Crazy Big Block IV and Digital Cameras

Finally, the last entry on my Crazy Big Block quilt until it comes back from being quilted. I messed up my measurements, and thought I didn't have enough room on the oxford cloth sheet I got for a backing to add my extra border, but had looked at the wrong measurement. So, it only ended up 60 x 72. I am thinking of giving it to a cousin who just lost her husband, but since I don't live near her and haven't spent much time with her since I was in fifth grade and we shared a room for about half a school year (my father was USN and on a Med cruise so we stayed with her family for a few months) I need to do a little research through my niece to see if she is the type of person who would like a quilt. The good thing is she is short like me, so 72" long would probably be enough.

I was thinking the other day about how great digital cameras are. It is so nice to just grab the camera upload the photo and add to to a forum or a blog or email it to family and friends. Are we spoiled or what? No more buying film and waiting to take all the pictures, then waiting to get them developed, and the expense. One roll of 24 was probably about 11 or 12 dollars, so with what you save with the digital camera it really does pay for itself in a relatively short time. Just my old mind marveling about the new-fangled.

Crazy Big Block III

Here is my Crazy Big Block quilt with the sashing. I still intend to do a small border of the cream color, and a large border of the not quite right roses, and at the two long ends another strip of about 3 inches wide, possibly of bricks. For me this is going along pretty fast, and I hope to finish the top today or tomorrow. It should end up about 58 x 76. Landsend had some oxford shirting sheets on sale, so I ordered a twin sized pink striped sheet to use for the backing. I figured if people buy the shirts at thift stores, why not for a backing. Well, back to life, we have errands to do and then hopefully my husband will be up to helping me with a little yard work. Have a nice day.

Crazy Big Block II

Here is my quilt after completion of step 2. This is my stack of 9 crazy big blocks waiting to be sewn together. I have decided that I want to put sashing between the blocks, and also that I need to choose a border, so I think that I will take an undeserved break (as I haven't really done anything much yet) and go to JoAnn's. I may check first and see if a cut of rose print fabric with a black background that I have had for many years (probably at least 17 or 18) would do, or if it would clash big time. I got these fat quarters at Conncecting Threads, and thought about checking there, but I don't want to wait that long.
I just went and got the fabric that I was speaking of, and I can't quite make up my mind. I guess I'll think on it, and if anyone has an opinion, I would like to hear it.

Crazy Big Block

One more picture of our family gathering. My brother sent me this one which has all my mother's children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren except for 1 out of state and my husband and I who left early due to his illness.

Either tomorrow or Sunday, I plan to do the Crazy Big Block workshop on Cyberquilters 4 C-Bees, and these are the fabrics I chose. It starts with 9 fat quarters, and I had bought a pack of thirty something to use for the OC, but since these were mostly mediums, and I need the darks and lights for the OC, I decided to use them. I think I may try to applique a heart or two on it, too, and so I may rob 1 more fat quarter. I have a lot more actual scraps than I thought though, so I will still have plenty for the OC. We may go to see our son and his family this week-end, so which day I work on my quilt will depend on that. The actual workshop is tomorrow.

Quilt Giveaway

This beautiful quilt is being given away
at Simplify by Camille Roskelley. All you have to do is go to her blog leave a comment and you are entered. Please, mention that I referred you if you decide to enter the Giveaway.

Sewing Room

I've been busy working on my sewing room, and it is starting to look better, but at the cost of the rest of the house. The closet is almost organized, although I have a lot more scraps to cut up for my organization project than I thought. The picture with the bookcase is looking to the left from the hall door, and the gray cabinet has my embroidery machine, the closet door is in between the bookcase and my embroidery machine. The picture with the TV is looking in through the hall door to the right, and the cabinet has my bernina, which I was quite shocked to find paperwork and realize that it is 18 years old. The picture with the sewing machine on the tables between the 2 windows is my Janome Jem, which I usually use to sew because it is easier to just sit and sew and not have to put a machine away in a cabinet afterwards. The big space between the gray cabinet and the 2 little tables with my Jem is where the bed will go when it is delivered. I am hoping to have enough room on each side of the bed to kind of scoot into to get to the back of the machines. My husband is still not feeling well, so I waited until he was asleep and moved everything myself. My mother's recliner is still on it's side in the middle of the living room, but I haven't talked myself into pushing it the rest of the way into the family room yet.

I am trying to get things together because the Cyberquilters 4 C-Bee's is having a workshop for a Crazy Big Block on Saturday, which is supposed to be very easy, and I thought that I could probably get that top done on the week-end and then get back to the CC and OC. It was nice having quilts in reserve to give my SIL's when they had surgeries, and now I have none, so I thought this would be a good way to have one quickly.

Well, back to work. When I was younger I would have had this finished in a couple of days even though I was working, but now, I putter and then break, putter and then break some more. It's a good thing I'm retired.

Family Gathering

Sunday we had our family gathering, all 34 of my mother's kids, grandkids and great-grandkids except for 1 great-granddaughter who is in New Mexico. All the cousins had a really good time together, there was a group for each age group. We had people here from Clermont, Starke, Minneola, Lawtey, Mulberry, Palm Bay, and Jacksonville, Fl., Brunswick, Ga. and Diagonal, Iowa.

My DH and I had to leave early, as my husband was feeling ill, we still don't know what the problem was, but he was dizzy and his equilibrium was off, and he was a little disoriented. I think that it could have had something to do with the heat, as he is not in real good shape.

My daughter said that we should do it at least once a year, and my niece who is the one from Iowa said that she would make it at least once a year. It is really heartwarming to me to know that they all get along, and all enjoy being together. It is interesting to see the younger ones looking up to the older ones, and being included by them. My niece commented to my daughter that the kids didn't once come to tell on anyone, or complain about anyone, they were having too good of a time. Evidently, after we left, there was a really good basketball game, and a few wrestling matches. We can go on with the cycle for awhile, as we have some early twenties, but a few babies, too.

Part of me was feeling like, oh no, I have so much to do, but then I reminded myself that I am retired and there is no time limit to getting things back together, or even working on things I want to work on, like my CC and my OC.

Nothing is more important than family, and in all 3 branches, mine and my 2 brothers, there have been divorces, some pretty messy and more than heartbreaking, and it is so good to see the children together, and I'm hoping that they will realize that even though bad things happen, that family is still important, and extended family still loves them and is there for them.

Off my soapbox now, I really hadn't intended to climb onto it.

Flowers

We got some beautiful flowers this week in sympathy for my mother's passing away. The orchid is from my mother's main nurse, and the flower arrangement is from my DH's sister and her husband. It was very thoughtful of them, and a cheerer upper. The orchid is alive, and I do not have a green thumb, so I hope that I can keep it that way.

I've Been Tagged

I've been tagged by Wendy to give you 7 Random or Weird things about me.

Here are the rules:

1. Once you are tagged, link back to the person who tagged you.
2. Post THE RULES on your blog.
3 Post 7 weird or random facts about yourself on your blog.
4. Tag 7 people and link to them.
5. Comment on their blog to let them know they have been tagged.

Here are Seven Random or Weird Facts About Me:

1. I only have 2 children, but they both believed in large families, so I have 14 grandchildren. My daughter has 6 children, 5 boys and a girl, and my son has 5 by his first marriage, 3 girls and 2 boys, and 3 in his second marriage, a step-daughter, a stepson, and a baby girl who is 2 now.

2. I spend way too much time on my computers, I have a desktop and a laptop. I read and read about quilting, and don't get nearly as much done as I should because of it.

3. I'm scared of dogs. My mother was terrified of them, and passed it down to me. I didn't want my children to have the same fear, so I tried to hide it, and so they have a respect of them, but not a fear. There are so many animal lovers who quilt that I'm sure that seems awful to them, but I can't help it. I like them, I'm just afraid of them. I even like to watch the Westminster dog show on TV.

4. If I am down in the dumps and see a baby, it cheers me up and makes me happy. Even the pictures of grandchildren and nieces and nephews on my screensaver can do the trick. Their cute little innocent faces make it hard to stay grumpy or sad.

5. I buy too much on HSN and QVC. I am not out of control, but I have to watch myself.

6. My mother lived with me for 20 months and wrote about 30 poems, which I feel are kind of a legacy, and gave her a way to get things out of her system, but I have never written a poem. I don't know if I have one in me.

7. I used to have quite a few family (extended family, too) parties, and enjoyed it, and hope to start again. Unfortunately though, I have a pattern.First I want to have it, then when I am in the thick of it, I think why did I do this, then I enjoy it again. I don't like to hurt people's feelings, but somehow I always seem to say something that I am afraid may have. So the last 2 steps are usually laying awake worrying about it, and then calling them on the phone to apologize and explain.

I am now about to become the "dreaded" blogger, as I have to find 7 people to tag. I can see that I will be lying awake worrying if I've made anyone mad at me.
Also, I'm feeling proud of myself. I just did my first link.

I am tagging the following people:

Renee who just got a great new Bernina with BSR.
Angela who is a runner just like Wendy who tagged me.
Donna who is a new blogger like me.
Suze who is the same age as I am.
Linda C. who is also the same age as I am, but is much more experienced at quilting and needle work.
BitnByAQuiltingBug Regina, who has beautiful quilts and delicious looking bean soup and home made bread.
Roslyn who has cut and organized her fabrics. They look beautiful, and I hope to do the same.

Just Wondering

When I first started my blog I asked my husband to come and read it, but he was in the middle of something. Later, he was going to go to read it, but I could see that he didn't really want to, so I told him that was ok, he didn't have to read it. He didn't, and hasn't mentioned it since. I haven't told anyone else in the family that I even have one, as I know that they probably would only read it from duty or loyalty, as they haven't got any interest in quilting. I was just wondering if most people share their blogs with family, or if it is pretty much just for themselves. I must have an idle mind, I guess I need to get to work.