Week 2 Goals

These are the most recent postcards I made. The dragonflies went to Sonya as a thank you for the retreats. The garden cards were for my new online group swap and I sent one to an unsuspecting friend. Everyone likes them and that makes me feel less nervous about swapping. So much so that I signed up for 2 more swaps, an Oriental cards and summertime food. These will be fun!

I've had to do some thinking on this week's goals. May as well just put it in writing so I know what will be happening.

1-everyday stuff--vacuum, cook, Wednesday at Marian's and groceries, Thursday is quilt party
2-hanging clothes outside every day--wash all the bedding
3-work in the garden daily
4-15 to 30 minutes daily in the sewing room working on organizing
5-work on 2 projects for the Christmas gift box
6-make the back for the bargello quilt
7-make the block for quilt party

This should keep me off the streets and out of the bars!! (That's supposed to be funny, people--I haven't been in a bar in forever!)

Summer is Here!

According to our thermometer, today reached 97.6 degrees. No more whining and bitching about the cold. We got us some summer! I got up early this morning to get a start on cooling the house. ACs were on, fans put into place. We did pretty good, it got up to 81 in the house but we were in and out alot this afternoon.

Hubby decided he needed to cook some blacken cajun salmon. That is a definate cook outside food so there were several trips in and out. Hot skillet, burn the butter in the skillet, drop in the buttered, seasoned fish. Oh yummy!!! He didn't do too bad for his first time. I'm sure we'll be having it again real soon. That's the way he is!

I love having the goal list. I did pretty good, not great, getting some things done. The barkdust is on the ground and I didn't die from it although I thought for a while that I might. I finished my string quilt top. I didn't touch my bargello back. Taylor was here from Tuesday through Friday so not much sewing time for me or her. We were busy doing other things. We had a nice day at Marian's and I didn't get much done in my sewing room cleaning. I've had clothes hanging on the clothesline every day (I conned my brother into helping me (doing it all) put up the new line. Taylor was kind of worried about our unders hanging outside, what if someone saw them??? I told her they shouldn't be looking for Gramma's unders and that seemed to be the OK answer.

I'll post my to do list Sunday or Monday. I have to finish getting the motor home ready for Hubby to take tomorrow. He'll be working out of town for a few weeks, coming home on the weekends. Hopefully I can dive into a major project and get it finished. Or I might spend all my time in my sewing room!

Stay cool.

A New Work Horse

No, not the 4 legged kind. I am not a horse person. I am a sewing machine person.

Today while I was cruising around craigslist, I found this almost new 60s Kenmore machine in the cabinet, with the chair. Great price, nice lady, local. The lady said her father bought it for her mother. Mother sewed on it a couple times, didn't enjoy sewing. Father took a sewing lesson and mended a few things. Then the lady decided she wanted to sew. She said she made one Halloweeen outfit and decided she wasn't meant to sew. How strange!

So after dinner, we rushed down and brought her home. After a cleaning and oiling, she purrs like new. I don't think the plate was ever taken off. There were a couple dust bunnies and that was all. There is some tape residue on the machine from yard sale pricing and I will gently work that off. There were no cams or accesories and I forgot to ask about them. So I called her back and left a message. I hope there are some, other wise I am going to have to shop.

I don't know who made machines for Kenmore. Do you?

Who Wanted Barkdust???

Why do I forget how much work it is to unload it? Why do I forget how out of shape I am? Why???

It sure looks nice once it's on the ground. Already my arm, shoulder, back, legs and other parts of my body are screaming! "You foolish ole broad! How could you do this to us!" I am saving the rest of the load until tomorrow. It has to be out of the pick up soon because it is going to get hot here and I don't work in the heat. I make sure my air conditioners keep working!

I like having the list to look at. It makes me be accountable to myself and all of you. Today I did half the barkdust, I worked on my string quilt and about 20 minutes on my sewing and cutting table. After dinner I plan to work some more but now I must go cook.

Goals For the Week

As I was cruising around blog land this morning, I came across The Golden Needle. She has a post called Goals for week!!! What a wonderful idea. So I am copying her and posting my own Goals for the Week.

1. Unload the pickup full of barkdust.
2. Work 15 to 30 minutes a day reorganizing my sewing room.
3. Continue to work on the UFO string block quilt to get it to quilting stage.
4. Finish the back for the bargello quilt.
5. The every day things--housework, laundry, cooking--you know, the fun stuff!
6. Of course, I have my Wednesday sewing at Marion's, the quick errands and Taylor is staying the rest of the week.

I think that is enough for the 1st week. Looks to be a pretty full week.

7. I almost forgot, I bought new line for my clothes line and that has to get strung ASAP so I can use it. I love dried outside sheets and towels..

In the photo, Taylor is showing the receiving blanket she made for their friend that is expecting a baby boy. We decided a couple weeks ago that we were going to have "Gramma Camp" and do some sewing. This is her first project and it turned out so cute. I only wish the picture showed the monkeys and the bananas better. She did most of the work on it. When we started to do the topstitching with one of the "fancy" stitches that looks like bananas, she turned it over to me. That took way too long to show progress.

On Thursday, we had Gramma Camp with Ashlee. She is making a dress. Hopefully she will get to sew more on it this week. It is going to be so cute. The Benges have a very full schedule and Gramma Camp will happen when it can. And if it can't, then Gramma will just sew the projects and the kiddos will still get to enjoy them.

Time to start the list. The washer is calling for it's 2nd load of the day. Have a great day.

Last Days of Spring

The final days of spring are upon us. Thank goodness for that. I am so tired of the strange weather we have had. I am ready to start complaining about how hot it is! Really, I love the summer. After all these years out of school, I used feel cheated out of a summer vacation. Not any more! Cuz I don't have a job!!! Not one that brings in a paycheck anyhow.

Sunday was spent with family. It was the best Father's Day! Most everyone was here (we missed you Amanda and Ian!) and everyone played. Motorcycles, quads, "fire bike" (this is a little kid bicycle--the tires are hard rubber and there are flames for the tread--think like a 4 year old), wagon. If it had wheels, it was rolling. Jen made lasagna and everyone else contributed to an awesome dinner. You would think with all the activity around here, I would have more pictures. Nope, dark shadows and moving vehicles make for bad pictures from me. Where was my professional photographer and her fancy camera?

The garden is coming along nicely. I can't wait to give my dad some zucchini and tomatoes. Maybe a cuke or 2. Dee wants corn. I want some of everything!

Today I am going to pick up Ashlee, then we are going to stay with Elliot for a little bit and then go shopping. She is staying here for a few days of Camp Gramma. We are going to sew. She has a list of patterns and we will take it from there. I can't wait!

I have done a little more sewing. Taylor's dress if finished and so darn cute. I finished up the mini wall hanging that I blogged about here. It finished at 12 1/2" and is now hanging in my bathroom. I made myself a test pattern t shirt out of a vertical stripe knit. That shirt will NOT be worn off the property! But it fits and now I have a stack of t shirt fabric to cut out and sew together for me. I started another dishcloth and took my socks out of the bag and looked at them. Does that count for progress??? You bet it does!

More Fun Things Part 4

6/13 Edit. I guess I'm not as smart as I like to think I am! Damn Dial Up.

Well I guess blogger and picasa are happy with only 1 photo per post so that's what I will do from now on. That is until I find the goose that lays the gold eggs and catch her and keep her and steal those darn gold eggs. Cuz that is what I will have to do if I can to use satellite internet. Not really but it sure is alot more than I am paying for dial up.

These little gems are called Dotee Dolls. I instantly fell in love with them. I had never seen them before I sign on to a new Yahoo group that is swapping them. (Yes, I signed up for the swap!) I'm thinking they've been around for over a year considering the date on the tutorial on how to make them. On Dot's Life and Art blog are the instructions for these little gems. I wanted to make some so I cheated on these faces and used the decorator stitches on my sewing machine. I have since dug out my felt and have 7 dolls ready to sew, stuff and decorate. There is a flickr pool site devoted to Dotee dolls. I spent a very long time looking at all the little cuties.

Now I can't wait to get out my beads and enhance my bead and button stash.

More Fun Things Part 3

This is one of the new dishclothes I knitted up. I think it took me 3 evenings in front of the TV. I found the pattern on Knitting Pattern Central. It's called So Sew Dishcloth. Anyone that can knit, purl and count can make this. I now have a stack of different patterns to make but I have to buy some more solid colors. My dishcloth yarn stash is almost gone, unlike my sock yarn stash!

More Fun Things Part 2

These are the postcards I received from the Stashbuster Shoe Swap. The purple boot is from Sinnika in Finland and the red high heel is from Erma in Chicago. Everytime I look at the red high heel, I start singing Kelly Pickler's song, Red High Heels! Eeeeek!! Thank you ladies, I can't wait for the next swap.

More Fun Things Part 1

I'm testing blogger and picasa right now by only trying to upload one picture at a time. This is a picture of Taylor's dress. It still needs a hem but that will be taken care of this weekend.

Maybe I will make her a cute hair band to go with it.

Fun Things

I've been clearing out some unfinished projects. I finally added the finishing touches to Dee's birthday doll. Meet Greta the Grump. I didn't know what to name her and then as I walked by it came to me. I sat her outside on a kid chair on the deck and we had a photo shoot. I almost felt professional except she refused to pose! Such a Grump!

The postcards are for a swap on my Stashbuster list. I had just taken the 2 classes at the retreat and then pops up a postcard swap. I HAD to sign up. I only had to make 2 cards and one for myself. That's what Bonnie Sabel told us. If you do swaps, be sure to make one for yourself. So mine is the one with the little boo boo on it. I think they turned out cute and I hope my ladies in Homer, AK and Boise, ID think so too. I can hardly wait to get mine. One will come from Chicago and one from Finland. Of course I will post about them. I love getting fun mail!