Really Annoying TV Commercial

I really cannot believe I heard this on TV. An advertisement for toilet paper, extolling its new and improved ability to get you really clean. (That is just too gross!!!)

But, that wasn't the end of it. They also claimed that if you weren't satisfied, you could get a full refund. Amazing right! Think again.

You walk into a store and with a straight face, tell the clerk that the toilet paper didn't get you clean and the clerk picks up the phone and announces to the entire store, "I need a manager on aisle 3 for a tp refund because it didn't get the customer clean." And then you still have to slink out of the store.

Do you know why I know this would happen? Because I would do it to you if you came to my register and asked for a toilet paper refund.

February This ‘n That

Did you see this sky Saturday morning! Unbelievably gorgeous!

So, here it is the last week in February and I am finally getting back to update my blog. Why do I put this off so much? Could it be that my life is pretty boring? I am busy most of the time but it usually involves long drives to & from, working every day (for the rest of my life) and spending most of my free time either on Facebook or at my sewing machine. Actually, I have been busy and I can prove it.

First, I get a pat on the back. At Christmas, Marla gave me some beautiful pink and brown fabric and I instantly knew what I was going to do with it. And the good news (thanks to my wonderful friend Sue Williams) I completed my Valentine quilt. I want you to check out the fantastic quilting that Sue did on this quilt. When I dropped it off, I said, "basic quilting. This is just a little seasonal quilt and it doesn't need a lot of quilting." Well, when I picked it up 5 days later, she said "Now don't be upset…." She had decided to play with it and it was absolutely gorgeous. She also said that I could not give this quilt to anyone. The fabric was a gift to me, so the quilting is also a gift. Morgann said I could give it to my first great-granddaughter, hopefully this means I get to keep it for a couple of years. Anyway, this is mine. All mine! Isn't it wonderful! (And yes, I even had the binding done the day before Valentine's Day.)

Last Friday, Shirley and I hit the road to do a little shop-hopping. We drove all the way up to Lone Mountain Road (Carefree) to The Olde Quilt Shoppe.

It is a beautiful quilt shop, with a great selection of reproduction and homespun (woven plaids) fabrics. We did find some wonderful fabric and books but the front part of the store is very dark and it was a little hard to really see colors. The store has a wonderful ambiance with lots of old world and antique tables and shelving. If you have a chance, visit the shop sometime. We went to a couple of other shops as we worked our way south, including a stop for lunch at The Cheesecake Factory which is next door to a Borders Bookstore. Borders did not have the book or the cd we were looking for and hadn't started their closing sale, so we saved a couple of dollars there. All in all, it was a great way to spend a day and makes me want even more to cut back my work hours. The 2 top pieces are wovens, with some great texture. Can't wait to find someplace to use them. The stripe/paisely is a gorgeous reproduction piece from Jo Morton and the flag panel has some wonderful possibilities.

Can't wait to use thes linen threads on some wool work!

Busy LOONNNNNNGGGg Weekend

It has been a productive and busy weekend. Since I have had all year to do this project, are you surprised that I had to buckle down and get them done now. At the beginning of 2010, each member of our Quilt History study group was given 4 pieces of fabric to make quilt blocks for a block exchange at the end of the year. One piece (blue print) was the focus fabric and had to be used in the blocks and the other fabric could be used or something from our own collections. This past year we studied quilts, fabrics and the women of the World War ll era. The blocks were to be representative of that time period. Most of the quilts we see today that were made during the war years were either "make-do" made from scraps and flour sacks or patriotic quilts. Since a lot of women "went to work" to support their families and the war effort, leisure time became precious so we saw fewer quilts being made until the mid to late 70's (the Bicentennial Celebration) when quilting became popular again (and polyester went away!)

Anyway, I have finished my 14 blocks and they are ready to go. This is my block, red, white and blue! The pinwheel part of the block represents the women that stayed home, keeping homes together and working to support the war effort. The star is the symbol of freedom and hope.

I have also been working on this Valentine quilt this weekend and hope to have it finished in the next week.

I hope you can see the pieced hearts.

Another piece of good news for the weekend, Logann came out and helped me catalogue some of my books. I have collected (ahem) a lot of books and have found some duplicates as well as some books I need to get rid of. I am using my own Excel spreadsheet and hope to be able to download the title part of the catalogue into my cell phone so that I can have the list with me when I am looking at books to buy. Anyway, she got a lot of books entered and I super appreciate her help.

This gorgeous quilt is a BOM that is my next major tackle. It was supposed to have been completed this month but sadly, I am only on the 4^th month. Why do I need to get it finished, you ask… Because I have 2 more BOM projects that start soon!

I leave you with this ponder on:

A New Year and A Happy One

Happy New Year to friends and family. After a night of family, food and fireworks, it is time to start the new year.

I have lots of goals and plans. Some are very personal and I hope to fulfill a promise I made to Dad before he passed away. Other goals include the fact that 2011 is a milestone year for me-I turn the big 65 in July. The good news is that I can start drawing my Social Security and keep my job. Yahoo! I do plan to cut back one day at the office though. Cutting one day of that 50+ mile trip will help save on the $3.00+ gas prices.

There is so much I want to do this year and having an extra day will be wonderful. Now the goal is to keep it productive.

This past couple of months has been busy trying to get quilts ready for Christmas. Here are a couple that were under the tree.

This was a Turning 20 pattern that my bff, Irene was making for a member of her family. We spent Labor Day weekend putting the top together and I brought it home to put the border on, make the backing and getting it quilted. It is a king size and I found this great batik (so bright & cheerful) for the back. It was quilted by Kit Struc-she is an amazing quilter.

This happy quilt top is a 100% scrap quilt. It is lap size and quilted by another amazing quilter friend, Sue Williams.

This was a quilt that my friend, Frank handed me at work about a year or more ago. It was a top that his wife's grandmother had pieced. I had to replace the muslin in the blocks and square them up. It took a long time to decide how to finish it but when it was done, I was very pleased and Frank & his family were very happy. Kit Strunc quilted this for me. She did the custom quilted feathers in the border.

But there is no rest for a quilter. Marla gave me some cute valentine pink and brown fabric for Christmas and I am buried in a gorgeous BOM Civil War quilt as well as 15 blocks that have to be ready by the end of January for a block exchange in my Women and Quilt History group.

I'm off to make quilts.

Thanksgiving 2010

Thanksgiving 2010

Lisa had 3 tables set up for Thanksgiving dinner. It was an absolutely beautiful day in the valley and we ate outside. Before dinner, the younger ones (and the young at heart) played some volley ball while the football game held the attention on some of the others. After the all the food was layed out-with one full table of desserts, the brave ones worked off the calories with a little Wii dance competition while the rest of us watched.

Well, Thanksgiving is over and the carcass (turkey) is out of the house and I didn't do any shopping! I did get 9 pints of cranberry relish put up, finished my Thanksgiving embroidery (but not framed or displayed) and completed the backs for 2 Christmas gift quilts and they are now headed for the quilter. How's that for summarizing a 4-day weekend!

Thanks to my wonderful sister, Marla, the binding is on and this years Christmas quilt is on the sofa. I just walked through the front room and saw Shawn bundled under a quilt on one end of the sofa and Nikki bundled in a quilt on the other end, watching a Harry Potter movie. I should have taken a picture! I love to see my quilts being used.

I hate the hand stitching part of applying the binding. It absolutely puts me to sleep and takes me forever. I'm very grateful that Marla is willing to take that on for me. I have 5 quilts waiting for the binding now so get ready, Marla.

I am still working on a Christmas tree skirt and hope to finish that before the tree comes down the day after Christmas.

Veteran's Day 2010

For fathers, husbands, brothers, wives, aunts, sisters, cousins and friends.

For all who have come before, all who serve now and to future generations of proud Americans that will serve our country's defense.

Thank you for my freedom.

President Thomas S. Monson Speaks October 2010

I think I needed this talk by President Monson today (yesterday and tomorrow, too.)

Here are some of the things he said that really touched my heart:

"Charity is having patience with someone who has let us down. It is resisting the impulse to become offended easily."

"It is accepting people as they truly are. It is looking beyond physical appearances to attributes that will not dim through time."

"I consider charity-or "the pure love of Christ"-to be the opposite of criticism and judging. In speaking of charity, I do not at this moment have in mind the relief of the suffering through the giving of our substance. That, of course, is necessary and proper. Tonight, however, I have in mind the charity that manifests itself when we are tolerant of others and lenient toward their actions, the kind of charity thalso in times of weakness or error on the paat forgives, the kind of charity that is patient."

"I have in mind the charity that impels us to be sympathetic, compassionate, and merciful, not only in times of sickness and affliction and distress but also in times of weakness or error on the part of others."

Note to self:

I want to remember these quotes to help me redirect my own sense of charity and to remind myself that every person I come in contact with is a "soul of worth" and a child of the same eternal parents and my brother or sister. I hope that by putting these teachingsof President Monson's on "paper" and contemplating the effect they have on me, I can more closely emulate them.

My Trip to the Grand Canyon by Jan Hackett

Last weekend we took Wyatt and Eli to see the Grand Canyon. This was their first visit and I hope it won't be their last.

I am impressed with the shuttles they now run, it really helps cut down on traffic, fumes, traffic and no worries about finding a parking place. Of course, it helps to remember where you parked your car so you can get off at the right place when you return.

I have been to the canyon (South Rim only) many times and every time it takes my
breath away.

For what it is worth, I'd rather visit the Canyon or Yellowstone or the Redwood Forests of California than go to Disneyland. Not only do you get to be in the most beautiful places created by God, but you meet wonderful and interesting people. You hear people oohing and awing in so many different languages. You see small children watch very large squirrels begging for food and watch them dart around your feet and on the ledge you were just just going to sit down on.

You watch people coming and going. Sometimes you can even take a picture of your family.

You can let your 2 youngest grandsons explore new places and find hidden paths.

Then you can sit on a cool, shady porch and listen to your daughter try to explain to a frustrated 19 year old that it isn't the end of the world that she lost the car. (How did we visit the Grand Canyon 5 yrs ago without the convience of cell phones?)

You can sit in a wonderful restaurant and enjoy a relaxing lunch while you wait for the 19 yr old gd to find the car and bring it to the parking lot you are now at, so that you could have had the picnic lunch you had planned on.

You can ask Eli to smile and get this:

And then you can all be happy when the 19 yr old gd finally brings the car and the picnic lunch to the restaurant parking lot and joins you in the restaurant.

And that's why I'd rather visit the Grand Canyon than go to some other places.

The End.

Look What the Mailman Brung Me

I am so excited. Today I received 2 very cute patterns I ordered from this website. She has lots of great stuff and I will be back for more.

I cannot believe how fast they arrived. I ordered this on Thursday and got it on Monday. That is S*E*R*V*I*C*E!

Autumn Harvest Pumpkin by Crabapple Hill.

This is one of the patterns and I can't show you the other one yet. I'll post it when I finish it.

If you love to embroider but are intimidated about tracing patterns, try this wonderful new product called TRANSFER-EZE. I have been using it for a couple of months and love it. You print your pattern onto the TRANSFER-EZE using your printer, peel off the backing and place it on the front of your fabric (no iron-on, taping or pinning-it just adheres.) The next step is even easier...start embroidering.

This is the Two Blonde Mice pattern I am working now using this. You can see the edge of the pattern web and how easy it is to work the pattern.

When you have completed all the handwork, cut off most of the transfer product. Soak the project in cold water to melt the remainder of TRANSFER-EZE, dry and press to block.

Sorry, didn't mean to do a "Billy Mays" on you, but you probably can tell I am sold on this product. Now I am going to find a piece of fabric to transfer this pattern to and start stitching.

Flagstaff to Grand Canyon

Since this is probably the trip of the year for us, I'll break it down a little so we won't overwhelm you with all the photos at one time.

What do you do to prevent massive revolt by

very bored travelers (ages 7 to 19)? You give them the camera and tell them to take pictures of the sights. Now you realize that between Flag and the Canyon there is nothing. Zip. Zero. Nada. So you take pictures of the driver.

And the road signs.

Oh, yes and pictures of this....

And this>>>

And sometimes you can get a picture of a truck load of baled hay (a la Pioneer Woman.)

And then you get back into the pines and follow a white Mustang convertable with California plates going much slower than the speed limit.

Good Morning Arizona

The sun rise was casting this beautiful gold on everything in its wake. The flag we fly on the house and the the east side of the Palo Verde tree in the front yard. I wish these pictures could do it justice. Besides, I wanted to show off my new 55mm lens for my camera. I love it. (the new lens)

This was the view from the back of the house on another gorgeous morning and the next picture is the east view from the front of the house that same morning.

What can I say except I love Arizona mornings and Arizona skies.

And that is just a few of my favorite things.

Long Time Gone

Well, needless to say, it has been a while since I posted. I have often thought of posting but there always seems to be something else to distract me. (Notice I used the word "distract" as opposed to something more important...)

So what have I been up to lately? I was going to spend a day and night with one of my oldest, best friend, Irene in Pima and then head up to the ranch and spend a long weekend enjoying the last of summer. That plan went under the train when I went looking for some technical help with my software program for the website I work with. I had to be back here on Sunday so that I could be available Monday-Tuesday to meet with one of the tech people I was seeking help from.

When I got to Irene's, she had 2 quilts she wanted me to help her with so-we sewed and sewed. This is one of the quilt tops we put together. This is a Turning 20 pattern, using 20 fat quarters and 3 or four cuts to make the blocks. Cute pattern and works up very fast if you don't use directional prints.

I was looking at some of my favorite blogs this morning (I am slowly recovering most of them from my August computer crash) and found this. I love it. She has a basic picture tutorial of how to make these precious pin cushions as well a super cute hot pad. You can find it here.

As for me-I have been doing a lot of red work-finished my St. Nicholas and am also doing a nativity from Two Blonde Mice. The project that is the biggest challenge is a Block of the Month to make a gorgeous Civil War Tribute Quilt. Each month we make 4 to 8 blocks of each of these designs. The good news is I am 80% caught up. That means I still have lots of work to do. I will finish this by December though.

Red work Nativity-"It Started With a Family"

Civil War Tribute