my.sewingroom's blog : coasters

One Week to Christmas Party

Linda — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 18:33:00 GMT

Next Saturday is the Christmas Party! I think I'm in pretty good shape...just 4 projects to go....I think. Woke up yesterday with my ankles swollen again. So trying to sit back today with my legs elevated. Not doing a very good job at it. Only got 1 hour sleep last night with so much on my mind.

My daughter-in-law Rhoda has been on my mind the past 2 days. I think of her as the daughter I never had. I am so proud of her, but cannot go into all the whys here. Let's just say because of my son we both have had to overcome a lot of hurt and we've cried some long distance tears together. She and the children are now living back in California with her parents. I don't blame her one bit, and we keep in constant touch. I had had hopes of going to see them this winter; however with the market dropping so much this fall, the money isn't there so I can travel to where they live. We use skype as a substitute. I tickle the kids and they went along with it and just laughed and giggled. I've showed them photos of my new home here in Ohio so they can see where I live. I even had my best friend's cocker spaniel spend the night so we could all play together. Joshua asks what I'm sewing so I've shown him whatever quilt I'm working on unless it was his quilt, of course. Mila is a little monkey and is up and down. I play hide and seek with the webcam. She's funny because she looks under their desk for me! I'm waiting for the next skype visit. I've got quite a pile here on my desk of things to show them. The pile is getting so big that some of it rolls off the desk!! I got 2 new snowmen ornaments that roll. I miss those little rugrats!!!!

Still sewing like crazy. Discovered I didn't have enough coaster sets. Had to make 1 more set. Made 10 luggage tags and got everything tagged for my trip. Then decided to make a couple for a gift. Realized I needed a few last minute gifts for the Christmas party. Whipped up 4 of the 10 minute table runners. I forget who posted that suggestion, but you are a god send!!!! My neighbor liked it so well, she went home to make some for gifts too. I just have a log cabin type table runner to make yet, bind my uncle's quilt, alter my pirate costume, and get 2 gifts for (2) 5 yr olds before next Saturday. Oh yeah, get my legs elevated!!!! What ever happened to my pain management plan? Hmmmm....wonder which I'm going to do first? Maybe I'll get some lunch and sit watch tv for a while with my legs up. Maybe I'll even take a short nap. zzzzzzzzz

Getting ready for Christmas @ Thanksgiving Time

Linda — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 12:25:00 GMT

Now that I'm leaving for Arizona on December 1, I won't be here to have Christmas with my family. I make a majority of my Christmas presents. Now I'm in rush mode to finish before Thanksgiving so I can give my grandchildren their presents early this year. I pray a lot...before I sit down to my machine, before I cut out a new project, while I'm working on a project, and a prayer of thanksgiving when I finish a project. The other day I found it didn't pay to rush because I spent most of the day ripping out almost everything I had done. Yesterday I had so much traffic coming thru the house that I didn't even attempt to sew. Today I am going to attempt to make up for the past three days.

My last productive day was Sunday. I made 3 more Abbey bags. I have to tell you...they are so cute and make adorable Christmas presents for your sewing/quilting girlfriends. I have made a total of 5 so far. Don't forget to make 1 for yourself. I have also made 4 sets of coasters and plan to make another set today. I also plan to finish the table topper for my mom today. Perhaps tomorrow I can finish the quilt for my granddaughter. I think I've figured out how to fnish the borders. Just couldn't find a border template that suited me. I even went through all my friend's templates. I found some on-line, but need to watch the budget since I'm going to be spending an extra month in Arizona this year.

My latest Christmas gift I started last evening is a recipe book for the friends that I'll be staying with. Sheila and Jim love some of my cooking and last winter they had me bring some of my recipes with me. So rather than cart all that with me back and forth, I am making them a cookbook of my recipes that can stay with them. It is being made in a scrapbook format like the one I made for myself. The pages are 8-1/2 x 11 and are kept in page protectors in a loose leaf notebook. This is a late night project when I'm too tired to sew.

You all have a great day. It's time to get busy at the sewing machine. God's blessings.

Ok God, enough asthma!

Linda — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 08:59:00 GMT

Starting week #4 with this asthma thing. I can't remember ever having asthma last this long before. It's the coughing that's the hardest to deal with...just doesn't stop. Thought it was getting better and yesterday I feel like I'm back at square one. Is there no end? Ok God, I know there was a plan for me to return to Ohio, but keeping me indoors with asthma for weeks on end surely wasn't part of that plan...was it??? Do you have days like that where you question God on why something is happening to you? I wrote a devotion when I was in lay leadership training some years ago asking that very question. We must anticipate that God will answer our prayers and needs, but He answers in His time, not ours. I love the Psalms. My favorite is Psalms 116. Verses 1-2 read, "I love the Lord for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live." (NIV) I'm calling, God...enough asthma!

Meanwhile, I'm still sewing up a storm between coughing spells. Made a couple more Abbey Bags. They are so cute and easy to make. And, they make great gifts for your quilting/sewing buddies. My cleaning lady fell in love with the coaster sets I had made. So after she left, I made another set of coasters to give her for Christmas. I think I'll make another set to give to my massage therapist. I've noticed that you can't make just 1 Abbey Bag or coaster set. It's sorta like you can't eat just 1 Lay's potato chip!

Happy quilting or sewing today! God's blessings too!

Computer was out with a virus!

Linda — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 19:10:00 GMT

One week without a computer! It was almost as bad as going without a sewing machine! I did sew up a storm since I wasn't able to spend time on QCA or Facebook this past week. I also did a lot of communicating with God as I was sewing. For instance, I thanked God for the lovely home that I have to spend so much time in as I've been trying to recover from 3 weeks of asthma and constant coughing, and no I'm not getting cabin fever because I can't go outside to do my fall planting. I am so thankful that in approximately 60 days I'll be leaving for a warmer climate in Arizona and will be leaving all the rain here in Ohio! Thank you Lord Jesus! Am I going a little nuts from being shut in? You betcha!!!!!

I did get a lot of sewing done for Christmas presents, however. I made 3 sets of coasters using paper pieced string quilt block method. I found this cute little pattern on miss-print.blogspot.com by Kaye Prince on the Craftsy website. I'm also making The Abbey Bag (it's a pincushion and scrap bag) for sewing friends. You can find this pattern on AbbeyLaneQuilts.com. For myself to lighten my purse, I made a little wallet by Valori Wells Designs. You can find the pattern on www.stitchinpost.com.

The quilt for my newest grandchild is almost done. I'm looking for a 4" template to complete the border and then the binding will be all that's left to do. The long-armer called to say my quilt for my uncle is ready for pick up. Once I get that one picked up, I just have to put the binding on it. Woo-hoo!! Two more quilts almost done!!

Yesterday I started a table topper for my mom for Christmas. I really don't know what I was thinking...I started hand quilting. My poor fingers just healed from the last hand quilted project. It's for Mom so I guess my fingers will just have to suffer. The center is paper pieced string blocks. It just kind of carried over from the coaster sets. I also have a table runner started for one of my best friends...I've started it twice...they say three times is a charm!! Glad I bought extra fabric.

This week I also made the cutest Strawberry Shortcake outfit for one of my grand-daughters complete with a little hat. For her brother, who loves Thomas and has received 2 Thomas quilts and the Joshuatown quilt, I am making pj's with Thomas fabric, of course. I've also been busy making aprons, which seem to be making a come back in these parts for little cooks as well as momma cooks.

Three weeks of being shut-in you either get creative or totally go mad! While at the Country Living Fair in Columbus, Ohio I had bought a paper making kit. A couple weeks before I got this asthma thing, a couple little friends came over and we made paper. What fun! I have used my paper and made my Christmas cards. This is only the second time I have ever done such a thing. It's amazing what you can do when you are bored! I'm pretty happy with the result and may even consider doing it again next year! While I was in the mood to play with paper, I dug out all the scrapbooking stuff that I accumulated and never did anything with. I created a collage of photos of my 2 oldest grandsons who happen to be brothers to give them for Christmas. I can barely stand all this creativity. I didn't stop there....oh, no. Before the computer became ill, I created next year's calendar complete with great-grandchildren's photos for my mom.

Before my brain explodes with all the creativity. I will end here. It's nap time again. God's blessings to all.