exiting

Well i do three things .   cut, sew and iron.  Darn it!  How hard can it be:  I use a fancy cutter, a fancy machine and self turn-off iron and it still ain't straight.  My 12 1/2 in block came out:  12 1/2  x 11 1/2.  Ok:  it was triangles.  Ok! it was a new foot.  ok:  you add 5/8 or is it 7/8 to the final size before cutting.  Math!   So:  I got the ruler out and practiced with my new foot.  I add 1 in not 7/8.  Then I trimmed blocks and:  voila:  a 12 1/2  x 12 1/2 inch sq. block.   ummmmm  must be a magic fairy.

if it keeps raining in north texas:  I'll be able to swim to the sea otters.

exit

There is really no way to fix these.  They have been hanging out in the back of a closet for years.  trimmed and ready for binding.  Time to find 5 more to complete.  Thinking about taking to humane society and let those lonely dogs / cats have them.
One thing however:  it is not a good idea to take one way fabric and put on diagonal.

                                                  My latest weighting on binding

expired!

 time to watch Liberty Valence again:  The cactus rose is in bloom.

I'm exhausted.  went through 3 sewing needles.  Ok!  If that doesn't work replacing a sewing needle when a thread breaks:  then clean and oil machine.  Well I did that too.  Then I broke another needle.  Then the darn thing (my new machine) kept jamming.  Took her apart for the 5th time.  Found a piece of lint stuck behind the hook (bobbin hangs out).  Who would of thought!  I won't be so sloppy next time I clean my machine.  Guess I'll clean it every 8 hours like the manual says.  These high tech machines.  At least she ain't broke.  At least I don't have to drive her to Dallas.  Amazing for me.  I wasn't scared to tear her apart.  My first Bernina.  I cried because I thought I had broken her.  (just jammed a spring).  Kind of feel that way with my new puppy, my new car, the microwave, my laptop :  "ain't my first rodeo".  Just shake, kick and hammer.  Can fix anything.

expiration?

well fabric has no expiration date, but I do.  It is really hard to get into quilting a quilt top that has been sitting in closet 4-5 years.  Yappers.  Just plain boring and the worst part my skills have so improved.  But, alas, I'm too cheap.  Gonna finish.  The quilting looks great but the piecing is not straight nor even.  Only so much you can do to fix it.    Put on binding and sell at yard sale for the pampered pet. 

 back at the wichitas

                                                   where the hell did this carabou come from

expiration date

I'm glad that fabric doesn't have an expiration date.  Found a bunch of quilt tops I made years ago in different stages of "done".  I remember taking this photography class back in college.  Teacher had a real tight rubric for grading.  I always wondered about that.   Near the end of my 2nd semester w/ him I went back to look at my photos.  They were horrible.  But, at the time of developing them (yes in the days before digital) I personally invested and thought they were magnificent.  I look at these tops:  yes I now have time to finish them and see how poorly constructed they were.  They will make some pampered pooches comfortable. 

 and we call this art.  wish i was this good

Lovely Brazilian dinner

Had a lovely Brazilian dinner last nite.  One of my quilt students, born in Brazil, made us dinner.  It was marvelous.  Flank steak, beans and rice and vegetable from S. Mexico (Brazil).  Took a day off from cleaning.  Found a whole bunch of UFO's. (unfinished quilt tops).  Got them all measured and backed.  Looking forward to a week of quilting using my new Bernina.

Thinking about doing one of these in Santa Fe  when I take my class,    if teacher approves.

from photo to watercolor to quilt

But, However,.....

I know this is a quilting/sewing blog.  I should stay true to the fun...but, however:  this morning I went to a website to watch a video on how to make a zippered pouch.  Before,  : before it had finished loading before the visual of an advertisement:  a box   appeared verifying my zip code and PBS channel of preference.  I had to click yes and yes before the "box" would disappear.  So, if a zippered pouch video can find me and locate me then....why can't we catch the terrorists, the people with outstanding warrants, and deadbeat dads?????  Explain this to me. (please)  Every terrorist has a lap top, cell phone, access to the internet:  which is how they move money and plan raids daily.  Why aren't these outlaws arrested?  Maybe I should ask the FBI or NSA or CIA, KGB or PTA?

                                                from oklahoma museum of art

applique

Took applique class in Dallas today.  Learned how to take designs and turn into applique on computer.  A delete here a zigzag here.  Sooooo easy.  Came home with Tornado and Hail warnings.  Got so excited.  But it didn't form.  The "wall cloud'  sucked all the thunder out of the atmosphere. The tornado sirens went off.  Holy cow!  was it scary.  Me and...the neighbors all ran outside.  Dry as a bone and dead air.  We watched the clouds getting sucked in.  10 miles from us a touchdown.  Then it went north to OK.  I hate to admit (embarrassing) I was kind of disappointed not to have the storm and hail.  I have lived w/ tornadoes, hurricanes, and typhoons.  Do you know the difference between them?

                                                friends from Oklahoma  (l week before the rains came)

                                                   after the rains.   Gone to park 3 times looking for baby buffalo.  Mommas just won't bring them out

workin' , workin'

Still cleaning out the back 40 of my sewing studio.  Yippee!!!  no bugs.  But did find a tiny , wiggly , bug on lettuce?  from me?  from my shirt?  from dog?  I ate salad anyway
I have been hammered.  I have been poisoned.  I have been burned.  I have been beat-up,  For those of you who know me.  I had breast cancer 4 years ago.  Went through it all just fine.  But, had reaction to the effexor that was given after.  I fell 6 times in less than 2 years.  Good bones.  Nothing broke.  Finished PT 6 months ago.  Tried and Tried to get myself right.  Been struggling since Novemeber.  I swam 6 laps today.  8 make a quarter mile.  Started w/ a physical trainer 2 weeks ago.  Taking a "stable" class to return strength and balance.  Hope to be swimming a 1/2 mile by Dec and back in aerobics by mid-june.  Can't wait.

                                                won't these make great quilts

Canibal vs canibalism

We just finished 4 years of hard, hard drought.  Stage 5 water restriction.  But we have had enough rain in the past 30 days to bring lakes back to 55% from 18%.  I just want to take a long, long shower.  While cutting scraps...I found these nasty bugs.  So I decided to clean the far corners of my sewing studio.  During drought we had these huge cracks in back yard (each year deeper and longer) where these bugs would crawl out from the inner earth.  Now with all this water the cracks are gone: the creatures have returned to the deep recesses of earth :  but these new guys are trying to get out of the rain.  My question is???  How long do you keep a kit:  fabric and pattern you bought on impulse but really love :  but haven't seen in 4 or 5 years?  Do I cannibalize the fabric:  or store it again?
  More photos from art class:

I know other countries bugs are a favorite delicacy:  but I just want these guys to go home

Learning Curve

There is definitely a learning curve to cutting scraps.  Can't stack too many because I can't cut straight.  Too cheap to throw out strips.  And, it amazes me how my colors are of similar tone.  Trying to separate darks from lights.  Decisions.  How much to save.  Should I toss it if it's smaller than a 3 in strip or save it.  And, then, some of these bags (huge) haven't been opened in a very long time (years???).  I hate it when a ugly, nasty looking insect:  crawls out and says  "greetings"   Lesson learned:  cut my scraps to proper size before storing.  Place in rubber air tight container for storage.
More paintings from art class.  In September I will take the drawing one class.

                                                    taken from photos.  soon to be drawn by me.

Decision has been made.

Beginning June First I will be posting a new adventure.  I will be completing one quilt block a day.  I am currently going through my bags of scraps and cutting them down to size.  They are being stored in 5 1/2, 6 1/2 , 4 1/2 in squares and 1 3/4 and 2 1/2 in strips.
                    Here are more photos of my paintings.

Now that I am free:  free at last I want to turn these art projects into quilts.