Counting the Days...and Some Finishes!

 I am definitely counting the days until I no longer need to go to work in the morning.  I don't necessarily want these last 11 (yes, only eleven more days to work!) days to go by fast...ohwell, who am I kidding?  Of course, I do want them to go by quickly.  I am rarin' to go and excited to start and just plain giddy about the entire thought of not working!  

I am training someone to do my job.  Not an easy task.  What is so routine and mundane to me requires much thought for someone new.  I try to be a good teacher and be patient.  I am of the belief that one can always take that extra step to help...whether it be a coworker, a student, a doctor, another staff member or, and especially, a client.  Now I get questioned as to why I 'had' to do something.  I keep repeating that 'it's all in the details'.  

All I can say is this;  once I am gone, there is nothing I can do about how things are done there.  So, I'll do what I can now to train and get things organized and written down and then forget about it when I leave. 

Anyway. 

Not much has been accomplished this past week.  BUT, I did manage to get all the woolens mailed out and I do want to thank those of you who helped me out.  I still have some bundles and pieces available over at The Chocolate Puppy...take a look-see if you're interested.  Once I retire, I need to get all my fat quarters ready to go out the door.  I'll let you know how that's going.

Remember this quilt? 

It was to be for the baby of a coworker...the greens are left from the quilt I made for their first baby.  See it here.  I thought it would be really fun for the two sisters to have quilts made with the same fabrics but with a totally different pattern.  Good idea hey?  But, when I started quilting it, I didn't like what I was doing.  So.  I made this one, instead. 

Gotta love that polka-dot backing!  I haven't washed/dried it, so it's not got all that crinkly softness, yet.  I am very happy with it and am excited to give it to Baby Emily.


What do you do when you just don't like something you're working on?  Do you plow through it?  Do you ditch it and start something else?  Do you set it aside and hope that a fresh look will change your feeling for it?  I think I've done all of the above.

With the zigzag baby quilt, I decided to gift it to someone else.  So, I cut it down so there was just the zigzag center and the first solid border and am sending it to Ellie.  Julie's dog.  Poor thing doesn't have anything made by me.  ~sigh~  It is ~24", I think.

This is the first time that I finished the backside of the binding with machine stitching...I thought it turned out okay for a first attempt.  

Today, I finished the second sweatshirt jacket for Aunt Bev.  Finally.  I've been working on it here and there for at least a month.  Not like it was taking that much time.  I just wasn't getting to it.  I hope she likes it...

It's cool today, and it's been raining on and off.  Not complaining, just saying.  

I think that's all I have for now.  

Have a great weekend!  



"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.". Jeremiah 29:11

The Orange Quilt...

...is half quilted.

YAY!

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The selling of woolens over at

The Chocolate Puppy

is going well.

So far, I've sold 2/3's

of what I put up this past week.

Thank you!

Still some nice pieces left over there. 

And.

I still have overdyed fat quarters...

4 totes full.

I'll be listing them in late July.

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And, I lied.

Well, I didn't mean to lie.

On June 1, I posted that I had made my

last pre-retirement fabric purchase.

HA!

That didn't last long, hey?

Yeah, so I did.

I made another fabric purchase.

TYPE by Julia Rothman

for Windham Fabrics.

Who could resist this

collection of 7 fabrics?

Not me.

(Obviously.)

No set plan for them.

Yet.

They are for after I move.

As are many other things.

~grin~

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.". Jeremiah 29:11

Baby Cassandra's Quilt...and more.

I can finally show you this baby quilt that I finished about 2 months ago.  It's for Baby Cassandra...a sweet little baby girl whose Mommy works with me.    I used fabric from Erin of Why Not Sew? and Cathy of Turtle Hill Quilter, plus a few I had...all small prints along with Kona solid in Snow.  The backing is a pink and white checkered flannel.  So soft!!  I quilted it with diagonal lines both directions.  (These first pictures aren't the greatest.  Sorry.) 

 

 

Here's a photo of Baby Cassandra (8 weeks old) with her new quilt.  Look at all her hair!  She is as cute as a button.

I finally got thread for the orange quilt.  Hope to get that one finished, as the baby is awaitin'! 

Hope you all have a great weekend.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Later.  

oops...I forgot about the '...and more' part!
  
Lookie who came to live with us...meet Naomi Janome's cousin, Serger Sue!

 Naomi and Sue have been spending time catching up on all the news...and the upcoming exciting news we have to share!  I haven't done a test-drive, yet.  But, I did read the instruction manual!    

                                   

      
Here's the story:  I had a serger years ago...used it a lot.  Until it froze on me.  I wasn't doing much sewing then, so it wasn't a big deal.  Then, when I started sewing again, my sweet friend, Brenis, sent me a 'found' serger.  It looked almost new, but was seriously messed up.  I could never get the tension right...and it had a few other issues...and then I didn't use it.  When I moved last summer, it found a new home.  Little did I know where my path was leading me.  Now, in need of a serger again, Serger Sue came to the rescue!

Yes.  More news.  Coming soon.

    

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.". Jeremiah 29:11

Crockpot Beef Stroganoff...and Other Stuff.

I love using my crockpot.  It's so nice to come home from work and have my lunch/supper waiting for me.  I work 8:00-2:00...right through lunchtime.  I get a 15 minute break, but that's not much time to eat lunch.  I sometimes remember to take a snack along with me.  However, when I forget, or just plain don't think about it, I am beyond hungry by the time I get home.  That is when I truly appreciate my crockpot... and great crockpot recipes.  

I ran across this recipe on The Thread Catcher's blog.  It sounded so good that I just had to try it.  I modified it just a tad...here's my version:

CROCKPOT BEEF STROGANOFF
1 pound beef stew meat
salt and pepper
1/4 cup water
1 small onion, diced
1 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can golden mushroom soup
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 12 oz. pkg. egg noodles

Brown meat, add salt and pepper to taste.  
Put water, onion, Worcestershire Sauce, and soups into crockpot.  Add meat.  Cook on low for 8 hours (or high for 5 hours).

About 30 minutes before serving time, cook 1/2 package of noodles.  Drain and add to crockpot.  Add in the cream cheese, stirring all together.  When cream cheese is completely melted (~20 min.), serve.  

Scrumptious!! 

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I didn't get much done yesterday.  But, I did get this pin-basted!  If I had had the right color thread, it would be at least partially quilted.   I'll get at that this week.

And, I watched the movie, "Flight", with Denzel Washington.  Great movie...and who doesn't love Denzel!!

I am still getting wool ready to sell.  If I get another tote sorted, I will be through half of the totes, and may start listing it next weekend.  I will keep you posted.      

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When I walked into my bedroom last night, this is what I found...

It looks as if Tag got my side of the bed ready for me to jump into and then took his place.  Doesn't it?    ~grin~   Just so you know, he really doesn't lay there...his sleeping place is the bottom corner of the bed. 



"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.". Jeremiah 29:11

Orange...Finished!!

 YAY!

A finish!

Well, sorta.

The quilt top is finished.

WHEW!

And, yes.

I know the outside edges are not even...

that's what happens when I am

making this up as I am going along.

 When measuring is apparently a challenge.

At least, seems that it was this morning.

But, I'm not worried...

it will all work itself out.

The most important thing... 

I am happy with it.  

~grin~

Now for lunch.

And more sweatshirt jacket sewing.

Hope you're having a great day!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.". Jeremiah 29:11