Things That Go Bump In The Night

 

I have what most people consider to be an odd schedule. I'm generally awake before 4:00 am and in bed by 8:00 pm, whether I have to get up early or not. It's my internal clock and it refuses to allow me to sleep in. For me, sleeping in is 4:30 am - 5:00 am.

  

So, last night I'm enjoying my sleep when I'm awakened by a noise at a little before midnight. It was a scratching sound. And it was in my bedroom. We have a visitor but not a visitor you invite for tea and cookies...

 

We live in a rural area and it is not unusual for critters to find their way inside but we have things in place to prevent them from visiting. I'm not a fan of field mice and one of the first things I do each morning is to conduct a visual inspection for signs of visitors. If there's a sign, my husband has work to do.

 

Several years ago, I was sitting in a chair at our desk in the family room while putting my shoes on when I heard a rustling sound coming from the wastebasket beside me. I peered into the wastebasket and what do I see? A critter peering back at me. My husband looked at me oddly as I ran past him in the hallway to our bedroom where I immediately slammed the door shut. As if that would keep the critter from getting in. I've digressed... Back to last night.

 

I'm laying in bed listening to the critter with my husband's snoring in the background... All I'm really focusing on is the critter. I hate it when I'm awakened during the night because rarely am I able to fall back asleep and this disturbance really gets my mind racing so that I can't go back to sleep. And then it hits me... My body is telling me I have to use the bathroom. Well, I am not putting my bare feet on the bedroom floor, in the dark, to go to the bathroom, while we have a visitor. It'll just have to wait. I don't care how loud my body is screaming it has to go.

 

I did finally fall back to sleep sometime after 3:30 am. When I woke back up at 4:30 am I promptly woke up my husband and announced he had work to do.

 

So, what are you doing today? 

 

 

Hiding Fabric

While I was going through some old magazines and organizing articles I had marked for future projects, I came across an article on hiding your fabric. This particular article had a progression of hiding fabric which I found quite amusing and thought I'd share.

The article is titled 50 Ways To Hide Your Fabric and is written by Cindy L. Weyers, published in the May/June 2004 issue of Fons & Porter's Love of Quilting. 

1. Leave fabric in your car. You are probably the only one who cleans it out anyway.
2. When you no longer have room for passengers, move fabric to trunk.
3. When trunk no longer closes, bring fabric into the house, but be sure all bags are sealed. Never bring in a bag with a quilt shop logo. It's a dead giveaway.
4. Get a fabric cupboard with doors that lock. Store fabric inside.
5. When fabric cupboard is full, pack more in, have a friend lean on the door, then lock. Open cautiously to avoid a fabric explosion.
6. Hide fabric in closet behind and in shoes. Men never look at women's shoes unless shapely legs are in them.
7. Hide fabric behind clothes on closet shelves.
8. Use fabric as shelf liner in closets. He won't notice.
9. Put false bottoms in clothes hampers. No one digs deeply in them except you!
10. Lay fabric on dryer as folded clothing.
11. Store it in rubber tub. Mark as women's clothes.
12. Store in plain sight, possibly as a dresser scarf. Say it's a new style.
13. Hang as a shower curtain. He won't know the difference.
14. Use as a curtain for a window on the shady side of the house.
15. Place between sheet and comforter on the bed for extra warmth.
16. Repeat with teenager's beds, but fabric may need to be washed frequently.
17. Layer under cushion on sofa. Explain it's needed because some remote control-punching, chip-munching, sweating couch potato is squishing the cushions. His mind will turn to processing these comments, and he won't remember the fabric is even there.
18. Use as a tablecloth.
19. Use smaller pieces as place mats.
20. Put in closed box under sink marked "Cleaning Supplies." That should keep him out.
21. Fill another box and mark as "Feminine Supplies." For men, worse than cleaning supplies.
22. Fill your cedar chest.
23. Store in bottom half of the china cupboard.
24. Use a divider between plates in china cupboard.
25. Use as a drawer liner.

Do any of these sound familiar? For me, I have a large wardrobe closet that I use for storing fabric. It works great because it can hold A LOT of fabric. Another good place for me is to hang yardages of fabric on a hanger and hang it in the hallway coat closet. My husband never goes in there as he prefers to just toss his coat wherever it lands. 

I'll share more of these in another post. In the meantime, where do you hide your fabric?

Charity

One of my friends' church is sponsoring a young woman who is homeless and pregnant. I don't know her story on how she got to where she is today, but do know she needs all the support she can get to learn how to cope with her current situation and the strength to make the necessary changes to bring herself to a better place... and Hope.

A group of women in the church put on a baby shower for her and I was asked if I wanted to contribute anything. So, I began working as I had one week before the shower.

I think the heirloom stitched footprints are perfect for a baby gift. Don't you?

I just love the pink and brown color combination. I'm going to have to buy more of these prints as I'm sure there will be another request for a baby gift.

Although I know there are many people who give of themselves for others, I believe those who knit, sew, and quilt are some of the most generous and thoughtful people I've ever met. 

Do you have a favorite charity you contribute to?

Hello.... Its Me

Has it really been nine months since my last post? I know I've been busy, but hadn't realized how busy until a couple weeks ago when I looked at my blog and saw how long it had been since posting. Why does it seem as though time passes at lightning speed as we grow older?

I haven't had a lot of sewing time, which really is disappointing and frustrating for me. I've always enjoyed my time in my sewing / quilting studio. Not only is my sewing / quilting time a means of expressing my creativity, but it is a stress release as well which is a great way to end a stressful day. The combination of singing and dancing to my favorite music while brainstorming creative quilting designs is so uplifting... OK, I have to admit that I've gotten a few chuckles from some of my friends and family who have caught me dancing and singing. Some have even threatened me with photos showing me in my vulnerable moments. I guess I should remember to lock the doors and close the blinds before I start to rock out. LOL

In an effort to rearrange my tight schedule I've been trying to find a way of squeezing regularly scheduled sewing, quilting, dancing, and singing for me time. Care to join me as work on rediscovering my passion?

A Different Kind of Art

Where does the time go? It seems like just a couple of weeks ago we were celebrating the late arrival of our summer and as I sit writing today's post, I am listening to the wind howling while watching the stampede of leaves floating to the ground. What a colorful carpet they make! I love all the vibrant colors of fall and Washington State is the perfect place to enjoy the beauty.

I live outside a small town called Sedro-Woolley located near the foothills of the Cascade Mountain Range. Years ago there were two towns named Sedro and Woolley separated by the Skagit River and the people of these towns decided to merge, becoming one. Most of the families have lived here for generations, supporting themselves by the logging, fishing, or farming industries. Of course, today, we have fewer farms and an endless book of restrictions causing many families to move to other industries for survival, including a couple of oil refineries located in nearby Anacortes and Ferndale, but logging is in the heart of the community.

Every year the town hosts a celebration called Founders Days where there are several events for everyone's enjoyment. One of these events is the re-enactment of the infamous 1914 bank robbery. Locals act out the robbery in the middle of town to newcomers amazement. 

Another local event is the annual Loggerodeo held every summer. The event stretches from one end of town to the other for a total of five or six blocks. There is the usual traveling carnival and vendor food you would expect to find, but something you may not expect, and one of my favorites, is the competition of chainsaw carvings.

In one of the parking lots there is a supply of logs that by the end of the weekend will be transformed into beautiful pieces of art. Many of the previous year's entries line the main street of town and I thought I'd share them with you.

It always amazes me at the amount of detail these artists are able to accomplish with the use of a chainsaw. I love the eagle displayed on the bench. Each year there is an eagle festival held in a neighboring town called Concrete. Perhaps next year I will travel up there so I can get some pictures of all the eagles as they feast on the fish in the river.

Just to make this somewhat quilty, I'm posting a picture of my cutting table as it looks today:

And here is one from the other angle:

Yes. I know. It is a little difficult to get any sewing/quilting done when there isn't any room... Not to mention my Pfaff machine is still packed up from my last sew-in. 

So what have you been doing?

What I Did This Summer...

Hello? Hello? Is anyone out there? Testing... One, two, three. I know I have been absent as though I was on summer vacation like a regular school girl. I wish I could say I was busy having fun playing with friends, riding my bike, swimming in the lake at family picnics and enjoying all that the summer sun has to offer. But, alas, I can't. Life has kept me busy and I let myself get into a... Well, I'm not sure what to call it. A good friend of mine likes to use the term funk. So, in taking a cue from my friend Diane, I guess I've allowed myself to slip into a 'funk'. How do you pull yourself back up? How do you force yourself back into the streamline of life among everyone else? 

I've scarcely touched my emails and haven't been in my sewing studio in about three months. I walk past it and glance at the chaos I've allowed to nest. Unfinished projects tossed around in piles. Discarded like an old worn out book whose pages are too faded to read. One of my sewing machines is still in its case from the last sew-in I attended a few months back. Untouched along with the projects I took to work on. My family and friends would be shocked to see the discord. The disorganization I've allowed to take hold of my sanctuary. My sacred place of comfort.

I recently heard a discussion regarding Professor Randy Pausch and his last lecture.   I haven't heard his lecture, but in it he states that in the game of life you must decide whether you are Tigger or Eyeore. And only after you identify who you are can you learn how events in your life affects  you and how you affect your life. I'm paraphrasing based on what I heard. But it really made me think about the state I've been in for the last few months and how I'm the one who has the power to make changes. 

I want to thank everyone who has sent emails and left messages expressing concern. I really have made some wonderful friends and am thankful for each one. I won't get into the pieces of my life that have caused me to retreat into solitude. I will, however, say that I'm working on changes and hope to be regularly posting to my blog again soon as I make my way back into my sewing studio and life again.

Houston, We Have a Problem...

And it's been a roller coaster! We have had a couple of strong storms hit us in the last couple of days causing lots of fallen trees and power outages. Monday I lost power seven or eight times. It wasn't out long enough to cause any discomfort, just enough to reset our electronic clocks. I had no idea how many of those we have in our home! After resetting them the third time, I left them blinking until I went to bed.

To compound my frustration, I lost my Internet connection. We live in a rural area where DSL isn't available and Dial-up is extremely painful. So we access the Internet via satellite. What a problem this has been! I was finally able to get it working on our desktop but my laptop still can't connect to our router. Of course all of my files are on my laptop and it can be a hassle transferring the files to a flash drive and try to retrieve them via the desktop which uses VISTA for its operating system. I definitely do not like VISTA and have been boycotting it since its debut.

Now you know why I have been absent and hopefully I'll be back to regular posting tomorrow. I really do have some things to share. I promise...

What I'm Working On...

I spent today preparing my fabric to begin working on my Signature Swap blocks. I have almost all of the pieces cut so I can start paper piecing. It should go quickly, but we'll see.

Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures to share with you since I didn't do any sewing today. So, I'll leave you with this...

The true meaning of friendship. I hope you're getting lots of sewing / quilting done. I'd love to hear what you're working on.

The DIY Dish - Sewing Machine Give-A-Way

The DIY Dish is a new series of free online videos and to celebrate, they're having a give-a-way. Watch the video to learn more.

Good luck!

Please Be Patient...

I know I haven't been posting as regularly as I normally do, but my life has been in turmoil and I haven't had the time to write daily posts or to create in my sewing studio. Please be patient, I promise I'll get back into my regular routine shortly.

Just to give you a little information, my MIL was in the hospital and with not knowing what was wrong and all of the out of town guests, my focus was with her. Thankfully, she is back home and on her way to recovery.

The day before she was released from the hospital, our dear friend passed away. Although he will be greatly missed, his passing will allow his family and close friends some closure and once the memorial is over, the healing process can begin.

I'll be gradually getting back into a routine and will post about my sewing / quilting projects soon. I'd love to hear about what you're busy creating.

Baby Gift Finished!

I managed to finish another baby gift yesterday morning but I had to leave to drive down to Seattle before I could post about it and I didn't get home until late last night. But I do have pictures to show you.

One of my daughters has a friend who is expecting her first baby any time now and I made her a receiving blanket and burp cloth set.

The baby's father is an avid hunter and we wanted to make the gift a little extra special for him. So we happened across these two camouflage like prints and thought they were perfect.

Then I located this design in a set I had purchased from OESD and I thought the camouflage diaper and helmet was perfect for the burp cloth. I then decided to make some bias binding using some flannel with a camouflage print.

Perhaps not exactly a baby theme, but I think it's adorable. Don't you?

Yesterday as I walked into my sewing studio to begin sewing, I noticed the trees outside had a reddish tint to them and as I walked outside I could see the sky was tinted in beautiful sherbet colors so I just had to run and get my camera to share my spectacular sunrise.

As you can see my home is surrounded by trees. Aren't the colors just amazing? What a beautiful way to start a day. I hope yours is just as magnificent.

The Mind of an 8-Year Old

I spent about 4 hours in my sewing studio today working on a gift for one of my daughter's friends and since it isn't finished yet, I don't have any pictures to share. Instead, I thought I'd share a little tale with everyone.

I went to live with my maternal grandmother when I was eight years old after my mother died. My uncle, who was about seventeen years old and a senior in high school, also lived with us. We lived in a large colonial home in Tacoma, Washington on the top of a hill overlooking the Commencement Bay. In fact, I had a picturesque view of the water. Truly a Kodak moment.

My uncle would use a double-edged razor to shave with and I must have watched him shave a hundred times or more. I don't recall any particular thoughts racing through my mind as I watched but then again, do we ever really know what goes on inside an eight year old's mind?

One day, for whatever reason, I decided to shave. Of course, I didn't have any facial hair like my uncle, so I did the next best thing... I shaved my arms! Not my underarms, but my forearms. Imagine, if you can, an eight year old shaving using a double-edged razor without using any shaving cream. After I managed to shave both of my forearms I happened to spot a can of Right Guard (do they even make Right Guard anymore?) and decided to spray it on both forearms. OMG! Don't ever spray something with alcohol in it on your freshly, shaved with a double-edged razor and without shaving cream forearm. I was on fire!

They say you learn from your mistakes. I've learned its OK to laugh at yourself and share those laughs with others.

So, what tales do you have to share?

Today is Mail Day

No, I didn't get anything in the mail. But I've been busy preparing a couple of packages to mail.

I spent yesterday sewing these Jake's Heart blocks for a friend of mine who is assembling a comfort quilt for her sister who is starting chemo therapy. She wanted them to be scrappy, but I'm not a big scrappy person so instead, I decided to make four blocks with each in different prints.

The next package is some fabric being sent to a friend who won a round of BINGO. Usually we send the winner a fat quarter, but because I'm delayed in sending it I am sending her a 1/2 yard. She loves cats and bright colors so I think this will go nicely with her resources.

Lastly, I am mailing another piece of fabric to another BINGO winner. She requested a Christmas print and since I'm late, I decided to send her a 1/2 yard cut too. I just love this fabric and wish I had purchased more for my own resources.

So, what did you do today?

I'm Back!

Well, sort of... Thank you to those of you who have written to me in the last month inquiring how I’m doing. I appreciate your concern and value your friendship.

Just before Thanksgiving I came down with bronchitis induced by an allergy. Bummer! And not the best time to be sick either. I was sick for about 3 weeks and hadn’t been in my sewing studio during that time… Resulting in missing my Round Robin Challenge deadline of December 5th. As if this wasn’t enough to deal with, a very close friend of ours had a heart attack on December 8th and has not regained consciousness. We’ve been traveling about 150 miles, roundtrip, several times a week to provide support for his wife. He’s been moved to a long-term acute care hospital and we still don’t know what his prognosis is, but we’re praying and hoping he will recover.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas spent with family and friends. I will be continuing my posts after the first of January.

I wish all of you a belated Merry Christmas and a New Year filled with the love of family and friends, enough happiness to fill each day with a warmth and glow in your heart, and many hours of enjoyment sharing your quilting, sewing, needlework, or whatever you enjoy doing to express your creativity.

BTW, if you're interested, Alex Anderson is offering twelve free redwork designs until January 5th. Each design features a different flower. Go to her site and download your twelve designs before they are removed. See you next year!

Ever Have One of Those Days...

When you’ve built up the momentum while you’re working on a project only to discover you don’t have everything you need? And this one thing you don’t have prevents you from progressing? Total frustration!

I was working on my Round Robin Challenge. I’ve completed my drawing. I’ve traced all my appliqué and cut the shapes out. I even started to pull out my fabric selection! STOP! How can it be? I know I have some somewhere! I don’t have any RED! Not one little piece of a solid like red…

So here I sit, On Hold. Waiting… I’ll have to go into town on Friday to pick up some red fabric.

This little break has provided an opportunity for me to work on a few other things. I’ve taken pictures but I’m not going to show all of them to you today because I need something to show you while I’m working on my Round Robin Challenge… After I buy some red fabric, of course.

Last Saturday I was in Anacortes for our November sew-in. Although I had several things I planned to work on, I only accomplished one.

Some of the members of an online group I participate in were at a weekend retreat and one of our members challenged the remaining members to make as many Jake’s Heart blocks as possible. I thought I did quite well by assembling four blocks, until it was announced on Monday another member completed fifteen. Boy was I lazy!

Above is a picture of my four. I used 30’s reproduction fabrics because these will be used in a comfort quilt for one of our members who likes 30’s prints. I think the fabrics go quite well together.

I’ll have another picture to share with you next time. Hope everyone is sewing up a storm.

Absence...

I haven't been very good about keeping up with my blog posts the last couple of weeks and I apologize for that. I haven't forgotten you... I've been working on my Round Robin Challenge and since I can't post pictures, I haven't posted much about it. Hopefully I'll have more to share with you later in the week. Hope the you're busy sewing!

My Creative Space

I don't have a design wall in my sewing studio. Mostly because two of the walls are lined with large windows and the other two consist of a lateral file cabinet, a floor to ceiling bookcase, and a couple of oversized units used for storage. So, in absence of a design wall I refer to my Creative Space to describe my current projects.

Lately, most of my sewing time has been making baby gifts. Seems everyone is having a baby… In the last couple of weeks I’ve made twelve burp cloth and receiving blanket sets and I have a couple more sets to complete before I’m finished.

Another project I’ve been working on is a tutorial for the receiving blankets. I need to finalize the written instructions before I post it and I hope to have it posted by the end of this week.

A third project I’m working on is a group challenge. As many of you know, a group of us get together once a month for an all day sew-in in Anacortes. One of our members, Susannah, is working on a group challenge with another group she participates in and we’ve been admiring her progress. At our last sew-in Susannah offered to host a challenge for our group and several of us took her up on it.

Each month, Susannah will announce a challenge as we add rows/layers to our quilt. She gave each participant a piece of fabric in a peppermint print and each project must contain a 3” x 3” square in the completed project. It doesn’t have to be a one piece, but the total used of this print must equal at least this amount.

For this month’s challenge, each participant must create a 22.5” block in a Christmas Carol as their theme. The possibilities are endless and I’ve been designing my block based on the song I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus. Although I have tons of ideas racing through my mind and since it’s a challenge, I’m not able to show anything to you… At least not yet. I have until our December sew-in to complete my block. I sure hope I can meet this challenge in time. LOL

And then, I was browsing through a quilt shop and picked up these deliciously looking charm packets. Where is it written that quilters have to have the characteristic of an overachiever? I’ve been quilting for about thirteen years and I don’t think I’ve met one yet who works on one project at a time. In fact, most have several going at the same time.

Its mind boggling the torture I put myself through sometimes. I’m my own worst enemy. But as my closest friends tell me, I’d be bored otherwise. What’s your theory? I'd love to hear it.