Post Card time!

We've talked about this before Postcards vs quilting time. Postcards are instant gratification; an easy way to play with different techniques but when all is said and done ... that's a day you could have been quilting! I go back and forth on this issue but one thing about it - I don't have postcard UFOs! :> What's your vote?

Here are the "Summer at the beach" postcards; the "Fall leaves" [May your blessings be as abundant as fall leaves.]; and my weird imaginary pet postcards - "The Stash Monster"! [You don't really own a stash monster - for like a cat - it owns you!] I always make one of each postcards for my own collection.

I'm reading a book by Peter Walsh - "It's All Too Much" about simplifying your possessions - but I'm really hoping to find his second book, "Does This Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat!" LOL! It all started with the subject of flinging unused items that came up on Stashbusters last week and it really rang a bell with me.

In June, I moved from a large house - that we had lived in for 22 years in Nebraska to a small Oregon condo and we've stuffed the sewing room and our stuff into the condo with certain style! It doesn't look like it's going to explode - at least not when I'm not quilting on something!!! BUT I'm constantly shifting something from here to there to fit something else in ... not my idea of fun. So reading the book really helped me start to change my mind-set.

I have an old dresser that we were using for 'overflow' - but L remarked how she'd love that dresser for the baby's room ... and that was the catalyst - because, darn-it! - it would look nice with the floor they put in.

When exactly does the flu shot kick in????

I've been sick so much this fall - now it's bronchitis. I got my flu shot - how do I get out of this chicken outfit??? I'm really careful about going out and about - don't want to give anything to anyone else. But it's wearing me down!

So-o I'm going to think "well" thoughts and act normal - at least at home. Need to get back my mojo. More on that thought later!

This picture is L - 7 1/2 months PG and adorable Miss P. Yep, it looks like L could shelter a 2 yr old from an Oregon rainstorm under "the BUMP"!!!

Busy Week!

Busy week - It started last sunday - I got a call from my daughter. Her FIL was babysitting Miss P for 6 hours on Sunday - first time he 'solo-ed'. Well, he blew it! He called her --
FIL: "Miss P has gotten markers all over her face, hands, furniture and wall and I can't get it off!"
DD: "well, we don't give her markers, but they should be washable - what does the marker say on the side?"
FIL: "Sharpie!"
DD: "WHAT! How did she get the Sharpie markers?"
FIL: "She pointed to a drawer and I lifted her up, she opened it and took them out!!!!!"
DD: "You can never babysit by yourself again!"
FIL: "Fine, I don't want to!!!!"

Now I had to keep a straight face while hearing this - at least you can laugh and not get into trouble! Ends up that he was exaggerating [a habit of his] but there was marker on Miss P's hands, the whiteboard and the easel. NOTE: To get permanent marker off of hard surfaces, spray with "Pam" vegetable oil and rub!!! It works!!!

I visited the next day and Miss P rats him out! She holds out her very colorful palms and says,"Papa!"

But FIL has made it so easy for the rest of us babysitters now. If anything happens all we have to do is start out, "Well, permanent markers were not involved but ..."

When I go up to babysit I don't know exactly how it happens but I end up cooking more in 3 days than I did the two weeks before!!! My SIL is looking forward to me coming to help with the baby - poor guy doesn't know that he's eaten everything I can cook - there will be a lot of repeated dishes in his future!

I'm almost finished repairing my DD's HS quilt. For some reason there was A LOT of thread breakage in the seams. It was only made in 1997 - and shouldn't be this damaged ... but there are autographs on the back and DD wanted to keep it. I only have to replace [slipcover] two fabrics that have ripped. A friend here said that when repairing a quilt you should put a safety pin everywhere you repair. It's always more work than you think it will be and if you mark it with pins, both you and the quilt owner will be impressed with how much work it was! I didn't hear about this soon enough for this project - but next time I'll do that.

The weekends are free cell phone minutes for me and I spent them well today. I called G in Nebraska and she was traveling with 5 other quilters in our small group so they passed me around and I got to talk to everyone! They went to AQS in Des Moines Iowa and said it was a fabulous show! That worked so well, next I called J - who was also on the way home from the same show. Next weekend is the fall retreat for them ... so I'm going to call again so I can continue to live vicariously!

Well, it's a gorgeous day here - I'm going to walk the beach AGAIN! Later!!!

Saturday Sewing! What's better than that?

Some stashbusters are having a mini retreat today - the official retreat is in two weeks. After a walk along the beach this am I've been nose to the grindstone today. It feels great - and I got two sets of fabric postcards done. An online post card group I belong to kind of derailed this summer and we're trying to get back on track. So we still had the summer cards to exchange and the fall ones - I got both done-done today! Hooray - I'm ready for the partners to be assigned and then I can mail them - I usually mail by the deadline but I'm not usually ready before partners are assigned! Yay for me!

On to the guild BOMs due this thursday. This month the applique block and the pieced block go together in the same wall quilt - very cute. I don't always participate but this was really cute. You can see the blocks if you go to the guild website. Pick "Blocks" on the menu on the left.

This guild has a great method for hostesses too. I'm now co-chair of the Hostess committee - but it's easy. Whoever has a birthday during the month brings a snack - so nobody has to pitch in more than once a year. If you miss your month you might be asked to fill in during the next month we need someone - but if you brought snacks - you're not asked again til your birthday again!

A friend came over this afternoon to learn how to bind. Thankfully I was able to find my 'binding square' that I made in a binding class 'oh-so-many-years-ago'. A great quilter in Lincoln - who won many, many ribbons at the state fair, taught us a revolutionary way to bind! No pins! Of course, it's the standard binding method now - but I remember being amazed. I totally recommend making a binding square example of what ever method you use. I honestly don't remember all the tips from finish to finish so it's good to pull the example out and read my tips.

Here's some tips on my square:
No seams on binding at corners.
Best width is 2 - 2 1/4" depending on thickness of batt.
Start 4" from beginning of binding - leaving space to tuck in other end.
Stop 1/4" from corner; fold 45 degrees up and fold straight down next side; sew from edge.

Well, off to make the blocks - and to wash the charm squares fabric! Almost forgot that!

doni @ Oregon coast