Chapter 58, two new finishes!

I finally finished the flamingo block (the one the pommie undid) and the second block in the "Year of the Wiener" quilt. LOL only 14 more to go. To be honest, when I actually just sit and stitch (even with the pommie on my lap) they go quickly. I already love this quilt, and the memories it is bringing back of the wiener girls. I mailed Miss Ruby a copy of the pattern today as well as a few of the memories that go with the bocks. I hope to get the third block started tonight. I am also eagerly awaiting the beginning of the sewing and embellishing of the projects we are doing over at stitchmap. I love my mentor! and I think the projects are going to be beautiful.

Chapter 57, fabric changes and pictures

well, after digging around in my fabric drawer, I found three more pinks. I think I like the tone on tone the best with these fabrics for my project but just not sure. I also took pictures of my work on Skye's block in the cobalt blue RR. It hopefully will go out in the mail tomorrow. I have had a case of sun poisoning, so have not been able to do much the last few days. but the rash/blisters are slowly going away, and I am able to sleep again. so I have hopes of being back at my crafting in a few days.

Chapter 56, fabric for the class

well, I switched a few pieces of fabric around in my selection for the CQ class/project. I am short on solids and tone on tones, most of what I have is patterns for scrap quilts. I am hoping this grouping works. I love the colors. I can't wait to get started on the sewing. I have finished working on the block for the cobalt blue RR. I will take some pics and post them tomorrow.

Chapter 55, Pommies, crabs, and sunburn

We took the kids to the beach yesterday. We all got sunburned. I am really sun sensitive, and get second degree burns, and it looks like that is what I am going to have on the back of my arms and thighs. It is already starting to blister. sighs. Oh well, am doing better than normal. for the past three years I have had bad burns by the end of May. this is the first bad burn this year.
I had planned on stitching last night, but at the last minute, Anthony decided to by crabs. So I had my first experience steaming live crabs last night. I had gotten a crab steamer a couple of weeks ago, but we had not tried it yet. On the way home from the beach we passed a crab shack, and Anthony bought 3 dozen all you can eats-mediums. The nice man using thick gloves and long tongs put the crabs in two big paper bags for us, and off we went. We got home and the kids went to shower and change and I set about cooking crabs. I put the bags on the floor, and got the water boiling and the steamer set up. Then I dumped the crabs in the steamer (I had no gloves but I was armed with long tongs) so here is the picture. I am in the kitchen wearing my bathing suit, hair in two braids, all hot and sweaty as only a big woman can sweat, with two paper bags of crabs ready to be dumped into the steamer and Three dogs wondering what the heck is in the bags. The first bag dumped in pretty easy, just a few crabs grabbing at the tongs, but the second bag was a different story. I got it dumped in the pot, and two of the crabs climbed out and went scattering across the top of the stove, one went into the trash can (which luckily I had just emptied) and the other hit the floor moving. The two big dogs headed for the living room. they did not know what that nasty thing was and they wanted no part of it. The pommie wanted to protect me, and got between me and the crab, the poor crab was trying to get away from everything, and now he has a barking pommie on him. Well the crab quickly cornered the pommie (I had to rescue him) and was doing his best to get away from the long tongs, while I was doing my best to hold the pommie (who was scared and barking) keep my bare toes out of the crabs reach, and get him with the tongs! It would have been easier if I had not been laughing so hard. I could clearly see myself and was very glad no one else was around to see it. I finally got he crab back in the pot, pulled the other one out of the trashcan and got him in the pot when the first crab got out again. I cornered him against the microwave, tossed him in the pot and slammed the lid on the pot. It took the pommie about 10 minutes before he was willing to get down on the floor and even then he kept looking around for the nasty crab. It took a lot of cuddles and a few treats to make him feel better. LOL

Chapter 54, my inspiration

okay, here are the pics that are my inspiration. I just have no idea how to make these into crazy quilt blocks!!! well, one is not a flamingo. I have noticed that as much as I love crazy quilting, and all things Victorian, I still keep going back to birds. I love peacocks, flamingos, cardinals, blue jays, all birds. I am not sure if that is Victorian or not. LOL I guess is just adds to my weirdness. Collecting birds, crabs, mermaids, and seashells, okay and a few friendly dragons thrown in with a few fairies sprinkled about.

Chapter 53, a work in progress

This is a sampler I am working on to practice/learn stitches. I wanted to try a band sampler, and started out with a band, but it just kind of evolved from there. Amanda has helped pick out some of the colors, and has decided that a mermaid and fish would look good on it too, so will incorporate them. just not sure how yet. I am open to suggestions. I am still planning on making a band sampler at some point. LOL but then who knows, as I have great intentions, and then my "fancy" runs wild and I just have to create something. I also have these pis of flamingos I took at the zoo, and Miss Ruby inspired me to create a block using the colors I see, but not sure how to go about doing it, and I don't have any bright pinks and greens. so not sure how I will create my flamingos. but I can see the block in my mind, with flamingos dancing all over it. i also have to get grandma's quilt going, something with peacocks and tulips and irises. LOL I know, I go into this head first, jump right into the deep end. but I already am so in love with crazy quilting. I can't wait to learn more.

Chapter 52, I have a mentor!

I joined a group called stitchmap on yahoo. You kind of sign up to be mentored in your craft. There is a crazy quilting class starting this week. Last night we were given our supply list and assigned to a mentor! I am so excited. Miss Ruby will be taking the class too. (She has a special place in my heart/friends list as she loves wiener dogs) My Mentor is Shari. There are 6 mentors in the class. Each mentor has two "apprentices" and the mentors will be doing the projects right along with us. Our first job was to get a 3" 3 ring binder. I do not have a 3" but I found two 2" so I am hoping that will be okay. I am so excited to get started! I hope to learn so much. Stitchmap is a wonderful group of talented and supportive women.

Chapter 51, the future is in trouble

did you ever see your future and think, "Oh my, this is not going to be fun?" I have had glimpses of it lately, mostly over the past year. And lucky for me, I am only a minor player in this future. For I have looked into the eyes of 10, almost 11, year old girl, and had flashbacks of my mother and grandmother, and the pained look on their face as they looked in my eyes at that age. and the only thought running through my head is "hang on tight, we're in for a bumpy ride!!!" Now before anyone says anything, I love this child as if she were my own. I would do anything for her, including incurring her wrath by saying the dreaded "no", "hell no," and "not in this life time missy!" I will suffer through slammed doors, glares, pouts, fits, tears and all other manner of torture devised by the preteen and teen age female mind, all in the name of love. While I am pretty sure that the eyes looking at me right now are not the eyes of the sweet, loving gentle 6 year old angel I first fell in love with, from experience I know that in years to come I will look back this upcoming time of our lives and laugh (most likely when this angel is dealing with her own little darling) right now I cringe. I would not change places with anyone else in the world, as I look forward to seeing her blossom into an adult, and know that this process must happen in order for her to become an adult, there is an ache in my heart too, as I see the sweet angel growing, changing, testing limits. sighs. I know how my mom must have felt. I just wish she could be around to see that I survived my blossoming time (my mom died when I was 13) and became a talented caring woman. Amanda will be an amazing woman when her process is finished. Of that I have no doubt. But it is going to be a long ride. I think of the other darling asleep upstairs, and at this point whole heartedly agree that boys are easier!!! That may change, as right now he is only 12. being a parent, or a step-parent is not for the faint of heart.

Chapter 50, to many ideas floating around

I can't sleep. I joined a new yahoo group today and I am so excited. It is called stitchmap and was created to give newbies a chance to learn from a mentor. I can't wait to take my first class/assignment and have a mentor. there is so much to learn. I have so many ideas floating around in my head right now, besides the "year of the pommie" embroidery LOL. I was thinking of a crazy quilt where you use silkies of ladies' heads and create cameos on the blocks, using beads and gold or silver thread to make the "frames" not sure how it would work, but I can see it in my mind. I should be asleep. the kid are here, and Nicholas will be up by 7 tomorrow. It will be a busy day, but I want to create so bad. My finger is sore from embroidery, plus I kind of slammed two of my fingers on my right hand in the window earlier, so I am icing it. which means no embroidery for me tonight. sighs. I wonder if I will ever be able to create all the thing I can see in my mind?

Chapter 49, jealous pommies, pink bras, and embroidery

WhooHoo! the first "Year of the Wiener" block is done! LOL only 15 more to go. It went pretty quickly. So Maybe, just maybe I will get these done by Christmas. I was hoping to scan the patterns in and get them e-mailed to Miss Ruby, but can't figure the scanner out. I will try again tomorrow, and if not, will get them in the mail to her on Tuesday. unfortunately, the lovely pink flamingo embroidery was a casualty of pommie jealousy (imagine, working on a "year of the wiener block, and not a "Year of the Pommie" block, I mean really!) so I had to pick out part of her wing, wash her, and am in the process of restitching her. I guess it would not hurt me to design a "Year of the Pommie" quilt too, LOL. mmm will have to play with that idea when we take the kids to the beach this summer. Maybe I can come up with set of patterns by January. As for pink bras, I have finally crossed over. I am not quite sure when it happened, but I noticed that it did happen. It used to be that I did not care how the bra felt, as long as it was pretty, sexy, and i felt made the "girls" look perky, or at least better. Having thrown out a few bras this past week, and gotten rid of one of my "pretty" ones because it left welts and digs in my shoulders, i went bra shopping. What surprised me as I shopped is that I am at the point in my life where "sexy" and "pretty" really are not the biggest selling points anymore. I found myself looking at what years ago I considered "old lady bras" You know the kind. the 18 hour cross your heart, only come in beige, white, and sometimes black or a pale pink. Full cups, no half cups, or tiny straps. No underwires to cut in or poke out. The kind of bras that seem to always look the same no matter how many times they have been washed. They promise to hold the "girls" up. keep them from hanging down to my knees. not sexy, just functional. Know what the big shocker was? they felt better. No more welts, or bruises. No more adjusting straps, or wondering if the "girls" were going to escape in any way. No worrying about lace or patterns showing through my shirts. The "girls" are up off my knees, nothing is poking, prodding, or bruising, and I feel comfortable in my clothes. Now back to embroidery, with the "girls" safely encased, and no more discomfort, I find I am enjoying the handwork more, as there is no more pain. Good thing. LOL maybe I should do an "Age of Bras" quilt, showing the differences we look for as we age. mmmmm and maybe not LOL. We get the kids tonight. I have to take them into work with me tomorrow. I am being paid to come in for two days and look at the math curriculum. So as Anthony is working tonight, I will take the kids with me tomorrow, and he will watch them Tuesday. Then I am off work, until August 3. seems like a short vacation lol. Oh well.

Chapter 48, The Last Day!!!

Yes, today is the last day!!!!!!!! June 5 was the last student day, and today, June 11 is the last teacher day!!!! I don't have to go back to work until the beginning of August!!! July 13 we are flying into Las Vegas for a couple of days, then we drive to CA and visit family (I get to see the wiener girls!!!) We will be flying home July 26. This Sunday we get the kids, and they will be with us for almost 2 weeks. ( I love having the kids here!) we have plans to go to the beach, work in the yard, move furniture, and hopefully get my sewing room set up. It will probably be a busy summer, But today is the last morning of me having to be up early for over a month! LOL even though I know I will still get up early, now I won't have to. I plan on getting some of the Year of the Wiener blocks done in my morning time. well, off to work. (with a huge smile on my face LOL)

Chapter 47, The Beginning

Okay, as I finished the baby afghan, and one of my other embroidery blocks (which is destined to become a potholder) I allowed myself to begin two new projects. I started on my "Year of the Wiener" quilt, and I started one I am doing just for fun. The wiener blocks are simple, but I am doing the words first as I hate embroidering the words. (No, I don't know why) I also took a pic of the wiener girl I did on Miss Ruby's block in the Cobalt group RR. I thought it turned out so cute!

Chapter 46, almost done!

Friday, June 5th was the last student day. (okay maybe, just maybe I danced for joy as I put my darlings on the bus LOL) this week is it. We have to go until the 11th, then we are off for the summer!!! I have to admit it was a bittersweet day. my four 8th graders will go on to the high school, and given time to recover from them, I will miss them. I did finish my granny square baby blanket, just have to get a picture of it. I have been busy today. put on my apron (Oh how I love aprons!!!! I just wish I had some pretty ones) and made beef stroganof, and lasagna. Also made home made sloppy joes. So I don't have to cook to much over the next few days. The next block in the Cobalt RR came this week, so tonight I plan on looking at it and dreaming. I need to e-mail Ruby back about the "Year of the Wiener" embroidery, and once I dig it out, I can almost promise I will be ready to work on it. I just can't decide if I want to do it all in one color (kind of a redwork type thing) or play with all my colors, maybe add some beads and some tatting too, LOL (it seems once you start crazyquilting, you want to embellish almost everything!) I will think on it for a few hours and see.