March finishes!

I had a couple more hours to get something finished, so I basted and started quilting my Half-pint. I did NOT like the way it looked, so I ripped out the stitching, and will go back to the drawing board. I'm still not sure what to do with it. Any and all suggestions are welcome. I had decided to do diagonal lines through the nine-patch blocks, but it didn't look right. The tension was off on my stitching, so it was very easy to rip out!

On to the successes:



This is called It's a Bling Thing, which I did in a class at the LQS. I showed a sneak preview on Friday Night Sew-in, and it's made from the fabric in my header photo. My lighting is so bad at night, but I attempted to get a picture of the chenille that is on the diamond intersections. It still needs a little more 'fluffing'.


I didn't have quite enough fabric for the binding on this Rail Fence, so off to the quilt store again!



Fiona, my sewing machine, HATED this table runner. It took me forever to get this tiny little thing quilted, and by the time it was finished, I hated it too. But, It's a finish!!



And this little guy isn't a quilt finish, but it is a finish, made with leftover yarn from another project, and completed the night before a baby shower!



Ahhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!! Hubby and friend are working on his computer, and they pulled the plug on the cable just as I hit post! Fortunately, everyting was saved. Now off to do some surfing and see everyone else's finishes!

The Simple Woman's Daybook, March 29

Outside my window...the days are getting longer and longer, and I'll have my first daffodil tomorrow.
I am thankful for...my sweet hubby. He's been very good to me lately as I've been dealing with some "stuff".
From the kitchen...I can still smell the Ham Potpie made from Saturday's ham leftovers.
I am wearing...shorts and a sweatshirt. It's still cool in my craft room.
I am creating...quilting a small quilt that I started several months ago. I'm running out of month!
I am going...to sew late into the night tonight.
I am reading...Steering by Starlight
I am hoping...to make a big decision about going back to school.
I am hearing...tuned into another blogger's playlist
Around the house...the usual, washer and dryer running, hubby watching TV upstairs
One of my favorite things...I got a new book today. I love books!
A few plans for the rest of the week: other than starting a new project at work, not much happening. I need to do some serious sewing in order to have some finishes for the CG&GQC
Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

Cherry Blossom Time

Today was our day to see the Terra Cotta Warrior Exhibit at the National Geographic Museum in DC. Not really my cup of tea, but the hubby really wanted to go. I reminded him, however, that the Cherry Blossom Festival started yesterday, and I planned to go to the Tidal Basin for pictures. Although the blossoms won't peak for another 3-4 days, and it was a dreary day today, but we got a beautiful taste of Spring. I took my pocket camera instead of my 'real' one, but I got a few decent pictures. I'd love to go back later in the week, but the job interferes with the life I'd like to be living.

Quilting Advice Needed!

Hey fellow quilters, in order for me to finish my Half-Pint quilt by the end of the month, I have to figure out how I want to quilt it. I know the quilt-along was finished several months ago, but I hadn't discovered quilting then, so I'm a little late to the discussion. How did you quilt yours? This will only be my fourth or fifth to get to the quilting stage, and no, I don't have a long-arm. I've done a stitch-in-the ditch, a meander, and diagonal lines. Any suggestions?

Quilting fills my days, not to mention the living room, bedroom, and closets. ~Author Unknown

The ABC's of me

I first saw this on Polly's blog, and then on Cindy's. I liked the idea, so here are my:

The ABC's of ME................

A. Age: 53......I guess that means I'll be middle-aged soon!
B. Bed size: Queen, just right for 2 people and 3 cats....
C. Chore you hate: Laundry is the absolute worst!!
D. Dogs' Names: Nope, we're kitty people, Scooter, Chloe, Zoe
E. Essential food item: that would be M&M's, either plain or peanut
F. Favorite color: yellow, no wait - blue, no...green....or pink.....
G. Gold or Silver: Silver...always
H. Height: 5'7"
I. I am: thinking about going back to school again!
J. Job: Finance Manager, elderly Health care
K. Kids: one stepdaughter, age 28, and one granddaughter age 9
L. Living Arrangements: a townhouse in beautiful western Maryland
M. Mom's Name: Elaine, God rest her soul....
N. Nickname: I feel bad...I really don't have any
O. Overnight hospital stay(s): one surgery many years ago. I've been very fortunate.
P. Pet peeve: people who talk when I'm watching TV or a movie....
Q. Quote from a movie: Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn..........
R. Right or Left handed: Righty.....
S. Siblings: 1 older brother, a really good guy, and one sister, probably my best friend...
T. Time you wake up: 6:15 M-F, around 7:30ish on weekends.
U. Unique thing about your car: It's paid for!!
V. Vegetable you hate: green peppers totally gross me out.
W. Ways you run late: Not usually late, but a last-minute kind of girl.
X. X-rays you've had: wrist, knees and hands for arthritis, lungs for pneumonia
Y. Yummy food you make: I make the best soup! Almost every weekend during the winter, I make soup for weekday lunches.
Z. Zoo animal favorite: Giant Pandas and giraffes.

And now - will YOU share your ABC's?

First Weekend of Spring

Oh my, what a beautiful weekend! On Saturday, with temperatures in the low 70's, we started CAM (Cache Across Maryland). We started geocaching about four years ago, and really look forward to this annual event. Because of vacation plans this year, I don't think we'll be able to complete CAM, but it's fun to find a few of the caches. And it was such a beautiful day to be hiking on the AT, where we found our first cache.

Today, in addition to buying groceries and a quick trip to the LQS for a BOM project, we got our kayaks out of storage!! We probably won't put them in the water for a few more weeks, but now they're ready to go. Doesn't this look much better than the snow pictures in the driveway?

Friday Night results and a new quilt store!

Yeah - I did finish the quilting, and plan to do the binding tonight. I'm going to wait to post the picture until I finish brushing the chenille. I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out. I took this as a class at my LQS, and I love seeing all the finished results because everyone chooses such different fabric. This was my first quilt with a lot of angles, and I learned a lot, especially about 'reverse sewing'.

On another note, I had the chance to visit a quilt store today that I hadn't been in before. I saw a quilt on display that I totally fell in love with, so of course I bought the pattern. And I told the hubster (who was patiently waiting in the car with his book) that I "accidentally" bought some fabric. After all, I certainly didn't go into a quilt store with the intention of buying fabric!

Friday Night Sew In

Sewing, sewing, sewing...............



It's 12:40 am, and I'm getting tired, but I will finish quilting this before I go to bed! It's my first attempt at chenille, and I'd love to see the final effect, but that will have to wait until tomorrow. Stay tuned for another picture tomorrow!

Friday Night Sew In

Coming Soon: The March Friday Night Sew In is this Friday! I was overly ambitious with my March goals, so I'm really looking forward to sewing into the wee hours on Friday night, trying to get something finished. Come join us!!

The Simple Woman's Daybook, March 15

FOR TODAY
March 15, 2010...
Outside my window...the snow is finally all melted, we now have purple AND yellow crocus, and the tulips and daffodils are popping out of the ground everywhere!
I am thankful for...good friends. I got to spend the weekend with one of my college roommates. It's so much fun to spend time together and catch up on each other's lives.
From the kitchen...no cooking tonight, but there's a partial box of Girl Scout cookies up there, calling my name.
I am wearing...sweats and my Crocs. I get comfy when I get home from work.
I am creating...finishing the scrapbook layouts that I started at the retreat this past weekend.
I am going...to bed soon! Didn't get much sleep this weekend.
I am reading...The Grief Club
I am hoping...to become a more optimistic thinker.
I am hearing...silence.
Around the house...all is quiet.
One of my favorite things...is getting my monthly massage this week.
A few plans for the rest of the week: Hair appointment, massage, quilt class, and dinner club. Another very busy week.
Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

Back to my regularly scheduled life

This afternoon, I returned from my annual Scrapbooking Retreat, where I spent the weekend with approximately 80 scrappers. I think this was my 10th year of attending, and it's a girls' weekend out for my college roommate and me. I don't scrap nearly as much as I used to, but it's so much fun to get away for the weekend, and be in the company of so many people with the same interests. We catch up with people that we only see this one time of the year, and always make new friends. We talk about our families, travels, and careers. Two weeks ago, I was able to attend a quilting retreat. It's unfortunate that they were scheduled so close together, but I had fun at each, and I'm already looking forward to next year.

On an entirely different topic, our area had significant snowfall this year, and much of just melted last week as we enjoyed some warm temperatures. The snowmelt, combined with several inches of rain since Friday, has caused some flooding. I stopped along the Potomac River on my drive home today, and took this picture:


If you click on it for a larger view, you can see an entire tree floating down the river. This is a place where we regularly kayak in the summertime. Here is a view of what it should look like:


The hubster would not be casually floating down the river today!

A birthday kind of day!

What a wonderful birthday I had! Have you ever tried Cinnamon Crunch bagels from Panera? I hadn't, until I found one waiting for me when I got to work this morning. YUMMY!!!! Throughout the day, I received calls, e-mails, cards, and treats. I met the hubster at Red Robin for my free Birthday burger and sundae. What a deal! He gave me my gift a few days early, so I've already put it to good use. It's fun to watch people's faces when I tell them he got me an iron for my birthday. They look at me as if to say "You're kidding, right?" Nope, not kidding, it's exactly what I wanted! And no, it won't be used to iron his shirts, unless he wants to borrow it sometime. LOL! Isn't she pretty?

The Simple Woman's Daybook, March 8

FOR TODAY
March 8, 2010...
Outside my window...the days are getting longer and longer, and I have crocus's blooming in my front yard
I am thankful for...Libraries. I stopped at ours tonight and checked out 3 books on tape for my commute
From the kitchen...made a casserole with leftover beef, mushrooms, and noodles. Quite tasty.
I am wearing...jeans, a sweatshirt, and my Crocs. My usual Monday night attire.
I am creating...birthday cards on the agenda for tonight
I am going...to a Scrapbooking Retreat this weekend, where I'll be spending time with my college roommate (from a lonnnnnnng time ago)
I am reading...The Grief Club
I am hoping...that I can retain my sanity at work.
I am hearing...the washer is running, and hubby has on the TV upstairs.
Around the house...did some more cleaning and organizing over the weekend. Things are starting to shape up.
One of my favorite things...spending quality time with Deanna at Mountin' Retreat
A few plans for the rest of the week: sewing, Quilt Guild, birthday dinner, Photo Club, and the retreat. A very busy week here.
Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

This is the time of year for Bald Eaglets to be hatching in our area. I enjoy watching the eagle cams at Blackwater Refuge, which has two new hatchlings, and NCTC, which is hoping for a hatch in about a week.

Spring is Springing!!

Since I started blogging at the end of January, I've taken way too many snow pictures. And while I can't guarantee that there won't be more snow, I'm going to concentrate on looking for signs of Spring.

For about a month, we've been seeing these

and yesterday when I got home from work, I found these

in my front yard. You know what this means, right? It's time to take down the quilted Snowman wall-hanging, and put up a Spring wall-hanging. And that means I must go fabric shopping, so See Ya Later!!

But there was a DISCOUNT!!

Back in September, when I attended my first Guild meeting, I signed up for a workshop to be held in April. At that time, I hadn't yet made a single quilt and I was looking for every opportunity to learn! Now the time is almost here, and I had to purchase the fabric. And I'm smart enough to buy it the one day of the month that I get a big discount!

March Goals

This will be my first full month with CG&GQC, and I have an ambitious list of goals to finish. I plan to finish my Half-pint quilt,
I want to finish this little Rail Fence
And I think it's time to finish my Crazy Quilt. This is the first quilt that I started, and it was too intimidating, so I put it away for awhile. Almost done now!

And I also have two BOM projects that I'm involved with, so I'll have to do the March blocks. I think that should keep me busy! Oops, just thought of one more~I'll get my class quilt finished before the end of the month.

The Simple Woman's Daybook, March 1

FOR TODAY
March 1, 2010...
Outside my window...the snow is almost all melted, and the air is turning warmer
I am thankful for...my bff, who listens when I need to talk things out
From the kitchen...Tried a new recipe with spaghetti squash tonight. It was okay, but not something we're likely to try again.
I am wearing...jeans, a sweatshirt, and my Crocs. My usual Monday night attire.
I am creating...A beautiful little nine-patch quilt, that I can't wait to finish!
I am going...to bed very soon.
I am reading...The Grief Club
I am hoping...that things calm down at work soon, and I don't have to work so many evenings.
I am hearing...a playlist on someone else's blog. great music!
Around the house...The dishwasher just turned off, and the washer and dryer are both running.
One of my favorite things...Quilt retreats!
A few plans for the rest of the week: sewing, working, Quilt Club, and dinner out with friends on Saturday.
Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

I was having a hard time dealing with something last week, and the hubster brought me this beautiful surprise.