Time is running out!

Here it is already folks. The end of 2008. I did okay on my resolutions I guess. I mainly wanted to keep my weight off which I successfully did until the last two weeks! I have a biiig list of resolutions I'm working on for 2009. Mainly to stay fit, stretch my creativity and get some stuff done. I will post it in January.

Sitting on the edge of your chair just waiting with anticipation now, aren't you?! lol. I wonder if anyone reads this anyway! (I bet my mom and dad do!) Love ya!

Anyways, above is a clock I made last year from a cd and hair clips. The atc's were also tags for a 12 days of Christmas swap I did. I need to make another of those clocks! It's based on one made by my good friend rackycoo. I'd love to make one for myself and my girls both want one.

I finished some hand applique on my quilt for dearfii and our flickr swap. It is almost ready to go but I feel guilty that I didn't get it mailed in December. It will go out Friday though.

Friday is the open house of the new Studio 202 for Susan N and Susan S. They are moving locations and I can't wait to see it. What a dream, to have your own studio to work in daily!! Very cool.

I'm off to try to find the rick rack I misplaced and to try to clean around 5 sleeping teenagers that are crashed in my living room. Tonight we go to dinner with our friends and come back home to ring in the new year. My kids are all doing something elses. Em is celebrating her boyfriend's birthday (tomorrow, happy bday Mike!), Jill and Jake are hanging out with their boyfriend and girlfriend and Mac, poor guy, is babysitting for 10 kids. Oh well, he's 12 and doesn't know better! The parents will all be next door so it SHOULD be okay. Probably his first and last babysitting job and not worth the fifty bucks!

Be Merry!

So, since I get a bit nostalgic at Christmas time, here is the Christmas card photo of my kids from December 1999.

And here is this year's photo, nine years later.

I know it's a bit of a cliche' but SERIOUSLY, where did the time go?  When did I get old enough to be their mother!  Why did they have to quit humoring me that they believe in Santa?!!

On the quilty front, I made one small one as a gift that I forgot to take a picture of and have sent it the recipient.  I've started on a cute mini for my flickr partner, dearfii.  The theme is favorite things.  I've also VOWED that 2009 is the year of UFO finishing and destashing.  (Nevermind that I was shopping online for some cute new fabric I saw on another blog.  I closed it before I actually bought it).

I'm off to make some Christmas goodies.  I spent the day yesterday looking at recipes for Christmas eve and Christmas day and grocery shopping.  Apparently everyone else in town had the same bright idea. It took 3 1/2 hours to get everything and get it home.  That was AFTER I cleaned up the 12 pack of Diet Pepsi that exploded in the back of my car from the cold.  It was a mess, all over the windows, the ceiling, the carpet.  I got it up as best as I could.  I cried.  I think it is the holiday blues.  My best friend's dad had to go to the emergency room yesterday and it doesn't look too good for him right now.  That made me miss MY mom and dad, six hours away, even more.

Life is precious people!  Enjoy it to the fullest!  

Wishing you peace (and time to piece),

Jenni

Once again I am way past due to update.

We had the best Thanksgiving EVER!  My kids got to see all of their aunts and uncles and first cousins and grandparents on both sides of the family.  We live in Ohio with one Grandma and aunt.  The rest of our family lives in Indiana, Michigan, Massachusetts, Florida, DC.  On thanksgiving day we had hubby's side of the family, plus our "adopted" friends that are like family at our house.  16 people for dinner and I loved every minute.  My kids were troopers and cleaned like fiends to help me get ready.  (Wish it still was clean but you can't have everything!).

Here's a pic of the family at my house.

The day after thanksgiving we packed all 6 of us in the car and drove to South Bend, Indiana to see my parents and brothers and their families.  It was WONDERFUL.  If, by any chance, anyone is reading this we love you all!!  Here's a pic of some of the cousins in a group hug

And one of me and one of my brothers.  I love it because it makes me look more "petite" if possible.  I'm 5'11" so I rarely look like anything but a giantess unless I'm with my family!

I really have been sewing.  This is something I made my SIL a few years ago that she had displayed at her house.  I found the pattern and enough fabric to make myself one when I cleaned my sewing room.  I need to get on that!

Chunky houses for craftster swap.  First up is the gnome one I made for knickertwist.

The back:

The front:

Here is the one I made for amaryllisroze.

This is actually the back:

The front:

The back of alteredmommy's house:

Bad scan of the front with a "five" for her "new" age:

The back of the little Christmas house I made of IllusionsOfNormal

ho ho ho!:

The front:

Sew, I have been sewing some but now it's time to get the holiday cards out, do laundry and get the decorating finished.  Oh yes, and wrap presents before the kids start peeking in the bags.  Maybe I should finally finish the stocking I started when I was pregnant with my youngest.  He's 12!

My wonderful hubby has already spoiled me by getting me an early present, a blackberry curve!  Probably got tired of all my "Craaaaackberry" comments when he is on his.  At least now I can check my email when the kids are home.  They have a knack for hogging both computers.

Peace and joy to all!  Jenni

Chunky page and Thanksgiving

Seamstress chunky page , originally uploaded by gingerquilts.

I thought I would show a pic of the chunky page I made for crafty_dame in the IYP (invite your partner) swap. I wasn't happy with the arms, wishing I had done something clever for hands but I ran out of time. I love those little boot beads I got at Hobby Lobby.

I cleaned my crafty room! I cleaned my crafty room! We can actually go up on the third floor and not leave with floss, thread and fabric bits clinging to the seat of our pants (or worse). I'm not ashamed now for the kids to take their friends up, either.

Until I start the next project, anyway.

I can't wait until my partners receive their chunky houses I did for craftster. I'm very pleased with the ones I made and can't wait to see what I receive. If you add me as a "friend" on flickr you'll be able to see them early.

Feeding my family of 6 PLUS 10 more for thanksgiving. I'm off to pick up all the goodies. The turkey is defrosting in the fridge and I'm anxious to get the pies made. Hope everyone has a fabulous holiday!

Sacred Heart Quilts

Here is a picture of the sacred heart quilt that I sent to crafty_dame for our Invite Your Partner Swap on craftster.org.  I hope she loves it as much as I love the bag she made me in my last post.  I've made several sacred hearts.  My first was a postcard I sent as a thank you several years ago.

I also sent another sacred heart quilt to stifflersmom.  

I really should make one to keep around here sometime!

Still fighting my cold but feeling better after the antiobiotics have started to kick in. I'm going to go spend some quality time in my craft room to try to tame the beast. I am far too embarrassed to show before pics. I think I'm going to have to clean up better as I go and quit collecting oddball stuff for things I want to make "someday"! I have a lot there to keep me busy for the entire year of 2009. I feel a New Year's resolution coming on!

Piece and Peace to all,
Jenni

Vinyl Bird bag looove!

Vinyl Bird bag from crafty_dame, originally uploaded by gingerquilts.

Look what I got from crafty_dame! It's gorgeous and I love it. She also sent me a checkbook cover and some yummy canadian candy. The candy didn't last long with me and my two boys!!

I haven't been too crafty. I am cleaning and organizing my craft goodies and all my ufo's (oops, I didn't realize there were sooo many!). In between dragging it all out and spreading it all over to organize it my cold kicked in. Probably aggravated it with all the dust. Anyway, I've been sick enough to not want to budge or do anything. DH finally succeeded in getting me to go to our local First Care (doc in a box) and I got antibiotics. I had really hoped they would have worked in one day (imatient, I know) but I really couldn't do much but sit on the couch and drink mass quantities of tea and water. I'm sure I'll be perfect tomorrow and ready to conquer the crafties AND thanksgiving. I did make it to the turkey farm yesterday to pick up a 22 pounder. That ought to feed the 16 folks we have coming.

I am in a chunky houses swap on craftster.  I have two sides done, a front and a back but have four total houses to make.  Hopefully I can make a little progress tomorrow after cleaning MY MESS.

Speaking of craftster.org, I am honored that my Big Mac costume was mentioned in the craftster.org blog as a notable costume.  I know my little "big mac" loved it!

Off to get more tissues and tea.  I hate being sick.  I've decided not to do it anymore.  If only it were that easy!

Piecefully, Jenni

Want Fries with that?

Cheeseburger Costume, originally uploaded by gingerquilts.

I made my son a cheeseburger costume to wear to school for Halloween. His name is Mac. He's a "Big Mac". Get it?!! I also made a couple little quilts for craftster swaps. Batgirl has received but crafty_dame hasn't. I will post some pictures of them when they have both received. You can check out my flickr site for more cheesburger pictures and a mini tutorial. I also posted it on Craftster in the DIY costume challenge. Such fun!

Here's a bad pic of the quilt I made for batgirl 

Alive and Kickin'!

Here's a picture of the tree that fell across my stree a few weeks ago during the windstorms we had after the big hurricanes.  It took out a power pole and left us without power and cable for a few days. We lost some food in the fridge and freezer but were lucky that was all.  Another huge tree fell by the schools my boys attend.

I'm still here, and still living the "football mom" life.  I also have a senior daughter and one in college so there is college prep and college "pep talk" time, too.  Three more weeks of football  games then maybe some "all star" games for youngest DS.

I'm thinking lately that "gingerquilts" wants to be "gingerknits".  I received some "knitpicks" yarn from a swap partner last December with some koolaid packets and some dying instructions.  I really want to learn to knit socks that fit my lovely long (big honkin') feet.  I'm thinking a "dye job" might be in my future!

In crafty notes, I have started two swap projects for my Craftster partners, batgirl and crafty_dame.  I can't show them yet, to avoid spoiling the surprise, but it is good to be inspired and spending time in my crafty space.  I have been loaning my big table to the football quarterback club so I only have a small table to work on right now.  Our last home game is Friday.  Hopefully we will remember to pull it from the shed so I can have a larger space for sewing!

I was bad and bought some yarn from ebay this week.  I want to make some felted purses.  I hope it will even felt!  It's 100% wool so I'm thinking it should.  I've only knit some straight boring scarves before.  The last thing I need is new project materials and tools.   I have enough fabric and ideas for hundreds of sewing projects.  I have several rooms that need to be painted.  My kids need to eat EVERY DAY! lol.

I wanna knit.

I must be nuts!

Shame, shame, shame

Yikes. Over a month since my last post! I've been doing the very busy mom thing and no quilting or sewing other than mending this and that for people. I have three back to school, two in high school and one in his first year of middle school. The college student is busy packing up. She goes back to school on Saturday. Next Monday is reserved on the calendar for SEWING all day! I need to get everything set up again so I can go sew whenever I have a few minutes. My DD takes over the third floor (my sewing area) when she is home.

Let's see, what has been going on since I last posted?

• Football - DS1, a sophomore has played two JV games. He gets to dress for varsity. He just told me he will play on a special team for Varsity on Friday! (Kick return). I'm so proud. I keep telling the other kids I need a cowbell to take to the games but they won't let me have one. He dresses on Friday nights and plays on Saturday mornings.




• More Football - DS2 is in 6th grade and his last year of biddy league (thank goodness!). He has had two games, which they won, and is looking forward to the rest. He gets to play offense and defense this year, which apparently is the best thing EVER (next to the new cell phone). Life is good when you're 12! He plays every Sunday. That's right folks, football every Friday, Saturday and Sunday!!! Two weeks down, eight to go. DS2 will probably play all-stars again which will prolong the season.




• Decorating-DH went on a bike trip to Canada last week and I decided to redecorate my bedroom. Four kids, a dog, a cat, school starting and football, football, football and I decide this was a good idea! Reserve my room at the "funny farm" please. I was up EVERY night until 1 am but it is done, and beautiful. It used to have magnolia wallpaper everywhere. Now, after painting the ceiling, woodwork and repapering it is white on white. I put up some pretty slate blue curtains I found at Pier 1 to complete the look. Now I just need a quilt. Or two or maybe even three.

Ugh. I tried posting a picture but my photobucket picture won't behave correctly and I'm clueless as to what to do. I'll try to post a picture of the "before" and "after" as soon as all 400 of the football pictures I took last weekend load onto the other computer.

That reminds me! I bought a new camera!! It is a digital Canon Rebel XT. I had an old Canon Rebel 2000, a 35 mm film version and loved it. My good friend is a photography nut and was upgrading her camera to the newest model so she sold me hers. I can use my old lenses but am researching new ones. I don't really want to spend too much money since I just bought my fancy shmancy sewing machine and have been adding new feet every month. I used the money from selling my old viking sewing machine to buy the camera.

I'm off to do laundry for DD1 to help her get ready for college. Otherwise we'll either never be ready or will be packing at 2 am on Saturday. I'm going to miss DS1's JV game but will hear all about if from DH I'm sure. Maybe I'll let him use my fancy camera for the game!!

Wish I was piecing. Hope you are!

Jenni

Summer Fun

Above WOULD BE  a shot of the boys in the pool at Put in Bay  but the picture won't post!  We went with 9 couples to celebrate DH's 50th birthday.  Such fun!  We had a great time.  It's still hard to get back to the real world.

Two a days start Thursday for DS1's football.  DS2 is at summer camp this week.  DD2 and I went to look at my alma mater last Thursday.  Sniff, I can't believe she is a senior this year!  DD1 is busy working at her internship at the health clinic.  We jokingly call it her "big girl job".  It has been a wonderful experience and she is very motivated to go back to school in the fall.

We are spending a few lazy summer days before we gear up for back to school shopping, etc.  My youngest DS has outgrown everything.  Much bribery will take place next week to get him to try on clothes and shop for new.  I don't think we have too much that still fits other than ratty t-shirts and gym shorts.  His outfits of choice, I'm sure.  We will have to shop for football cleats this weekend as his practices start on Monday.

As far as quilting and sewing go?  I'm dreaming of it, but not much else.  My sewing area is on the third floor of our old house.  My DD1 has her bedroom there.  Everything she brought home from college is spread EVERYWHERE.  I moved my machine to the kitchen to do some mending but haven't had a chance to do any quilty projects.  I plan to practice with my BSR foot this afternoon so I can start quilting the star quilt.  To pin baste I usually tape the backing to the carpet, spread the batting out and then the quilt on top.  My vaccuum burned up last Friday and is at the repair shop.  It's an Oreck and I love it.  One black lab and one calico cat equal too much hair to lay out a quilt without vaccuuming daily.  Hopefully it will be ready for pick up today.

I'm off to the store to buy mass amounts of pasta salad ingredients.  I agreed to make pasta salad for 100 hungry players and coaches for the first two-a-day meal on Thursday.

What was I thinking?!!

Piece all.  Hope you're being quilty.  I do SEW miss it!

Jenni

Bor-ing!

Boring, that's me.  To me Boring = No sewing.  I've been doing things like taking the laundry to the laundromat because the washer can't be repaired until Monday and cleaning my MIL's carpets.  I did manage to see some movies with the kids this week.  Youngest DS and I saw the new Indiana Jones movie and Older DS and oldest DD and I saw "Wanted".  Both enjoyable.

DD2's friend brought over a dress for me to alter for her little sister who is a flower girl in a wedding.  Sigh, couldn't say no.  I'll be sewing up the sides tonight and then both girls are inviting friends over to have a late "chick flick" movie night with me.  We are watching 27 Dresses and 2 others I have already forgotten the names of.  I haven't had a chance to start quilting the star quilt yet.  I did show it to DD's friend because I can't keep a secret.  She is very excited.  I need to get it done before her next hospital stay which, sadly, could be soon.  Busy weekend with a sewing class at my Bernina dealer's and another fundraiser for DS1's football team.  Who knew football was a year round sport and if the KID plays, the MOM does, too?  Seems like it anyway.  The mom's had a meeting this week to plan how we will feed the boys for 2 a days in August.  Football is a grueling effort, for sure.  I admire the commitment these guys have to it.  DS2 will start playing his last year of biddy league football in August.  Next year he'll move to jr. high.  This will be his 5th season.  It's amazing what happens to incredibly kind, sweet boys when they get football pads and helmets on and the testosterone starts flowing.  It still takes some getting used to for me!

DD1 and I went shopping for "business casual" clothes today. Her current wardrobe is "college casual".  Lol.  She starts working full time at the local health clinic on Monday.  She will work 40 hours a week until school resumes in the fall and will also work on her breaks from college.  She wants to be a physician's assistant so this should be good training and give her some idea of what the job requires.

Here are the dotee dolls I received in the Craftster swap.

Love them!  It was a fun swap.

Time to sew the flower girl's dress before it's time for "Chick Flick Night".  DD2 doesn't get home from her lifeguarding job until 9 p.m. anyway.

Happy stitching!  Hope someone is making something wonderful out there.  I hope to, SOON!

Jenni

Dotee Dolls

In between running around like a madwoman and packing for Myrtle Beach I got my Dotee Dolls sent to their new owners. Here is a group shot of their little faces. Hopefully my partners on Craftster aren't blog readers but if they are, sorry for the spoiler!! The dolls were fun to make but I definitely would do them differently next time. I plan to show them in their full glory once they make their way to their new homes.

We're off to the beach! I'm not sure if I'll be able to post much from there. We will have wifi but I'm not sure if I will have access to my dd's laptop. I have lots of summer reading and some hand applique all ready to go.

Have a great week everyone. Sew something for me. If you need a project to do there's a sadly neglected Orange Crush quilt in my sewing room . . .

Piece!! Jenni

More loot from the NQA show

I finally got the picture loading to work today on blogger. I thought I would post some more pics of my goodies from the NQA show last week in Columbus, Ohio.

The first pic is of the four feet I bought for my new Bernina 440. I think, sadly, her name might be Sewphie. Pathetic, I know. My son recently informed me that I am becoming the person I used to make fun of.   I think he's right!   Anyway, Sewphie's new feet:

The number 2 foot is an overlock foot that we tried out in class. It will be great to finish seams. The number 10 is an edgestitch foot that can be used with all needle positions.  I think it will be great for topstitching AND for stitching in the ditch on smaller quilty pieces that don't need the walking foot.

The number 57 is 1/4" piecing foot that has a little edge on the side.  I didn't like the foot similar to this that I had for my Viking but this one is heftier and I am finding that the Bernina feet actually do what they say they do!  

Number 43, the last foot is a freemotion couching foot.  It feeds the fiber, narrow ribbon or the "couchee" while you stitch it with the feed dogs dropped.  I think this will be fun on some artsy quilts.  When I get to them of course.  Foot 23 is on order for me by my fabulous sales folks at Beth's Creative Stitchery in Columbus. 

My next "had to have" is a circle cutter that was being demonstrated by the Olfa guy at his booth.  It works like a compass.  You basically decide what size circle you want and then cut it out of fabric with this spiffy tool.  He even threw in the extra blades for free and showed us how to practice before we start cutting.  

Below are my spiffy fibers that didn't show up in my last post.   Aren't they pretty?  Wool roving in the big bags and wool yarns wrapped on card below them.
The paper piecing pattern that will probably make me crazy but looks like it will be beautiful.  I loved the sample they had.  It looked like they used small scale repro prints in it.   Anyway, it won't be real large and all the foundations are INCLUDED.  Oh yeah.
Last but not least is this button.  Sandy was buying buttons and fun things at an antique button/trim booth.  I saw it, grabbed it and paid for it in less than a minute!  I love him.  He's pretty big and will someday be on a jacket, I think.  For me, turtles are the new rooster, but you have to see my kitchen to understand the rooster thing.  I have tooooooo many.
So, there we go.  Lots of projects to keep me busy for quite some time.  I haven't even THOUGHT about all the unstarted/untouched projects already sitting in my messy sewing stuff.  Time for a reality check.  That can wait until I get back from vacation though.

I need to go find a good hand project for the car and the beach.  I think I'll pull out a wool penny rug and the Baltimore style block of the month I bought from my LQS before it closed.  It needs attention.

One more dotee doll to make and then they go to their new homes tomorrow.  The link to the one I received already is here.  First I need to put away all my laundry.  I went to the laundromat today with 15 loads of towels, clothes and bedding so I could get it done all at once.  

Tonight I make one more dotee as a reward to myself.

Piece!  Jenni

Happy 25th to the Hubby and Me!!!

Wow.  25 years.  Where did the time go?  Four great kids, a dog, a cat and a huge house later we've had a great life.  I'm a happy, very lucky girl.  Happy Anniversary baby!!

Quilt Show Goodies

Here are some great wool roving and wool fibers (looks like yarn scraps, lol) from Della Jane. (OOPS-Pics didn't show up.  Gah!)  I can't wait to use them with my felting attachment for my Bernina.  Maybe a purse or a sweater this fall/winter?  For now I'm just taking them out of the bag and admiring them.  This booth had a little kit to dye fibers, too.  It was mainly a pack of koolaid and some plain wool.  I was excited to see it as this is what I intend to do with the wool roving I bought from ebay recently.

More goodies:

Thread and batting for star quilt (from earlier posts).  The one on the right is for the back.  I can't wait to see how they look!

Batik's were calling to me at the show.  I've been wanting to play with jelly rolls and also try some bargello style quilting.  I drooled over the green one and bought it.  The girls at the booth at webfabrics.net laughed at me when I went back first thing the next morning to get the pink one, too!  I kept thinking about how badly I wanted it.  Now if only I'd gotten the gold set . . .

The same booth had the lovely "Bali pops" set.  This is the one I'm going to try to do a bargello with, just to play.  They're so beautiful!

The last pic is of the squares, already cut, for the 5 easy pieces 

Mmmm.  Better than ice cream!

Other purchases:

Four new feet for my Bernina.  Probably the priciest big buy but I knew the girls from the shop where I bought my machine, Beth's Creative, would be at the show and feet were 20% off.  Carol, my saleswoman, even went to the shop early in the morning to bring the feet I wanted to the show.  There was one that they were out of that I wanted and she is going to hold it for me when it comes in and give me the discount. What a sweetie! Can't wait to play with these!

Eleanor Burns was there and signed this Christmas book I bought.  It's a little outdated but with the right fabrics the projects I liked should look great.  They also had a patten and easy piecing method for a Jacob's Ladder in the book, a quilt I want to make for DS1.  I also bought one of those rotating Olfa mats, a cool Olfa tool that cuts perfect circles, a great turtle button and a paperpiecing pattern of a star.  It looks complicated but lovely.  Unfortunately, it's taking pics FOREVER to load today and I have to pick up DS1 from summer gym and meet hubby for an anniversary lunch.

Will there be Dotee's?  There have to be!  Three are done, two to go.  Hope to post the little group for you soon.

Piece!  Thanks for stopping by!  Jenni

Five Easy Pieces

I'm home from the NQA Quilt Show in Columbus and trying to catch up on laundry.  When I got back Saturday we had an all day hog roast fundraiser for DS1's football team and Sunday we were invited to a lovely cookout.  Trying to put things away and do damage control on the house.  I always feel like a maid when I get home from a trip!!

Anyway, my dear friend Sandy and I took a class at the show called "5 Easy Pieces" by Diane Hire.  She's written some great books and had one of her quilts there that was awesome to see up close.  The class list had us bringing two sets of 5 six inch squares of fabric that we would put into a quilt, some thread, batting and a backing.  Naturally I bought way too many sets plus extra batting and backing.  It was a good thing, though because Sandy brought some fat quarters we decided not to cut up and used my fabrics, which worked well for her.  Here she is having fun.

Here are our sets when we finished the class.

 Mine are on the right.  I actually got them pieced, cut out and quilted during the class.  I finished the edges but am not real happy with them.  The threads kept catching around the corners and they need to be ironed here!  I intend to join them somehow and embellish them.  I'll cover up the bobbles with some beads or something.  I borrowed a Janome (they were provided for the class).  It was very nice but I am so used to my old Viking Lily 550 (for sale if you're interested) and my new Bernina 440 QE.  I needed a walking foot I think.  Anyway, it was a fun class.  Here are Diane Hire's samples.  The one on the left is the class we did.  She joined them all on a quilted strip of fabric.

In the middle, the turquoise/purple set are some squares she's doing and trimming for a quilt. Sandy and I bought some batik fat sixteenths to make one like this.  We thought we would work on it in our hotel room but were exhausted from all the quilt viewing and, of course, SHOPPING!!  We did get them all cut into squares and ready to go.  We both bought the same set of green batiks and are sharing some cool purpley and pink sets.  I'm excited to get going on them.  

Tune in tomorrow and I'll share everything I bought with you.  I'm so excited to use it! Unfortunately, I have to finish my dotee dolls and we are going on vacation soon and then I need to quilt the star quilt when we get back.  I'm planning on forcing, and I do mean FORCING myself to clean up my messy, horrible sewing closet before I get started.  I figure that once it is cleaned up and the kids go back in the fall I can sew to my hearts content.

Well, sew to my hearts content when laundry, cooking, cleaning and the possible threat of needing employment to help pay for college educations don't hamper my fun.  Reality is such a creativity killer!

I'm off to take the DS1 to his football "camp" at the high school.  DS2 and DD2 and I are taking my MIL out for dinner.  We've been terribly neglectful of her lately!!

Piece friends!  Jenni

oops

Been slacking at the blogger front!  We took everyone to Cedar Point over the weekend.  The kids talked me into riding the Dragster and the Millenium Force.  I lived to tell about it and my neck isn't killing me so all is good.  It was a lot of fun, actually.

Football conditioning is in full force for DS1 so the "Mother's Club" has already been busy.  I had to cook 22 lbs of hamburger up into taco meat for a concession stand fundraiser we were doing.  I don't think I can ever eat a taco again.  My kitchen smelled AWFUL!!  The fundraiser didn't do as well as hoped, either so we are looking towards the next one as a money maker for the club.  We try to raise money to pay for the food we feed the boys during 2-a-days in August and for end of season gifts.  DS2 went to football camp last week and is at basketball camp this week.  He turned 12 last Friday!!  Hard to believe my baby is that old.

DD1 is home from college and officially a sophomore.  She is catching up with friends before starting her job in a couple weeks.  DD2 has been working as a lifeguard.  Her friend is back in Children's hospital and we are hoping for good news and better health.  I did get the top pieced for her quilt.

Hmm. It kind of wrinkled when I folded it.  The pattern for this quilt is "Lucky Stars" by Atkinson Designs.  The instructions are fabulous and she has you make the stars larger than you need and cut them down to the right size so everything lines up really well. I would definitely recommend the pattern and may try it again with some of my stash.  I bought the backing to match her bedroom.  It's the lighter blue fabric.  The dark blue will be the binding.

I'm planning on quilting it next week.  I am headed to the NQA quilt show with my friend Sandy on Wednesday.  We are going to stay there for a couple nights and take a class called "5 easy pieces" on Thursday.  I'm so excited!  Sandy is the one that got me started with quilting in the first place.  She moved about 45 minutes away and is working full time so I don't get to see her as often anymore.  I'm off to run kids and work on my Dotee Dolls for the Craftster swap.  The last step of the Orange Crush is going to have to wait until the Lucky Stars quilt is quilted.

Piece everyone!  Jenni

I got a GNOME!

Here is my handsome new gnome.  He's actually pretty goofy looking but I've always wanted one and he was 40% off at Cracker Barrel this morning.  I'm sure the kids will be starting to worry.  

It's been quite busy since I last posted.  Hubby and I went to Key West and had a great time.  It's beautiful, warm and fun.  I would definitely go again even though I've never seen so many surly bartenders in my life.  We had a couple good ones but many, one jerk at Schooner's Wharf in particular, were surly.   The food was fabulous and we have lots of great pics and memories.

Youngest DS played in the Gus Macker this weekend. He and his team wore the shirts I stencilled using freezer paper, acrylic paint and textile medium. They didn't win anything but they played well and I'm proud of them! Older DS decided not to play this year. He's giving up basketball all together after a lousy freshman experience. Just when he's growing, too! He's probably close to 6'3" and still going. Oh well, he's committed to football at the moment.

GUS MACKER TEAM:  Mac and Cheese (Mac is mine, on the left)
The other team members were the "cheese".  We had Cheddar, Stinky and Colby.  They had fun coming up with their names!  I made cheese "holes" in the numbers when I stencilled them.  It amused me at least!!

No quilting to report.  I need to get the next clue started for the Orange Crush mystery and work on the star quilt but I have been so busy with end of school activities and I came home with a head cold with a wicked headache from Key West that is just now letting up.  Hopefully I can get the machine set up and work a little tonight.  

I signed up to do the Dotee Doll swap on Craftster.  I've always wanted to make some of these.  Should be a fun one!!

I worked in the yard this afternoon.  I was afraid the neighbors were going to start calling the city.  If anyone has a good way to get rid of poison ivy plants, please let me know. I found several batches.  I sprayed with a very concentrated batch of Round Up but am afraid of that stuff.  I probably killed everything around it, unfortunately.  I feel like sneaking over in the neighbors yard tonight to spray it on their side of the fence.  Anyone ever been arrested for illegal use of pesticides?!!  I hope I stayed far enough away from those evil leaves of three.

 Anyway, tomorrow I put in some very late flowers so my yard and patio will look nice again.  Besides, I need to dress it up now for my gnome.  Maybe I should have a gnome naming contest . . . .

Piece!  Jenni

Happy Birthday to me!

I've been busy working on the star quilt for my DD2's friend and packing for our trip down south. DH and I are going on a second honeymoon to Key West!  Should be great.  Sadly DD's friend is now in the hospital and having surgery tomorrow.  They still aren't sure what is wrong with her but I'm praying that they find something soon that they can treat.  DD and I drove up to see her two nights ago.  She is an amazing, lovely person with such a strong will and a big heart.  She sent me flowers today from her hospital room for my birthday.  I pray that everything goes well for her and she starts to improve soon.

Above is a sacred heart postcard (sideways, sorry) that I sent to a swap partner on Craftster.  It was my first postcard and still my favorite.  I'm hoping to get involved in some groups that swap fiber postcards soon.

Piece everyone!  I'll be back in blogworld next week.  Jenni