Aussie Stars

This gorgeous block has been on my to do list for a while. The Arkansas Traveler die is currently only available if you attend a class at an Accuquilt dealer. Unfortunately, there are no dealers or classes near me.

Thankfully, I found the Traveler's Star 12” die (same design) by Blue Wren from A1 Craft and Quilting in Australia. I also ordered a 1” finished strip die, and both came with free mats. Including international shipping to the USA, the total cost was only $106. Not bad for 2 dies and 2 mats. The dies work perfectly on my Go cutter.

Aussie Stars

Aussie Stars is 43” square, made up of nine blocks in teal and bright green with black bandana print and cream prints. I've had the teal and green leaf print for a while; it gives a modern look as sashing and borders.

It takes precise stitching, pressing, and alignment to get a perfectly flat block. I'll admit to using the seam ripper on the first two, but my practice blocks went in the quilt after I got them right. The rest were a breeze.

The back is an extra block that I framed off center with leftover wide strips of teal, green, and black. I quilted with a dark cream thread in long serpentine patterns with a walking foot.

I'll be making more of this classic design, and I'll definitely order more Blue Wren dies.  Good customer service from Norma by email.  My order took a little over 3 weeks to arrive, but it sat in customs here for days.  

Blue Wren dies used:

Traveler's Star 6361

1 ½” strip 6015

Leap day is this Saturday

Double Time

Double Time

Bright crayon colors outlined with white give this quilt a happy feeling. I created double hourglass blocks using two Accuquilt dies: 6 ½” and 3 ½” half square triangles. I had this design idea while working on the small hourglass quilt a few weeks ago.

The border is made up of 2 ½” squares with 2 ½” x 4 ½” rectangles, also cut with AQ dies. I quilted in white thread, using a decorative stitch on the sashing and outlining each square with a straight stitch.  Backing is a blue and white tablecloth check print. Binding is blue and white dots. Double Time finished out at 41” x 51” size, lovely for a wall hanging or child's quilt.

I put a tiny dent in my remnant stash with this one. It gave me an opportunity to sort and cut a few more scraps before I put everything away. I've been making an effort to clean up my space between projects. It's so nice to have clear tables and everything in its place!

You never know

what you have

until you clean out

your closets

Milestones

After a relaxing week at the campground, I'm staring right at a significant occurrence in my life. Yep, my 65^th birthday is here; I have a Medicare card to prove it if you don't believe me.

I have officially reached that milestone. I am OLD. Senior. Elderly. Antique. Mature. Over the hill. Maybe even wiser. I have learned at least three things in this adventure called life:

1)  If it makes you happy, do it

2)  If it doesn't, then don't

3)  Go your own way

Turning 65 isn't so bad, really. I'm not yet senile, ancient, a doddering old crone, or ready for the nursing asylum. I have added a few extra pounds but they smooth out wrinkles and might give me a bit of a cushion if I fall down. My bones are occasionally creaky but isn't that what Aleve is for? I am still sassy, curious, and eager to learn new things.

There are nice perks to getting old. Senior shopping discounts save me a few bucks. I can eat early and get home in time for the news. Medicare costs less than my previous insurance. 

If the weather is bad, I can stay in and read. If it's pretty, I can play outside. I can sew all day if I choose to. I don't have to drive at rush hour or care what anybody thinks. I have plenty of time to enjoy my home and the world around me.

So what if I'm 65? It's just another milestone. Senior life is good. I've quit saying someday; instead I'm asking what about now? I'm looking forward to many more years of following my own path.

Now that I'm old,

I don't want people thinking

“What a sweet little old lady”

I want them saying

“Oh crap, what's she up to now?”

Quilting Frame and Reorganization Update

Here's my new toy: the Flynn Multi-Frame Quilting System. It's a lightweight three rail frame to hold quilt layers taut while free motion stitching on a regular sewing machine. It is easy to set up once you watch the demonstration video. It's portable and stores in the original box. 

The Amazon price of $136 is very reasonable compared to other home machine frames costing $1,100 and up. Those are really big too, and I don't have enough space for that.

I made a test quilt first, which I've cut into sleeping mats for Callie cat. She won't care that my stitching is cattywampus. There will be a learning curve: most skills improve with practice. Yesterday I quilted my first quilt on it, and while there are a few mistakes, I chalk them up to experience. I won't use the frame for every quilt.  Larger ones won't fit unless I get longer rails, and some designs need more precise stitching with a walking foot. 

Follow up: If you read last week's blog, you know this purchase created the opportunity to make more space around my machine by rearranging my furniture. I did order two new under table cabinets to hold thread, accessories, and tools. They arrived on Friday, and we put them together right away. Don't they look so much nicer than the plastic containers?

I cleaned out my tall white cabinets, arranging supplies closer to where they are needed and moving seldom used ones to high closet shelves. Efficiency rules! I even tossed some things into my donation box. The room is not minimalist by any means, but I am hoping to keep my space neater and organized. Callie supervised the action, and I think she approves.

Last week was busy, now on to practice on a few UFO's that I never got around to quilting. And as always, I need to use up some fabric from my stash so I can buy more.

Domino Effect

I have a new layout for my creative space. It started with 
buying myself a new quilting tool. I wanted to use it right away but because it requires a bit more room around my sewing machine, I needed to clear off and rearrange my tables. Normally I'd shove stuff around, stack things in corners, and get busy quilting. I resisted the urge.

Instead, I took a day to evaluate my space and figure out the most efficient placement for everything. First, I took out all non-sewing objects that had found their way into my room. (Not sure how that happens, probably brought in by gremlins.) I shifted the tables around on paper first before actually moving them. I tried one setup, actually sewed a few pieces, but that seemed cramped. This roughly 12 x 11 room can fill up quickly!

After settling on a final layout, I reworked drawer and bin storage with similar items together, close to where they are used. That led to a lot of consolidating and eliminating. I tossed old magazines, untangled power cords, moved a pegboard to the end of my cutting table, dusted, and swept.

I decided I like fewer things sitting out on my tables. It looks spacious, neater and I don't have to move stuff out of the way to work. I borrowed a plastic drawer unit from a closet and tucked it under the cutting table to store projects in progress. The desk area does double duty, for either my laptop or another sewing machine.

I'm pleased with everything I've done so far. I have more to do: the closet shelves and the white cabinets need attention, plus I'm considering different under the table cabinets to replace the plastic ones.

Next time I'll tell you about my lovely new quilting frame, which caused the domino effect and led to a two-day reorganization of my space. It was definitely worth the effort. I'm inspired to create!

Town & Country

Town & Country

Another week, another quilt. I designed this one to combine the formality of crisp black dots and stripes with casual retro prints in salmon and cream. Town & Country is constructed with elements from three Accuquilt dies. I sewed triangular side sections from the kite block to form a rectangle, then added a 2 ½” square and 4 ½” half square triangles.

Backing and binding features the salmon and tan print. Free motion stitching was done with tan thread in a meandering pattern. This throw, 44” x 54” in size, would make a charming accent for any room.

Today is Labor Day, and a holiday for most people. After retirement, holidays are sometimes just another day, but I appreciate one that honors workers. 

I wouldn't be retired if we both hadn't worked hard for 40 years and saved our earnings. Our parents and grandparents had normal jobs: farmer, carpenter, truck driver, plumber, salesman, office manager and retail sales. By example, they instilled in us the need to provide for ourselves.

America was built by ordinary people, from towns and the countryside, who labored to make a better life. I have no tolerance for lazy ones with their hands out who cry that they deserve more. To them I say: Don't be upset with the result you didn't get for the work you didn't do.

Here's to American workers, who deserve this day off because they earned it!

Without ambition one starts nothing.

Without work one finishes nothing.

The prize will not be sent to you.

You have to win it.

--Ralph Waldo Emerson

Unfinished Tasks

I am taking today off. 

I need a day to reboot, to tackle some of my unfinished tasks around the house and in the sewing room.

Though I'm usually fairly organized, I have gotten off track and it makes me feel unsettled. I can't think straight until I get a few things completed.

Reflections And Resolutions

This new year started cold, with a low of 4 degrees this morning. Our electricity went out about 5 am. Although it was back on in an hour, I was very happy to have a gas fireplace and range. There was another good side to being up so early...we were able to watch a beautiful full moon setting followed by a brilliant sunrise.

2017 was a good year. There were a few challenges along the way but everything worked out like it was supposed to in the end. We went camping several times at Defeated Creek and Dale Hollow Dam. We spent a refreshing week at Island House Hotel in Orange Beach. We started eating healthier and walking at least an hour per day. Home improvement projects and hobbies kept us busy and we were never bored.

It was a stellar year for sewing! I scored big with fabric and sewing tool purchases. I completed a total of 58 sewing/quilting projects, the most ever since I started a sewing journal. Needless to say, I cherish the hours I spend stitching.

For 2018, I plan to continue living a quiet, happy retired life. I will stay on a healthy eating path and increase my walking time. There will be camping, reading, maybe another beach trip, and lots more sewing. 

I'll make an effort to give myself time to fully experience each moment, to linger instead of rushing. Laughter with friends and loved ones, lively conversation, and learning new things are on my list. Most importantly, I want to practice awareness so that I don't miss a thing.

Wishing you all a happy and fulfilling 2018.

May you revel in the simple pleasures of life. 

Handy People

We fix things around this house. My husband is the most talented guy when it comes to repairing stuff, and I'm not too shabby myself. We both like the challenge of troubleshooting and figuring out what's wrong and how things work.

This weekend it was our ten year old dishwasher. It's been a little stinky, so the other day I ran it with vinegar, cleaned out the filters, and scrubbed the seals, but nothing worked. Sunday morning it leaked on the floor. Uh-oh.

We found two places that may have caused the leak and a whole lot of yukky gray and black gunk built up under a plastic flange.  How could you possibly keep that clean?  We had to remove and get inside the door panel to access it!   A new part is on order, and the air vent is cleaned and reinstalled.

I guess I'm lucky...we saved whatever service companies might have charged for a 2-3 hour repair visit. But if we weren't so darn handy I might have a brand new stainless steel dishwasher right now. Hmmm.

“He taught me that there is no shame in breaking something, only in not being able to fix it.” ~Hope Jahren

“She believed in getting as much use as possible from everything, and thought that as long as machinery, or anything else, could be cajoled into operation, it should be kept; to do otherwise, she thought, was wasteful.”  ~Alexander McCall Smith

Is It Too Much To Ask?

I've seen a lot of things lately that make me wonder.

Is it really too much to ask that:

someone shows up on time for work?

a person doesn't call in sick once a week? 

a worker brings the correct tools for the job?

a company does what they promise, when they promise?

everyone keep highly personal information to themselves?

managers follow up on their workers?

people treat their family members with kindness?

humans try to follow the Golden Rule?

Maybe my expectations are too high. Maybe indifference is the new normal.  All I ask is to be treated with respect, honesty, and courtesy. I want reliability, capability, accountability, and dependability. Is that too much to ask? 

 

Refreshing Change: Sewing Room Update

Spring is here and I made good on my threat of moving furniture in the sewing room. I did it all by myself in an afternoon. I will admit to having felt slider feet on two tables and wheels on another. 

 

I put the sewing table back-to-back with the cutting table in the center of the room. I can walk all the way around with easy access to my wall mounted ironing board, design wall, and storage cabinets. This new island is directly under the ceiling fan/light for nearly perfect illumination. An Ott-Lite bulb in the swing arm fixture plus a small Ott-Lite lamp gives me more brightness at the sewing machine. 

  

My scrap basket organizer and two drawer units are tucked under the island, along with the serger, since I don't use it as often. A simple backless bar stool gives me a place to perch at the higher level cutting table. My desk and wicker chair now face a window beside the closet.

I really like this layout, plus moving things around provided an opportunity to clean and declutter. Things that don't belong somehow have a way of migrating into this room (I blame the cat), but I put them back where they belong. I have two large bags and a box of purged stuff in the car for donation, and I tossed some old magazines after cutting out a few dozen pages for my idea notebooks.

There's more organizing left, and I thought of several other storage ideas, but the room is more functional and less messy. It feels like a little retreat again, a refreshing place to escape, and it only took a day. I highly recommend moving furniture around and creating a new look for spring.

You never know what treasures you have, 

until you clean your room.

Cleaning is just putting stuff in less obvious places.

I can't clean my sewing room 

because I get distracted by the cool stuff I find.

Contentment

 

con·tent·ment

 : the state of being mentally and physically satisfied with things just as they are

: peace of mind; satisfaction

: a happy or pleased feeling with one's circumstances

It is comforting to be at place in life where you know you can handle whatever comes along. You've cleared unnecessary things and exasperating people out of your path so that you can go your own way. That's contentment. 

 

Some people always strive to be somewhere else or someone else; they will never be truly content. You have to be comfortable with who you are before you can find your way to where you want to be. 

 

Happiness and satisfaction in life come from knowing you are where you belong. That doesn't mean you're stuck in one place, but that you trust yourself to go forward confidently and enjoy the journey.

“When you can think of yesterday without regret 

and tomorrow without fear, 

you are near contentment.” 

– unknown

“At some point you gotta let go, sit still, 

and let contentment come to you.” 

– Elizabeth Gilbert

I Don't Have To...

follow the herd.

impress people.

fix everything.

tolerate fools.

get frustrated.

feel obligated. 

 

explain myself.

listen to lies.

keep everything.

pretend to like someone.

seek approval.

always say yes.

wait for the perfect time. 

 

agree with everyone.

offer excuses.

be perfect. 

 

act my age.

    ...if I don't want to.

I'm just trying to be me. I didn't ask for anyone's opinion.

“Don't put the key to your happiness 

in someone else's pocket.” - Unknown

Perception

per·cep·tion

: immediate or intuitive recognition; 

 

: the state of being or process of becoming aware of something through the senses;

: understanding; comprehension.

How we see and what we feel about the world around us is not always black and white. It can be colored by our personal experiences, by what others want us to feel, or by how something is presented to us. 

 

It's up to us to become aware, to look deeper, and to use our senses in a way that helps us experience life.

“The world is full of magic things, 

patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.” 

– W.B. Yeats

“What we see depends mainly on what we look for.” 

– John Lubbock

“One person's craziness is another person's reality.”  

― Tim Burton

A Clean Slate

It's amazing what a fresh coat of paint can do! I've been meaning to paint our living area and my little office (Earnhardt shrine) for a while now. I kept putting it off because I didn't want to deal with moving furniture and taking everything off the walls. Well, I finally got around to it last week. The soft grey is a perfect neutral background. I love the results, all clean and fresh and neat. Baseboards, floors, and shelves are shining. 

 

The best part is that I edited what went back into each space. Fewer knick-knacks and pictures give both rooms a peaceful feeling. No clutter. Believe it or not, I didn't rearrange the furniture, at least not until I get a new rug. I have a few boxes of Dale 3 collectibles stashed in the closet, and a load of other stuff headed for donation. 

 

It's energizing, creative, and satisfying to freshen up our home. A little paint doesn't cost much, but it does make a huge difference in appearance, attitude, and outlook.

Useful Notion: Fresh paint is like a brand new notebook, an empty shelf, or a new day. You get a new perspective and a choice of what you want to change. 

"You have a clean slate every day you wake up.  You have a chance every single morning to make that change and be the person you want to be.  You just have to decide to do it.  Decide today's the day.  Say it: This is going to be my day." --Brendan Burchard

Potential

po·ten·tial

: capable of becoming real 

 

: a chance or possibility that something will happen or exist in the future

: a quality that something has that can be developed to make it better

: an ability that someone has that can be developed to help that person become successful



Everyone has potential for something: Achievements, personal satisfaction, talent, success. Have you looked for yours? 
 
Clues are all around you. Discover what you do best by seeing what comes naturally. Look within to find who you want to be. Develop your talents and achieve your potential.



Useful Notion: You are confined only by the walls you build yourself.


“Potential is a priceless treasure, like gold. We all have gold hidden within, but we have to dig to get it out.” Joyce Meyer

Stuck In A Rut?

Then make a few changes to break out! Overthinking can complicate matters, so use these simple statements for a quick kick-start.  

If you're too busy, let something go.

When you're bored, try something new.

If you're stuck, take a detour.

When you're tired, take a nap.

If you need a change, make it today.

When you're confused, stop and refocus.

If you're upset, feel it, then move on.

When you're just coasting, shift gears.

If you're bogged down, lighten your load. 

Get off the hamster wheel and follow your own path. Remember, it's your life!

If you do what you've always done,

you'll get what you've always gotten. ~ Tony Robbins

Today I Will

Patience

pa•tience

• the bearing of provocation, annoyance, misfortune, or pain without complaint, loss of temper, or anger
  
  
• an ability or willingness to suppress restlessness or annoyance when confronted with delay
  
  
• quiet, steady perseverance; even-tempered care; diligence

I am willing to be patient. Really I am. Somehow it doesn't always turn out that way. I have the ability to tolerate petty annoyances, pain, delays and bumps in the road. I've always been able to calmly take what comes and move forward. I've got perseverance and diligence covered.  It's just that occasionally I get hung up on the without complaint and loss of temper part. That must be genetic...my red-headed German-Irish roots are showing. 

 

Patience is a wonderful quality to have, but it isn't always easy. I guess that's why it must be practiced.  

“My patience comes in limited allowance, and you used it all.” Anonymous

“Patience is not simply enduring; it is enduring well!” Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Simplify!

That's my theme for January. 

Sim-pli-fy:  
to make easier to do or understand
   a: to reduce to basic essentials

   b: to streamline

   c: to clarify

There are a lot of areas to work on, and I've already started. Home, shopping, food, clothing, hobbies, habits and goals are all under review. I'm hoping that simplifying life will lead to harmony, joy, peacefulness, fun, and a beautiful 2014.

Useful Notion: There is beauty in simplicity. 

Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated. --Confucius

Our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify, simplify. --Henry David Thoreau

** BRRRR!  it's COLD here on the ridge this morning!  Three degrees at 6 am.