Where has the time GONE???

Blue Angels Weekend Pensacola Florida

Birthday on Lake Fork inTEXAS 

The Capital

Me and Hubby doing hot air balloon ride in Scottsdale

San Diego coast (sea lions in the background)

Family reunion in Mississippi-Boiled crawfish

Well, well, well, I must say...Over the last 7 months I have set the record for miles traveled....Washington DC in Feb., Texas in March for my birthday (Bass fishing...my choice) Scottsdale Az in April, Mississippi in May, San Diego in May, Pensacola Fla in July, then Panama City Beach/Pensacola again in August...now we have a trip to Las Vegas in October...taking my sister and her hubby to the City that never sleeps for our and their anniversary..going to a show, maybe a trip to Hoover Dam, and surley gonna put a quarter in a slot machine or two....

The Union Quilters

My pin and postcards from Jennifer Chiaverini

Her personal message

The new novel coming out Feb 22nd- The Union Quilters



My collection of Elm Creek novels by Jennifer Chiaverini

 WoooHooo!! I've been selected to be one of Jennifer Chiaverinis' Facebook Pin Pals-The author of my favorite novels, Elm Creek Quilts, has selected me to be one of her 110 Pin Pals on facebook, and I just received my Union Quilters pin and postcards to mail out. She has a new book coming out on Feb. 22nd. I think it's her 17th book in her Elm Creek Quilts novels...Ever since I read the first one, I've been addicted, and have feverishly collected all of the ones I could find, but I'm always excited for a new book!

Circa 1904...Only 106yrs YOUNG

Well after spending amost a year and a half in storage...I brought her home....It belonged to my hubby's grandmother and possibly her mother...so I'm keepin her..But I would like to get her restored...all she's missing is her leather belt...But the cabinet has some warping wood laminet and her coating is a little rough..but other than that her treadle is in good condition...so I'm looking for someone local to get her into shape...Hubby gave me the go-ahead to get her "PRETTY" again....Until then, she'll host my featherweight until I can get a dedicated table for her too!!!

Ok...I'm HOOKED!



My new Singer 99-13..Serial # dates it to Nov 7, 1927
Runs like a DREAM

 Well, It's official..I'm totally hooked on these Vintage machines....I spent Monday morning till about 2pm at one of my quilt guilds sit and sew called "Quiltaholics Anonymous"....pretty much a "bring whatever your working on" kind of gathering. I was having an issue with the new featherweight I had just bought, and one of the ladies in my guild (Ms. Helen Matthews) was more than happy to help me figure out what was going on...apparently, I didn't have the bobbin case put back in the right way..it looked like I didn't have the "tit"  as she called it, in the 12 o'clock position, which made my top thread bunch all up, not to mention I couldn't pull up my bobbin thread without a fight...Well, it's ALL BETTER NOW......so after I left, I decided to stop by a local Antique Flea market...just because I didn't feel like going right home.  So I had walked around for about 30 min and I happened upon this BEAUTY......it was like love at first sight, I was thinking....no WAY, this CAN'T be happening.....so I waited for an employee to come by and she took the lid up to the front counter and put my name on it as she was going to send a MAN to bring the machine up for me because it was so heavy...well, I just couldn't stand it, I picked her up and RAN to the front counter. I asked if I could plug her in just to see if she came on...then I was puzzled because I didn't see a foot petal, but it had the bar thingy with it, along with an original Singer box FULL of attachments...feet, needles, bobbins...the WORKS....but WAIT, that's not the whole story...it gets better....the price tag had $50 on it. Already knowing I had the deal of the century, I asked if there was any discount and she quickly said 10%...OMGOSH......so I ended up getting this BEAUTY for less than a TANK OF GAS!!!!...I couldn't drive fast enough...Got home, took her to the quilt cave, plugged her in, then read the original manual from cover to cover, and FINALLY figured out how this thing works...that bar thingy that looked like a knee lift is actually the foot pedal...HOW COOL IS THAT????? God was definitely shinning down on me, I mean...why did I stop at that Antique shop???? She sews amazingly beautiful........And did I mention she came with an original manual, and a Bentwood cover with a key!!!  But you wanna know what else it came with??? In the bottom of the box of attachments there were two tiny pictures (like they were in a locket) of an elderly man and woman..I wonder if this machine belonged to them?? I plan on going back to the Antique shop and leaving a message for the booth vendor asking if they know the history of the machine, because it's in PERFECT condition, and because of the pictures...Maybe they might want those pictures back ....who knows....the picture of my new baby is via my phone, but I'll take some better pictures of her and post those too!!!...Have you ever gotten a DEAL like this before?????

Another Day in PARADISE! But I'm EXAUSTED!

Paradise? Yep, my Thursdays are my day in paradise...I get to go to work in a QUILT SHOP!!!

This was Pinwheels $5 Block for 2010 (You pay $5 for the first block, bring it back the following month done, and you get the next months block for FREE!) All you gotta do is stay for a short promo....I started mine, but it's still in the works!!

This is going to be our 2011 $5 Block...you get the 12 star blocks, then you have several setting options (of course that's extra$$)

This is the right side of the Notions Room.

This is the the back notions wall...rulers/templates

Left side of notions room

This is what you would see when you step into the notions room. Looking at the end cap of a case that has two sides of notions & patterns.

This is Missy and she will KILL me if she knew I put this one here...oh well!

This is the case that's two sided..patterns/notions

This is Charlottes Whimsical Garden by Piece O Cake Designs

This is a rack behind the cutting table

This is the BATIK wall...LOVE IT!

The corner window in the cutting room. The Accu-Cut is below the window.



Back wall in the fabric room..Yellows/Oranges/Browns/Blacks



This is hanging on the right side of the wall when you walk in..Usually reserved for current projects/BOM's. Aunt Grace BOM and 2011 $5 Block

Cabinet that faces the entry door...TODAY'S 50% OFF CABINET, but its usually filled with the NEWEST COLLECTIONS!

Front room with short hallway that leads to fabric room. 

Part of the BOOK NOOK

The Longarm room..Thats my quilt I'm getting ready to quilt..(Old picture, this quilt was a gift for my mother in law and it luckily won a 2nd place at our quilt show in 2009) 

In the front room next to the book nook..usually for another "NEW COLLECTION"

This was an older photo of the BATIK wall...Thats my Yellow Brick Road in April Cornell Fabrics.

Normal days are pretty relaxing, but today was CRAZY.....We are having an AFTER CHRISTMAS sale, Fabrics/notions/books 25% off, patterns 35% OFF, and some fabrics marked to $4 per yard, and all Christmas fabrics were 50% OFF!! I did bring home several (4) yards of Basic Grey Fruitcake by Moda...for my Snowbound BOM(Bunny Hill)....I just LOVE my Thursdays, especially when my co-worker Missy P is there with me, but we do get into some trouble when we're there TOGETHER...She somehow how this way to persuade me to bring home MORE FABRIC!! Guess that's why I LOVE her...I sometimes think we were separated at birth, she's just too funny!...But I was going to post pictures of the quilt shop I took today...ON MY PHONE, so pardon them if they are a little blurry...Normally I would use my Canon7D, but as crazy as it was today, I was lucky to snap a few with my iPhone... The shop is Pinwheel Fabrics...owned by Charlotte Williams. I think she has been open for 6 or 7 yrs now...Sadly to say we are few and FAR between quilt shops...We have another about 40 min away close to Hot Springs (Hickory Hills), and another about 45min away in Conway(Circle C), BUT due to the economy, this is her last week of business....:(  She's closing!..Really sweet young lady, but she just can't pay the bills......But on the upside, hopefully with the sales at Pinwheel this week, we're looking forward to the new year and NEW FABRICS!!   Here's my pics!

My QUILT world



Bernina 630E w/BSR

 


Singer Featherweight 221K

   

Brother QC1000




 

Bernina 135S


  I guess I should start blogging about my quilt world since I did name my blog after quilting. In a nutshell, I have been sewing since I can remember, started by using my moms old Kenmore machine, taking home-ec in Jr. High (made LOTS of MINI-SKIRTS), then not really doing anymore until my early thirties when I re-married. I did dabble a little with cross-stitch, but nothing else to speak of. My mom wasn't a quilter, nor did she knit or crochet, and it wasn't until after she passed that I found out she did the most beautiful hand embroidery. I only wish I'd know she could do that when she was alive so she could have taught me. So my "QUILT-AFFAIR" really didn't begin until I got a new sewing machine for Christmas, two months after I got married. And with this new BrotherULT came lessons where I did my first quilt...A STACKnWACK....QUEEN-SIZE, that I ended up quilting on my ULT...Never again will I do that, anyway I gave that quilt to my sister as it had tigers for the stack n wack and she wanted it for her new home......The rest is history so to speak... I now belong to three quilt guilds where I am the "photographer" for all three and responsible for posting to various websites. And I also work part-time at a local quilt shop called PINWHEEL FABRICS....Needless to say I don't really get "paid" to work, but I do get store credit which is absolutely FINE with ME! So I'll start with my equipment and my "QUILT-CAVE".  We recently built a home with a 26' x 14' room over the garage, which is now my quilt studio....AND I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it! I have a Bernina 630E, Bernina 135S and a Brother QC1000 and 5 days ago I bought myself a Singer Featherweight 221....Circa 1960..Why??? Just because all my quilt buddies have one and they won't shut up about them, plus they're just too dang cute! I bought mine from the owner of the the quilt shop where I work...got a really good deal too!!So I'll post a few pics of My WORLD.....

9 months and 1 day later

My trip to New Orleans

Well, what a BUSY nine months it's been, Where do I begin???Visitors from Minnesota in April, photography classes, trip to Chicago in April 2010, trip to New Orleans in May, bought a new Skeeter in May, trip to Boston in August, purchased land in September, wedding in Florida in September, trip to Oregon in September, visitors from Oregon in November.....need I say more? So here I sit the day after Christmas thinking about what I've done in the past year....I've promised myself to start blogging about my everyday things from my hobbies, to my family, to my photography, my cooking and just STUFF!! Besides the travel...ALOT has happened....so I'll try to go back and start from where my blog left off in March of 2010....more to follow....

Ok, HERE GOES!

Well, I finally DID IT!  After months of deliberation, I finally came up with a name for my "QUILTING" Blog, but the truth is, I do more than just QUILTING...I'm a stay at home Mom, well, actually I'm really busy, so I don't stay at home as much as I should...but in a nutshell, I'm now a stay at home Mom-Wife-Sister and friend..My 16yr old son has recently gotten his drivers liscense and a NEW CAR!!! OMG! So now he's on his own, which SCARES ME TO DEATH... I think he's a good driver, but I must admit, I couldn't ride with him...just too nerve-racking! I've been toting that little turd for the last 16yrs and I kind of miss not having to listen to him ask if I'll take him somewhere. It's actually funny as it seems he's not all that excited to be "going" all the time,  now that "HE'S PAYING" for the gas!
My life...born (Baton Rouge) and raised in Louisiana, had kind of a hard life growing up, left home at 15, graduated (87') then got married (88) ..that only lasted 13 years, but I did get my beautiful son from it. Then I met my soulmate in 1998 and we married shortly after I divorced in 2001! We flew to Vegas and got married (not by Elvis!) and just recently built a home, complete with my QUILT CAVE!!!(as my husband calls it). My hubby is an investment banker who handles mostly credit union portfolios....We travel quite a bit and when were home we like to fish, hunt, play golf and shoot our competition bows. Being as I grew up in south Louisiana, I have fishing in my blood and have been since I was in diapers...I'll post some fishin pictures later....I must admit this is the first time in my life that I dont have a BOAT, but hubby says it's not to far off and we'll have one in that new 3 car garage he built just for the boat! I'm not the typical wife mind you...if he gets a new rod...he better get me one to, ditto for the fishing lures..he says I'm stingy when it comes to my fishing tackle...and I AM!!! Other than that, I love my photography....I love taking pictures of the birds and horses that reside with us...the horses aren't mine...they're on the other side of our fence that backs up to a horse farm...that's a whole other story...later! I have 2 Beagles, Rudy and Petie and TWO SUGAR-Gliders, OTIS & CLOE...more on that later too!!  I lost my Mom in 2005 and my Dad passed away in MY ARMS in 2008...I'm still dealing with the loss of my Dad, but I know he's not in pain anymore and he's with Mom, but I still miss him so much! I don't think a day goes by that I don't feel like he's watching me from above...more on that later too!!!  Tomorrow will be the 2 year anniversay of my Daddy leaving US! I remember that day like it was yesterday and I remember that HORRIBLE feeling I had when he collasped in my arms..I KNEW he was gone and there was NOTHING I COULD DO......A DAUGHTER should NEVER HAVE TO GO THROUGH that pain........