Sisters Picture and Quiltathon

This is my Sisters Traveling Companion. Isn't she cute with all her outdoor quilt show wear. The hat, sunglasses, over the neck purse with the money that is burning a hole in her leg wanting to buy a new hat!!! We hadn't picked up out commerative water bottles yet. She is all set for the next one.

Today is the first day of a 2 day Quiltaton with Judy over at Patchwork Times. Since Vicki's quilt is finished (YeeHaw!), I am going to quilt my bargello from The Bargello Bowl we did in January at Quiltville Chat. The instructions for the Scrappy Bargello are at Quiltville. This is a fun quilt to make and I used a ton of my 2 1/2" strips on it. I had to make mine a little longer so it changed the design just a bit but I don't care, I'll use that part as the pillow cover and no one will be the wiser. It was a design opportunity!

So my washer and dishwasher are both running, the floors have been vacuumed and I am ready to get started. The only thing I will have to do is hang the load of clothes outside when they are finished and then bring them back in and put them away. I fold them as I take them down. Nothing like dried outside clothes to make you feel fresh.

The MP3 player is fully charged so it's time to get stitchin'!

Inspired

The trip to Sisters was a huge inspiration for me. I am in the finish quilt mode now. I have Vicki's quilt almost quilted and then I will put on the binding to stitch down at Wednesday at Marian's. Then I am going to fill bobbins for my bargello and get it loaded and done.

It feels good to be energetic about things. That was a pretty long damp spell. Can't call it a dry spell because I did work on a few things. I just didn't see much progress.

How fabulous is this little block! I wish I knew for sure if it was made by sewing teeny tiny strips or if it was paper peiced or if it is piping. I think maybe it's piping but I don't know for sure. If you do, would you please satisfy my curiousity?

Gotta go, I have a project to finish tonight. WooHoo!

Week Goals

What a week! I feel like I accomplished nothing. I know I did stuff, it just doesn't show. Except for the explosion in my sewing room. I'm making progess, I know I am, it's just kind of hard to see right now. Like things are living with like things. I just need to get all the things together.

Satuday at Sisters was awesome. I spent the day with 8 year old Taylor. After a very long bus ride, an ice cream cone and some wandering around, we met up with my friends for a while and then went our seperate ways again. I missed my regular quilt show partner but Taylor was a pretty good substitute. I didn't get to see all the quilts because after a hour, they became "boring" and we were on the hunt for a very cool hat. We found several but the prices were unreal. We will just make our own!

This quilt was hanging off in a corner all by it's self. It is quite spectacular with the little tiny pieced blocks on the top of the quilt. I wish my picture would have turned out a little better. Next I'll post a picture of one of the little blocks.

Well, I didn't get much done on the quilting front this week. Vicki's quilt will be loaded tomorrow and finished up at Wednesday's group. The UFO I've been working on is put away for a while. I think it's keeping me from sewing so I'll wait on it. Sue didn't get here with her quilt top so nothing was quilted this past week. I hope to get my bargello done too but I'm not putting any pressure on myself.

I am going to focus on Vicki's quilt and organizing this week. Also I have a couple of postcard swaps to work on and my Dotee Dolls are ready to drop at the post office on Wednesday. I do have the garden to keep up with. Today I saw brocolli, zuchinni, tomatillas and tomatoes. Also some acorn squash have set on. The cukes, carrots, cauliflower will follow soon. Yumm.

The laundry is done and put away and I have an awesome salad that will be dinner for most of the week. So I have a plan and I hope I can keep to it.

Goals For The Week

I did pretty good on my goals for last week. I did the everyday stuff almost every day and hung out laundry on the nice days. I spent alot of time in the garden and it shows! It looks awesome out there. I kind of blew off cleaning in the sewing room. I know shame on me but I did do about a half hour this morning.

I also got the back for the bargello sewn! Yee Haw!!! It's 10 1/2" squares ala Bonnie Hunter style. I love the scrappy back. I know one of my daughters (maybe 2) cringes as do a few of my friends but each to his own. I love it, it's fun and funky and uses a bunch of stash. Things I don't know what I would do with. There are even some peices in there that have dye runs in them. Nothing wrong with the fabric, just colored outside the lines. :-) And Crystal, there are a few places where the same fabrics are side by side!!! Just for you.

I decided not to go to quilt party so I didn't make my block. It will get made and put it in the orphan box for a different project.

OK, now it's time for this week.
1-You know the everyday stuff! and Marian's on Wednesday and continue the sewing room project.
2-Saturday is Sisters OR outdoor quilt show and I'm going. WooHoo
3-Quilt my friend Vicki's quilt. Her nephew is getting married on Saturday. Nothing like a little pressure for the both of us. Good thing it will be a quick and easy meander.
4-Continue to work on my UFO from last post. The rows are finished, they need to be sewn together and then binding put on. I will never do another quilt as you go when I have a long arm sitting right here. But I had to try it to make sure.
5-Quilt Sister Sue's quilt if she gets it up here.

That should be enough to keep me out of trouble. If it isn't, I have a few swap postcards to work on.

How Many Times Can A UFO Be A UFO?

I've been working on this quilt for what seems to be forever. It's a quilt as you go that I started quilting in May. I actually thought I had started it way before that. I just can't get motivated to work on it. And it's right out in plain sight.

I think when it's done, I will give it to Lacey, my not quite DIL. She liked it when she was looking at it so I think she will give it a good home. So this is my project for the weekend.

I am going to get off here and work on it. I only need to put together 1 1/2 more rows and I can start setting them together.

I hope this makes my sister happy. Evidently she thinks I don't post often enough!

Summer 2008 Exercise Plan

The latest exercise craze around here is the ginormous garden that needs to be weeded every other day. This morning I got up early because the dogs needed to go outside. So I decided to go outside also. I spent an hour putzing around the garden. Weeding from one end to the other, picking up rocks and admiring. I have tiny tomatillos (how do you spell that word?) set on my plant and lots of tomato flowers on the 9 bushes we planted. I have been stocking up on freezer bags when they are on sale in anticipation of the harvest.

We haven't had a garden in years so after taking off some of the sod, rototilling and weeding, we had to enhance the soil with lots of good, organic compost. No chemicals were used so there are lots of weeds coming up. But it is good exercise and Lord knows I need it.

I pulled the wagon around and picked up stuff and pulled a few weeds from the flowerbeds. Now I will wait for another half hour while the sprinkler is on and then I can take a shower. Since I have to wait, I may as well go dance with the vacuum. Then I can sew the rest of the day if I want to. You know I do.

There is always a method to my madness.

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!

Who Stole My Week Away?

Since I've retired, I often forget what day of the week it is. I've been messed up all week but I think it was because of the 3 day weekend. I didn't miss my Wednesday sewing group but the rest of the week was a blur. We did get the garden all planted. My dad says I need to get some bees but I don't know nothin' bout grown no bees! Today hubby and Mike moved my big lilac bush. So now I have 2 bushed instead of one huge one.

I've spent most of this week working on obligation blocks. I made 2 more birthday blocks for friends for June and I have July's one block figured out and ready to sew. Then I took apart a block for Craft Warehouse and sewed it back together. This time my 1/4" is really 1/4". I don't know why I messed that up so bad but I did and I got to spend one evening with my seam ripper. I've read a blog post where the gal writes about naming her seam ripper because she spends so much time with it and they are such good friends. I wish I could find that post again.

Last night Elliot spent the night. He is so much fun. He was so tired that in the middle of the night he started crying in his sleep. So I rubbed his until he settled down, then I crawled into the spare bed just in case he woke up again. I woke up at 4, got up, did my business and then went right back in there. That bed is almost more comfortable than mine!

Now I am going to compare just to be sure. Toodles.

Dear Mr. Blogger

I thought you and Picasa were friends. I don't understand why you refuse to get along. I have been faithful to you since I discovered you. You have let me upload my pictures using my dialup and you were usually reliable.

I know I've moaned and groaned in the past about you when you wouldn't leave a picture here or there. That was before you dumped all of my photos for April and May. (People say they can see the pictures but I can't!) I am now extremely upset with you. What are you doing to me? My Sister wants to see my bird picture. I have friends that need to see my grand babies photos. Don't you understand how important this is to us. We share our lives with our family and friends and you come along and be a picture hater. Knock it off! Get along with each other and make us all happy again.

So I am testing you with a cute picture of Clella Mae on her new quilt that her Gramma made her. It's called Butterflies and Windmills and she loves it. She schooches around all over it putting her love slobbers down marking it as hers.

That is all I have to say to you Mr. Blogger. I want to be happy again. See what you can do about that!

Here it is 2 days later and still nothing. I have went in and messed with my settings, added a couple more links in the sidebar hoping that would help stir things up. I went in and deleted my cookies and cleaned my computer. I even restarted! Come on, be nice. Let me have some pictures!

My View

Bonnie over at Quiltville did a blog post about her view from her house every day. I decided to post my view because I love looking out my window. Just today when I pulled up in the car, I told my granddaughter how much I love looking at all the trees and the flowers. It makes me happy. And its peaceful and usually quiet. I feel sorry for anyone that isn't able to have this serenity for at least part of their day.

The first picture is out my kitchen window. See the rooster's head there on the bottom right. He is my Mother's Day gift from hubby. The Azeala bush was planted by my gramdma after my grampa's funeral. It is one of my prized possesions and I have taken care of it for 33 years. I have transplanted other plants around here but never this bush. There is a lavender lilac bush on the right side that was here and all the other plants I have put in. You can see the garden fence on the left side. I just wish the weather was a little nicer so I could plant some more things.

Mr Happy Bird just happen to catch my eye from the sewing room one day. So I zipped over to grab the camera and very slowly snapped pics as I got closer to him. I had never seen a bird like him around here. (I'm just assuming he's a he! I couldn't get close enough to look under his tail.) We have more birds this year than I can ever remember seeing. Maybe I'm just noticing them because I am home all the time now.

The lilac alone in the picture is one I bought at the Hulda Klager Lilac Gardens several years ago. Last year there were a couple flowers and this year its loaded. It seems every year I forget to go there when all the flowers are in bloom.

Since my last post, I have turned a year older. This is my special birthday year so I have been celebrating all month long. I can't believe how many of my friends are party haters but that's their problem. They need to come over to the fun side and enjoy the little things. My birthday is special because I was born in 54 (I'm talking 1954!) and I'm 54. And it's my 27th anniversay of being 27. However I look at it, I need to celebrate. So I have been opening my birthday blocks as they come in the mail--OHHHHH, my quilt is going to be so fun! I'll post more on that at a later time.

Now I want to get to the sewing machine. Bonnie posted Step 5 of the Orange Crush mystery and I'm not done with step 4! I have more I want to post but that will wait. I am itchin' to be stitchin'! This post should satisfy the sister that sent me a scathing email today! Happy? You should be! I did this just for you.

One More UFO Done (Almost)

I say almost because it needs binding. Looking back, I see I posted about this quilt on April 27. I had the rows hanging on my design wall all this time. So I am going to get the binding ready and take it with me to the retreat and sew the binding on. (Maybe I can inspire someone to sew her binding on her flannel quilt.) Then I can stitch it down during show and tell. (After reading this post, I decided I better edit this last sentence. You see I know my friend and she is going to think I am wanting to stitch down her binding. I'm not, she needs to do that herself. I am going to stitch down the binding on MY quilt. :-} )

Yesterday I got a birthday block in the mail and I wanted to put the blocks on my design wall and this was in the way. I took it down, sewed the rows together, made the back, found a piece of batting just the right size and wound some bobbins. That was enough work for one day!!! Not really, that was a good place to stop since Crystal and her family were coming out to fix dinner. I love it when that happens.

So this morning, I got busy and got this baby quilted. I did a simple meander so I could let my mind wander as I quilted. I used a new to me thread. It is Sulky cotton size 30. Color 4009, according to Sulky's color page it is called foliage. On the top of the cone is the word Gunold. I'm thinking that maybe this is acutally an embroidery thread??? I don't know-I didn't read the website yet. All I know is that it never broke and the whole quilting job went smooth as silk. I did have to clean off the hopping foot and in the bobbin area with every bobbin change. This is the linty-est cotton thread I have ever used. I will use it again just because I love the way it works and looks.

I got this cone at the quilters stash enhance bazaar for $3! I think I can do at least 4 more quilts with it. You can bet I'm going to find out how many!

Now I have to get some packing done for this weekend's retreat. Most everything is still packed up so it won't take long.

Retreat Fun

I am exhausted! We had a great time. I learn something new at every retreat, sometimes I even teach someone else something new.

This is my main project for the weekend. I wanted to start this mini wall hanging right when we got there but I had a couple other things to work on first. I did my April and May BOM and I worked on my step 4 for the Quiltville Orange Crush Mystery. Then we had the postcard class. Oh, that was so much fun.

After that class, I got going on my mini. Saturday night all 36 blocks were done. When they are pieced together for the center, it will measure 9"! Holy crap! I thought the center was 12" but I was wrong. Wait right there, I am going to go measure.

Eeeek!!! It measures, right now, unsewn, 10 1/2". Each block finished to 1 1/2". Lordy, what was I thinkin'!!! Honestly, I love the way it's looking. I can't wait to get the "quilt" sewn and the borders on it. I need to sew the corner blocks before I can add the borders. It would be fun to have it done before retreat #2 in 3 days. Then I could start another one!

But now I'm tired, I need to unpack a few things and wait for my next bunch of company to arrive. It's been a great Mother's Day.

Happy Mother's Day to you all.

Retreat Time

It's that time of year again. Retreat time! One this weekend, home for 4 days and off to another. I am quite excited and I am ready to go. I'm taking several projects to work on. I have 2 Carol Doak BOMs, all my lottery blocks, some signature blocks for an exchange in September, a couple miniature projects and in case I run out of things to do, I have another long term paper piece project with me. And we are having a postcard class on Friday.

I don't know why I'm so worried about running out of things to do. I'm coming home every night to sleep in my own bed. The retreat center is only 3 miles away so I'm not sleeping in those army bunk beds anymore. So I say now!

I have 2 completed quilts for show and tell and maybe I'll grab a couple tops to take also. The quilt in the photo isn't ready to take anywhere. It's a quilt as you go project. I saw Betty Cotton of Cotton Theory Quilting fame on Sewing with Nancy and had to try her method. I'm glad I DVRed it because I have had to go back and look at some things again. I think it will be a fun quilt when it's done. And I've been playing with the decorative stitches on my machine. I still have 2 more rows to set together before I can start sewing rows together.

Hopefully I won't be making any more UFOs this weekend. I'm hoping to have completed projects when I get home. Talk to you later.

Strange Morning

How cute is this. Oh, peeze let us off the deck so we can run and play. Ohhh Peeze, peeze, peeze!

Well I've had the strangest morning. I sat down, wrote out an exciting blog post with 2 other great pictures, clicked to publish and now it is floating around out in cyber space never to be seen again. I have too much to do this morning to write another one. Maybe later today I will share with you all my exciting story but right now, I have to stay on my somewhat of a schedule.

Have a fabulous day. Places to go, people to see!

Yeah, It's Friday

It is Friday, isn't it? I've been mixed up all week. No reason why really, I just have weeks like that. Maybe is was the anticaption of my baby's arrival. She got here yesterday. She is quite petite. The front flapper, (I don't know what it's called) is a lot shorter than on my other featherweight. I wonder if it's because it was made in Great Britian and the black one was made in the good ole USA. I'll do more research on her. She needs a couple parts but other than that, after a good oiling, she runs good. And the cord is wired direct instead of a plugger thing.

Maybe I'll just pretend she's my Bronco and invest in her future. Don't tell hubby I'm comparing a sewing machine to his precious Bronco. (You know the one, the brand new 1992 Ford Bronco! that has had almost every part on it replaced!) I've been thinking of taking her to the repair guy just to make sure everything is ok. That's gonna be a while though, I filled my car up with gas yesterday. Ugh!

Here are the rulers I've been working with. The green one is called The Line Tamer by Four Paws Quilting. Out of all my rulers, and I have several, this is my very favorite. The lines are easy to read and I love that the hopping foot glides through the slot. The orange one is from Sew Far Sew Good and is called the Braided Cable. I need lots more practice with this one! I have just a little bit more to do, including the binding and I can call this UFO done.

Time to think about what's for dinner. Some day I am going to be like Judy L of Patchwork Times and have a weekly menu and stick to it. It's been quite a while since I've done that. Oh I have such great plans!