing blog backgrounds. If you are interested, check out www.cookienut.blogspot.com - She has a small portfolio that you can look at. I love what she has done with mine. Besides, my older daughters thought that I could do a lot better than the background I had. I agree with them on that one, this one is so much more me!