Ahhhh... that's better!

I spent some quality time with my CQ block this weekend, getting in a couple more of the 100 Details in 100 Days seam treatments. I couldn't stand to go another day without sitting down and enjoying a creative moment or two!

Sharon Boggon's eagerly anticipated Library of Personal Stitches class on Joggles starts on Nov 2nd so I figured I would try and get another block done before then. I also felt a little bit awkward working with the needle, thread and beads again it had been so long! I thought it wise to reacquaint myself with the tools before jumping into the Personal Stitches class.

Here is my interpretation of Day 97...

I used two strands of silk floss over tiny rick rack with size 11 beads, I think. The top material is more of a mauve than the photo shows, but you get the idea.

This is a bead and button seam treatment where I used a variation of the button technique of Day 50. I don't think it is quite done though... I believe it's gonna need a few more beads around it...

I love playing with bead mixes and the different variations that occur when you just run your needle through a bowl of beads... yummy!

Does anyone else like the way that the completed seam treatments feel when you run your fingers over them? Or is that too much information?!? LOL!! Seriously, I love the feel as well as the look of an intricate seam treatment. Hmmm... perhaps it has been a little too long since I did some stitching!!

I'm still working on my sewing room... the design wall is up but still too many boxes sitting around to do any work. I do believe; however, that this weekend will see the room ready to work in... at least I sure hope so!!

Talk at you later!

Missing CQ found

Well, I finally found the missing box of CQ blocks that I made up for the 100 Details. Of course, as always, it was in a large box that I had already looked in at least 3 times. That's what I get for being lazy and not digging all the way to the bottom! I felt so much better after it was found... I didn't get any time to stitch but it's sitting by my chair, just waiting. ;0)

Got a lot of work done in my sewing room, too. We finally decided the best thing to do was move most of the stuff out and into the spare room. Then we moved the sewing machine and a couple other tables around till they formed one big work area in the center of the room. After that, there was more room to stash boxes of fabric... whoa, do I have fabric! Gah! I also made sure I had room to leave one wall open for a design wall... I really like that idea cuz it is soooo hard to visualize how a quilt is going to look by laying it out on the floor. No pictures yet, but hopefully by this weekend it will be together enuff to start using some of that fabric.

We also moved a couple pieces of excess furniture out of the main living area and that made a big difference. I was trying to use a display case and an old bookcase that weren't right for the house. ::sigh:: The bookcase we moved out into the storage shed, as it is an old, make-do cheap one that will work well for storing stuff on. Hopefully I can sell the display case via eBay or craigslist and at least get some of what I paid for it. Now that it is out of the house, everything feels much roomier.

On a surreal note... I am now older than my father was when he died. Our birthdays were right next to each other, and he died on Oct 22nd, 1979, at the age of 53. Such a long time ago and yet it seems like yesterday. I was working as a 911/police dispatcher in a small Wyoming town and my mother called at 1:00 am to tell me my Dad wasn't breathing and to get the ambulance over there right away. He was gone within hours, victim of a massive coronary. That was pretty surreal, too.

Sorry, don't mean to be a downer... more upbeat news on next post. Hopefully there will be actual stitching content!! :0)

Blogger has the hiccups...

If you've tried to comment I apologize; however, apparently Blogger thought I didn't need comments and turned them off. Phphppppttt to Blogger! ;0)

Workroom - Before

In between work, sorting and packing dishes and glassware, buying furniture and general putting house together stuff I have begun to try and get my workroom together. It's going to be a slow process, I'm afraid.

Scary, huh??? Quilting supplies, an ancient lambswool comforter, a wooden sleigh, mountains of fabric, books and a stack of old bundt pans all jumbled together. All the things I don't want to get rid of but don't quite go with the "soft modern" theme I have going in the rest of the house have ended up here. In my move to simplify and declutter my home to make it a serene and restful place, there are some bits of my collections I can't bear to part with. Many of the bits will end up on display in this room, since this is where the country cottage part of my heart will rest. I hope you'll stick around to see the transformation!

I have made a small dent in the mess... I started putting books up, cookbooks on the left and craft and gardening books on the right and boxes of crazy quilting fabric on the top of the shelves...

However, I found more boxes of gardening books so now I need to move some of the cookbooks in the general direction of the kitchen. I think we're gonna need more bookshelves!

I did manage to find the floor! I went in this morning to move some stuff around and when I turned around I found Miss Priss all curled up on the floor, sound asleep. She likes this room because the dogs don't come in here too much.

Unfortunately I haven't yet found the box containing my 100 Details blocks. Frustrating, that. I put them in a smallish box all by themselves, along with all the threads, buttons and beads to go with it... and now I can't find it! Argghhh! I'm starting to have withdrawals... it's been three weeks since I stitched and that's way too long! I did find these though.

Just before we moved I got these off of eBay. It's an old box of #3 perle cotton in a wide array of colors. It smelled just a tad "old" when I got them but exposure to air has dissapated the smell, thankfully. Lots of purty colors for CQ!!

5 Weird Things...

but only five... right? Whew... good... you guys would never read this blog again if it was more! Thanks to LinMoon at Purple Fan for tagging me... it's my first time!

Weird thing the 1st:
I can't just sit and watch television, I have to be doing something else at the same time. Currently it is sorting boxes of stuff but on a more normal basis it is, and has been most of my life, needlework of one kind or another (or reading magazines). Over the years I have seen many (many) movies with my hubbie and the kids and yet... I still see parts of the same movies for the first time because I'm always doing something else while watching them. Actually it's kinda nice because then it's like seeing it for the first time. ;0)

Weird thing the 2nd:
I have no eyebrows... well, I have eyebrows but you can't see them. Take a look at my picture in the last post... go ahead, I'll wait... dum de dum de du... oh your back. See what I mean? Even when you look at the giant size photo you can just barely tell that there might be something in amongst the masses of freckles. Drives me crazy. I did get them dyed once but it kinda freaked my kids out so I quit!

Weird thing the 3rd:
I love dishes (china, pottery, whatever) and have a VERY hard time not buying new ones all the time. Currently I have five sets of china (Mason's Vista, Wedgwood Ferrara, Mikasa Intaglio and masses of blue willow)... all stored in the Tuff shed out back because there is no room in the house! I also have bits and pieces of Mason's Oak and a group of various Limoges patterns out there, too. About half of these sets are family china that has come down thru my Mom to me but the others I have purchased off eBay, at flea markets, etc. Currently our everyday dishes are a set of 12 place settings of Apilco Apicius (remember there are only two of us) that I just love. Those I got at Marshalls/Home Goods at a really deep discount when Apilco discontinued them. It's ridiculous but luckily my hubbie has learned to put up with it. I'm just hoping that the kids settle down soon so I can give them each a set! (I'm also hoping I grow out of this phase soon... I'm running out of sheds!)

Weird thing the 4th:
I hate to pay full price for anything and getting a great bargain (see deep discounted Apilco above) makes me so happy I just dance around like a little kid and clap my hands with joy! There is nothing... well, there might be one or two things ;0) (but only a couple!)... better than a great bargain!

Weird thing the 5th:
I have a really loud wicked cackle for a laugh... I used to try and keep it under wraps but now that I have reached a "certain age" I don't give a hoot so I just let it rip. Laughing is so good for the soul... ya' just gotta let go once in a while!

So... that's it for the weird things... I'm really glad there were only five!!

Next post I'll have pictures of the disaster that is my workroom to share with you. Somewhere in there is a box containing everything I need to return to this set of blocks and continue working on the 100 Details in 100 Days. Hopefully I'll find it this week sometime!

Home at Last!

We're back and somewhat recovered. I had no idea how stressed I was till we got back. I hardly knew the house because we'd only been in it a month when we left, and most of that month I spent bent over the Ringbearer's pillow. It's a really nice house! LOL! Lotsa pictures follow without too much dialogue... hope you don't have dial-up! More dialogue in a later post.

Now, the trip. Lots of truck traffic on I-40 across the top of Arizona and New Mexico... we in the US would be in a world of hurt if they quit running!


However, this was my main view for the first half of the trip:

This beading tray that has a lap pillow on the bottom worked really well!

A man on a mission... get there!

Glenn is an advocate of Bonzai driving... blast thru no matter what!

Now to the wedding! It was held in a park in Fort Collins:

Don't these colors match the pillow well? Yay! ;0)

Sophia (my granddaughter) was supposed to follow the ringbearer and the flower girl down the "aisle" but she was having nothing to do with it!


They went without her... wise choice!


Here are Beth and Josh saying their vows...


When it was over they were so relieved!!! And very happy!


There is more to tell... I need to show you the wedding table that Randy made; however, I'll just leave you with a picture of Glenn and I... warning... pictures and I don't go together well. Either I don't have eyes because I'm smiling so broadly or I look bored... but I really wasn't!


I've been tagged by LinMoon for 5 weird things about me... I'll have them in a day or so. More recovery is needed!

P.S. Missed you guys!!