I CAUGHT A BUG

It's this cute Dresden Bug, and she is very contagous!  Click here to see what can happen when she takes over!  It started last week, when Carol was here.  Now it's a full-blown case of the bug!

I have all twelve plates finished for my quilt.

My background blocks are cut, and sew so are the centers.  Stitching these down by hand will be nice evening work.

I already have dreams of my next dresden project dancing in my head -- watch out for the bug!  It will be more modern, and not in 30's fabs. hmm.................

RETREAT WRAP UP

Carol left last Sunday, and life is back to more normal, but with new energy.  Here's an account of our last day.

Carol demonstrated an Upper Case Living event at my clubhouse Sat. morning.  We both forgot to get pictures!  Then we came back to my house, and she helped me hang my Upper Case order from before.  What a trooper.  Here she is, up on the ladder, measuring and showing me how to do this, while I play helper.

This was my job.  This and handing Carol things.

Here's the end result.

Next we Carol did my second one.  While she was up there, I had her hang my button window 'valance'.

She also gave me a couple hearts that are wipe off boards.  Well, I made a mess of that.  Carol suggested I save the labels from my wall appliques so I'd know what color they were in case I want to order more in the same colors.  I carelessly cut a hole in one the the hearts!  Yikes!

However, I managed to save it, and if you didn't know, you wouldn't see it.

Here's the design wall near the end of our time together.  Actually a few more blocks and plates were added, but I evidently didn't get a picture of it then.

Hope we can do it again soon!

CONFUSED RETREAT, DAY 2

Carol woke up with a head ache this morning.  We think she may have had a touch of flu!

But after a while she felt better, and we did some sewing.  I worked on more dresden plates.

And played with them, all in nice chains.

Then we had lunch and headed out shopping.  We went to Bealls, JoAnn's, then to Maitland to The Sewing Studio where Carol picked up her repaired machine, and I picked up supplies for my smocking class. 

She saw a display of diaper cover supplies, and I mentioned they had the very same stuff at JoAnn's.  So back to Winter Garden we headed.  By that time we needed more nourishment -- shopping is hard work!  So after coffee/tea and pastry at Pannera, back to JoAnn's we went.  While there, not only did she find diaper cover supplies, but also a sweet chair for sewing.  Check her blog for pics.

Back home, Carol napped.  Yes she did.  She said she was just resting her eyes, but..............  I put together salads for dinner, and then we got our second wind..  Carol finished another block, and I trimmed, turned, and pressed all those plates I sewed in the moring.

My design wall is really filling up, mainly thanks to Carol.  Hey, I have to cook, clean and do drudge work -- yeah, that's why, and I'm sticking with that!.  I'll post design wall pics tomorrow.  Retreats are so fun, even if just two friends getting together.

PS

BTW, to leave a comment, just click on '0 comments' or whatever number there are.  Anyone can leave a comment on my blog.

CONFUSED RETREAT 2012 - PART 1

This is the other Nana quilts posting for Pat as a guest blogger. Boy I could have fun doing this especially after another glass of wine.  Sorry, I forgot tell you my name is Carol Cox.

To introduce myself, I am Pat's best friend [sorry to those who thought they were] but its true.  I have known Pat since 1982 when we met in Dhahran through our daughters. Melissa was a new student and my daughter, Tracey, was assigned to show her around the school.  Melissa was sure Tracey was a boy and was shocked when she took her into the rest room.   But they became good friends and so did their mothers.

However, I digress. Pat and I have sewn together for many years now, go on retreats and room together, vacation together, and 'wine' together. Fortunately our husbands like each other and tolerate these obsessions.  Our kids are friends and visit each other also. Since we both have had health issues and family issues the past few years we don't attend many formal retreats again.  But getting together at each others homes helps us keep up with this tradition.

This week we are supposed to be here sewing on our Patchwork quilts we purchased in 2007 and I actually have three blocks done.  Pat is working on a 'twist and stitch' quilt.  We both are doing scrappy Dresden plates.  We don't actually get much done since we are laughing to much.  Taking care of the dogs, making meals, walking, and shopping does get in the way too much.

Here are some pictures of Pat working laughing on her quilt.

This is Pat's design wall where I have my Calli lily block, two Dresden's, one of the Patchwork and her twist and stitch.  A fun technique I will have to try some day. She does like to get me into new projects.

Here is my blog address if you want to go and see what Pat said on my blog as the guest blogger.  Stay tuned for more retreat news from the confused.

www.snippetsofcarol.blogspot.com

APRIL CARDS

This month we made this fun card.  Here's the front.

And here's the rear, tatoo and all, LOL!  I couldn't decide what to stamp on the inside.  'Best wishes for your plastic surgery.' 'Don't forget the sun screen.'  'Those were the days.'  ????  Like we had those stamps!  In the end I stamped it with, 'Time passes, friendship stays right where it's put.'  Pun intended!

We also made this sweet little apron.  The yellow tab pulls out of the pocket to write your message.  It is likely to be used for a Mother's Day card for my DDIL.

It's always fun to go to the clubhouse, catch up on the latest chatter, do a little laughing, and have a fun time making cards.

PROGRESS

I'm nor ready to share the whole room, just yet, but as you can see, there's been a lot of progress!  Now the garage is in shambles as I go through things out there, LOL!  But I'm finding treasures, some long forgotten, too!

CHAOS

No a tornado didn't hit (as my mother used to ask).  It's just time to redo.  Redo?  Didn't I just move in last Nov.?  Well, yes.  And some things are staying the same, but some are changing. 

After using the room a while, I have a better feel for it.  Things are getting organized slightly differently.  And for sure I NEED a permanent design wall.

Stash will be going on these shelves below the design wall.  They used to be one on top of the other on the opposite wall.  Now I've moved a different bookcase there.  Now that the furniture is where I want it, I've started hanging things on the walls.  Stay tuned for more pictures later this week.  Neater, hopefully!



SCRAPPY PLATES CLUB

My friend Carol is visiting for a few days next week to sew together.  We've decided to sew Scrappy Dresden Plate blocks.  Here's a link to the Bunny Hill Scrappy Plates Club.  They have a super tutorial, and I'll probably be using their guidelines for my quilt.  They have posted all parts of the tutorial now and I have a super tub of 30's fabrics that I could use.

But, I also have this book.

Lots of cool, new ideas there.  Hmmm....................  Wonder where my collection of polka dots is........................

50 SIGGIES

50 siggies stamped and drying overnite.  They will be heat-set and packaged tomorrow. 

A close-up of one. 

 pack

SIGGY TUTORIAL UPDATED

I've been  sewing my DJ Siggy Swap blocks for the 2012 swap, and realized I don't make them exactly like my former tutorial on my blog.  I've found a quicker/easier way.  So here it is.  This way is now in my tutorial link too.

 Cut one 3.5" light square for the center.  Cut two 4" squares for the triangle sides and slice them in half on the diagonal.

 For triangles one and two, line up your ruler with the opposite diagonal line points, on 1.75" (square is turned in this pic).

 Slice off the tips.

 And again on the other side.

Now the first two triangles will line up exactly with your 3.5" center square.  No need to fold and finger press the center.  No need to guess how much to cut off the tips.  It fits perfectly.  This is the new improved part.  Way faster!

 Sew the first triangle on, and then repeat with the opposite side, triangle two.

 Press to set seams.

 Then press open -- seams to the outside.

 It's easy to eyeball the third and fourth triangles, centered, so there's no need to trim the tips off those.

 Stitch, and press to set seams.

 Open out and press the third and fourth triangles..

 Voila!  Here's the siggy.  Not not trimmed to 5" yet.  For the International Siggy Swap trim it up.  However, for the DJ Siggy Swap send it in as is.  We all trim our own.

It's way faster this way.  I made 50 today in no time.  Of course I still have to sign/stamp/embellish the siggy, but the construction was a snap!

Hope this helps get these done quickly for you.

READY AND WAITING

Waiting for guests to arrive, so I thought I'd share a couple pics with you.  This is our Easter dessert -- all fresh fruit - watermelon, cantaloupe, pineapple, strawberries, grapes, and kiwi.  DD requested we cut back on sugar.  This looks yummy to me.  I do have whipped cream if the kids want a dollop on theirs.

The table is ready.  Decided to use the top of the pineapple for the centerpiece.  After all, pineapple symbolizes welcome.  We fit everyone in.  No kid's table this year.

Two of our kids will be here and four of the grands.  We'll miss the OH clan, DS's family including the other two grands, but we'll try to catch them on Skype.

Have a good day everyone.

HE IS RISEN, ALLELUJAH!

HAPPY EASTER TO MY BLOGGING FRIENDS

Have a blessed Holy Week for Christians -- Holy Thursday celebrates the last supper; Good Friday, the Crucifixion; Holy Saturday, preparation; and of course Easter, the Resurrection.

Hope the bunny brings you a basket similar to this, hand crocheted from fabric strips, and filled with chocolate and sewing notions, LOL!

SEEMS TO BE WORKING! YEAH!

To do this, go to your settings.  Under "backlinks default for new posts"  select from the down arrow, "new posts do not have backlinks".  So far, seems to be ok.  I hate voyeurs.  Don't you?  Why should anyone be able to use my blog to send my readers to their creepy (or not) links???  Hope this is fixed!

A FIX - MAYBE

As suggested, I have changed my settings so that new posts do not show backlinks.  I hope I can still put links in where I want to.  I think I can.

Then I went back and changed the wording on my existing posts, to get rid of the words that were back-linked to somewhere else.

Hope this works!  Thanks for all the suggestions, my dear blogging friends!

Grrr..............update

Oh my!  They change.  This morning instead of on 'Rehab' it's on 'qualify'.  Yikes!!!

GRRR..............

I just noticed that in my previous posts, there are automatic links that I didn't put there for certain key words.  For example on the word 'rehab' on my last post, the word 'gift for' on the one before, and 'working' on my post last Fri.

Has anyone else had this happen?  The words appear in brown and take you to places I didn't put.  Can someone please tell me how to stop this?  Thanks! 

I do believe this just started, so I hope it's not part of the new blogger in April!

BOM REHAB

Over at Pink Pincushion blog, one of the blogs I follow, Sinta Renee is running Block a Month Rehab.  Many of us are addicted to BOMs, more than we keep up with.  Well, sign me up Sinta!  I'll try to pull something, get it done, and post next Monday.  Check it out over at Pink Pincushion Blog.