Lake Buena Vista

No sewing yesterday. Thursday afternoon we (DH, grandson Micah and I) took off for Lake Buena Vista and got as far as eating at McDonald's, and then the rain came so we went home. We tried again yesterday, and it was a beautiful day, not even a sprinkle. We picked Micah up about 12:30 and took off. Yesterday, we ate at Burger King (very healthy couple of lunches) and then went on to Lake Buena Vista which is kind of like Disney's shopping village. You get a taste of Disney, but don't have to pay any admission. We walked around for awhile seeing the sights and then since DH feet were starting to hurt (he has arthritis), we decided to see a movie. I let the boys pick, so we saw a Batman movie, The Dark Knight. I have to admit it was pretty good, and I enjoyed it too. We also ate at Wolfgang Puck Express. Micah just had a brownie and drink, and DH and I tried the Butternut Squash soup. It was very good. We walked around a bit more and then headed home. Micah and DH play the same game, World of Warcraft, so he came with us and played while DH watched his Red Sox. I went to my sewing room, and Micah followed. He is a very astute young man, he asked if that was my place where I hang out!! I read my email with all intentions for finishing at least my 3 block goal, but was so tired that I laid down and went to sleep and slept until DH took Micah home and got back at 11:00. I watched a bit of the news and went back to sleep. What a wimp. Micah was a very well behaved gentleman, even opening doors and holding them for us. His mama says he does that for her, too.
Now, I'm off to put meatballs in the crockpot.

Carolina Straightaway

Six down and 19 to go and then on to the next step. I haven't gotten into the nose to the grindstone mood yet, but I figure if I can do a few blocks a day I'll be chipping away at it. Now to work on my state flower quilt before I get too far behind on it. A procrastinator's work is never done. I like that!
By the way, the sashing will be red, not white. These are just me using my new design wall. I still can't take a straight picture.

Carolina Straightaway

I've agonized and been back and forth between doing the Carolina Crossroads as written, and doing my version of Carolina Straightaway, and now I'm declaring myself as having made a firm decision to do my version. I love the pictures of everyone's CC's, but I don't think that I want that large of a quilt, and so I'm going to do my version. Mine will have sashing and will have the other CC block with the star, in each corner, with 3 - 3 inch borders, one each in red, white, and blue, to join together with the star blocks. I have 1 block completed, and am set up and ready to go, but still procrastinating on the computer, lol. I feel like doing the 4 star blocks will make me feel like I did everything in the pattern, but just in a smaller amount. If it doesn't look girlie, I may give it to one of my brothers for Christmas, or maybe even my DH, or if I love it I may get greedy. The top picture is the fabric that I had bought a while back for my Carolina Straightaway, and now I can't remember which is which, but it is for the borders and sashing. Maybe the backing too, as there is quite a bit of the fabric with the little blue stars. I'll need to figure it all out again, as I lost my little cheat sheet when I moved my sewing area from the family room back to the bedroom. Now I still need to decide if it is going to be a Carolina Straightaway, or a Florida Straightaway. I could be going off to Lake Buena Vista this afternoon with DH and 12 year old dear grandson, but at least I have my plan now

Fall Giveaway

Fall is in the air, even though it's in the nineties here in Florida. I am ready to do a little autumn decorating, and this giveaway would be a wonderful headstart for me (or anyone else who's in the mood for the start of cooler weather and the holidays). If you go to Colleen's blog And Baby Makes Five, you can leave a comment and be entered to have a chance to win.

Design Wall

Not much sewing going on this week, but I did get a small design wall put in my sewing room. I don't know how useful it will be, it is a little hard to get at since it is behind my cutting table/ironing board, but I have hopes that it will be of some use. I had none before, just the bed and the floor, so if it works, it will be easier on my back. I keep trying to improve my space, and I know that it isn't perfect, but I do like to spend time in here, it is balm to my spirit whether I am on my computer, or sewing, or just watching television and thinking about sewing. On one of the groups that I visit there was a discussion about sewing rooms versus sewing studios, and there were opinions given, one of which was that people who felt that their skills were average or less felt that their spaces were sewing rooms, as people with more confidence in their skills had sewing studios. I think that there is truth to that theory, in my case at least, I'm not oozing confidence, but I sure do like my sewing room, and am grateful to have one. Sewing is my hobby, and I admire the work of those who excel, but I am happy to be plodding and improving.

Turning Twelve Finished

Well....., I'm not proud, but it is finished, and I've read that finished is better than perfect, so it's lots better, lol. It is a pretty poor picture, but DH is napping so I just used my bed like usual, at least I changed the quilt from my pink rail fence to my pink Sumo Sudoku. It is ready for my dentist appointment tomorrow, and I just hope that they don't look too closely, the galloping horse scenerio would be best.

Old Tobacco Road

Bonnie of Quiltville and Quiltvillechat has started another mystery 'Old Tobacco Road'. I plan to make one, but so far all I've done is choose some fabric. This time I'm going to do a little different from Bonnie's colors as I have been wanting to do a pink and brown quilt for awhile now. My scrappies will be the bottom 2 rows, and I am just hoping that there will be enough contrast, if not I'll learn to love it. I threw in a little bit of black as per Bonnie's suggestion, so we'll see. Her mysteries are always fun.

Forgot the Back and World Record Quilt Label

I almost forgot my Guinness world record contender for largest quilt label. It even looks pretty good now that it's quilted, in person anyway. I love the sunflower fabric, it feels really nice and I like sunflowers. I don't know that my back enhances the front, which was in the previous post, but I like it and no one will know except me, and I guess you, so what the hey as my father would have said. I like my Orange Crush, front and back.

Quilts Back From Longarmer

Yesterday, I got my Orange Crush and my Baby Crazy Big Block back from the longarmer, and I am pleased with them. The baby quilt is already washed, I hope she likes crinkly and doesn't just think it is wrinkly, as it is very crinkly. I love that effect, but I know that all don't. Now I am hoping to finish my Turning Twelve by Tuesday as that is when I have a dentist appointment and am hoping to give them to them that day. They are for the dentist's new baby born July 13 and their 4 year old so he doesn't feel left out.

At some points I didn't know if I was going to like my OC, and had considered making 2 quilts out of it, or setting it straight, and I love all the quilts that were done those ways, but I am glad that I stuck with Bonnie's original plan as now I have a nice big quilt for my bedroom queen sized bed, and I and DH love the way it turned out. Today I hope to get it washed and dried and on my bed and also do a little spiffing up of the actual room so it will do it justice. Sorry about the crooked picture, but the room is small and I was wedged in between furniture.

Embroidered State Quilt

This is what I've been working on since Sunday. There is a wonderful group 123 It's Almost Free Embroidery
where there is absolutely free a new state flower or a filler block each week until you have 56 finished blocks and a queen sized quilt at the finish. I had gotten a bit behind, and so Sunday I did the 4 embroideries, and today I finished up the blocks. I added the state outlines and the flower names, the flower names because I am horrible at flowers and would never have been able to identify them later. The Arizona block just came out this week, and I am anxious to do it, as it is a beautiful cactus and I like cacti. I had wanted to do a state flower quilt, but the designs I have seen were expensive up to $200.00 and more, so this is a wonderful thing to me. Now, I need to get busy on quilting my Turning Twelve. I was thinking this morning that I keep putting it off because of fear, and I need to take a lesson from Nike and just "do it". I will be mowing this morning, but I plan to work on it this afternoon or evening, and hopefully, I will have a finish to share soon. I seem to be the world's worst procrastinator.
Also, for any of you ladies who machine embroider, I tried my new electric screwdriver with my hoop and it was wonderful. It got it nice and tight, but not too tight, and my hooping stayed flatter and nicer as I was handling it less. Then when it was time to undo it, it was a snap, so no more sore fingers.
The one I got was from Sears, less than $40.00, model 9-11398. It is small so it fits a ladies hand well and very light, almost cute. After all, I am female, and I like cute even in tools. When we went tool shopping my grandson was with us, and he said, "you like little things don't you grandma?". He was right.