Best Laid Plans….

…….Are sometimes best with they are THROWN OUT!!

This afternoon I got a ping on my phone from Jason saying that he and Kim ((!!!)) were headed to Charlotte to go see a concert, and they wanted to come a bit early and would I meet them at Ikea for some shopping and visiting?

Why --- yes! Of course I would!

Charlotte is about half way between Winston Salem and Columbia, and I'll take whatever chance I can to spend time with my son.

We wandered and browsed and laughed at the idea of some of the decorative items as in No --- there is no way in HECK I would hang a 6 ft round ball of flowers mimicking itself as a lamp over my dining room table or my bed! And some of the lamps are made of little more than paper, and while they give off a nice ambiance as far as light goes…when you have playful cats…no….shredded is what they would become in no time at all!

But Ikea is always a great place to go for storage ideas….I took note of several things I’d like ----but when it came down to it, all I left with was a set of Queen sheets for the guest room --- they are PINK. Pink and on CLOSE OUT – so I got the set for $19.99, used a coupon/receipt that got me another $4.75 off….

Why can I never SPLURGE?! I grew up with a yard sale/thrift shop/don’t buy it unless it’s on sale mentality, and – I just can’t make myself just SPLURGE without a reason. I'm not sure if this is good or bad. Let's just say that most of the stuff I think I want, I let continue to live at the store until I find a reason I need it MORE than I think I do, and if I don't....well...it just never comes home.

Jason found some stuff for his apartment….and we had a snack at the snack bar. Did you know you can get a Swedish Smorgasbord at Ikea for EASTER DINNER?! Honestly. It’s not top of the list of places I want to go for Easter Dinner --- but….we sure enjoyed our afternoon treat and a visit at the comfy table by the big picture window looking out over the parking lot ;c)

On my drive home, it was raining, there was tons of traffic, and I had to go really slow ---it took an hour and a half to go 70 miles, but that was okay by me. I finished listening to “The Winter Garden” by Kristin Hannah on my MP3 player --- I downloaded it from my library free, and it is a WONDERFUL story. It’s not an amazon freebie --- but check it out of your library in either digital format or in paper if you can. Go for the digital ---or CD ---the narrator does a WONDERFUL Russian accent that just would be lost without it being in audio….I cried all the way home ----a good cry!

The Whitson family is rocked by the sudden death of patriarch Evan, a warm, loving man who doted on his two adult daughters, Meredith and Nina, and his reserved Russian wife, Anya.

Meredith, who runs the family business, and Nina, a photojournalist whose job takes her to war zones around the world, have never been able to connect with their cold, forbidding mother.

When Anya begins to act strangely, Meredith thinks she belongs in a nursing home, but Nina decides to try to fulfill her father’s dying wish and get her mother to tell her and Meredith the elaborate fairy tales she used to share with them.

Anya is initially reluctant, but once she begins, Nina realizes these tales are actually the story of Anya’s life in Stalinist Leningrad. Meredith and Nina decide to attempt to uncover the truth about their mother’s tragic past in the hope of understanding her, and themselves.

Though the novel starts off fairly maudlin, it evolves into a gripping read, although it’s a tearjerker. Hannah’s previous books, including Firefly Lane (2008) and True Colors (2009), are tailor-made for book clubs, and her audience should find plenty to discuss in this equally enthralling entry. --Kristine Huntley

No affiliation with anything, just an avid reader/listener and wanting to share!

I got home at 6pm, it’s been dark since a bit after 5pm --- it feels like bed time and I’m not sure what I’m going to do with myself tonight. I still have binding waiting….but I’d love to sew…options options options!

Whatever you get up to, enjoy your Friday evening!

Evening Edition --- Free Kindle Book!

There are three places I have visited that have hit me more than any other --- those things that make History more REAL than “story” ---

The first time I went to the Netherlands, I went with Lucy to Anne Frank’s house in Amsterdam. And I felt like I couldn’t breathe –seriously.

But even more than that, we visited the home of Corrie ten Boom in Haarlem…and saw “The Hiding Place”. And as we rode our bikes over the cobblestone streets I imagined all that happened there --- this was LIFE then. And Lucy’s parents, having lived through it, remembered it so well as if it were yesterday to them. It changed me in so many ways.

I’ve visited the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC twice ---and you almost have to give yourself a whole day there for it to sink in….just how much it encompassed---that whole couple of decades that some people think did not even happen! How could they say it didn’t happen? With all this documentation?

So when this book came up on the freebies over at Amazon, I had to get it, even though I do not really want to read it. It’s hard. It’s hard to read it and hard to realize just what happened, and that it could happen again ---could it ever happen again? To other peoples? I can’t think of it. My mind and heart don’t want to process it.

But through it all, I know it is imporant. These stories are important. Life changing. The few voices that were left are sharing and speaking, and I feel compelled to listen.

With Hanukkah beginning at sunset on Tuesday, December 20, 2011, and endings at sunset on Wednesday, December 28, 2011 I thought this might be a good time to read Rena’s Promise.

***Note*** This is free for Prime members..but remember, if you can't get it free, check it out of your library ---or buy it. With all the freebies we've posted, it's okay to BUY one once in a while, they can't all be free!

Rena’s Promise: Two Sisters in Auschwitz by Rena Kornreich Gelissen and Heather Dune Macadam is free today in the Amazon Kindle store, and has received an average user rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars based on 14 customer reviews.

Category: Autobiography / History

Book’s description:

“I do not hate. To hate is to let Hitler win.” Rena Kornreich Gelissen

“The most important book of the modern age!” Neal Lavon, Voice of America

“The most historically accurate book ever written of the first transport of women into Auschwitz–the only book ever written by a survivor of that transport, who survived 3 years and 41 days in the camps.” Irena Strezlecka, Director of the Museum of Women at Auschwitz

On March 26, 1942, the first transport of women arrived in Auschwitz. Among the 999 young Jewish women was Rena Kornreich, the 716th woman numbered in camp. A few days later, her sister Danka arrives and so begins a trial of love and courage that will last 3 years and 41 days, from the beginning Auschwitz death camp to the end of the war.

Rena’s Promise stands out from other memoirs in mere length of time she spent in the camps. No other survivor from the first transport has ever written about her experience and what it meant to survive for so long as a peasant and a hard laborer who spent 10-12 hours a day making bricks, pushing lorries, sifting sand, performing cartwheels…. From her escape from Dr. Mengele’s experiment detail to her surreal meetings with SS woman Irma Grese, Rena tells a dynamic tale of courage and compassion that reminds us of the resiliency of the human spirit, and the power of people to help one another in unimaginable circumstances, be they Gentile or Jew, German or Pole, kapo or prisoner.

Used in secondary school Holocaust programs.

Recommended for Holocaust collections by the Library Journal.

Visit www.renaspromise.com to see photos and art.

Do I HAVE to?!

Last night DH and I were discussing an upcoming holiday co-worker dinner thing that we have to drive to Hickory for on Saturday night.

We’ve offered to take our friends with us, and that means that Baby Michelle will be coming along!

Being as Baby Michelle is the closest thing we’ve got to family in the baby department ((My siblings with small children all live on the West side of the country!)) We’ve adored watching these new parents raise this baby, seeing her grow, gain a personality, smile, laugh, and straighten herself out stiff as a board in rebellion and SCREAM!

We know that culturally, the way we raise children may be different. For instance, Harriet’s mom came over from Africa right after the baby was born, and has stayed 6 months ---spoiling baby Michelle completely rotten and just left last week to go back to Africa, leaving mom and dad with a 6 month old baby that won’t sleep through the night, screams to be picked up at all hours and has to be held all the time.

So, DH tells me last night…that he and Michael have plotted and planned, and that I need to take Harriet aside and tell her that the baby needs its own room, and time to scream and not be picked up all the time.

I laughed and said…. “But this is not MY responsibility! I don’t want to butt in here. I mean, if she ASKS for my advice, I’m happy to give it, but I’m not going to tell her how to raise her child or what she should do unless the opportunity to talk about possibilities comes up. I’m not going to START the conversation, and I’m not going to tell her what to do.”

I know they are frustrated with lack of sleep and Michelle screaming her head off several times a night to be picked up. Michael is about falling asleep on the job ----the other night he did put Michelle in her crib and let her cry, and she eventually fell asleep. Then Harriet came home and she woke up and Harriet picked her up immediately. This makes DAD the bad guy…LOL!

So my question is…..where would YOUR boundaries be, as a friend. I feel like I need to wait until she gives me a lead in and wants some advice. And I’d never say “You need to get that baby in her own bedroom and let her bawl herself to sleep” ---I’d have to preface it with “When my boys were little, we had the same kind of situation with the first one and we had to let him cry and get used to entertaining himself --- and it took some time, but it was worth it.”

I just can’t bring myself to tell ANY parent what they should or should not be doing with their children ---babies or grown up ones – of any age!

So help me out here……what would YOU do? How can I be a good supportive friend without coming across like a know-it-all? I want to help, but how much help is too much help?

Road Trip Side Trip!

On my way down to Columbia on Tuesday ---I had some time to kill! Jason was supposedly working until 4pm, and there I was driving through Charlotte around noonish----so I had a couple of hours to fill with ANYTHING my heart desired. What’s a girl on her own to do, when given the freedom to do what she WANTS?!

ANTIQUE MALL!!

Oh, I hadn’t been in a while..a long while...there just hasn’t been time. It’s usually something I do on my way to somewhere, or home from somewhere --- a treat for myself to stretch my legs on a long journey, but since I’ve been home ---other things have occupied my life to where I couldn’t just pick up and go and spend the time.

But TUESDAY I did!

My favorite place in Charlotte is the Sleepy Poet Antique Mall! There are aisles and aisles of booths ---and you never know just what you are going to find! Of course, the first thing I look for are the quilts. Did I find quilts? YES!

And this is where I really wonder at some of these dealers --- do they know what they have? Do they really? We’ve all heard stories of the proverbial “MADE IN CHINA” quilt that gets listed as a hand quilted heirloom ((Look for the binding…if there is none, and if it has poly batting, chances are it is NOT an heirloom folks!)) But this one really caught my eye:

This was what I saw draped over a chair as I walked past one booth. Red gingham lone stars….and look at that GLORIOUS border print!!

Vintage quilt circa -----1930??? I don’t THINK SO!?? ((Siobhan, are you reading this? I need your opinion please!!)) I’m thinking she is about 100 years off! It looks mid 1800’s to me.

Quickly and carefully I unfold it----

For its age, it is in BEAUTIFUL condition….can you see how the stars are PERFECTLY PIECED?? The points all match, the diamonds are all uniform in size ((Look ma, No volcanoes or D cups! LOL!)) ---this was fabric that was specifically purchased for this quilt at a time when fabric was an expensive item. Was that border print saved specifically for this quilt? It was a cotton, not a chintz ---but definitely a very early print as far as I could tell!

Close up of the border print….isn’t this YUMMY!!?!

The border is quilted in very close fans…..the stars are outlined within each diamond..and can you see the flower motif in the star corner? They didn’t quilt this heavily in the 1930s..and the batting in this is THIN…another way to judge an earlier quilt.

There is a bit of wear at the edge…the quilt has no binding, but the edges are turned in toward the inside of the quilt and it is blind stitched closed, envelope style.

Don’t you wish you had the story of this quilt? I DO! Did it come home with me? No, it did not. I’m to the point where I know that not every quilt, just because I love it, can come live with me in my house. But I’m happy for the pictures!!

What DID come home with me?

It’s an old pecan basket, or so the label said. The hinges are leather…it has carved wooden handles on the side….

It was in a booth that was closing out with everything marked 1/2 off. It was under the table with some other stuff in it….the price? $29.95 so I got it for $15.00. I’m a happy camper! Now just to find a place to PUT it!

I have more pics from the Antique Mall too, but this is already getting long, so I’ll post more later!!

This morning we are up to 97 entries for this week’s Mystery Monday Link-Up! So many different colorways going on….and I love being able to read the stories behind each and everyone! Be sure to check them out.

And tomorrow…we go live with PART 5!! You will definitely want to come back for that….

I’ll be spending the day in the basement today, finishing up writing Part 5 – and then working on the rest of the pattern sections for the next book. I’m sticking pretty much to the timeline I set for myself this month. I’ve finished 9 out of 13 pattern sections and they are off to my editor, Jen! I’m breathing easier about it, but there is still so much more to do. I’d like to have the other 4 pattern sections done by the end of the weekend, and the rest of the month in putting all the other text sections together – the forward, the resources, all that stuff --- the part that makes me always feel like I’m writing a term paper ---

I’m leaving myself time for ME to play ----each day I get to reward myself with something after I get my designated section for the day written!

Have a great Thursday, Y’all!

Evening Edition! Free Kindle & Nook Book!

I just returned home from Columbia not long ago…..it was a great trip, and I’m so glad I was able to spend a bit more than 24 hours there with my son!

But let me tell ya, leaving a bit past 3pm meant I hit Charolotte traffic smack dab at 5pm --- AUUUGHH! Good thing I have been listening to books in the car!

I sat down to go through my mail and stuff tonight….followed a link…found a goodie, and I’m logging in to post about it..it just sounds cute and fun. I could use some cute and fun.

Charlotte Figg Takes Over Paradise, by Joyce Magnin, is a repeat freebie in the Kindle store and from Barnes & Noble.

Book Description:

Newly widowed Charlotte Figg purchases a double-wide trailer sight unseen and moves to the Paradise Trailer Park with her dog Lucky. Unfortunately, neither the trailer nor Paradise are what Charlotte expected.

Her trailer is a ramshackle old place in need of major repair, and the people of Paradise are harboring more secrets than Bayer has aspirin.

Charlotte s new friend Rose Tattoo learns that Charlotte played softball and convinces her to rally the women of Paradise into a team. Reluctant at first, Charlotte warms to the notion and is soon coaching the Paradise Angels.

Meanwhile, Charlotte discovers that the manager of Paradise, Fergus Wrinkel, abuses his wife Suzy. Charlotte sets out to find a way to save Suzy from Fergus and in the process comes to a difficult realization about her own painful marriage.

In a conversation the other day I was asked how I fit reading into my busy schedule. I make time for it! Just yesterday morning before heading to Columbia, I took the car in to be serviced. I even planned to be binding a quilt in the time it took for them to change my oil, rotate my tires, and do all that other fix-it stuff --- but though I had the quilt with me…the thread, scissors and needle were left behind in the car – which was in a separate building, up on a lift. What’s a girl to do?

Read a book on the kindle app on my phone. The app is free….the books I downloaded were free…and I got some good reading time in.

I also came across an article on how to fit reading into your life and thought I’d share a bit with you, it is also linked to the original source:

How To Read More:

Written by Leo Babauta

1. Don’t read because you should — read for joy. Find books about exciting stories, about people who fascinate you, about new worlds that you’d love to visit. Forget the classics, unless they fit this prescription.

2. Carve out the time. We have no time to read anymore, mostly because we work too much, we overschedule our time, we’re on the Internet all the time (which does have some good reading, but can also suck our attention endlessly), and we watch too much TV. Pick a time, and make it your reading time. Start with just 10 minutes if it’s hard to find time — even 10 minutes is lovely. Try 20 or 30 if you can drop a couple things from your schedule.

3. Do nothing but read. Clear all distractions. Find a quiet, peaceful space. It’s just your book, and you. Notice but let go of the urges to do other things instead of read. If you must do something else, have some tea.

4. Love the hell out of it. You’re not doing this to better yourself. You’re doing it for joy. Reading is magic, and the magic will change everything else in your life. Love the experience, and you’ll look forward to it daily.

5. Make it social. Find friends who love to read, or find them online. There’s a world of readers on the Internet, and they’d be happy to make recommendations and talk about the books you’re all reading. Try a book club as well. Reading is solitary, but is also a social act.

6. Make it a habit. Pick a trigger in your daily routine, and consistently read exactly after that trigger each day. Even if it’s just for 5-10 minutes. The more consistent you are, and the longer you keep the streak going, the stronger the habit will become.

7. Don’t make it a chore. Don’t make it something on your to-do list or schedule that you have to check off. It’s not part of your self-improvement plan. It’s a part of your Make Life More Awesome Plan.

8. Give up on a book if it’s boring. Reading isn’t something you do because it’s good for you — it’s not like taking your vitamins. You’re reading because it’s fun. So if a book isn’t fun, dump it. Give it a try for at least a chapter, but if you still don’t love it, move on.

9. Discover amazing books. I talk to other people who are passionate about books, and I’ll read reviews, or just explore an old-fashioned bookstore. Supporting your local bookstores is a great thing, and it’s incredibly fun. Libraries are also amazing places that are underused — get a card today.

10. Don’t worry about speed. Speed reading is fine for some, but slow reading is great too. The number of books, and the rate of reading them, matters not a whit. It’s not a competition. You’re reading to enjoy the books, so take your time. It’s like enjoying good food, or good sex: better savored, not rushed.

My favorite time to read? Maybe 1/2 hour before falling asleep at night. No TV, no computer, no music ---- Just me and silence and the bedside light and a book, electronic or otherwise.

I have a Kindle2 which doesn’t have all the bells and whistles, but when I’m reading a book, I don’t need to be able to check email or facebook or travel blog to blog. My book reading time is my book reading time, and I like it that way.

Try to fit some reading time into your life. You’ll find it a great escape!

A glimpse into now!

Using the app on my phone to share where I am now!!

I'm hiking on this beautiful sunny December morning in harbison state forest in Columbia SC!!


Life is definitely good!!

Story Time Stars --- Quilting!

I got as far as getting this loaded in the machine on Monday evening….I quilted a couple of rows on it, but ran out of time…oh yeah…I was distracted by yesterday’s Tannenbaum Mug Rug! :c)

I’m loving how this is coming together. I’m quilting it with a sky blue thread --- it’s blending through everything and looks better than stark white – and I couldn’t use beige or tan on this quilt because the colors are so bright.

Here’s a dizzying look down the quilt! It won’t take long to finish at all when I get back home to it. I’m not quilting it too heavily, I want it snuggly and soft, and too much quilting can have a “Cardboard” effect on a baby quilt…

It was THIS QUILT that started me on my whole round of Strip Straightening as shown HERE and also HERE….I’ll blame it on THIS ONE For the rest of my days!

Mug-Rug in a hurry! ((Free from me!!))

I’m in a hurry…..I’ve got to be to the car dealership at 8am to have Shamu in for some routine maintenance….and then after that I’m on my way to Columbia SC to see Jason!

There was a ton of stuff I “SHOULD” have been doing last night, including packing, but I didn’t..because…well….you see there was this pile of crumbs. and the greens were playing so nice with each other, and the little strips and pieces of neutrals were just too cute, but small..and I was thinking of pitching them ((Yes I was!! But I did not!!)) and before I knew it….

Well, I had this idea for a cute little stringy strippy mug rug….and…well! It turned out SO. DANG. CUTE! It’s a Tannenbaum Mug Rug!

Before I even knew what happened I had layered it, pin basted it..and I was sitting down and dropping the feed dogs on my trusty old Bernina..and FREE MOTION QUILTING this thing!

SOMEONE STOP ME!

I haven’t free-motion quilted on a domestic machine in years, and let me tell you, it’s an acquired skill that needs constant up-keep if you are going to keep it! OY! Do you see those loops that cross over each other? And how square some of those rounds are? I did some of the ugliest stippling of my life..LOL! But It is still so cute I decided to bind it and keep it…

SO…you want one? I’ve quickly drawn up my foundation pattern and you can get it HERE.

After clicking to view the page, right click and save the file to your computer.  To print, find the file on your computer and print it after clicking to open it there.  If you just print from the page view, it might not print the correct size.

I’m not including paper piecing instructions with this. I’m assuming you have some paper piecing skill, or can look it up on the net. I didn’t even number the foundations, but I did put it so 4 trees print per page so you can run multiples.

The foundations are “missing” some lines…because instead of having all lines drawn for you so you can make each tree identical ((Who wants to do that?!?)) you will place the pieces free style to fill in your trees and your backgrounds.

If you want to...you can add pencil lines to the blocks to give you a guide where to sew your green pieces in the tree, and you can draw lines in the block background to help you with string placement for that ---just look at my completed mug rug and you can wing it just like I did! The great thing about string piecing? It doesn't HAVE to be perfect...EVER!

You are going to:

1. Crease template on "Tree Triangle” lines for ease of placement
2. Place trunk piece as #1
3. Add two pieces to either side of trunk
4. String piece up the tree triangle with crumbs. The creases help you know where to aim and shoot for…have your scrap and stitching go BEYOND the crease line.
5. Fill in the backgrounds with random strips and strings.
6. Trim Trees 1/4” from the seam line.
7. Remove paper foundations.

I have the utmost faith that you can do this without me having to show you each step!
From here--Sew your trees side by side! You can put the short one on the left or right, it doesn't matter. Have fun with it!

Cut 4 border rectangles 1.5” X 4.5”. Cut 4 1.5” squares for cornerstones.

Sew the borders and cornerstones to the block and press. Layer with a scrap of batting & backing --- quilt, bind and enjoy! Your mug rug will finish at 6-1/4” Square.

I’ll be back Wednesday night, or maybe Thursday….not sure, playing it by ear. I’m taking binding with me to keep my hands busy if we decide to stay in, have pizza and visit.

As I type this, we’ve got over 70 links on yesterday’s Mystery Monday Link-Up! Be sure to stop by and check them out..I’m loving the different colors that people have chosen!

Oh--- and that job??? Jeff starts TODAY! Yeah! No one who hasn’t lived and struggled with a bi-polar ADHD child can understand what a big deal it is to see any amount of progress. ANY amount. The smallest positive is a HUGE POSITIVE.
And so we move forward!

Virtual Christmas Party!!

I just did the MOST FUN thing!! I’ve never done this before, and I was a bit nervous, but I figured if I could do radio shows live on the phone, I could do this….the only hard part?

Wondering if I needed to put make up on for this?! Do I do my hair? Hahaha!

((And you can see ME taking a pic of the laptop screen with my phone in the bottom right of the screen..LOL!))

My friend Mary Koval of Antique Quilt Fame has an adorable quilt shop in Bedford, PA--- it’s a very very cool old building they’ve renovated! I saw it in the construction phase when I visited with her after my last visit to Hershey, ummmm….wasn’t this year, so last? 2010? I need to get myself up there to see it live and in person. Bedford is an adorable historic old town!

Mary designs delicious reproduction fabrics, many of them based on fabrics in the antique quilts she has. Below are links to several of her lines. I bet if you checked your stash, you'd find some Mary Koval in it if you are into reproductions at all!

Alexandra
Baltimore Album ca 1847
Cat In The Manor
Elizabeth
Mary's Blenders
Victorian Rose
The Coverlet Collection c. 1820-1860
American Beauty
American Vintage Harvest
Family Tree
Family Tree II
Lady Liberty
Mary's Favorite Blues II c. 1810-1890
Mary's Muslins c. 1870-1910
Paradise Garden
Remember Me - Blue
Remember Me - Gold
Remember Me - Green
Sisters
Treasures Uncovered c. 1810-1870
Victoria c. 1870
Vintage Christmas
Winter Carnival

If you want a real antique quilt treat, take a tour through her website HERE!

She has a wonderful group of women that meet at her shop ---they are SO heavily into making charity quilts for local organizations, it just blows me away. Show what does this lead into?

Today was their Christmas party, and Mary had called me last week arranging a Skype call with the ladies as a surprise! They put my patterns and Scrap User’s System to good work this year, making over 200 donation quilts. THAT’S A LOT OF QUILTS!! And a lot of scrap fabrics finding a good home.

One of the sweet ladies is 90! And still sewing her brains out --- so I said that I didn’t need to worry about turning 50 next month, that I’ve still got a long way to sew :c) Another of the ladies has made nearly 100 quilts herself for donation. One quilter donates her time machine quilting all the tops for free. I am just so inspired!

And so thrilled that they wanted to include me in their Christmas luncheon party! However, I think they got the better end of the deal, their food was REAL – I just had to watch them enjoy it! Hahah!

This just made my day ---Could it be? I’m feeling festive? I think I feel the need for some egg-nog coming on!

Mystery Monday Link-Up, Part 4!

HOWEVER you have decided to do your Part 4 units, I hope you will share your blog link below and let us see what you got up to over the weekend!

If you are new and just starting out on the mystery, you can link below too…you can show ANY progress on any of the parts, wherever you are in your progress. The more the merrier! I’ve had a great time checking in on your posts and seeing what you’ve been up to. I loved visiting the blogs over the week and feeling like I got to know YOU a bit better, especially if you write about things that go on in your life as well as your quilting! Did you check back to last week's link-ups? We had 109 participants! Way to go!

As for the rest of my Sunday --- We did go see Tower Heist, and I did like it, but I really liked “We Bought A Zoo” better. Maybe it IS more chick-flicky, but hey---what can I say, I tend to like feel good drama that leaves me feeing inspired at the end.

I spent the evening working on the last of the 2” strips….WOW….This makes such a HUGE difference in my storage space, in the accessibility of the strips, the ability to not only grab what color I want quickly, but being able to just grab a bag and go for when I'm traveling and sewing in a hotel room….

This is the BEFORE ----

And this is the AFTER!

Some have asked why the bags….the biggest reason is to keep things from getting all scrambled again, but the other reason is to minimize the thready unraveling at the edges of the strips. The thready-ness alone drives me crazy, and this will greatly reduce it.

Folding them in round-ish rectangles like this takes up less space than if I were to roll them “Round” like a Jelly roll. They lay flatter and will travel with me easier on the go. So that’s mostly a choice I made, thinking of where they had to fit where I was going to store them.

We’ve all got ideas and routines and ways to do things that work for us, and I think this is one that is going to work for me, or I’m willing to try it at least. If it doesn’t work? I’ll try something else…I’m really good at recycling zip lock bags ---They won’t go to waste!

So what colors did I have the most of in the 2” strips? Blue and Green. Not much yellow at all, very little orange --- not much brown either, it’s interesting to see them all divided by color family this way. I’ve used up a lot of red over the past several months, but if I run short on a project, I can always head to the Fat Quarters and find something to slice up to add to the mix…..

Let’s link up!

If you are a blogger, please link your post showing your Orca Bay Mystery progress on Part 4 ((Or any other part, no matter where you are in the mystery)) below!

Remember that we need the url of the specific POST, not the address for your whole blog. To get the correct address in the linky –right click on the title/subject line of thepost you wrote about your quilt progress. Chose “copy link address” and paste this url in the form when you link. You can also CLICK the title line of the post you want to link...and copy the url from the address bar at the top of your browser there that way.

For instance, my blog address is http://quiltville.blogspot.com but that isn't enough. I can't link to the WHOLE blog, I need the address of the post. The address of THIS post is http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2011/12/mystery-monday-link-up.html See the difference?

If you link to your whole blog, I’ll have to remove your link and have you try again because I can’t fix it FOR you.

Some have asked how they can link a picture if they don't have a blog, and that is one thing we are not doing right now. You have to have a blog to link up. If you can link a picture, you can put it on a blog page! It's simple as that....start a blog, upload a picture, link it here. :c) Come on, you know you wanna! What's stopping you?

We'll leave this open for a week to give you time to write your posts! I LOVED seeing what links came in last week! If you missed those, you can find them linked in the Orca Bay Mystery tab at the top of the blog ---just look at the bottom of that page below the step links for the Mystery Monday Link up Links !

Happy Monday!

Movie Madness!

I’m a movie goer!

I have always loved the feeling of escaping to the darkness of a theater, a big bucket of popcorn in my lap and a huge diet coke in the cup holder of the arm rest by my side.

Last night DH and I headed out to see “We Bought A Zoo!” because I loved what I saw in the trailer ---

Let me tell you that it did NOT disappoint! It is a great family movie….and I have to admit that I sure like the way that Matt Damon has grown up. LOL! Man, that man!

And DH will probably roll his eyes at me if he reads this, but...oh well! Some of us *ahem* DO get better with age, right?!

Here’s a quick peek at the trailer if you haven’t seen it:

What we’ve found when seeing different films, is that the previews for the up and coming movies are kind of tailored to the movie you are sitting there to watch…meaning…if you are in a blow up everything spy thriller, or in a slash-em-gash-em vampire thing, you may miss out on other previews for future movies of a different genre that look REALLY GOOD!

We saw a preview about Chimpanzees that we want to see next year when it comes out, and one about a family of whales being stuck under ice --- true to life stories but lots of drama, and yeah, I love anything with animals in it!

I also saw a preview for the new Snow White that has Julia Roberts playing the wicked queen! It looks Wicked Funny! Gotta add that to the list.

This afternoon we are sneaking off to another matinee to see Tower Heist with Eddie Murphy:

Weekend matinees are my favorite, because they are usually fairly empty, and I feel like I’m playing hooky in the middle of the afternoon and getting away with it!

It’s a good thing to get me out of the basement for a while!

I’ve finished quilting the LAST QUILT for the book…the binding is on…only the hand stitching is left to do! Yeah! Any progress is good progress, right?

Sunday Stuff!

Thank you to everyone who responded to my cry out on the foot cramp in the middle of the night thing. I think a combination of everything is in store for me starting today. I need to make a trip to the store, and I’ll be picking up tonic water,I had heard that before…

But isn’t it amazing all the knowledge of the world that can come through comments? according to several of you, the following can help my situation:

• vitamin D and calcium with magnesium and zinc.
• a magnetic wool underlay, one with strong magnets, works miracles with legs cramps
• calcium, but you also need magnesium & potassium in the mix
• Magnesium, that is what my doctor told me to get rid of them, she said 400mg a day
• have you tried putting a bar of soap at the end of your bed between the top and bottom sheet?

I think I’ll try the calcium, magnesium, potassium ---- I’ve heard people talk about magnets because they do work on the iron in your system, some people put magnets in their shoes, etc. I’m not sure about the soap thing it said anything but ivory! I wonder why that is brand specific? What’s in that that makes it work for foot cramps? But I tell you what, if the minerals and tonic water don’t help --- I’m going to try anything!

I do have orthotics in my shoes, so my arches are supported --- I wear good supportive sensible shoes. Gone are the day of cute flat shoes or daring and trendy high-heels making a fashion statement. Fashion stops BELOW the KNEES for me ---

So what have I been up to? Quilting the LAST quilt for the next book! And writing my brains out to the point where I have to step away from the monitor. Not a lot to show you there!

My adventure with taming the strip bins is still in full swing. I’ve tackled the 2.5” bins, both the color and the neutral. I’m now working on the 2” ones.

A whole drawer of neutral 2” strips was tamed down to THIS…..THIS is all!?

The quilting machine is occupied, so I’ve been ironing them and draping them over the back of a chair. It’s amazing how much you can go through with some netflix on! Some of these fabrics….JEESH! How long have I had these? But you know, I love them…there is so much history in them.

I can just tell you that there will be a whole lot more quilts designed with the purpose to USE this stuff in my future!

And a special thanks goes out to Dianne L of White Rock BC ----

For the darling Christmas card, and a hunka chunka MILLENIUM FABRIC! LOL!! Guess what I get to replace the blacks that we used in the Orca Bay Mystery with? Thank you Dianne!

While I’m pretty much living down here in the basement, I do get visitors to keep me entertained ---

Emmy Lou takes up residence on one chair…((That’s her towel there…the girl LOVES towels! She will plop herself down on any surface that has a towel on it!))

Jeff and Sadie have occupied the other chair and keep me laughing! Good news on the job front for Jeff, looks like he might have found a place of employment at the local pizza/pasta joint. Fingers crossed on this one folks, we really need him to get a J.O.B.!! And I can tuck this in the bottom of this post, because I know he doesn’t bother to read my blog ---Love you so much it hurts son!! Just want to see you pushing forward into your life with some joy and determination! xoxox

Better get back to the machine…..and I’ve got binding to prepare for this quilt when it’s done being quilted….tonight? More binding in the recliner? Hope so!

Happy Sunday, Everyone!

Mystery Methods!

As the saying goes, there is more than one way to “skin a cat”! Now, I’ve never personally considered the different ways you can skin a cat, or why you would want to do so….but in this case, those late night foot cramps gave me time to think things through.

For some --- the easiest way to trim those string blocks in Part 4 would be to simply square the blocks to 5-1/8”, slice them on the diagonal and be done with it.

Why use the Companion Angle Ruler at all? I guess it is like my favorite cooking spoon. I have this one slotted spoon that I like to cook with, and if I can’t find that one, I go looking. I just prefer it.

So here is what I thought last night…

Here before you is a 5-1/2” foundation square covered with red scraps. It was easier for me to cut 5-1/2” foundation squares from a flyer that was already 5-1/2” X 8-1/2” than it would be to cut everything at 5-1/8” to begin with. And I knew I wanted a bit extra because it makes for a cleaner trimming down…I don’t fall short on my strip lengths as badly!

We generally don’t like all that excess hanging off the edge of the block, and so I was pre-trimming before sizing down. I don’t know why it has to take leg cramps and an anvil hitting me on my head to see THIS in my mind --- The paper is our guide! Instead of squaring everything up first, just slice from corner to corner on the back side of the messy block!

Then use the companion angle ruler to trim it to size, through paper, rough edges and all. Then remove the paper. Of course, if you want to, you could slice it in half and remove your paper and THEN trim to size.

What matters is that you end up with TWO of these from every block that you do for a total of 128 trimmed triangles.

Don’t you love my Maryland crabs next to my lucky cow fabric? There are cherries with gold glitz in there too..FUN!

So as far as skinning cats goes ----use whatever method gives you the results that you want, with the method that makes the most sense to you and makes you the happiest, knowing that not everyone will choose to do it the same way as you, and that is okay too.

Happy Stringing!