Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Still here....

Hello.  I have not given up this blog.  I have just been side tracked.  I have to pursue faster internet for home.  I still have dial up.  Today's connection is at a wopping 24kbps.  Can't upload pictures at that speed.

I have been sewing quite a bit.  I made a quilt for a wedding gift earlier in the month.  I have no idea of a name for it but I did try to take some pictures as I made it since it is super easy and could be made from jelly rolls and charm packs.  I used scraps myself but the other would work.

I have another quilt ready to go on the quilting machine.  It is also a wedding gift.  This one - like a lot of my projects - morphed out of control.  It is now queen size but I like it.  It is a modified version of the block Alabama.  I am calling the quilt "Roads to Alabama".  If I can get a good picture I will post it.

I have also been doing some canning.  I think I did 28 jars of green beans.  I still had some left from last year, so I didn't get carried away.  I have tomatoes waiting on me to juice and can tonight.

I woke up this morning with a terrible migraine.  It has been there for days but got so much worse this morning.  Have to go to work as soon as meds wear off enough for me to drive.  Obviously they aren't going to fix the problem today.  I tell you, days like this and I understand how trepination developed!

No humor in me today.  No lessons.  I did get supper in the slow cooker.  That is always a crap shoot on migraine days.  Chances are good I will forget some key ingredient or season it too much.  Today it is a pork shoulder with potatos, carrots, celery and sauerkraut.  We will see how that turns out in about 8 hours.

Keep stitchin'!

Monday, August 1, 2011

Bits and pieces

Last week I had a plan.  I worked hard on Wednesday so that I could sew on Thursday.  That evening I received a message telling me I had to work Thursday.  I worked a little bit each night on the quilt blocks I was making.  I even took photos.  Unfortunately, I can't upload them from home.  My dial up is VERY SLOW.  I will add them later.

I wish I could remember where I saw the picture of this block.  I have no idea what the name of it is.  It is very simple and uses up scraps.  I made it all in blues and greens.  I hope the bride likes it.

I haven't worked at all on the quilt along with amanda jean over at www.crazymomquilts.blogspot/com .  She had her feelings hurt week before last and I wondered if I had contributed to that.  Not intentionally, I didn't.  But I did agree with someone suggesting an alternate way to make the block she was doing.  Like I said there, there are no quilting police and everyone should do what works for them. 

She is obviously a very precise sewer.  I have been sewing since I was five.  I was taught by a woman who took every shortcut she possibly could and did NOT do handwork.  I do better than Mom but I still look for shortcuts and use them!  I sew quickly and I get bored easily.  Some people will feel that I am insulting them but that is not my intention.  I admire people with more patience.  I am just not one of them.

I don't call myself a quilter, a seamstress or a sewist (where the hell did that term come from.  I HATE it!).  I sew.  I am the type that on Wednesday after school you can bring your daughter, the  fabric and pattern you need made into a dress for her to wear on Friday and I will get it done for you.  I cursed a lot and we had soup and sandwiches for supper Wed and Thurs but I managed to get it done after work those two evenings and deliver it on Friday morning.  You know what?  I enjoyed it!

Now, you give me a bunch of two and half inch squares and tell me to sew them together and I am going to need some ATivan.  That drives me nuts!  My machines sew 1000 to 1500 stitches per minute and I go as fast as I can.

So, if anyone actually reads this and has a suggestion for how I can do something better, by all means tell me.  I may not agree but I am fine with suggestions.  I will either try it or give you the reason why it didn't work for me.  The web is an amazing thing and there is so much to learn.  I admit I don't know it all.  Let us help one another learn.  Everyone doesn't have to travel the same road to reach the same destination.  The trip should be fun!

Keep stitchin'