26 DAYS

26 days will go very fast.  It will be gone in the blink of an eye and so will Katie.  She is looking forward to leaving for the Marines and we all hope it takes her on a life's journey for the better.  If I didn't have my mom concerns, I wouldn't be a very good mom.  I know it will be good for her to get away from here - friends that she seems to find that turn out to not be good friends, a job she can't just simply walk away from, a future that will hopefully hold dreams come true.  I will be scared and yet happy for her.  I've had my ups and downs in my Army career but do believe it was good for me. 
She has to get through 13 weeks of training to be a Marine, then does another month for basic training, then goes to school for whatever job she chooses.  She is talking intelligence and already passed the test for that, now we just have to wait and see what the openings are when she is done with the month of basic training to submit her 3 choices.  We really have no idea of what she will go with. 

I was hoping to quilt some on that baby quilt tonight, but forgot how much gets taken out of me when I work until 6 at night.  After dinner preparation, clean-up, and washing/hanging out 2 loads of clothes for God to dry tomorrow, I am whooped.  Tomorrow is another long day until 6 and Friday I am off to attend my sisters retirement party.  Whoot!  Whoot!  It looks like I will be sewing on Saturday.  I did lay out the rest of the blocks for sewing together the 10 minute blocks using the True Blue line from Eleanor Burns so once I watch the U-Tube video on how to do that block, I'll get to putting them together.  I don't remember buying them, but I have 7 charm packs of that line and it looks like I will get about 60 blocks from it.  I haven't figured out how large the quilt will be but should be a good size at 9 1/2" blocks.  Hope I can get 63 blocks then I could make it 7 x 9 blocks - don't think  6 x 10 would look too right - or I suppose I could use 56 blocks and end up with 7 x 8 blocks.  That size seems to be about the largest I can work with on the regular home sewing machine without the shoulders hurting for the next few days.

No scrumptious photos for you to enjoy tonight.  I should take some of the huge pumpkins Michael grew this year in the garden.  Ooooh!  They will be coming soon.

Tada,   Trish

 

RAINY DAYS

are made for quilting!  I laid out some cute Boyd's Bear flannel fabric for a baby girl quilt.  It's an all over print so I am just going to do a free motion all over it and get it finished.  The baby is already a month old so I'm not in a big hurry.  That takes all the joy out of quilting for me - being in too much of a rush. 

I had a great time with my sister last night at a small quilters get together in Ephrata, PA.  It's always nice to see friends you haven't seen in a year.  And, now, I can reveal my quilt for the Star Challenge!!

These blocks were from a Squishy Swap I participated in back in 2002 and they are finally all together and finished!  The blocks come from Michigan, Pennsylvania, Maine, Indiana, Florida, Iowa, California, Canada, Louisiana, and several others that I've lost track of.  See?  It's not good to let precious blocks sit for too long.  The 2nd photo shows the decorative stitch I used on the binding and think it adds to the overall prettiness of the quilt. 

I will have you know, neither my sister or I bought a thing at the quilt shop!  I think that is telling us we have enough.

Tada,    Trish

MAKING CHANGES TO BE DEBT FREE

Here is my new slogan to try to remind myself of making changes for the better.

                  WHAT YOU ALLOW
              IS WHAT YOU CONTINUE

Now, to me that means that if I allow certain things to be bought, then the home equity and the visa will NEVER go down.  I am trying to change that. 

I am not a big spender.  I can't tell you the last time I bought a piece of clothing at a regular store for those prices they want.  I did buy 5 tops and a pair of pants for under $10 at a Salvation Army store.  What a score!!   And, I can wear all those items for my job.  I have so much fabric that I do not need to buy any more of that.  Of course I am going to look at the quilt shop tomorrow night, but I know I do NOT NEED any more right now.  I am working on what I have in my stash.

Let's see what I have done so far to try and cut back within the past year.
 - I make our own laundry detergent.
 - I hang all the clothes out on the line to dry
 - All the dishes get washed by hand
 - Cut the cable tv back to the very basic
 - Cut the local long distance and long distance off the home phone line
 - Make the kids pay for their part of their cell phones (DH and I still don't even own a smart phone)

It looks like the project with the garage door in the basement will get taken out and get replaced with French doors just might happen before winter this year.  That means, hopefully, that it won't be as cold downstairs which will help on the heat bills this winter.  We got the extra siding for free and got the French doors for a very good price off of Craigs List.  Hopefully we will be able to sell the garage door at some point.  Michael has been working very hard every day with my brother in law in a lawn maintenance business and buying what he can for this project when he can. 

Katie is leaving for the Marines in 31 days.  Less hot showers and less food.  whoot!  whoot!  Of course that also means a hotel bill since I have to travel to Pittsburgh to see her off and then another hotel bill for a night or two in January for her graduation.  Ugh!   I truly want to go to that so let's all pray for a mild winter between Pennsylvania and South Carolina.   

I was going to not work at the after school program this year but decided to work the 2 days a week.  I want to try very hard to put that money first towards a emergency savings account before I put it towards the visa so I can fall back on that instead of using the visa for large purchases in case anything breaks down.  The only problem with that is they say you should have at least 3 months of living expenses in an emergency account.  That could take awhile to build that up.  So, I think I will put half towards the emergency account and the other half towards the visa.  Right now, the visa is the thing with the highest interest charged.  As one is building up, the other one is going down.  Yup, that's what I will do with it. 

More on this later.  Gotta scoot to bed for tonight.   Tomorrow will be a very long day. 

Make sure you look up at the moon tonight.  It is beautiful. 

Tada,      Trish  

RETHINKING WHAT'S NEXT ...

... after looking at the Mariners Compass, I think I will put that on the back burner for now.  It is paper piecing and I just want to work on something without too much thinking right now. 

I pulled out some flannel that has really cute bears with pinks and yellows on it for a brand spanking new baby!!  I don't think I even need to cut it into blocks because it is an all over design.  I have 2 different flannels but since they go together, I think I will use one on the front and the other on the back.  I just need to layer it with a piece of batting inside and free motion it all together. 

Then I found the 10 minute blocks that I started and brought them upstairs.  I have 4 or 5 charm packs to use and I think it will be one of my favorites when it's finished.  I started the blocks and have about 6 or 7 finished.  (They take me longer than 10 minutes for 1 block, by the way.  Turning that little square in the middle is a booger when working with 5" blocks.) 

I looked for the material for the blue and cream 4 Patch Posey but not sure where I put that project.  I can't even 'see' the fabric in my mind so I will have to figure out what the heck that project is.   OH!  I remember!!  Where oh where did that fabric go?  Hmmmmmm.......

Off to a get together tomorrow night right after work.  I will go pick up my sister to take along.  It will be nice to spend the evening with her.  I have several Show and Tell's to take along and even my Star Challenge quilt.  IF I win something, I will cash it in right away!  Last year I won a small gift certificate to the quilt shop we are meeting in and there are so many goodies to choose from there.

Gotta scoot!

Tada,    Trish

AS WE MOVE ALONG IN LIFE . . .

the memory DOES go somewhere else!  Wish I could find it! 

Since I posted last night that I am ready to move on to my next project, I spent some time in my sewing area (notice I did not say 'ROOM" because it still is not enclosed with walls and a door! AHEM - dear husband!!)  Anyways, back to my thought for the day.  I thought I would work on the Mariners Compass done in beautiful blues/white/blacks.  My memory told me that the inner compass was completed.  So the decision I had to make was should I just turn it in to a wall hanging and call it done or perhaps put some lovely blocks around it.  Sooooooo - there it is where I left it, in a plastic zip lock bag - all the pieces are fine but most of them are not sewn together.  The part that is sewn together doesn't look too complicated and seems to have turned out pretty good.  So I think I will try to finish it and put it into a small wall hanging.  This will be my project for this week.

In the meantime, the washer seems to be having a mind of its own the past few days.  It wouldn't drain completely which left the clothes needing another spin.  So my husband and daughter came to the rescue.  It seemed to work just great until I hear dripping this morning.  It must have dripped all night because there is a few inches of water in the bottom of the drum.  Suppose I need to ask him to look at it again.  I don't want a disaster of water everywhere some morning that we don't have time to deal with it.

My weeks will get busy soon starting next week.  I agreed to work evenings at the after school program for the little kiddos which means on Wednesdays and Thursdays I won't get home until
6:15 PM.   Those will be long days.  And then, I am also a substitute for Mondays and Tuesdays if someone can't come in those evenings.  Once a month they have a free dinner for the families of the kids in the program and those evenings we don't get home until 8'ish PM.  Is it May yet? 

TaDa,
     Trish

MILLIONS OF STARS

The Squishie Swap/Star Challenge is finished!!  I was able to cross an item off of 2 lists here since I didn't know at the time I made the lists that I would use the blocks from the Squishie Swap for the Star Challenge.  It is due for a Show and Tell on the 20th and I find it hard to believe it is finished 6 days ahead of time.  Whoot!  Whoot! 

Sure wish I could post a photo but that has to wait until next weekend. 

Next task is to look at the list and see what's next!

TaDa,
    Trish

WAYWARD STARS/MISFIT STARS/WONKY STARS . . .

Not sure what to call the new Star Quilt.  I started with 35 blocks.  I ended up with 27 that I could get to 8 1/2" give or take an eighth of an inch or so.  The rest are either way too small or don't even come close to resembling a star shape. 
Now, to lay them out.  Probably the best shape will be 5 blocks x 5 blocks or 40" x 40" - which will be a small lap quilt.  I might try to incorporate the left over blocks onto the back of the quilt.   I'd hate to not use them, but then again - they are not even a star shape.  Sometimes I suppose one just has to let a few blocks go and just never use.  Or perhaps they can be put into my 'strange pile' which has wayward blocks from other projects that didn't make the cut on previous quilts. 
Tomorrow is to cut the sashing.

TaDa,   Trish

ONTO THE NEXT PROJECT - STARS!!

I am going to work on the list of projects that I've started but not finished.  I have a 'star challenge' due the weekend of September - oh dear, I thought it was the 17th but as I check the calendar, the 17th is on a Tuesday.  So, it's either the weekend of the 14th or the 21st.  I hope it's the latter.  I have 35 star blocks already made from a swap from year 2002, so all the stars are different.  Some don't even look like a star but if I can remember back that far I believe I asked for a star block that was 10".  Everyone in the swap got the same piece of fabric from me so there is a common material in each block.  The center star fabric in the photo below is the fabric I chose.  It's a really pretty blue with small flowers.  I think most of the blocks I received back are about 8 1/2" but a few are smaller and a few are larger so I will have to try to get them all the same size.  I will probably end up cutting off some points here and there, but unless you lay it all out and scrutinize it, it's not usually noticeable.  If it is, then people are too picky.  I say - get it done and enjoy it.  Ten years ago?  Yup!  So, I will put them together and I am excited now since I found the perfect sashing material in my stash!  It's a light gold/cream with tiny stars all over it.  My goal is to get it completely quilted and bound for the challenge date.  I don't think that will be a problem and I can finally cross that one off my list.

Here is a preview on one of the blocks.

Stay tuned.

TaDa,     Trish

BIRDS

Another small project done.  I didn't even list it on the to be done list.  It was quick and easy and so cute.

They put a smile on my face and what better place to hang it right by the front door before I walk outside every morning.

How could I forget?  I worked in the basement for about 6 hours yesterday and got more trash, found 3 boxes of things I had for my sister, rearranged all I wanted to rearrange, got 2 boxes for Goodwill, and now I enjoy my trips through there to the outside. 

I took the boxes over to my sisters house today and had a great visit with her.  I also stopped at the Salvation Army store and saw a 50% off on everything in the store today.  WhoHoo!  I got a pair of pants and 5 shirts for under $10.  4 of the shirts still have the store tags on them. 

Great weekend, I sure enjoyed it!

Tada,
    Trish