More on Computers and Quilting...and a little on tie-dyeing!

Ok first of all.........my computer is fixed!  And not without the help of my computer genius son.......(now doesn't that sound like a Mama talking?)........After picking up the motherboard and "dropping" it in to the computer.........it was such an easy job!  No soldering or much plugging in of cards or boards.......I pushed the "on" button and TADA!    Nothing.  Zilch. Nada...............I was so disappointed!  So I texted my son, Patrick, and got a promise that he would drop by to "take a look".   As soon as he took that look and clicked a couple of buttons it was up and running!  Guess the on button was stuck or something or, as I believe, "he just has that magic touch because he's my son" LOL........(there goes Mama again)...........so there is a little problem with one of the memory modules and once I get that replaced it is just like a new computer!  Yay!!!  Here it is next to my other laptop and it is charging away like it oughta be!

Ok now to the quilting part:      
I am now haunting all the second hand stores for quilting books and I found some really cool ones at Half-Price books.........two of them have CD or DVD disks so I can fire up my computer and see what my quilt pattern will look like.......(I hope, anyway.........we shall see).......One is a flannel quilting book, another has pinwheel quilts, which sounds interesting, and  another is a fat quarter quilting book.  I can hardly wait to start!

And last but not least..........the Tie dyeing...........Today I am still on vacation visiting my kids and we are going to tie dye some t-shirts and I am also going to play beauty shop and do some hair cutting and hi-lighting.........will post pictures next time!

Drunk:30

Back again and getting ready to go to work........I work at our area's only Level One trauma center.....weekend graveyard, no less.  Everything is realtively quiet most weekend nights.......just routine x-rays that keep us steadily busy until around 3:00 AM (or "Drunk:30") hits and we get the car accidents and assaults from the bars that have just closed.  When we get a trauma come in, everything changes and we must drop everything and go take care of that.  The level of care there is wonderful, our hospital has saved countless lives and my work crew is also wonderful......a crew of professionals when they need to be and really fit that old saying, "you don't have to be crazy to work here, but it helps!"  So as I get ready to go to work just wanted to say, Here's to you, UMC......proud to be a part of all the good work you all do everyday.....24 hrs and day.....7 days a week.....365 days a year!  Special thanks to Toots, KAR54, and PamCakes!
...........And while I'm here........I found out the perfect fix to Irene's little Sunbonnet Girl Mug Rug.........I didn't even have to iron it!  I just cropped the photo file!  LOL!!!!!

Computers and Mug Rugs and Rag quilts, Oh My!

This week I decided to work on the "not so dead" computer that my sis gave me.......it is exactly like the laptop I already have except for one small difference:  The power plug won't charge the battery nor will it power up from the wall.  So I decided to get online and get some tips on how to replace the plug, which was only $19.95 online.  After taking the computer apart with the Dell instructions and removing the motherboard from the housing.......I stumbled upon a deal on eBay which was a brand new replacement motherboard already in the housing which I merely have to drop in for $34.95!!  So here I sit with computer parts left and right and I didn't have to do any of it!

So I gathered all the computer parts and set them aside and decided to quilt instead!  (I will pick up the new motherboard when I visit my kids next week and install it there)

Now here is my quicky little project........and I wish I could have kept it a secret but I'm not very good with secrets, so Irene.........here is your new Sun Bonnet Girl Mug Rug......my very first mug rug!  I looks a little crooked at the lower left side but maybe we can iron it???

So now I have to get ready to go to work so that's it for now........Oh Wait!  I nearly forgot the Rag quilt part of this post:  I picked up a pattern on rag quilting...the quilt as you go kind and I also picked up a few neat quilting books at the second hand store today.  Hopefully I can start the rag quilt next week..... wish me luck!

Bless Us Oh Lord...............

Finished with the banner for my Grandson!  Tada!  I am really pleased with the colors, which is good since I spent so much time going back and forth to the fabric store trying to decide on what to use.  In the end I essentially threw up my hands and said, "What the heck......if I don't start the darn thing I will spend more time trying to decide on a plan and it will never get done"..........so here it is......I am not thrilled with my quilting expertise but, as they say........."from an airplane no one will know the difference, and anyway, only God is perfect".  So without further ado......(drum roll please).....here it is!

 

Nana always brings "surprises" when she comes to visit but usually in the way of toys or games.  My grandson will graciously accept this offering and tell me, "Nana, you're the best".........but I'm sure that will be followed by, "Do you have any more surprises???"  My hope is that when he has his own home he will remember this little gift from his Nana and do like his Dad did and teach him this little prayer............

Free! Free At Last!

I think even Martin Luther King would be happy because after many hours of un-doing, my Americana tablecloth backing is free at last!  Amazing how much quicker I can get into trouble than out!  So now I am ready to begin the quilting once again.  I decided, however to pretend to be like the seasoned quilter and go to another project so I can have an official "UFO".  (I feel so grown up!)
My next project is a banner for my Grandson.  At age 4, he has learned the prayer at meal-times so he now recites it at all our family gatherings.  I ran across a stamped linen piece at a garage sale and took it off the wooden planks it was glued to so I could quilt it for him.  I think it will be a nice addition to their dining room.  One of my biggest problems when deciding on a project is just that:  Deciding on a project.  I have pored over books and magazines to get ideas for the perfect border and bought numerous fabric pieces and I am tired so I am just going to do it.  Here is my next project:

Today while enjoying the El Paso autumn, I tried to get a photo of a Monarch butterfly for you but my batteries in my camera were dead, and of course, after the batteries were charged, the butterfly was gone.  I did, however, get some shots of my glorious Cosmos:

Until next time.....

Of Stipling, Meandering, Scavenger hunting, and just plain getting lost.......

Well here we go...........I have put together my Americana tablecloth and begun the quilting part......The first block was done definitely NOT by the Stipling method, nor, I fear the Meandering method for neither of those allows the quilter to go back over a previous stitch.  I thought maybe I would invent my own method and call it the Scavenger method because I have gone over the same places again and picked up several surprises along the way.   I am posting two photos.  The first shows the backing I decided to use for my tablecloth.  It is the same fabric I used in the center squares.  I have to argue with myself quite often because I have a tendency to want to "save" fabric so I end up with pieces of fabric with nice patterns that are sitting on the shelf.  I made myself put away the white backing I had planned to use in favor of the one I used for the center squares and I love it! 

 When I am done with the quilting I plan to turn bind the edges with the backing.
"Oh", you may ask.........."how come the backing isn't showing on that bottom left edge?"
That's where the "Just plain getting lost" part comes in...........When I quilted the first block, my machine was still on the countertop and I did that one standing up..........it was slow and not that comfortable so I picked up the jigsaw puzzle off the table and decided to do the rest of the quilting sitting down.......it was much faster that way!!  Unfortunately I didn't notice that the backing was folded underneath so all the quilting I did on the second square (yes, pretty much all of it) now has to be removed because I quilted the folded backing in with it!.........is that what "they" mean when they say "back to square 1"?????????????  Anyway..........before I get my seam ripper refueled........here is a photo of the two quilted squares I did today.........

On a roll.................

Ok I have to keep it going now that I decided to devote time to my blog again..........I worked last night and now home and trying to stay awake as long as I can because once I go to sleep that's all she wrote until tomorrow..........(I work graveyards on Fridays and Saturdays)............
So I've decided on the border for my patriotic tablecloth.........OK that is a really dumb name for it so from now on it is going to be named my "Americana Tablecloth"......(I already feel much better).....I still have more of Ruth's blocks so I am going to alternate them so it looks like my finished top is placed a half turn over a large square made of those blocks.....it will also give the table cloth edge a diamond shaped scallop. 
Here is a photo of the blocks I've placed more or less in the position I will sew them:

  I also cleared off the table in my sewing room so I can begin keeping a jigsaw puzzle to work on in an effort to help ward off Mr. Dementia and his friend, Mr. Alzeimers.......hmmmmmm I wish I could remember what I was planning to blog about...........

Feathering My Empty Nest............

Ok it has been over 6 months since my last entry and since then I have completed my Sewing/Craft/Exercise....etc room!  I promise I will try to be a more focused blogger from now on.
As I mentioned before, my new "playroom" once served as bedroom for two of my sons when they lived at home.  First it was Patrick's room and then Josh's when Patrick moved out. This past week I finally finished putting pictures on the walls and new coverings for my storage area and actually began sewing again!  Here are some photos of my Feathered Empty Nest;  I may never need to step foot back into the other parts of my house anymore!

My current project is an attempt to save and utilize some 9-patch blocks I inherited from my Mother-in-law who passed away this year.  I think it was a project started by her and her own Mother.  The colors are somewhat patriotic-looking and halfway through piecing the blocks together I decided to stop after 9 blocks and make it into a tablecloth for myself instead.  I felt this was something I would really use instead of having it put away in a closet.  Some of my other quilting plans are to finally start a crazy quilt and a scrap quilt........maybe I will combine the two??  I have to confess that I wrestle with "Instant Gratification Syndrome".......for some reason I just can't seem to work on a quilt project for very long before having to see it completed........I long to be one of those quilters who complains about having several ongoing projects that are never finished.........or maybe it is just that most of my quilt projects have been done with deadlines to meet......(have it done by Christmas, etc).......I feel like I am beginning to babble now........
Anyway...........here is a photo of the resurrected 9-patch blocks from my Mother-in-law.  Hers are the red and  blue patchwork blocks, I added the 4 dark blue 9-patch.blocks and the middle block......I think I will add a scalloped border to complete the tablecloth......what do you think?