My baby is 39

Wow, I feel old today, my youngest child, Dan, turned 39 today. I remember the day he was born like it was yesterday. It was a Saturday and it was his grandparents 23rd anniversary. I was also 23 years old. That tells a story, doesn't it. This son has given me a run for my money, I'll tell you. If there was trouble to find, he found it, from the time he was walking, no, before. He would be tooling around in the little walker and when I heard a screech, I had better run, because he was about to hit either his older brother or the dog. He always let out a warning sound, like some alarm system that was built in. His dad died when he was 10 and from then on, no warning sound, but plenty of trouble. He now has 3 sons and 4 step children and one of the sons is giving him the same treatment he gave me. I can only pray that perhaps the grandson can learn from some of his dad's experience, but something tells me, he will have to go through it himself. Life rolls on, doesn't it.  Happy Birthday Dan, Mom loves you.

Little cutie

This is my great niece and her quilt from "Auntie". I had forgotten to take a picture so my niece sent this yesterday. I told her that if I had sent a gunny sack it would have looked good with that little darling under it. Isn't she just the cutest thing? We sure think so and she has two older sisters who are just as cute. She lives too far away, (Montana) for us to see very often, that's the bad part of this equation. Carline

TA DA! Finished top

I'm free at last, this quilt has kept me tied to the sewing machine (s) for 24 days. I've been a woman possessed! I just couldn't leave this quilt alone. I haven't done much else besides go to my job and church. My Bernina went bonkers during this quilt, started breaking needles and thread so she had to go to the shop. I got out my Pfaff and dusted it off and finished tonight. We didn't even have dinner because HRH had a late lunch and he knew there was cherry pie coming out of the oven. I am really happy with the end result of the top. I will get a back made this week and send it to a LA quilter.  I do have to say that I did walk the dog and do laundry, so I'm not a total slob but the rest of the world just kind of had to wait. I also got half the blocks made for a square in a block flannel quilt that I was doing as a leader/ender project. So hopefully, I won't neglect my blog as badly as I have been doing. Thanks Bonnie Hunter for the wonderful pattern. The picture isn't great and the quilt came together perfect as far as being square. Each side was equal to the 1/4th inch.  That doesn't always happen.

I forgot to do this last week because, well, last week was the week from you know where. but I was tagged by Amy of Not always with thread and I'm supposed to pick a picture from the fourth folder and choose the fourth picture, then explain the picture and tag 4 more blogs. I pick Calamity jane'scottage.com

warmpiewarmhome.blogspot.com  , mountainwoman@heart.blogspot.com and Ree@Pioneerwoman.com. 

This picture is a picture of (believe it or not) Maggie's 1st birthday  party with some friends who also had a standard poodle pup. We had hats, SEE MAGGIE , treats and a birthday cake made out of, you got it. Alpo! I really hate to admit that at my age ( a tender 39) I do things this silly, but now you know! Maggie's birthday is Dec 6 if anyone wants to put it on their calendar for next year. It is the social occaision of the year! She'll be 3 then.

Carline

Home stretch with help

Sunday evening I finished all the blocks and got time to lay my Double Delight out. Well, let me tell you, this wasn't the piece of cake I thought it would be, thanks to the quality control inspector. This cat has a mind of her own and it wasn't going to do any good to try to get her off that quilt. She gave her approval, big time! I like the way this turned out, I never would have put those colors together but it works. Thanks again to Bonnie Hunter for the pattern. How to quilt this one is another puzzle. There are so many pieces (I'll have to count them) that hand quilting is out for sure. I am making a flannel quilt for grandson #1 who graduates in May from high school in Montana. He loves all things having to do with hunting and nature so I'm using the group of flannels with deer, bear, fish, etc on them. I have the day off and just finished my Monday a.m. conference call so the day is mine.

Carline

Steps 3 and 4
Slow and steady, I'm getting this quilt finished. I'm sure I'm behind most of the other mystery makers, but I can only do about 6 blocks at a time before my back is aching. This is going to be a great quilt though. Thanks to Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville for the design. I have half of the brown/blue blocks and a third of the pink ones done. 

I come home from work and after dinner, I hit the sewing machine. 

I have been listening to 50's and 60's music as I sew and boy does that take me back. My older sisters and brothers listened to the 50's and so I got familiar with that as well as my 60's music, what fun! Makes sewing go smoother. Remember the sad songs like Tell Laura I love her and the silly ones like Blue, Navy Blue and Sha, Na Na! Great lyrics! LOL.

Framed Orphan block

Dresden Plate multi-generational quilt

This is a "multi-generational quilt. My great grandmother made the "plates" and they were "discovered" in a cedar chest when my grandmother passed away. My mother brought them home, put them on blocks, embroidered them with a feather stitch, put them together and hand quilted it in beautiful tiny stitches. She, unfortunately used what I think was too bright colors, pinks and turquoise, not typical for the time the blocks were made. It was probably something she had on hand as she was very frugal out of need not social conscience. I came along and found the quilt unbound so I put the binding on it and am enjoying it in my collection. The back is white, as I loved to see the stitches and encouraged mom to use that on any quilt where she asked my input. I think I love this quilt so much because of the fact that it brings together family that really were not together when they were taking on the project. It is too bad my great grandmother never saw the finished product, but I like to think she is in heaven discussing it with Mom and knowing how much it is loved. I had one left over block and I had it matted and framed. If any of you have orphan blocks, this is a great way to showcase them.

Quiltville Mystery Steps 1 and 2

Well, I finally finished the first two steps of the Double Delight Mystery from Bonnie Hunter @ Quiltville. It has a gazillion pieces in it, actually only 1200 in the first two steps. I have never done so many square in a square blocks in my life. They finish at 3.5" and are so darned cute. The way Bonnie has us do them, they come out so perfect, I can't believe it. On to the next step, and I peeked...it ISN"T square in a square. This is my first mystery and I am having so much fun. I dropped another quilt in the middle, just pushed it over and jumped in with both feet. I am determined to have Christmas gifts finished early this next year and this quilt will probably be one of them. Even if it's just for me!
Carline

Plaid cats

This is a quilt I made from plaid squares given to me by my friend Elizabeth for my 50th birthday, a few years back, well more than a few, but who's counting. She gave me a basket with 50 pieces of plaid fabric, each one different. What a great gift for a quilter, huh? I loved them. I made this quilt for HRH because at the time we had 2 "well behaved" cats who were not allowed on the furniture unless they were on a lap with a quilt on it. They actually minded too and only sat on our laps when we had a quilt on us. HRH (DH) always complained because he wanted a "cat" quilt. So this was my brainchild. The back is the "stealth" cats heads, so named because they kind of hide one in the other. I also added 3 mice. I'm not sure if they are blind or not. Anyway, those cats are no longer with us and now we have Heidi who is more like a grandchild than our child. She doesn't mind anyone, anyhow. She gets into everything. She doesn't have "bathroom" accidents in the house and asks to go out when she needs to. Doesn't get on the kitchen counter, but is into EVERYTHING else, especially my quilt stuff, She shuffles my cut quilt pieces all over the place when I turn my back on her, she jumps up and grabs the dogs tail when it is wagged then runs like crazy. I call these attacks, drive-bys. You know, like drive by shootings. No rhyme or reason. Gotta love those kitties though.

Smart Man

Subject: FW: Why math is taught in school


This is why math is taught in school.
I was riding to work yesterday when I observed a female driver cut right in front of a pickup truck, causing him to have to drive onto the shoulder to avoid hitting her.
This evidently angered the driver enough that he hung his arm out his window and "flipped" the woman off.
"Man, that guy is stupid," I thought to myself. I ALWAYS smile nicely and wave in a sheepish manner whenever a female does anything to me in traffic, and here's why..........
I drive 48 miles each way every day to work. That's 96 miles each day. Of these, 16 miles each way is bumper-to-bumper. Most of the bumper-to-bumper is on an 8 lane highway. There are 7 cars every 40 feet for 32 miles. That works out to be 982 cars every mile, or 31,424 cars.
Even though the rest of the 32 miles is not bumper to bumper, figure I pass at least another 4000 cars. That brings the number to something like 36,000 cars that I pass everyday.
Statistically, half of these are driven by females.
That's 18,000 women drivers! In any given group of females, 1 in 28 has PMS. That's 642. According to Cosmopolitan, 70% describe their love life as dissatisfying or unrewarding. That's 449.
According to the National Institute of Health, 22% of all females have seriously considered suicide or homicide. That's 98.
And 34% describe men as their biggest problem. That's 33.
According to the National Rifle Association, 5% of all females carry weapons, and this number is increasing.
That means that EVERY SINGLE DAY, I drive past at least one female that has a lousy love life, thinks men are her biggest problem, has seriously considered suicide or homicide, has PMS, and is armed.
Flip one off? ... I think not.

New Beginnings in 2009

I haven't had this much excitement on New Year's Day in years. Nope, this is it! I emptied the old box of 330 feet of cling film wrap from Costco. I put the date on it when I opened it and it was May 9, 2003. I thought that stuff would never end, I've had relationships that didn't last that long. The last month was dicey as the box was so light and anticipation so high that when I would grab that stuff, I'd just pull it right off the shelf. NO more, We have lift off folks and on Jan 1st no less. 8 and 1/2 years! I had to run out to HRH's shop to tell him. I can forgo the resolutions now, I've had my excitement and now I'm going to go rest. And the best part....drum roll please. I have another one in the garage storage. TA DA! Who said I have a dull life?
Carline