plugging away

 When I am motivated, I sure can get a lot done.  I have lots of kids needing hugs this winter.  There are the kids in the Philippines through Project Pearls who have lost everything in the Typhoon, who still need to know they are loved, there are kids locally, through the foster care system that are having a big party this coming Christmas season that could use the comfort of a warm quilt wrapped around them and there are newborn babies through no fault of their own who are born into very poor families who will grow up with very little material wealth, but who will know the comfort of a warm quilt when them come home from the hospital because of the many volunteers who have worked to put these quilts together.  So, I'm motivated to work in all my spare moments to get these quilts together and into the hands of kids who need a hug.  I'm so glad I have so many volunteers who are also willing to help me out.  I had a  friend come by this morning and pick up a whole bunch of tumbler blocks and who is working to get more quilt tops put together.  I just picked up a bunch of quilt tops from Carla because I was starting to get low.  I only had about 15 left in the to be quilted pile and when I'm on a roll, I can work through that in a week.  Thanks to Rebecca my robotic machine, I don't have to stand over her, she works happily on her own stitching away while I'm cooking or getting ready for school.  I just finished up about 15 quilts from that massive bunch of backing fabric I loaded.  And the first of the rolls of batting just arrived.  I think there are two more rolls coming still.  I should be good for another 40 or so quilts before having to order more.  Every time I get a 50% off coupon and free shipping and batting isn't already on sale, I like to pick up a roll or two of the Kodel batting from JoAnn's online.  That's something to save money on when you can.  I have the giraffe quilt on the machine today and hope to finish up the quilting tonight.  Time will tell.

My son, the youtube star

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CldYaG7o-GA

 

My son made a video about his trip to Misson San Francisco Solano in Sonoma this past weekend.  He's pretty excited about it and wanted to share it with everyone.  If you have a few minutes and want to see a pretty cute guy tell you all about a California misson in a robot voice, take a look at the link.  Be sure to watch the blooper at the end.  That's the best part. 

You might learn something you didn't know about California history.

Do you need quilting designs? Cyber Monday sales

I don't get a percentage, but I do love saving money.  I needed a giraffe quilting design, and saw that several of the design websites on the sidebar I have listed are having a Cyber Monday sale today.  Just thought I'd pass the info along in case you are like me and like to save some money.  20% off at Intelligent Designes and 25% off at Digi-Tech.  Not bad if you need a couple designs and that's off everything, both digital and paper designs, so if you like pantographs, head on over and check them out.

I gotta get off the computer and finish up those lab books before school starts this morning.  I only will finish one class, but at least it is one class!

not my usual style

But I kind of like it.  This quilt uses the Accuquilt Studio tumbler die, 6 1/2 inch and 4 fabrics.  Each fabric is 1 yard, except the giraffe is 2 1/2 yards since there is an extra repeat on the end as well as the top and bottom border.  There are 13 tumblers across and 13 rows up and down.  I thought it would come out too square, but with the 4 1/2 inch top and bottom border, the quilt is just perfect.  I'm going to quilt it with a giraffe face and hope to get it finished up today or tomorrow.  It is for a former student who has tried to commit suicide twice now.  I had her for two years and she is really a nice kid.  She suffers from migraine headaches and like me, the doctors really aren't doing much for her.  Because of the headaches and not getting help, she has some major depression issues.  It's pretty frustrating at my age, but I can only imagine being 16 and having to go through this.  People look at me like I'm crazy because you can't see a headache and they just expect you to deal with it.  Sure, ok, no problem.  Both times she overdosed on pain meds so I'm not really sure she was trying to end things, just end the pain.  Anyways, I hope the quilt lets her know she isn't alone.  We've talked a lot about her migraines and other things she is going through and I told her next time to just call me instead of trying to fix herself.  I hope she knows she is loved.

Field trip

 My fourth grade son and I took a field trip today to the closest California mission.  Sonoma Mission is about an hour away from us and we zipped out there to learn a thing or two about California history.  My son has to build a mission this year.  It was good getting out and seeing first hand how people lived long ago.

He loves Youtube and we decided he would make a video as part of his project.  I can't wait until he is done. It is going to be really cute. At first, he wasn't excited about the trip, or the work over vacation, but by the end, he was having fun.

getting them done

 7 more quilts ready for the binders.  I'm making a pile for next week once school starts.  I hope I don't scare them when I bring the pile :) everyone deserves a vacation, even the hard working binders. I guess.

it's official...I'm insane

 Meet the three newest members of my sewing family.  Most people go Black Friday shopping and come home with New TV's New IPhones or tablets or New anything.  I go thrift store shopping and come home with Old sewing machines!  My family already thought I was crazy, but this prooves. it.

 This blue Brother I got for $30 at the Goowill in Dixon.  Not on sale, but for $30 it was a deal.  I have no idea if it works yet, but it is oh, so pretty.  It's name is Mark.  My brother's name is Mark.  Get it?  Yeah, I passed up on one similar about 4 years ago and have been kicking myself ever since.  I've been lookind and waiting and watching and promised myself if I ever saw a blue sewing machine again I would get it.  Well, I thought since I was there and had a minute, I would look around and they had a gorgeous old Singer, but no foot pedal, so passed on that and there, on the floor was this beauty.  Has the cover and everything and oh, so pretty.  I laughed when I took the cover off and thought, here's my birthday present.  I practically skipped out of the store, except the thing weighs 50 pounds!  I love these heavy old machines.

Then, I went to Savers and they had the next two machines.  This pink one (color washed out in the picture) was only $15 and on sale 30% off.  What a steal.  It will need a new belt.  It's an Atlas, never heard of it before, but I guess now that I'm a collector (NOT A HOARDER) I should learn a thing or two about old machines.  All the pieces seem to be there and look, it even comes with thread...bonus :)  Her name is Erin, my brother's wife's name.  Aren't they a cute couple?

And finally Ken, the Kenmore.  He was $20 plus 30% off that.  Cheap!  I have two just like him.  My old standby that I sew on every day is the exact twin of this machine.  They are a real workhorse and I just love mine.  Carla worked on my backup machine last week at Binky and got it working most of the time. 

Now I have three more machines for when we have sew days with the teenagers.  I just need to spend some time working with them to get them running.  Another excuse not to grade lab books.

Every scrap is used

 The tiny scraps of leftover fabric that can't be used in quilts are used as stuffing for dog beds.  My dogs love the fact that I'm a quilter.  My little scruffy poodle mix dogs got new green pillows today.  Harper has made a sleeping spot in my daughter's closet.  Two new pillows here to make her cave a bit more comfy.

Mandy, the boxer/lab mix who is about 15 years old got a new orange pillow today.  She loves getting new pillows.  The old one goes outside until it gets so old and stinky that it goes in the trash.  I don't feel bad throwing them away after about a year because they definately get used well.  The fabric was donated for blankets, but is really for making rugs.  It is too rough and scratchy, but the dogs aren't complaining.  We always find a home for all of the donated fabric we get.

I guess I should put the chain saw away.  Funny how you don't notice something until you take a picture :)  Maybe Mandy will learn to use it and chop down a tree or two.  Or, maybe not.

Can you have more then one favorite?

 Because I just love this quilt.  Pink and purple are not my favorite colors, but I just love, love, love this quilt and I know the little girl who is getting it is going to love it too.  Her mom was killed last week by the ex boyfriend and now she has no parents.  I'm sending it out today.

 I love the quilting design on this one too.  Just look at those gorgeous flowers.  It took a long time to quilt up, about 30 minutes per row, but so worth it in the end.  I'm going to have to make one of these for me in reds, white and black.

I guess it is ok to have more than one favorite.  I have four favorite children.  I just love how using up all these different scraps of fabric work so well together.  Just like lots of different people working together on a project make the project better.

I'm not a hoarder

I am a collector of necessary items.

 

 Would a hoarder do this?  $79 worth of cans and bottles recycled today.  Yes, they were in my garage for the past year and It took me an hour to sort them and it was my $79 invested in recycling fees, but I finally got around to taking them in.  A hoarder would have held on to them for at least two years :)

My husband thinks I should get rid of the junk in the garage, but I think the solution is to build more shelves.  Especially since I have such a great shelf building son.  We built two sets of shelves today and they are actually straight this time.  We are getting better.  Not good enough to go into buisness quite yet, but getting there.  We were too lazy to find the level, so yes, maybe I am a hoarder because I think we have three levels around somewhere, but I just can't find them, but after we build a few more sets of shelves, I know we will come across them in all the treasures we have out there in the garage!

Look, the boxes are all nicely on the shelves and there is even an empty spot.  Did I bring anything out from the house yet?  Oh, no, so I must build more shelves.  I am not a hoarder, but I must have a shelf building disease.  Don't get too close, it may be contagious.

My son actually suggested we get the garage clean enough to park a car inside.  Silly boy, that's not what garages are for.

At least now I can see the boxes and take one at a time and empty them out.  That makes me happy.

I think I will wait until Christmas vacation to build more shelves.  I'm so sore from all the day's activities.  And I have plenty of work ahead of me with all of these boxes that I can get to now.  I bet I could empty half of them.