Amy's Adventures in Blogland

New Glasses

2009-08-03T22:00:00.002-04:00

So, you might remember that I can't wear contacts anymore. I'm still sad about that, but honestly, when my eyes feel the way they do today, I'm glad to not have anything extra in there!

I swear the eye doc said my prescription "didn't hardly change" several months ago when I last saw her. But I didn't look at the Rx, so I was surprised when I finally did a few weeks ago -- my right eye is .75 worse. Now I agree that's not a HUGE change, but if I had realized it was that much, I'd probably have gotten new glasses sooner!

Anyway. I selected them on Friday, and they should be ready at the end of this week.

These will be my regular glasses:

And these will have tinted lenses for sunglasses:

I can't hardly believe I picked out regular everyday glasses that are lime green! But the ones I have now are held together in one place with thread, and the bow/earpiece thingy is coming unwelded. They're basically junk, so I'm looking forward to being able to see better AND not having to worry about the lens falling out while walking through the grocery store. (Yes, that actually happened one day...)

Cute Overload

2009-08-03T15:48:00.002-04:00

You've been warned :)

The San Diego Zoo has a Panda Cam. Well, actually, it's a BUNCH of Panda Cams that make up one totally sweet and adorable feed of real live pandas. There were (ice) birthday cakes earlier for the birthday celebrations... but the Panda Cam is a regular thing, so you can go watch anytime you need a little happy in your life. Enjoy!

Happy birthday to me!

2009-08-02T13:20:00.001-04:00

I drove through a thunderstorm to get here, although you might be guessing that from the rain :) There's quite a line -- it's a new enough Sonic that there are still cops directing traffic! But mmmmmm fresh lemon slush...
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

A veritable bounty of goodies!

2009-07-10T17:05:00.002-04:00

OK. I'm not going to lie... it's been a long week. I am soooo happy it's Friday!

First, I got my long-awaited special order of Malabrigo Sock yarn... 2200 yards of this deliciousness is now mine, all mine.

Second, you'll remember that I totally lucked into winning the amazing blogaversary giveaway at Twist Your Stitches. The package must have arrived on Wednesday... but I couldn't get it until now. That made me cranky, but believe you me, I was excited to get this box!

This picture is pretty much crap, but it'll have to do for the moment:

Peeps, this is one amazing pile o' goodies! Many, many thanks to Rachel for it (go there and show her some love!)... I don't think I'll stop petting this yarn for a good long time.

What's in there? The cutest book (Sheep in a Shop), a pattern for a polka-dotted hat and mittens (mmm... polka spots!), chocolate, soap, lip blam! (not a typo -- reminds me of my childhood friend Linda who always said that, too), hand cream, an awesome button that looks like a stone, a BSA notebook with graph paper (love), a pocket full of posies (go here for the pattern), a pretty cheap project bag... and, um, YARNY GOODNESS.

Yes, I'm shouting. Yes, this yarn is amazing. I want to snuggle it. BSA Suri Merino in Dusk and Fog. Oh yeah... it's delightful. And maybe someday I'll be brave enough to knit with it!

I know, I've been neglecting you...

2009-06-26T10:05:00.002-04:00

Maybe I'll be better about posting... things have been more than a little nuts in the last while! I just enjoyed a mini-vacation with my mom and sister, and am looking forward to these half-day Fridays at work :) Now, if it weren't 90* today... and raining AGAIN.

In important news: I followed someone's Twitter link to Twist Your Stitches, and totally won an awesome blogaversary prize including Blue Sky Alpacas Suri Merino yarn and other goodies. Go visit -- you'll like it there! Rachel got added to my blogroll right away :)

And now, since it's 10 a.m. and I'm supposed to be working, I guess I'd better... I was already late to work this morning and the CEO opened the door for me, so my slacker ways are no longer a secret!

Giving people the finger...

2009-03-25T19:59:00.005-04:00

My middle finger on my left hand triggered again yesterday. It continually surprises me -- when that finger doesn't work right, it really makes life more complicated!

I found out on Monday that I'm most likely not going to be able to wear contact lenses anymore. Prior to that, I last saw the eye doc three weeks ago, when we decided to order sample lenses of the daily disposables, since my eyes are hard to fit. (I have a difficult prescription due to the weird amount of astigmatism that needs to be corrected, and apparently an uncommonly shaped eye surface. Yeah, I knew you wanted to know that -- you're welcome!) So I scheduled a fit appointment, which was Monday at (gasp) 7:30a. The right lens is lovely, the left one hurts.

Turns out the bumps either haven't gone away or have come back. (Oh -- it's called giant papilloma conjunctivitis... I won't show you the pictures; if you're crazy enough to google it, you can live with the results. But don't say you weren't forewarned!) Since the primary cause of the bumps is wearing lenses, well, lenses are probably out. Minimum time before another attempt is 6 months, which probably means more than a year for me.

So, I'll have a full exam in three weeks (when she'll check the bumps again for progress!), and get new glasses... sigh.

Finished Neck Warmer

2009-03-22T09:59:00.002-04:00

Here's my Faberge Neck Warmer thingy, modeled by my Eddie Bauer bear. (Funny, he might be the only stuffed animal I've ever had that doesn't really have a name!) Anyway, made of Malabrigo worsted in cinnabar, with beads and vintage buttons. This is basically a short scarf that buttons around the neck...

And yes, that's my as-yet-unfinished quilt from Carol Taylor's class in the background...

Ruffles and Flourishes - Finished!

2009-03-15T11:04:00.002-04:00

Just Enough Ruffles, pattern by Laura Chau, modified with 230 stitches cast on
Malabrigo Worsted Merino, in color Burgundy
Button Basket from Longeberger (thanks, mom!)
Fabric is Moda, I think, from my stash :)

Ruffles and Flourishes... I've always loved that phrase. It's actually a military bugle call, played immediately prior to Hail to the Chief. Chances are good you've heard it without knowing that's what it was called!

- - - - -
I decided to give the pink ruffly scarf a soak and block, too, since it's scratchy and the tub is clean. Fingers crossed... it's lounging on the ironing board now.

Trying something new

2009-03-14T12:23:00.005-04:00

I'm going to stop apologizing for the lack of posts... 'cause you don't really care if I cleaned my bathtub or got stuck in traffic or whatever. I'd rather talk when there's something to talk about, even if it's sometimes only interesting to me ;)

I've been working on another ruffly scarf, this time in pretty Burgundy Malabrigo Merino Worsted wool... MMMmmmmmmmmmmmm.... yummy! I finally finished binding it off last night; I made it a little longer than the first, so there were almost 700 stitches on the needles. I tried a stretchier bind off, too, which works beautifully but I did not like doing it at all. K2, slip both back on left needle, then K2togTBL. K1, slip both back on left needle, then K2togTBL. Repeat until you're ready for the padded room, then do some more. I learned I don't generally like knitting through the back loop. Good to know, I guess.

So, the problem most people, including me, have with this beautiful scarf is that the garter edge (which you couldn't see when George modeled it the other day) really folds over to the right side. The only sure-fire way to stop it seems to be a full wet block. EEP! Since the folding drives me nuts on the first ruffled scarf, though, it seemed necessary.

I started by cleaning the tub. In theory, I might have been able to do this in the sink, but the tub needed cleaning anyway ;) I ran a tepid little bath, and doused the scarf, making sure to soak it thoroughly. Malabrigo felts if you look at it crosseyed, so I had to remember NOT to swish it around or anything in my desire to have it be fully soaked. "They" say it takes 20 minutes, but George was rather intrigued by this, so I'm pretty sure I didn't get past 15 at the most.

Carefully squeeze out the water, roll in a bath towel a couple of times to soak out as much excess as possible, and now it's on a sheet on the ironing board to dry. The idea is to make sure the garter edge (the non-ruffled one) is nice and flat. I also wanted to stretch it a little width wise -- it seems slightly too skinny this time around. My guage was definitely tighter, so that's part of the problem, I think. We'll see... this could take a while to dry. On the plus side, the tub is nice and clean ;)

Ruffles and Flourishes

2009-03-04T22:01:00.000-05:00

I have absolutely no idea why George-the-cat allowed me to do this :) Since I was sure he'd bite me instead of just sit nicely with the scarf around his neck, I didn't bother to turn it around so the right side was out...

Pattern is "Just Enough Ruffles" by Laura Chau, knit in Burgundy Malabrigo Worsted Merino. Yummy! (This is the same pattern as the pink scarf from a few days ago, by the way, but in much nicer-to-knit yarn.)

I gotta post more often!

2009-03-01T21:23:00.003-05:00

My sister has started sending me "bump" messages to blog :) [As an aside, dear one, you *could* start your own blog...]

Nevertheless, I'm here, and watching Iron Chef. Cat Cora is making something with deep fried frozen ketchup canelles. I'm intrigued...

Here's what I've been working on:

It's Faberge Neck Warmer (pattern by Nina Machlin Dayon, published on Ravelry), which uses a beaded trellis stitch. Yarn is Malabrigo worsted merino, in color Cinnabar (yum!).

I also started another ruffle-y scarf in a non-pink color, but it's only eight rows in, so it's not really anything to show off yet.

Enjoy...

A scarf and a quilt block

2009-02-16T14:39:00.002-05:00

This is my Just Enough Ruffles scarf, which I made in the last week or so. It's Sheep Shop 1 yarn, in a watermelon shade. It's knit sideways, with 200 stitches cast on, then a triple increase (!) giving one 600 stitches to bind off at the end. That said, it *is* just enough ruffles... it needs blocking, then who knows what will happen after that :)

And here's my late block for Helen, Miss January. She asked for real African fabrics and applique. Luckily, we met a lovely vendor of African fabrics (and baskets) at the Harrisburg show, so I had these two to play with, as well as another that I ended up not using. This is an African drum; it's not as fancy as the work some of the other girls have done, but I think it looks OK. The beading took forever -- I had to use a small needle, as it was the only one without a bulgy eye, and my hands do not like those little needles at all!

Anyway: I'm caught up on my deadlines again. Whew. (Yes, I know I'm late with January, but I promised Helen I'd mail this block today -- not realizing it was a holiday at the time -- so I *do* feel good about finishing it yesterday.

Maybe, just maybe...

2009-02-16T10:06:00.002-05:00

I think I might have fixed my internet connection. Of course, I hope I did, but boy, those were fairly obvious mistakes if that's the case :) Ah well... I got a LOT of knitting done and a little sewing while without, so that's not all bad. Now, I need to do a few things, including photographing said knitting and sewing; I'll be back later to share.

Technology

2009-02-05T19:55:00.000-05:00

... Has got me down! In trying to fix my wireless, I broke it completely. I'm sure it'll be better after I uninstall and reinstall the router -- as a password-protected connection now that I have lots of neighbors -- but that's a drag. And a long process! Have just spent some time reading blogs on my 'berry... Functional, but tedious, I'm afraid. Guess I'll just knit more tonight; the router will have to wait for the weekend :)
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Weird things that have happened as of 6:27 p.m. today

2009-01-26T18:15:00.002-05:00

The bumps on my eyelids are still there... not getting worse, but not significantly better. That's not really weird, but it's important to the next point.
I went to the pharmacy to pick up two Rx for my eyes, the steroid drops I've been using (as a sample) and an antihistamine drop to try to calm them down some more. They're out of the antihistamine, but I can get it tomorrow. OK -- a hassle, but not a huge deal. I literally drive past the pharmacy every day on the way home from work. More importantly, after waiting and waiting and waiting for the steroid (which comes pre-packaged!), they tell me it's going to be $105. WHAT? I have insurance for these things. The (dippy) clerk says "Well, they paid $75..." Yeah, forget it. I'll call the doc tomorrow and find out if there are other options for that price!
So I come home, to find out they painted the concrete floor in the laundry room today, so I can't do a load of wash as I had hoped.
Even more odd, George-the-cat DOESN'T meet me at the door. Um, what? I come in, put dowm my stuff, and start talking to him, thinking he must have been sleeping pretty hard, and still no cat. Finally he wanders out the bedroom, takes one look at me and runs back in there, under the desk chair. Now, George loves to be under this chair (it's slipcovered, so it's a nice hideaway), but he usually loves me more. I figure I'll give him a few minutes to get his act together before I panic too much...
In the meantime, I'm wondering if the steroid drops need pre-authorization (my allergy pills do)... I look online, and nope, they're a standard tier 3 drug, for which I should be charged $35. I call the pharmacy back, and speak to a pharmacist, who says the insurance company gave them the price, so I have to call Oxford to resolve this. They, of course, closed at 6 p.m.
George is now sitting by the door, staring at the cedar chest. Dork.

Knitting... a sweater?!

2009-01-25T16:50:00.005-05:00

I don't know why, but knitting has really enchanted me this fall and winter. One reason is probably that there's a wonderful LYS nearby, and the LQS I like is 45 minutes away! I've been knitting pieces to make kids sweaters for charity, and I made a few Christmas gifts... so I thought I ought to make myself something nice. I'll tell you, making a nice quilt would take far less prep work.

I picked a pattern, and went off to the store. I knew I'd have to swatch -- knit a 6" square to check knitting gauge -- but I didn't anticipate that would lead to three trips to the LYS in five days! It's good -- the LYSO still smiles at me when I come in the door -- but sheesh. We pick a yarn to try, and I get needles in the recommended size. Cast on 30 stitches, and knit for a while. Gauge is close, but not quite right; let's try the lace pattern from the sweater. Good, I can knit that without going crazy. Hmmm... let's try another needle size to nail the gauge. Oops... went the wrong way -- now I have too many stitches per inch. SIGH. Back to the LYS, where she says I have to block my swatch. Huh? She explains what to do, and I go home to try. This is the result:Cool. It's like a completely different object -- the character of the fabric is so different from the fabric right off the needles. But now the gauge is different, and I really don't know what to do -- other than go to the LYS again! We pick the correct needle size, talk about fitting, and I (ahem) changed my mind about the color. It's beautiful, but it's really blue, and kind of stripey in all the finished pieces I could find on Ravelry. Not a fan of the stripey... so I got this instead:

It's Dream in Color Classy (what a dumb name for a lovely yarn!) in Chinatown Apple. I think it looks kind of like dried apples, as I'm starting to knit it up. Slow going on this one... it's a cardigan knit with no side seams, so there are a LOT of stitches in every row! I'd show you the pattern, but I can't find it off Ravelry. If you're a knitter and on Rav, it's called Summer's End.

So, wish me luck. This could be a good or a bad adventure!

And the sun shone down

2009-01-24T18:25:00.001-05:00

Yes, the sun shone today, but more importantly, I finished this block for Terri! (Miss December in the birthday block swap.) It's late, to be sure, but it doesn't look half bad, if I do say so myself.

Terri supplied the yellow fabric to all the swappers, and asked us to use only blue and yellow in her blocks. All of hers so far are gorgeous... I hope mine plays well with them. I got the blue batik in a bundle at a quilt show, and the print at home in Michigan over Christmas. It's so pretty... but so directional, which made things more complicated that I really wanted! I'll give it a good pressing, then mail it Monday. That's a very good thing.

It's a mystery

2009-01-23T13:04:00.002-05:00

I had to go on Tuesday for my routine bloodletting. (I say that to be dramatic -- it's just a tube of blood every three months or so to check my thyroid function.) Since I have an awesome vein in my left arm, and I'm not afraid of needles, it's not really a big deal. The only pain or discomfort comes from ripping off the bandage later :)

Anyway, I talked with the doctor today about the results, which are unusual. She's been increasing my dose of Synthroid fairly consistently, trying to get me to a "good" TSH number. Three months ago, my TSH was 4. She upped my meds a little, and this week, my TSH is 8. Lower is better. More drugs should lead to a LOWER number. What the heck is going on?! (Two years ago, when I was diagnosed, my TSH was 11. The lowest dose of meds brought me down to 7 or 8, and I've been working my way down ever since. This is annoying!)

The doctor can't really answer the "why" question right now, although it does explain why I've been so exhaused. For now, I'll be increasing my dosage again and having more blood drawn in 10-12 weeks. And I want to do some more independent reading on managing TSH and hypothyroid. I have a great book, but there's definitely more to learn.

OK. Whining over. In the grand scheme of things, this is not that important. It just, well, IS.

Hmmm....

2009-01-22T18:46:00.003-05:00

I think my life is boring. I don't have much of anything to say :) Judy asked today how that could be possible -- and I don't really have an answer.

I'm working on my (very late) birthday block for Miss December... but there's a lot of precision rotary cutting at this point, and I need to do that during daylight hours. (*See #3 for why.) Pictures when it's done, I promise!
I'm swatching for a new knitting project. Not very interesting at this point -- a +/- 6" square of navy blue stockinette... now I have to figure out how to count/measure what I've knit!
I'm anxious to go back to the eye doctor on Monday. Oh, maybe I didn't tell you this...I have some kind of irritation or inflammation or something on the insides of my eyelids. (I had this once before, about 15 months ago.) It makes wearing contacts utterly impossible -- there's a reason contact lenses are so thin! With lumps and bumps in there, too, well, it hurts. Luckily, I recognized it quickly this time, and made an ophthalmology appointment right away. Treatment is basically steroid eyedrops until it goes away. (And yes, once you get this condition, whatever it's called, you get it with some regularity, so it's going to be part of my life now. Yuk.) Anyway: my glasses are scratched and I have a real problem with glare from lights and my glasses and stuff... careful rotary cutting in less-than-ideal lighting would surely lead to unfortunate consequences!

And now, I'm sure you'll want to run over and thank Judy for prompting me to share these fascinating tidbits with you. ::snarfle::

Obsession

2009-01-14T17:54:00.002-05:00

OK, my brain is going to explode. I've been looking a images (stock photography and illustrations) for about a week now, for a work-related project. Yes, it's fun, but it's also strangely exhausting. Choosing the perfect keywords to capture an idea can be a challenge, and sometimes I can almost see what I want to find, but it's just not out there in a way I can find it.

So, I need help. One of the concepts is "OBSESSION." Without being a Calvin Klein ad, what kinds of images say "obsession" to you? I'm not necessarily looking for the answer to "what are you obsessed with" (I love fiber, for example, but my target audience is probably reasonably less obsessed with that than I am!). It's more the abstract concept of being or becoming obsessed with something or someone, especially if it's unattainable. Am I making *any* sense at all? Photos, illustrations, art -- just has to be in the public domain or stock imagery (unless you own the copyright and are willing to license it for literally peanuts!) -- give me some ideas and/or some links!

Thank you!

Let it snow...

2009-01-11T00:21:00.003-05:00

I knew it was a bad sign when I got called into an emergency meeting yesterday about snow plans for the weekend -- and they were predicting 3-6" over 12 hours. Um, that's just your everyday, average kind of January weather where I come from -- 3" of snow does NOT a storm, blizzard, panic or emergency make!

It did start to snow around 1p today as predicted, and I had to clean off my car before I could leave for work. I'd guess about 2" by that time, which was a little after 5p. Of the three highway lanes, the left and right were almost snow-free, just wet, but the middle one was pretty snowy still. People were going about 40 mph. Yes, it was snowing, but the road was completely fine. I finally worked my way around the worst of the idiots, including the guy driving with his brights and hazards on ('cause that's not distracting or anything!), and managed to go about 60 most of the way. It took about 15 extra minutes to get there, which was fine -- I left earlier than usual since I had no idea how the travel would be.

But it gets better. On my way home, when it was not snowing, I was on a highway entrance ramp behind a small SUV, and the driver wouldn't go more than 20 on the *straight* road. I guess I should have expected him to STOP when he got to the three-lane highway. Not. Who stops to get on the highway at 10:00 at night? Are you kidding me? Especially since there wasn't a car in sight going our way, and all lanes were completely clear. SO glad I managed not to hit the dumb-***.

I saw two trucks spreading whatever, and one snowplow during the entire time... interestingly, the plow was down on a road with no snow. Um, it's a better use of time and resources to plow roads that have snow, isn't it? Or not -- it's Jersey, after all ;)

It's weird -- this almost never happens.

2009-01-01T17:30:00.002-05:00

The antibiotics are actually working!

I felt worse yesterday than I did on Tuesday, but I feel considerably better today. Good thing, since tomorrow is a 14-hour work day, no getting around it. I think taking these two days to rest really helped, too -- I called in sick Wednesday, and my boss called me later in the day to tell me to take today off too. (Yes, it's a holiday, but we had a concert today, and I was scheduled to be in the office this morning and at the concert this afternoon.) Instead, I sat on my bum all day. Didn't get anything productive done, but I can breathe through my nose from time to time, so I'm going to count that as an accomplishment ;)

Wondering... and sneezing!

2008-12-30T21:20:00.002-05:00

First, the verdict: Sinus infection, please take these antibiotics and don't wait so long next time before you come in. Lungs are clear -- just chest congestion (whew!).

Now, I'm wondering:

Why this PA told me I should have come in sooner, when my primary doc told me last time to wait longer? (I think I held out one more day this go-around!)
Why I've been sick for Christmas/New Year's WAY more times than not? Seriously -- last year, I was in the doc's office last year on Jan. 3 with a sinus infection. I spent more Christmases with ear infections and bronchitis... mom accused me tonight of being sick *every* year for Christmas, but conceded there were a (very) few healthy ones in between figuring out I was allergic to real fir trees and me deciding I could be sick anyway ;)
Why I even bother with the antibiotics? I can't take anything good (aka fast-acting), so I'll feel somewhat crummy for a few days yet. (I remember in college, the girl across the hall and I had the same thing, and went on antibiotics the same day. She felt way better in 24 hours, and I was still sleeping and dragging.)
Why pills have to be so darn big anyway? These suckers are monsters.
Why I always feel bad when medical professionals have to look in my nose? I remember my first or second allergist had an intern look at it, because it was going to be the best one she'd see all week... but with a sinus infection, it's sure to be nasty. (And it was -- the PA was a little surprised!) But it's her job... and it's not like I can control it being swollen and yucky. If I could, I'd fix it myself. I crossed the TMI line here, didn't I? I'm tired, and I think my internal censor went to bed early. Smart chick.

Hope *you're* healthy -- or easily fixed!

Christmas Knitting

2008-12-28T21:54:00.003-05:00

You know I did some Christmas knitting... I was very bad and didn't do a good job of photographing the results. The only thing I have to show is the hat I made for Lisa:

It's a Button-Tab Hat from a free pattern by Marcie at I Like Lemons. It's the first hat I've ever knit, and I made it to match the scarf I knitted earlier for Lisa. The scarf is done all in mock-cable stitch, so I used that again for the button tab. I'm showing this button-front, so you can see the tab, but it's obviously not meanth to be worn that way :) I used the absolutely delicious Malabrigo merino worsted weight yarn (yummmmmmmm) that I got at KnitKnack. The color is called Wintergreen, I think -- it's a pale greenish blue. Very delicate.

What else... A Sisters Hat in Jo Sharp DK, color cyclamen, for my Aunt. The first chart I've read -- and I didn't like doing that at all. Nonetheless, the hat is cute, and she likes it.

And a pair of Toasty fingerless gloves for my mom in Debbie Bliss superwash something or other in a dark green. I shortened the wrist length by an inch, and probably should have shortened it by at least another one. The finger side was really too long (I offered to rip them back and rebind), but mom asked me to leave it. Since they're knit in stockinette in the round, that edge rolls naturally, so she'll roll them back when she needs her fingers, and unroll when she wants them to be warm! Like many others, I thought the thumb was too tight in the first one, so I picked up three more stitches for the second one. Then I decided to have mom try them on before I finished them, so I'd know which one fit (and I'd only have to rip out one!). She liked them that way -- I guess one knuckle swells more than the other, so they actually fit. Go figure ;)

Anyway: is that three posts today? That's enough nattering on from me, I think!

Did you know that I'm a quilter?

2008-12-28T20:59:00.001-05:00

There's been so little quilt content lately, I thought you might have forgotten! (I almost did...)

So, without further ado, here are my (very, very late) New York Beauty blocks for Miss November:

Margaret asked for 8" blocks in orange, red and purple. My sister picked out the main fabrics (the purple, the sort of spotted orangey one, and the red/orange print) when she was here in June. I added an orange commercial handdye, a red one, and the reds used in the quarter circles.

The top block is Rick Rack Beauty 2 from EQ6, and the bottom block is a modification of New York Compass, again from EQ6. Yeah, the top one has a bit of an issue. You should have seen it before I took it apart!

I doubt I'll get Miss December's block done on time, but I shouldn't be so far behind for her, I hope. Especially since Miss January will take a bit of a think! At least it's forward progress :)

Funny things seen on TV last week

2008-12-28T12:34:00.002-05:00

I have other, maybe more (maybe less!) interesting things to share from my holidays at home, but I have to share these before the moment is too far gone. I should note that my folks do not have cable, so these were all seen on CBS, ABC, NBC or Fox affiliates. Also, the second and third are totally tasteless. You've been warned.

Tuesday night, while the seemingly endless lists of event cancellations were running on TV (it's important to remember that Tuesday was December 23): Tonight's Christmas Eve service is canceled. Tomorrow's service is still scheduled. Um, Isn't there only ONE Christmas Eve?
Saturday night, while up *way* too late waiting for the courier with my suitcase: a commercial for "Love Rub." Think of those KY commercials, but with a much lower production value -- and way less taste. The tagline makes me laugh every time I think of it: "It's more than a lube, it's love in a tube." I never thought I'd compare two commercials and have that KY one come out (ahem) on top.
And the final bit of pure tasteless-ness, which was seen several times over the week, was a commercial for The System (a phone-based dating service, I guess): The girl picks out three guys to meet/learn more about/whatever, and chooses one. The narrator says something like "... and you can return the rest, used or unused." EEEeeeewwww. We're talking about people here.

Yup. I lead a fascinating life, folks :)

Home Again...

2008-12-27T21:19:00.003-05:00

What a week! Last Friday was NOT the best travel day ever. My flight to O'Hare was delayed because they were adding mail and cargo to our plane; by the time that was done, O'Hare had a ground stop. We finally get there, only to have the airport all but close. I so love sitting on the floor in the United E terminal... I did a lot of knitting, and waiting. All in all, I was in O'Hare for 5 or 6 hours -- I heard many stories much worse than mine, so I just practiced being patient. (That's not my best feature, so it did take some effort!) They had to fuel the plane for an alternate destination due to the fabulous weather, so there was another wait while they got everything to the right weight. Only about half the checked luggage made it on the plane -- of course, mine was left behind!

The automated lost baggage system said my suitcase would be delivered between 12:30 and 4p on Saturday. At 8:45p, I still had no bag. My mom loaned me everything I could need except for pants -- her longest pair didn't even come to my ankles! We made a quick run to the mall where I tried on four pair (and bought two) and a pair of shoes (not needed, but oh-so-cute!). To make a long story short (several calls back and forth with the courier and a LOT of bad overnight TV), I think the bag arrived around 4:45a. He didn't even knock on the door or anything -- just dropped the suitcase and left. Ah well -- at least I got to wear my own clothes on Sunday when we had our family Christmas ;)

Today, of course, all flights went on time or close to it, and my suitcase arrived at the airport at the same time I did. I'm not complaining, though! (Well, only about the teenage girl in my row on the Newark flight who snored like a sailor the entire 2 hours...)

More later -- I'm tired!

Is your cat plotting to kill you?

2008-12-27T21:18:00.001-05:00

Packing...

2008-12-18T18:36:00.006-05:00

Or not ;) Weather permitting, I'm headed to the mitten state on Friday morning for a week-long (much-needed) change of ZIP code. I should be packing (or at least eating dinner) instead of talking to you, but why do things the right way when you can do them my way?!

To do:

~~George to kitty hotel~~
~~Pay bills~~
~~Eat supper~~
~~Bank~~
~~Taxi reservation~~
~~Pack~~
~~Change outgoing voicemail greeting at work~~
Set alarm for 4 a.m.

Yeah... it's 6:45, and that's still a pretty long list. I guess I'd better get busy... although if I move slow enough, I won't need to bother with the last one!

7:30p edit: Crossed off supper, taxi and voicemail. That helps!
10:16p edit: Everything is done, except mailing the bills. I'll have to do that tomorrow, because I couldn't find a mailbox tonight! Now I just need a weather report and I can go to bed.

Have a happy everything!

Things I've Done

2008-12-13T11:37:00.003-05:00

Here's another good meme... this one via Pica:

Things I’ve done are in bold.

1. Started my own blog (obviously!)
2. Slept under the stars (church camp, on the beach, actually)
3. Played in a band (band, orchestra)
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than I can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain (I promise this is not on any life-list of mine!)
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sung a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched lightning at sea
14. Taught myself an art from scratch (I'm counting knitting -- my mom taught me as a kid, so I had a general idea when I picked it up again, but pretty much everything this time around comes from reading/watching online)
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty (huge fear of heights -- no thanks!)
18. Grown my own vegetables (but my mom did when I was young)
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitchhiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse (there was one when I was in elementary school; I remember looking through a pin dot in a piece of construction paper...)
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of my ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught myself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had my portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia (in June, 1990, with a small group of people from high school)
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies (and my mom was the cookie chairman one year...)
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp (honestly, just the Holocaust Museum was probably enough for me... I've actually been there twice, although I didn't do the full experience the second time. The first time was so hard.)
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London (but I have seen them change at Lenin's Tomb in Moscow...)
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had my picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible (almost, but I couldn't get through Psalms. I just don't get poetry. Sorry, Cindy)
86. Visited the White House (actually, I'm not 100% sure on this one... I don't *think* we did when I was in DC with Close-Up in high school, but I could be wrong. That was a crazy week.)
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a lawsuit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Ridden an elephant

Hmmm... wonder what this all means? Some of these things I don't ever want to do ;)

Wow.

2008-12-12T23:00:00.002-05:00

Today hasn't been a great day (more on that another time), but it ended with a bang. I was lucky to score a ticket for the Boston Symphony with James Levine, which was at NJPAC tonight. Beethoven's Seventh Symphony comprised the first half, and it got the best ovation of the evening from the audience. I know -- you're thinking that sounds more like the second half than the first half. But it worked -- because the second half opened with Elliot Carter's Horn Concerto. Yeah... not exactly a crowd-pleaser, despite Mr. Carter becoming a centenarian yesterday. Fortunately, it was short. Finally, Stravinsky's Rite of Spring. Wow wow wow.

The piece was included in Disney's original Fantasia -- it's the segment with the dinosaurs. (Otherwise known as the segment I always fast-forwarded through on video, since I didn't care for the dinos.) If you've never really listened to the piece without watching the movie, I have to recommend it highly. It's completely different -- at least to me -- than it was to those imagineers at Disney. I really heard the jazz influences (it's an early 20th century piece), much more so than I had ever noticed previously. I found it all very compelling.

See, orchestra concerts are really visual experiences to me, and there's a whole lot going on here. Eight horns, I think, two tubas, two sets of timpani, five bassoonists, and a whole slew of other folks. It was really edge-of-my-seat listening and watching at times, since I don't know the piece that well -- every new entrance came from a new sound and a new direction. (Here's the instrumentation list if you're interested.) Apparently, I either couldn't get past the Fantasia version in my head or I just didn't pay enough attention in music history class. Or something.

I can't remember ever hearing this done live before. Totally worth it, even though it made a 14 hour day. Sure am glad to be home ;)

Deck the Halls meme

2008-12-11T19:17:00.002-05:00

Christine did this, so of course I had to, too!

Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Hot chocolate.

Does Santa wrap presents or set them under the tree? Santa's are unwrapped, of course.

Colored lights on tree or white? We had colored when I was a kid, but my mom prefers white now. So do I :)

When do you put your decorations up? Um, am I supposed to do that?!

What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? We don't really have any major Christmas food traditions... breakfast used to always include those Pillsbury cinnamon rolls that come in a can -- yum!

Favorite Holiday memory as a child: I don't know about "favorite" -- a lot of them blend together! I do remember one year, I must have been about 8, my mom had bought me a "Ginny" doll, with clothes, and a storage wardrobe... she numbered the packages so I would be sure to open the doll before the accessories!

When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? The only thing I know about Santa is that he's awesome. I have no idea what other "truth" anyone might be asking about.

Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Nope. We celebrate with my mom's family on Christmas Eve, so there were presents from extended family when we were younger.

How do you decorate your Christmas tree? Well, the last time I tried, it fell down. (The integrated plastic stand was a dud.) Luckily I hadn't decorated it yet! Anyway: my mom always gives my sister and I a new ornament every year, reflecting a special event or trip, special interest, whatever. When we each moved out, our ornament boxes moved with us. I have a great -- and eclectic -- collection of things I love to see on my tree.

Snow! Love it or Dread it? The only good thing about it is that it reflects sun, so it can help brighten a dreary winter.

Can you ice skate? Sure! It's been a long time, though.

Do you remember your favorite gift? Wow... that one's tough. I remember lots of great gifts, but it's hard to pick just one.

What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Spending time with family and friends.

What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? I have a couple of good cookies -- a shortbread that you twist and shape into candy canes, peanut butter kisses, and buckeyes, for example... (yum!)

What is your favorite tradition? Hmm... now that I live far away from my family, I don't get to do this very much, but I used to wrap almost every single gift we gave. My mom would box up gifts for my sister and I into plain boxes, and just tell me to wrap them -- she wouldn't even tell me who they were for! (Mostly, she remembered who got what by the shape of the box... except when she forgot.) I used to love having my own little wrapping station set up, choosing the perfect paper, tying a beautiful bow... now, it's more of a chore, unfortunately!

Which do you prefer, Giving or Receiving? I refuse to answer this question on the grounds that it may incriminate me!

What is your favorite Christmas Song? Adeste Fidelis, sung in the original language; Un flambeau, Jeanette Isabella (that one's stuck in my head lately, although I can only remember the first line); and pretty much most of the rest of them. For Advent: O Come, O Come Emmanuel.

Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum? Mostly yuk. Although Hershey's Candy Cane Kisses are a total YUM!

Ever recycled a Christmas present? I remember re-gifting something, but I can't remember if it was originally a Christmas or a birthday gift. I've also recycled gifts to Goodwill from time to time. But if you're reading this, I promise none of these were things you gave me. Honest. No, really.

Go forth and meme :)

Keep your paws to yourself!

2008-12-10T20:12:00.002-05:00

George is ''sharing" my lap with my laptop... well, it's HIS idea of sharing, anyway. That means he randomly pats, taps and paws at the trackpad whenever he feels like it. Whoosh... there went someone's blog post. Whoosh... stop trying to load pages in the new Knitty. (Painfully slow, not sure it's worth it today.) Whoosh... oh, nevermind... I'll get down and have a snack now, mom. Thanks!

Little Drummer Boy

2008-12-08T13:41:00.001-05:00

Bing Crosby and David Bowie... an unlikely match, but an incredible duet.
(Via mental_floss)

Taking the Train

2008-12-04T19:09:00.002-05:00

I took the train to work today, and it was quite the adventure! I took it for a reason that won't matter to you, dear readers, so no sense going into that. Nothing to worry about, though, I promise :)

So, I live relatively close to three train stations, and using any of them will get me to my destination in a similar amount of time. That said, I do have to drive to whichever one I use, and thus have to park my car. Luckily, NJ Transit tells me what type of parking is allowed at which stations, and in which lots. That sounds more helpful than it actually was, I'm afraid.

Station 1 - no parking for non-permit holders. (Permits are $300 per year, obviously used by regular commuters!) One lot, I think, had non-permit parking, but only after 12 noon.

Station 2 - same story, second verse.

Station 3 - has all kinds of parking (permit and non), and a map showing which lots allow which types. Great, except the map is exactly 3" square on screen, with a scale of 1/4"=200ft, and there's no way to enlarge it. (That's almost 1/2 mile in 3"...) So, I look the best I can (my eyesight isn't getting better!) and leave for the station.

I finally find one place where non-permit parking is allowed, and have park at the absolute farthest end of the lot from the station. That makes it almost a 2-block walk... then buy the tickets and wait for the train, as I've missed the last "good" option while talking with the parking lot attendant.

I did get to knit a bit on the train, before arriving in Newark, where I have to either walk a zillion miles or transfer to the light rail. On the advice of a co-worker, I opt for the light rail... and so fork over another fare. Another three block walk and I'm finally at work -- almost 20 minutes late. If I had left at the same time and driven, I'd have been early.

Luckily, the return trip wasn't quite so bad. After all, I already knew where my car was! And a co-worker dropped me at the train station so I could skip the light rail ride. I was lucky to get the express train home, so technically it was a shorter trip, but I spent 15 minutes waiting for it, so it still took longer than driving.

That was interesting to me... in my head (!), the train was speedier, somehow. I'm not sure why I assumed that -- probably because I think the traffic is ridiculous and driving is slow! On the plus side, I was able to do some knitting. I could have used the time to read blogs, which would have been a little more efficient overall, but I was tired and hot, and thought reading might not be the best choice. (Although I don't easily get motion sick, I'm sure you'll agree an evening commuter train would not be the place to test myself!)

I realize that probably wasn't the most fascinating read ever, but I felt like sharing, so here I am :)

The bats are following me...

2008-11-30T00:22:00.002-05:00

OK, this is funny -- but only because I wasn't there!

At work tonight, one of my co-workers was telling me about last night's concert. It was quiet in the hall, and there was a little high-pitched squeaking/chittering sound... he looked up, and there was a BAT flying around in the concert hall. No kidding!

The funniest part? Kate commented on my previous post that one of the things I should be thankful for is "... a lack of bats." I got the notification of her comment within seconds of hearing about the bat at the concert!

Yipes... I hope he wasn't looking for me!

Giving Thanks

2008-11-27T11:52:00.002-05:00

What are you thankful for? Friends, family, a good job, George-the-cat (most of the time!), stash overflowing... and the smell of apple crisp straight from the oven. Yum! Hope your Thanksgiving is a happy one.

Standard equipment...

2008-11-24T18:24:00.000-05:00

Question: Is cruise control standard on cars today?

Answer: NO! If you're in the market, be sure to specify you want it if you do.

I learned this the hard way... I'm sitting at the dealer right now waiting for the paperwork to exchange my new car for another new car! Details later...
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Roomba -- a vaccuum or a carnival ride?

2008-11-19T19:04:00.003-05:00

OK, when I think of a Roomba, I usually think of the SNL commercial... and want to stop thinking about the Roomba immediately! But I followed this link from mental_floss today, and it's 46 seconds of good clean amusement... it could be the centerpiece of a feline amusement park ;) Watch and smile. Then, imagine 25-lb George-the-cat attempting this...

Friday Flashback... on Thursday

2008-11-13T12:53:00.002-05:00

I thought I'd borrow a page from Dorothy and do a "Friday Flashback," although it's only Thursday. You'll get over it :)

I snapped this not-so-great pic the other day when I went out for lunch... near the office, there are a bunch of ginko trees, and they were dropping their leaves. I immediately thought of eighth grade science class, where we were required to do a leaf collection. Pretty much everyone thought it was a waste of time -- especially our parents, who had to ferry us around trying to find enough different leaves to earn a respectable grade. Of course everyone could get the "usual" leaves and needles, like oak, pine and maple, but western Michigan wasn't exactly a overflowing with a wide variety of trees from which we could pluck samples.

But there *were* two ginko trees, outside the main entrance of a factory (I think) on a busy road in the next town. So my mom took me one afternoon, and I think I ended up running up the rather long sidewalk while she waited in the car, blocking a lane of traffic. Today, I wonder why I didn't collect a bunch of them, then sell them to my classmates :)

I think the trees are gone now... if memory serves, that location is now a Rite Aid. (Which of course, is directly across the street from Walgreens!)

Nine Holes in 15 Minutes

2008-11-07T14:36:00.002-05:00

Nope, not the world's fastest trip through half a golf course, but my doctor's appointment this morning! I had to see the allergist, since he changed all my allergy and asthma meds two months ago. We're reasonably happy with my progress, so will stay the course for another four months and re-check before the joys of spring set in! I was diagnosed asthmatic 28 years ago, so this is all rather routine at this point. (Wow, did that make me sound OLD!)

Anyway... you're wondering about the holes, I'm sure ;) Doc insisted on an allergy skin test, which is much different than it was 28 years ago. There are eight prick sites on the inside of my right forearm, and, although they were extremely itchy, it was kind of fun (in a sick way) to watch how quickly they swelled up! As expected, I reacted strongly and quickly all eight of the allergens. Doc suggested I live in a bubble :) I'm all for it, as long as someone else will clean it... Any interest? The pay sucks, but I am mildly entertaining...

Then it was flu shot time... that went in my left arm, in the usual location. It doesn't hurt at the moment, but I always have a local reaction to it, so I expect I'll have soreness in that area for a few days. If I could ice the injection site, I wouldn't have the soreness, but I'm told that negatively affects the efficacy of the shot, so... we'll see. I really need to work on my birthday blocks for November this weekend, and another secret project... We'll see what happens!

Posting from my new Blackberry

2008-10-31T09:06:00.000-04:00

Really, this is more of a test message than anything else, so I apologize for cluttering your feedreaders!

Happy Howl-o-ween ... And happy birthday, Dad!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

October block done!

2008-10-18T15:47:00.003-04:00

That was fast... I sat down to watch a movie and finished the handwork completely during that time. Yay!

The vertical seam to the left is a whipped backstitch with silk ribbon for the "whipping." The top sort of horizontal seam is just a buttonhole stitch; I stitched it onto the flower fabric, then came back on the little check. The bottom sort of horizontal one has little red grosgrain ribbon just stitched with pink running stitches. I also added the pale blue french knots above the red rickrack, and the button.

The white rickrack... well, in my head, this flipped back onto the block. In reality, that would be two layers of rickrack and six of fabric along that edge, since it's on the seam allowance. Wish I had thought of that first! I'll let Diane tell me if it's OK to leave it as is, or if I should open that edge and remove it. (Oh -- you figured out that my month is February, right?!)

On an unrelated note... I finally broke down and replace the power cord/brick for my laptop. It was a mess, and probably dangerous, since there were frayed, exposed wires. Gee, that was only $118... Now you know why I was avoiding this problem!

October Birthday Block - in progress

2008-10-17T22:02:00.003-04:00

In progress - Diane's block
Originally uploaded by AJB30

Some work on Diane's birthday block for October. She picked a crazy quilt BOM from victorianaquiltdesigns.com. I guess I'd say it's a calendar theme -- we were each assigned a month and need to make a block that reflects events, holidays, seasons, whatever for that month. Can you guess my assigned month just from this much work?

My mom sent me a package with some scraps of trims -- laces, ribbons and rick rack -- to use for my block. She's making a cotton crazy quilt, so she has a big black box of goodies like that. (Lucky me -- saved me money and shopping! Thanks, mom!)

I've got two seams to "cover" with hand embroidery, some buttons to sew on, and I have to put something in that plain red fabric on the right. I also could take it off and use something more interesting since it's the last seam of the block. I dunno. Less of it will show in the final product anyway, since the white basting thread marks the 1/4" seam allowance, and there's another 1/2" of extra past that at the moment so I don't wreck the block completely by handling it. I hope!

Of course, I didn't see the little dark thread on top of the block until after I uploaded the photo... Ah well. I'm hoping to get this done this weekend, since it's actually a WORK-FREE WEEKEND. Yippee!

I am alive...

2008-10-16T14:10:00.001-04:00

But life seems crazier than usual. Not sure why, but that's life. I'm OK... stay tuned.

41.18%...

2008-09-23T19:55:00.003-04:00

of the people who work in my area of the office are sick. That's 7 out of 17. Unfortunately, I'm one of the 7. :(

Fabulous House Block for Julie

2008-09-21T15:11:00.002-04:00

Miss September -- aka Julie -- asked for "fabulous house blocks" for her birthday. Here's my effort, sort of a cozy cottage. I used a Mary Englebreit pattern and enlarged it to fit her specs. Julie was looking for a "toasty warm" feeling... I think I accomplished that, but couldn't resist a little pop of red ;) This will be a 9" finished square.

Mini Booty Complete!

2008-09-17T20:14:00.003-04:00

My Miniature Booty II swap partner received her quilt on Friday, so I can talk more openly about it now! First and foremost, I was delighted to have a little challenge with Rose Marie as my partner. She requested colors of blue, green and yellow, and, from visiting her blog, I could quickly see how much she enjoys applique. (And does it beautifully, I might add.) Her pics are better than mine, so be sure to click through to her blog to see them. (She said all kinds of crazy-nice things about the quilt too, which are only half-true, but I appreciate them anyway!)

I had already fallen for the shape of the tulip in a pattern from the fall Quilt Sampler magazine, and this was the perfect opportunity. I was going to do some detailed fill background quilting to set off the simple shape (reality soon intervened...)

A trip to my stash revealed the perfect fabric combination; a few minutes with EQ6 resulted in a plan, and off I went. I put the top together really quickly, then worked on my Mariner's Compass block for the birthday swap.

Then my back went goofy. And I couldn't do anything. For what felt like forever.

When I could finally quilt again, I quickly realized I had to simplify my quilting plan. I ended up doing lots of echo quilting around the applique -- which really mashed down the background and made the tulip a little puffier than I would have liked -- then radiating lines in the lighter blue. A simple kind of loopy half flower thing in the checked fabric with some stippling, and I was done. And gee, at that point, I was only three days late.

Of course, I still needed binding. I had to get a little creative there, since I didn't have anywhere near enough yellow fabric to make a double binding. I ended up cutting the strips as wide as I could afford, then cutting a wider strip of the light blue. I strip-pieced them together, then folded in half to get the binding. By cutting the blue wider, I didn't have to worry about getting it on perfectly so the seam was the edge. I did the hand stitching in Harrisburg PA at the PA quilt national extravaganza (whatever) show, and managed to mail only 10 days late. WHEW.

Coming soon... pics from Harrisburg and the goodies I bought there :)

A winner... and a break!

2008-09-02T15:55:00.002-04:00

In the opposite order advertised. I took a break from my computer yesterday -- it was a holiday, after all. The wireless issue still has me cranky, so rather than try to resolve it, I resolved to ignore it :) Productive solution, no? Anyway, I was online at some point Sunday, maybe early afternoon, and never went back. It was nice, for a change!

In other -- more interesting to you -- news, we have a winner! Kathie guessed where I went on Friday -- WEGMANS. (There's photographic proof at home, but I'm not there at the moment.) It was like going home again... the signs are familiar, the brands are familiar, the aisles are wide enough for two shopping carts to pass without anyone having to do yoga moves, and the cashiers DON'T expect me to bag my own groceries. I miss it, I really do. Again, evidence of my somewhat-sad existence, to be so happy about the grocery store, I know, but somedays these things make a difference.

And I smiled all the way through the store. (Yeah, people probably did look at me funny, but I didn't care!)

Kathie, I'll be in touch...

Two more...

2008-08-31T08:51:00.002-04:00

Dorothy asked: Was the 15 mile round trip out beyond (west of) the Clinton end of your trip?

No, I didn't go any further west than the LQS in Clinton. I'll give you a freebie, too -- I didn't go any further east than Millburn/Short Hills. It was definitely south...

Kathie suggested: how about a farmers market? stand???

Nope, not that either, although this store does promote its connections to local agri-businesses.

Another Guess

2008-08-30T21:53:00.002-04:00

Kathie tried again: Budding Star in Lebanon?

Nope... not there, or any other quilt shop after Kindred Quilts. And I definitely didn't buy a quilt... (Two answers for the price of one!)

Keep thinking...

In the meantime, I'm fed up with whomever is stealing my wireless and blocking my access, so I just disabled the router. I hope he or she was in the middle of something important. It was a PITA to set the thing up to blessed thing to start with, and I somehow missed the step of password-protecting it. I don't know how to change it, so I suspect I'm going to have to start over. Joy. (Nonetheless, Lisa, thank you again for giving it to me! I'm just a little cranky at the moment.)

Mini Booty Sneak Peek

2008-08-30T13:04:00.001-04:00

Clever, aren't I? I don't want the real colors to give it away!

It's not done yet, but I *am* working on it... I'm sure glad to have all that echo quilting done! Since I haven't been doing really any sewing or quilting since I messed up my back, I didn't trust myself to do this properly in free-motion. So yeah, I used the walking foot. Sue me. It's mostly even that way, and the piece is small enough to make it possible. Miles to go before this one's done, but at least it's progress!

Questions Answered

2008-08-30T09:37:00.003-04:00

#1) Kathie asked: a craft store, like AC Moore or Michaels?

No, I didn't go to a craft store yesterday. (I went to Michaels twice last weekend, but not at all yesterday!)

#2) Dorothy asked: Was your detour north of your planned route?

No, I didn't go north of 78.

Good questions -- Dorothy knocked out half the geographical options, and Kathie took care of a category.

These don't count, because my darling sister has a literacy problem (must be the thought of school starting on Tuesday!): No, she can't play, and yes, there is a prize. The prize, in case you missed it, is something I bought at that store!

My trip to the LQS wasn't that exciting... I only bought that backing and a little gifty for my Mini-Booty Swap partner. Since I'm going to Harrisburg next week for Pennsylvania Quilt National Extravaganza XV (!), I practiced restraint, thinking I might want to shop at the show or in Lancaster instead.

Where in the world... did I go today?!

2008-08-29T21:55:00.006-04:00

Today was the last of our half-day summer Friday's, so I took advantage of the opportunity to go t0 the LQS and got some purple (!) fabric to make the backing of my black and bright quilt. Purple's not my thing (don't smack me, Colene!), but this quilt seemed to want it. Whatever -- it won't show the cat hair as much, so it's good ;) I just have to seam it together and that one's ready for the quilter.

Since I had to drive way out there, I decided to make a little detour on the way home (just 15 extra miles in total) to visit a store I've wanted to go to for the entire time I've lived in NJ. Just pulling into the parking lot made me smile, and I swear my blood pressure dropped when I walked in. (That is probably not a typical reaction -- if you went to a store like this one, you might not be quite so happy!) I've missed you, store. I spent twice as much there as I did at the LQS, and while the happiness will last, the purchases won't! I'd shop at this store all the time if it wasn't almost 30 miles away. So where did I go? That's the game!

We'll play kind of like Twenty Questions -- submit your question (or your guess) in the comments. Figure it out and you'll win something I bought there!

A couple of things: there are probably clues in my prior ramblings, if you're a regular reader. I don't think the actual name of the store appears anytime in the previous year, though. The store I visited is a large retailer, but doesn't have international locations. Non-US readers are invited to play along, though, and I just might accept a "close enough" answer if you get, well, really close! My family members are exempt, since I already told them all about it!

Finally, a clue: Here's the route I drove to the LQS. I drove approximately 15 miles out of my way on the way home to visit the secret location.

PS: I apparently have extended family members who still think I live in Upstate NY. I moved to New Jersey six months ago for a new job... I haven't been keeping all that a secret, have I?!

How to get kicked off Project Runway

2008-08-27T22:33:00.004-04:00

Harangue and mock the judges, then blame the model for your ugly outfit. I'm just sayin'...

See ya' Keith -- at least Santoro's shredded chiffon came with a personality!

Totally unrelated PS: I saw IQF chicken in a different grocery store yesterday. I didn't have time to stop and read the label to be sure it was really chicken, but I *will* be going back.

Is it wrong to love a piece of furniture?

2008-08-21T21:55:00.007-04:00

This is part of a new table from Crate and Barrel. I'm in love.

Different typefaces, letters, beautiful wood... it was made for me. Unfortunately, the price tag is prohibitive, so don't look for it in my apartment anytime soon!

Some random questions

2008-08-18T19:28:00.003-04:00

Did you know that, in Excel, pressing CTL + ; (control + semicolon) automatically enters the current date into the active cell? This could be HUGE in my life! Seriously.
Did you ever wonder why you have to bag your own groceries at the most expensive grocery store in town? If they're not paying the cashiers to do it, why are their prices higher?
Why doesn't said grocery store stock any individually quick frozen (uncooked) chicken? Has this suddenly become an unusual ingredient?
Why does the space bar randomly stop working? (I'm guessing it's related to the canned air cleaning I gave the keyboard the other day, but still...)

Answers welcome!

I'm alive :)

2008-08-17T10:40:00.004-04:00

And finally doing better, although my back is still a problem. Most days, I can walk fully (or almost fully) upright, and the pain is more of a dull ache than a huge roar. Of course, I discovered that *not* spending the entire evening with the laptop helped... let's call that the reason for my silence this week. That, and that nothing interesting happened -- just a whole lotta work ;)

Except, I got a GREAT deal at Lord & Taylor on Friday. It's clearance time, of course, and I had coupons for an extra 15% or 20% off sale or clearance items. I stopped in Friday after the chiro, and found a great suit. Making a long story short, I paid less than $48 for a $300+ suit, in a classic brown and white small herringbone. The jacket needs to be tailored, but even allowing for that expense, it's a great price on a three-season wardrobe staple. (Yes, I wear grown-up clothes for my real job, with stockings and heels and everything!)

OK, I need a shower and then I'm going to baste my mini-booty quilt. Toni reminded us that the deadline is just two weeks away, and since I screwed up my back, I've barely been able to stitch!

2.5 weeks and counting...

2008-08-10T10:05:00.002-04:00

Really, this is ridiculous. My back is still messed up, although I like the new chiropractor better. So, I'm spending my weekend doped up on muscle relaxants trying to get out of the cycle of inflammation and pain. Fingers crossed... these drugs aren't *that* strong, but they leave me sleepy and muzzy-headed.

Some news...

2008-08-04T22:29:00.004-04:00

Nah, it's not *that* interesting ;) I talked to the nurse in the chiropractor's office today; he's on vacation, but she gave me the "topline" results from the x-rays last week: nothing of note, other than arthritis of the spine. Sheesh, I'm only 36 (and just barely that)... I've known I have arthritis in my fingers for many years -- probably more than ten -- but I didn't really think about it being elsewhere.

So, the "arthur" (I love that old-fashioned name!) is a source of ongoing stiffness and potential discomfort, but it's clearly not the cause of the current back problems. I get to see a different doc tomorrow -- and it only took five phone calls to get the referral and schedule the appointment. If I'm still not happy after that, I'll have to get serious about finding someone with a more pro-active, whole-back approach.

On an unrelated -- but quilty -- note: have you seen the book Scrap Quilt Sensation? I got it today, and I have to say I'm very happy I did. It's one of the most CREATIVE patchwork books I've seen in a long time... yes, there are some things that are pretty traditional, but there are some new ideas for setting sampler blocks and trying new things that I'm very impressed with. I'm glad to see someone out there (I'd tell you her name, but I can't see it, as the book is on the floor and I'm not!) is interested in e-x-p-a-n-d-i-n-g our quiltmaking horizons. I have a feeling I'll talk more about this book again. (Note: you might not love all the fabric combinations in the beauty shots, but look past them to the actual instructions and patterns to discover some fun.)

August Birthday Block Done

2008-08-03T18:15:00.004-04:00

And I'm glad about that!

It's for Anne, who is away on vacation for two weeks, so I get to enjoy it for a little while before mailing!

Anne asked for Mariner's Compasses, any size from 8" to 14". Luckily for me, this great pattern was in the magazine Lorraine sent me with my ALQS top, so I didn't have to look far for a plan. The blue is almost the end of an old favorite fabric, as is the red/white check. I used the magic teabag paper stuff again for the paper piecing; I didn't feel like messing around with trying to find a way to print on it, so I just traced the foundations. I still don't enjoy that, but there are only 12 units so it went pretty quickly. I showed it in that state a couple of weeks back.

Then, I used Sulky washaway stabilizer to make the center circle. Yes, I probably could have pieced it in properly, but that seemed like a lot of work for only a moderate payoff! I turned a nice circle and buttonhole stitched it to the "ring," then went in and removed most of the stabilizer so it would rinse out easily. That was the end of last weekend's progress -- just that small amount of time at the machine was painful.

This weekend, I'm doing slightly better, although still not great. My chiro sent me for X-rays on Friday afternoon, but no results yet. I'm pretty confident there's nothing major going on -- I think if he'd just crack my neck and upper back, I'd feel a whole heck of a lot better.

Anyway, I wanted to finish this, since I still need to quilt my mini-booty, and I'd like to get ahead on these birthday blocks if I can this summer.

Inserting the circle was a lot easier than I had expected. I cut the arc and the short sides to the correct size, but left an extra inch on the two long sides so there'd be extra to square up properly. I left it a little big so Anne could decide which finished size worked best; it could be anywhere from about 11" to 13.5".

The block is pretty good sized, so the curve was gentle enough to not be stressful. I pinnned all the way around -- I hate admitting how much that helps! -- and used my Curvemaster foot. I know, the Curvemaster is supposed to eliminate the need for pinning... and it might, but it doesn't eliminate my penchant for stretching, so this works for me. Since I always pin left-to-right, the pins don't get in the way and the shortness of the Curvemaster foot helps me sew a smoother circle. Now this is weird -- I was almost all the way around the circle when I realized I was sewing THROUGH the foot. The little bit that forms a circle around the needle had moved under the needle, and I sewed three or four stitches before I realized it. I had to break the little bit of plastic off the foot to remove the patchwork. I don't think this affects the usability of the foot, but I just remembered I forgot to take out that needle, which is undoubtedly dull now!

Anyway, I did need to trim down my finished block, but overall, I'm pretty happy with it. I'm most happy that this is the only required Mariner's Compass this year ;)

Yum-O

2008-07-31T21:06:00.004-04:00

No, I didn't get to spend the day with Rachael Ray... just had a yummy dinner last night ;)

Today was the last day for one of my team members, so a bunch of us from work treated her to a fun dinner last night at a rodizio restaurant. Have you ever been to one? It's an interesting experience (and Ireally don't mean "interesting"!)

Rodizio is a Brazilian specialty, I guess, and it refers to an all-you-can-eat meat extravaganza. It's an experience unto itself... the waiters brought skewer after skewer after skewer of food (which in our case was cooked on skewers over an open flame). They slide a morsel of food off the skewer onto your plate, then move to the next person. They served us chicken, turkey, sirloin, filet, sausage, beef ribs, pork ribs, pork loin, some other cut of beef, ostrich, alligator and cinnamon-crusted pineapple. My biggest issue is that they don't tell you at the outset what they'll be serving... I wanted to know what my options were at the beginning, so I'd know what to eat and how much of it! Way too easy to overeat... Nonetheless, most of what I had was great (the chicken, especially), and it was fun.

For anyone still paying attention, I'm obviously not going to get my 200th post on my birthday. I'll save the giveaway for then, but don't worry, it won't be too long! Good news: my finger *did* trigger, but not all the way, and it didn't last long. Not so good: my back is still a mess (hence, the lack of posts). I see the doc again tomorrow, and we're going to have a little come-to-Jesus on my progress (or lack thereof). Fingers crossed for improvement!

This is not the way to start the week!

2008-07-28T14:21:00.002-04:00

OK, I don't want to be a huge whiner, but a little, maybe, just for today?

I put my back out last week, woke up in pretty major pain Thursday. Saw the chiropractor Friday... I thought it helped a little, but I'm right back today where I was on Thursday. That's not good -- means I also didn't get anything done over the weekend. Well, I appliqued the center onto my mariner's compass block, but that's it -- it was clear that sitting at the sewing machine was not a good idea.

When I was getting ready for bed last night, I grabbed my bite splint (for the TMJD), and discovered it has a huge split in the back, and a crack on the side not too far away. In other words, one good chomp down and I could be choking on a piece of acrylic. Yum. Luckily, I have another (different) one, which I can use, but it's a little fragile from repeated repairs. Rather like the other one, in fact!

Then, I woke up this morning around 4 a.m. (never good!) thinking "gee, my finger hurts"... by the time I finally dragged my bum out of bed almost 3.5 hours later, I realized it's probably going to trigger. Again. Four weeks after the last time. Just shoot me now. (pun intended)

Bluebird of Happiness (UFO Reveal #9)

2008-07-23T21:06:00.002-04:00

Bluebird of Happiness
Originally uploaded by AJB30

Well, this is the beginning of box #3... and it's an old photo. Since I'm unlikely to get a better one quickly, it'll have to do :)

Pattern is from Stack A New Deck, and it's basically a wonky, mixed up log cabin. I made it in response to a challenge to a group of forum members who went to the Vermont Quilt Festival. (Dorothy, Sophie, Marcia, Melissa and my mom come to mind... Actually, I think my mom made a log cabin, too.) Anyway: there were two challenge fabrics -- the blue in the block centers, and a red that has a tiny black pattern in it. There's also a skinny blue "flap" before the final red border, which has little bluebirds in it. Not sure of the size, but I think the log cabin blocks are somewhere between 6.5 and 7" each.

Why isn't this done? I ended up not being able to go to VQF the year it was due ;-) [I moved into my house instead.] Plus, it wants feathers quilted in the white muslin, and, well, then I'd have to do them!

Hopefully I'll be back to a more regular posting schedule soon (after all, this is #189, and I need to hit #200 a week from Saturday!) . I commuted into NYC two days this week for a conference, then had to go down the shore today for a work retreat.

Weekend Roundup

2008-07-20T20:09:00.004-04:00

Hmmm... what have I accomplished this weekend?

I took three naps (one each day -- remember I have half days on Fridays during the summer). I think this is from my thyroid being out of whack... I started the higher dose of meds on Saturday, so hopefully I'll see improvement within a few weeks.
I sewed my Mini Booty II top... I showed you the fabrics the other day, but I think I'm going to keep the top under wraps for a bit longer. I like it -- it's very cheerful.
I've been watching Mad Men, set in an ad agency in the 50s. It's all very smokey and drinkey and sexist -- probably at least partially like real life! I think I'm on episode six of the first season; I don't get AMC, but the series is available for free through On Demand, so I've had my own mini-marathon.
I started my August block for Kate's Birthday block swap on quilting.about.com. Miss August (aka Anne) asked for Mariner's Compass blocks in red, white and blue. Another first for me... although I always admire them, I've never really had the urge to sew one! Luckily, there is a lovely pattern in the Australian Quilters Companion magazine that Lorraine sent me with my ALQS quilt. Here's my progress:

And that's it. Not one for the record books by any means, but at least I have something to show for myself!

Mini Booty Progress and Little Snowpeople (UFO Reveal #8)

2008-07-19T18:33:00.003-04:00

Well, the Apple Core fever is out of my system... and you won't be seeing the results! I opted for a little different approach to my Mini Booty II quilt, and I'm happy with how it's going. In fact, the top is done. I hope my partner likes it! Here's a preview of just the fabrics:

And the UFO parade continues, this time with a definite winter flair! Must be the heat and humidity getting to me -- I'd love to get close to one of these little guys or gals right about now ;)

My mom cross stitched them, and they're really cute! She swapped me these for a finished top (OK, a top that she helped me finish, but it was still done!), and I designed a little 24x36 quilt for them in EQ:

I remember searching for -- and buying -- a light fabric to match the Aida cloth, and even looking through my stash for other fabrics. So why are these little blocks in the UFO box? I probably got distracted by something else. Story of my life. And potentially a problem with evaluating all these abandoned projects -- now I want to work on all of them again!

Batik Jewel Box (UFO Reveal #7)

2008-07-18T19:48:00.003-04:00

Here's a mostly-done top, in the Jewel Box pattern. Teresa hosted a swap for these on the quilting.about.com forum a while back, and I got this far in putting together my blocks. (Are you sensing a theme? Yes, I get swap fever from time to time, and this is what happens. Thus, I really have curtailed my swapping. Honest.) The creamy-tan color is a Michael Miller Krystal fabric that turned out to be practically impossible to find at the time, but those of us who persevered were rewarded with these beautiful blocks!

This top is currently 64x64. I has thought at one time to add borders just on two sides, and maybe some applique in those borders. I saw something in a magazine I kind of liked, but I never could find quite the right applique pattern. And so it sits in this state.

I think now I'll pass on the applique, and maybe do a pieced border with scrappy batik squares floating on the tan. I could quilt it with continuous curves in the chain and some kind of simple flower thing in the diamonds and call it good. Hmmm... not a bad idea ;)

Thank you to everyone for the nice comments on my stash of unfinished projects. I've been wanting to catalog them for a while, so this makes a nice record, and gives me a chance to consider next steps.

Spiced Pomegranates (UFO Reveal #6)

2008-07-16T19:56:00.002-04:00

Actually, I'm not sure I can even call this a UFO -- it's actually an Un-STARTED Object! (Told you I wanted to put this box back...)

I bought this as a kit the year World Quilt Festival was in Grand Rapids, MI... but I can't remember if that was three summers ago or four. Let's say three -- that doesn't sound so bad ;) Some of the fabrics are from Moda Three Sisters lines (and you'll see them again later). The plan is to machine applique this; the last time I looked at the pattern, I couldn't decide how to approach it, though. I've had a little more practice in the intervening time... I think I'll use the Sulky wash-away stabilizer so I can get turned edges without having to starch and scorch. A little blind hem or buttonhole stitch and we're in business.

Pineapple Blossom (UFO Reveal #5) & Update on #4

2008-07-15T19:22:00.003-04:00

Well, I opened box #2 today... I kind of wish I could put it back ;) It has two projects in it that aren't even started, and one that's barely a beginning.

Without further ado... the next one up is my Christmas Pineapple Blossom. Colene hosted a swap for these blocks on the quilting.about.com forum a while back (I don't know when, and I'm not sure I want to!). The free pattern is from Quiltville, and it was fun to make. I've got 40 of these 9" blocks, which again, might not be quite enough. I could sash them like Bonnie did in the pattern, but I kind of like them better without it. Here are four block:

This one would be pretty easy to finish up, though!

In other news... my mom says the pics of the indigo blocks from yesterday are really pink on her monitor -- like to the point of being ugly. I hope that's not the case for everyone -- they're really very white. Because I love you, here's the 6x6 setting for those beauties:

I should have mentioned yesterday that this setting was inspired by Beth Ferrier's Moondance -- a block of the month from a few years back. It's not a copy, but you can definitely see her influence in the lines. Looking at the image now, I think I'd probably do the outer row more as half setting blocks, to finish the "circle" around each block, but not have the blue feet trailing off ;)

Indigo & White (UFO Reveal #4)

2008-07-14T21:09:00.003-04:00

I bought these beautiful fat eighths of indigo many years ago at the Vermont Quilt Festival, and set them aside for something special. When I decided to take a class making 40-6" blocks over five months, the indigos called out to me. I paired them with blue and white shirtings to make medium tones, and plain bleached muslin for the backgrounds. The class used Edyta Sitar's "Dear Mom" Quilt Recipe Cards. We had lots of fun in class each month -- two years ago ;)

(Ignore the pink cast to the photos -- the blocks are on top of pink foam insulation board for photography purposes!)

I only paper-pieced one of these blocks -- multiple attempts at traditional piecing couldn't produce a 6" block to save my life! One of my biggest challenges was keeping the directional prints in line... many of the indigos are directional, and at least one of my shirting prints. Many in the class worked with the Wuthering Heights line or CW repros to get the effect of the sample quilt; there were some with brights or random scraps, but mine was the only really crisp two-color plan. It always got lots of compliments -- I think it really shows off the tiny pieces!

Why is this one still blocks? I designed two settings for this quilt, and got stuck choosing!

The first is a simple on-point setting with sashing (takes 41 blocks -- not a problem to make one more). But that's only a 58" square quilt, which is kind of a funny size for me. There's enough indigo for a few more blocks, but not a large number... making this setting bigger would require buying more -- and they're not inexpensive, relatively speaking.

The second setting is definitely the result of too much time playing with EQ, but I absolutely love it. It's an uneven nine patch that's 3x6", and it makes a very cool circular pattern around the blocks. I love it -- I just don't love the idea of piecing 84 of those blocks! That one I can easily get to 71" square, though, which is a better size in general.

So, make the quilt I can reasonably finish, or make the quilt I love? I want to make the one I love... I was going to show you the EQ snapshots, but I can't find the project file -- it seems to have disappeared when I moved to EQ6. I can recreate it (I was able to put the blocks in a user library), but not tonight.

And that, my friends, is the end of UFO box #1...

Black & Brights (UFO Reveal #3) and a Finished Mini

2008-07-13T09:04:00.004-04:00

First, the finished quilt! Right before I moved, I found more thread to finish my first Project Runway Challenge piece from last fall. Of course, the thread didn't get packed with the piece, or with the other thread, so I remained stalled... until this weekend when I had both the thread and the time to work on it:

I stitched the last corner... and can see that I was a little "tighter" than in the balance of the piece, but all in all, I like it. I'm still not sure about the binding; I think it would have been better a little wider. But that's all the brown fabric there is that matches, so I think I'll learn to like it. Plus, it's done, so that automatically makes it good! Oh -- it's about 16" square, I think... I didn't measure, and I'm too lazy to get up and do it ;)

Now, for today's UFO... it's a completely finished top. But it's not a finished quilt, so it remains in the UFO boxes. I think I'm going to send it out for longarming, since I really don't like quilting on black.

Sophie designed this quilt as a sampler of all the blocks or techniques used in the Beginner Block Lotto on quilting.about.com in 2007. I think it's about 68x80, which makes it a twin size, I guess. I did consider making this in red and white, but decided instead to do something a little less predictable. Forgetting, obviously, how much I don't like quilting on black ;0 [Sophie, if you want me to remove the photo, just let me know.]

Mini Booty tease...

2008-07-12T16:33:00.003-04:00

Here's a little sneak peek at what I'm working on for my Miniature Booty II quilt... I've wanted to do something with Apple Core blocks for a while, and this seemed like a good time to try it out. Yeah, this will get that crazy idea out of my system ;) It took a while to get everything in the right position, so I took several photos of the layout for reference, since it's going to be very easy to mix these up!

Carpenter's Wheel (UFO Reveal #2)

2008-07-11T18:42:00.003-04:00

Here's another oldie from box #1... this is a Carpenter's Wheel, and it measures about 33" square. There's no more of the beautiful green Moda -- maybe a tiny, carefully-hoarded scrap -- so it's basically done at this size. It actually makes a nice table topper "on point," since my dining table is a 36" square. I've displayed it for years in this unfinished state; unfortunately, I see now it has a couple of small spots or stains, probably from being on the table ;)

Why isn't this one done? Another really good reason... I can't decide if I should use batting, flannel or nothing when I "officially" make it a table topper. I want it to be flat, but since the entire thing is made of HSTs, there are a lot of seams and it gets a little lumpy in spots. This one could be done with just a couple of hours of effort on my part, so please advise!

Red, White & Romantic (UFO Reveal #1)

2008-07-10T20:58:00.005-04:00

I can't believe how long ago I started this quilt... the magazine is dated February 2003, so it was one of my first quilting projects. Several members of the quilting.about.com forum swapped red and white fabrics to make this quilt... I wonder if anyone ever did?!

I started... and sewed 54 of these 6" Double X blocks. Some of them use just three fabrics, others have lots (maybe too many!). I know I sewed a lot of these hanging out with some friends in Albany, back in the day. Here are just a few of the blocks:

Weird thing #1: I made 54 of these, but the pattern only calls for 42. The pattern makes a queen-sized quilt. What was I thinking?

Weird thing #2: I've had a terrible time finding the right red fabric for the setting. I've bought fabric three times, I think, but none of them ever felt quite right when I got them home with the blocks. Part of my problem is that I used both white and cream fabrics.

Just for fun, here's another way to set these blocks, which could also be called Anvil blocks, with the dark centers:

So why is this a UFO when I obviously love red and white, I love the pattern and the process holds memories? See weird thing #2 above. And, unfortunately, the blocks aren't that well made, and I'm not looking forward to working with them. I haven't even tried to square them up -- I'm afraid of what I'll find!

There are three more projects in this box... My self-imposed rule is that I have to show you everything in the box before I can move on to the next box... there are 4 or 5 total boxes this size, plus a couple of one or two gallon ziplocs. That should keep us busy for a while ;)

So here's the deal...

2008-07-09T20:35:00.004-04:00

I look for patterns in things -- what's the next number in the sequence, how are the tiles laid out on the floor, how many steps to get from here to there, etc. A couple of days ago, it occurred to me that it was possible to make my 200th post, my 1-year blogaversary AND my birthday to align. I'd only have to post a little more than once a day to make it happen.

So, you know I have to try. I'll apologize now for the boredom that is sure to follow ;) Hey, maybe I'll photograph all my UFOs/WIPs and post one each day... at least there'd be pictures. Hmmm...

On a happier note, George's bloodwork was all normal. Just one more test for basic kidney function to rule out super early-stage renal issues, then he's in the clear. Lucky him -- that means a new low-calorie, high-fiber diet to encourage weight loss!

One last thing... new season of Project Runway starts next week. Are you up for the challenge?

Pssst...

2008-07-08T20:32:00.003-04:00

If you want to see my ALQS contribution again (and really, why wouldn't you?!), visit Teresa, who managed NOT to overexpose her photos :) Check the group blog for some amazing eye candy from 41 talented quilters from around the world.

George

2008-07-07T20:43:00.002-04:00

... has been under the weather. We went to the vet today, where they drew blood (yes, there's a theme for the day!). I was sure it was his blood sugar, given his symptoms and behavior, but that's normal. The doc will call tomorrow... next most-likely issues are thyroid and kidney. Given that he continues to gain weight (23.75 pounds today), thyroid makes sense. I guess we'll see. (This is an old pic, but one of the few where there's enough contrast to see his face!)

Happy Birthday, Joy

2008-07-07T20:00:00.003-04:00

My camera arrived today! (All rejoice, thank you.) At long last, here is my 9" New York Beauty block for birthday girl Joy. I signed up for year 2 of the birthday block swap Kate is hosting on quilting.about.com... it starts this month, and Joy asked for NYB blocks in ocean colors. This is my first NYB block ever... it turned out pretty well, if I do say so myself :) Ignore the darker red in the background -- or maybe I should say: get used to it! This is my new pinboard from the other weekend, and highly helpful for beauty shots of single blocks.

My sister picked out two of these fabrics when we were at Quilting Possibilities... the blue dots in the upper right, and the darker spidery one in the lower left. We picked a third, but when I was prepping the block, it looked really green, so I replaced it with the more solid teal. The block is from EQ6, and they call it "Rick Rack."

Annoyance

2008-07-07T13:28:00.003-04:00

This is probably TMI -- I really won't be offended if you skip it!

So I went to have my lab work done today... easy-peasy, just draw three tubes of blood. Luckily, I'm not needle-phobic, nor do I faint at the sight of blood. Neither the doctor nor the nurse told me they wanted a urine specimen, too. I always want to do fasting labs in the morning (since I definitely need breakfast in order to function), so I'd been up for about 90 minutes at this point. Who's got a full bladder after only 90 minutes time and no input, other than the swallow of water I had with my morning meds? So I give them what I've got, carry it back through the waiting room to the lab, where the tech frowns at me and my sample, because it's not really "enough." Well, if you wanted more, you'd have given me the cup last week so I could do it at home this morning. Wouldn't that have been better for everyone? I'm just saying...

My to-DONE list

2008-07-06T21:54:00.003-04:00

... is rather short this weekend!

I stitched all but eight of my Fresh Squeezed blocks. 41 blocks - 8 unsewn - 1 test block = 32 blocks done. Technically, I sewed four of them last weekend, but that's still 28 new ones done. I wanted to finish them today, but I had a headache, so I took a little nap instead trying to kill it before work.
Read a book (The Watchman by Robert Crais).
Tested the template (!) for my Miniature Booty II quilt.
Covered two events for work (Thursday night and tonight).
Packaged my Stamp Basket blocks to send to one of June's Lotto winners.
Cooked dinner once. (Hey, this is an accomplishment for me!)
Saw my new doctor, and I think I like her. Lab work tomorrow (fasting - sigh), but I got all my meds, no problems.
Made a vet appointment for George for Monday afternoon. Oy... He was more social this weekend -- wanted to be in the same room with me -- but he's still not his usual self.

My camera is supposed to arrive tomorrow. Look forward to pictures!

Improving...

2008-07-05T09:01:00.003-04:00

Good news... my finger is getting better. It's still not terribly functional, but it bends probably 60* now at the middle joint. Maybe I can avoid the cortisone...

So, I've just been hanging out, watching Wimbledon and What Not to Wear. I did some sewing yesterday on my Fresh Squeezed Monkeys quilt -- I think I made 12 blocks yesterday (maybe 16, but I think 12). There's a long way to go yet, but it feels good to see the piles of units shrinking and the pile of blocks growing!

I *want* to be working on my birthday block for Miss August, but I don't think precision cutting pairs with the trigger finger... I'm clumsy to start with, so I guess I won't tempt fate with that idea. Luckily, Fresh Squeezed is past the cutting stage.

Ouch!

2008-07-02T21:17:00.004-04:00

I've got a trigger finger -- basically, a finger that's stuck in one position. The image shows the traditional bent "stuck point," but mine is stuck in the straight position. It's my left hand, middle finger. While one occasionally has a need for a stiff middle finger, it's not really useful as a permanent or persistent feature.

Basically, the tendon (and maybe its sheath) is inflamed or swollen, causing a nodule. The tendon can't slide through the sheath due to the swelling, so it sticks or catches. I can feel the nodule at the base of the finger on the palm side; it hurts, but not like the finger hurts. H.O.L.Y. cow.

I had this happen once a few years ago, but with my left thumb. I was sure it was broken, although I couldn't figure out how it happened, and it wasn't swollen. The ER doc was very nice, and didn't laugh at me ;-) That one went away within a few days.

This one seems worse. Or maybe my tolerance is just lower. Either way, it needs to just go away quickly -- I don't like the treatment options at all! (Cortisone, and if that doesn't work, surgery to open the sheath to make room for the inflamed tendon to slide.) I guess it's get through the weekend, and reevaluate.

I guess the upside is that my finger is stuck in the stretched position (straight out), rather than in the trigger or bent position. I can at least do a few things... like flip people off ;)

I'd ask you to cross your fingers that it gets better quickly, but that's too much even for me!

Image from webmd.com.

Get ready to "make it work"

2008-07-01T08:00:00.000-04:00

Bravo's highly-anticipated fifth season of the three-time Emmy-nominated and Peabody Award-winning creative competition reality series Project Runway returns Wednesday, July 16 in a new time slot -- 9/8c. Returning to the runway, host and supermodel Heidi Klum heads a panel of industry luminaries, including judges, top women's and menswear designer Michael Kors, and fashion expert Nina Garcia, as they decide who is "in" and who is "out." Tim Gunn, Chief Creative Officer at Liz Claiborne, Inc., will once again act as a mentor to the designers as they take on weekly fashion challenges. The 16 Project Runway contestants will be whittled down week-by-week to the finalists who will show their own line in front of an audience of fashion industry movers and shakers at New York Fashion Week.

July Block Lotto

2008-06-30T22:40:00.004-04:00

I should be sleeping, but since I can actually show you images of something, I thought I'd do a quick post. Each month on the quilting.about.com forum, Sophie hosts a Block Lotto. Each player can submit up to eight blocks, made to the month's specifications, and her (or his) name goes into the proverbial hat for each block made. I've been a lotto "regular" for a long time, although my participation earlier this year suffered due to my move.

Anyway: this month's theme is Quilter's Independence. Basically, they're "quilter's choice" 6" blocks in red, white and blue. I think we'll have several lovely sampler quilts made as a result of this month's lotto!

Without (much) further ado, here are my entries:

They're completely made from the scrap bins. I'm weirdly proud of that fact, as if it actually made a difference in the number of scraps! Still, some of them (the blue in the bottom two) are like five years old. That might not be old to you, but I learned to quilt in October after turning 30... I'm about to turn 36. Those scraps are old ;)

Start counting the days... my birthday and my one-year blogaversary are coming... I'm thinking giveaway...

"Magic" Paper/Teabag paper mini-review

2008-06-28T23:39:00.005-04:00

Thanks to Kate's tip last week, I ordered some of this and got to try it out today. (This was originally posted, in almost this same form, on the quilting.about.com community forum.)

PURCHASING/PRICE: I purchased it from Etsy seller DogDaisy. She shipped very quickly from the UK -- I ordered it on 6/19 and it arrived on 6/25, neatly packaged with some tips for how to use it. Given the size of the sheets she sells (approx. 20"x30"), I thought the price was reasonable (especially since my favorite paper-piecing paper is a vellum that's probably $6+ for 25 letter-sized sheets).

PROS:

This is a nice strong paper -- I got a few little tears, but nothing troublesome at all.
It's flexible, so it wasn't in the way when I was sewing curved units (I made a NYB block for Miss July).
It's also super lightweight, so it definitely could be left in the block without any noticible increase in thickness.
It's far superior to the other leave-in product I have, which is very stiff (Fun-dation, or some dumb name like that), and although that softens with washing, I can feel the extra thickness.
I haven't tried this yet, but I think it would work well as a light stabilizer for machine applique.
Because it's not 8.5x11 (which can be a con; see below), you're not limited to units you can directly print, and you don't have to sew through the tape or glue you used to stick the pages back together to get the bigger unit. This was helpful in my NYB block, actually, since EQ doesn't let you rotate pieces to fit the paper.

CONS:

The biggest one for me is that I had to trace my foundations onto it. It was easy to see through, but it increases the margin of error, since I had to first print them onto regular paper, then trace onto the product. According to the notes from the Etsy seller, two layers can be ironed together for a stronger paper; I might try that, trim it to 8.5x11 and try it in the printer next time, just to see what happens.
It seemed to "catch" the iron just the littlest bit.* Turning down the temperature helped. There's no visible residue or anything on the soleplate, so I don't think it was melting or anything. (Of course, I also have a brand-new iron today, which seems to be much hotter than my other one, so there could be an element of user error here.) *I do this this is a user issue, actually, since I had the same problem with my Monkey Wrench blocks. The soleplate has a much "sharper" edge -- something I was looking for, but that takes a little getting used to.
The obvious one is availability, especially in the States -- I hate relying on a single source for a supply!

There are other things I could -- and probably will -- try with this product, but I thought I'd share my initial reactions. Don't look for me to try this, but the paper is dyable, and probably a whole lot of fun to play with once it doesn't look so much like a teabag!

Making a List...

2008-06-28T22:54:00.002-04:00

Not of things to do, but of things that are done! It's a whole lot more satisfying ;)

FRIDAY AFTERNOON:

Car has had it's 57,000 mile checkup... and three hours and many hundreds of dollars later, sounds just like new! It was supposed to be a simple oil change, so you can imagine my joy at the need for this service and a new motor mount to replace the one that had collapsed. Well, I'd sure be unhappy if the motor fell out, so I guess this is a good thing ;)
Ordered a new digital camera -- well, a refurbished one, actually. The repair for mine was going to be $80 plus tax, plus driving to the repair place twice, which is ~30 miles from work. I could get it online for $88 plus $6 or 7 for shipping. So, for equivalent cost, I saved myself a hassle. I hope!
Washed (and Retayned) the batiks I bought for birthday blocks, and washed a load of laundry.
Scanned, processed and sent images to Sophie for the JULY block lotto. (I did my June blocks -- those cute little stamp baskets -- early, so was treated to a sneak peek of the July theme -- I think it'll be very popular, to be honest!) After the lotto opens next week, I'll show you the blocks I made.
Made an appointment to meet my new GP and talk her into some prescriptions.

SATURDAY:

Made Joy's 9" New York Beauty block in ocean colors for Kate's Birthday Block Swap. Tested the new magic teabag paper... I like it, other than having to trace the pattern onto it, rather than run it through the printer. I'd show you the block, but have to wait for the camera! I'd probably do a couple of the color placements differently if I had to do it over, but all in all, I think it's pretty successful. Since it's not even July yet, I'll probably hold onto the block until the camera arrives, so I can get a pic before sending it off.
Wrote a little review of said magic teabag paper for the gals on the quilting.about.com forum, since it's such a hot topic in our birthday block swap group.
Covered a 2-foot square of insulation board with a little batting and some fabric for a new pin board. I should have covered all three of them (there's actually just enough fabric to make them all match!) but, like an idiot, didn't think of it until I had put the supplies away!
Pressed the rest of the half-square triangles open for my Fresh Squeezed quilt, then trimmed them to 4". There were at least 6.3 million of them, I swear. OK, it was only 164, but it was horribly dull. Luckily, trimming the strip-pieced units to size went much faster.
Actually MADE four of these Fresh Squeezed Monkey Wrench blocks. Loving this quilt!
Caught up (I think!) on responding to comments...
Cooked dinner. (and ate it, of course!)
Petted the cat.

I lead a fascinating life, don't I?!

What's next?

2008-06-25T20:41:00.002-04:00

At the least, Miss July's block for the new Birthday Block Swap that the lovely Kate hosts on the quilting.about.com forum. Thanks to Kate's tip about an Etsy seller, I scored some of the special teabag tissue that's popular in the UK for paper piecing; it arrived today, so as soon as I get my new ocean-colored fabrics washed, Joy's 9" New York Beauty block is on deck. (A first for me -- cross fingers, please!)

I'd like to get ahead on some of the other months, too, since I have more play time in the summer. I also need to get started on my quilt for Toni's Miniature Booty II... I've got an idea, but not all of the supplies I need to try it out. AND work on my Fresh Squeezed beauty... if I'd suck it up and press and trim my HSTs, that should move quickly.

I keep thinking I should make a list of goals like so many others do, but I seem to have an aversion to it for some idea! Probably because it reinforces the idea that I'm a little over-committed to swaps again at the moment...

The Big Finish

2008-06-25T20:12:00.006-04:00

Well, it's still slightly overexposed, but my post-processing skills aren't up to the task of fixing it! This is my finished quilt for Another Little Quilt Swa p, and it's just shy of 20" square. And yes, it's square, although you couldn't prove it by the photo! There are five 6" blocks, and four tiny 3" blocks. Three of the 6" ones are from Beth Ferrier's Moondance Block of the Month (top right and the bottom two); the top left is from an Edyta Sitar pattern pack, and the center (which is my new favorite!) is straight out of EQ.

The Beth Ferrier blocks and the 3" blocks were sitting quietly waiting to be used in a quilt, so when faced with the need to make a new one and stat, they kindly jumped up and offered their services! Luckily, it seemed to work out -- I'd probably do a couple of things differently if I did it again, but all in all, I'm happy with how it turned out.

Here's a closeup of the middle, although it's rotated. Oops!

I quilted a simple starflower-type pattern in each of the 6" blocks (thank heaven for Golden Threads paper!) and then meandered the rest. It's all done in a Sulky rayon thread, which matches beautifully but is a little shinier than I would have liked.

Who IS the recipient you ask? Why, it's written right here on the back of the quilt:

Huh, must have erased that info accidentally. Guess I *do* know a little bit about post-processing photos after all ;) Nonetheless, the quilt is is now making it's way to someone... I hope that someone likes it!

Sneak Preview Redux

2008-06-23T18:59:00.002-04:00

Not the world's greatest photo, but it'll do... my NEW mini quilt is done, and ready to mailed yesterday to... someone who hasn't received one yet ;) This is just a part of my new offering -- my co-worker who ALWAYS has her camera, didn't. We took two pics using the built-in camera on her Macbook... I was too close, so they're a little overexposed. Nonetheless, it saved me waiting around Walgreens for an hour waiting for one-hour photo processing from the film camera (which I did find). With luck, those will be exposed more properly and I can show you the full finished product later.

WHEW!

Doin' a Happy Dance!

2008-06-22T17:43:00.003-04:00

I'm all but done with my new ALQS quilt -- just half of the binding still to stitch by hand. I'm not sure I'd want to make a quilt under this kind of time constraint every time around*, but it did force me to make quick decisions and set reasonable goals. There are things I might do differently given the chance, but all in all, it's quite a nice little quilt if I do say so myself! In some ways, I like it better than the red and white one (even before it had a pink problem). I promise I'm not going to wash it -- I'm taking NO chances -- although I will carefully run the lint roller to remove the cat hair ;) One of my coworkers should be able to photograph it for me, too... sure wish I could even *find* the film camera -- I know there's a partial roll in it!

*For the record, Kate offered to talk to my swap partner to secure me an extension, but I wanted to at least try to finish on time. Fingers crossed, that won't be needed.

Weekend Update

2008-06-21T15:23:00.002-04:00

My *new* ALQS quilt is already a top, and I've assembled the backing. I was truly stunned to find appropriate thread in my bin, so I just need to get it layered and quilted. I'm a little surprised at how much I like it, to be honest -- not that that's a bad thing!

Plus, I spent half the morning at the DMV and on the phone with GMAC -- again. After phoning their call center many times over two weeks to request a copy of the lien release letter so I can title my car in NJ, and getting the same "you'll have it in 24-48 hours" answer, I had a fit on Friday. I called, and refused to speak with anyone but a supervisor... I did relent on that point when I could hear that my call finally got routed to someone in the United States. She explained that there was no request in my account for this paperwork. I guess that's why I never got it! Twenty minutes later, she called me back to say it was being faxed at that moment to the DMV and my office (for my reference, and as a safety net!). Since I was already on the way home (we have half-days on Fridays in the summer), I decided to go to the DMV this morning. Where they did not have my fax. I went to the office, and I didn't have it either. Luckily, the woman I talked to in Kansas yesterday gave me her number, so I called it. Someone else answered, but she was able to get the paperwork off the other person's desk (where it had the fax receipt attached, mind you -- where do lost faxes go, anyway?) and send it again while I waited for it. Back to the DMV and HALLELUJAH we got the job done! I've got plates and my registration; just need an inspection and I'm set.

In some ways, that feels better than getting my (second) ALQS top done ;)

What's red and white and pink all over?

2008-06-20T22:51:00.004-04:00

I've been debating whether I should talk about this... and decided today that I might as well! My red and white flying geese ALQS quilt isn't as red and white as it once was. For those who have been coveting it, I'm afraid I won't be sending it to anyone.

See, being such a traditional quilt, it really wanted to be washed so it would crinkle a little. Plus, the leave-in foundation "paper" I used (not the nice stuff Kate has, trust me!) felt a little stiff. I made a sample to be sure the ink from the printer wouldn't come off if it got wet... since the sample passed the test, I simply doused the quilt in cold water and tossed it in the dryer.

You know what happened, don't you? One (or more, I guess) of the beautiful reds from my scrap bin apparently isn't colorfast. It. bled. like. a. bitch. And then went into the dryer for 45 minutes. I cried when I pulled it out and saw it was now red, white and PINK.

And every time I look at it, my heart breaks again. I loved how it turned out. My feeble attempt at removing the pink wasn't successful, and I can't bring myself to try anything more drastic in case it makes it even worse.

So, I've started on Plan B, which is actually coming together quite nicely, given I just dreamed it up this afternoon! It's quite different from the original quilt -- and my blocks are almost finished... a little math, and I'll be on my way again tomorrow. I like how it looks so far... too bad you can't see it ;)

Sunburst is Mine!

2008-06-20T14:57:00.004-04:00

I must be one of the luckiest swappers! Lorraine's amazing Sunburst quilt landed on my doorstep today. The mailman did NOT force it into my teeny-tiny mailbox, thank heaven, as the package was practically overflowing with goodness already ;)

First things first: Lorraine, this is an amazing quilt. I love it. It's perfect (even if it does have pink in it!). I've been coveting it for quite a while, and I'm thrilled it's mine.

Second: You all know my camera is broken (had hoped to get down to the repair center today, but I had to fight with GMAC for a while instead). I borrowed (OK, copied!) this pic from Lorraine's blog in order to show it to you. Once I'm able, I'll take more pics and show all of the details.

Third: Lorraine also sent an assortment of postcards, a magnet, a little tasty treat (I've never had Koala!), an Australian quilt magazine and a DVD. Totally too generous. Pictures, oh, for pictures. I'll try to keep all the goodies corralled until such time as I can show them off properly!

Fourth: Thanks to Kate a million times over for organizing this swap and everything else she organizes.

Now, I must go work on *my* ALQS package for my super-secret partner...

Bronx Zoo

2008-06-19T20:56:00.002-04:00

Continuing my weekend recap -- and I'd better hurry, before the week is over! Yesterday's field trip apparently drove me to napping -- I fell asleep on the couch for almost three hours in the evening. Yup, got a ::great:: night's sleep, complete with wacky dreams.

Luckily, my non-quilty sister had a better day plan, and she sent me some pics from our day trip on Sunday. We went to the Bronx Zoo. If you didn't know, we always try to visit a zoo on our summer vacation. Pictures from last summer's visit to the National Zoo are in my flickr album; we actually got some good panda pics if you like that sort of thing.

Anyway, getting to the zoo meant getting up early to catch a 7:45 NJTransit train New York Penn Station. Two hours later, after a transfer to the subway and a three-block walk, we were at the zoo. It was a horribly humid day, but we had fun. We saw some gorillas in the mist (literally), took a monorail ride through an Asian area, saw a giraffe family and generally enjoyed our visit. Too bad the new Madagascar exhibit wasn't open yet...

There are a LOT of peacocks at the Bronx Zoo. And it's mating season -- we did see some displays of their beautiful feathers, but we also saw a lot of males and females just wandering around. We were looking at something completely different, when Lisa looked down and noticed a female practically at our feet and really within touching distance. When we started talking about her, she got annoyed and got up to walk away -- and revealed...

Two little chicks! You can see she's walking away, and the chicks are right behind her! They hopped right up on the rock and toddled off. We were so surprised we just stood there and watched -- and got this picture ;)

For amusement, here's Lisa with a rather statuesque rhino. See more of her Bronx Zoo pictures here.

The zoo trip took much of the day... we had leftover pizza for supper and watched 27 Dresses. The funniest part is her trying on the dresses (including some interesting thematic numbers)... had they cut the movie to about 27 minutes, it might have been funny. Ah well... no rhinos were harmed in the making of the movie, so I guess I won't worry about it ;)

Paisley Toy for Zoe

2008-06-18T17:19:00.001-04:00

Lisa sent me some pics today... most importantly, let's show off Zoe's new toy, which is this cute bone-shaped softie, complete with squeaker. Love the fabric!

Saturday...

2008-06-17T21:00:00.004-04:00

Lisa and I had a great weekend... we went "down the shore" on Saturday (I don't understand why it's said that way, but it is!) by way of a Sonic Drive In (YUM!) and Quilting Possibilities. I swear I didn't know they were practically across the street from each other, but I also didn't turn down Lisa's invitation to visit the shop! Lovely store, too far away to be my LQS (although justified, surely, by proximity to Sonic)... and we did a little damage in a short amount of time!

Lisa picked out a pretty lime and purple and blue paisley, which, with the addition of a squeaker, became a new toy for Zoe. This one's shaped like a bone (hmm... should have taken a picture of that!), and hopefully it will last longer than 54 second! Lisa has a real knack for putting fabrics together -- I'm good, but she's better and faster with color. I knew I had to buy some things for the new birthday block swap on quilting.about.com, so we got the only things I could remember -- three ocean colors for Joy's New York Beauties, and some three hot batiks for Margaret's. I'll need a couple more things, but several of the blocks should come at least mostly from stash. Whew!

Now, I've spent FAR too much time writing this post (and getting distracted by other things while doing it!). I'm about dead on my feet, and tomorrow's a "field trip" day at work, so I need to get myself organized for a decent bedtime ;)

Delayed (aka Friday the 13th)

2008-06-13T20:38:00.003-04:00

My sister is coming for a visit this weekend... maybe ;) I always love those flight plans that require one to fly west in order to fly east (or vice versa)... she went from a small airport in Michigan to Milwaukee, where they canceled her flight to Newark Liberty. It's the airline's fault, so they tried to find her a spot on another carrier, but there weren't any. She's on her way (in a few minutes, I hope!) to LaGuardia instead, where the airline will provide some kind of ground transportation to Newark.

Call me chicken, but there's no way I'm driving to LaGuardia! That's multiple bridges, plus going across or around Manhattan. In the dark. Without a legal auto registration. Yes, I'd have Jill, but no, I'm not going. The car service or bus or whatever will have to sufflice.

For the record, before we know the airline would do the ground transportation thing, I did offer to take the train in and meet her somewhere so she didn't have to deal with public transportation alone at night with luggage. I'd say I'm happy I don't have to do that, except that Lisa will probably read this, and that wouldn't be very nice ;)

I think I might be infected...

2008-06-09T21:33:00.002-04:00

with the swapping bug again! Yes, I have more UFOs than I dare count. Yes, I have more fabric than I need. Yes, I have as little time to sew as ever. And YES, I'm in love with these little quilts!

Kate only nudged me toward the edge, I jumped joyfully into the abyss ;) I signed up for The Quilting Pirate's Miniature Booty Swap #2. There's still room if you want to dive in, too...

The best part is that one doesn't end up with a pile of blocks to add to the UFO pile until guilt turns them into something -- the actual FINISHED quilt arrives in the mail. One has only to hang it on the wall to enjoy.

L-O-T-T-O

2008-06-06T22:09:00.001-04:00

It's been about a million years since I was able to participate in the Block Lotto on the forum at quilting.about.com. I finally managed these two blocks this month... I'll confess, the opportunity to use this itty-bitty-baby rickrack pushed me over the edge. It certainly wasn't the opportunity to make baskets! (I'm one of the 3.7 people on the face of the earth that aren't big basket block fans...)

The rules are one b/w print and one bright per 6" block, with handle options for applique, rickrack and chain stitch embroidery. You're now looking at the sum total of b/w prints in my stash. There was a 7" square of the music print, so I couldn't make the "opposite" block with the b/w for the background. I have only little scraps left. The plaid block is made from a piece of Fresh Squeezed, and it also polished off the last bit of this print that was available. There's enough left to eke out another plaid basket, but no b/w print for a background. (Identical blocks are against the rules, and I don't happen to collect b/w prints like someone I know!)

If you want to make baskets of your own, the pattern is here.

Summertime...

2008-06-06T18:35:00.002-04:00

and every news station is giving the "official" definition of heat wave! (Three consecutive days -- or more -- with temps of 90* or higher.) The first one of the season starts tomorrow.

Today, on the other hand, was the official start of summer hours at my office. We work an extra four hours M-Th, then close at noon on Fridays for a jump-start on the weekend. I had big plans: go to the DMV for driver's license and car registration/plates. 90 minutes later, I left... with my new driver's license. No registration... since moving, I can't find the payoff letter from GMAC, and my title shows the lien. The DMV will accept a fax directly from GMAC, which is good, but I have to find the loan number in order to get it from them! I'm sensing another trip through my seriously unorganized "important papers" this weekend. On the flip side, I *did* find the title (which was MIA before I moved), so I didn't have to first go to the NYS DMV to get a duplicate.

Hope your day was somewhat more interesting!