Room To Spare!

Oh man, I love Target! :cD

I did find a shoe cubby thing...this one is bigger with more cubbies and a different brand than the one I had before, But I'm not that big into matchy matchy, you know me! It was on sale too $39.99..$10 off. The new one is on the bottom, the old one is on the top.

I drug it home...cursed when I found the electric screwdriver was not charged, and proceeded with the neanderthal arm-strong screwdriver to put the thing together. It went pretty slickly.

I moved the previous unit out from the corner of the room where it was kind of behind the computer...and moved it to the other end of the cabinets for easy access. I ditched LOTS of old pantos because I didn't want them anymore. I'm talking about the original ones that came with the machine, ones from Norma Sharp that were like comforter patterns? The kind that go great with big puffy poly batting :cÞ I ditched some other stuff I knew i'd never use. I know I should offer these to someone, but I really don't want to be bothered to mail them to anyone, unless you can pick them up from me by thursday when the trash guys come! And believe me..they are ones that just don't work well.

Some of them look good on paper..but the lines are so close together that there is no way to hand guide them that intricately and be right on. They just don't quilt up nice. There has to be room for error and variation in pantos, and if the lines are too close together chances are you will get them crossing each other and I hate that.

I now feel so much better than I did just a couple hours ago. I can see the difference it makes to my room. Easy access....less to wade through. I've got them organized by style...so feather designs, leaf designs, flower designs, star designs, etc...that is easier for me than doing them by name because half the time I can't remember what the pattern is called...just that one with the "squiggles" or "doo dads" You know? :c)

My arms also feel more rested having given them a couple hours of not massaging and not quilting. So tonight....the machine may be humming!

Bonnie

PS....I just went through a stack of old magazines and removed the pages that I want to keep. Will add those to page protectors in my inspiration binders. The rest....trash-ola!!! Cleaning something always makes me feel so much better! When my life is too cluttered emotionally...cleaning something physically just seems to be the ticket to help work things out!

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Procrastination, tired arms, too much fabric, yada yada yada

I finished my last massage client last evening about 8:30pm. I got home from the office, ate a bowl of cereal, went to bed! Next thing I knew it was 7:30 am and I had a 9am client scheduled this morning. Shoot! I should have just stayed at the office and slept on my massage table the way I was feeling!

So now I'm back..nothing scheduled for the afternoon. Good thing. My arms are achy and feel heavy....I'm not sure I can run the quilting machine with any dexterity at the moment! I thought I'd give it a few hours rest and then quilt this evening.

So here I am thinking that some putzing around the quilting room is in order. For one thing, I have not found a good way to store pantograph patterns where I didn't have to go SEARCHING for the one I want. Right now I'm using stackable shoe organizer cubicles. But I still have to pull them out and find the one I want...tho there are two units stacked here, I suppose I could use one more.....it would organize better. So....trying to remember where I got these! TARGET?! Maybe I'll go to target today and see what they've got, but then maybe it was home depot?

I'd love to know how other machine quilters store their pantograph rolls. Really...I need HELP in this department!

I continue the desire to want to make scraps usable, downsize, streamline, produce scrappy quilts without great expense and have fun with it. I want more time to finish my own projects instead of piling up the unquilted tops, but I'm having a hard time figuring out just HOW to do it! There are so many things I want to participate in. Like the 365 block challenge on the heartstrings quilt project list. Big bin of strings here...plenty of desire, but my time has had to be spent elsewhere remaking quilts for lectures and workshops.

I know you are all shaking your heads at me thinking "When is she going to realize that something has to give!?" I think I am at that point. If the workshops/trunkshows keep filling in, (I'm doing some booking into 2009!) that is going to leave less time for quilting other people's quilts. Facts is facts! And I hate to do that because I love to quilt other people's quilts. I feel like I'll be letting people down if I don't quilt their quilts..but SOMETHING is going to have to give. October is my 12th year anniversary of being a longarm quilter. TWELVE years! That is a huge milestone. I'm not going to stop quilting for others, I'm just going to have to spread it out a bit so I don't spread myself too thin.

Maybe I should just forget about going to Target for the shoe organizer thingies...and just take a NAP!

Bonnie

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Happy Scrappy Houses, Too!

The top is done! So far I think this has been my favorite quilt to "re-make" for workshop demos. It uses up a ton of 2" strips....and a gazillion pre-cut 2" background light squares, colored 2" squares for the windows, 2" squares for the chimneys, and 2"X3.5" pre-cut bricks for the doors. It was a wonderland of mix & match!



I love scrap quilts because of the riot of color, I think. I put fabrics together that I probably never would for a "whole quilt" type color scheme. I broke every self-imposed rule I could come up with...including using the back side of the fabric (not always on purpose!) Mixing batiks and metallics with 1980's and 1990's calicoes, and even some novelty prints!

A while back I needed to borrow some fabric from Lucy. Okay...I was begging for fabric from Lucy! And she said she was happy to give me what I wanted, but along with that piece, I HAD to take one of her "ugh!!" fabrics and I had to use it. That fabric got cut up into 2" squares and I have used it now and again in projects, always laughing while sewing it in, remembering the fun time we had while she was trying to force it on me and I was trying to give it back to her, or leave it behind by "mistake" :D

I used that "ugh" fabric for the window in the green house block above!

I also did a house that reminds me so much of my friend Tonya....I had a brick that had little bright neon frogs on it...so that became a door on this block!

The last time I was at Tonya's and we were sewing with my crumbs, I had made some wonky star blocks just for fun. They got set aside......when I picked the blue fabric for the outer border on this Happy Scrappy Houses quilt, There would ONLY be enough if I used contrasting cornerstones. Plain fabric cornerstones looked boring...so I pulled these little wonky star blocks out and set them in the corners. Now I have that memory of sewing with Tonya in this quilt too.

I love music! So it was fun to make a house using this strip of blue music fabric.

All of the cornerstones came randomly from the 2.5" scrap square bin. I did end up buying the sashing fabric (on sale at Joanne's) and there is NONE left...what little bit there was is now cut into strips and put into the strip bins.

I need to do some more scrap cutting since I weeded through my FQ's when Lucy was here in April. All of those "CUT THIS UP AND USE IT!" pieces are in a laundry basket sitting on my floor here. The task feels daunting! But it will be fun having new strips, squares and bricks to work into future projects.

On Aug 9th I am heading up to Maryland to teach two workshops and do a couple of trunk shows! I'll be gone about a week, and I am really looking forward to the trip!

Bonnie

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My Header Quilt

I've had people asking to see pics of the whole quilt that my header pic is taken from.

I LOVE this quilt, and no, I don't own it, but I wish I did!

It has terrific chrome yellow sashing and with those green cornerstones and wonderful scraps in the blocks, it is just so FUN to look at

I think this would be a fun way to use up crumbs and small bits! :cD

Bonnie

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Weekend Dreams.....

I worked today on massage clients! I've worked several saturdays in a row, so when I got home about 4pm, I crashed for a 2 1/2 hour nap! Believe me, it was much needed. I've been working on a customer quilt ever since.

I learned that my library has downloadable audio books from the library's website! This is WAY too cool, so I've been listening to them while I work or putter around the house. I'd rather do that than watch TV!

No time for sewing for me right now....but I did get some "Topsy Turvy" triangles sewn around the happy scrappy house blocks for the demo quilt I'm recreating. Maybe tomorrow I'll get it laid out with the sashings and get a pic.


I did treat myself to a new rotary blade to 1/2 hour of scrap trimming. I'm very low in the light 2" squares....I've used a lot of them in several projects so I went and trimmed some neutral FQ's into strips and squares to spice up the mix a bit. That's fun...finding the need to ADD elements to the scrap bins to keep the variety workable. I must be making a dent in the stash somewhere, even if it isn't apparent by looking at it!

I did some browsing on ebay for a break. I found this antique quilt with a very unique block pattern! it is called "Endless Chain". I might have to play with this one, it is so unusual! And of course I LOVE the fan quilting....

I hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Bonnie

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Antique Eye Candy

I love the solid red "stretched star" that appears in this 4 patch "jewel box" variation (or buckeye beauty type) quilt! Another one of those "WHO SAYS!?" quilts that I love to use as an example when someone tells me you should not use solids in reproduction quilts because they will just "read as flat".

Can you see me thumbing my nose?! I love solid red! I love solids. I mix solids and prints...no one is going to tell me I can't and I've got history on my side to prove how effective it is :c)

I also never get tired of 4 patches or 9 patches. They are just timeless and fun!

Bonnie

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To Pickens & Back!

I had the most wonderful time with the trunk show and lecture in Pickens SC!!

I left here around 3:15 pm...car fully loaded, and the TomTom programed to take me where I'd never been before. I love this thing. The "Victoria" voice is so friendly, it is like having someone's sweet auntie telling you where to go..*hehe* And it works! I ended up right where I was supposed to meet everyone, at Tony's Italian restaurant with about 7 minutes to spare!

A whole group of ladies showed up to share dinner with me, Including an internet friend that I'd emailed back and forth with for at least the past 5 years or so, but had never met in person! Joan Parker brought her lovely daughters (and they are quilters too!) and joined us for dinner and for the trunk show. Joan is a fantastic quilter, and can you believe this was her first guild meeting EVER?! I hope it isn't her last. She has so much to offer :c)

I think if Joan and I had been in school together (we are close to the same age) we would have been the ones in trouble for giggling in the back of the room. And giggling at the silliest things! You know how something can hit you funny when normally it wouldn't?

I mean no disrespect for anyone in the Pickens guild who reads my blog, this is meant in the kindest most fun way! During the business meeting, it was announced that a member with the name of "Cookie Bar" was going to be in charge of this that or the other. And I thought it was the cutest name, and I started to giggle! Then Joan joined in....and we were so terrible! And now every time I think of the name Cookie Bar, I am jealous that I don't have a name that makes people smile. :c)

This morning I died laughing when Joan sent me an email saying she she had changed her name to MERCEDES PARKER! *LOL* And guess what? I get to be known as BARGAIN HUNTER. Oh thanks. She gets the hoidy toidy cute name and I get to be the goodwill girl ;c) But I guess it is better than being called Bounty Hunter or Head Hunter. But maybe if I was Bounty Hunter I could have the kind of life Stephanie Plum does in the Janet Ivanovich Novels :c)

After the meeting I was treated like a queen and stayed at a guild member's lovely home out in the woods. Thanks Paige! It was a real treat to meet everyone, and I have a chance to meet them all again at the Quilter's of South Carolina state guild retreat in October. I'm looking forward to it!

Bonnie

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Two More Hours!

I have about 2 more hours until I head out for Pickens, SC to meet with the Upcountry Quilter's Guild! We are meeting at a place called Tony's for dinner before my lecture/trunk show at their guild meeting tonight.

I'm spending the night at a guild member's home. I love doing this. It is so fun to see other people's quilts in their homes, how they display things, what their sewing space is like. And of course spending time WITH quilters one on one is great.

The car is loaded...OH MY. I must have 200 lbs of quilts in the car! But they said that there was no such thing as too many quilts in a trunk show, so I'm taking a lot :c) Even the ones that are washed and worn and have been used on beds have a story to tell.

I'll be back tomorrow in time for my afternoon massage appointments. I'll have to leave recovery until thursday!

Bonnie

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Binding Finished!

I finished the binding on the plaid star struck last night while watching CSI Miami. Reruns are good for that,you don't even have to look up to see what is going on ;c)

I love how home-spunny this quilt looks. And tickled with how much it used up!

I also had a few hours last evening since I was in between customer quilts..(next one goes on today)to put the pineapple blossom on! This one has 36 blocks set 6X6 with sashings. It turned out to be a really good size with the borders added, and the border used up nearly all the bonus triangle squares that came from the piecing of this quilt!


The binding is on, so is a hanging sleeve (good way to rid yourself of yet another 1/2 yard of fabric from the stash!) and I'll be starting on hand stitching the binding down in between massage clients today. I have a 10am, and an 11:15 am...and then nothing until 2pm....so there are a couple hours for binding in there, along with some lunch.

I also have to show you the nifty I got from TAZZIE!! She is selling cute little quilty things on Etsy and I fell in love with this piecer's mat she made! It is wonderful! It has pockets in the front, flannel panel in the center to hold your block pieces, and it is pieced in the cutest prints! The back has a non-slip surface. Here i have it placed under my sewing machine so I can put my goodies and notions in the pockets. It will be great to taking to the dear jane workshops I've started up again to finally push to get that pink/brown thing done! Check out her Etsy Store HERE!

I'm using the next couple hours before I leave to load that customer quilt and get it started so I can work on it some more this afternoon when I get home from massage....I just don't know what I'd do if I had more time on my hands! :cD

Bonnie

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Triangulations!!

A gadZILLION!!!

I had a client reschedule this afternoon..so I don't have to go in for another hour or so. Fine with me! I needed to do some cleaning and sorting in the quilting room...before the piles overtook me. (Yes it does happen!)

I had pulled out a bunch of border fabrics for the pineapple blossom...got Jeff giving his input....the pink? No...okay..how about the aqua with blue squares? No? okay...maybe this deep purple? Yes..the deep purple got his vote, and I was fine with it so deep purple it was. But then that left refolding and putting back all the other fabrics that I didn't use.

I'll get a pic of the top as soon as the sun is down far enough in the yard. Maybe tonight.

I did have a piece big enough for a backing, and I feel quite righteous getting that OUT of the stash :cD

So..back to the folding and putting away.....I came across the baggies of bonus triangle squares that were left from the piecing of the plaid star struck. SCADS of them! I knew I had more baggies of these kinds of bonus triangles around, but I was unaware how many!! I got them out...and had to take a pic. These are from several projects, but because the projects used the same corner square triangle technique...they are all going to finish at the same size...

After the pic...I found ANOTHER bag! These gold/black ones are from the Road To Camp Gravatt quilt!

The last quilt I did that used these goodies was my Ocean Waves. I'm now looking for a pattern that will use these little 1/2 sq triangle squares as a leader/ender project. It never ends! There is always more to sew, more to use up, and I love every minute of it!

Charlotte and I have talked about ways that we can get together and do this mindless kind of stuff...the pressing and trimming of these little squares is enough to drive me batty....BUT....if we rented a couple of chick flick DVDs..and sat there and watched with TV trays, with some good company and some distraction (can you say Matthew McConaughey?? I think these little guys can be pressed and squared and ready for use! Anyone want to join us? :cD

Bonnie

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It Came!

My new license plate finally arrived!

When I got my new Saturn Vue in April, my old PT QLTR plate from my PT Cruiser just didn't fit anymore. I started telling people that the PT stood for PART TIME or PONY TAIL or PRETTY TALL or PIECED TOGETHER...but it just didn't fit the car.

A few weeks ago when Jason went to get his SC license, he brought me back an application for a new plate from the DMV. I guess HE thought it was time that I did something about the mis matched plate too.

I decided to be a generic QLTVLLE and it will go on any vehicle I have in the future. :c)

It's funny though..just when you think you are the only one...I went on Etsy to register myself as QUILTVILLE and someone had already taken that name! Kind of floored me. It's not like I OWN the word or anything, it's just that I've used it for the past 12 years and am used to being Bonnie from Quiltville. I wonder if other people get her confused with me?

That said, there IS another Bonnie Hunter out there who is also a quilter, and I have gotten her mail! She is up in Maine somewhere I believe. It is a small world!

Yesterday was crazy. I had massage clients back to back from 2pm until 7:45pm last night. There was NO quilting time for me yesterday evening! I got home, had dinner, went to bed without even checking email.

This afternoon will be much the same,but I do think there will be some time for hand work in between a couple of clients so I should finish the binding on the star struck. I'm working on borders for the pineapple blossom, using all the cut off bonus triangles in the border. I'm shooting for having a TOP to show at the trunk show I'm doing on Tuesday in Pickens SC.

Oh...Tom Tom is a hoot! DH and I both like the British lady's voice. We've named her Victoria. ;c) "take the motorway" sounds so much better than "take the interstate". ;c)

Bonnie

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Under Foot!

Well here we are at Wednesday! I'm not sure where this week is going....it's just going fast.

It's been quietly uneventful here, which is very nice. Just my usual routine of quilting when I am not doing massage or quilting for others. I reconfirmed to myself that no matter how much I like being out around people and doing things with others, sometimes I really cherish the quiet time at home alone to reflect, unwind, decompress, create, rest, restore.

Last night I had dinner at Charlotte's and we both did some hand work while watching some TV and visiting with our kids. I've got one side of binding left on the plaid star struck to go.

I met up with Sally at a quilt shop in Lexington yesterday for a bit of stash enhancement and lunch at the Crab Shack. FUN! I don't do that often enough I think. Just take off in the middle of the day to do something that wasn't on the work roster. I need to do more of that. I bought a couple half yards and one fat quarter. Both 1/2 yards are light backgrounds, and the FQ was a cheddar I didn't have. I feel justified in these purchases. I've been using up lots of lights the past few quilts, and some replenishing was in order.

Working a bit each day (maybe an hour before starting my regular work day) I've been able to get 36 pineapple blossom blocks pieced. Here they are laid out on the floor...and I have decided to sash them to make the quilt a bit bigger. I like the "churn dash" that appears at the block corners when they are put together with sashing. I have a couple quilts from other people that I will take to the workshop with me as well that have different layouts and border treatments. It will give people some options on how to set theirs. It is perfectly all right to let the blocks speak to you differently than they do to me!

I've got 3 of my 4 beasts under foot today. Sadie still has to be watched so she doesn't chew the bindings off of ever quilt she comes in contact with. Buddy is 7 years old and such a mellow fellow I never imagined what a challenge it would be to train a new dog with just ONE bad habit! And of course Oscar is always around wherever I am, finding a corner to curl up and take a nap!

Bonnie

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Quickie Post!

Thanks so much for all the encouragment on my "wrong" (or different) spinning blocks!

I ended up setting the blocks as is, bordering them with leftover plaids...and will use the remaining blocks in a completely different quilt.I want to toy with different lay outs, maybe add a different design element and see what it looks like.

This turned out to be a good twin size...and it will be a nice lay on the couch size too. I'm happy with it!

You can tell from the close up pics that I used a lot of OLD lights in this quilt. There are cutesy hearts and chickens and music notes and a whole variety of old old calico prints as well as all the plaids.

Some of these fabrics are at least 20 years old!

All the light 2.5" squares for the digaonal corners came from the 2.5" square bin, and because I double sewed all the corners, I now have a gadzillion little 1/2 square triangles to square up and sew into some cute little blocks down the road.

I'm off to work...got massage clients lined up til about 4pm this afternoon.

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Bonnie

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One of these things is not like the others....

Or more like...HALF of these things are NOT like the others! I was happily sewing along on my second batch of plaid star struck blocks to make the quilt a queen sized one.

I got all the way to the pressing point before I realized that this second set of quarter blocks spin in the OPPOSITE DIRECTION! (*&@#$(*&(*&@!

What to do? What to do? I think I will try to come up with an alternate setting, and have two quilts. And use it as an object lesson on quilter's dyslexia after 11pm at night :c)

That WHOLE pile of quarter blocks at the bottom right of the picture are ALL wrong...or...maybe not wrong....just... DIFFERENT?!

Here are the "correct" blocks laid out. The center will measure 64" X 80" before borders so it will still turn out to be a nice twin/full size when done.
Oh the joys of quilting!

Bonnie

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Alzheimer's Memory Walk

I just quilted this quilt for June who volunteered (or got sucked in! You know how it goes!)to making a donation quilt for the local Alzheimer's Walk for the Alzheimer's Association. The quilt measures 66"X66".

She used teeshirts from previous walks for the center of her stars. I've quilted teeshirt quilts before, many many of them, but I have never done an edge to edge design on one before. This one didn't really have BIG huge logos and I was using a sand colored thread that would blend through everything really well and not stick out with too much contrast. The logos weren't "TOO" rubbery if you know what I mean, so I didn't worry about any needle troubles as I quilted from behind the machine.

I used Jody Beamish's "Wild At Heart". It has become my favorite heart design! This from someone who is not all that fond of cutesie hearts. I chose it because it would fill the big blank areas gracefully and carry out the heart theme set by the pieced red hearts in the quilt.

I really like how June used some orphan blocks for the center of her backing! They also go with the red hearts and add a bit of fun to the quilt. Way to go June!

It's now 1:30. I don't have to pick up Charlotte until 5pm....so guess what I'm going to do for the next 3 hours or so? SEW!! I need to sew more triangle corners on those Star Struck Blocks...I need a finished star struck top to go teach this workshop!

And I may have to resort to begging and see if someone has a pineapple blossom I could borrow for the other workshop? I don't know how I am going to get one of those pieced between now and august when I go to MD to teach either! I'll pay your shipping? Anyone interested in letting me borrow a pineapple blossom top or quilt?(What would it take to twist your arm? Some FQ's?? Some Orphan Blocks? :cD)

Bonnie

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Hello, Tom Tom!

On the 24th of July I'll be making a trip to Pickens SC to give a scrap quilt lecture and trunk show to the Upcountry Quilters Guild.

I'm enjoying my little jaunts around the south east very much! I'm seeing country and towns I've never seen before, and what could be better than meeting up with a group of quilters?

Because I am traveling to new places, it's easy to get lost, so I have just purchased a TomTom to keep me company :c)

Anyone else have one of these? I'd love to hear about your experiences with it! I ordered mine off of amazon, it seemed to be the most reasonable price and the shipping was not expensive..cheaper than paying sales tax on it here.

I've been quilting away over here, and listening to books on CD that I picked up at the library. I just finished Jame's Patterson's "5th Horseman" (good mystery,suspense) and am now listening to Fern Michaels' "Fool Me Once" A bit lighter listening, but so far very good!

Of course I have another book on CD going on in my car...I'm listening to Susan Grafton's "R is for Ricochet". I don't watch a lot of TV, but I sure like to listen to books!

I'm definately not as blue as I was. Things will work out. I am thankful for your friendship and support and kind words and for telling me to buck up and just keep doing what I'm doing. I've also had email telling me I shouldn't air my personal life and problems in such a public forum. Go figure! I'm not forcing anyone to read my blog....I just want to say things how I feel them.

If I'm having a blue day, I'm not going to lie about it. If I'm having a happy day, I'm going to talk about it. If my kids are in trouble, I may air that too, (Jason totalled his pickup last week...uuughhhh) and it is all a part of who I am.

Now I think I'll get back to quilting. I have a friend willing to go to guild meeting with me tomorrow night to give me some backbone :c) I have quilts to deliver and I'm not going to let the other people who WANT me there down. One bad apple isn't going to spoil the whole bunch.

Bonnie

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And for some reason, now I can't add titles to my posts? It won't let me click into that box..oh well!! Live and learn!

I had some time home alone last evening. I was feeling kind of worn out and a bit down over some issues I have going on in my life right now. Let me just say that it is SO true that you can't please all the people all the time. And when you try to bend over backwards to protect your integrity, your professionalism, your character....they just use that opportunity to kick you in the butt. Because of this I have decided to leave a guild I am involved with. Some of the people I will miss. Others...I just can't handle the snide comments, the whispers, and the threats even from one person saying that she will tell everyone within ear shot and beyond of how she was not happy with my services. I'm sure there are other longarmers out there who can commiserate. We've all been there.

Every day I get emails and phone calls from people saying how much they loved the work I did for them. But it only takes one person to tear all that down.

So yes..I was feeling blue, and thought I would get my orphan blocks out and play with them. What I found instead was 30 "jacks and six" blocks (that's the name in block base, I'm sure it has other names) that never got made into anything. Believe it or not, I had plans to make a bed sized quilt out of these 6" little buggers!

I laid them out on the floor, set them 5 by 6....and didn't care that I was setting them asymmetrically. And I kind of like how it leads your eye without the pattern being resolved as if I had set it 8X8 or something. It was together in less than an hour and a half. It soothed my soul and calmed my nerves.

I could reiterate to myself that I am not a complete failure, that I do good work, the best I can do, I did the best that I could, I unquilted (which took months) and requilted (which took a lot of time) and it was a job I was proud of. You really can't please all the people all the time.

What's that song "You know you can't please everyone so you've gotta please yourself...." Sewing this little ditty last night was therapy for me.

I found a piece of black/cream toile in the stash that will work perfect for the backing.It has large farm scenes on it...I don't know how I would use it for anything else..maybe borders...but it will be fun as a back for this.

I'm off to work..two massages this morning, and then I'll be back to the quilting machine this afternoon.

Bonnie

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happy 4th, USA!

I hope everyone is having a safe and fun 4th!

I had a great day today. I had one massage client this morning. I know I know, but it's 4th of July? well, this guy is MILITARY so it was the least I could do. It was the only day he could do it, so I served my country today :c)

After my client I headed out to my friend Charlotte's house for a sewing retreat day. Charlotte is Jason's girlfriend Kim's mother..and she is a quilter! How fun is that? Let me tell you, it is VERY fun.

I worked on my plaid star struck and she worked on her snowball quilt and we talked and laughed for about 5 hours worth! Jason and Kim were both there and they just looked at us like we were out of our minds....but they took enough time to take pics of us to document our fun.

Look...we both sew barefoot! :cD

Today was also a good day to get the tires rotated and spin balanced on my car since the tire center was not that busy. They worked on it while I was at Charlotte's and she dropped me back to pick up my car after. How is that for multitasking?!

This evening we were invited over to a friend's house on the lake for a BBQ and a ride in their pontoon boat. It was very relaxing and enjoyable...

I'm pooped now though. It is 9pm and the fireworks are in full swing here. Who knows how late they will go into the night. The dogs are a bit freaked out. You can smell the gun powder on the air outside.

All day long I've been thinking it is saturday. It's only Wednesday! I'm all turned around..but at least there are more hours left in this week to do what I need to get done. Back in full swing tomorrow!


Bonnie

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Lucy's Dad

I finally heard from Lucy this morning. When I hadn't heard from her for several days, I knew things were drawing to a close. She writes:

"My dad passed away on 2 July 2007 !

I try to write you later more about everything but I have so much to arrange . It is all such a nightmare. There is so much to arrange at this moment. I try to mail you later this day.......

After a post on my blog I am off to my dad's house

a crying Lucy"

I haven't lost a parent, but I have lost grandparents, a cousin, and my infant daughter. Even when you think you are prepared for it, you aren't.

Lucy said she had been receiving mysterious squishies in the mail! I hope that lets her know that we are carrying her burdens with her. We will help lift her up.

Prayers and thoughts and well wishes from around the world to Lucy and her family.

Bonnie

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Monday Morning, up with the birds!

I've been trying to balance everything around here so I have some time to sit and piece. I find that even if I am home machine quilting for others, if I run it like a 9-5 business, that leaves the early morning hours or the later evening hours for me to work on my own projects. I don't know how other longarm quilters do it, but this is what works for me. Of course, sometimes you have to push the evening hours so you can mail out that customer quilt the next day, and it doesn't always work that you get the piecing time you need to make progress on your own projects..but even 15 minutes of sitting at the machine is SO calming for me. Soul centering.

I'm sure that other people have their own ways to center their souls. For my mom, it's her garden. She has the most wonderful garden I have ever seen. I am amazed at what she can do, but I must have skipped those genes. The only plants and flowers I like to work with are printed on my fabric :c)

Some people find that taking some time to read a book, or to spend some time in the kitchen cooking up something special can take them out of their work-a-day world and center their souls. What works for you? I'm interested in what you all do to make sure you don't land in that rut that makes you feel like your life is on auto pilot, and you are just another cog in the machine of life!

Another thing I like to do is get out and walk/jog with the dogs (one or both!) early in the morning. Usually I'm out by 6:15 am. It's the only way to beat the heat and humidity here in SC. This morning I am not out. Guess who chewed my running shoe?!(&*@#($*&(*&! So shoe shopping is on my list today too...

I always heard the song "You gotta stop and smell the roses" when I was growing up. I guess I never understood what that meant until I reached this half way point in my life and see that I have pushed and pushed and pushed and missed those roses because there were more pressing things on my plate.

Over the weekend I took time to cut my plaid star struck strip pairs (say plaid star struck strip pairs three times fast! *LOL*) into 4.5" subcuts. They are now ready to add the quickie corner triangles. I chose a red bias plaid print I have had in my stash for eons, and I think it's going to be great to accent these plaids. I will double sew them so I have a gadzillion little bonus 1/2 sq triangles to use in another project.

Also to use in another project....anything from the strips that was too short to cut another 4.5" section got trimmed into 2.5" sections, and I made a pile of 4 patches with these! Nothing went to waste. The bare minimum of slivers is all that ended up in my trashcan.

It's now 7:45 and I have until 9am to work on this before the real work schedule takes over. I hope everyone has a great week, and remember to take some time out to center your soul with something for YOU!

Bonnie

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