A day long project & Bedroom remodel

 Saturday I was determined to get our bedroom quilt on the frames.  I just didn't know it would take so long.  I had to make new leader cloths since I threw mine away last year doing spring cleaning.  I had to have Gary help me fit the cloths into the rails because I had to get new tubing too...and it was not cooperating with me. Then all the ironing and putting the top and bottom on the frames.  It's King size and took forever to iron.  It really was an all day project.  Sigh!  I even passed on a trip to WalMart with Gary and Jaycee.

I got quite a good start on the quilting before heading up to bed.  I choose a simple design since I want it to go fast.  I really had intended to do some feather stitches, but my machine is only a half-long arm and so  I picked a smaller design.

I know I have a back made for it...somewhere.  Couldn't find it and didn't want to waste more time looking.  I just made a new one.  I have all the fabric from when we closed the store.  It's a chicken egg print, but it was the best match.   

 Here's our mini makeover.  I should say Gary and Jonny's makeover since I didn't help.  Jaycee went to Denver with the school FFA.  While she was gone Gary painted her room and tore out her carpet.  Then Jonny and Gary put in new wood floor.  Aunt Nanna and Aunt Tracy bought her a new light for her room. She's mentioned how much she liked Nann's light like this, so that's the one they picked out for her.

 Jaycee picked out Burgandy Cherry wood.  It's really pretty.  We still have to paint the base board and put in the quarter round trim.  We were hurrying to get it ready before she got home. 

I was so worried she would be mad.  She told me "Don't let dad do my room while I'm gone."  Gulp!  He had it all planned out to do just that the minute she left.  Thankfully she LOVES it.  She ended up getting home a few hours early.  While everyone else was putting the furniture back in I ran and found her a new flat screen TV.  Her old TV was an older, huge one that took up too much room.  We made it in the nick of time. Whew!

Scrappy Cell Phone Case

 This was my Sunday afternoon project.  I had some scraps from a baby quilt that I wanted to use.

 I've been wanting to try out this foot for my Juki sewing machine.  I'm not sure what it's called...a rolled hem foot maybe?  It took a few tries to get the hang of it.  I cut the strips 1-3/4 inches.

 Then I figured out how big to make the bag.  I gathered the strips in the middle.  I drew three lines on the main piece of fabric for the bag and sewed the three strips along those lines, trying to gather them evenly.

 I added some batting and another layer of fabric for the lining.  I put the seam in the back, sewed the bottom seam, and finished the seams with the serger.  Then I finished the top edge and added a button.  Ta-da!

 I had a helper drop by.  She loves my sewing room.  She played with the button bottles (they're plastic).  Then I gave her some rick-rack to play with....and play she did!

Katelynn has the biggest eyes!

National Hugging Day

 That's right, today is National Hugging Day.  I'm not a real huggy person...kinda like my own space.  Unless it's my family, then I love the hugs.  Thought I'd share a picture of my Valentine shelf  for this hugging day.  We had an old family picture above the shelf.  It was from about 13-14 years ago.  I don't know why it was so hard for me to finally take it down.  Well, may be I do.  I was much thinner and younger in that picture...sigh!  The kids were all still at home and I still had some control over them.  Oh well...the picture is gone.  We bought this new frame, but we still need to find some pictures to put in it.  Guess we might have to have to find to time to get all the family together again for family photos.  (hinting to my kids here)

I got my hair done today.  Changed the color...AGAIN!!  Love to do funky things and try new color.  (I'm actually in a secret competition with Krystal, my cousin's daughter.  She loves to try the fun hair color too!)

A day in the life.......

 of a boring housewife who works from home...yes, that would be me.  I started my day with a 4-hour team leader shift at work.  That's when I answer questions from the transcriptionists I work with and try my best to help them.  It was a pretty easy shift today.  Some days I have so many questions and windows open along the bottom of my computer screen that I just want to scream.  After my shift I took a break and ran to the grocery store to buy a few things for dinner.  Tacos. Yum.

Then over the center street bridge that is falling apart.  I didn't bother me so much before the construction on the freeway started.  Now the bridge gets backed up with traffic.  Sitting on this bridge for 10 minutes with the weight of all the cars and trucks on it gets a little scary,

 I hate the construction mess....but I will be nice to have a better freeway system.

 My next stop was to pick up Eden from school.  When she saw me waiting she ran up and gave me a big hug.  Awww....so sweet.  I love that she holds my hand all the way to the car.  I dread the day she gets too big to hold grandma's hand.

Then Eden and I fed the chickens.  

 She was excited to find an egg.  She carefully carried it in the house so we could wash it and put it in the fridge.  

Back to my office to finish work.  I helped Eden find the Hannah Montana game site on the computer and she entertained herself while I worked.  She loves to draw too....so I have a shelf in the closet with her art supplies.  Then a little sewing, watching the news, and getting ready for bed.

UFO from 2 years ago...DONE!

It feels great to get this project done.  I have several more...well more like 15....UFO projects all boxed up and lined neatly on the shelves in my sewing room.  Getting this one done felt good.  I've had it quilted and  folded up waiting for the binding for a couple of weeks.  I still have a couple sides to bind...but I consider it checked off the list of UFO's.

I did the pebble stitch.  It was a lot of work, but I love how it turned out.

Had to share these funky socks.  You get them in a 3 pack.  You mix them up and wear a crazy pair of mismatched socks.  My sister, Tracy, got some last Fall...so when my other sister, Nann, went to Chicago on business last week she picked up some more from the the Little Mismatched store.

January blahs.....

I made this quilt top in the summer.  Finally got it quilted this week....only because I need it for a baby shower tomorrow!!!  Still have to get the binding done, but the night is young! 

 I put a giraffe print of minky-type fabric on the back.  For some reason I really love quilting with this fabric on the back.  It seems like the needle just glides through it so easy.  

 I've been making some fabric flower rings.  I bought the ring blanks on line.  These are the flowers you make by burning the edges of the fabric.

 My hand model with the young, cute hands was at her friend's house tonight so I had to use the old lady hand with the age spots.  It seems like I woke up one day, looked down at my hands and wondered who had transplanted my Grandma's hands to my arms. sigh!

This one is a folded fabric flower.  Can't wait to experiment some more with different fabrics.

January is such a dreary month.  It saps all your energy.  By 7 p.m. I'm ready for bed.  I've been meaning to post for a week now, just couldn't muster up the energy to do it.  I should be enjoying these months of rest and early evenings.  Before I know it summer will be here and life will be crazy busy again.

Happy New Year!!

 We had a pretty quiet night.  It was just Gary, Jaycee, and me at home.  We toasted in the New Year while watching the ball drop on TV with a little chilled Sparkling Apple Cider.  I would have preferred Diet Mountain Dew in my glass....but what the heck.  Gotta live it up a little, right??

 We played Uno and then Monopoly for a couple of hours.  I don't think Jaycee got into Monopoly as much as Gary and I did.  It's so much like life.  Money in and money out.  We took a break and went over to my parent's house to visit.  They were playing a game of golf (with a deck of cards) and visiting.

I'm pretty optimistic that this year will be better than last year.  I figure starting off with a positive attitude has to be the key to making it a good year.  Wishing everyone a prosperous and happy 2011!

My 8-year-old grandaugher, Eden, make a coupon book for her mom for Christmas.  I love the coupons...so cute!

My favorite one....

Can I get one of these coupons??