Tonight I tried a new Weight Watchers recipe and I wasn't excited about it...I felt it needed more flavor! Mark said it tasted really good. I made Orange Beef with Broccoli...it uses broccoli slaw. I think next time I will use real broccoli and more orange juice (fresh squeezed!). I squeezed the oranges and zested the orange! I felt like Martha Stewart - LOL!

I have another new recipe I want to make but I am a little unsure so I think we will be having stir fry for dinner tomorrow night. I am hoping I will be able to do some beading tomorrow night.

I was so excited that I was able to help Wendy, Jen, Judy and Tori cut fabric for the next three months of block of the month club at Frank's Sewing Center. I was so glad I got a chance to do some "quilting" related crafting. I have not had a lot of time to quilt...I have a lot of other things that have been taking up my time.

I did follow up with my insurance company today and I am working on setting up my sleep apena test. I am hoping to set it up for next weekend...this weekend I have other plans with my family! I also need to go to have my cholesterol level tested and other blood work as well. Tonight on Biggest Loser they talked about sleep apnea and how weight loss decreases how much you snore, etc. The doctor also explained that blood pressure increases when you have sleep apnea so there is hope that my blood pressure will go down.

Wow it's already Sunday

I was so looking forward to Friday and it was all I expected. I was so glad it was time to go to Wendy's Block of the Month at Frank's! Wendy made Fudgy Snow Balls...Ohh they were sooooo yummy! Wendy also showed us a lot of neat things at the store. I bought two Daydreams charm packs and one Daydreams jelly roll, also, one charm pack of Fossil Fabrics and a Debbie Caffrey pattern called September Song. Now my question is what can I make with two charm packs and a jelly roll???? After a fun filled evening Wendy, Jen, Sherry and I went to dinner at Mama Mia's...Yum. I am sure the garlic bread was not WW friendly. It was wonderful to sit and chat with friends.

Now the only problem I had on Friday was going home...it snowed and the ground was slippery and icy. This is a problem for a person who drives a Camero. I couldn't make it up a hill by my home...I kept sliding back and could only get to a certain point...no farther. Mark had to come and get me. I drove the truck home and Mark figured out how to get the car home. I had to turn the truck around and loop back to where Mark was. He was gone with the car but several other cars couldn't make it up the hill either. Once Mark got home with the car, we couldn't get it up the driveway. We tried pushing the car, backing the car in, pulling it in, etc. We ended up getting a parking permit and parking it on the street.

Saturday I did some organizing and cleaning off of our table we had a garbage bag full of papers, etc on the table. Then I decided to take the Christmas tree down. Yes it is finally down. I still have some Jim Shore Christmas decorations up and I need to take them down soon. The success is the Christmas tree being down. I also need to get a box from work to put my nutcracker in. My aunt gave me one for Christmas which is great and tall but I need something to put it in so it doesn't get broken.

Again one of the problems we had was getting the car up the driveway...it made it to the back door and got stuck...yikes...Mark tood the sand in a tube out of the trunk and used that - amazing - he got the car into it's parking spot in the driveway. I asked him what we are going to do as the car is having such a bad time this winter (getting stuck that is) and Mark said we just park it until spring. Nice idea but we often have two different places to be so we have to fix this!

Today I am doing laundry and watching TV and checking out other blogs. I still need to balance our check book and pay some bills but it will get done soon. I am feeling lazy today which is common on weekends.

I'm Following Through

I am following though on one of my goals...I am blogging tonight! When I look out my window I can't believe it is snowing. I know it was predicted but I am just not wanting it to snow again. I love the snow but I don't like to drive in it. Depending on how much we get depends on how hard it will be to drive to work in the morning. I have a Camaro and it is not a snow car. Because of the snow Emma is feeling very snugly. She is cuddled up between Mark and I. She sure does like being between us and snuggling.

Yesterday I read others blogs and commented on them ... Yeah. It's been hard with not feeling well. I can't believe this cold is holding on ... I was really dizzy today and still feeling that way tonight. I hope this cold goes away soon.

Well tomorrow is BOM at Frank's. I can't wait ... I love going... there are so many wonderful people there. I hope I am feeling better so that I can enjoy myself.

This weekend I am going to go to a Sew Day at Wendy's church. I am going to finish my winter flannel quilt. When I worked on it at Jen's Sewing Day I didn't have enough fabric to put the top and bottom border on... I will be able to sew two pieces of fabric together and add the order. I have the backing and once I have the top done I will be able to pack it and layer it and quilt it.

4 Day Quilting Retreat

Wow it has been a while since I posted but four of those days I was in Elkhorn, WI at Lutherdale at a Quilting Retreat. I did not make either of the projects but brought about 15 projects and completed 10!!!!

I was called a prolific quilter by some of the ladies in our group at the quilting retreat. There were 41 of us and I was in the group on the lower level. Obviously there was a group on the main level. Well the first night I made Kristie (one of my roommates and quilting friends from before going on the retreat) a runaround bag and wonder wallet. Prior to this and a while after I arrived I met my other roommate and quilting friend from before the retreat - Kathy and she introduced me to Carol. We three of us went out to dinner and had Chicken pot pies. I should say we had pot pies which the chickens ran through to give it flavor and very little chicken...but what was there was good.

Friday morning I lost my mind and decided to try paper piecing again. I did it once or twice before but this time it was a much harder project and I think I have paper pieced myself out for the rest of my life ... or until I forget the pain I was in when I was paper piecing ... whichever comes first. Okay I made a wall hanging with two pumpkins and a cat wearing a mask...it is adorable but there are millions (okay a tiny exaggeration) of pieces. I told Kathy and Kristie that they could smack me upside the head if I ever get it in my mind that I am going to paper pieces again. When that painful experience was over I then worked on an Origami bag. This did not take long and all the ladies on our floor loved it and wanted the pattern. Many of the ladies made the bag and it was the hit of the retreat. I was told that next year I need to bring another easy project. Several of the ladies told me I should be teaching quilting and projects as they thought I was quite good at it. Ohh my me teach!!!!! I don't know about that but I took it as the compliment it was meant to be. Linda heads the retreat and last night (Saturday) I mentioned the comments that were made and she said that she thinks I should be teaching as well. Wow how is that for a compliment!!!!!

Okay the bag doesn't take too long and that was with reading the directions and making it for the first time. I then worked on some two table runners....before you know it - well it was late and time for bed - Late is somewhere between 1:30 and 2:30 a.m. Okay before I went to bed I tried to make an easy project...a pillowcase...somehow this is just not the project for me. I sewed it according to the directions and Kristie told me it didn't look right and suggested I rip out all the work I did ... well I hemmed and hawed and finally ripped it all out...fixed it and proceed to sew the seams...somehow I broke two needles and one of them was titanium. Kathy tried it on her machine and it was fine....I just think I was too tired but who knows.

Suddenly I wake up and it's Saturday...well after breakfast I decide to work on making a top for a table runner I have wanted and just never gotten around to. Well I run into a snag because well I forgot it uses triangle paper. Okay well lucky for me we are going shopping later so I cut out all I can and then it's time to go. We went to Backyard quilts where I check out how to make my flannel and chenille quilt that suddenly I just couldn't remember which is supposed to be the binding (blue with snowflake), inner border (white) and outer border (fabric with words in blue). Okay this is also a reminder for when I decide to finish the quilt because you know I will forget by then. Well anyways I wander the store and end up buying a book and a bunch of fabric that is used on the samples in the book. I decide that I have fabric at home that I will make a tree skirt someday for my mom which is in the book. Then we stop at Sammy's Pub and I have Italian beef (which Carol and Kathy tell me is delicious and ohh were they right)! After that we head over to Milton to Loose Threads. There I buy more of the delicious fabric that I started to buy at Backyard Quilts. Ohh I am a fabric junkie. I think when we got back I laid down for an hour or two because I was fighting a migraine all the long weekend. Then I finished the table runner and was ready for show and tell. Ohh the first night I finished the hand binding on my mother-in-law's quilt and early on Friday I finished the First BOM Block for Wendy's group. Ohh is it beautiful. After show and tell I started cutting the chenille and flannel. Ohh was that a pain and I asked Linda for some suggestions as to how to cut some of it and square it up. This morning I finished cutting the fabric into squares so that later on I can finish this quilt! So needless to say I was quite busy. When I got home I dumped all my stuff in the living room and here it still sits. I left Lutherdale at about 10 AM and arrived home about 11 AM. Emma was very happy to see me and is now laying on my hip to tell me it is bed time...so I better finish this post.

When I got home I talked to Mark and then slept because my migraine medication was kicking in. When I woke up an hour and a half later it was time to get up and I ate a hot pretzel...not much for lunch but I wasn't feeling too good still. I laid down with ice on my temple because my headache was revving up and well I just didn't want to end up in the ER this weekend so it was nap time again. Then when I woke up Mark took me to the Machine Shed. I have been soooo lazy today and I can't believe it is almost 10 PM. Ohh well it is off to bed for me and I hope you all had a great weekend. I know I did. I made several new friends and one of the ladies Frannie and I talked for an hour and a half or so one night ... I got up at 2:30 AM to go to the bathroom and just checked to see if anyone was sewing and she was so I sat and chatted with her. What a great time I had but I did miss Mark and Emma and was glad to be home as well. I did miss seeing Michelle and her group when they came and visited Jen and Cindy and I did miss the Wendy's BOM group that meets at Frank's Sewing Center.

Very Busy Week

Sunday, September 16, 2007 - Very Busy Week

Wow...I can't believe it is Sunday and I have not posted since Monday!!! I have been very busy not only quilting but doing stuff with my Mark (my husband) and Emma (our Springer).

Tuesday night I got off of work a little early so that I could run and get the backing for my mother-in-law's quilt - I didn't take a lunch so that I could leave a half an hour early and make it to the quilt store in time. I knew on Friday I was going to my block of the month club early so that Jen and I could baste my quilt! I had the top all done and now I just needed to baste it so that I could start quilting it. Then I came home that evening and made a really nice dinner for my husband - Chicken Cordon Bleu, Au Gratin potatoes and asparagus - it was really good and Mark said it was the best dinner he has had ... better than a restaurant.

Wednesday night was my quilt guild meeting - Patched Lives is the name of the guild. I missed part of the program but my feet have been killing me lately so I needed to come home and put my feet up. (I have plantars faciatis - don't think I spelled that right but you get the idea). We learned all about the upcoming programs and I got to see several of my quilting friends that I haven't seen in several months...unfortunately I missed the last three months...one of the members was sure to point that out to me. Our guild has a waiting list but I did pay my dues so I guess if I have things going on it is okay to miss some meetings. Then at the beginning of the meeting our president of our guild started talking about if you are not able to attend a majority of the meetings you should pay the guest fee and inferred giving up your membership so that someone else can have your spot who will attend. That seemed awfully harsh to me but I understood what they were saying but why can't they pay guest fees and come to the meetings??? When I came home I decided that after having my feet up I should finish my August block of the month club block. I then put that row together and sewed it to the rest of the top...well I just wasnt' paying enough attention and I was tired so I added it to the top and not the bottom so I took that off and went to bed.

Thursday night I went to a jewerly party and had a great time. My friend who had the party has an English Springer Spaniel who is one month younger than Emma. Baily is a peanut. She is sooo small esp. compared to Emma who is a large female English Springer Spaniel. My Emma is very tall and long for a springer but she is sooo wonderful. I got home late in the evening and decided to put the next row on the quilt top and go downstairs and try to bring my roll of batting up. Well Mark brought it up as well I thought I was going to throw my back out trying to get that huge roll up the stairs. I then cut the batting for my mother-in-law's quilt so that I could baste it Friday.

On Friday I had to be to work early so that I could leave early....I needed to be to Frank's Sewing Center where the Block of the Month Club that I attend is held. Well I came home and I made the mini meatballs for the snacks we were having at the BOM Club. They tasted really good! I got to Frank's and after I dragged all the stuff that I had in...there was Jen ready to baste the quilt. She uses a basting gun which I had never used before. It worked very well except I jammed one of the guns. Jen said when she got home it wouldn't take long to fix...well then next thing I know Wendy and Brad are telling us about a deal on the Gracie quilt frame and Jen bought it! YEAH JEN! She has really wanted one and this was a great deal. Before you know it everyone is getting there for block of the month club, Jen and I are done basting the quilt and we are all trying all these yummy snacks and Watermelon Vodka jello jigglers. We all really had a great time and there was quite a variety of snacks (appetizers and desserts). We learned how to make the next block and well we were quite a talkative group that night so I didn't get home until 9 or 9:30 PM.

Then it was Saturday and Jen and Cindy were picking me up so we could go to the Quilt Expo at Madison's Alliant Energy Center. It was sponsored by Nancy's Notions. We also went to a lecture by Eleanor Burns. She is funny, quirky but funny. It was about the Magic Vine and I then went and bought the book. I also bought a shorter version of it as a kit and I can't wait to make that. The three of us had a great time and at the end of the night met my husband at The Machine Shed for dinner. We were hungry because we ate from one of the refreshment stands not knowing there was more food out in the corridor. Well I got the last hot dog for 10 minutes...Cindy and I couldn't figure out why that was as they had a ton of them on the heating tray that turns the hot dog. The food was well it left a lot to be desired so it was lucky we had snacks in our bags...mini twix bars and twizzlers. I also got a pretzel and it was very dry. Lucky I had gotten some hot cheese to put on it. I sure did buy enough at the Quilt Expo and a fun time was had by all.

That is the shortened version of my week...I still know that it is a long post so I hope I didn't bore anyone.

Maureen

Sunday, September 16, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Posted by SewAndSnip
Friday night and Saturdays quilt show were just the best. A great time was had by all. My feet are still tired. Cindy

Sunday, September 16, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Posted by luv2quilt
I wasn't bored at all! You have been a busy girl! Glad you had fun Friday night and Saturday. I'm jealous I didn't get to go though.....but I have 6 new windows! Michelle

Think I'm Ready to Give Up for Today

Sunday, September 9, 2007 - Think I'm Ready to Give Up for Today

Today started out as a good quilting day and then well I messed up on my Block of the Month quilt...I put the second row on backwards and then proceed to put the next set of sashing on. Well first I took the sashing off because it was on the wrong side of the row; then I removed the incorrect row so that I could turn the row over and put it on correctly. This took more time than I thought it would.

I also was going to get a lot of cleaning done today but well it just again didn't work out. I was going to start cleaning after I got the second row completed...well instead I was cleaning up the strings and then I found that I have somehow lost the cover to my Gingher scissors (little pair). Don't ask me how but I did. I am worried that Emma ate it. It would not be good for her if she did eat it. On top of that I wanted to run to Joann's well I can't find my coupon so I can get my 40% off of my backing fabric for my mother-in-law's quilt. I also wanted to get to Office Depot for some stuff for the Color Confidence course I am taking on September 22nd. I am very excited about that course but not about the lack of things completed. I also wanted to get the Block of the Month block from August done so that all I have left is September but I just don't have the energy or motivation. I really don't like when I let all of this get to me. Ohh well, when my husband gets back from Home Depot I am going to the grocery store. Poor Emma ran out of treats today so I need to go to the store for her. There is stuff for us that I need but she is my priority. Someone at work told me that when they come back in their next life they want to be my dog because I treat her like a princess. I then teased that I should get her a tiara. (Only thing is Emma would not like it, would knock it off and eat it!) Well Mark is pulling in the driveway so I am off to the grocery store.

Hope others are having a good Sunday!

Sunday, September 9, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Cre8tiveQuilter
Hey...breathe! I think you've just got too much going on today! Maybe just pick one thing to work on for the moment whether that be sewing or cleaning. Mom's upstairs neighbor is getting a liver and white springer spaniel puppy on the 22nd.

Sunday, September 9, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Posted by cowgirl4ever
My day has been much like yours.. things just haven't gone my way and then to make things worse I got called into work and well that is a long frustrating story for another time. I hope your day gets better and you find the cover to your scissors in the couch cushion or something. Heather

Sunday, September 9, 2007 - you sound like me !
Posted by boopie
Guess you didn't have that good of a day. It sounds like one of my many ! LOL ! hopefully tomorrow things will go better ! Boopie

Sunday, September 9, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Posted by SewAndSnip
Your day sounds like mine. I got up and had good intentions but it just went down hill from there. There's always tomorrow. Cindy

Saturday Social Craft Event

Saturday, September 8, 2007 - Saturday Social Craft Event

Well today I went and helped Jen and Cindy with the Social Craft Event they had at her Grandma's/Mom's Apartment Complex. There were some interesting people...three ladies who stopped in were very nice, one crocheted for about 20 minutes (she is having surgery on her eyes soon), one who was very nice and brought a picture of a sweater she made when she was young (she started knitting when she was 6) and a third lady who would like to do some crafting but she has tremors and is unable to (she was very nice). Then came the card playing group and they had nothing nice to say...first the room is too cold (so I politely turn the air conditioning up so it warms up), then it is too warm (so I move the cushions that were in the way of the air blowing over by them and they tell me if they aren't put back they will get in trouble), then our machines are too loud and we talk to loud (I think I kicked my speaking voice up a decibel or two ). Anyways it was nice to spend time with Jen, Cindy, Arlene, and I got to meet Kitty and Kari.

I also got a lot done today. I fussy cut the borders for my mother-in-law's quilt (which ended up being too small so I had to re-cut and pray that there was enough fabric when I got home). I also cut and sewed all of the parts for my block of the month quilt so I am hoping to work on putting that together this week. I was going to work on a run around purse by Lazy Girl but I did not get it started...hopefully tomorrow or the next weekend. When I wasn't sure if I would have enough fabric for the borders, I called Jen in a panic...she needed to talk me down because I was so upset with myself. I also had several other problems this evening but in the end it turned out really nice. Jen is going to download a picture for me on one of the two websites. Tonight I also cut the binding for the quilt and tomorrow I will sew it and iron it so that it is ready when I am done layering and quilting the top. The quilt will either be a birthday present or Christmas present...I am going to let my husband pick out which one.

On Friday, Jen and I are going to go to Block of the Month Club so that I can get this basted; I am going to try the basting gun that Jen has (I wonder if I need to bring masking tape like I do when pin basting - I better find out!) I also don't know if I will use invisible thread or if I will use colored thread. What do the rest of you do when you quilt the top?

Hope everyone is getting a chance to quilt!

Maureen

Saturday, September 8, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Posted by CountryQuilter
sounds like you got alot done, even with the hateful people there. Can't wait to see this quilt. Kristie

Sunday, September 9, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Cre8tiveQuilter
I think I do a completely different kind of basting than you do! I've never used masking tape in my life. Since I'm self taught I just lay all three pieces down and smooth them out. Then I work from one end to the other basting as I go and re-smoothing as needed. With the basting gun, you really want your hand under the quilt so that the tacks go all the way through...or a crate thingie; and I never bought one of those because of the way that I baste. If you want to do pins and masking tape it down; that's fine too!! I'll still help baste that way.

Sunday, September 9, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Posted by lori
There's always a bad egg in every crowd ,still you got a lot done ,good for you